Glacier Peak High School:
Frequently Asked Questions

Basic Information about Glacier Peak High School:

• When will Glacier Peak High School Open?
• Who will be the Principal of Glacier Peak High School?
• What is the address for Glacier Peak High School?
• How was Glacier Peak High School named?
• What will Glacier Peak High School look like?
• What will the mascot and colors be for Glacier Peak High School?
• Has a Transportation Plan been determined?
• What kinds of Parent Group will Glacier Peak High School have?

Attendance Boundaries / Variance Policy / Student Enrollment Questions:

• Who will attend Glacier Peak High School?
• Will Glacier Peak High School have seniors in the 2008-2009 school year
  (the first year that it opens)?
• How do I register a student to attend Glacier Peak High School?
• What is the District’s Variance Policy, as it relates to Glacier Peak High School?

Staffing Questions:

• Who will be teaching at Glacier Peak High School?

Questions about Academic Program:

• What foreign language courses will Glacier Peak High School offer?
• What Career / Tech classes will be offered at Glacier Peak High School?
• Will Advanced Placement (AP) classes be offered at Glacier Peak High School?
• Will there be a student government at Glacier Peak High School?
• How will the Band Program be organized?

Questions about Athletic Programs / Extra-Curricular Activities:

• What activities will be offered at Glacier Peak High School?
• Will Glacier Peak High School compete in 3A or 4A Athletics?
• Where will Glacier Peak High School’s teams compete?
• How will coaches be selected?

Basic Information about Glacier Peak High School

When will Glacier Peak High School Open?
Glacier Peak High School is anticipated to open in the fall of 2008.  

Who will be the Principal of Glacier Peak High School?
Jim Dean, the current principal of Cascade High School in Everett was recently hired to be the planning principal. Jim has sixteen years of experience as a high school principal, and was an associate principal for four years before becoming a principal. Jim will begin working in Snohomish as of July 1, 2007.

What is the address for Glacier Peak High School?
7401 – 144^th Place SE
Snohomish, WA 98296

How was Glacier Peak High School named?
The “Name That High School” Committee, consisting of students, parents, community members and staff, narrowed the list of over 200 nominated names down to the final three: Eagle Ridge High School, Glacier Peak High School and Three Rivers High School. The final three names were posted on the District Web site for public comment. Ultimately, the School Board had the final say. At their May 23^rd Board Meeting, the School Board announced the selection of Glacier Peak High School.  

What will Glacier Peak High School look like?
Drawings of Glacier Peak High School can be viewed by clicking here.

Has a Transportation Plan been determined?
The transportation plan is currently being finalized for the 2008 - 2009 school year.

What kind of Parent Group will Glacier Peak High School have?
The Parent Organization and Boosters' Clubs have finalized their constitution and by-laws and have elected their officers for the 2008-2009 school year.  For further information please contact Patty Venema, President, at singletree.venema@verizon.net.

Attendance Boundaries / Variance Policy /
Student Enrollment Questions:

Who will attend Glacier Peak High School?
During the 2005-2006 school year, the High School Boundary committee looked at student enrollment projections to determine the attendance boundary for the two high schools. They determined that the best boundary line would be the Snohomish River, with students who live north and east of the river attending Snohomish High School, and students living south and west of the river attending Glacier Peak High School. For more information about the work of this committee, visit the Web site here: http://www.sno.wednet.edu/ApprovedHSBoundary.html. Students who live in the Central Primary Center / Emerson Elementary attendance area will have the opportunity to choose which school they would like to attend, because they are the only group of students who will attend Valley View Middle School that live within the Snohomish High School attendance boundary. (See the question about High School Variances, below).

Will Glacier Peak High School have seniors in the 2008-2009 school year (the first year that it opens)?
No. Glacier Peak High School will open with students in grades 9-11. Last summer, the School District surveyed students at the south-end of the District who will be seniors the first year that Glacier Peak High School opens. Survey results indicated that the vast majority of south-end students want to stay at Snohomish High School for their senior year. Based upon these surveys, a recommendation was made by the High School Transition Committee to the School Board to keep the seniors together at Snohomish High School for their last year. The School Board approved this decision in the fall of 2006.

