We know this week has been challenging for all. Please let us know if your family needs any support during this time after the storm. Maintenance crews have been working around the clock to clean up debris and damages to buildings, like ours. While Cherry Crest is mostly OK, we did have two large trees fall on the building. One classroom has a shattered window, and part of our under covered area roof, as well as some playground equipment and fencing is damaged. We do currently have power, though!

The District will update us over the weekend or early Monday morning about next week. We hope to re-open our doors on Monday. In the meantime, please stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you very soon.

Reminder: Monday and Tuesday are half-day release days for family conferences. Students will dismiss on a Wednesday schedule at 12:15 pm.

Join Mrs. Stedman on 12/6 on teams at 9-10 AM

Join the meeting now

October Principal Coffee Link

November Principal Coffee Link

Nov 25-26 || Elementary Conference Days

Nov 28-29 || Thanksgiving - No school, all district offices closed

Dec 4 & 5 || BSD Preschool Information Session

Dec 6 || BBGC Family Night 4-6p in Cafeteria, Stage, and Gym

Dec 9 || Open Transfer/Choice School Application opens

Dec 21- Jan 5 || Winter Break

The Open Transfer, Choice School and Choice Program Application period for the 2024-2025 school year will open on Monday, December 9, 2024. Students and families are invited to learn more about Bellevue School District schools and programs during upcoming open houses and information events.

· Each school will host an open house during the Open Transfer and Choice School/Program application period.

· Families are invited to the Language Programs Fair on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to learn more about the variety of language offerings available for students.

· Families with students between the ages of three to age five are invited to attend a Preschool Information Session on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, or Thursday, December 5, 2024.

· Upcoming Open House Dates for the next two weeks:

o December 4, 2024 – Puesta del Sol Open House, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

o December 5, 2024 – Phantom Lake Open House, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

o December 5, 2024 – Sherwood Forest Open House, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

o December 10, 2024 – Lake Hills Open House, 8:15 – 9:15 a.m.

o December 10, 2024 – Cherry Crest Elementary Open House, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

o December 11, 2024 – Tyee Middle School Open House, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

o December 11, 2024 – Big Picture High School Open House, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

o December 12, 2024 – Big Picture Middle School Open House, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

For all open house and information session dates, times and locations please view the open house webpage.

As we approach Thanksgiving and winter breaks, the Bellevue School District reminds families that it is important to try to avoid missing school days before and after the scheduled breaks. Thanksgiving break is Thursday, November 28 - Friday, November 29, 2024. Winter Break begins Monday, December 23, 2024. Students return to school on Monday, January 6, 2025. If your family is traveling during these breaks, please ensure that your student can rest and get back on schedule prior to the start of school.

Every day of school is important and provides an opportunity for students to learn and connect with peers and teachers. Even two absences a month (excused or unexcused) can significantly impact student learning. Make it a goal to attend five days a week and have fewer than five absences in a semester. If your child is healthy, encourage them to show up to class when school is in session.

We are very thankful for our students and families who do their best to show up daily even when it isn’t easy. We are grateful for our teachers and administrators who make school a welcoming and safe place for students to learn. We appreciate our support staff and community partners who provide the extra attention that our students need.

If your family or your student needs support, please reach out to our school counselor, fantonem@bsd405.org.

While attendance matters, so does spreading illness...Please know that if your child is truly ill, we'd rather they remain at home. Thanks for helping us slow the spread of sickness at Cherry Crest!

How to Know When You’re Too Sick for School

As we enter the time of year when colds and fevers tend to appear unexpectedly, the Bellevue School District wants to remind families of some important guidelines regarding when students should stay home from school. Students experiencing certain illnesses may be required to stay home to rest and recover.

The Bellevue School District's nurses and attendance team have provided helpful guidance on which symptoms indicate a student should remain at home and when they may safely return to school. Keeping sick students at home, along with encouraging regular handwashing, helps protect everyone—especially those with fragile immune systems or acute medical conditions. Learn more on the Too Sick for School webpage.

BSD Background Clearance:

WA Judicial System is down since November 1 and not expected to be completed until November 26th.

What does this mean?

Parents without BSD background clearance should not sign up for any school events. They will be told to remove any signups. There will be a backlog of clearance applications, can’t guarantee parents will receive clearance in time.

