Chinook Newsletter: May 11, 2026

May 11 2026

Dear Chinook Community,

This week, our students will begin state testing. We want every student to feel calm, confident, and ready to do their best.

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.

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.

Sincerely,

James Peterson (Principal)

Topics

Important Dates
Secondary Grading Practices Update
PTSA Updates
City of Bellevue Community Walking Audits
Community Flyers
In Case You Missed It

Important Dates

May 12 & 14: ELA SBA (special schedule)
May 15: World Culture Night, 6:00-8:00 PM (PTSA Event)
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 22: 8^th Grade Promotion, 12:30 PM

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.

PTSA Updates

World Culture Night

We’re excited to bring back World Culture Night after the snow cancellation—join us for an evening celebrating heritage, unity, and community!

New Date: Friday, May 15th

Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
Location: Chinook Commons

Interested in hosting a table, performing, or volunteering? Reach out to Callia Kwan at callia@lifewithpnw.com.

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!

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).

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.

High School and Beyond Plans in SchoolLinks

Washington state and the Bellevue School District have adopted SchooLinks as the universal solution to fulfill the statewide High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) requirements for all secondary students.

BSD students in grades 6-11 have been working on their annual High School and Beyond plan in SchooLinks all year. Students in grades 8-11 will be submitting their 25-26 HSBP in the SchooLinks platform this spring.

Families will receive an email and possibly a text notification after students submit their plans this spring. Families are encouraged to visit their SchooLinks accounts to review their student’s plan. Clicking the approval button for the plan is optional.

Visit the SchooLinks webpage on the district website for guardian account login instructions.

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!