Important Information for the 2026-27 School Year!
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Important Information for the 2026-27 School Year!
Hello Chinook Community,
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year! Below you’ll find key information to help your family prepare for a smooth and successful start in September. We’re excited to welcome our students back and look forward to another great year at Chinook!
If you need more help or have questions that aren’t answered below, feel free to reach out here.
Best regards,
James Peterson (Principal)
Topics
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Important Dates
- August 27: New Student Open House. 5:30-7:30 PM
- September 2: First Day of School!
- September 7: No School, Labor Day
- September 8: Activity Bus Service Begins
- September 11: Picture Day
- September 17: Curriculum Night, 5:45-7:45 PM
- September 18: PTSA Ice Cream Social, 5:30-6:30 PM
Enrollment Questions
The BSD Welcome Center (12011 NE 1st Street, Bellevue, WA 98005) is open during the summer to support enrollment.
- New students: Enroll online here.
- Not returning in fall? Email studentplacement@bsd405.org with your student’s full name, ID (if available), and current school.
- Need help? Call 425-456-4235 or email welcome@bsd405.org.
Click here for BSD Enrollment Information
Attendance
We are excited to announce that starting this year, we will be sending our daily absence notifications via text, using Talking Points, instead of with the pre-recorded phone call. Not only will you be able to receive the information in your preferred language, you can also respond in any language to share the reason for your child’s absence. Sharing the reason for your student’s absence helps us better support your child during and after the absence.
Only families who have not reported their child’s absence will receive the text. Each Talking Points text thread is individual, private, and secure. It is protected by FERPA laws and is only visible to our Attendance Specialist and Administrators (just like email).
Some important tips:
- We are asking families to use text to report their child’s absences and communicate about attendance rather than by email or phone call. (You can even send Dr.’s notes, etc. just like email)
- Each individual parent receives their own individual number to text. You will receive your first text with the number on the first day of school
- You can always check your child’s attendance in ParentVue. Help with ParentVue available here ParentVue help
- For additional help with ParentVue or Talking Points email parenthelp@bsd405.org or call (425)456-4222
- Since this is a new service we are offering, there may be some errors or technical difficulties. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to ensure everything is working properly.
Remember, every day matters! Just 1 absence every 2 weeks is considered chronically absent (even if it’s excused). Please schedule appointments and personal travel on non-school days and only keep your child home if they are actually Too Sick for School. For more information on BSD attendance policy and procedure: 3122 policy and 3122P procedure.
Attendance Matters: Summer Tips to Be Ready for the First Day of School
New Student Open House
We’re excited to welcome our newest students and families to Chinook!
Join us on August 27 for our 6th Grade & New to Chinook Student Open House. This informal event is a great opportunity to get familiar with the building before the first day of school.
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
During the Open House, students can:
- Take a self-guided tour of the school
- Get assistance from student leaders and Chinook staff
We’re here to help our new students and families feel confident and supported as they begin their Chinook journey. We look forward to seeing you there!
6th grade Student Orientation
6th grade orientation takes place on September 2, during the first day of school. Our WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Orientation Program is designed to welcome new students, build community, and help everyone feel confident navigating Chinook.
Message to our incoming 6th graders:
We’re so excited to welcome you to Chinook! You’ll start the day with a fun orientation led by 8th grade WEB Leaders who can’t wait to meet you.
What to know:
- When you arrive, pick up your schedule in the Commons and head to your 1st period class (we’ll help you find it! 😊).
- Wear comfortable clothes.
- Please do not bring school supplies on the first day—you can bring them Wednesday.
Questions? Reach out here.
New 7th and 8th grade Student Orientation
If you’re a new 7th or 8th grade student, welcome! Orientation for new students is built into the first day of school on September 2.
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Pick up your schedule in the Gym when you arrive and head to your 1st period class (we’ll help you find it! 😊).
- Staff and students will be available to help you find your way!
Laptop Distribution
Students will receive their BSD laptops according to the schedule below:
- 7th Grade: September 8
- 8th Grade: September 9
- 6th Grade: September 10
Bell Schedule
School Supplies
We suggest a few basics to help your student start the year ready to learn.
Join the Chinook PTSA
The Chinook PTSA leadership team has been thoughtfully planning a year filled with meaningful programs, engaging events, and opportunities to strengthen our school community. Volunteering is not required to join, but research shows that students whose families are involved in PTSA experience stronger academic outcomes, better attendance, and a deeper sense of connection at school.
