Chinook Newsletter: October 13, 2025

Oct 13 2025

Dear Chinook Community,

I support Chinook’s PTSA because of the meaningful opportunities they create for our students.

When we give, whether through time, resources, or donations, we help fund programs that enrich learning and extend possibilities for every student at Chinook. My contribution, alongside yours, makes a real difference.

Please consider donating today. Your support matters, especially during challenging times like these, and our students and staff are truly grateful.

Click here to learn more and donate.

You’ll find more news and updates below. Thank you for being part of this incredible community.

Best regards,

James Peterson (Principal)

Topics

Important Dates
Multilingual Principal Coffee
Rage Baiting: A Harmful Trend
i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction
Education Connections: Look for the Helpers
In Case You Missed It

Important Dates

October 17: Earthquake Drill (adjusted schedule)
October 22: Unity Day (more information)
October 24: Picture Retakes
October 24: ASB Dance, 5:30-7:30 PM (permission slip required)
October 28: Multilingual Principal Coffee, 9:00 AM, Chinook room #1402
October 31: Last Day of Frist Quarter
November 7: Veterans Day Assembly (adjusted schedule)
November 10: Non-School Day
November 11: No School, Veterans Day
November 27-28: No School, Thanksgiving Break

Multilingual Principal Coffee

October 28
9:00 AM
Chinook room #1402

In partnership with our PTSA, Chinook Middle School is hosting a Multilingual Principal Coffee.

Topics include:

Academic and social supports for multilingual learners
Middle school systems: tutorial/advisory, extracurriculars, and clubs
Class placement, advanced learning, and accelerated pathways
World Language options and competency credit testing

We look forward to seeing you there!

Rage Baiting: A Harmful Trend

We want to bring to your attention a concerning behavior trend that has emerged among some of our students: rage baiting. This behavior is causing emotional and physical harm, disrupting learning, and undermining the core values of our school community—Respect, Community, and Kindness.

What Is Rage Baiting?

Rage baiting is a deliberate tactic used to provoke strong emotional reactions—typically anger or frustration—from others. While this behavior is often seen online, it is increasingly appearing in school as a form of manipulative bullying.

The goal of rage baiting is to get someone to react emotionally. Rage baiting is calculated and persistent, often targeting known emotional triggers.

Examples of rage baiting include:

Repeating a student’s name to annoy or provoke them
Spreading false rumors such as “X wants to fight you” or “Y is saying bad things about you”
Mocking someone’s family, identity, or personal vulnerabilities

Why It Matters

Rage baiting is not just hurtful—it is considered a form of harassment, intimidation, and bullying, and is a serious violation of Chinook’s behavior policies.

Consequences for Aggressors

Students who engage in rage baiting will face serious consequences, including:

Parent/guardian notification
In-school suspension
Documentation of the incident on their permanent school record

How Families Can Help

We ask for your partnership in addressing this issue. Here’s how you can support your student:

Talk to your child about rage baiting and how to recognize it
Encourage them to stay calm, avoid retaliation, and report incidents
Reinforce the importance of standing up for others and speaking out against harmful behavior
Partner with us to maintain a safe and respectful learning environment for all students

What Bystanders Can Do

Students who witness rage baiting can help stop it by speaking up and reporting it. A simple statement like, “Stop harassing X. That’s not okay,” can make a big difference. If the behavior occurs in class, students should notify their teacher. If it happens in the hallway, at lunch, or before/after school, they should report it to the office.

Together, we can ensure Chinook remains a safe, respectful, and inclusive place for all students to learn and grow.

Thank you for your continued support.

i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction - Program and Scores Overview

This year for primarily grades K-8, Bellevue School District transitioned from STAR to i-Ready as our districtwide diagnostic and instructional tool for reading and mathematics.

i-Ready is an online program designed to support students’ learning throughout the year. It helps educators identify each student’s individual needs, personalize instruction, and monitor progress. The program has two main components: Diagnostic Assessments and Personalized Instruction.

Please note that scores may look different from what families have seen in the past. This is expected, as i-Ready uses a different set of measures and provides a more comprehensive picture of student learning. These results do not affect your student’s grade or their access to their current course/grade-level learning. Instead, i-Ready will be a powerful resource to strengthen and support students in both reading and math. Score reports will be available in ParentVUE late October.

Refer to these resources as you view your student's reports as needed:

To learn more about i-Ready and how you can support your student at home, please visit BSD Launches i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction for K-8 or our Assessment Information webpage.

Education Connections: Look for the Helpers

Meet the trusted adults students turn to for support. Learn how to help your child get involved, how to be a supportive presence, and find resources in times of crisis. With recent budget impacts to MHAT services, families may be unsure where to turn. Join us to access mental health care information, learn about school-based support, and connect with local community programs. Free and open to all BSD families, staff and community. The event will include a panel conversation facilitated by Dr. Kelly Aramaki, BSD Superintendent.

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, October 28
Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Location: Rainier Room at WISC
Address: 12241 Main Street, Bldg. #1, Bellevue 98005

Learn more and RSVP online.

"Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." Mr. Rogers

In Case You Missed It

Picture Retake Day Information

Picture retake day is October 24 in the morning, on the stage.

Here is who should go to the camera on retake day:

Any student that was absent on the original picture day
Any new students who have not been photographed
Students wanting a retake photo of your purchased pictures. If a student ordered a package and wants a new photo, they should return the original package to the photographer on retake day.

