Chinook Newsletter: January 21, 2025

Topics Yearbook Purchases Student Device Monitoring for Families Know Your Rights: Immigration, Advocacy and Education Share Your Input: Help Shape Next Year’s BSD Budget PTSA News In Case You Missed It

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Important Dates   

• January 24
  • 8:30 AM, I-Connect with Chinook Administrators
• January 31
  • First Semester Ends
• February 3
  • Second Semester Begins
• February 17-21
  • Mid-Winter Break (No School)
• April 29-May 2
  • 6^th Grade Science Camp

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Greetings Chinook Middle School Community,

I warmly invite you to join us for the PTSA’s 3rd I-Connect Meeting of the school year—a Town Hall with both myself and Assistant Principal, Susie Q Challancin. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together, discuss important issues, and share feedback about your experiences at Chinook.

Details:

• Date: Friday, January 24, 2025
• Time: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
• Location: Chinook Middle School Library

Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast will be provided. To ensure we have adequate seating and refreshments, please RSVP here by Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. If you have specific questions you’d like us to address, please include them in your RSVP.

I-Connect meetings are monthly gatherings sponsored by the Chinook PTSA that give parents and guardians a chance to network with others in our school community. My hope is that you will leave this session feeling informed, supported, and more connected to our school community.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, and I look forward to seeing you at our Town Hall.

Sincerely,

James Peterson

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Yearbook Purchases

The 2024-2025 yearbook may be purchased during the following periods:

• 1/17/25 – 1/30/25
• 6/5/25 – 6/18/25

Yearbooks are available for pre-order now. The cost is $30. Order online here, or at the school office.

Scholarships are available through your student’s counselor.  Yearbook is handed out the end of school in June.

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Student Device Monitoring for Families

To provide families with awareness of their student’s laptop activity, the district has implemented apParent Online.

This software allows families access to the following features during non-school hours:

1. View screen images of your student’s district-issued laptop
2. Remotely lock and unlock your student’s device
3. View the past 24 hours of your student’s online browsing history
4. Schedule screen lock with auto release
5. Schedule screen recording with time lapse playback

To get started:

1. You should have received an invitation from the district. If not, please contact us at parenthelp@bsd405.org
2. Install apParent Online for Android or apParent Online for iOS (iPhone/iPad)
3. Login to the parent app with the login info from the opt-in email to begin managing and monitoring your student’s laptop

Important notes:

• School hours are specific to each school’s schedule and you will see that reflected for your student in the apParent app
• This application is not enabled for district-issued iPads

Resources:

• View a 90-second video on how apParent Online works
• For more information, visit the apParent Online website

Learn more: Technology Safety - Bellevue School District

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Know Your Rights: Immigration, Advocacy and Education

As a learning community that values one another’s humanity, the Bellevue School District strives to provide courageous support for an equitable and exceptional education for all students.

District families can contact school staff or community partners for support and access to resources.

Learn more: Know Your Rights: Immigration, Advocacy and Education - Bellevue School District

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Share Your Input: Help Shape Next Year’s BSD Budget

Our district is facing a challenging financial situation, with a budget deficit that will take several years to address. To put us on a path to restore our financial stability, we need to reduce spending by $16 million for the 2025–2026 school year.

We are inviting you to be part of this important conversation as we work together to align our budget with the funding allocated by the state. Your voice is critical in helping us identify priorities and make informed decisions about the trade-offs required.

Share Your Feedback
Please take a few moments to complete our Budget Planning Survey to share your ideas and input. The survey closes on January 24, so don’t miss this opportunity to have your voice heard.

Join Our Listening Sessions
We are also hosting three community listening sessions in January. Join us at any of these events to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback:

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025
  5:00–6:30 p.m. – In person at Wilburton Instructional Service Center (WISC), Building 1, Rainier Room
  12241 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98005

What’s Next?
Superintendent Dr. Aramaki and his leadership team will use your input to develop a spending reduction proposal, which will be shared in February. You will have another opportunity to review and comment on the proposal before it goes to the school board for approval in March.

Learn more about our financial reality and the budget timeline. You can also listen to the School Finance and BSD’s Budget episode on the Voices of Bellevue Podcast.

Thank you for your continued partnership and engagement in this process. Your input is invaluable as we navigate this challenging but necessary journey together.

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PTSA News

International Staff Appreciation

Thursday January 23rd

Please join us in celebrating the New Year for our teachers and staff with an international delight luncheon. Have a favorite meal that represents your culture? Do you have a favorite cultural meal that you love to eat? Donate an item of your choosing that brings a world flavor to our luncheon. Our teachers and staff love this international event and always walk away tasting something new and delicious! Please sign up HERE for this fast-approaching event!!!!

I-Connect Meeting
A Town Hall Meeting with Chinook Administrators

January 24th 8:30am-9:30am
Chinook Library

Join us at the 3rd I-Connect meeting of the year to connect with James and Susie in the Chinook Middle School Library. This is a valuable opportunity to build community, discuss important issues, and share feedback about your and your teen’s experience at Chinook. Please RSVP to help us better plan!

8th GRADE SOCIAL

On January 28th at 6:30 we will be hosting an information night regarding our 8th Grade Social. This event is an end of the year celebration for our 8th graders. While the PTSA funds the event, it is planned by the 8th grade parents. Please RSVP to learn more about the event and how you can participate in the planning of the event.  

World Culture Night

February 28th

Chinook will host our World Culture Night on February 28th. We are excited to have this event back after a successful return last year. If you are interested in hosting a table for this event or for more information, please reach out to Debbie, president@chinookptsa.org. This is an amazing night of celebration and community. Please, join in and share with us and our students your culture and heritage!

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In Case You Missed It

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Attendance Matters: Understanding School Avoidance

School avoidance is when a child refuses to attend school or has difficulty remaining in school the entire day. It can start by missing a day or two sporadically over a few of your child’s school years and slowly increase from there.

School avoidance may look like:

• Full day absences from school
• Going to school but leaving early
• Going to school, but only after crying, hiding, having an outburst, or refusing to move
• Faking illness to miss a day of school or having physical symptoms related to anxiety (e.g., headache, nausea, etc.)
• Showing unusual distress about going to school and begging you not to make them go

I Think My Child May Have School Avoidance, What Can I Do to Help?

• Contact your child’s school team
  • Reach out to your student’s school team to discuss your concerns and hear about supports such as school-based counseling, parent support group offerings, and 504 accommodation plans.
  • Supporting a child in working through their school avoidance can be overwhelming, painful and feel hopeless at times.
  • Please know you do not have to solve this heavy task alone. Your child’s school team is available and eager to partner with you. We welcome and encourage you to reach out to us with your concerns.
• Make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician
  • Consider making an appointment with your child’s pediatrician or family doctor to rule out any medical complications that could be interfering with your child’s ability to attend school regularly. Common barriers to attendance include problems with sleep and untreated anxiety or depression. Thankfully, there are evidence-based treatments that can help such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medication.

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Free Money Management Workshops at the Bellevue Family Hub

Community partners Bellevue LifeSpring and Hopelink will hold upcoming family workshops on the topic of money management basics. The sessions will provide tips and tools to help families manage their budget, understand banking essentials, and improve financial credit. Childcare and snacks provided and virtual sessions available. Learn more at Bellevue Family Hub locations at Stevenson Elementary School or Highland Middle School or visit the Bellevue LIfeSpring website for additional event details.

Session in Spanish

• Wednesday, January 29, 2025
• 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Session in English

• Thursday, January 30, 2025
• 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The location for both sessions is Stevenson Elementary School (14220 NE 8^th Street, Bellevue, WA 98007).