Why join the PTSA?
Your membership supports the PTSA’s mission and leadership as we work to maintain a high-quality student experience. With ongoing budget pressures and evolving district priorities, the PTSA plays a key role in helping bridge gaps, advocating for students, and preserving the supportive programs and traditions that define the Chinook experience. Click here to join now!
Learn more about the Chinook PTSA: www.chinookptsa.org
School Meals (Breakfast and Lunch)
BSD Nutrition Services offers Breakfast and Lunch for students.
Set up payment for student meal purchases. Nutrition Services uses PayPAMS for online payments for school meals. Families may also pay for meals by check or cash at school. For more information, visit the Nutrition Services page.
Complete a School Meal Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals
The 2026-27 Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit Application (CNEEB) is open. Qualification for free or reduced-price meal benefits is based on household size and income. Families, including those with students attending schools where meals are available at no cost, are encouraged to complete the CNEEB application to establish eligibility for school meal benefits.
Families must reapply every year. If your student(s) qualified for free or reduced-priced meals last year in the Bellevue School District, their prior year eligibility is extended for the first 30 school days to allow time for a new application to be completed. The final day they may use their prior year eligibility is October 14, 2026. After this date, meals will be charged at the paid meal price if eligibility for free or reduced-price meals has not been reestablished.
It’s More Than a Meal Application
Did you know that completing an application for free or reduced-price meals can assist with more than just meals at school? Unlock benefits for your student, family and school with an approved application. Learn more about the benefits of applying.
Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application.
ParentVUE and StudentVUE
The Bellevue School District uses the Synergy Educational Platform to provide families and students with access to important school information.
ParentVUE
Synergy ParentVUE allows parents and guardians to view their student's assignments, grades, and attendance, as well as update important student information.
Families are required to complete the Online Student Verification Process each year. During this annual process, families review and update student health information, emergency contacts, and other required documents. Health information shared in ParentVUE is only viewable by staff who support student health services.
StudentVUE
Synergy StudentVUE provides students with easy access to assignments, grades, and attendance information.
Draft student schedules for the 2026-27 school year will be available in StudentVUE beginning August 17 after 4:00 PM.
School Pictures
School pictures are scheduled for September 11. All students will have their picture taken for their student ID yearbook. There is no cost for this.
If you would like to order picture packages, online ordering will be available starting August 21 at mydorian.com. Search for Chinook Middle School - Bellevue, WA to place your order. Orders may be placed up to 4 days after picture day.
Curriculum Night
Join us for Curriculum Night on September 17.
Large Group Presentation | 5:45 PM – Featured speakers will include school administration, counselors and support staff.
Classroom Visits | 6: 10 PM – 7:45 PM – Visit each of your child’s classes to learn about the class expectations, key topics, grading policies and strategies to support your child.
Activities, Sports, and Clubs
We’re excited to offer a wide range of extracurricular opportunities again this year! At Chinook, sports, clubs, and after-school activities are open to all students and are a great way to build friendships, explore new interests, and stay connected to our school community.
More details about fall offerings—including specific clubs and meeting days—will be shared soon. Activities begin the week of September 8 and others begin later. Some meet weekly, while others meet more frequently, typically from 3:10–4:00 PM.
An activity bus will be available at 4:10 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and will begin the week of September 8. To ride the activity bus, students must participate in a supervised tutorial and a supervised after-school activity. This is an important student safety expectation.
Key things to know:
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Activities bus service is expected to begin the week of September 8. Please note that the BSD Transportation Department is still finalizing routes. Updated route information will be shared soon.
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Registration for sports and activities will open in September.
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All students must register through FinalForms in order to participate in sports, clubs, and field trips.
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Physicals are not required for middle school athletics.
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Jubilee REACH uses a separate registration process, see more information below.
Jubilee REACH Fall Sports (Sept. 22 – Nov. 7):
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Coed Cross-Country
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Girls Basketball
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Boys Soccer
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Girls Golf (offered in partnership with First Tee)
Click here for more information about registering for Jubilee REACH sports.
Click here for season dates and other important information about middle school athletics and activities.
Registration for Chinook fall sports will be open September 1-13, 2026.
Why don't I see sports available in FinalForms right now? Sports will not be available for selection until the registration window opens on September 1. If you log in before then, it may appear that registration is closed. Once registration opens, families can complete the required forms and select their student's sport.
