Kulshan Connect

In our Kulshan Community, we are courageous, kind, and committed!

Si desea esta información en español llame al 360-676-6456.

Attendance email

Tech Support Request

Bellingham Schools Instagram

Weekly Announcement Video

Land Acknowledgement

Nov. 4 Winter Coat Drive

We invite all families to drop off any coats you wish to donate on Wednesday, November 4. We will station a large bin near the front doors of KMS at the Bus Loop. Please donate any coats that we can reuse in the community. This coat drive is being organized by local Girl Scout Troop 45080, which includes Kulshan students. Thank you for your kindness and care for our community during this time.

Free Student Leadership Conference!

On October 30 (4:00-5:30) and October 31 (9:00-11:30), you are invited to participate in a Student Leadership Conference, put on by the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL). This is optional, but we encourage you to attend if you are interested in student leadership. And it's free! You don't have to attend the whole thing; you are welcome to pick and chose based on your interest and schedule. Click here for the link. All student sessions will stream on YouTube. There are both live sessions and on-demand sessions, as well as a FlipGrid for sharing ideas. Take advantage of them and find something that looks interesting to you.

November MAP Testing

We will be MAP testing our students in Reading (Nov. 3-4) and Math (Nov. 17-18). Homeroom teachers will provide students with directions on how to take the assessment while at home and let you know what assistance they may need. MAP is an adaptive test, meaning the questions get easier or harder as each student progresses through the test. Students will see many questions they may not know how to answer – they should just make their best attempt and move on. Families can learn more about MAP from the child’s teacher and from MAP’s Family Toolkit website.

Kulshan Wins Membership Award!

We recently won a national Platnium Award for increasing our membership more than 20%. We have grown from 28 to 70 members! We would love to have 100% of our KMS families join our PTSA! Our PTSA group is a really fun community of people who are dedicated to supporting our students and supporting each other as middle school parents. Here is our PTSA website. And you can become PTSA member here! Membership rates are low and on a sliding scale. Meetings will be held once per month (normally about 1 hour) via Zoom. You can also follow Kulshan PTSA on Instagram by clicking this link. Do you have questions about our KMS PTSA? Email us here. Thank you!

Next Pick Up Date: Wednesday, Nov 4

Did you know meal boxes are currently free for all children 0-18? We are currently reimbursed for all meals, so we encourage all families to go to any location and pick up their weekly meals. You will be delighted and surprised by our made-from-scratch items. Pick up from 4:00 - 5:30 PM at these school sites: Alderwood, Birchwood, Carl Cozier, Cordata, Geneva, Happy Valley, Northern Heights, Roosevelt, Wade King, Fairhaven, Kulshan, Shuksan, Whatcom, Bellingham, Sehome. And these community sites: Sterling Meadows, Eliza Court, Villa Santa Fe, Evergreen Ridge Apartments, Regency Park, Sudden Valley Community Center. if you think you might qualify for free or reduced lunch, please complete this form by December 1, 2020. Paper forms are also available at the distribution sites.

Land Acknowledgement

We want to acknowledge that the Lhaq'temish (Lummi) Nation and the Nuxwsa'7aq (Nooksack) tribes are located in the heart of Whatcom County. Accordingly, we take this opportunity to recognize that we live, work and learn within the original homelands of the Coast Salish peoples and that their language names many of our schools here, including Kulshan (Kwelshan). We acknowledge that the Coast Salish peoples have lived and nurtured these lands since time immemorial and we recognize that we are here because of the sacrifice forced upon them. In recognizing these tribal communities, we honor and seek to raise up and center their legacy, their lives, their descendants, and their living culture.

LGBTQ Support for Families and Youth

Dear Families - Did you know that we have many local and online supports to help you with your LGBTQ+ or questioning student? Middle school is a time of growth and many students in middle school are figuring out who they are. These resources are just a few to help along the journey. Please feel free to reach out to our KMS counselors if you have any questions or need more support Aaron Tiger (cell 360-739-3991) or Jen Newbauer (cell 360-739-4138). Here is a list of local and online supports.

How to Join a Club

We all know that Kulshan Clubs are one of the best things about middle school! Our clubs will be starting up the week of October 19 but you can join anytime. Here is a list of all of our clubs. Click on this Club Form to view the club options and sign up. And YES - you can sign up for more than one. If you check that you are interested in any clubs, our facilitators will reach out to you with more information. Clubs are free and they are all optional.

How to Start a Club

Are you interested in starting a club? If you have a great idea and you think others will want to join your club, please email Mr. Terpstra, Mr. Tiger, or Ms. Newbauer. We will work with you to see if your club idea can become a reality. Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about KMS Clubs.

