Big Picture School Newsletter
Feb 5, 2024
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Upcoming Events
Feb 9- BP Family-Principal Coffee- 8:30 AM
Feb 13- 8th grade Field Trip to Bellevue City Hall- SS Project
Feb 13- HS Panther Pride Student Recognition PMU 10:00 am
Feb 16- MS Panther Pride Student Recognition PMU 9:05 am
February 19-23 - No School, Mid-Winter Break
Feb 28- Running Start Info Night for BP- 6:30 pm
March 1-3- Ramen Robotics at Competition- Glacier Peak HS
March 22-24- Ramen Robotics at Competition- Sammamish HS
Stay on top of events and activities and plan for important dates by reviewing the district calendar. Previous and current printable calendars, including the 2023-24 Family Calendar, are also available online.
BSD Calendar of Events (more info below)
February 7 - BSD College Conference
February 12 - HBCU Virtual College Fair
February 15 - College Application Process 101 - Spanish
Check out the Monthly Cultural Calendar- Click here
Monthly Acknowledgement: Black History Month
Monthly Recognitions: CTE Month
2024 Observances:
- February 1, 2024 – National Freedom Day
- National Freedom Day celebrates the signing of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in 1865.
- February 5 – 9, 2024 – National School Counseling Week
- February 10, 2024 – Lunar New Year
- The Lunar New Year festival celebrates the beginning of a new year in China and other Asian countries and cultures whose calendars follow the cycle of the moon.
- February 14, 2024 – Ash Wednesday
- In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten period leading up to Easter. Ash Wednesday pays homage to Christ’s 40-day fast and practice of self-discipline in the desert before beginning his ministry.
- February 14, 2024 – Valentine’s Day
- February 17, 2024 – National PTA Founders Day
- February 19, 2024 – President’s Day
- February 24, 2024 – Lantern Festival
- The Lantern Festival marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
- February 26, 2024 – March 1, 2024 – Public Schools Week
- February 26 – 29, 2024 – Ayyám-i-Há or Intercalary Days
- The Ayyam-i-Ha (or Intercalary Days) are when members of the Bahá’ís faith focus prepare for the month of fasting
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual opportunity to recognize the significant role Black Americans have played throughout history and celebrate African American achievement. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) devotes its 98th Annual Black History Month theme to African Americans and the Arts. This theme examines the wide array of history and lives of African American arts and artisans. African American art is infused with African, Caribbean and the Black American experiences. In honor of Black History Month, the City of Bellevue will exhibit a public art display featuring the work of 17 Pacific Northwest-based Black artists during the month of February. The “Elevating Voices” exhibit is available to the public at the Bellevue City Hall concourse, Monday through Friday, during business hours and evenings when City Hall is open for public meetings or events. Learn more about the exhibit.
BIG PICTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Join the Conversation- BP Family-Principal Coffee- February 9th @ 8:30 am!
Please join us for our next Coffee of the school year this Friday, February 9th @ 8:30 am in the BP Cafe. Bethany and Suzanne, BP Instructional Coach, will provide an overview of our school's approach to grading and assessment which is called Standards-based grading. First semester report cards will be posted soon in Student/ParentVue. If you have any of these types of questions, this will be a great opportunity to get those answered:
- How to access the gradebook in ParentVue from the Mobile app?
- How to navigate and understand the gradebook?
- What's the difference between formative and summative assessments?
- What are standards and strands?
- What's the philosophy behind Standards-based grading?
- What does the 1-4 rubric scale mean?
- How are grades calculated in the gradebook?
- What's the difference between assessment scores and GPA?
- How to support students with reaching proficiency and beyond?
Panther Pride Celebrations
On February 13th, we will hold our 1st Semester HS Panther Pride Celebration during HS PMU (10:00 am). On Friday, February 16th we will hold the MS Panther Pride Celebration during MS PMU (9:05 am). Students who were selected as students of the month for first semester who demonstrated positive relationships, ownership of learning or leadership, along with students who earned 3.5 GPAs or higher will be recognized during the PMUs. We will send a Teams link to all families who wish to join us online for the celebration. All students will receive a special treat at the end of the day, too.
Update Your SchoolMessenger Preferences for Important Notifications
BSD uses the SchoolMessenger communication notification system to send regular announcements and urgent alerts such as school delays and closures. Families may receive district SchoolMessenger communication via email, phone call and text message according to their contact information provided in ParentVUE. Learn how to update your contact information, including your preferred language. To adjust how and where you are notified, please set up a SchoolMessenger App account. This will allow you to determine which types of messages you receive and through which medium (E.g., email, text message, etc.). You may also view messages from the last 30 days by logging in to your account online, or by setting up the app on your IOS or Android smartphone. Learn more about SchoolMessenger and create/update your account.
If you believe you should be receiving messages from your school or the district but are not, please: 1. check your email’s spam/junk folder, and 2. review your contact information and preferences in ParentVUE and SchoolMessenger. You may find that messages are being blocked based on your settings.