Jubilee REACH Sports and Activities
Some Jubilee REACH sports and activities use a separate registration process. Jubilee REACH collects student interest and registration information through a Microsoft Form. If a student is placed on a team, they will be added to the activity in FinalForms. FinalForms is then used to collect required consent forms, emergency contact information, attendance, and family communications.
For information about Jubilee REACH sports and activities, visit Athletics (Jubilee REACH) - Chinook Middle School.
Final Forms – Required for Sports, Field Trips, and Activities
Bellevue School District uses Final Forms for middle and high school students participating in sports, field trips, and extracurricular activities. This online platform allows parents and guardians to provide consent for participation in activities and ensures that school nurses, staff and coaches supervising activities have access to student medical and emergency information.
Each student must activate their account using an invitation sent to their BSD email.
Bus Routes
Fall bus routes are coming! Enroll today for the district’s bus tracking program, and get the Stopfinder app, to know when your bus will arrive. Bus routes will be available the week of August 18. Stopfinder invitations will be sent out as well. Please check your junk/spam folder for a message from no-reply@stopfinder.com, and make sure your contact information is correct and current in the student information system. If you have any questions, please email us at transportation@bsd405.org.
Morning bus service will begin on the first day of school, September 2. Students who qualify for transportation may ride their regularly assigned bus to school beginning that morning.
For the first week of school, from September 2 through September 4, district buses will only provide afternoon transportation home after school dismissal at 2:35 PM (departs approximately 2:40 PM). During this window, students are welcome to attend tutorial from 2:35-3:05 PM, but families will need to arrange their own transportation home after tutorial.
Chinook’s after-school Activity Bus routes will begin running on Tuesday, September 8 (departs approximately 4:15 PM). To ride the activity bus, students must participate in a supervised tutorial and a supervised after-school activity. This is an important student safety expectation
Key Information:
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Busing information will be updated the week of August 18.
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Please make sure your contact information is up to date in Synergy ParentVUE so you don’t miss important transportation updates.
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Look for busing information via email and the BSD Transportation Website.
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Download the BSD transportation app, StopFinder, for real-time updates. Click here for more information about StopFinder.
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Ensure your student has their bus scan card ready for the first day of school.
Questions about bus service? Visit BSD Transportation.
Required Health Forms
To help ensure a healthy and safe start to the school year, please review the district’s Required Health Forms webpage and update your child’s health information on Synergy and Final Forms (secondary only).
If your child has a life-threatening health condition, they must have medication and healthcare orders at the school on the first day or they will be sent home. Please visit the district’s Individual Health Plans webpage to learn more. 
All students enrolled in the Bellevue School District in grades PreK-12 must meet Washington state immunization requirements or have exemption paperwork on file. We encourage you to register for MyIRMobile, Washington’s immunization registry, to review your child’s immunization records. Students who are not in compliance may be sent home from school. In Washington state, children ages 0 to 18 can receive all routinely recommended vaccine at no cost through healthcare providers participating in the Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP). While providers may charge an administration fee, you don’t have to pay if you are unable to.
If your child needs immunizations, please make an appointment with your child’s medical provider, find a CVP provider near you, or contact Highland Health Center, a school-based health center located at Highland Middle School.
The International Community Health Services (ICHS) Mobile Team is also partnering with the Bellevue School District Welcome Center to host a vaccine clinic on Thursday, August 27 at the BSD Welcome Center, to provide vaccinations for BSD students. Learn more and register for the clinic.
Student Schedules
Draft student schedules will be available through Synergy StudentVUE and ParentVUE beginning on August 17 after 4:00 PM. Please note that student schedules may change before the first day of school as we work to balance class sizes. Final schedules will be set on September 2. Schedules may also continue to change through the beginning of the school year as class sizes are balanced.
Please do not email counselors about schedule requests or missing classes. They are aware of your requests and any incomplete schedules and will be working to complete these items. Our schedule is a student driven schedule, and every effort is made to give students their first choice of classes. However, in some cases the alternate choices may be the only classes available.   
First Day of School – Schedule Distribution
All students will receive a paper copy of their final schedule when they arrive on the first day of school:
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6th Grade in the Commons
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7th Grade in the Small Gym
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8th Grade in the Large Gym
Lunch Assignments
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All 6th grade students have 3rd lunch.
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7th and 8th grade students are assigned either 1st or 2nd lunch, based upon their 4th period teacher. These assignments will be shared the first day of school.
