Chinook Newsletter: October 20, 2025

Oct 20 2025

Dear Chinook Community,

Last week, as part of the Great ShakeOut, our students participated in an earthquake drill, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they responded. Student safety is a top priority at Chinook, and we conduct monthly school-wide emergency drills including lockdown, evacuation, drop-cover-hold, and shelter-in-place. These practices help ensure that our students and staff are prepared to respond effectively in real emergencies. You can learn more about our safety and security preparations on the BSD website here.

This week, we’re celebrating what makes our school community strong—unity, kindness, and school spirit!

As part of Unity Week, we’re engaging in activities that promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to stand against bullying. The highlight is Unity Day on Wednesday, October 22nd, when we encourage everyone to wear orange to show support for these important values.

It’s also ASB Spirit Week, and our students and staff are showing their creativity and school pride with themed dress-up days:

Monday – Pajama Day
Tuesday – Teachers dress like kids / Kids dress like teachers
Wednesday – Unity Day: Wear Orange
Thursday – Dress as your favorite music genre
Friday – Dress as your favorite celebrity

To wrap up the week, we invite all students to join us for the Orange and Black Social on Friday, October 24th from 5:30–7:30pm. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate school spirit and connect with peers in a fun and safe environment.

Thank you for your continued support in making Chinook a safe, inclusive, and spirited place for all students.

Best regards,

James Peterson (Principal)

Topics

Important Dates
Picture Retake Day
Chinook Student Engagement Survey
PTSA Updates
ROCKStore Donations Needed
Industry Experts Needed: Join a Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee
Bellevue School District Flu and COVID-19 Community Vaccine Clinics
Stopfinder App Update
In Case You Missed It

Important Dates

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

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 please have them 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.

Chinook Student Engagement Survey Launching

Chinook is launching a quarterly student engagement survey to gather valuable insights into students’ experiences and to further support their growth and well-being. The survey will focus on key areas, including academic rigor, school climate, and sense of belonging. Students will take the survey at the end of each quarter in their social studies classes. The results will be used to guide our ongoing efforts and measure progress toward our goals.

PTSA Update

Shine on Chinook Fundraiser
Thank you to all the families who have contributed. We are currently at 61% of our goal! Every donation supports student programs, staff grants, and community events. If you would like to participate, you can donate here: Shine on Chinook Donation Page.

Reflections Art Program
The National PTA Reflections Program is now open with this year’s theme, I Belong. Students may create and submit from home, or work during Reflections Club sessions starting on October 28th, during Tutorial from 2:35 to 3:00 p.m. Submissions are due November 24th, and each entry earns ROCK points. More information is available on the Chinook PTSA Reflections page, and students may download the entry form and submit digitally here: Reflections Entry & Submission Link.

BSD Youth Cooking Club — Registration Open Through October 22nd
The Bellevue PTSA Council Youth Cooking Club introduces students to cuisines from around the world while building confidence in the kitchen. The club is open to BSD students in grades 6–12. There will be one in-person class per month at the Salvation Army, and weekly sessions online via Zoom. Sessions run 1 to 1.5 hours. Learn more and register on the Bellevue PTSA Council site: Youth Cooking Club.

Introduction to PTSA — Mandarin Seminar on October 22nd at 7:00 p.m.
Bellevue PTSA Council will host an online “Introduction to PTSA” seminar in Mandarin. The session will cover the role of PTSA in education and ways families can get involved. Speaker: Lily Yin

More information and access details are available at: Mandarin PTSA Workshop.

ROCKStore Donations Needed

At Chinook Middle School, we celebrate students who demonstrate our core ROCKS values through our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system. Students earn Behavior Points for showing:

Respect
Ownership
Compassion
Kindness
Scholarship

We’re reaching out to our amazing community for donations to help keep our ROCKStore exciting and stocked with great prizes! Popular items include:

Fun school supplies
Board games
Movie tickets
Museum passes
Escape room vouchers
Game or event tickets
Gift cards (any amount is appreciated!)

If you’re able to contribute or have questions, please contact suzukis@bsd405.org. Thank you!

Industry Experts Needed: Join a Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee

Attend the first in-person meeting for the Bellevue School District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program Advisory Committees for the 2025-2026 school year. Your insights and expertise are essential in shaping the future of our students and enhancing their career readiness. This event will be a fantastic opportunity to connect with CTE teachers from across the district and fellow industry professionals.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 5:00-7:00 p.m. (dinner will be served at 4:45 p.m.)
Location: Wilburton Instruction Service Center
Address: 12241 Main Street, Bldg. #1, Bellevue 98005

If you’re unable to attend the event, we’d still love your participation at future advisory meetings and support in other ways, such as visiting classrooms as a guest speaker or offering internship opportunities. Please complete the survey to let us know of your interest in supporting BSD CTE Programs.

Bellevue School District Flu and COVID-19 Community Vaccine Clinics

Bellevue School District is partnering with Seattle Visiting Nurse Association (SVNA) to provide vaccine clinics for the public.

SVNA is offering flu vaccines to anyone aged four to adult, and the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone aged five to adult. SVNA clinics require insurance (most insurance accepted) or payment.

Make Your Vaccine Appointment

Find a date and location that is convenient for you and your family. These vaccine clinics are open to all in the BSD community. You do not have to be a student or staff member of a particular school to make an appointment.
Register for an appointment online.
Come to your appointment.

Stopfinder App Update

As of October 16, 2025, we’re aware that the Stopfinder Transportation App is currently experiencing technical issues. Our team has notified the vendor and is working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. We’ll provide an update as soon as more information becomes available. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Click here for more information about Stopfinder.

In Case You Missed It

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

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.

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.

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.

Chinook Middle School
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