With spring only a few weeks away, and an extra hour of daylight coming this weekend, the BSD community has many bright spots to look forward to. To start, this week we celebrate School Social Work Week, an opportunity for our schools, communities and partners to acknowledge and recognize the impactful work school social workers do to support students, families and their communities. March 13-17, we recognize the contributions of education support professionals in the public school system and the difference they make in our schools through Education Support Professionals Week.
In the month of March, we also recognize and honor other observances that intersect with our educational community. National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month highlights the ways in which people with disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities and raises awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life. Women’s History Month commemorates and encourages the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. The BSD Cultural Calendar highlights some of the religious and cultural observances celebrated by those in our community.
Planning for the Future – Updated Recommendations, Public Comment and Next Steps
As shared by Interim Superintendent, Dr. Art Jarvis, today, the recommendations for school consolidations have been updated. The updates come after taking multiple perspectives, data points and suggestions into consideration. The updated recommendations for consideration by the School Board are:
North Area: Do not consolidate Ardmore. Add the Arabic Heritage Language program and work with staff to develop and implement innovative approaches at the school to attract and retain additional enrollment.
Midwest Area: Consolidate Wilburton with Clyde Hill and Enatai.
South Area: Consolidate Eastgate with Spiritridge. Relocate Advanced Learning from Spiritridge to Woodridge.
An abbreviated timeline of next steps community members can expect are as follows:
Thursday, March 9, 4:30 p.m. - Regular School Board Meeting to provide updated recommendations to Board, including the latest modifications based on input from stakeholders. The meeting will be in-person at the Wilburton Instructional Center (WISC) as well as streamed live. Public Comment on March 9 has been extended to 50 minutes and will start at 5:30 p.m. Learn more about Public Comment and register to participate.
Thursday, March 16, 4:30 p.m. – (Tentative) School Board Special Meeting to take action on recommendation.
BSD SWANA Group Shares Message of Support to Those Impacted by Earthquakes Overseas
BSD’s SWANA Affinity Group has shared a message with the BSD learning community to show support for families impacted by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and share resources for those interested in providing support in their own ways. The SWANA group consists of BSD staff who have connections to Southwest Asia, North Africa, or the Arabic language.
The district is pleased to announce that in 2024, all BSD websites will move to a new platform, Finalsite. The intent of this move and concurrent redesign is to create a new and improved website experience for all users. Several opportunities for feedback from the BSD learning community will be offered in the coming weeks:
Website User Survey – to be shared with the BSD learning community via email the week of March 13, 2023
Focus Groups – to be developed and convened in April 2023
Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year began on March 1. Current and new BSD families are encouraged to visit the district’s Enrollment webpage to learn how to start the enrollment process, find contact information, and view enrollment-related news. Enrollment submissions will include:
To help families transition to their next step in the 2023-2024 school year, BSD’s neighborhood elementary schools host information sessions for prospective students and families, including new kindergarten families. Some schools have already hosted their information nights, and resources are available for families to view and learn more about each school.
Special Education Family Resource Session: IEP Transition Plans
On Tuesday March 21, BSD’s Special Education department is hosting a family-focused informational session about Individual Education Program (IEP) Transition Plans. Transition Plans are legally required to be in a student’s IEP the year they turn 16 and is the section of the IEP that outlines services and goals that will help students achieve their post-secondary plans after they exit public school. This informational session will take place in person at Newport High School and online via Microsoft Teams.
BSD is excited to share information about 2023 summer opportunities for K-12 students, which can be found on the 2023 Summer Programs K-12 page on the district website.
Summer School Programs for elementary students will run July 6–28 at Lake Hills Elementary School. Summer School Programs for secondary students will also run from July 6-28 at Sammamish High School, with some variations for middle school students.
This summer’s programs will feature a variety of in-person courses with educators to enrich and extend academic learning. The programs will provide social emotional and connection opportunities throughout the summer, and mental health support will be available through both district staff and community partners.
Don’t forget, the School-Day SAT for juniors will be Thursday, March 22, 2023. BSD is pleased to be able to offer the SAT during the school day free of charge to ensure access to the exam for all students.
Math Information Sessions: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2
One information session remains to provide families with an opportunity to engage in reviewing the new Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 curriculum resources and to learn about the direction of secondary math in the district.
Wednesday, March 15 - Bellevue High School, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
The Washington Network for Innovative Careers (WANIC) offers many classes available to students in the Bellevue School District. WANIC offers high quality tuition-free technical and professional training for high school juniors and seniors. These year-long, advanced-level career and technical education (CTE) programs are based on rigorous academic and industry standards and prepare students for career and college readiness.
Bellevue School District partners with the Washington State Department of Health to monitor and support student immunizations. Now is the time to catch up on immunizations!
Many children are due for well-child visits because of challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Talk with your health care provider to find out which vaccines your child needs. Use yearly checkups and other visits, such as sports physicals, to make sure your children have all the immunizations they need.
Children under 19 years of age in Washington are provided with all recommended vaccines at no or low cost at one of Washington state’s Childhood Vaccine Program providers. Health care providers may charge an office visit fee and a fee to give the vaccine, called an administration fee. If you can’t afford the administration fee, you may ask for it to be waived.
The Bellevue School District partners with local organizations and non-profits to support our students and families. Visit our Community Partner webpage to learn more about these organizations, find out about their services and how you can engage with them.
BSD’s Incoming Superintendent, Dr. Kelly Aramaki, shares a message with the BSD community, inviting them to attend Spring for Schools.
Attend Spring for Schools, Hosted by the Bellevue Schools Foundation Spring for Schools
Every Bellevue School District family and educator is invited to join BSF, along with business professionals, community leaders and philanthropic donors. The evening will be dedicated to ensuring that all 18,000+ students in Bellevue’s public schools have access to innovative programs and enrichment opportunities that will help them thrive in an increasingly competitive global market.
BSD utilizes Let's Talk! to exchange messages with families. Find messaging options on our website.
Please contact staff at your student's school about schedules, attendance and any other school-specific questions or concerns. Visit https://bsd405.org and select Schools in the top menu to find your school.
Bellevue School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Civil Rights, Racial Discrimination, and Gender Expression or Identity Discrimination:
Civil Rights/Nondiscrimination Compliance Coordinator Nancy Pham, (425) 456-4040 or phamn@bsd405.org
Sex-based Discrimination, including Sexual Harassment:
Title IX Coordinator: Jeff Lowell, (425) 456-4010 or lowellj@bsd405.org
