Family Cougar Connect
Newsletter #12 January 23, 2023
Dearest Community,
We hope that you and your families are adjusting well to a new year and taking adequate time to focus on your well-being, strengthen social connections, and give yourself grace with the demands of everyday life.
As many of you all have heard, our district will be facing anticipated enrollment decline for the upcoming school year and beyond. The Bellevue School District will be having to make some big decisions in the next few weeks about school consolidation. Our school, is not a school that is under consideration for consolidation. However, any school consolidation decision has an impact on our greater BSD community. Be a good neighbor, friend, and community member during this challenging time in our BSD community.
This weekend many of our families celebrated the start of the Lunar New Year! Our learning community has eagerly anticipated the arrival of the New Year and will jump into this week learning more about this tradition. It's important to acknowledge that despite this joyous event, this weekend was met with deep sadness with the shooting that took place in Monterey Park, California at a Lunar New Year event. I want to send my love and positive thoughts to our AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community during this time. I want you to know that you and your families are valued, loved, and appreciated in our community. If there is anything you need during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself, our counselor, or your child's teacher.
Our cougars and teachers put in deep thought, creativity and time to create the door decorations to welcome the year of the rabbit. These door decorations are beyond amazing and I encourage you come take a gallery walk to see this art in action.
Warmly,
Brooke and Alison
If you have not had a chance, please be sure to share a memory from your winter break on our family paddlet :)
We value community and learning from you as a family. Please share with us the joyous memories of your families winter break by adding them to our CHE family Paddlet:
May the year of the Rabbit bring us peace, hope and prosperity
Here is a peek of some of our classroom doors...
School and Principal Updates
Prides and Packs
We are excited to announce the roll out of Pride and Packs at Clyde Hill. Prides and Packs is based on the house system from the Ron Clark Academy. As a school, we value relationships, community, character building and joy. Through Prides and Packs we feel we can support deeper connections with our students and staff. Please check out this short video clip on what Prides and Packs is: https://youtu.be/xAqcMskeQMo
Kindergarten Information Night
We had a successful Kinder information night with many new families excited to join our community. I am eager to meet our rising Kinder Cougars and the brilliant humans they are. If you were unable to attend, please feel free to view the PowerPoint presentation for more details.
Please register as soon as registration open up on March 1st. https://bsd405.org/schools/enrollment/ is when you can find the latest on what you need to enroll.
Family Engagement Survey. Bellevue School District will conduct a survey to understand whether families across the district feel Informed, Supported and Empowered to contribute to their student’s success. It is a school and district priority to create long-lasting partnerships between families and schools for better student outcomes.
Your valuable feedback is essential to the continuous improvement and advancement of the family engagement practices at Clyde Hill elementary and we thank you in advance, for your participation. Look for an email in your inbox early next week.
The survey window is open January 10 – February 7th.
For more information, please visit: Family Engagement Survey
K-2 Early Literacy Screening Window Now Open
Hello families, parents, and guardians, Please see the important information regarding kindergarten, first grade and second grade literacy testing: Parent Letter PRE-Literacy Screening.
Hola familias, padres y tutores, Consulte la información importante sobre las pruebas de alfabetización de jardín de infantes, primer grado y segundo grado: https://bsd405.org/2023/01/parent-letter-pre-literacy-screening.
您好家人,父母和监护人, 请参阅有关幼儿园、一年级和二年级识字测试的重要信息: https://bsd405.org/2023/01/parent-letter-pre-literacy-screening
American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge @ Clyde Hill
Dear Families,
The American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge program is kicking off on Wednesday, February 1st! Your child will choose a heart healthy challenge to Move More or Be Kind and earn a FREE Be The Torch Wristband!
We encourage every student and family to register online and learn Hands-Only CPR as a family through FINN’S MISSION.
