Tiger Tales
Newsletter #14 - November 21, 2022
Dear Medina Families and Community,
Thank you for Wednesday's Thanksgiving inspired meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, ribs, and so much more deliciousness. We are grateful for everyone who cooked, set up, bought, cleaned, and organized the lunch for staff! On Tuesday in the afternoon, we conducted a lockdown drill with all of our classes where teachers assessed and discussed with students the options of running, hiding, or fighting. Please let us know if your child needs to talk and process the drill with us or with the counselor.
While it's a short week at school, we know all of our schedules intensify with the official start of the holiday season this coming weekend. Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, we wish you many opportunities to connect with your loved ones and build lasting memories. For those indulging in Thanksgiving feasts, the key is to pace yourself and of course, wear elastic waist bands.
Have a safe and warm long weekend ahead.
With gratitude for you and your children,
Kati & Betty
Important Events
November 24 - 25: Thanksgiving - No School
November 28: Pastries with Principals, 8:10-9:10 in Room 155
December 5-9th: Scholastic Book Fair
December 7: Book Fair Family Night & Reflections Art Show, 5pm
December 8: School Photo Retake Day
December 19 - January 2: Winter break - No School
January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
January 30: No School
Februrary 20 - 24: Mid-winter break - No School
Follow up from PTA General Membership Meeting
It was another great opportunity to connect and share updates from the Principal Office to our PTA members during the meeting on Wednesday. We also learned of all the fantastic events and activities that are available and in the works for students. Thank you for your hard work to enrich the learning for all of our students!
Here are some points from the Principal Overview:
General School Assistants
With some changes due to personal staff decisions, we currently have 4 GSAs with 1 new member starting on December 5th. We have been and continue to work diligently to hire our remaining GSA and will update the community once new staff members join us.
Class Sizes & Funding
Funding to each school is allocated centrally and based on student enrollment. If you have questions on how school and district funding works, please contact Melissa deVita, Deputy Superintendent of Finance and Operations (devitam@bsd405.org). The district conducted a BSD Demographic and Enrollment study recently which addresses enrollment and demographic trends in our community, along with what to expect in the years to come. The results of this study will be shared through BSD News & Events this week.
Listening Circles Feedback
Thank you to the families who participated in our two Listening Circles so far. Main themes we heard include sharing strategies to support our children with their social emotional needs at home, building community among our students and families in different academic programs, and creating a buddy system to support families new to Medina or the district. We plan to have a third and final one around January. Based on the survey feedback, it seems that families prefer in person during the day option. If you are looking forward to this next opportunity, but the time does not work for you, please let us know!
Pastries with Principals
We are looking forward to connecting with families in person on November 28th for our first session! Based on input from family surveys and listening circles, we will be discussing different ways to communicate with our children at home and helping them to address and respond to their social emotional needs.
Community News
Rainier Athletes Seeking Adult Volunteer Mentors
For the past ten years, Rainier Athletes has been a partner of the Bellevue School District. The mission of the organization has remained steadfast: use athletics and mentorship to direct students towards a path of achievement and close opportunity gaps.
A student participant in Rainier Athletes is paired with a dedicated mentor and fully sponsored year-round to participate in sports, extracurriculars and summer camps. Mentors build relationships with the student and foster an authentic connection with the student’s family and community to holistically support and motivate students to achieve their greatest potential.
Rainier Athletes is in search of caring adults to be connectors that bring together a community of support for students in our district. Learn how you can apply to volunteer as Rainier Athlete’s mentor.
Student and Community Engagement Sessions for Proposed CEO Program
The Bellevue School District (BSD), in partnership with the Bellevue Police Department (BPD), is reforming its School Resource Officer Program to address laws passed by the Washington State Legislature and to respond to a need for shared values and purpose, as expressed by our learning community. The proposed new program, the Community Engagement Officer (CEO) Program, is a community-based response to the need to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for our students. The partnership between BSD and BPD reaffirms the agreed commitment to build relationships with youth, staff members, and the community to reinforce collaborative problem solving and promote a safe and inclusive learning community.
Families are invited to attend a community engagement event to share their feedback and help inform the implementation of the program.
In-person sessions will take place on the following dates:
Highland Middle School – Tuesday, November 29, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Newport High School – Monday, December 5, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Bellevue High School – Wednesday, December 7, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
High School students are invited to attend a session at their school to hear about the planned changes and to offer input into the proposed CEO program. Representatives from both the Bellevue School District and the Bellevue Police Department will be present. Students can use this online form to submit a question, concern or idea prior to the event at their school.
In-person sessions will take place at each comprehensive BSD high school on the following dates:
Newport High School - November 15, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Sammamish High School - November 22, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Interlake High School - November 28, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Bellevue High School - December 7, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Visit the Community Engagement Officer Program webpage to learn more about the history of the program and its proposed changes, and to review frequently asked questions.
Complete the Community Engagement Officer Program survey to submit a question, concern or idea and we’ll try to address it at the event. Complete the survey in another language:
· 社区衔接员项目
· 社區參與官員計劃
· Programa de Oficiales de Participación Comunitaria
· Chương Trình Cán Bộ Gắn Kết Cộng Đồng
Cold Weather Resources and Holiday Supports
As the cold weather sets in, please be aware of resources made available by the King County Regional Housing Authority KCRHA. Anyone experiencing homelessness or needing housing support can reach out to any of these cold weather shelter resources.
East King County Shelters & Day Centers: KCRHA WEBSITE
Here are meal resources:
Thanksgiving Community Support:
Eastridge Church 24205 SE Issaquah-Fall City Rd. Issaquah, WA, 98029
Limited quantity of free turkey & groceries Saturday 11/19 @ 9:00AM (first come, first served).
Un apoyo comunitario más para el Día de Acción de Gracias:
La iglesia de Eastridge obsequia pavo y comestibles gratis el sábado 19/11 a 9:00AM Se le sirve en orden de llegada. 24205 SE Issaquah-Fall City Rd. Issaquah, WA, 98029