The Mariner Memo
November 2018
Vaping/Juuling - What you need to know.
Recently the FDA has announced an epidemic of youth e-cigarette use across the country. The relative ease of access to these devices, their discrete size, the variety of flavors and the lack of social stigma has made vaping popular among teens. For many students it begins as experimentation, but unfortunately for some it then results in developing an addiction to nicotine. Locally we are seeing a number of students from diverse backgrounds using vaping devices in our school community.
The Sehome staff has recently engaged in some awareness training around these devices, which also resulted in staff sharing a vaping video in their Anchor classes and engaging in class discussions. We feel that it is important to communicate to our families about this concerning youth trend. We hope that you will watch the vaping video and engage in a conversation with your student about vaping. The following questions are meant to provide an open ended start to a conversation about vaping that allows students to just share their perspective.
What do you know about vaping?
Have you noticed vaping amongst your friends and at school?
What do you feel are the health risks of vaping?
Sehome Drama Presents - Romeo and Juliet!
The classic Shakespearean tragedy reimagined for Sehome’s stage! The Montagues and the Capulets hate each other… for no reason other than their name. Violence rules the streets, and nobody crosses the line separating the two houses. Until Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, fall in love, breaking all the rules, and force the city of Verona to cope with the consequences.Why do we fight? What happens to a society divided by baseless hate? Featuring fight choreography from American Musical and Dramatic Academy alumni Carly Williams (Sehome class of ’15) and discussions about the message of the play, Romeo & Juliet will use Shakespearean text with modern characterizations to discover the answers.
Want to buy tickets or learn more?
Check us out on Instagram or Facebook
Search for sehomedrama
or visit sehomedrama.com
Family Survey
Dear Sehome Families,
Every year, Bellingham Public Schools surveys all our families, all our staff, and students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Our district’s strategic plan, The Bellingham Promise, guides our work and our collective commitment to our children. We believe that all children should be loved and that every child can learn at high levels. We need your feedback on what we are doing well and what we can continue to improve.
If you have more than one child enrolled at Sehome, you may take the survey multiple times or just once, depending on what you think will best represents your family’s experience for your children. If you have children in different schools, please take the survey for each school.
Please complete this survey by Nov. 30, 2018.
All survey responses are anonymous. No one at your school will see your individual responses. A separate organization, Qualtrics, is managing the survey to ensure confidentiality.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to assist us in collecting this vital information. We greatly appreciate your time.
If you have any trouble getting to or taking the survey, Marty Atkins know. We hope to hear from all of our families.
Sincerely,
Marty Atkins
Assistant Principal, Sehome High School
Need Entertainment For Your Holiday Event?
Look No Further Than The Sehome Music Department!
If you would like to have the Sehome Chamber Orchestra perform for an upcoming event, please contact Kirstin Doud at Kirstin.doud@bellinghamschools.org or call her at 360-676-6470 (ext. 5273) to schedule the Sehome Chamber Orchestra for your event.
The Sehome Chamber Choir is also available to sing at your special event. These 20 singers are happy to add music to office parties, birthday celebrations, and much more. Email Mrs. Schlicting to book them. December is filling up so don't delay! Contact Jessica.Schlicting@bellinghamschools.org
Sehome Choir Spirit of the Holidays
The SHS Choirs are hosting their annual dessert gala event, Spirit of the Holidays on Tuesday, December 11th and Wednesday, December 12th at The Majestic in downtown Bellingham starting at 7:00pm. Tickets will be sold in advance beginning 12/3 and at the door. Come listen to music that is sure to get you ready for the holidays while enjoying tasty delights prepared just for you! Contact Mrs. Schlichting for more information or to hold tickets.
Upcoming Field Trips
Thursday, November 30th WCC Fall Preview Day 9:00am-1:30pm
Tuesday, December 11th ASVAB test at noon
Tuesday, February 12th BTC Try A Trade Day 8:35am- 1:45pm
If you would like more information about these events, please contact Martha Zender in the Career Center.
