Wade King Elementary
April 1, 2022
A Note from our Administrative Team
One of the key strategies of our Bellingham Promise is Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and at Wade King we are focused on this strategy this year. When we think about what's most important within our school community, it is that students and families feel safe and know that they belong as part of an inclusive community. Our student leadership team planned ALL COLORS DAY today, as a way for students and staff to have fun together and help us see ways that we are all similar and different, and yet we all belong. You may want to watch our introduction to ALL COLORS DAY from last week's school meeting to learn more about All Colors Day. When we return from spring break, our schoolwide social-emotional focus will be on inclusion.
We are wishing your family well as spring break begins, and look forward to seeing your children again on Monday, April 11th.
With Gratitude,
Stephanie Johnson, Principal
Stephanie Korn, Administrator
Important Dates in April
4/4-4/8 - NO SCHOOL for Spring Break
4/13 - Exhibition Celebration Video Sent to our School Community
4/14 - PTA Meeting (by ZOOM) at 6:00 pm
4/18 - Chinese Dragon Parade by Mrs. Foote's 5th Grade Students
4/19 - Chinese Dragon Parade by Mrs. Meddick's 5th Grade Students
4/20 - Chinese Dragon Parade by Mr. Cornelsen's 5th Grade Students
4/20 - 5th Grade Growth and Development Unit this week
4/22 - Earth Day
4/24 - PTA Fundraiser: Dine Out @ MOD Pizza
4/29 - Middle School Staff visit WK 5th Graders
5/2-5/6 - Staff Appreciation Week
5/6 - Children's Art Walk (downtown)
5/11- Field Trip: 5th Graders to Kulshan and Fairhaven Middle Schools
5/12 - PTA Meeting (by ZOOM) at 6:00 pm
5/30 - NO SCHOOL for Memorial Day
6/17 - Last Day of School
The Bellingham Schools UPDATED 2021-22 Calendar can be found on the district website.
Free COVID tests available: Keep our community healthy this Spring break and beyond
Testing before returning to school after Spring Break can help our community stay healthy. At-home rapid tests are available to families and staff on a weekly basis. Please stop by our front office to pick up tests.
Testing also continues to be available for staff and students at our schools and the Family Resource Center at Shuksan Middle School each school day from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The testing center will be closed over Spring Break.
Alyssa Johnson, our school nurse, and Jennifer Thornton, our Health Room Assistant, continue to be available to answer any health questions you have. Don't hesitate to connect with them!
Spring After School Programs - LAST CHANCE
There is still room in some of our PTA sponsored after school programs.
You can register, and access scholarships on our Wade King PTA web site or using the links below.
Girls on the Run
April 13-June 8
Wednesday 2:30-4:30pm - Grades 3-5
Register at... https://www.whatcomymca.org/girls-run
Outside Kids Yoga
April 14, 21, 28 & May 5 - Grades 2-5
May 12, 19, 26, & June 2 - Grades K-1
Thursdays 12:45-1:30pm
Register by calling Tammie at 808-778-5817 or emailing tammiewinter@hotmail.com
Peek Into the PYP - the 5th Grade Exhibition - Wednesday, April 13th
Our 5th graders have been working on their Exhibition projects since January. The Exhibition is a culmination of their learning journey through the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. Students have been collaborating in small groups to research a topic with social action implications. Some of this year's topics include ocean pollution, gender equality in sports, animal testing, and voting rights. Exhibition groups had the opportunity to present to other classrooms in the school, and a compilation of all their work will be shared with our whole school community as a video on April 13th.
Next PTA Meeting: April 14th at 6:00 pm
Our next (virtual) PTA meeting will be THURSDAY, APRIL 14th at 6pm on Zoom. The link will be posted on our Wade King PTA Website on the day of the meeting. April meeting topics will include Golden Acorn nominations, Teacher Appreciation Planning, New PTA Board Electees
If you have not yet joined our Wade King PTA, we encourage you to! You can join online. This is a great way to show your support for our school community, even if you aren't able to volunteer.
Dragon Parades - April 18th, 19th, & 20th
Gong Xi!
PTA MOD Pizza Fundraiser - Sunday, April 24th
Yeti School Competition for 4th and 5th Grades.
Our school competitions were beautiful to watch. Students were principled and kind. Sportsmanship was on display. Some students who were used to winning did not, and they took it admirably. The winners were gracious. We're proud of all our YETI Readers!
