Kulshan Connect

In our Kulshan Community, we are courageous, kind, and committed!

Si desea esta información en español llame al 360-676-6456.

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Land Acknowledgement

Dec 2: Meet a Famous Author in Zoom

The Bellingham Public Library welcomes Ben Guterson, author of themiddle grade Winterhouse trilogy, for a virtual event on Wednesday, December 2, at 1 pm. Teen Services Librarian Jen Lovchik, who runs a monthly book group with middle school students, is moderating. All Kulshan students, teachers, and families are welcome to join in. Here is the Zoom link for the event. We hope to see you there!

Dec 2: Mark Your Calendar!

Our KMS ASB is holding our next fundraiser at MOD pizza @ Barkley on Wednesday, December 2, from 10:30 AM - 9:00 PM. You can participate via take out, delivery, or pick up. You can order via their website or in-person at the restaurant . If you are ordering online, use the promo code GR161788K and 20% of your meal’s price will be donated back to our ASB. If you go to Barkley in-person to order, mention that you are with Kulshan Middle School ASB before placing your order. You can RSVP & see all details here: www.groupraise.com/events/161788 #groupraise #modpizza #kulshanmiddleschoolasb

Tuesday Meal & Book Pick Ups

Due to our upcoming holidays, the rest of our November pick up days will be on TUESDAYS. Our next food distribution date is: Tuesday, November 24

Did you know meal boxes are currently free for all children 0-18? Pick up from 4:00 - 5:30 PM at these school sites: Alderwood, Birchwood, Carl Cozier, Cordata, Geneva, Happy Valley, Northern Heights, Roosevelt, Wade King, Fairhaven, Kulshan, Shuksan, Whatcom, Bellingham, Sehome. And these community sites: Sterling Meadows, Eliza Court, Villa Santa Fe, Evergreen Ridge Apartments, Regency Park, Sudden Valley Community Center. if you think you might qualify for free or reduced lunch, please complete this form by December 1, 2020. Paper forms are also available at the distribution sites.

As of December 2, food distribution and book pick-up will return to the previous schedule, this would be on Wednesdays from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.

KMS Counselor Corner

With upcoming holidays and the likelihood that we will be unable to spend them with family in the same way as usual we know that this could be a challenging time for our students. Jen Newbauer and Aaron Tiger have noticed a recent increase in self-harm talk from students and want to provide you with some information in case you hear similar talk from your own student or a friend of theirs. For more information on suicide prevention and how to respond to suicide/self-harm talk click here.

Aaron Tiger - Counselor (cell 360-739-3991)

Jen Newbauer - Counselor (cell 360-739-4138)

Viry Ferreira - KMS Registrar

Kulshan Spirit Gear

Did you order a Kulshan t-shirt or sweatshirt? If yes, you can pick them up Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday from 8:30 AM - 3:00 pm. Or during the Food Pick Up times. There is still time to order shirts and hoodies, some designs and sizes are still available! If you are interested it, please text (360-739-4138) or send an email to our counselor Jen Newbauer.

Updated WA State COVID Recommendations

Here is the guidance released on Sunday, Nov. 15, which includes restrictions on indoor social gathering. This is timely with the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner.
Here is the travel advisory, which advises against non-essential travel and recommends that anyone arriving in Washington from other states or countries self-quarantine for 14 days upon return.

MS Teams Chat Enabled

As you know, we have been using Teams to support classroom instruction. An important feature within Teams is the ability to chat (text, audio, video, or screen sharing) with other students or staff. In order to support student learning, we are enabling this feature for middle school students. Similar to district email, students logged in to their district accounts will only be able to use the chat feature with other school district members (teachers and students). Students will be reminded of the acceptable use for Teams Chat in their Homeroom classes. If you would like to more actively monitor student technology use, please reference the recently sent invitation to apParent - an app based tool for families to manage student computers. If you have any concerns about inappropriate student behavior, please reach out to your students’ teacher.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in BPS

We are happy to share this November 2020 newsletter listing heritage months, cultural celebrations, holidays and other information supporting the important work of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in Bellingham Public Schools. Please visit the EDI webpage for an ongoing dialogue and focus on this key strategy of The Bellingham Promise. You can also reach out directly to the director of equity, diversity and inclusion Janis Velasquez Farmer.

