Sammamish High School
Encyclopedia
Sammamish High School is a public secondary school in Bellevue
, Washington, USA
, serving students in grades 9
–12
. The school is part of the Bellevue School District
, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. The school is known as the Totems, and the mascot is the Thunderbird
. Its colors are red, black, and white. The current principal is Tom Duenwald, with Michelle Renee serving as the Assistant Principal.
Sammamish generally serves students from the east zone of the district, but students from outside its attendance area can enroll at the school through its open enrollment policy. Sammamish High's feeder elementary schools are Cherry Crest, Stevenson, Lake Hills, Phantom Lake, and Spiritridge. Its feeder middle schools are Odle
and Tillicum.
. 32% qualify for free or reduced lunches.
Under the decision of Program Delivery Council on Dec. 13, 2006, Sammamish switched to a modified 7-period schedule starting 2007-08 school year from the previous block schedule. Then-principal Bang-Knudsen and PDC Facilitator George Westergaard cited two main reasons to switch back to a regular schedule.
Sammamish was ranked as #168 in 2008, #108 in 2007, #193 in 2006, #225 in 2005, and #141 in 2003 out of all the high schools in United States by Newsweek
Magazine. The ranking is based on the number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken divided by number of graduating seniors. All five high schools in the district are consistently ranked as the top five high schools in the Washington state since the inception of the Newsweek ranking. The validity of these rankings is disputed for various reasons, such as that Sammamish's lack of an IB program deflates its rating as compared to its neighbor Interlake High School
.
Sammamish High School is a member of the Kingco Athletic Conference
, Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
. 22 sports are played over the course of three seasons at Sammamish, with Cheer and Drill active year-round. Past statistics can be found at the WIAA website.
Sammamish High School is home to a variety of extracurricular activities. Associated Student Body and administrators coordinate these throughout the schoolyear. Academically, the school houses chapters of the National Honor Society
, National Arts Honor Society, Tri-M
(Music Honor Society), Mu Alpha Theta
(National Math Honor Society), and as of the 2006-07 school year, a successful and competitive Policy/Lincoln Douglas Debate team, which has competed at the semi-final level of the Auburn Regional Forensics Invitational. An active Multicultural Club conducts events to demonstrate the diversity of the student body and coordinates the annual "Taste of Sammamish" culinary festival. Also, the Arts Magnet Program creates opportunities for students to participate in actual production. The school's theater, opened in early 2005, cost the district $4.5 million and is now home to at least two student productions each year. It contains professional equipment and is sometimes available to outside groups for rent, making it the third professional-quality theater in King County, Washington
. Sammamish Graphic Arts students often participate in state and regional graphics competitions. The school offers a fully functional hot glass
studio and extensive programs centered on healthcare. The jazz choir has won numerous awards, and along with jazz band
competes in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
each year. Jazz choir was recently featured in Bellevue Community College
's Vocal Jazz Invitational with its award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Celebration!. In February 2007, Sammamish won 1st Runner-up in the most competitive Multi-Mic Division at Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, Washington, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, serving students in grades 9
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
–12
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
. The school is part of the Bellevue School District
Bellevue School District
Bellevue School District No. 405 is a public school district in King County, Washington, USA that serves the communities of Bellevue, Clyde Hill, Medina, Hunts Point, Yarrow Point, Beaux Arts Village, and portions of Newcastle, Kirkland and Redmond. As of October 1, 2010, the district has an...
, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. The school is known as the Totems, and the mascot is the Thunderbird
Thunderbird (mythology)
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a "supernatural" bird of power and strength...
. Its colors are red, black, and white. The current principal is Tom Duenwald, with Michelle Renee serving as the Assistant Principal.
Sammamish generally serves students from the east zone of the district, but students from outside its attendance area can enroll at the school through its open enrollment policy. Sammamish High's feeder elementary schools are Cherry Crest, Stevenson, Lake Hills, Phantom Lake, and Spiritridge. Its feeder middle schools are Odle
Odle Middle School
Odle Middle School is a public middle school in Bellevue, Washington, USA. The school is one of seven middle schools in the Bellevue School District, and was named posthumously after Frank Odle, who taught in the district for 55 years before retiring in 1968...
and Tillicum.
Demographics
In the 2008–2009 school year, the total student enrollment was 961. The racial demographics are: 5% African American, 20% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 7% multiracial and 52% white. 36% of students speak a first language other than EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. 32% qualify for free or reduced lunches.
