Chinook Newsletter: September 16, 2024

Topics Curriculum Night Yearbook Purchases I-Connect Session PTSA General Membership Meeting Hearing Screening Volunteers Needed Bus Routes and Transportation Applications for Advanced Learning Services In Case You Missed It

---

Important Dates  

• September 16 
  • Curriculum Night 5:45 pm 
  • Yearbook Sales Begin
• September 24 
  • I-Connect, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
• October 11
  • No School, Professional Development Day
• October 17
  • Earthquake Drill (adjusted schedule coming soon)

---

Curriculum Night

Monday, September 16 

Large Group Presentation | 5:45 pm. Hear from school administration, counselors and support staff. 

Classroom Visits | 6: 09 pm – 7:43 pm – You will follow your child’s schedule and learn about the class expectations, key topics, grading policies and strategies to support your child.

Please have your student's schedule available on ParentVUE, or have your student complete the schedule below and bring it with you.

STUDENT NAME: ____________________________

PERIOD	CLASS	TEACHER	ROOM NUMBER
Period 1:   6:09-6:19
Period 2:   6:23-6:33
Period 3:   6:37-6:47
Period 4:   6:51-7:01
Period 5:  7:05-7:15
Period 6:  7:19-7:29
Period 7:  8:33-7:43

Click here for a printer friendly version.

Click here for the Chinook Middle School Map.

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can make this a fantastic year for all our students!

---

Yearbook Purchases

The 2024-2025 yearbook may be purchased during the following periods:

• 9/13/24 - 9/26-24
• 11/1/24 – 11/14/24
• 1/17/25 – 1/30/25
• 6/5/25 – 6/18/25

Yearbooks are available for pre-order 3 times a year.  The cost is $30. Order online here, or at the school office.

Scholarships are available through your student’s counselor.  Yearbook is handed out the end of school in June.

---

I-Connect

September 24th 6:30pm at Chinook
"What to Expect in Middle School - Get the Scoop from Seasoned Parents"

September 24th is our first I-Connect of the year. Join us to hear from seasoned Chinook parents in our "What to expect in Middle School" panel. Get the scoop on how to navigate middle school, tips on preparing for high school and a discussion about addressing middle school drama. Meeting starts at 6:30pm...please arrive early...in the Chinook library. Please click HERE for more information.

---

PTSA General Membership Meeting

October 3rd is our first PTSA General Membership meeting. Starting at 7pm in the Chinook Library, we will give a rundown on planned events, programs and vote in our budget. Join us in discussing your vision for Chinook. This is your chance to voice and vote your ideas into action!

---

Your Help is Needed for School Hearing Screenings! 🔊

👂 Join Us for School Hearing Screenings in September and October 2024! 👂

Bellevue School District prioritizes the health and success of every student. That's why we're reaching out to our dedicated parent volunteers to assist with our upcoming hearing screenings. These screenings are vital in ensuring that all students have equal access to learning by identifying any potential hearing issues early on.

How You Can Help:

🤝 Volunteer Your Time: We're seeking enthusiastic volunteers to assist with conducting hearing screenings under the guidance of our trained professionals. Training would be provided ahead of the screenings in person, virtually or via video tutorial. Volunteers must complete a volunteer application using this link:  https://bsd405.org/get-involved/volunteer/  (please note there is a 2^nd link below to indicate interest in participating).

📋 Sign Up Today: If you're available during September (likely mid-late September) and October 2024, we would be thrilled to have you join our team! Simply fill out the volunteer form linked below or contact the school office for more information.

Volunteer Interest Form

📅 Flexible Scheduling: We understand that your time is valuable, which is why we offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate your availability. We are asking volunteers to commit to helping at a minimum of two schools.  Typically, the commitment involves only morning shifts and we are able to complete an entire school in one shift.

Please contact Kristen Oulton, our district audiologist with any questions: oultonk@bsd405.org or 425-456-4667

Thank you for your support and dedication to Bellevue School District

---

Bus Routes and Transportation

BSD provides school bus transportation for grades K-8 if a student resides within the school attendance area but outside the walk boundary. All middle schools have a one mile radius boundary.

School Bus Map

Middle School Bus Routes

Edulog Parent Bus Tracking Program

BSD provides the Edulog Parent Portal smartphone app to help you receive information about your student's school bus ride. It allows you to access designated bus stop times and locations, see real time information about the location of your student's school bus, and receive notifications when the bus is getting close.

Please be sure to go over the Bus Expectations with your students. 4R's On The Bus:

---

Applications for Advanced Learning Services Now Open for 2025-2026

Applications for Advanced Learning Services for the 2025-2026 school year are open now through October 18 at 4:00 p.m. for students currently in grades 1 to 11. Please note that this is an earlier date than in previous years.

About Advanced Learning Services

Bellevue School District's Advanced Learning Services provide identified students with academic services at an advanced level and accelerated pace. Instruction is designed to meet students' cognitive and academic needs at the appropriate level. Centered program services begin in second grade at select schools. Domain Specific services are available to students in grades 1 - 9 at all schools. We welcome you to consider Advanced Learning Services for your student.

Who Should Consider Applying for Advanced Learning Services?

Students in need of advanced learning services have an exceptional ability to learn and reason beyond their same-age peers. These children exhibit a high ability to make meaning out of complex concepts or problems.

