Geneva Family Gnome News
June 2021
A note from the principal...
Hello Grown Gnomes!
As we near the final stretch of the 2020-21 school year, I want to acknowledge and thank you for your partnership this year. Teachers have shared that they have never felt as connected to families as they have this year. Several have commented that there is a sense of sadness as we head to summer because such special attachments to students and families were grown this year, and they will miss you!
The year isn't over yet! We have a few fun things planned for students during next two weeks that follow COVID protocols. One surprise on June 11th will be recorded with a drone! We will be sure to share videos and photos on the Geneva website the last week of school.
Teachers across the school recently provided students a chance to reflect and think about what they learned, "The Year We Stayed Gnome." I've included a few below. My personal favorite, "I learned that being a good sister makes you a good person."
For our families with a fifth grader, you will see details of our plans for celebrating the promotion to middle school.
If there is anything we can do to support your child or your family with school or with needs that have arisen through the pandemic, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Warmly,
Sharece Steinkamp
Upcoming Events
Upcoming...
June 11th- Schoolwide Community Builder (photos and videos will be posted to the Geneva website the last week of school)
June 17th- 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony hosted by Geneva PTA
June 18th - Last day of school
The Year We Stayed "Gnome"
Returning school technology
We will be returning and inventorying devices on June 14th, the Monday of the last week of school. We will NOT have a synchronous Morning Meeting on June 16th.
Please be ready for your student(s) to return the following. If these items have not been seen in a while, we appreciate you making every effort to find them before the summer! If you are not able to find them, please let our librarian, Nancy Hudson know as soon as possible so that we can problem-solve with you before the last week of school.
· Device (HP Probook Laptop)
· Charging cord
· Stylus/pen (if applicable)
· Case (if applicable)
· Verizon Wifi Hotspot (if applicable)
Over the summer, our educational technology staff need time to inventory, update, clean and repair more than 9,000 devices, as needed, so our devices are ready for the first days of school in the fall.
We did not collect devices over summer 2020 due to the challenges posed by COVID-19. So it’s even more important to resume this routine now so our devices continue to work well and each student has the technology tools they need to engage at school next year and beyond.
Thank you for helping us take care of this community investment in 1:1 technology for learning. Through our community’s support of our 2016 technology levy, we were able to shift our mode of instruction this past year with an increased focus on technology as the portal to connecting and learning with our students.
If your student is participating in a summer program, they will check out an updated device when the program starts.
During the school year our staff supports students in making safe tech choices, guided by our Healthy Technology Promise, and the summer provides an opportunity to take a break from screens for learning. Our Technology Resources for Families webpage is a great resource for families wanting to support their own family's healthy use of technology, supplementing the lessons your students receive at school.
A Message from the Department of Teaching and Learning
Dear families,
We anticipate that our neighborhood schools will start the 2021-22 school year with in-person learning and strong safety protocols in place, and we expect that most families will return to our more typical in-person school. However, we do have two programs that are available for families that we want to make sure you are aware of, and invite you to learn more:
- Bellingham Virtual Learning (BVL) (K-12) is our fully online and asynchronous program.
- Bellingham Family Partnership Program (BFPP), (grades K-8) is our partnership with families who provide home-based instruction to their children.
If you are interested in either BVL or BFPP for next fall, or would like some more information, please fill out this form to show your interest. This will help our district plan for staffing and program needs. Thanks in advance for helping us with our planning!
News from the Garden
Hello Geneva families! We have been busy planting carrots, sunflowers, kale, and peas. You can find our gardening and cooking resources on our website, by signing up for our newsletter, or by following us on Facebook or Instagram @CommonThreadsFarm.
We are in need of summer garden volunteers for the upcoming months! Currently, we only have one garden volunteer signed up to harvest and water over the summer. This is a fun volunteer activity you can do with the whole family. If you are interested please go to this link, and find the Geneva tab to sign up. Our team looks forward to hearing from you and seeing you this Summer!
--
Tessa Bolon (she/her, they/them)
Food Educator
Common Threads Farm
360-927-1590
What's for lunch?
Kindergarten registration is open for Fall 2021
Registration for kindergarten has begun in Bellingham Public Schools. All children who will be 5 before Sept. 1, 2021 can be registered for kindergarten. Families can register their kindergartner online through the link on our kindergarten webpage. Registering now helps us hire staff, balance our classes, connect with families and ready our schools to welcome our kindergartners.
All children who are currently enrolled in Promise K or our Developmental Preschool will automatically be enrolled in kindergarten for the fall and do not need to re-register.
We plan to start in-person learning at every elementary school this fall with strong safety protocols in place. We will be ready to support our early learners and welcome the class of 2034 to our schools.
Kindergarten open house videos and virtual tours will be posted on school websites and sent to registered kindergarten families in May.
To find out more about attendance areas, registration and childhood immunization schedules, please visit bellinghamschools.org/kindergarten or contact our elementary schools directly. And thanks in advance for letting a friend or neighbor with a future kindergartner know the registration window is open and ready for them!
Attention 5th Grade Families- Save the Date
Please join us on Thursday, June 17th as we celebrate your child's promotion to middle school.
Don't forget to bring your camera!
Do you like to plan ahead? Calendars and important dates for the next two school years!
Key Dates for 2021-22 school year
Sept. 1, 2021: First day of school
Sept. 6, 2021: No school/holiday
Nov. 11, 2021: No school/holiday
Nov. 25-26, 2021: No school/holiday
Dec. 20-31, 2021: No school/holiday (winter break)
Jan. 17, 2022: No school/holiday
Jan. 31, 2022: No school/semester break
Feb. 21, 2022: No school/holiday
April 4-8, 2022: No school/holiday (spring break)
May 30, 2022: No school/holiday
June 17, 2022: Tentative last day (school year may get extended based on snow/closures)
Key Dates for 2022-23 school year
Aug. 30, 2022: First day of school
Sept. 5, 2022: No school/holiday
Nov. 11, 2022: No school/holiday
Nov. 24-25, 2022: No school/holiday
Dec. 19, 2022- Jan. 2, 2023: No school/holiday (winter break)
Jan. 16, 2023: No school/holiday
Jan. 30, 2023: No school/semester break
Feb. 20, 2023: No school/holiday
April 3-7, 2023: No school/holiday (spring break)
May 29, 2023: No school/holiday
June 16, 2023: Tentative last day (school year may get extended based on snow/closures)