Chinook Newsletter: May 18, 2026

Dear Chinook Community,

We’re off to a strong start with Smarter Balanced testing. Thank you for helping your students come prepared and ready to go. Classrooms have been calm and focused, and students are doing a great job settling in and giving their best effort.

Smarter Balanced testing continues this week. We want every student to feel calm, confident, and ready to do their best.

Students will follow a slightly adjusted schedule on testing days, with classes shortened to allow for focused testing time in the morning. 8th grade students will complete the WCAS during their regular science classes later in the month.

You can help support your student by making sure they:

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Eat breakfast on testing days
• Bring a fully charged laptop
• Bring wired headphones (Bluetooth will not work for testing)

Please also remind students to arrive on time so we can begin testing smoothly and with minimal stress. While these assessments are one data point, our focus is on helping students approach them with confidence and effort, not stress.

Thank you for partnering with us to support our students during this week. We are proud of their hard work all year and appreciate your help in setting them up for success.

Reminder: There is no school May 25 and 26. Our next weekly newsletter will be on June 1.

Sincerely,

James Peterson (Principal)

Topics Important Dates 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony PTSA Updates Summer Resources and Information for Families BSD Community Service Hours Tracking is Moving to SchooLinks Together We Move Youth Conference In Case You Missed It

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Important Dates

• May 19 & 21: Math SBA (special schedule)
• May 25: Memorial Day, No School
• May 26: No School
• May 28 & 29: WCAS in 8th Grade Science classes (regular schedule)
• June 10-12: 6^th Grade Science Camp
• June 12: Last Day for Activity Bus Transportation
• June 19: No School, Juneteenth
• June 22: 8^th Grade Promotion, 12:30 PM

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8th Grade Promotion Ceremony

We’re excited to celebrate our 8th grade students as they complete their time at Chinook Middle School!

Date and Time

• The 2026 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony will take place on June 22 at 12:30 PM in the Chinook Middle School Gym.

Schedule for 8^th grade Students for June 22 (6^th and 7^th grade students go to classes as normal)

• 1st & 2nd Periods: Regular class schedule (attendance required)
• 3rd Period Onward: Promotion rehearsal and preparation (attendance required)
  All 8th grade students are expected to attend the rehearsal to participate in the ceremony.

Backpacks and Attire

• No Backpacks: Students should leave backpacks, binders, and school supplies at home.
• Dress Up Encouraged: Students are encouraged to dress nicely for the ceremony. Clothing must meet BSD’s Student Dress Guidelines (Policy 3224P).

Ceremony Duration

• The ceremony will last approximately 1½ to 2 hours.
• After the ceremony, students may:
  • Leave with their families, or
  • Remain on campus until dismissal
    There will be no afternoon classes for 8th grade students.

Guests and Seating

• No Tickets Required
• Due to limited space, please limit guests to 2–3 per student.
• Doors open at 12:00 PM – please do not arrive earlier.

Chinook Sibling Attendance

• If a Chinook sibling will attend the ceremony, a parent/guardian must submit a note to our attendance office at ChinookAttendance@bsd405.org by June 8. Please remember that seating is limited.

Parking Information

• On-campus parking is extremely limited.
• Please follow all posted parking regulations.
• Do not park in the bus loading zone behind the school.

Accessibility Needs

• If you require wheelchair-accessible parking or seating, please contact Linda Harter at harterl@bsd405.org.

Final Day of School

• Tuesday, June 23: Final day of school (7:45–9:45 AM only)
  While an official school day, no tests, projects, or classwork will be assigned. 8th grade students are welcome to attend.

We look forward to honoring our 8th grade students and celebrating this important milestone with their families!

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PTSA Updates

PTSA General Association Meeting

Date: Wednesday, May 27th

Time: 6:30–8:00 PM

Location: CMS Library + Virtual

All are welcome! Join us to hear PTSA updates, vote in the board election, and connect with fellow Chinook families.

Special Guests: Bellevue Lifespring - Lauren McGhee & Kris Howard

MOD Pizza Fundraiser

Date: May 27, 2026

Time: All day

Location: 317 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA
Fundraiser Code: MODGIVES25

Bring in the flyer or order online through the MOD app or website using the fundraiser code, and MOD will donate 25% of your purchase back to our school.

Dine in, take out, or order delivery—it all counts! We will also have MOD pizza at the PTSA meeting that evening!

Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

We hope you can join us for a light breakfast and coffee as we celebrate and thank all of our amazing volunteers. Please RSVP here.

Date: Friday, May 29th

Time: 9:00–10:00 AM

Location: Chinook Middle School Teachers Lounge

For more PTSA news, check out our most recent Kodiak Korner Newsletter and visit the PTSA website.

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Summer Resources and Information for Families

The Bellevue School District seeks to support our community through the summer months when students are away from our buildings. Please check back frequently to locate information about summer meals and grocery programs, summer learning, health and immunization requirements, information from student technology services, and more. We wish our learning community a safe and healthy summer break. View all of the district’s summer resources.

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BSD Community Service Hours Tracking is Moving to SchooLinks

Bellevue School District requires all students to complete 40 hours of community service — starting after they finish eighth grade and no later than June of their senior year — to graduate. Students have been logging their volunteer hours using the x2VOL platform. After June 18, 2026, BSD will no longer use x2VOL to track hours. Over the summer, we will transfer all approved hours for every current student from x2VOL to SchooLinks. Starting in September 2026, BSD students in grades 9-12 will receive instructions on how to log their community service hours, including any hours they completed over the summer, in SchooLinks.

