Raider Record
December 13, 2019
Reaching Higher: Discipline Changes for 2019-20
New discipline changes for 2019-20 are related partly to two core beliefs we share as a school district through the Bellingham Promise. They are: (1) every child can learn at a high level and (2) teaching children to do their best involves self-reflection and reaching higher. After 40 years of excluding students from class by using short and long-term suspensions as corrective action strategies, the data show us that this practice has very little impact in changing behavior, but has a significant impact on student academic growth. Our state legislature has therefore created new ‘RCWs’ that encourage public schools to re-think disciplinary policy and procedures.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has the responsibility and authority from the state legislature to write and adopt rules on student discipline. OSPI now requires schools to attempt one or more forms of discipline to support students meeting behavioral expectations before administering a suspension. Understanding school and student safety are paramount, we strive to avoid excluding students from class for more than a brief period. The practice has encouraged us to focus more on restorative practices and positive interventions.
At Bellingham HS, we truly believe every child can learn at a high level. This belief, coupled with our renewed discipline measures, give us the confidence that our students can reflect on their behavior to reach higher within themselves toward healthy decisions! The Bellingham Promise continues to be our guide in the schools each day as we strive to empower our children to achieve a fulfilling and productive life.
Yours,
Joseph Doucette, Asst. Principal
Weekly Bulletin
Fall Sports - Even More BHS Athletes earn All-Conference Honors
Football:
First Team All-NWC:
- An’dre Triplett, Wide Receiver
- An’dre Triplett, Defensive Secondary
- Chris Oesterling, Defensive Line
Soccer:
Second Team All-NWC:
- Hannah Hodge, Defender
- Kaelyn Devaney, Forward
Bellinghome Battle Bake Sale!
The bleachers will be filled to the rafters at next Friday night’s annual Bellinghome Battle! Help the Red Raider PTSA raise money and show your Red Raider Pride by baking for the Battle Bake Sale.
Prevention/Intervention Update
Our Prevention/Intervention specialist Jeff McKenna is currently on medical leave. We wish him a speedy recovery! In the interim, we are so grateful for assistance from his colleagues from SHS and SQHS. Below is a message from these two individuals:
Greetings from your substitute Prevention Intervention Specialists, Meghan Lever (regularly at SHS) and Kathie Peterson (regularly at SQHS). We will be expanding our horizons to get to know our Raider family while Jeff McKenna is out of the office. Our current plan is to each be here one day a week to get to know what kind of support BHS would benefit from and address the needs of the students as it relates to healthy lifestyle and behavior choices. Please keep us in mind as resources for students, staff and families and let us know in what ways we can be a part of the Raider community.
Location: Jeff McKenna’s office
Thursdays – Kathie Peterson
Kathleen.peterson@bellinghamschools.org
Fridays – Meghan Lever
Home for the Holidays
We are encouraging students to attend Home for the Holidays on Wednesday, December 18 at 9:55 am (Raideraide) in the PAC.
Last year's graduates are coming back to BHS and will be discussing their experiences in college and work. Students can get their questions answered and find out what college and work are really like.
Catch-up with old friends and figure out your own post high school plans. Sign up in the Career Center to attend!
Tech TidbiT: Sleep and Cell Phones--A note from your Educational Technology Coach at BHS
I had the honor of teaching 2 Digital Citizenship lessons to every Technical Literacy class during Semester 1. That means I had the opportunity to meet and interact with every freshman that attends BHS on two separate occasions. I learned a lot.
You can find many studies that link Cell Phone use to Less Sleep (go ahead, Google it!). It is always interesting to be confronted with data in the media or the web and wonder whether or not it is relevant to our particular students. In every class that I interacted with, which was nearly all freshman at BHS, much more than half of the students recognized that their cell phones interrupted their sleep. It was the same students whom volunteered this information that also volunteered they slept with their Cell Phones in their rooms. In other words, the majority of our Freshman realize that their cell phones keep them up longer at night.
Moral of the story: (I'm sure I don't need to provide this for you, but since you read this far…) If the problem of teenagers getting enough sleep is important enough to justify changing the whole school district's daily schedule to allow later start times at High School, and we are able to do another action to improve it, should we? Consider challenging your teenager to keep their phone outside of their sleeping area and take note of any changes that occur with their alertness and well being.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring students with us at school, it is truly an honor to work with their creative and unique minds!
Joe Balsiger
Bellingham High School - Educational Technology Coach
November Top 10 Titles @ the BHS Library
Coming soon: Top Titles of 2019 and Top Titles of the Decade 2010-2019.
Bellingham High School
Email: megan.atkins-voth@bellinghamschools.org
Website: https://bellingham.bellinghamschools.org/
Location: 2020 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 676-6470
Facebook: facebook.com/bellinghamhs