Big Picture School Newsletter

4/19 - End of 3rd quarter

4/22- Earth Day Fair (Green Team) - 3:30-5:30

4/25-26 Math SBA

4 /29, 30- MS Play- Café 7:00-8:00 pm

5/3 & 5/5 - AP tests

5/9-5/11 ELA SBA

5/18- 11th grade WCAS

5/19- 8th grade WCAS

5/19 - Senior retreat

6/3 & 4- HS Play at BHS 7:00-8:30 pm

6/15- Last full day for seniors

6/16- Grad rehearsal and Senior breakfast

6/17- High School Graduation

6/21- Last day of school- 2 hours

Welcome back from Spring Break. I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable week together. My daughter and I spent a few days visiting Ocean Shores and the Quinault Rain Forest, a first for us both. Since it was going to be rainy all week here, we decided why not visit the rainforest instead! We enjoyed finding the world's largest Sitka Spruce, seeing our first sunset over the Pacific, digging for clams to no avail, riding go-carts, and listening to live Irish music. We came back recharged and excited for 4th quarter.

There is a lot happening this time of year at Big Picture. The Middle School Theater Arts Class will debut their Spring play in a few weeks on April 29. The High School Theater Arts Class will showcase their production of Arsenic and Old Lace at BHS on June 3rd and 4th. Please consider coming out to celebrate and support our students at one or both performances.

We're excited to hold an in-person and off-campus Senior Retreat on May 19th. It's been 2 years since we've been able to do so. Seniors and their advisors will reflect on their school experience, engage in fun activities and prepare for their Senior Defenses, which will occur in June. This day has been a highlight and honored tradition for our school. 9th-11th grade students will have their final exhibitions of the year in early June. They will soon begin work on their Freedom projects, student self-directed projects in ELA and SS. We hope to have a Freedom Project Day where the projects will be on display for families and community members to enjoy.

During the next several weeks, students will participate in a variety of assessments, including Smarter Balanced Assessments in ELA and math, Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science, and Advanced Placement testing. 6th-8th graders, 10th graders, and selected 11th/12th graders will come to school on the days of SBA testing at the normal time. They will have the SBA tests first and then have a condensed class schedule. All other students, 9th graders and most 11th/12th graders, will have a late start on these days and will arrive to campus by 10:30 for classes. The WCAS test for 8th and 11th graders will occur during advisory and AP tests will only involve students who have signed up to take these. Please don't hesitate to reach out to Matt (stokesm@bsd405.org) if you have any questions about testing. Specific schedules for SBA testing will go out this week.

Learning is a truly community endeavor and the contributions of each and every one of you make a difference in the lives of our students. Your partnership is critical for student success and continued growth. We couldn't do this work without you!

With Gratitude,

Bethany

Middle School Theater Arts is proud to present: 1001 Nights of Reality Television written by Lesley James

When: Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30

What time: Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:00, it lasts a little over an hour

Where: BP Café

Cost: Free!!!

Families will be asked to sit together and maintain social distancing

High School Theater Arts is proud to present: Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring

When: Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4

What time: Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:00, it lasts a bit over an hour and a half. There will be a short 10 minute intermission.

Where: Bellevue High School Performance Arts Center

Each year, Bellevue PTSA Council offers twelve (12) $1000 scholarships to seniors representing each high school in BSD. The Alice Hurd Memorial Scholarship recognizes outstanding community service and rewards one student from each high school a $1000 scholarship. The Bellevue PTSA Council Scholarship rewards academic excellence to one graduating senior from each high school, funded by Bellevue PTSA Council. Applicants will be evaluated by the Bellevue PTSA Council Scholarship Committee consisting of representatives from each high school.

To Apply: http://www.bellevueptsacouncil.com/scholarships.html

Due: May 6th!

Please only have students exit and enter your cars in the drop-off lane closest to the school building. Students should not cut across the parking lot to enter/exit from cars. Also, the small parking lot closest to the main driveway is for staff and bus parking only. This is not a student drop-off zone. Lastly, please monitor your speed as you drive through the parking lot for the safety of our students.

As a reminder, if students are staying for tutorial (HS-3:00-3:30) (MS -3:05-3:40), they should report immediately after 7th period to one of their teacher's classrooms. Students should not attend tutorial with staff who are not their teachers and should use this time productively to work on homework, collaborate with a project team, ask teachers for help, make-up missing assignments, etc. For students who are staying for clubs and Jubilee activities, they must attend a tutorial first prior to the club meeting. Students should not leave campus for the park or other locations and then return for clubs/activities. If a student is unable to get picked up within 10 minutes of dismissal, they should attend tutorial until their ride arrives.

The District Health and Safety Team thanks you for your partnership these past few months as we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic together and has shared a message to families about how to keep COVID-19 transmission low in schools using layered protection measures after returning from Spring Break. Please follow the required and recommended measures below:

Required

• Keep your student home if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and follow the K-12 Return to School Guidance Flowsheet. If your child initially tests negative for COVID-19 and continues to experience mild cold symptoms, consider retesting them for COVID-19 on day 3-7 of symptoms and encourage them to mask while attending school.

