SEHOME STAFF
WELCOME BACK INFORMATION Updated Week of August 30, 2021
WELCOME BACK
Dear Sehome Staff,
We hope this letter finds you well-rested and ready to gear up for the start of a new year together. Our amazing custodial staff have been busy at work making the building sparkle. Below you will find some key dates and information that will guide you into the new school year.
We are extremely grateful to be working with such a dynamic team of creative and innovative individuals who are focused on the success of each one of our students! Let’s make this an amazing year for our students, one another, and our school community!
Please reach out to Mike, Bethany, or me with any questions. Here's to a great 2021-2022 school year.
Sonia Cole
OVERVIEW:
2-Custodial Tip
3- Staffing Update
4- A/B Schedule
5- Bell Schedule
6- COVID-19 Safety Guidelines
6A- Vaccinations
7- Grading Policy/ Syllabus
8- Open Campus Update
9- Textbook Distribution
10- Cameras
11- Parking
12- Voicemail Greetings
13- Food Service
Monday, August 30 (8:00 AM – 1:30 PM)
Building-Based Professional Development
Certificated staff- this is your first day! Classified Staff- we would love for you to join us on this day from 8:00 to 1:30 PM for our professional development time. Anyone who is not contracted to work that day can submit a timesheet to be paid for this time.
Please add a picture (or collage) to this shared PowerPoint from your summer of you doing something that brought you joy over the summer. Include your name (first and last), your position or department, and what brought you joy. We will have them up as people come in to see what everyone has been up to this summer. We will also use the pictures for a back-to-school activity with students, so keep it school appropriate. 😊
Coffee will be available starting at 7:30 AM and we will begin our PD session at 8:00 AM in the Commons. The admin team will be providing lunch.
Masks will be required.
Monday, August 30 (1:30 PM – 3:30 PM)
Teacher Individual Prep Time
When you are working in your classroom by yourself, you do not have to wear a mask.
Tuesday, August 31 (8:00 AM – 8:30 AM)
District Kick Off Event
Each school will be Zooming into the district kick-off event. We will watch Dr. Baker's address from the Theater. Please wear your Sehome gear. This event is mandatory for all district employees.
Tuesday, August 31 (9:00 – 11:15 AM)
Nuts and Bolts
Following the district kick-off event, all certificated and classified staff please go to the library. We will start immediately following Dr. Baker’s address. We will review all mandatory district trainings, policies, procedures, safety procedures, calendars, etc.
Tuesday, August 31 (12:15 – 3:30 PM)
Individual Teacher Prep Time
Wednesday, September 1
First Day of School
A-Day (Anchor/ Assembly/ Periods 1-4)
Each class will be 5 minutes shorter.
Students will not have devices this day.
Our assembly will be outside on the lower field. Masks are required for everyone.
Thursday, September 2
B-Day (Anchor/ Periods 5-8)
Students will not have devices this day.
Friday, September 3
A-Day (Anchor/ Periods 1-4)
Device distribution during Anchor. No change in schedule.
Monday, September 6
Labor Day
NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, September 7
B-Day (Anchor/ Periods 5-8)
2 -Custodial Tip and Building Reminders
Please have your students in your last class of the day clean the tops of their desks and stack their chair on top of the desk before leaving.
To speed up the process of emptying classroom trash cans, leave any garbage/recycling can you wish emptied by your classroom door.
Tackable surfaces – The only wall space that you should use tacks or staples is the grey, tackable surfaces found throughout the building.
Tape - Please use painters tape (available in the office) to hang signs on walls where tackable surface isn't available. Use scotch tape to post things on glass, but please use minimal amount to limit labor used to remove the tape.
3- STAFFING UPDATE
RETIREMENTS:
- Craig Snyder, Band Director
A note from Mr. Snyder--
It’s been a magical experience at Sehome these last few decades – so many amazing people I have had the privilege of working with, students, faculty, staff, and parents! Of my career, Dan Fogelberg’s words come to mind, in song of course:
“The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy
To the leader of the band”
Congratulations on your retirement, Craig! We wish you all the best on your next adventures.