Inquiries from applicants about status can still be directed to cherrycrestattendance@bsd405.org

Please include a clean set of clothes, shirt, pants, socks, and underwear in your child's backpack - all ages, K-5.

We’ve seen students missing instructional time, up to one hour, waiting for clean clothes that could be prevented. Especially with wet and rainy winter days, we appreciate you planning ahead.

Additionally, the office can always use clothing donations of various sizes - pants, shirts, socks, underwear. Thank you!

You're Invited to the BSD Language Fair!

Join the Bellevue School District MLL team for an evening dedicated to exploring the world of language learning and helping students and families choose the school and program that matches their interests.

Location: Highland Middle School
Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Time: Drop in anytime from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

What to Expect:

· Discover Your Options: Learn about language programs that meet every student’s needs.

· Explore Programs: Hear about Dual Language Immersion, Bilingual Education, and World Language pathways.

· Celebrate Student Success: View inspiring student work from our language programs.

· Get Your Questions Answered: Chat with knowledgeable district and school staff.

· Connect with Students: Hear firsthand experiences from students currently enrolled in a variety of language programs.

We look forward to helping current and prospective Bellevue School District families explore the possibilities for multilingualism for all. See you on December 3, 2024!

For more information, contact Paris Granville (granvillep@bsd405.org).

Supports for our Community

With the holidays approaching, there are numerous ways that our community can provide support for one another. Here are opportunities to Belong, Learn and Lead.

We Belong:

· For anyone needing access to temporary warming centers or charging stations, please view the options available through the City of Redmond and the City of Issaquah. In addition, the City of Bellevue City Hall and the city community centers currently open are available during business hours, as space allows for members of the community to warm up and charge devices during this current widespread power outage. Additional information can be located on the King County Cold Weather Overnight and Daytime Shelters page. The King County Housing authority has a regional services database which allows individuals to find a day or overnight shelter by filtering by needs and other factors.

· The Together Center Share Your Blessings Lunch. This event will include a Thanksgiving-style meal, tea and coffee, giveaways, and the opportunity to break bread and build community together. This free event will take place on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Please RSVP to ensure there are enough meals for all attendees. This year’s Share Your Blessings meal is a collaboration by the Together Center, Essentials First, and the Muslim Community Resource Center.

· The Eastridge Church is providing the community with 1,500 turkeys and bags of groceries, while supplies last. Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 23, families can pick up one meal and bag of groceries per household. Eastridge Church is located on SE Issaquah-Fall City Road.

· The Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seekers Support project is designed to meet the basic needs of people who have recently arrived in the United States and Washington state but are ineligible for federal refugee services. Participants may be eligible for housing support, immigration-related legal services, and culturally responsive case management. Participants are also connected to medical, education, and job-training resources that are available in the community.

· Apply: Complete and submit the Client Request for Eligibility Screening.

· Learn More: Read Washington state launches Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support Project.

We Learn:

· Northwest Immigrant Rights Project will hold Rapid Response training on November 22, along with the WA Immigrant Solidarity Network - Red de Solidaridad de Inmigrantes en WA. This webinar will share information about existing rapid response networks that support communities and works to keep families together. Registration required.

o RSVP: Sign up online.

We Lead:

· Hopelink’s Lend a Hoping Hand campaign seeks to raise funds with the aim of supporting our community to ensure basic needs are met and everyone can experience warmth and joy during the winter months.

· Mary’s Place is sharing a request for holiday decorations and activities for their community. They hope to create a fun atmosphere for those they support.

Family Resources:

• Food is an essential element of so many cultures – To explore through the diverse world of Native foods, check out a few recipes from Indigenous Chefs. I made the Wild Rice Cakes with my family last year and they were a huge hit!
• Explore this list together with your students of some wonderful read-alouds here as well as an accompanying list of 10 ways you can make a difference for Native authors and to increase inclusion of these voices all year long: First Nations Development Institutes’ Children’s Literature Recommended Reading List.

Family Resources:

• PBS Kids’ Gratitude Bingo is a great way to practice those gratitude muscles with your family!
• Try crafting gratitude stones to hide throughout the house! Whoever finds one shares three things they are grateful for in that very moment.
• Did you know that sharing three things you’re grateful for every day can actually increase your happiness? It’s amazing! How could you incorporate this into your family’s daily routine? Around the dinner table? On the way to/from school? At bedtime?