Columbia Splash
November 2021
Note from the Principal
Hi Columbia Families and Caregivers!
I hope you have had and found much joy and gratitude over the Thanksgiving holiday for those who celebrate. Our thoughts continue to be with our greater Whatcom ‘family’ and those who have been impacted by heavy rains and floods. As you will see in this newsletter edition, we have some CARING 5th graders who, after learning about the floods, wanted to take action and support those impacted. In this short time that I have been the principal at Columbia, I am learning that this caring spirt is not isolated but an important part of what makes this school so great.
Weekly Virtual Assembly: We are focusing on the learner profile attribute, caring: https://bellingham.wistia.com/medias/re8g52wos5.
Things to know from me as we approach Winter Break:
- Health and safety is an important priority. Please continue to monitor your child’s health and please reach out to our front office team to report sickness and to get any support/answers you need if your child or someone in your household is unwell.
- Routines. Holidays are special and can be exhausting. Support your child by thinking about how you can build consistent routines so they can be their best learning selves at school.
- Care for Our School Grounds. It takes a village. If you see any behaviors or misuse of our school grounds after hours, please give gentle and kind reminders that this is an important community space that we need to care for. If you are unable or uncomfortable, please reach out to me directly with any concerns you may notice.
- 5th Grade Action: See the attachment for how you can help our 5th graders take action around community needs and their classroom learning.
- Kinder Learning: Kinders are learning about community and jobs/roles of community members. On Wednesday, December 8th, they will meet/see some police officers (as one of several guest speakers/community partners coming to our school).
Please take care and as always, reach out if you have any questions, need support or have ideas of what I can include in these weekly messages!
Kind Regards,
Minh
Here is an action project from our 5th Graders. They learned about the floods and are wanting to support community members who were affected by the floods.
IN THIS EPISODE:
2. Dressing Appropriately
3. COVID Vaccination for Children
4. COVID-19 Testing
5. Promise Kindergarten
6. IB Learner Profile
7. Primary Years Program
8. Free Dinner Program for Children
9. A Note From Our School Counselor
10. Thank You
11. Volunteer Info
12. Planning for Winter Weather
13. School Grounds
14. Keeping Students Information Updated
15. Safe Schools Reporting & Tip Line
16. A Note From Our CPA
DRESSING APPROPRIATELY FOR THE WEATHER
If your child is in need of a warm jacket, please contact our school counselor, Alisson Bonner at Alisson.Bonner@bellinghamschools.org.
COVID VACCINATIONS FOR CHILDREN
Thursday clinics at Alderwood:
Bellingham Public Schools will host vaccination clinics at Alderwood Elementary School (3400 Hollywood Ave) on Thursdays in December with 60 appointments available at each clinic
- 1:45 – 4:40 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 9 Register online for Dec 9.
- 1:45 – 4:40 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 16 Register online for Dec 16.
Appointments must be scheduled using the PrepMod system. If you have trouble navigating the PrepMod appointment system, please call the health department’s appointment assistance line at 360-778-6075.
You will not be charged for the vaccine. If you have health insurance, the vaccine will be billed to it. If you do not have health insurance, you will be able to indicate that when scheduling your appointment.
For questions about vaccine clinics, contact Amelia Vader at amelia.vader@bellinghamschools.org.
Future clinics:
Additional clinics will be scheduled at other locations on Thursday early dismissal days in January. This will allow families to schedule a first and second dose appointment, allowing for three weeks between doses. We will share registration links for these clinics as soon as the online appointment system is ready.
Vaccine appointments in our community:
Availability of kid-sized doses of vaccines are still very limited. The Whatcom County Health Department will continue to update information on how to access COVID-19 vaccines for kids and has compiled a list of providers who offer Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccine facts:
The only authorized vaccine for people 5-18 years of age is Pfizer. The dosage for children 5-11 is one-third of the dosage for adolescents and adults. A second dose is given three weeks after the first. Learn more facts about COVID-19 vaccines at the CDC website.
If your child does get the vaccine, please remember to give the office a copy of the vaccination card so it could be added to their school vaccination record.
PROMISE KINDERGARTEN
About Promise K
Promise K focuses on building basic academic and social skills to help qualifying students get a jump-start toward success in school. Promise K is located at multiple elementary schools across our school district; sites for 2022 have not yet been finalized.
Program dates and times
Family conferences will be scheduled on Monday, Jan. 3 and Tuesday, Jan. 4, and the first full day of Promise K is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2022. Promise K students attend daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and follow the district calendar; the last day of the school year is currently scheduled for June 17, 2022. The strategic plan for Bellingham Public Schools, The Bellingham Promise<http://track.spe.schoolmessenger.com/f/a/9BfLYnrl1JTQW6DML7ndyA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjSzg2P0Q7aHR0cHM6Ly9iZWxsaW5naGFtc2Nob29scy5vcmcvYWJvdXQvdGhlLWJlbGxpbmdoYW0tcHJvbWlzZS9XB3NjaG9vbG1CCmFotgRqYWe8dmlSOkNvbW11bmljYXRpb25zYW5kQ29tbXVuaXR5UmVsYXRpb25zMkBiZWxsaW5naGFtc2Nob29scy5vcmdYBAAAAAE~>, drives us to do all we can in support of all students at every level of education. One of our key strategies is to enhance and invest in early childhood learning opportunities. We believe offering Promise Kindergarten is a positive and critical step in helping all children transition into our schools and start their journeys of lifelong learning.