View our bell schedule, including lunch times, here: Bell Schedule - Chinook Middle School
Tutorial
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Tutorial is offered Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday after 7th period, from 2:35 PM until 3:05 PM. There is no Tutorial on Wednesdays.
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Students may meet with a teacher in the classroom during this time to ask questions, review homework, make up work, take a missed quiz/test, or sit quietly and do homework.
- Tutorial starts September 8.
School Counselors
Our counseling team is here to support students in reaching their academic goals, exploring future pathways, and developing the social-emotional skills needed to thrive in middle school and beyond.
At Chinook, students are assigned to a counselor by last name, which helps us build strong, lasting relationships throughout their three years with us.
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Carol Johnson (Ms. Carol) supports students with last names A–K (johnsonca@bsd405.org).
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Jamie Johnson (Mrs. Johnson) supports students with last names L–Z (johnsonj@bsd405.org).
Counselors officially return to the office on August 25 and will begin following up with students and families shortly after.
Our counseling program supports academic planning, mental health and emotional well-being, peer relationships, community referrals and family resources, bullying prevention and reporting, and much more.
Don’t hesitate to reach out!
Cell Phones Expectations
At Chinook, we want classrooms to be places where students can stay focused, connect with each other, and engage in learning without distractions. For this reason, and in line with BSD Policy, student cell phones may only be used:
- Before school
- During lunch
- After school
Cell phones are not allowed in any classroom. Students are expected to keep phones powered off and stored in their backpack (or in a teacher’s designated location).
Consequences for violations:
Level 1 – First Violation
- If a teacher sees your phone outside of your backpack, you will be asked to place it in a secure location in the classroom.
- Your parent/guardian will be contacted.
- You may pick up your phone from the teacher after 7th period.
Level 2 – Second Violation or Refusal
- If you refuse to place your phone in the secure location, or if this is your second violation in that class, you will be issued a Lunch Detention.
- Your parent/guardian will be contacted.
- The next violation in that class will move to Level 3 – Progressive Discipline.
Parents/guardians who need to send an emergency message to their student should call the Chinook office at 425-456-6600.
E-Bike Safety
(includes other electric, motorized, & non-motorized personal transportation devices)
- No riding on sidewalks, grass, athletic fields and courts, and plazas.
- Helmets are required for all operators of personal transportation devices while on district campuses.
- Skateboards and non-motorized scooters should be stored in your locker during the school day.
- Bicycles, e-bikes, and other personal transportation devices must be parked and locked in designated bike racks during school hours.
- E-motorcycles are not permitted on campus unless properly licensed and registered. Operators must be 16 yrs. or older and have associated motorcycle endorsement.
- E-scooters ARE NOT permitted on campus unless the rider is over 16 years of age. For riders over 16, e-scooters are permitted only in parking lots and roadways, and riders must follow all other applicable laws.
- District is not responsible for loss, theft, or damage of personal transportation devices.
- Unsafe riding will result in disciplinary action up to and including revocation of riding privileges on campus.
Important: If your e-bike can go faster than 28 mph (or faster than 20 mph while only powered by the motor), it is classified as an e-motorcycle.
For more details of the BSD policies, related to non-automobile transportation devices, visit E-Bike Information & Guidance - Bellevue School District
Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
Goal: Safely and efficiently drop students off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon through a systematic process.
For the safety of our students, please:
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Drive slowly.
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Manage technology (no cell phones, please)
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Demonstrate respect and patience toward all
The right lane (curb) will always be drop off and pick up. The left lane is “thru” traffic. Please follow the guidance of the traffic attendants.
Planning for the First Days: The first few days of school often bring heavier traffic and longer wait times. Please plan extra time into your morning and afternoon routines.
Drop Off and Pick Up
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Drive slowly.
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Watch for students crossing.
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Pull completely forward to utilize the full length of the passenger loading zone.
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If you need to get out of the car, pull into a parking spot for continued traffic flow.
City of Bellevue Construction Alert
100th Ave NE is currently closed from NE 10th to NE 17th. The closure is expected to end in late October.
NE 18th and NE 21st now have sidewalks, so these are improved walking routes now. NE 18th will have its sidewalk closed for about 1 week in early September for wall construction.
Families are encouraged to review the City of Bellevue’s construction notice and plan ahead for potential impacts to drop-off and pick-up routines.
Click here to view the construction notice and map.
Thank you for your flexibility and patience during this city-led improvement project.
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