How do I register a student to attend Glacier Peak High School?
Students that are currently enrolled in the Snohomish School District who live within the Glacier Peak High School boundary will automatically have their records transferred to Glacier Peak prior to the start of the 2008-2009 school year. Students will register for classes at Glacier Peak High School at the same time that students at SHS will register for classes next spring (2008). Students that are not currently enrolled in the Snohomish School District who live within the Glacier Peak High School boundary will need to register for classes in the spring and summer of 2008.

What is the District’s Variance Policy, as it relates to Glacier Peak High School?
The High School Variance Committee created a draft Variance Policy and held a public hearing about the draft policy on April 30, 2007. Their final recommendation for the High School Variance Policy was presented to the School Board and a new policy was adopted at the August 22, 2007 school board meeting.  Click Here for a link to the Secondary Request for School Attendance Area Variance Policy.

Staffing Questions:

Who will be teaching at Glacier Peak High School?
There will be a mixture of teachers from Snohomish Freshman Campus and Snohomish High School, and there will be some new staff members at both schools as well.

The District worked with the Snohomish Education Association (the teacher’s union), to develop a weighted lottery system to determine staffing. At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, teachers from the Freshman Campus and Snohomish High School took part in a weighted lottery to determine their school placement for the 2008-2009 school year (when Glacier Peak High School opens). Placement was based upon teaching endorsements of staff, previous teaching experience, projected enrollment at the two schools, and teacher preference. The majority of teachers were placed at the school of their choice. If a teacher did not get their top choice, they were able to add their name to a "super transfer" list. This list will allow them to change schools should a slot at their preferred school open up. Click here to see the list of teachers by location.

The District worked with the Public School Employees (PSE), the District’s classified staff union, to develop a plan for staffing Snohomish High School and Glacier Peak High School beginning in 2008. On April 23, 2007, following the process developed, current Snohomish Freshman Campus and Snohomish High School classified staff members chose their positions either at Snohomish High School or the new high school based upon their current job classifications.

Questions about Academic Program:

What foreign language courses will Glacier Peak High School offer?
Spanish, French, German and Chinese are the foreign languages currently being offered at Snohomish High School, and are the courses that will be offered at Glacier Peak High School as well, depending upon student interest.

What Career / Tech classes will be offered at Glacier Peak High School?
The Career/Tech classes offered at Glacier Peak High School will be based upon student interest. It is likely that comparable programs to those offered at SHS will be offered at Glacier Peak High School.

Will Advanced Placement (AP) classes be offered at Glacier Peak High School?
The District is working to build two comparable, equitable high schools. While the teaching staff has been determined for the two schools, specific classes offered will be dependent upon student enrollment and interest. AP classes will be offered at both schools. The subjects offered will depend on the interest of the students.


Will there be a student government at Glacier Peak High School?
The officers for the new ASB at Glacier Peak High School will be elected and ready to take their positions in the second semester of the 2007-2008 school year, and will carry into the 2008-2009 school year.  Class officers will be selected by their respective constituencies in the spring of 2008.  Student officer for the 2007-2008 school year will be working closely with Mr. Dean to have a strong ASB ready to open the school in 2008.  The ASB coordinator for Glacier Peak High School will begin that position in the second semester of next year (2007-2008), to begin the process of developing the student government for Glacier Peak High School.
 

Glacier Peak Band Q&A:

What band classes will be offered at GPHS? 

There will be three concert bands offered the first year it is open, the following year we may add a Percussion Ensemble.  Of the three concert bands, two will be by audition.  Like the courses offered at SHS, the Wind Ensemble will be the top group, then Symphonic Band.  Concert Band is open without an audition.  There will be no audition for Percussion Ensemble.

Will there be a Jazz Band?

There will be two.  Like at SHS, there will be a Jazz I & Jazz II that meet before school during ‘zero hour.’  Students must be enrolled in a concert band in order to participate in either jazz band, unless they play an instrument that is not filled.