These winning teams competed in our district YETI competition:
- 4th Grade Team: Stella & Silas Book the Universe with Dustin (Stella, Silas, Dustin)
- 5th Grade Team: The Graphic Pawvels (Mairead, Bailey, Cece, Eli)
Bonus Competition:
The 2nd place 4th and 5th Grade Teams from Wade King competed in a Bonus Competition. Those teams were:
- 4th Grade Team: Go Gryphons (Sam, Cormac, Jessie, Isaiah, and Sophie)
- 5th Grade Team: Book Warriors (Natalie, Maude S.E., Kendall, Evy, Emery)
YAY for YETI!
Kindergarten Registration for Fall - Now Open!
Registration for fall kindergarten has begun in Bellingham Public Schools. All children who will be 5 before September 1, 2022 can be registered for kindergarten. Families can register their child online in Skyward by following the instructions on our kindergarten webpage.
Registering kindergartners as early as you can help us hire staff, balance our classes, connect with families and get our schools ready to welcome our youngest learners. If you have friends or neighbors with future kindergartners, please let them know the registration window is open and ready for them!
All children who are currently enrolled in Promise K will automatically be enrolled in kindergarten for the fall and do not need to re-register.
To find out more about attendance areas, registration and childhood immunization schedules, please visit bellinghamschools.org/kindergarten or contact our elementary schools directly.
Garden Update
Note from Mrs. Wakefield (our School Counselor)
Child Mind Institute is an organization “dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need. We’ve become the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health by providing gold-standard evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year…”
Your family does not need to be navigating a mental health concern or a learning disability to find these articles and strategies helpful. Recently Child Mind offered helpful strategies for managing intense emotions, how to talk to your children about the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and a variety of other helpful topics and resources.
While the best care is talking to professionals in the field if you have concerns about mental health or potential learning disabilities, these articles can offer helpful tips and strategies as you learn about what best supports your student.
As your School Counselor, I am happy to share any resources such as learning videos and books on a variety of topics. Please reach out with any questions, concerns, or wonderings you might have! I am here to support our students and families while we navigate these more unique times as we are developing wonderful, curious, engaging humans!
I want to remind families that I am here to support them any way I can.
Don't ever hesitate to connect with me! I'm here to help!
Jaymie.Wakefield@bellinghamschools.org
school phone - (360) 647-6840 ext. 2413
district cell phone - (360) 746-5319
Good-Bye Salmon
Spring Testing Information Coming Soon!
Imagination Library Comes to Whatcom County
Free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library arrive in Whatcom County
Free books for children aged birth to 5 will soon be available in Whatcom County thanks to the Dolly Parton Foundation and her flagship early childhood reading program called the Imagination Library. United Way of Whatcom County is serving as the local affiliate for Dolly’s world-wide program.
Once a child is registered, a free, age-appropriate book is delivered monthly to them until they are five years old. That’s it. It’s that simple. The books are selected “to provide a variety of inclusive and diverse titles,” according to United Way’s news release. Read the full news release here.
After-School Dinner Program is Free For All Children 18 and Under!
Bellingham Public Schools serves hot dinner at no cost to all children 18 and under. These meals are offered from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday through June 16, 2022. Dinner is served in the Shuksan Middle School cafeteria, located at 2717 Alderwood Avenue (at the corner of Northwest and Alderwood). It does not matter what school you attend in the district.
Accompanying adults are charged $4.75 per meal — please bring cash or check. Please plan to eat onsite in the Shuksan cafeteria.
The daily Monday through Thursday dinner menu is listed on the school menu webpage by day after the lunch listing.
Please note: Dinner will not be served on school holidays or on the following all-school early dismissal days: Feb. 10, March 10 and April 28.
Ways to Help Our PTA Earn Money... that comes right back to supporting our kids!
Link to Amazon Smile
Another way to help our PTA earn money is by linking your Fred Meyers Reward card to Wade King PTA 8.3.37. A percentage of your spending goes right back to our PTA and it does not impact your other rewards.
Safe Schools Reporting and Tip Line
Students, parents or community members who have information, tips, or concerns regarding a safety issue in our schools are encouraged to text or call 844-310-9560 or visit bellinghamschools.org/safe for confidential, anonymous, two-way communication with our safety staff.
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Wade King Elementary School
Email: Stephanie.Johnson@bellinghamschools.org
Website: http://wadeking.bellinghamschools.org/
Location: 2155 Yew Street Road, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 647-6840
Facebook: facebook.com/WadeKingElementary
Twitter: @WadeKingElem