NEW STAFF:
- Amy Boyson, Preschool Paraeducator
- Christina Campbell, Intervention Prevention Specialist
- Kerri Clary, Exceptional Education
- Sasha Colmenero, Exceptional Education
- Sarah Curlin, Administrative Assistant
- Valerie De Fehr, School Psychologist
- Kristin Dungan, Paraeducator
- Katharine Festin, Exceptional Education
- Luke Holtgeerts, Video Productions
- Kim Kirk, Ed Tech TOSA
- Laura Lawyer, Preschool Paraeducator
- Trish Neary, Paraeducator
- Megan Parent, Paraeducator
- Gulzar Rahman, Custodian
- Donny Rose, Band & Choir
- Serhiy Zablotskyy, Night custodian
- Max Zentner, Social Studies and Leadership
DEPARTMENT CHAIRS 2021-22
DEPARTMENT NAME
CTE: KEVIN CRIEZ
COUNSELING: AMY HJELT
ED TECH: KIM KIRK
ENGLISH: SHANNON CASEY
EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION: ERIN FURDA
FINE ARTS: COLLEEN KING
LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST: NICKY COOK-DESLER
MATH: DEREK HAHN
PERFORMING ARTS: KIRSTIN DOUD
PE: ERIC HOFSTEDT
SCIENCE: CARTER MADEN
SOCIAL STUDIES: SHANNON EUBANK
WORLD LANGUAGE: MARY HOOKER / SONYA MORRISON
COUNSELING ASSIGNMENT CHANGE:
We are moving away from the model of having a 9th grade counselor. Students will now be divided by alpha and will remain with their counselor all four years. The new assignments are:
Amy Hjelt, Counselor A - D: amy.hjelt@bellinghamschools.org
Jeff Smith, Counselor E-K: jeffrey.smith@bellinghamschools.org
Hana Schutz, Counselor L-Re: hana.schutz@bellinghamschools.org
John Vandermolen, Counselor Rh - Z: john.vandermolen@bellinghamschools.org
4- A/B SCHEDULE
Outlook- Home- Calendar- Click the box next to Sehome Master Calendar
See graphic below.
5- BELL SCHEDULE
6- COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Our two primary goals for the 2021-22 school year are to maximize in-person instruction by keeping kids in school and to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff and to their families and our broader community. Our best protections are the COVID-19 vaccine and masks. At this time, school employees are not required to have the vaccine, but there does seem to be some momentum to head in that direction.
- Masks are required inside schools regardless of vaccination status. Please wear your mask when you enter the building and when you move throughout the hallways and shared spaces. The only exception is when you are working alone in your classroom.
- Masks are optional outside but recommended for crowded events..
- Physical distance should not be a barrier to in-person instruction. Our goal is to have a distance of 3 feet between students in the classroom.
- We will not be doing health attestations for students or staff. We will focus on educating everyone to stay home when they are sick and to continually monitor themselves for symptoms.
- We are hoping to expand testing access to every school.
- We will continue to do contact tracing. Students with 3 feet or greater distance wearing masks in the classroom are exempt from quarantining. Vaccinated persons are also exempt from having to quarantine.
- We will continue to have our COVID safety teams and the BEA BAT team. If you have questions or want to do a walk-through of your classroom, please reach out. We are happy to meet with you.
- We will continue to focus on handwashing and sanitizing.
- Cleaning and disinfection by custodians at end of the night is sufficient. If you want to clean your desks or have it available for students, you certainly can keep your spray bottle and paper towels. Please do NOT bring any cleaning materials from home.
- If you have not done so already, please provide proof of vaccination to HR.
- There is additional guidance for some subject areas. We will send that out directly to people impacted.
- We have been cleared to have parents, volunteers, and community members come back in schools this year. They will need to wear a mask inside the building. Volunteers will still need to complete the clearance process to work in the school.
- School lunches will be served and available for students and STAFF!!! There are two meal options available, and the salad bar will be back. When possible, eat outside. If eating inside, unvaccinated staff members are to maintain 6 ft distance from others. Fully vaccinated staff members are not required to distance themselves while eating.
To view the full K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for Summer 2021 and the 2021-2022 School Year click here.
6A- VACCINATIONS
As you may have heard from human resources, we are working as quickly as we can to help staff verify their vaccination status to comply with the governor’s directive that all K-12 staff, substitutes, volunteers and contractors be vaccinated against COVID-19.
If you haven’t verified your vaccination status with HR yet, please see Toni Ladner! It’ll only take a few seconds for me to take a quick picture of your CDC vaccination card or a PDF of your vaccination record after registering in the Washington MyIR.
Please know that your health information is confidential and protected, and we will not be sharing any names or lists with anyone in our staff. The district has set up a system for processing this information to ensure confidentiality.
You may also email a photo of your card on your own to bps.immunizationrecords@bellinghamschools.org
7- GRADING POLICY/ SYLLABUS
We are in the process of adopting a district grading policy. We will be reviewing it on Monday, August 30 and working to ensure that all syllabus and grading documents contain language that aligns with this new policy. Please do not print or distribute your syllabus until after we have had a chance to update everything with the language of the new policy.
As the new school year begins the BPS Grading Taskforce would like to give you another preview of the draft 2420 Grading Policy that is in the process of being confirmed. The high school grading practices work in our district is on-going, and we will continue to develop guidance and recommendations.
Please take a moment to review these materials as you return to your practices this August. Give yourself time to reflect on your classroom practices, think about the ways that you can move forward this year, and consider the support you will need to do this work. There will be additional time looking at this policy and procedure on August 30 and 31.
Here is a very short video Previewing the Policy 2024 Work to help you plan as you come back to school.
Memo to Dr. Baker Policy and Procedure 2420 - Update.pdf
Here is a link to many Sample Syllabi for staff to explore. These are working BPS syllabi from 2020 and are samples of how teachers have worked to make the shifts using the Grading Policy 2420 guidance.
8- CHANGE TO SHS OPEN CAMPUS FOR 9th-12th GRADERS
9- TEXTBOOK DISTRIBUTION
10- CAMERAS
Over the spring and summer, contractors installed security cameras inside and outside of several of our schools, including here at Sehome. This project was approved by our community as part of the 2018 school facilities bond. Security cameras will help us maintain the health, welfare and safety of students, staff and visitors, and protect our school’s equipment and beautiful campus.
Cameras are located at key points outside the building for exterior vandalism deterrent and protection, and in some common interior areas such as hallways. Cameras do not record audio, and they will not be installed in classrooms, restrooms or locker rooms or any places where we presume privacy. Recordings will only be available to authorized people. For more information, see policy 6610.
Our district is installing cameras at all of our schools and has prioritized high schools for the first phase. We are excited to see this project coming to our high schools as an important tool in helping keep our school community safe and secure.
11- PARKING
Please do not use the bus loop to park, drop off, or stop to quickly run into the building for something. Please only use appropriate parking spots.
Thank you.
12- VOICEMAIL GREETINGS
If you are new to the building, please contact Toni Ladner to get your voicemail extension and passwords.
Returning Staff: Please test your voicemail to make sure your name is connected with your extension and that your greeting is up to date and accurate. If you don't remember your password, contact HELP (ext. 4357 or Help@bellinghamschools.org) to have them reset your password.
To setup an existing mailbox there are three things that must be changed
1. Name
a. To change the voicemail name login to the voicemail and press 5 for the 'hidden menu'
b. Press 5 again to record your name. Mind you this is just your name, not a greeting.
c. After recording you will be returned to the main menu
2. Password
a. To change the password press 5 for the 'hidden menu'
b. Press 4 and follow the prompts
c. After changing your password you will be returned to the main menu
3. Greetings
a. To change your primary greeting press 3
b. To listen to the primary greeting press 0 or press 1 to change it
c. Follow the prompts, when finished you will be returned to the main menu
Unfortunately, we are not able to serve adult meals at the start of the school year. The food services team continues to work toward a solution so that our staff can buy meals alongside students to eat at work.