Rainier Beach High School

Rainier Beach
High School
Student Life

Student Handbook

Welcome to Rainier Beach High School!

Home of the Vikings! “Where Everybody is a Somebody”

We are so excited that you are a part of the RB Family! This year our theme is “Leaving a Legacy Together” in honor of the many community members who have relentlessly fought for the Rainier Beach school community over the last 30+ years to ensure every scholar receives a world-class education rooted in equity, cultural responsiveness, and anti-racist practices. We see our new building as a “beacon of hope” to all who enter and a place for all that will come to “leave a legacy.” Our instructional vision is:

Rainier Beach HS will be an instructional powerhouse in teaching and learning to prepare our scholars for college, career, and lifelong learning.

Rainier Beach HS instructors will use the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile Traits as a framework to deliver rigorous, high-quality instruction rooted in equity, antiracist and culturally responsive practices in ALL learning spaces.

If you haven’t already done so, please familiarize yourself with the IB learner profile attributes as it will guide our approach to learning. This handbook is constructed to support you as a valued staff member and ensure you have the tools to give our scholars a successful educational experience.

The 3+ district aligned pillars are: MTSS, UDL and Restorative Practices. MTSS or multi-tiered system of support focuses on providing three tiers of data-informed attendance, behavior, course performance and social-emotional supports (ABCs) for students. UDL or “universal design for learning” supports best practice strategies and choices in engagement, representation of ideas and materials, and action and expression to foster schoolwide inclusion. Restorative practices are a strength-based approach to conversations and actions that seeks to prevent, heal harm, and build compassion in our community. Finally, the + stands for a constant commitment to family and community engagement across all school teams and initiatives.

The core values that I lead with are Relationships, Collaboration (people support what they help create), doing everything in a Spirit of Excellence, Recognition and Appreciation, and always bringing the Joy Factor in everything we do. It is the focus of our admin team to grow and support you as an educational leader and instructor. Please seek support from your colleagues and admin when you have questions or need. We are here to help!

The RBHS Administration Team

Principal, Annie Patu
alpatu@seattleschools.org

Assistant Principal, Dr. Scott Pierce
espierce@seattleschools.org