You may want to consider applying for services for your student if you have noticed these characteristics:

• advanced vocabulary for their age
• strong reading skills two or more grade levels above current grade in school
• demonstrates high interest in numbers at an early age
• is imaginative
• finds interesting solutions to problems
• understands information quickly
• may prefer to interact with adults or older children

Apply Now!

Visit the Advanced Learning Services webpage to learn more about Advanced Learning Services and to apply for your student.

Please note that if your student is currently receiving Advanced Learning services, there is no need to re-apply. All kindergarten, 2^nd and 5^th graders enrolled in the district will be considered automatically for advanced learning services through our universal screening program.

---

In Case You Missed It

---

Join the PTSA and Subscribe to their Newsletter

PTSA Membership Scholarships Available. 

Join the PTSA.

Kodiak Korner Newsletter Signup- Super Helpful Information!

Learn more about the Chinook PTSA. 

---

Student Handbook

See the Chinook Student Handbook: Student Handbook - Chinook Middle School (bsd405.org)

---

Student Enrollment Update

• 6^th grade: 228 students
• 7^th grade: 230 students
• 8^th grade: 295 students

Total: 753 students

---

Signs of Suicide (SOS) Suicide Prevention Lessons

Beginning on September 16^th we will be offering Signs of Suicide (SOS) suicide prevention lessons and BIMAS2 well-being screenings for students in 7^th & 8^th grades.  The SOS lesson teaches students how to notice warning signs of depression or suicide in themselves or a friend and encourages asking adults for support.  The BIMAS2 well-being screening is a self-report of student well-being in a variety of areas of functioning, including social, behavior, executive functioning, emotional, and academics.

Parents will receive a letter explaining SOS via email and can choose to opt their child out of the lesson and/or well-being screening prior to their child receiving the SOS lesson and BIMAS2.  To learn more about SOS, check out https://www.mindwise.org/parents/. 

We all have a role in preventing suicide in our community. You don’t have to have any special training to ACKNOWLEDGE warning signs of depression or suicide, show the person you CARE, and TELL a trusted adult or professional. 

---

After School Activities

The Activity list is updated on the Chinook website here. Questions? Reach out to suzukis@bsd405.org.

---

Jubilee Fall Sports at Chinook

Registration for the FALL SEASON has officially opened! Here is some information to help you know how you can help your student registration for any Jubilee REACH Sport or Activity. Registration for Jubilee REACH Sports and Activities does not take place in FinalForms. Registration must always be completed by your student. As the parent, you are unable to access the registration Form. This is to help us ensure that we don't receive multiple registrations from the same students. For Jubilee REACH Sports and Activities, we often need to utilize a lottery system to determine which students will be placed on the team and which students will be initially placed on a waitlist. Students who are on the waitlist are given a random number to determine their order.  Please review the steps for registration below for more information.

Step 1: Emails and reminders are sent to students

All students will receive an email in their Outlook from one of our Jubilee REACH Site-Coaches with instructions on how to register as well as a link to the registration form. This link is to a Microsoft Form that is only accessible to those with a BSD email address (i.e. your students). Registration will remain open for 2 weeks to allow students from all backgrounds and economic statuses an equal chance to register for Jubilee's Sports or Activities.   

Step 2: Registration Closes/Lottery is performed

After registration has been open for 2 weeks the form will automatically stop accepting responses. Students may still register for activities by emailing their school's Site-Coach directly (all late registrations will be automatically placed at the bottom of the waitlist, if applicable).  

Step 3: Families are notified of placement

The Friday after registration closes all students who registered for a Jubilee REACH Sport or Activity (as well as the parent the student lists) will receive an email notification informing them of their placement as well as some important information about the season. If your student is initially on the team, they will automatically be added to the team in FinalForms.   

Below is information concerning our upcoming season!   

FALL SEASON Jubilee REACH Sports 

Registration Period: September 5th - September 17th 

Season Length: September 23rd - November 8th 

Jubilee Sports Offered:

• Boys Soccer | M, T, W, Th, F 
• Girls Basketball | M, T, W, Th, F 
• Girls Golf | T 
• Co-Ed Cross Country | M, T, Th

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out or visit our FAQ Page!

---

Policy 4260.5P Dogs on School Campuses

Policy 4260.5P outlines BSD’s expectations regarding dogs on campuses. In order to ensure that schools are safe and comfortable for all students, staff members, parents/guardians, community members and visitors, the District does not allow dogs on school campuses, in classrooms, or in offices unless they are a service dog to a student, staff member, parent/guardian, community member or visitor, during the hours in which students are present, including arrival and dismissal times. During the hours when students are not present, all dogs must be on a leash and under control consistent with King County Code 11.04.230. No dogs are permitted at any time on District athletic fields, including after school hours and on weekends.

---

Class Additions

In response to increased enrollment, Chinook is pleased to announce the addition of new sections for the following courses, starting Thursday, September 12: 

• 8th grade Honors Language Arts
• 8th grade Science
• Algebra 1

These additions have been prioritized to key areas where class sizes are notably large, ensuring more personalized attention and support for our students.

Most students will not experience changes to their current schedules. However, we recognize that adjusting schedules after the school year has started can be challenging. Students and teachers have begun establishing routines and forming important classroom relationships. Despite these challenges, we believe that managing class sizes effectively is crucial to maintaining the high standards of education and support our students deserve.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we strive to optimize the learning environment for all our students.

---