Scholarships
If you have looked at the scholarship bulletin you may notice it is comprised mostly of national and regional scholarships, but that will soon change. Our local scholarships start to appear around January. Continue checking for updates in the scholarship bulletin which is linked to the main Sehome web page under “what’s new”. It can also be found on the Career Center and Counselor web pages. Encourage your Senior to treat scholarships as a part time job scheduling a time each week to check the scholarship bulletin and the scholarship search engines they may be using. Students are welcome to stop by the Career Center for individual help on how to get started.
Scholarship Opportunity for Juniors!
The Coolidge Scholarship is a full-ride, four- year merit scholarship that may be used by recipients for undergraduate study at any accredited college or university in the US. Any high school junior who plans on enrolling in college in the fall of 2020 and is an American Citizen or legal permanent resident is eligible to apply. This is open to Juniors. Seniors are not eligible to apply. There are other awards given to top applicants see the website for details. Even students who do not win have reported that they were glad they went through the process because it helps prepare them for college applications later on. The scholarship application, along with additional information, can be accessed on the scholarship website: www.coolidgefoundation,org
It's FAFSA Time Seniors!
The FAFSA is live and ALL seniors are encouraged to complete the FAFSA. You and your student will need to start with a FAFSA ID ( it’s a PIN) here https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid. Sabrina Vlaad, our Futures NW rep is in the Career Center Tuesday and Friday from 8:30am – 12:30pm and can help your student get started. She can also help students with college applications. We are so glad to have Sabrina this year, she will be a great resource!
Students Helping Our Community
With the mention of scholarships, it’s nearly impossible to avoid talking about volunteering as many of our scholarships list that as criteria. If your student is already registered with S.H.O.C. (Students Helping Our Community) good for them! We are very proud of our student volunteers and our community relies on them to keep their programs running! Please continue to encourage your student to volunteer and record their hours with the Career Center. Volunteering not only makes the college application look more appealing, but helps students gain skills and build connections within our community! For more information regarding S.H.O.C. and for a list of volunteer opportunities please check out the Career Center webpage at: http://sehome.bellinghamschools.org/
Students are also encouraged to check out the Volunteer Bulletin Board for upcoming local volunteer opportunities.
College Rep Visits At Sehome
College Admissions Counselors travel to Sehome every fall to share valuable information regarding their college including the application process, campus life and financial aid. Meeting face to face with a college rep and getting to ask questions can really help in the college decision process. For the list of college visits check the Career Center web page.
College Bound Scholars
Students who registered for the College Bound Scholars Scholarship are encouraged to meet with our Futures NW representative, Sabrina Vlaad, who will be here in the Career Center Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30am-12:30pm. She will be sharing information with the students to ensure they know the details of their scholarship and with such things as college applications and competing the FAFSA/WASFA. Sabrina has already helped many students get started with their FAFSA and we are grateful for sharing her time and knowledge!
Bellingham Dollars for Scholars Workshop
Seniors are invited to a Bellingham Dollars for Scholars Profile Workshop in December (DTBD). The scholarship goes live in February but students can start their profile any time. Shannon Elmendorf from BDFS will be here to assist students and answer any questions they may have regarding the application process. The date will be announced in the bulletin as soon as confirmed.
West Point Presentation
A WestPoint cadet will be at Sehome on Monday November 11th (time TBD) to share about her experiences. If your student would like to learn more about a service academy as a post high school option have them sign up in the Career Center so they will be notified when the time is confirmed.
HOST FAMILIES NEEDED!
Homecoming Tailgate was a Success!
Sehome Homecoming Tailgate Party! The Mariner Mentors, Leadership Class, and PTSA hosted an awesome tailgate event before the Homecoming football game against Lake Stevens. Mariner Mentors hand delivered invites to all freshman the week before and the turnout was amazing. PTSA provided hot dogs and drinks. The Mentors and Leadership students ran all the games. The most popular was the cupcake walk, with the marching band participating in high fashion. Mariner Mentors and Leadership would like to thank all folks who help cook, brought coolers, painted faces, ate the extra hot dogs…..it was a blast and we are looking forward to upcoming sports events and next year’s Homecoming. Go Mariners!