Academics
Sammamish is well known for its magnet programs (Sammamish Visual and Performing Arts Center), solid and challenging Advanced Placement classes, strong career and technical programs. Sammamish was named the Washington state recipient of 2006-07 Siemens Awards of Advanced Placement. This award recognizes the excellence of Sammamish's Advanced Placement instruction and student performances.Under the decision of Program Delivery Council on Dec. 13, 2006, Sammamish switched to a modified 7-period schedule starting 2007-08 school year from the previous block schedule. Then-principal Bang-Knudsen and PDC Facilitator George Westergaard cited two main reasons to switch back to a regular schedule.
Advanced Placement
Sammamish offers Advanced Placement classes. From 2002 through 2006, Sammamish students' scores have counted for over 50% of all the passing exams in AP Calculus BC for the entire state.Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
Magazine. The ranking is based on the number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken divided by number of graduating seniors. All five high schools in the district are consistently ranked as the top five high schools in the Washington state since the inception of the Newsweek ranking. The validity of these rankings is disputed for various reasons, such as that Sammamish's lack of an IB program deflates its rating as compared to its neighbor Interlake High School
Interlake High School
Interlake High School, also known as IHS, is a public high school in Bellevue, Washington. The school is one of the six high schools in the Bellevue School District. It is known for its diversity, its students' scholarship, and the International Baccalaureate program located at the school. The...
.
Athletics
Kingco Athletic Conference
The Kingco Athletic Conference is a part of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Its two divisions are for 4A and 3A. It falls under the umbrella of Seaking District II.-4A members:-3A Members:-Sports:*Baseball*Fastpitch...
, Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington...
. 22 sports are played over the course of three seasons at Sammamish, with Cheer and Drill active year-round. Past statistics can be found at the WIAA website.
| Sammamish High School State Championship Games WIAA State Tournament History, inquire by selecting Sammamish - (3A) |
|||||||
| Year | Sport | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location (all in Washington) | Class | ||
| 1970 | State Frisbee Championship | Sammamish | 3 gms | O'Dea (Seattle) | 2 gms | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... |
4A |
| 1976 | Girl's Basketball | Sammamish | 45 | Walla Walla | 34 | Pacific Lutheran University Pacific Lutheran University Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty... |
4A |
| 1977 | Girl's Basketball | Sammamish | 53 | Garfield | 30 | Pacific Lutheran University Pacific Lutheran University Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty... |
4A |
| 1978 | Boy's Basketball | Garfield | 58 | Sammamish | 56 | Seattle Coliseum, Seattle | 4A |
| 1978 | Boy's Soccer | Shorewood | 2 | Sammamish | 0 | Seattle | 4A |
| 1979 | Boy's Soccer | Sammamish | 6 | O'Dea O'Dea High School O'Dea High School is a Catholic boys' high school located on Seattle's First Hill, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. The school is named after Edward John O'Dea who was bishop of Seattle when the school was built.... |
2 | Seattle | 4A |
| 1981 | Boy's Soccer | Highline Highline High School Highline High School is a high school in Burien, Washington, United States, located about 3.5 highway miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Highline High School, the flagship high school of the Highline School District, opened its doors in 1924 and served the cities of Burien, Des... |
2 | Sammamish | 0 | Seattle | 4A |
| 1989 | Girls's Soccer | Jefferson | 3 | Sammamish | 1 | Renton Renton, Washington Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields... |
4A |
| 1990 | Girls's Soccer | Sammamish | 1 | Federal Way Federal Way High School Federal Way High School is located in Federal Way, Washington. It was originally built in 1938.-Academics:* Advanced Placement courses: Calculus, Statistics, U.S... |
0 | Shoreline Shoreline, Washington Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States, north of Downtown Seattle bordering the northern Seattle city limits. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,007, making it the 19th largest city in the state of Washington.... |
4A |
| 1992 | Girls's Soccer | Federal Way Federal Way High School Federal Way High School is located in Federal Way, Washington. It was originally built in 1938.-Academics:* Advanced Placement courses: Calculus, Statistics, U.S... |
3 | Sammamish | 0 | Shoreline Shoreline, Washington Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States, north of Downtown Seattle bordering the northern Seattle city limits. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,007, making it the 19th largest city in the state of Washington.... |
4A |
| 1995 | Boy's Basketball | Evergreen Evergreen High School Evergreen High School can refer to one of the following institutions:*Evergreen High School *Evergreen High School *Evergreen High School *Evergreen High School... |
64 | Sammamish | 59 (OT) | Kingdome Kingdome The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the... , Seattle |
4A |
| 1996 | Girl's Tennis | Sammamish | 4A | ||||
| 1999 | Boy's Football | Prosser | 42 | Sammamish | 38 | Tacoma Dome Tacoma Dome The Tacoma Dome is an indoor arena located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, approximately 30 miles south of Seattle.-History:... |
3A |