KMS Library Book Checkout

Students can use this link to look at the online catalog. If you see something you want that is unavailable, you can log into Destiny and place a hold (same login as for your laptop). To request books, use this form. Mr. Shaffer and Ms. Stephanie will get your books ready for pickup. Books will be available to be picked up during Food Pick Ups: 4:00 - 5:30 PM.

In November:

Tuesday, November 10
Tuesday, November 17
Tuesday, November 24

Please enter your requests the day before. Requests received after that may not be ready for next-day pickup (but we'll do our best). As always, email Mr. Shaffer for book recommendations, or any other questions! Books not picked up on Pickup Day will be in the office and can be picked up (as well as returned) from 8am-3pm on Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri.

It's Easy to Join KMS PTSA

We currently have 72 members in our PTSA and we would love to reach 100 members by the end of November. Are you interested in joining? It's super easy to join. You can become PTSA member here! Membership rates are low and on a sliding scale. Meetings will be held once per month (normally about 1 hour) via Zoom. You can also follow Kulshan PTSA on Instagram by clicking this link. Do you have questions about our KMS PTSA? Email us here. Thank you!

LGBTQ Support for Families and Youth

Dear Families - Did you know that we have many local and online supports to help you with your LGBTQ+ or questioning student? Middle school is a time of growth and many students in middle school are figuring out who they are. These resources are just a few to help along the journey. Please feel free to reach out to our KMS counselors if you have any questions or need more support Aaron Tiger (cell 360-739-3991) or Jen Newbauer (cell 360-739-4138). Here is a list of local and online supports.

How to Join a Club

We all know that Kulshan Clubs are one of the best things about middle school! Our clubs will be starting up the week of October 19 but you can join anytime. Here is a list of all of our clubs. Click on this Club Form to view the club options and sign up. And YES - you can sign up for more than one. If you check that you are interested in any clubs, our facilitators will reach out to you with more information. Clubs are free and they are all optional.

Weekly Announcement Videos

Did you know that we show a weekly announcement video in Homeroom? Well, we do! If you would like to watch these videos, click here. This is just one more way that we are trying to stay connected to you and your student. We miss you!

Free Cooking Classes

New cooking classes every week on Zoom! Classes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-5:00 PM - just in time for you to enjoy what your kids made at dinner! Sign up to secure your spot in one or more of the classes. You will see additional classes are added to the website each week.

Power Outage?

If there is a power outage, our staff will help your student catch up. Please notify Jeneen Durand, our Attendance Secretary by calling 360-647-6877 or emailing kms.attendance@bellinghamschools.org . If a teacher loses connection during a class, students should stay on the class for a few minutes while the teacher logs back in. Then check students’ email and MS Teams for instructions from the teacher. More information can be found here on our KMS website.

Are you in need of family support?

If you are in need of services or help with domestic abuse or sexual assault the local agency DVSAS (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services) is able to help. Here is a link that helps to explain their role and provides contact information. You can also call our KMS Counselors Aaron Tiger 360-739-3991 or Jen Newbauer cell 360-739-4138.

KMS Attendance

Is your child going to miss a class or a full day? Please email our Kulshan Attendance Secretary, Jeneen Durand, at: kmsattendance@bellinghamschools.org or call us at (360) 647-6877.

Kulshan Garden

Thank you to all those who have helped put school gardens to bed for the winter! We couldn't have done it without you. And now the gardens take a well-deserved break until the growing season begins again. If you're feeling hearty, we'll continue to have garden volunteering opportunities from time to time over the winter months. If you're not already on our volunteer list but want to hear about these opportunities as they come up, please sign up here.

Bellingham Food Bank Schedule

Tuesdays: Shuksan Middle School from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Wednesdays: Christ the King on Meridian from 3:00-6:00 p.m.

(NEW!) Thursdays: Bellingham High School from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Check out the Bellingham Food Bank to learn more or to make a donation.

District Resources Website

Do you still have a question that has not been answered via this newsletter or email? The Bellingham Public School website now has a (click here) one-stop resources page. On this website, you can submit a question about childcare, meals, learning resources, technology resources, mental health, and more. We are here for you.

We Miss You and We Love You!

One more time - we just want you to know we miss you and we would love to hear from you. Though schools are closed, please know that you can email any of your teachers, our administration, or our counselors. We especially would love to see photos of you, your family, your pets, your hobbies, and your outdoor activities. Stay safe and stay healthy!