Grizzly Growl
Friday May 28, 2021
Update From Mr. Ruthford
Dear Fairhaven Families,
This week’s Growl comes as we enter our Memorial Day weekend. With Monday a non-school day, we look forward to seeing our students again on Tuesday. Thank you for your invaluable partnership over this incredible and challenging year. Because of the strength of our community, we will end this year strong and together. The last three weeks of school will be packed with learning, connection, reflection, and fun. Please review the Growl for more specific details, including important dates, such as the last day of school.
Please reach out if there’s anything we can do to help you or your child end the school year more successfully. We recognize that many of our families and students have worked hard to stay engaged, enthusiastic, and connected—whether at home or in class, and we are here to help.
Thank you for everything and cheers to a restful long weekend and amazing last three weeks of school.
My best,
Steve Ruthford, Principal
Bye Bye Class of 2025
8th Grade Ceremony & Celebrations – Friday June 18th from 9:30 am -12:30 pm
Dear Families,
BSD has given us the thumbs up to move forward with coordinating an event to honor FMS 8th graders. The end of the eighth-grade year is an exciting time to celebrate the successful completion of middle school, applaud growth, accomplishments and provide encouragement as they launch into the next phase – transition to HIGH SCHOOL!
With the last day of school quickly approaching, 8th grade teachers are actively surveying students to determine celebration activities and finalizing ceremony logistics. An application has been submitted to the City of Bellingham to host the celebration at Fairhaven Park. The PTSA is committed to creating a photo slideshow, recruiting volunteers, catering the lunch, providing funds for a food truck, and securing supplies for field games/activities.
Here are the ways 8th grade families can partake in the festivities 😊:
- Send two photos of your child (1 baby/toddler and 1 recent photo) to 8thFMS@gmail.com by June 11th
- Sign-up to volunteer (20 volunteers, who can stay the entire time, are needed)
- Donate drinks and store-bought goodies
Please join our team to help us make this event meaningful and FUN! Thank you in advance for your support!
FMS PTSA and 8th grade staff
Virtual Grrs...
Lauryn Wood
Lukas Koehler
Claire Hickey
Sam Soukup
Incoming 6th Grade Information Night
New Books!
Northwest Career & Technical Academy Summer Session for Incoming Freshman
Summer Library Checkout
Summer reading is important! Avoid the summer slide & brain drain!
ALL students returning to the Bellingham School District are invited to borrow up to 10 books over the summer from the FMS library for reading pleasure.
To take part in summer checkout students must:
· Have a clear library record – everything from the school year returned and fines paid
· Get parent/guardian permission
· Return this form to the library (either paper or electronic)
· Have a bag to carry books home
· Read and enjoy the books this summer
· Care for books by keeping them away from food, liquids, dirt, etc., out of the weather and out of reach of pets and small children
· Return all books to the FMS library on the first day of the 2021-2022 School Year
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Read on Fairhaven!
Librarian
Personal Care Items / Gently-used Clothing Drive, June 1 - 11 at FMS!
Spring cleaning, anyone?
Got any gently-used clothing you'd like to get out of your home and donate to a good cause? And/or want to support basic needs of Fairhaven and Bellingham School District families by donating (new-in-box) personal care items such as soap, deodorant, feminine products, etc?
Summer is coming, and in the later stages of this pandemic, the needs of families across our community are great. Fairhaven Cares is partnering with the school district's Friends of the Family Resource Center to put on a personal care item / gently-used clothing drive at Fairhaven Middle School, Tuesday, June 1 - Friday, June 11. Drop-box will be just inside the Main Office (available during school hours). We will also accept drive-thru donations on Wednesdays from 4:00 - 5:30 PM at the school's Good Food meal box pick-up in front of the school.
Donations of gently-used clothing should be CLEAN, and in good condition: no stains or holes, please! (Think consignment store quality.) We will happily accept clothing for ANY SEASON and of ANY SIZE (children's and adult). We will also take donations of NEW underwear and socks.
(Any clothing we collect will be offered to school counselors/families elsewhere in the district, and any remaining items will be consigned through local consignment shops to generate credit for the district's Family Resource Center, to, in turn, also support district families directly.)
(New-in-box) Personal care items we would like to collect include:
- Bar Soap
- Deodorant (men's and women's)
- Feminine Products: tampons, pads
- Shampoo (full size, not 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner combos, please (Family Resource Center request))
- Conditioner (full size, not 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner combos, please)
- Liquid Dish Soap (full size, no large Costco sizes please, name brands preferred)
- Laundry Detergent (liquid, size: 40-100 oz, or 40 - 75 loads, name brands preferred, no large Costco sizes, please)
- Diapers (especially sizes 3, 4, 5, and 6) and Baby Wipes
- Toilet paper (packages of 4 or more, large Costco sizes are great here!)
(If you are able and would prefer to make a monetary donation, we can take cash, check, or gift card contributions, or you can donate online to the Friends of the Family Resource Center through the FFRC's GoFundMe drive (but do be aware of GoFundMe's default 12.5% "tip" setting... you can adjust or eliminate this surcharge by entering a "custom tip" on the page where you input the amount of your intended contribution). Cash, checks, or gift cards can be given to staff in the Main Office in an envelope labelled "Fairhaven Cares"; checks should be made out to "FFRC" (that's short for Friends of the Family Resource Center), and can be turned in at the office or mailed to the FFRC at P.O. Box 24, Bellingham, WA 98227-0024. For gift cards, we prefer cards in increments of $25 or less (for maximum flexibility), for businesses such as Fred Meyer, Target, Labels, Wee Ones Reruns, Ross, Winco, Value Village, Goodwill, etc.)
Please know that we are so grateful for whatever you may be able to give! Also, we understand that you may not be in a position to contribute at this time. If your family could use support (either in the form of clothing or personal care items, or in some other form), please consider contacting Fairhaven Cares parent volunteers Kate, Kim, and Erin at fairhavencares@gmail.com, getting in touch with one of our school counselors, or requesting support from the school district's Family Resource Center at this link.
Thanks, everyone! Together, we are stronger!
Questions about the upcoming drive? Contact Kate Wearn: fairhavencares@gmail.com ; 360-224-5493.