Recommended

• COVID-19 Testing: We encourage district staff and families to follow recommendations from the Washington State Department of Health (WA-DOH) and the Center for Disease Control related to COVID-19 testing following Spring Break. This includes:
• Testing 3-5 days after returning home from travel outside the United States
• Testing 3-5 days after returning home from within the United States if unvaccinated
• If a parent or sibling in your household has tested positive for COVID-19, contact your building nurse to confirm your family is following current recommendations for COVID-19 testing and mitigation measures.
• If your student has been exposed in the classroom setting or at home to someone that has tested positive for COVID-19, consider wearing a mask for 10 days after the last date of exposure, especially during activities like high-risk indoor sports, performing arts, etc., and get tested at minimum 3-5 days after their last exposure. Molecular (PCR/NAAT), antigen and at home tests are acceptable. Test sooner and more frequently for COVID-19 if someone in your home has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

BSD offers drive-thru diagnostic PCR testing for students who show symptoms of COVID-19. Testing is available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Wilburton Instructional Service Center (WISC). Tests are available by appointment only, as there are limited slots each day.

Learn more and sign up for drive-thru diagnostic testing at BSD.

On April 11, 2022, the BSD Board of Directors adopted a resolution regarding mask wearing. Per the resolution:

“The Board of Directors of the Bellevue School District strongly encourages continued mask wearing inside our school buildings, at this time and through the end of the school year, to protect the most vulnerable; and

The Board of Directors of the Bellevue School District expresses gratitude and appreciation for all those who are able to and who continue to mask inside our school buildings through the end of the school year and wishes to support those masking inside our buildings by making high quality masks (N95, KN95, or KN94) available at the reception desk of every BSD school building.”

Read the full resolution.

On March 29, BSD Equity & Family Engagement invited students, families and staff to attend a special opportunity to learn about American history. Dr. Terry Anne Scott, associate professor of United States History and Chair of the History Department at Hood College, Maryland shared, A Virtual Tour of Montgomery, Alabama, from Enslavement to Modern Day.

During her presentation, Dr. Scott walked the virtual audience through what one attendee called an “amazing, whirlwind journey,” from the banks of the Alabama River where enslaved Black people disembarked ships and trains, through Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pastored, and finished at the location where the late John Lewis completed his historic march.

Curriculum developers from the BSD history department, district educators, counselors, students, families and community members attended the session to learn alongside Dr. Scott. Many attendees shared that they learned things they had never known from her presentation and others unlearned the misconceptions they had thought to be true. Following the presentation, attendees proclaimed the presentation as “a gift” and “enlightening” for their learning. One attendee stated that it was a powerful “intellectual and emotional journey.”

Upon her request, Dr. Scott’s presentation was not recorded, however, BSD will continue to host future events and speakers to extend learning and understanding beyond Black History Month.

Bellevue School District will offer an opportunity for juniors and seniors to take the SAT during the school day in the 2022-23 school year. We are pleased to be able to offer the SAT during the school day free of charge to ensure access to the exam for all students.

On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, which is ‘Super Wednesday,’ juniors will have an opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT. Students will be able to use their PSAT scores to identify areas for SAT test preparation using free services from Khan Academy. The school-day SAT for juniors will be scheduled in March of 2023.

The school-day SAT for seniors will be scheduled on ‘Super Wednesday,’ October 12, 2022. Bellevue School District will continue to host Saturday SAT testing opportunities in service of our students and families, and those in our larger community.

Starting May 2022, the Bellevue School Board Directors welcome the community to join in a series of multi-modal, culturally responsive engagement opportunities that seek to center community voice and help shape district direction and inform the leadership profile for the next district superintendent.

All district students, staff, families, and the greater Bellevue community are invited to participate. More details will be shared in the weeks to come, and opportunities for our school community to participate will be offered both remotely and in hybrid format.

As engagement opportunities are being planned, you are welcome to contact the Board with suggestions or recommendations by email at board@bsd405.org. If you have suggestions or recommendations on ways to increase community participation and involve your diverse school community in engagement efforts, please email communityrelations@bsd405.org. Please stay tuned for detailed information to share with your community.

Please join the Bellevue Special Needs PTA and BSD’s Special Education Department for two family-focused workshops about navigating the 504 process and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for preschool, elementary, secondary and transition students. BSD’s Special Education department will facilitate the sessions and answer questions about each topic and how they support student learning.

Sessions will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams and will be recorded and uploaded to the district website after each event.

Learn more about the 504 process information session on April 27.
Learn more about the IEP workshop on May 12.

As part of the City of Bellevue’s Vision Zero initiative, city staff are inviting Bellevue School District students, parents, and neighbors to offer insights on how to make walking and bicycling safer on streets near schools. The city is launching a series of road safety assessments for streets near schools. The streets that will be reviewed are part of the city’s “high injury network” – a relatively small number of city streets where most fatal and serious-injury collisions occur.

Your experiences are critical to this process and will be used to identify potential future safety improvements. Please help us understand how you experience these streets by participating in a:

1. Community Walk Audit. Register to attend an in-person walking assessment on Sunday, May 15 or Saturday, May 21, noon to 2 p.m.
2. Questionnaire - Respond to a short online questionnaire (available in in English, 繁體中文, Русский, 한국어, español, 日本語, tiếng Việt and 简体中文).

We encourage you to participate via one or both methods identified above. Please contact the city’s project manager, Franz Loewenherz, at FLoewenherz@bellevuewa.gov if you have questions.

Bethany Spinler, Principal

Matt Stokes, Assistant Principal

Karen Penewell, Office Manager

Carol Anne Yamamoto, Registrar

Kelley Hoang, Attendance

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PTSA Website

Main Office: 425-456-7800