Wade King Elementary
February 4, 2022
A Note from our Administrative Team
Hello Wade King Families,
It's hard to believe our school year is halfway over... and then when we stop to think about the learning your children have already been engaged in, we are reminded of how much they have already accomplished. Here's to a fantastic second half of the school year!
There is a lot of important information below highlighting some of the learning that happened in January, and upcoming events. We also encourage you to reach out to us if there are things you are wondering about and/or if you have great stories to share.
With Gratitude,
Stephanie Johnson, Principal
Stephanie Korn, Administrator
Important Dates
2/8 - Ballots Due
2/10 - PTA Meeting at 6:00pm Zoom
2/21 - NO SCHOOL - President's Day
2/22 - Report Cards Sent Home with 1st-5th Grade Students
3/1 - Kindergarten registration for next year begins
3/4 - Report Cards Sent Home with Kindergarten Students
3/11 - This is now a school day!
3/13 - Daylight Savings Time Begins: Set clocks ahead 1 hour
The Bellingham Schools UPDATED 2021-22 Calendar can be found on the district website.
Bond Facts
Facts about the financial impact of our facilities bond 2022
Bonds are used by districts across our state to close significant gaps in state funding for capital projects. As a district, we strive to be thoughtful and strategic in the ways we ask our community to financially contribute to our “collective commitment to Bellingham’s children,” as The Promise says.
Two areas of investment in the 2022 facilities bond include:
A new elementary school: The bond includes funds to design and build a 15th elementary school on district-owned King Mountain property on the northside of town where growth is occurring. This space would be a significant step in developing a higher sustainability standard for our schools and initially used as a temporary swing space for students as other schools are rebuilt.
Carl Cozier, Columbia and Roosevelt redesign: We will begin the design for the replacement of Carl Cozier, Columbia and Roosevelt elementary schools and set the stage for a future bond to fund their construction. These schools are in need of replacement due to their age and condition, as well as concerns related to accessibility and sustainability. These are just some of the projects funded by the proposed bond.
Our upcoming facilities bond measure is on the ballot for the special election next Tuesday, Feb. 8. Be sure to review our webpage for information and watch our videos. This video offers an overview on the bond’s areas of investments, as well as the financial impact.
Questions about Covid-19 and Testing?
You can find the most current Covid information in emails from the Bellingham School District with. And, if you can't find the answer there, don't hesitate to contact Alyssa Johnson, our school nurse or Jennifer Thornton, our health room aide. There are lots of different scenarios and they would love to talk through them with you. They are also able to continue COVID-19 testing as needed for students. Don't hesitate to connect with them!
Rapid Testing Consent Form is Available
Rapid testing at school requires parent/guardian consent, and we have created an online form for families to give testing consent through their Skyward Family Access account. We ask all families to take a few minutes to fill out the testing consent form for your child(ren), which will allow us to rapid test them at school under certain circumstances. Reasons for testing may include mild symptoms in which a negative test allows them to return to class, Test to Stay to attend school while on quarantine, and screening (for example in response to multiple cases in a classroom). Having your consent through the Skyward form will ensure your child can access testing as quickly as possible.
Log in to Skyward Family Access and follow these instructions to fill out the consent form. If you are having trouble accessing Skyward, contact your school office or click the “forgot your login/password” link.
Student Leadership Team... and Fancy Day
Gymnastics Fun
February is Kindness Month
Lunar New Year - 2022 The Year of the Tiger
Be sure to ask your child what they have learned about the Lunar New Year. You are also encouraged to check out the display case near our office that has symbols of the Lunar New Year in it.
Gong Xi!
Black History Month
Salmon Math
Several older students have been working on a math estimation puzzle using the large salmon tank located on the second floor. The tank may look like it is filled with gravel, but if you look closely, you will see 300 salmon eggs resting gently, waiting to hatch. Jessie and Cormac, from Mr. Bennett's class, explained the math puzzle for estimating when the eggs will hatch.