Orders can be placed online at mydorian.com before picture day and up to 2 days afterwards.

Shine on Chinook

Chinook PTSA’s annual giving campaign is live from now until November 14th! Your donation helps fund classroom grants, student clubs and enrichment, arts, community events, and staff appreciation that are not covered by district funds. The PTSA invites every family to participate. Simply return the envelope—with a donation or without—and your student will be entered into drawings for Chinook merchandise and other fun rewards. Donations can be made online Shine on Chinook Button or by check. If your employer offers matching gifts, please submit a match to multiply your impact.

Orange and Black Social

Orange and Black Social is coming Friday, October 24 at 5:30pm. There will be a live DJ at Chinook, and you can dance with your friends. Pizza and snacks will be provided. ASB members are free to attend. Non-ASB members are welcome with $5 entry tickets. All participants will need to turn in parent permission slip and payment by Monday, October 20^that 3pm.

Download the permission slip here.

Membership and tickets are available for purchase online or at the office.

ROCKS Weekly Focus: Community through Kindness

At Chinook, our shared values—Respect, Ownership, Community, Kindness, and Scholarship—guide everything we do. This week, we’re spotlighting Community through Kindness, a powerful combination that reminds us how we can make our school a better place for everyone.

Middle school is more enjoyable when we all do our part to build a positive, inclusive environment. Community means showing up for one another, and kindness is how we do it—with small, meaningful actions that make a big difference.

Here are some ways students can practice Community through Kindness this week:

Interact positively with students and adults.
Say hello and show interest in others.
Include those who may feel left out.
Encourage and compliment others authentically.
Clean up after yourself—and help clean up even if it’s not your mess.
Help others and ask for help when you need it.
Stand up for others and respectfully provide feedback.
Participate in school events, teams, and assemblies.
Try to make at least one person smile each day.

Kindness and community go hand in hand. When we look out for each other, we all thrive.

Unity Day

Chinook Middle School stands together against bullying

On Wednesday, October 22, Chinook Middle School will join schools across the county in celebrating Unity Day, a day to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying.

We invite all students and families to wear orange to show support and help create a school culture where everyone feels safe and valued.

For more information, visit PACER’s Unity Day page.

Pay Attention to Attendance

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.

Strive for Five!

Attend 5 days every week
No more than 5 (excused or unexcused absences) per semester

Did You Know?

Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with schoolwork, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.
By 6th grade, absences, whether excused or unexcused, are one of three signs that a student is more likely to drop out of high school and not graduate.
By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, whether excused or unexcused, can affect a student’s academic success.

What Can Families Do?

Make school attendance a priority by:

Talking about the importance of showing up to school every day
Helping your children maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
Trying not to schedule dental and non-urgent related medical appointments during the school day.
Keeping your student healthy. If you are concerned about a contagious illness, call your school or health care provider.
Making sure they have asked teachers for resources and materials to make up for the missed learning time in the classroom if they had to stay home because they were too sick for school.

Activities and Clubs

Clubs and activities are a great way to get involved, meet new people, and explore your interests! Clubs begin forming in the first few weeks of school and continue to develop throughout the year. Students and faculty advisors collaborate to create clubs, which must be approved by ASB before launching.

How to Find and Join Clubs

Stay informed! Look for flyers around campus, listen to daily announcements, and check your daily announcement emails for updates on new clubs forming.
Join through FinalForms: Once a club is ASB-approved, it will be added to FinalForms. To participate, your parent/guardian must register you in FinalForms.
ASB Membership Required: All clubs require an annual ASB membership. Purchase your ASB membership here!

Some clubs may have special requirements such as applications or lottery-based admission.

For full details and a list of current clubs, visit: CMSActivityList2025-26091225.pdf

Want to Start a New Club?

If you have an idea for a new club or activity:

Pick up an ASB New Club Application from the main office.
Find a staff advisor to support your club.
Return the form to our office for guidance and next steps.

Student Dress and Costume Guidelines

Bellevue School District’s Student Dress Policy 3224 applies during all socials and spirit days, with the goal of promoting an inclusive learning environment. School Staff will regulate student dress when:

A health or safety hazard is presented

Damage to school property will result from the student’s dress, and/or

A material and substantial disruption of the educational process will result from the student’s dress or appearance (may exist when a student’s conduct is inconsistent with any part of the educational mission/learning of the district).

This means:

No masks or decorations that cover the face
No weapons or look-alike weapons
No gore or costumes that depict violence or violent characters
Content of the costume needs to be appropriate for school
No oversized costumes that create a hazard walking in the halls
No costumes that promote the use of illegal substances or activities
No costumes that are derogatory or disrespectful
No costumes that mock/mimic another culture or race

If students are unsure whether their costume is permitted at school, they are encouraged to ASK a staff member in ADVANCE. Thanks in advance for your understanding, and support of a positive school climate and culture.

Learn About BSD's Sustainability Efforts!

Join us on Wednesday, October 8, from 4–6 p.m. in the Rainier Room at the Wilburton Instructional Service Center (12241 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005) to learn more about the work of the Bellevue School District Sustainability Committee.

This is a great opportunity for staff and community members to:

Explore the district’s sustainability initiatives
Engage in conversations about environmental stewardship
Learn how to get involved — the committee will be adding new members this year!

No RSVP required — just bring your curiosity and passion for a greener future.