BFPP NEWS
Friday, April 29th, 2022
Get out your calendar!
Below, you'll find info on these school events:
- Teacher Appreciation Week - 5/2-5/6
- Children's Art Walk Contributions Last Call! - 5/2
- Scholastic Book Orders Last Call!- 5/2
- Children on the Autism Spectrum: Family Support Group *now on Zoom - 5/4
- Thought Partner Meeting: Middle School Programming - 5/4
- Meeting of the BFPP Craft Club - 5/4
- Snow Goose Field Trip for 6th-8th Graders - 5/11
- State Assessments at BFPP/Library closed for testing - 5/16-5/20
- Pep Talks Workshop in-person - 5/18
- Spring Craft Fair - 5/26
Teacher Appreciation Week
Share a note of thanks, a flower from your yard, or a sweet treat with the folks who work so hard to make BFPP the unique and wonderful place that it is!
Last Call - Children's Art Walk Submissions
BFPP Students can submit one piece of art that will be displayed in the window of Refresh Juice (1422 Cornwall Ave) beginning May 6th.
We need more art - if you've been considering this, now is the time to go for it!
Please bring your artwork in by Monday, May 2nd!
Guidelines for submissions:
1) We are able to accept ONE piece per student
2) We are set up to accept 2D submissions of 5x7” to 11x17”.
*If your student has created a piece that does not fall within that description, please contact Lisa. We may be able to accommodate.
3) Please include Student’s Name, Grade Level, Title, and Medium either on the back of the piece or on a sticky note.
4) We strongly suggest student’s 2D art be submitted in a folder, (or some type of protective enclosure) with parent/guardian’s contact info on the outside. This will protect the artwork and simplify the process of picking it up after the show ends.
All art is welcome, however if you need some inspiration, our theme this year is "Dreams Really Do Come True."
Drop off your art in the Art Walk Bin near Peggy's desk at school.
Last Call -Scholastic Book Orders
The due date for placing an online order has been extended to Monday, May 2nd.
New to ordering? Here’s how:
1. Go online to: https://clubs.scholastic.com/
2. Click on 'Connect to a Teacher' and enter our BFPP Class Code: RT8NH
3. Sign up using your student's first and last name.
4. Shop the flyers and pay online for your order. You can choose from any and all of the many different flyers available.
Books will be delivered to BFPP by the end of May. If you place an order, please email Heidi Zollner and let her know so we can arrange pick up of your books. Please know Scholastic has experienced supply chain issues this year and orders may end up taking longer as a result.
Thanks for supporting our school library with your purchase!
Every purchase earns us free books and other goodies for our school.
Children on the Autism Spectrum: Family Support Group
A new family support group is starting this Spring facilitated by Kate Baehr and Carrie Vining. Our intention for this group is to facilitate an opportunity to gather, make connections, share resources, and find ways to build community from our experiences. We recognize that this is a short amount of time for such a big topic, however we hope to plant the seed for relationships and support to form outside of this group.
We will meet on the following Wednesdays from 11:00-12:00 on Zoom:
- May 4th
- May 18th
- June 1st
We hope to see you there! Please email to rsvp and get the zoom link: Carrie.Vining@bellinghamschools.org
Thought Partner Meeting
Craft Club Meeting
Bring your own supplies to work on your craft for the May BFPP Craft Fair!
Please email or call to RSVP and for room location: sivspain@icloud.com, 206-349-9078.
Middle School Field Trip: The Snow Goose
6th, 7th, 8th Graders – All Aboard a Floating Classroom!
Step onto the Snow Goose~ Wednesday May 11th from 12-4pm
The Snow Goose is a hands-on cooperative learning experience collecting samples and data to determine if Bellingham Bay is ecologically sound. Students will use marine biology equipment and take turns at the helm learning how to navigate. The boat explores Whatcom waterway, Post Point, Padden Creek, and the Nooksack Delta for its ecology and natural history while also searching for marine mammals and sea birds.
As the boat has limited capacity, student participation is prioritized; families are welcome to join as space allows.
Any questions or to RSVP please contact randy.leventhal@bellinghamschools.org by Monday May 9th.
State Assessment Opportunity
This spring, students in grades 3-8 have an opportunity to take the state assessments in Math, English Language Arts, and Science. This assessment is called Smarter Balanced Assessment. Your child may have taken a condensed version of this in the Fall which reflected their previous grade. Spring tests will reflect the grades students are currently in for the 2021-22 school year:
- Spring English Language Arts and Math assessments will be administered in grades 3-8.
- The Science assessment will be administered in grade 8 only.
BFPP will be sending follow-up information with specific testing dates and times. Right now, we just need to know if you are interested in signing up for the state testing. This is a big commitment as the testing will take place in person at BFPP. There will be no opportunity for remote/at home testing.
We are hoping to have the testing occur the week of May 16th-20th 2022.
Please go to this https://forms.office.com/r/MDM4TyRxXK sign up only if you can be fully committed to attending all sessions of testing—regardless of enrichment class schedule.
Once we have the number of participants, we can then build a schedule that will fit the needs of our community. Students will need a school district computer in order to participate.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. Again, specific testing dates and times will be forth coming.
Library Closure for State Testing
During the week of May 16th-20th the BFPP Library will be closed from 12pm-3pm for the Smarter Balance Assessment (SBA). Thank you for your understanding.