Current students in grades 9-12, please enter all your earned community service hours to date into the x2VOL platform prior to June 18, 2026. After that date, continuing students please keep a log of your hours, to be entered in SchooLinks in September 2026. Both applications can be accessed via Clever.

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Together We Move Youth Conference

Event Details  
Date: June 6, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Renton High School-  400 S 2nd St, Renton, WA 98057

Completely Free for all Youth!

Welcome to Together We Move — a day created to explore how movement, identity, and community shape the way we show up in the world. This event brings students and community partners together to learn, reflect, and connect through shared stories and meaningful experiences.

Throughout the day, you’ll hear from speakers who move through life with purpose and resilience. You’ll take part in workshops that invite you to think, create, and challenge yourself. And you’ll join conversations that remind us that none of us move through the world alone.

Organizations are invited to table at our resource fair or offer workshops that align with the theme.

Click here to learn more.

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View Community Flyers  

Submit a Community Flyer

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In Case You Missed It

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Secondary Grading Practices Update

We are sharing an update on Grading Practices for the 2026-27 school year. On May 7, the BSD School Board completed the first reading of the Grading Practices and Reporting Policy 2420. The Grading Practices and Reporting Procedure 2420P is also being updated. The focus has been making grading practices more fair, consistent and timely. One of the significant changes is moving from eleven grade scales to two grade scales for the 2026-27 school year. The two grade scales are:

0-100 Percentage Scale

• A: 90.00-100.00%
• B: 80.00-89.99%
• C: 70.00-79.99%
• D: 60.00-69.99%
• F: 0.00-59.99%

0-4 Rubric Scale

• A: 3.50-4.00
• B: 2.75-3.49
• C: 2.00-2.74
• D: 1.50-1.99
• F: 0.00-1.49

The Grading Practices Team has created a Family Facing Grading Practices Short Guide that will be linked to the Procedure 2420P.

On May 14, 2026, the School Board will conduct the second reading of the Grading Practices and Reporting Policy 2420.

We would also like to express our ongoing gratitude to all Bellevue School District educators who have contributed to and guided our work as well as our School Board for their guidance and support.

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City of Bellevue Community Walking Audits

As part of the City of Bellevue’s Vision Zero safety initiative, city staff are inviting Bellevue community members and students to offer insights on how to make walking, rolling and bicycling safer on city streets. This year, the Bellevue Transportation department is conducting three road safety assessments in the BelRed and Wilburton neighborhoods. The streets that will be reviewed are part of the city’s “high injury network” – a relatively small number of city streets where most fatal and serious-injury collisions occur. 

Community members’ experiences are critical to this process and will be used to identify potential future safety improvements. Please help us understand how you experience these streets by participating in a: 

• Community Walking/Rolling Audit - Register to attend an in-person walking assessment on Saturday, June 6, Saturday, July 25 or Saturday, August 22 in the BelRed/Wilburton neighborhoods from noon to 2 PM. (Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/2026-community-walking-audits-4832152)  
• Road Safety Assessment Survey - Respond to a short online survey (available in English, 繁體中文, Ðóññêèé, 한국어, Español, 日本語, Tiếng Việt, 简体中文, हिंदी, తెలుగు). (Link: 2026 Road Safety Assessments | Engaging Bellevue)  

Bellevue high school students seeking volunteer service hours should register using the Eventbrite links above. Participation in each RSA will award two volunteer service hours per walk. 

For general questions about the city’s road safety assessments, please contact the RSA project manager, Mackenzie Allan (mallan@bellevuewa.gov). 

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Student Technology Collection

The BSD Technology Services Department will be collecting all district-issued student devices for annual maintenance and reimaging.

At Chinook, device collection will follow this schedule:

Grades 6 and 7

• Students will return their laptops during science class on June 15.
• Styluses must be placed in the stylus bay. Missing styluses will be considered lost.
• Students should keep their chargers in a safe place at over the summer.

Grade 8

• Students will return their laptops, chargers, and styluses during science class on June 18.
• Eighth graders will receive a new device when they start high school.

Online World Language Students

• Devices will be collected on June 22 as students exit their language class.

If your student will be leaving early for summer break, all devices and accessories must be returned before their last day at Chinook.

Need a Laptop for Summer Learning?
Students who need a laptop for summer learning can check one out at the Wilburton Instructional Service Center:

Wilburton Instructional Service Center
12241 Main Street, Building 1
Bellevue, WA 98005

• Mondays and Wednesdays
• July 6–24
• 8:00 am to 3:30 pm

For more details, visit the Student Technology Collection page on the BSD website.

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Camp Jubilee | Summer 2026

 

• Location: Odle Middle School 
• Camp Dates: July 6 - August 6
• Days/Times: M, Tu, W, Th | Morning Session 9:30 - 11:30 am; Afternoon Session 1:30 - 3:30 pm
• Who camp is for: All incoming 6^th and 7^th grade students in BSD
• Registration Dates: April 27 - May 8
• Registration Link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/fgzEDJjtEK

It’s almost summertime to sign up for Camp Jubilee! Jubilee REACH invites all rising 6^th and 7^th graders to join us 7/6–8/6. Choose a morning (9:30–11:30 am) or afternoon (1:30–3:30 pm) session on Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs. Camp offerings include arts & crafts, basketball, board games, field games, improv, soccer, and volleyball. Offerings vary by day/time—check the registration link for details. Best of all—it’s free, but spots are limited! Pre-registration ends 5/8. Click here to register: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/fgzEDJjtEK. We hope to see your student there!