by George J Elbaum

North Creek High School has an enrollment of 1700 students in grades 9 – 12 with high diversity: 39.2% White, 39.0% Asian, 10.4% Hispanic, 7.8% two or more races, 2.5% Black, 0.4% all other, and 14% of students are economically disadvantaged.  It is ranked 20th within Washington by US News & World Report, as its students’ participation in Advanced Placement® program is a commendable 57%.

 The school sits on a 60+ acre campus featuring numerous wetlands and a state-of-the-art facility for student learning, unlike most high schools in the United States.  The buildings are heated and cooled by geo-thermal energy, and solar power provides additional energy.  Each building was designed so that almost every space could be used for teaching and learning.  Classrooms have movable glass walls and the hallways have furniture that invites small group work.  There are also designated rooms called Collaboration Cubes where students can work together and learn in a comfortable space outside the classroom. 

The students study the Holocaust within a larger unit on historical causes and manifestations of war. This includes the Pyramid of Hate, scapegoating, the rise of the Nazis, a more general lesson about perpetrators and bystanders in genocide, and a lesson on Jewish cultural and spiritual resistance.  Today’s event was organized by Social Studies teacher Deanna Armstrong and my participation was arranged by Lexi Jason, Education Program Manager of Holocaust Center for Humanity