Will there be enough students to fill 2 jazz bands AND 3 concert bands?

Yes, though we anticipate smaller ensembles than we have this year.  Our numbers are projected to grow the following year.

When are auditions?

Auditions for Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Bands will be in the Spring.  Jazz Band auditions will take place during the first two weeks of school in the Fall.

I will be providing audition material to 8^th grade students at VVMS, in addition to freshmen and sophomores.  8^th grade band students may choose to audition or not.  If they choose not to audition, they will be placed in Concert Band. 

What is Grizzly Band?

Grizzly Band is the pep band – the band that plays at football and basketball games.  This is an after-school, extra-curricular band made up of Band students.  The Grizzly Band marches during halftime at football games.  Incoming freshmen and sophomores are required to march in the halftime show next year.  *After one year of marching, students may choose whether to march or not. 

The Grizzly Band is the ‘face’ of the music department.  This is the band that marches in parades, at football games, and plays for the girls’ and boys’ basketball games.  Students may earn a ‘letter’ by participating in Grizzly Band, much like any other club or sport. 

Rehearsals are limited to one week of band camp (August 11-15), and 4-5 rehearsals after school, just prior to a football game.

What/when is band camp?

Band camp is where we learn to march the show we perform at halftime of the home football games.  Band camp will be August 11-15, at Valley View Middle School (we will probably not be able to use the field at GPHS).  There will be a cost associated

Can my student do both sports and marching band?!

Yes.  Many students over the years have been able to manage both sports and marching band.  I ask that we first see how your student can do both, and then work to compromise.  

How will we elect student leadership?

Most of that will be done in the fall; however, we’ll need drum majors for marching band.  This position will be open only to this year’s sophomores (next year’s junior class).  We’ll hold elections later in the school year. 

What will the fight song be?  How will we choose?

I don’t know.  My feeling is that we will eliminate the fight songs other schools use, then choose from others that are available.  OR, we can write our own!

What is a Booster Club?

A booster club is a parent organization that supports a school organization, band in our case.  You can be a part of this!  We need your help to get our boosters started!  Contact me if you wish to participate.

Can students letter in band?  Can their letter carry-over from SHS?

Yes and yes.  Students can letter in Grizzly Band because it is an extra-curricular club.  To letter, a student must amass 150 points in a given school year.  Attendance at band camp counts for 50 points, and each football game and basketball game add to their points.  Students may also earn points for taking private lessons or playing in an ensemble outside of school (i.e., Everett Youth Symphony, community bands, etc.). 

Students that have earned a letter at SHS may bring that with them to GPHS.  There are many possible ways of displaying that letter on a jacket or sweater – it is up to the individual how best to combine the two school letters.

Questions about Athletic Programs / Extra-Curricular Activities:

What activities will be offered at Glacier Peak High School? Glacier Peak High School will have many of the same activities as SHS, based upon student interest. During the 2007-2008 school year, program advisors for many activities will have individuals shadow them, to learn how to be an advisor of certain programs next year. This includes: ASB, Yearbook, Debate, Journalism, DECA, Drama, FBLA, and Honor Society.  

Will Glacier Peak High School compete in 3A or 4A Athletics?
For the first two years that Glacier Peak is open, the school will compete in the WesCo North 3A division. Snohomish High School will  remain in the 4A division.  

Where will Glacier Peak High School’s teams compete? Veterans Memorial Stadium, located at Snohomish High School will serve as “home” field for both Glacier Peak High School and Snohomish High School. All varsity football and soccer games, as well as track meets will be held at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium. Glacier Peak will have an artificial turf field to hold practices and some games. Other Varsity sports, such as basketball, volleyball, baseball, etc. will be played at Glacier Peak High School in the appropriate location.

How will coaches be selected?
A process has been developed jointly between the District and the extra/co-curricular staff representatives to address the staffing and hiring of coaching positions.  The latest coaching updates are available in the GPHS monthly newsletter on the GPHS homepage.

Have a question that hasn't been answered? Send your questions to communications@sno.wednet.edu.