| 1999 | Boy's Water Polo | Sammamish | Mercer Island Mercer Island High School Mercer Island High School is a public high school located in Mercer Island, Washington in the U.S., as part of the Mercer Island School District.... |
King County Aquatics Center | 3A | ||
| 2000 | Boy's Water Polo | Mercer Island Mercer Island High School Mercer Island High School is a public high school located in Mercer Island, Washington in the U.S., as part of the Mercer Island School District.... |
16 | Sammamish | 8 | King County Aquatics Center | 3A |
| 2002 | Drill Team | Sammamish | S | Sun Dome Yakima SunDome The Yakima SunDome is a 6,195 seat multi-purpose arena in Yakima, Washington. It was built in 1990, on the Central Washington State Fairgrounds and often serves as an exhibit hall during the fair. Bea Noel of Yakima developed the first vision of building a multi purpose facility on the Yakima Fair... , Yakima Yakima, Washington Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of... |
3A | ||
| 2003 | Drill Team | Sammamish | S | Sun Dome, Yakima | 3A | ||
Activities
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, National Arts Honor Society, Tri-M
Tri-M
Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is a high school and middle school music honor society. Each school has its own chapter, which is run by the students but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher...
(Music Honor Society), Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
(National Math Honor Society), and as of the 2006-07 school year, a successful and competitive Policy/Lincoln Douglas Debate team, which has competed at the semi-final level of the Auburn Regional Forensics Invitational. An active Multicultural Club conducts events to demonstrate the diversity of the student body and coordinates the annual "Taste of Sammamish" culinary festival. Also, the Arts Magnet Program creates opportunities for students to participate in actual production. The school's theater, opened in early 2005, cost the district $4.5 million and is now home to at least two student productions each year. It contains professional equipment and is sometimes available to outside groups for rent, making it the third professional-quality theater in King County, Washington
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
. Sammamish Graphic Arts students often participate in state and regional graphics competitions. The school offers a fully functional hot glass
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
studio and extensive programs centered on healthcare. The jazz choir has won numerous awards, and along with jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
competes in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
The Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival, the largest west of the Mississippi, that takes place on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho in the month of February...
each year. Jazz choir was recently featured in Bellevue Community College
Bellevue Community College
Bellevue College is a public institution of higher education located in Bellevue, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. It serves 35,000 students per year, making it the second largest institution of higher education overall in Washington state...
's Vocal Jazz Invitational with its award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Celebration!. In February 2007, Sammamish won 1st Runner-up in the most competitive Multi-Mic Division at Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.
Notable alumni
- Rob McKennaRob McKennaRobert Marion "Rob" McKenna is the Republican Attorney General of Washington and was elected in November 2004 for a term beginning in January 2005. He won re-election in November 2008 with over 59 percent statewide...
, Washington State Attorney GeneralState Attorney GeneralThe state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those... - Ann WilsonAnn WilsonAnn Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
, co-founder of HeartHeart (band)Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music... - Kevin Seal, MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
VJ - Gregg OlsenGregg OlsenGregg Olsen is a Gregg Olsen is a Gregg Olsen is a [[New York Times]] and a USA Today bestselling [[author]] of eight nonfiction books and six novels, most of which are crime-related...
, true crimeTrue crimeTrue crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
author - Scott Vanderpool, KZOKKZOK-FMKZOK-FM is a commercial radio station located in Seattle, Washington, broadcasting on 102.5 FM. It is owned by CBS Radio and airs a classic rock music format.-History:KZOK signed on in 1964 as KTW-FM and simulcasted KTW-AM...
102.5 Disc JockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys... - Megan HiltyMegan HiltyMegan Kathleen Hilty is an American stage and television actress.- Early years :Hilty was born in Bellevue, Washington and is the daughter of Jack and Donna Hilty. She attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue and the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School in Redmond,...
, actress WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard... - Mark Alan HewittMark Alan HewittMark Alan Hewitt is an architect, preservationist and architectural historian who lives and practices in Bernardsville, New Jersey.Mark Alan Hewitt was born on March 31, 1953 in Berwyn, Illinois. He attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue, Washington, graduating in 1971...
, architect, preservationist, historian - Vinicius Oliveira, winner of the Seattle Sounders FCSeattle Sounders FCSeattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
SuperSearch - Chris Raftery, former safety for the Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
football team and WIAA record holder for the most touchdowns and most points scored in the Washington state championship.