Register today on the FREE Kids Heart Challenge App or at http://www2.heart.org/goto/ClydeHill
Special School Incentives:
o For every $2,000 our school raises, a teacher at our school will get pied in the face!
o The top participating class will get a glow PE party!
o When we hit our school goal, we will get to dragon droll (slime) a teacher!
o Students that raise $150 before the kickoff assembly will get the special XL Frankie keychain!
When you raise $50 you will instantly earn a Be The Torch wristband, 4 Heart Heroes, and a Mystery Gift!!
Progress Reports
Progress Reports 101
The first semester report card will be available to view in ParentVue on February 10th. Sometimes it’s not ready until the end of the day so if you log in and the report card isn’t there, check again later. We will not be sending home a paper copy or an emailed copy of the report card. However, if you would like your child’s report card printed or emailed, please let your child's teacher know. Progress reports are intended to provided you information on how your child is doing in school socially, emotionally, and academically. If you have any questions about progress reports please let your child's teacher know.
Check out this quick video on how to access ParentVue and learn more about progress reports!
Progress Report Info: https://youtu.be/ZapchDSERcY
Lost and Found Items
If you child has a lost item, please feel free to check the lost in found.
Office Reminders
Private School Applications
It’s that time of year when Private School Applications are coming due. If your family is completing a private school application, please visit the district Private School Application site: https://bsd405.org/departments/records/private-school-applications/ When delegating Administrator forms from Ravenna, please delegate them to westerbergh@bsd405.org. Thank you.
Attendance Reporting
Attendance: report any student absence, early release, or late arrival to our attendance office via:
Email: clydehillattendance@bsd405.org Or Phone: 425-456-5002
Provide
- Student first and last name
- Teacher name
- Date(s) of absence
- Reason for absence
For absences lasting longer than 2 consecutive school days, please submit this form to the office at least 5 days before the planned absence.
January Dates to Remember
District Observance: Renewal and Change (focus on celebrations of new beginnings and changes for the new year)
Monthly Acknowledgement/s: School Board Recognition Month
- 1/1/23 – New Year’s Day
- 1/2/23 – New Year’s Day Observed (District Offices Closed)
- 1/2/23 – Shogatsu (Japanese New Year)
- 1/6/23 – Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) / Epiphany
- 1/7/23 – Orthodox Christmas
- 1/16/23 – Martin Luther King Day
- 1/16/23 – Martin Luther King Day Observed (District Offices Closed/No School)
- 1/22/23 – Lunar New Year
- 1/22/23 – Treaty Day (Treaty of Point Elliott)
- 1/27/23 – Holocaust Remembrance Day/ End of First Semester
1/30/23 – First Day of Second Semester (Formerly a day off, now a school day due to snow day)
1/31/23 – Ned Mindset Assembly @1:40
Important Messages from BSD
Teaching and Learning Newsletter
Welcome to our Winter Teaching and Learning newsletter! We have exciting news to share and hope you enjoy learning about the latest parent resources, exciting student projects, and curriculum updates.
Families/guardians can use the language access setting of the BSD browser to specify their preference language. Read our latest newsletter online.
Information Nights, Open Transfer, Choice Schools and Language Programs
Families may still apply for Open Transfer, Choice Schools, and Choice Language Programs for the 2023-24 school year. Applications must be submitted by January 20, 2023, to be considered. Before applying, families can:
Learn About BSD's Choice Schools and Language Programs
BSD offers a number of unique opportunities for students, including choice schools and language programs, to best suit their learning needs and future goals. Learn more about current offerings and apply to enroll.
Attend Family Information Nights
To help families prepare for their next grade-level transition in the 2023-2024 school year, BSD’s neighborhood schools, choice schools and choice language programs will host information sessions for prospective students and families. Review this year’s information night dates.
Addressing School Meal Debt Through Sunshine Fund Donations
The Bellevue School District’s Sunshine Fund helps pay negative meal balances for students in need. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 school year when the federal waivers for free meals expired (in part, because of COVID-19), student meal debt is on an alarming rise. Families are asked to review their individual accounts and assist the Sunshine Fund through donations, to potentially decrease food insecurity and support our students.