There are 656 Accumulated Thermal Units in the tank. The formula involves adding the number 18 to the Thermal Unit number until you reach a number between 850 and 950. This accounts for the time the eggs were fertilized (Dec. 6th), until they hatch. Then you can look at the calendar to predict how many days and find the date. The average number to get to 850 was 11 days with the possibility of up to 17 days. Both Jessie and Cormac thought the hatching date would be February 4th (this Friday), however, Isaiah thought it could be between February 2nd through the 4th. Mr. Bennett thought it would be between January 28th through the 30th. Who will be correct?
Students can check the tank to see if the eggs have hatched and can ask any of the students in Mr. Bennett's class what their estimations were .... and discover who had the correct number of days!
Peek Into the PYP
Our 2nd-grade students spent January inquiring into the forces of motion. Their inquiry focused on this central idea... An objects balance and motion can be described and changed. After conducting many experiments, that students recorded in their lab books, they used their new learning to design and build a toy that balanced, rolled, or could spin.
Our 4th-grade students are also engaged in a unit with the central idea... The earth constantly moves and changes. They are learning about the geological structures of the earth, the earth’s natural processes that cause change, and ways that communities and the environment respond to natural hazards. They have been engaged in engineering and design challenges and are currently working as engineers to design buildings that could withstand an earthquake.
Wade King Artists
Next PTA Meeting: Feb 10th at 6:00 pm on ZOOM
If you have not yet joined our Wade King PTA, we encourage you to! You can join online. This is a great way to show your support for our school community, even if you aren't able to volunteer.
Drop-off and Pick-Up
And, because student safety is our #1 priority, our staff is careful to model for our students walking on the sidewalk (rather than across the drop-off/pick-up loop) when there are cars in that area before and after school. We want to train our students to walk on the sidewalk rather than through traffic. If you are visiting us during the school day, it is fine to walk across the loop.
Spirit Wear Online Sale... Coming Soon!
Absences for Family Travel
Our district policy requires that absences for family travel be excused by school administration so we can be sure that kids are not missing a high number of days and continue to meet academic standards. If you are planning on time off as a family, please email Stephanie Korn, one of our building administrators, to request that the absences be excused.
Weather Procedure and Snow Routes
Winter weather is still here. Just a reminder to update your preferences using our Skylert webpage. You can always check in with our office team for support.
You can find other information on inclement weather procedures and make-up days on our weather procedures and snow route information page.
Note from Mrs. Wakefield (our School Counselor)
Jaymie.Wakefield@bellinghamschools.org
school phone - (360) 647-6840 ext. 2413
district cell phone - (360) 746-5319
After-School Dinner Program is Free For All Children 18 and Under!
Bellingham Public Schools serves hot dinner at no cost to all children 18 and under. These meals are offered from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday through June 16, 2022. Dinner is served in the Shuksan Middle School cafeteria, located at 2717 Alderwood Avenue (at the corner of Northwest and Alderwood). It does not matter what school you attend in the district.
Accompanying adults are charged $4.75 per meal — please bring cash or check. Please plan to eat onsite in the Shuksan cafeteria.
The daily Monday through Thursday dinner menu is listed on the school menu webpage by day after the lunch listing.
Please note: Dinner will not be served on school holidays or on the following all-school early dismissal days: Feb. 10, March 10 and April 28.
Ways to Help Our PTA Earn Money... that comes right back to supporting our kids!
Link to Amazon Smile
Another way to help our PTA earn money is by linking your Fred Meyers Reward card to Wade King PTA 8.3.37. A percentage of your spending goes right back to our PTA and it does not impact your other rewards.
Safe Schools Reporting and Tip Line
Students, parents or community members who have information, tips, or concerns regarding a safety issue in our schools are encouraged to text or call 844-310-9560 or visit bellinghamschools.org/safe for confidential, anonymous, two-way communication with our safety staff.
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Wade King Elementary School
Email: Stephanie.Johnson@bellinghamschools.org
Website: http://wadeking.bellinghamschools.org/
Location: 2155 Yew Street Road, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 647-6840
Facebook: facebook.com/WadeKingElementary
Twitter: @WadeKingElem