Chinook Newsletter: October 7, 2024
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Topics
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Important Dates
- October 11
- No School, Professional Development Day
- October 16
- Unity Day: Wear Orange
- October 17
- Earthquake Drill (adjusted schedule)
- November 1
- End of 1st Quarter
- November 5
- Lockdown Training and Drill (adjusted schedule)
- November 8
- Panorama Survey in Social Studies Classes
- Veterans Day Assembly (adjusted schedule)
- November 11
- No School, Veterans Day Observance
Greetings Chinook Middle School Community,
I’m proud to support our PTSA’s Shine On Chinook fundraiser. This single campaign sustains our PTSA’s budget for the entire year, supporting programs that enrich both the academic and social experiences for all of our students.
Our collective contributions extend opportunities that help our students thrive. Learn more and consider donating today- every bit helps. See more information in the PTSA Updates section below. Thank you for helping us continue to shine!
Reminder: There is no school this Friday, October 11, it is a professional development day for teachers.
In Partnership,
James Peterson (Principal)
Superintendent's Blog: Combatting Antisemitism
We encourage everyone to read Dr. Aramaki’s blog post, which reaffirms our commitment to combating antisemitism and building a Beloved Community. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment.
Read more here: Superintendent’s Blog: Combatting Antisemitism | News Details (bsd405.org)
Apply/Reapply for School Meal Benefits
Families must reapply for school meal benefits each year. If your student(s) qualified for free or reduced priced meals last year, their prior year eligibility is extended for the first 30 school days to allow time for a new application to be completed. After the 30th day (October 15, 2024), school meals will be charged at the paid meal price if a new eligibility for free or reduced price school meal benefits has not been established. Complete only one application per household. List all students and household members (along with their income) on the application.
Available in English, Spanish and Chinese, the online application only takes a few minutes and is the fastest, easiest way to get approved for free or reduced-priced school meal benefits.
Apply here: Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit (CNEEB) Application
Completing the CNEEB application may qualify you for:
- Summer EBT (grocery) benefits
- Waived or reduced fees for other programs and activities, and
- Community resources available through our Family Engagement Specialists
Not sure if you’ve already renewed? Contact Nutrition Services at 425-456-4507.
BSD Interpreters Needed
Are you interested in becoming an on-demand BSD INTERPRETER? Are you bilingual? Do you have an advanced proficiency in a language other than English? Bellevue School District is committed to improving meaningful, two-way communication and promoting access to district programs, services and activities for students and parents/guardians who require communication in a language other than English. For that reason, we are looking for:
- Language Access Interpreter: Other languages than English (On-demand and in-person - $35/hr)
The positions are paid hourly and on demand. Please apply. If candidates don’t have previous professional experience as an interpreter, they will need to pass a proficiency language test. If you need additional information, don’t hesitate to contact Marta Trilles, BSD’s Language Access Coordinator, at languageaccess@bsd405.org.
Free Tutoring from Venture Academy
We are students from Interlake High School, and we are looking to provide free, online tutoring to elementary and middle school students.
We provide flexible one-on-one or small group tutoring for our students, based on student and parent preferences. The content of our classes will be tailored to fit your student's needs. We hold the meetings using Microsoft Teams, so your student can use their BSD account to access our meetings. As for scheduling, we will be open any day of the week after 3:30pm. If any of your students need additional help after school, please sign them up using the link below. Signups will be closing once we reach 50 students, so make sure to sign up as soon as possible!
Middle: https://forms.gle/5SByHbYXP3DcLBuu6
If you have any questions, please email us at ventureacademy20@gmail.com.
PTSA Updates
Shine on Chinook
Our annual Fall fundraiser is here!!! Our SHINE ON CHINOOK fundraiser began on Friday October 4th and only lasts for one month. Our challenge this year is to exceed our goal of $52,000 for the second year in a row. This campaign is what funds our PTSA for the year which means student programs and classroom resources, I-Connect, field trips, grants, scholarships, dances, movie night and more!! We have new incentives for our student drawing as well as an all-school prize if we reach our goal.
For an added incentive, if you donate/return your envelope during 10/4 until midnight on Friday 10/11, your child will be entered in an early bird drawing for a prize! All envelopes can be returned to the front office.
Yellow Envelopes were distributed Friday and today so please keep an eye out for them. You can learn more about our fundraiser HERE.
Thank you for all your Support!
