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

Free Student Masks Available at KMS

To celebrate our districtwide Spirit Week and build our community support, we are distributing our Kulshan Thunderbird student masks this week! This will be the perfect accessory for your student to wear on Friday – our School Spirit Day! If your student would like a free KMS Thunderbird face mask, our pick-up times are as follows:

Tuesday, December 8 from 1:00-4:00 PM

Wednesday. December 9 from 4:00-5:30 PM (during our Food Distribution time)

Each Kulshan student will receive one student mask with the Kulshan logo on the front. Parents can pick up a mask for their student or students can come on their own – walking, biking, or WTA bussing is encouraged. Please follow all COVID safety procedures: wear a mask, keep 6 feet distance from others, and wash/ sanitize your hands before you arrive. If you have any COVID symptoms, please ask a friend to pick up your mask for you.

Dec 4-8: Back by Popular Demand

The Kulshan “Friends” inspired t-shirts and sweatshirts are back! We are open to orders for a very short period of time. The order link will be open from Friday, December 4 until midnight on the December 8. We also have a trucker hat that we are adding to our gear lineup, just in time for gift giving. Please reach out to Jen Newbauer if you have any questions about gear. Here is the link for the intouch receipting where you can access the ordering site.

Dec 7-11: Districtwide Spirit Week!

Our student leaders have combined forces across our school district to create a DISTRICT-wide Spirit Week December 7-11. This week will include dress up days, Zoom backgrounds, outdoor activities, and photo submissions. One of the benefits of a districtwide Spirit Week is that younger siblings in elementary school can dress up on the same days as their middle and high school siblings. SO MUCH FUN! Scroll down to see more detail for each day!

Monday, December 7th: Pacific Northwest Dress-Up Day

Wear: Flannel, sandals with socks, hiking backpacks, rain jackets, etc.

Challenge! Get Back to Nature: Head outside into the breathtaking Pacific Northwest we call our home and snap a picture of what you’re up to! Anything from going on a walk, practicing a sport, or maybe even hugging a tree. Show your appreciation for the beautiful place we live and call home.

Tuesday, December 8th: Inside Out Day

Wear: Your clothes inside out, hat backwards, etc.

Challenge! Be a Helper: Either show some support at home (inside) by offering to help with meals (take a picture of you making dinner!) or helping with chores. Or, you could consider getting food to go (outside) from your favorite local restaurant, or support any local business! Make sure to share those pictures of support!

Wednesday, Dec 9: Cozy Sweater Day

Wear: Comfy and warm sweaters or sweatshirts, ugly sweaters, fuzzy slippers, or any other cozy clothing.

Challenge! Give to Others: While you’re deciding how you stay comfy and cozy at home, see if you or your family has any clothing (hats, gloves, coats, etc.) that could be donated (any time this week) to people in need in our community before the Winter. Some possibilities are: Goodwill, Lighthouse Mission, Value Village, Northwest Youth Services, etc.

Thursday, December 10: Throwback or Future

Wear: Throwback to Elementary Colors/Logo or wear your Future High School Colors!

Challenge! Say Thanks: While thinking about the past, send an email, note, picture or letter to a teacher, coach, mentor, friend, or family member from your past who meant a lot to you! Show your appreciation for the people who helped make you who you are today (and who you will become in the future)!

Friday, Dec 11: Kulshan Spirit Day!

Wear: Your School Colors/Logo/Gear

Challenge! Give a Shout Out: Share what’s great about your school. In the SPIRIT of school spirit, share a memory, tell a story, or send a picture of you participating in a favorite school club, sport, or activity. Show some love for your school!

KMS Holiday Gift Drive

It’s time for our annual Kulshan Giving Drive! This year, to ensure less contact, we are asking for donations of gift cards and treats. All gift cards and treats can be dropped off at the front office at Kulshan during school hours: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the front office on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday, Friday, or during meal pick up times at Kulshan from 4:00-5:30 PM. With these donations we will put together gift baskets for families who have reached out to us. It’s been a tough year so or giving drive is more important than ever. If you are able to make a donation, please click here for the Sign-Up Genius. Thank you!

Gift Certificates!

Who wants to win? Get ready for Winter Break reading! Any student who picks up a book from our library in December will be entered to win a gift certificate from either Village Books or Lafeen's. If you picked up this week, you are already entered! Contact Mr. Shaffer if you have questions. Scroll down further in this newsletter for our general KMS Book Pick up information.

District Meal Distribution

The December boxes will be distributed on Wednesdays: December 9 and December 16 at the regular 21 locations. The Dec. 16 box will contain 21 meals to cover additional days during winter break. The Dec. 16 box will also include a recipe for carrot ginger soup created by the Central Kitchen and Common Threads. All the ingredients needed for this soup are in the Dec. 16 box. Important note: there will be no meal box distributions on Dec. 23 and 30. The Bellingham Food Bank will continue to operate around the holidays. Visit their website for more information on times and locations. If you need additional support, please contact the Family Resource Center (FRC) now by filling out the help form or calling 360-676-6456. Meal box distribution will remain on Wednesdays starting in January 2021.

KMS Counselor Corner

With upcoming holidays and the likelihood that we will be unable to spend them with family in the same way as usual we know that this could be a challenging time for our students. Jen Newbauer and Aaron Tiger have noticed a recent increase in self-harm talk from students and want to provide you with some information in case you hear similar talk from your own student or a friend of theirs. For more information on suicide prevention and how to respond to suicide/self-harm talk click here.

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

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

Viry Ferreira - KMS Registrar

Updated WA State COVID Recommendations

Here is the guidance released on Sunday, Nov. 15, which includes restrictions on indoor social gathering. Here is the travel advisory, which advises against non-essential travel and recommends that anyone arriving in Washington from other states or countries self-quarantine for 14 days upon return.

MS Teams Chat Enabled

As you know, we have been using Teams to support classroom instruction. An important feature within Teams is the ability to chat (text, audio, video, or screen sharing) with other students or staff. In order to support student learning, we are enabling this feature for middle school students. Similar to district email, students logged in to their district accounts will only be able to use the chat feature with other school district members (teachers and students). Students will be reminded of the acceptable use for Teams Chat in their Homeroom classes. If you would like to more actively monitor student technology use, please reference the recently sent invitation to apParent - an app based tool for families to manage student computers. If you have any concerns about inappropriate student behavior, please reach out to your students’ teacher.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in BPS

We are happy to share this December 2020 newsletter listing heritage months, cultural celebrations, holidays and other information supporting the important work of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in Bellingham Public Schools. Please visit the EDI webpage for an ongoing dialogue and focus on this key strategy of The Bellingham Promise. You can also reach out directly to the director of equity, diversity and inclusion Janis Velasquez Farmer.

Dec 9 and 16: KMS 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 December, book pick-ups will be on Wednesday, Dec. 9 and Wednesday, Dec. 16. 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! Books not picked up on Pickup Day will be in the office and can be picked up (as well as returned) from 8am-3pm on Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri.

It's Easy to Join KMS PTSA

We currently have 72 members in our PTSA and we would love to reach 100 members by the end of November. Are you interested in joining? It's super easy to join. 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!

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.

Free Cooking Classes

New cooking classes every week on Zoom! 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.

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!

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.

(NEW!) Bellingham Food Bank Schedule

Tuesdays: 1175 Jersey Street from 1:00-4:00 PM
Wednesdays: CTK, 4173 Meridian St. from 3:00-6:00 PM
Thursdays: 1175 Jersey Street from 1:00-4:00 PM

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!