The Cougar Pounce
staying connected @ShuksanMS
Announcements :: Week of February 8
Wednesday, 2/10. BPL Book Group.
Wednesday, 2/10. 4-5:30pm. Food Box and Book Pick Up.
Monday, 2/15. No School/ Holiday
Thursday, 2/18. Grade 6 start hybrid schedule.
Thursday, 2/25. Grade 7 start hybrid schedule.
Thursday, 3/4. Grade 8 start hybrid schedule.
Amazing Musicians @Shuksan
February 7, 2021
Shuksan Families,
We hope the new schedule worked for you and your family. Over the first two days, I know many of our teachers were encouraged by increased student engagement. It may take a few days for students to build up the stamina for longer classes. 🙂 We're excited for the learning that can take place in these longer class periods.
To honor Black History Month, students and teachers will learn together in the "Black Lives Matter School Week of Action." Homeroom classes will be engage in topics like these: Justice, Black Identity, LGBTQ+ Identity, Intergenerational Movements and Black Women. Students are also invited to pursue social justice actions with our BEATs staff in after-school discussions and debrief sessions.
As a staff, we are committed to making changes "so we can better support the academic, social and emotional well-being of our students of color" (link). We want to be global citizens in a diverse society who can engage in discourse on current events and history. We want this for our students, too.
Sincerely,
Matt Whitten
SMS Principal
This Just In -- Hybrid Schedule to Begin on Feb 18
As you may have read from Dr. Baker’s recent message, we plan to bring our middle school students back for in-person learning beginning on February 18th. We are excited to have our students back at school.
Middle School students will attend school in a hybrid model, which means that they will be learning both in-person and remotely. Teachers will deliver whole group instruction via Zoom to all students (both in-person and remote students). Teachers will be checking in with both in-person and remote students during practice time. Students at school will have an assigned seat and will be required to follow COVID safety protocols that include wearing a mask, washing hands, using hand sanitizer, physical distancing from others. Each student will receive training on our school safety protocols during homeroom before the first day of in person learning.
We also realize that some families may not be ready for the in-person return to school. You may choose to remain in remote learning. When students do return in a hybrid learning model, they return to campus for in-person learning 2 days per week.
We want to ask you about your plans for returning to school or staying in remote learning.
To give us an idea of your plans for your middle school student please complete this brief online form, which also gives you the opportunity to request a phone call from us.
An example of how we will create two cohorts for our hybrid model:
- If you last name starts with letters A-L, your students are on campus Mondays and Tuesdays (A Cohort). Our Wednesday schedule stays the same (Homeroom only, asynchronous learning). On Thursdays and Fridays, your students continue remote live learning from home.
- If you last name starts with letters M-Z, your students are on campus Thursdays and Fridays (B Cohort). Our Wednesday schedule stays the same (Homeroom only, asynchronous learning). On Mondays and Tuesdays, your students continue remote learning from home.
Schedule for starting in person learning:
- Our first day of school for 6th grade is planned for February 18 for our B cohort and February 22 for our A cohort.
- Our first day of school for 7th grade is planned for February 25 for our B cohort and February March 1 for our A cohort.
- Our first day of school for 8th grade is planned for March 4 for our B cohort and March 8 for our A cohort.
Please stay tuned -- Q & A Zoom Meetings with Administrators Coming Soon
Thank you, Shuksan artists, for sharing your beautiful work!
Public Library *Virtual* Book Group
For all those readers who love stories, even when they don’t get around to reading them!
Jennifer Lovchik, Bellingham Public Teen Librarian, hosts monthly Zoom clubs.
They occur the second Wednesday of every month until May 2021. This year, we will talk about “Quarantine Reading.”
Zoom link
Wednesday, Feb 10, 2021, 01:00 PM
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Book PIck Up
Libby
@theLibrary Website
Bellingham Community Meals began on Saturday, January 30th.
- These free meals are the last Saturday of each month from January through October.
- Due to Covid restrictions they are serving only To Go Meals from 12:30-2:30.
- Meals served at Assumption Gym, 2116 Cornwall Ave.
Ms. Cowan, Counselor
Ms. Besson, Counselor
SMS Counseling Team
Ms. Besson and Ms. Cowan are excited to connect with you and to support families and students in a variety of ways.
- Questions: schedule, community resources, or just want to chat, please contact Ms. Besson at (360) 746-4132 and Ms. Cowan at (360) 303-2818.
- Zoom counseling with students! Let us or your Homeroom Teacher know you'd like to do weekly check ins.
- Counseling referrals for Compass Counseling. Please contact us and we will walk you through a referral packet to get counseling started.
Emails:
Shuksan Middle School
Vice-Principal, Allison Chryst (Hancock)
Dean of Students, Nichole Lockhart
Email: matthew.whitten@bellinghamschools.org
Website: https://shuksan.bellinghamschools.org/
Location: 2717 Alderwood Avenue, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 676-6454
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shuksanmiddleschool/