Chinook Cultural Community
Our PTSA is working on ways to engage and celebrate the diversity within our community. Our hope this year is to introduce events that highlight holidays and global celebrations. We are also hoping this new committee will also assist parents socially in engaging with others and open communication between our families and our school. A meeting will be announced soon but we do have a sign up for families who would like to be participate in the discussion. You can find more information and register HERE as well as a multilanguage choice HERE.
School Support Needs
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Our teacher's lounge is painfully low on K-Cups for coffee. If you have the mean, please order or drop off K-cups to our school when you have a chance.
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Do you have 50 minutes this year to speak with our students, online or in person, about your career and how you got to where you are? Our AVID program would love to hear from you. This is a way for our students to be exposed to professions and the path taken to get there, even if that path started as something else. We'd like to expose our kids to the idea that the twists and turns in the road sometimes get you where you should be, not where you thought you'd be.
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Do you have games that are gently used but rarely used? Are there games you wish to donate to free up space in your home? We are looking for donations to our school for gently used games for our student support center. These are games that can be played within an hour, think Jenga or fast paced card games, but we are also happy to accept any games as we have several clubs that use them too. If you could donate these items, we'd greatly appreciate it. You can find all our schools needs and volunteer needs HERE.
In Case You Missed It
Police Officer Visits to Campus
We are pleased to welcome officers from the Clyde Hill Police Department to our campus periodically, especially during lunch periods. Their visits are focused on building positive relationships with our students and the broader school community. This initiative is part of their ongoing commitment to community engagement. To learn more about the Clyde Hill Police Department and their outreach efforts, click here.
Update Your SchoolMessenger Preferences for Important Notifications
BSD uses the SchoolMessenger communication notification system to send regular announcements and urgent alerts such as school delays and closures. Families may receive SchoolMessenger communication via phone call, text message and email.
You do not need to create an account to receive notifications, as you will automatically receive them to the phone number and email address listed in your student’s record. However, if you choose to set up a SchoolMessenger App account, you may adjust how you prefer to be notified. You may also view messages from the last 30 days online or by setting up the app on your IOS or Android smartphone.
Important: Families should sign up for SchoolMessenger with the same email address used for Online Student Data Verification through Synergy ParentVUE.
The following tips may help if you think you are not receiving important messages from the district or your school:
- Email Tip: Check your Junk/Spam folder. Depending on your email provider, you may need to mark email from the Bellevue School District as “safe,” or “move to inbox” to ensure future messages will not go to hidden folders.
- Phone Call Tip: Save the phone number 425-456-4072 in your contacts to ensure that calls show up as “Bellevue School District.” There have been reports from some families who receive the calls as “Potential Spam.”
- Text Message Tip: Create a SchoolMessenger account and manage your contact and notification preferences. To receive SMS texts from SchoolMessenger, send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587. You will then receive a confirmation that you have registered for SchoolMessenger notifications.
Attend El Dia De Espanol
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the BSD community is invited to celebrate El Dia de Espanol at Highland Middle School October 10, 2024, 5:00-7:00 p.m. We will celebrate together with food and activities!
Safety, Security, and Emergency Preparedness
Providing the Gold Standard in K-12 Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness
September marks National Preparedness Month, the annual campaign to remind everyone that preparing for emergencies and disasters can keep them, their families, and their communities safe. The BSD Safety and Security Department is the gold-standard in K-12 safety, security and emergency preparedness. They utilize a multi-layered, research-based approach to school security to promote the safety of our students, staff and community. The team remains committed and focused on preparing and empowering our schools to respond confidently, safely and effectively to incidents, emergencies and security risks.
BSD Safety and Security recently presented a report to the school board outlining a various safety topics and accomplishments over the past year, including staff training and preparedness, advanced life-safety training, Reunification Jump-Out Team, threat assessment program, physical security, surveillance camera upgrades, opioid overdose medication, and student voice and preparation.
Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee
Support Career and Technical Education by Joining an Advisory Committee
The Bellevue School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is seeking business professionals to join our CTE Program Advisory Committees. There are 12 program advisory committees seeking members for the 2024-2025 school year. These committees are designed to meet state and federal guidelines for career and technical education programs and ensure that CTE programs are aligned with current industry needs and trends.
The first meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Newport High School. CTE teachers from across the Bellevue School District will partner with industry professionals and provide guidance and advice for district programs. Please confirm your interest in a committee and RSVP for the kickoff by October 16, 2024.
Unity Day
Wear and share ORANGE on Unity Day, Wed., Oct. 16, 2024, to show your support of bullying prevention. #UnityEveryDay. For ideas to get involved, visit https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp
