Tiger Tales
Newsletter #6 - September 22, 2023
· Language Access: Español | 简体中文 | Pусский | Tiếng Việt | 한국어 | العربية
Dear Families,
Fall is here, and along with that comes rain and brisk mornings. Please make sure students have a jacket with a hood for the times they are outside during dismissal and outdoor recess. Yesterday, we had our first fire drill of the school year, and our students did a great job showing us what "Be Safe" and "Do Your Best" looked like!
A gentle reminder for all visitors to check into the front office to receive a badge sticker. Please do not linger by the fence area to observe students during recess or wander on the field while school is in session. To ensure student privacy, please make sure that you do not take any pictures or videos of our students at school.
As we turn toward the last week of September, we invite you to our first Pastries with Principals event on Wednesday 9/27 at 8:15am in the Medina library. Ms. Geck, our counselor will be sharing about Care Solace and other Mental Health Resources. Please join us to learn and connect with other families. In the meantime, have a restful weekend!
Warmly,
Betty and Kati
Upcoming Events
September 27 - Pastries with Principals, Library, 8:15-9:30am
October 4 - Volunteer Training, Library, 8:15-9:00
October 6 - School Picture Day
October 13 - No school for students, Professional Development Day for teachers
October 14 - BSF Block Party, Bellevue Downtown Park, 11am-4pm
November 10 - No school, Veteran's Day
November 20, 21, 29 - Elementary Conference Days, early release for students
November 23, 24 - No school, Thanksgiving
December 20 - January 1 - No school, winter break
Monthly Acknowledgement: National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
- September 15, 2023 (sundown) – September 17, 2023 – Rosh Hashanah
- Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, kicks off several weeks of Jewish holidays during the fall. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur considered the high holy days for members of the Jewish faith.
- September 16, 2023 – Mexican Independence Day
- Mexican Independence Day recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended Spanish dictatorship.
- September 21, 2023 – International Day of Peace
- Established in 1981 by a United Nations resolution, the International Day of Peace provides a globally shared date for all to contribute to building a culture of peace.
- September 24, 2023 (sundown) – September 25, 2023 – Yom Kippur
- Yom Kippur commemorates the day Moses came down from Mount Sinai. It is the last of the ten days of penitence that began with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).
- September 27, 2023 – Mawlid-al-Nabi
- Mawlid-al-Nabi celebrates the birthday of Mohammad.
- September 29, 2023 (sundown) – October 6, 2023 – Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
- Sukkot commemorates the 40 years the Jewish people spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land after escaping slavery in Egypt
- September 29, 2023 – Mid-Autumn Festival
- The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the largest festivals in Mainland China and East Asia. This festival began as a celebration of the moon and is a time to reconnect with family members.
Arrivals and Dismissals
Please use the sidewalks and crossing zones at all times. Cutting across the parking lot is very unsafe and communicates an unsafe message to the kids. Please help us keep you and your family safe during drop off and pick up.
And...
Please do not drop off students before 7:45am. There is no supervision available before 7:45am. With fall and winter weather, this will be a lot of dark mornings and chilly temperatures!
Curriculum Night Presentation
The Principals' Presentation and slides are now posted on the Medina website. You can access the information here: https://bsd405.org/medina/2023/09/principals-presentation-curriculum-night/. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
COVID Requirements and Protocols for Fall 2023
COVID protocols in schools have not changed since last spring. At this time, BSD does not have unexpired COVID test kits. COVID test can be obtained through primary care or purchased at your local drug store.
This Decision Tree on what to do if someone tests positive or has been exposed to COVID-19 is the latest guidance. This decision tree is based on the WA-DOH Guidance to Prevent and Respond to COVID-19 in K-12 Schools and Child Cares— this document indicates that:
- Students and staff with COVID-like symptoms should wear a mask, go home and get tested.
- Preschoolers are REQUIRED to go home if sick.
- People who test positive for COVID should stay home for at least 5 days (day zero is symptom onset or first positive test, whichever comes first).
We are still asked by King County Public Health to report positive COVID cases to the COVID Dashboard: http://webapp1/covidreporting/.
For employees who test positive for COVID, the Department of Labor and Industry still requires the employee stay at home and away from work for 5 days after their positive test. They can return on day 6 if:
- No fever in the previous 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications
- Symptoms are improving
- They should wear a mask on days 6-10. No further testing is required after the initial positive test.
- Please consult with your school nurse if you have any further questions about stay home guidelines.
Contacting Your Student during the School Day
If you have any changes to their afterschool transportation, please let the front office and teacher know as soon as possible and by the morning of that day (9am) at the latest so we can send the message to the student and teacher. It gets incredibly busy during the day and especially around dismissal time.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Resources for the BSD Community
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a great time to share what BSD is doing to prevent suicide in our community. Families are encouraged to learn about the Signs of Suicide curriculum, the district’s mental health resources, Care Solace, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
We all have a role in preventing suicide in our community. You don’t have to have any special training to ACT to prevent suicide:
- ACKNOWLEDGE warning signs of depression or suicide,
- Show the person you CARE, and
- Tell a trusted adult or professional.
Learn more and access additional resources on the BSD website.
2023-2024 Youth Link Open House
Students interested in youth leadership or community service opportunities may wish to attend the 2023-2024 Bellevue Youth Link program open house. The open house will take place at Bellevue City Hall on Thursday, September 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Contact youthink@bellevuewa.govfor more information.
In Case You Missed It...
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
Disability Discrimination:
Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Heather Edlund, (425) 456-4156 or edlundh@bsd405.org
Mailing address for all three: 12111 NE 1st Street, Bellevue, WA 98005.