Pep Talk Workshop
Wednesday, May 18th --PEP Talk: A Time to Reconnect to the Vulnerable Work of Homeschooling-- at 11-12pm at BFPP
Need a pep talk and a place to connect with others who are doing the vulnerable work of home schooling? I remember when I was home with my boys and we’d get into the sweet spot of self-directed learning and rich inquiry-led conversations. They would use LEGOS to describe dynamic loading, and pizza dough to mimic cell structures and I would think: We could do this forever! Homeschooling is clearly the best way for all learners! We’re never turning back!
And then the next day the bottom would fall out. They’d insist they’d never heard of the letter H (“What is this aiy-ch you speak of Mom?!), or they’d refuse to read anything unless it was part of a Garfield Fat Cat book and that went on for weeeekkkss (yes, there are 22 books in that series!). And don’t get me started on the years of struggles with writing. The writing? And I’m a certified writing teacher, darn it! Oh… the humbling of home learning….
So, if you’re in that space of questioning if you want to do this again next year and want some thought partners who may be able to help your process, come share your thinking with your community and a partner—BFPP Teacher Erin McCarthy—who has been in this place many times.
RSVP by 5/16 at erin.mccarthy@bellinghamschools.org
Spring Craft Fair
BFPP student crafters, artists, and makers of all sorts are invited to sell their wares at this fun outdoor event.
Some of the goodies you'll see available at the fair are: cake pops, perler bead art, candles, luminaries, soaps, chocolates, hair clips, veggie starts, and more!
Pre-registration is required if you'd like to sell. Please fill out one registration per family - list all students who will be selling followed by a general description of what they plan to sell.
Register here: https://forms.gle/LsZhVX5mc33Y8mp89
If you'd like to help with the craft fair (advertising, set up, take down) or have any questions, please email Heidi Zollner.
Whatcom Intergenerational High School Info Meeting
Interested students and parents can get a tour of the school, learn about our program and enroll for next year.
You can RSVP for the info session or check out their newsletter for more info about this charter high school.
Bellingham Bike Parade
Photography Competition
Amateur and professional photographers of all ages are invited to join in the 17th annual Essence of Bellingham Photo Competition.
Entries are submitted free of charge and are due by Sunday, May 1, 2022.
Complete competition details are available online, including a submission form and winning photos from previous years.
The Joy Project
Whatcom CARE Monthly Meeting: May 9th
Whatcom CARE stands for Whatcom Coalition for Anti-Racist Education. Our mission is to support and advocate for actions that transform K-12 public schools in Whatcom County and empower the school community, such that schools are a space where values of anti-racism, equity, social justice, and inclusion are ingrained into the education system and classroom culture.
Our May monthly community meeting will feature a panel of principals from Whatcom County schools, who we have invited to talk about the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work they are doing in their school buildings.
Whether you are a student, parent, educator, or community member, we are hoping this will be an informative session and an opportunity to collaborate, network, and learn from others who are all at different stages of their EDI journey.
Our panelists include:
- Sonia Cole, principal, Sehome High School
- Miguel Perez, principal, Squalicum High School
- Troy Wright, principal, Mt. Baker Junior High
- Arionda Feeney, principal, Carl Cozier Elementary
- Minh Nguyen, principal, Columbia Elementary
As this is our last zoom meeting of the school year, we will be randomly giving away a copy of Britt Hawthorne's new book, Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Guide to Parenting to a lucky meeting attendee. Depending on how many attend, we may give away up to three copies of the book. So invite your friends and join us on May 9th!
This meeting will be on Monday, May 9th from 6:30-7:30 pm.
Here is a Zoom link for the meeting.
Click here to be added to our email list and receive info on our future meetings.
When Parents Don’t Want to Play
by Teacher Sammy
Sick Kitty was the “go to” game for my boys and me when they were in their early years. I would come home from work so exhausted from being with kids all day that I had little energy left for anyone but myself. Somehow, I managed to muster up the energy to play a sick momma cat game with my boys, a cat that was always on the verge of dying. My kids would lick my wounds (cheeks, forehead, hands and even hair). They were so ready for my attention that I could almost hear the desperation in each meow as it grew louder and the licks somehow got grosser. I didn’t know how to set healthy boundaries or make a plan before I became trapped into my sick momma cat role. On top of the Sick Kitty game, I have always found imaginary play to be uncomfortable and a big stretch for me in general, unless I am feeling extra goofy and creative.
Anyhow, here are some respectful ways to let your kids know you don’t always want to play and to set clear boundaries with them:
Instead of playing kitties, let’s read a book or draw together.
I cannot play right now, but we can make a list together of ideas that you can do by yourself.
I can play after dinner, and you can play by yourself right now.
I can help you get started, and then I am going to do my work while you do yours.
I need to fold laundry, how about you put the clothes in different piles for us.
I can set the timer for 20 minutes and when it rings I will need to stop playing because I need to…
Let’s go for a walk together.
Suggest that you hang out in the same room together even if you are doing different things
Honestly Yours,
Sammy
Free COVID tests available at BFPP
At-home rapid tests are available to families and staff on a weekly basis. Please come to our office to pick up tests.
COVID testing continues to be available for staff and students at our schools and the Family Resource Center at Shuksan Middle School each school day from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.