Weekly Announcement Videos

Did you know that we show a weekly announcement video in Homeroom? Well, we do! If you would like to watch these videos, click here. This is just one more way that we are trying to stay connected to you and your student. We miss you!

Free Cooking Classes

New cooking classes every week on Zoom! For example, Bumblebee Salad on Thursday, Nov 12! Classes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-5:00 PM - just in time for you to enjoy what your kids made at dinner! Sign up to secure your spot in one or more of the classes. You will see additional classes are added to the website each week.

Power Outage?

If there is a power outage, our staff will help your student catch up. Please notify Jeneen Durand, our Attendance Secretary by calling 360-647-6877 or emailing kms.attendance@bellinghamschools.org . If a teacher loses connection during a class, students should stay on the class for a few minutes while the teacher logs back in. Then check students’ email and MS Teams for instructions from the teacher. More information can be found here on our KMS website.

Are you in need of family support?

If you are in need of services or help with domestic abuse or sexual assault the local agency DVSAS (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services) is able to help. Here is a link that helps to explain their role and provides contact information. You can also call our KMS Counselors Aaron Tiger 360-739-3991 or Jen Newbauer cell 360-739-4138.

KMS Attendance

Is your child going to miss a class or a full day? Please email our Kulshan Attendance Secretary, Jeneen Durand, at: kmsattendance@bellinghamschools.org or call us at (360) 647-6877.

KMS Library Book Checkout

Students can use this link to look at the online catalog. If you see something you want that is unavailable, you can log into Destiny and place a hold (same login as for your laptop). To request books, use this form. Mr. Shaffer and Ms. Stephanie will get your books ready for pickup. Books will be available to be picked up during Food Pick Ups: 4:00 - 5:30 PM.

In November:

Wednesday November 4
Tuesday, November 10
Tuesday, November 17
Tuesday, November 24

Please enter your requests the day before. Requests received after that may not be ready for next-day pickup (but we'll do our best). As always, email Mr. Shaffer for book recommendations, or any other questions!

Register to vote

With a Washington state driver’s license or state identification card, it is quick and simple at VoteWA.gov. VoteWA allows you to register to vote, update your voter registration, view voters’ guides, check the status of your voter registration. If you prefer to register by mail, download one here and mail it to the county elections office at: Whatcom County Elections, P.O. Box 398, Bellingham, WA 98227-0398. The deadlines for registration: online by Oct. 26, by mail / received by Oct. 26, or in person by Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Next PTSA meeting: Tuesday, Nov 10

We are so sorry! We had some technology kinks at our September PTSA meeting. We are working on this and things should be much smoother for our November PTSA meeting. Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30 PM. We will email the correct Zoom link to all KMS parents on the day of the meeting. And remember, you don't have to be a member to come to our meetings! See you there! Si necesita un intérprete para esta reunión, llame al 360-676-6456 para programarla.

Do you need Tech Support?

If students are unable to see the Zoom invites in their MS Teams or Outlook, here are some ways you can get your questions answered:

take a look at this 2 minute video. The video is also available here in Spanish.
check out these frequently asked Zoom questions
call Kulshan at 360-676-4886
fill out this Tech Support form

KMS Counselor Corner

Please feel free to reach out with any student or family specific needs and we will see how we can help. As always, our goal is to support the social and emotional needs of all our students. Take care and see you soon!

Aaron Tiger - Counselor (cell 360-739-3991)

Jen Newbauer - Counselor (cell 360-739-4138)

Viry Ferreira - KMS Registrar

Kulshan Garden

Thank you to all those who have helped put school gardens to bed for the winter! We couldn't have done it without you. And now the gardens take a well-deserved break until the growing season begins again. If you're feeling hearty, we'll continue to have garden volunteering opportunities from time to time over the winter months. If you're not already on our volunteer list but want to hear about these opportunities as they come up, please sign up here.

Bellingham Food Bank Schedule

Tuesdays: Shuksan Middle School from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Wednesdays: Christ the King on Meridian from 3:00-6:00 p.m.

(NEW!) Thursdays: Bellingham High School from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Check out the Bellingham Food Bank to learn more or to make a donation.

District Resources Website

Do you still have a question that has not been answered via this newsletter or email? The Bellingham Public School website now has a (click here) one-stop resources page. On this website, you can submit a question about childcare, meals, learning resources, technology resources, mental health, and more. We are here for you.

We Miss You and We Love You!

One more time - we just want you to know we miss you and we would love to hear from you. Though schools are closed, please know that you can email any of your teachers, our administration, or our counselors. We especially would love to see photos of you, your family, your pets, your hobbies, and your outdoor activities. Stay safe and stay healthy!