BP PTSA info
- PTSA Newsletter- Week of Feb 5: Click here
- Order BP Spirit wear here: https://bigpictureschool.itemorder.com/shop/sale/
- PTSA membership: https://www.bellevuebpsptsa.org/membership
- School Directory Now Available! Our school directory is now available via DirectorySpot! To gain access, please use the email address you have registered with the school. Note that not all students/families have opted into the Directory. Please let us know if you have questions! https://www.directoryspot.net/general/login.php
DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Attend the BSD Certificated Staff Job Fair
Join us for the Certificated Staff Job Fair on Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Highland Middle School to learn about certificated positions in the district. Representatives from schools and departments throughout the district will be available to answer questions about working in Bellevue. Screening interviews will be available.
Certificated positions include: Administrators, Elementary and Secondary Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Counselors, Social Workers, School Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and School Psychologists.
Attend the 2024 BSD College Conference Series
Bellevue School District is offering a series of in-person and online events designed to inform, educate and empower our students and families in the college application process. The College Conference is recommended for juniors and their families but is a great opportunity for all high school families to learn about applying for college from professionals and knowledgeable BSD staff. You can access links for virtual sessions and more info here. Upcoming events include:
BSD College Conference- Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at Highland Middle School
Keynote speaker, Dr. Kelly Aramaki at 6:00 pm
First session begins at 6:40 pm
Students and families from all high schools are welcome to join!
*NEW* sessions added this year include:
- University of California schools panel
- Western Undergraduate Exchange
- Out of State Flagship Universities
- WA Guaranteed Admissions (WA GAP) schools panel
- University of Washington focused session
- Bellevue College focused session
- Additional BSD Alumni panel
- The BSD College Conference is highly recommended for juniors and their families but is a great opportunity for ALL high school families to learn from professionals and knowledgeable BSD staff about applying for college
HBCU Virtual College Fair
Monday, February 12, 2024, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The HBCU Virtual College Fair is being held in collaboration with Mercer Island High School. Representatives from HBCU will participate in a panel discussion. Following the panel, participants will be able to meet with individual college representatives in break out sessions
Register here to get the link: https://mercerislandschools.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrdeCurzItGdbgrXXZF6zFcwkAdyIH1El4#/registration
College Application Process 101– Spanish session
February 15, 2024, 9:00 am at Highland Middle School library
Presentation will be given in Spanish. Bellevue School District counselors will share valuable information about Naviance, the college search process, your role in the process, and the timelines that are critical to ease the stress of the college application season (October-January). Recommended for parents of juniors, but parents of sophomores and all grade levels are welcome!
International Colleges Fair
Thursday, February 29, 2024 5:30-7:30 PM Odle Middle School Commons
Are you interested in attending college internationally? Take advantage of this opportunity to meet representatives from international colleges and universities
Resources For Families
Register for Spring for Schools, Hosted by the Bellevue Schools Foundation
Bellevue Schools Foundation(BSF) invites every Bellevue School District family and staff member to attend Spring for Schools 2024 at the Meydenbauer Center on Saturday, March 30 at 5:00 p.m.BSF provides necessary funding to programs at all schools. The evening will offer attendees a chance to connect with one another and teachers and explore the initiatives funded by BSF in their signature Education Showcase. Event registrationis free, and childcare will be provided as capacity allows. Additional event details can be found on the Spring for Schools webpage.The purpose of the evening is to raise funding so that BSF can continue to provide transformational opportunitiesfor BSD students and teachers.
New Affordable Housing in Bellevue
Polaris at Eastgate, located at 13300 SE Eastgate Way, is a brand-new community in the heart of Bellevue that is available to qualifying families. In the spring of 2024, there will be 360 available units, and they will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Interested families can learn about the documentation requirements to qualify. For assistance with the application, contact Bellevue LifeSpring. For more information on qualifications, call 425-946-2562 or email polarisateastgatewa-br@m.knck.io.
How to Report a Safety Concern
Bullying and safety concerns can always be reported to any staff member at your school. Reporting forms are located in the main office and each classroom. The Bellevue School District also utilizes an anonymous reporting tool called SafeSchools Alert through which anyone can make a verbal or written report of harassment, intimidation or bullying. Information on how to submit a report via any of these methods is available on the district website at www.bsd405.org/help/report.
Questions? Contact Information
Bethany Spinler, Principal
Matt Stokes, Assistant Principal
Carol Anne Yamamoto, Registrar
Kelley Hoang, Attendance
Bellevue School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights, Racial Discrimination, and Gender Expression or Identity Discrimination: Civil Rights/Nondiscrimination Compliance Coordinator Nancy Pham, (425) 456-4040 or phamn@bsd405.org Sex-based Discrimination, including Sexual Harassment: Title IX Coordinator: Jeff Lowell, (425) 456-4010 or lowellj@bsd405.org Disability Discrimination: Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Heather Edlund, (425) 456-4156 or edlundh@bsd405.org Mailing address for all three: 12111 NE 1st Street, Bellevue, WA 98005.