Apply here
If your child qualifies and you are interested in enrolling them into our Promise K program, please fill out the online application<http://track.spe.schoolmessenger.com/f/a/XoSrGGWnE4jP6jO5mxJo2g~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRjSzg2P0Q7aHR0cHM6Ly9iZWxsaW5naGFtc2Nob29scy5vcmcvcHJvZ3JhbS9wcm9taXNlLWtpbmRlcmdhcnRlbi9XB3NjaG9vbG1CCmFotgRqYWe8dmlSOkNvbW11bmljYXRpb25zYW5kQ29tbXVuaXR5UmVsYXRpb25zMkBiZWxsaW5naGFtc2Nob29scy5vcmdYBAAAAAE~>. We invite you to share this information with friends and neighbors who may also have a child within Bellingham Public Schools boundaries who qualifies for Promise K.
If you have any questions, please contact Kris Newberry<mailto:Kristin.Newberry@bellinghamschools.org> in the Department of Teaching and Learning or call 360-676-6488.
Primary Years Program (PYP) in Action at Columbia
Since becoming an IB/PYP candidate school, teachers at Columbia have worked collaboratively to develop and continuously improve six transdisciplinary units of inquiry per grade level. Transdisciplinary is the word that IB uses to describe a discipline that applies across all disciplines. A transdisciplinary concept stretches across math, science, language arts, and social studies and ties it all together; it is not isolated to one subject. The units that teachers have developed make our school’s program of inquiry (POI). In planning and preparing for the units, teachers, and stakeholders in the community reflect on their current students to better plan units that will meet the needs and honor the experiences of the learners. Using a transdisciplinary program of inquiry, students in a PYP setting will be offered a balanced learning experience rooted in conceptual understanding and given opportunities to explore human commonalities.
The six transdisciplinary themes are:
Who we are – An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Where we are in place and time – An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations, and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
How we express ourselves – An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
How the world works – An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principals; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
How we organize ourselves – An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
Sharing the planet – An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
After-school dinner program 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: Nov. 4, Nov. 24, Dec. 9, Feb. 10, March 10 and April 28.
A Note From Our School Counselor
Students are going to benefit from schools and families searching for ways to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children. The Washington Department of Health has several resources for the purpose of supporting learners through the COVID pandemic both in school and at home. One resource in particular is aimed at supporting families/parents of students in Washington.
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/BHG-COVID19-FamilyToolbox.pdf
The above resource is a worthy read if you are interested in learning more about emotional and behavioral responses that children may still be experiencing, as well as, tips and strategies for supporting students at home as they continue to learn and grow in these unique times.
As always, feel free to reach out to the counselor, Alisson Bonner, if you need more support or resources for your family or your children. Email: Alisson.bonner@bellinghamschools.org
THANK YOU COLUMBIA COMMUNITY!
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteers provide invaluable support in delivering on The Bellingham Promise to empower every child to discover and develop a passion for learning and be ready for the widest range of educational and vocational options.
If you are interested in volunteering please complete the online application.
Emergency and Weather Procedures
It’s that time of year to think about snow and our procedures and impact of weather-related school cancellations.
Depending on conditions (which could include snow, flooding, power outages, etc.), school could:
- close for the day (in the case of widespread power outages),
- open two hours late with regular bus routes or snow bus routes,
- open on time with snow bus routes.
How can I get weather/emergency information?
Changes to the school schedule are usually announced by 6 a.m., and we use a variety of methods to keep families informed:
- Sign up for alerts: To receive email, phone, and/or text alerts, set your communication preferences on the Skylert tab within Skyward Family Access. (Need help? go here for step-by-step directions or contact 360-676-6520.)
- Tune to local media: 790 AM, 96.5 FM, 104.1 FM or Seattle media.
- Check bellinghamschools.org
- Check @BhamSD on Twitter, @bellinghamschools on Facebook and @bellinghamschools on Instagram
- Call 360-676-6400 for a recorded message.
- Call 360-647-6815 for a message translated in Español, русский, tính từ and Punjabi.
Please familiarize yourself with our weather procedures at bellinghamschools.org/weather.
How to find your snow bus route: www.bellinghamschools.org/snow-routes
Dog Poop Reminder and Care for Our Grounds
We love that our school is like a community park after-hours. Just like we work to teach our kids to be stewards of our community, we know it takes the whole village. Please make sure that when you bring your furry friend, to please pick up your poop. If you bring your pet to drop off and pick up, please make sure that it is on a leash.
Many families allow their older children to play on our school grounds outside of school hours. Please make sure to talk to them about caring for our school by throwing away garbage, staying off the storage shed and being aware of language and communication as we frequently have small children around.
Keeping Students Information Updated
It is important that you contact our office when there are changes made regarding your students address, health, or contact information. Throughout the year, you will receive emails and phone messages concerning your child(ren), from Columbia and the Bellingham Public Schools. Please take the time to update your preferences at here.
Safe Schools Reporting and Tip Line
COLUMBIA PARENT ASSOCIATION (CPA)
The CPA needs families to give input on what future events they would like to see happen and what they are willing to support so the CPA will know where to focus their efforts. Events like the jog-a-thon are so important in fostering the Columbia Community Connection by bringing staff, students, and families together to have some good old fashion fun.
Learn more about:
- School news: the latest and greatest of what's happening at Columbia
- Teacher appreciation: how families can support our amazing teachers
- Holiday gift drive: find out how the CPA will partner with staff on a gift drive for families that need extra support this holiday season
- School events: all input is welcome
- Supporting our school and CPA: we have lots of easy fundraising opportunities as well as volunteer needs. Learn how you can help make all of these community building programs and events be wildly successful.
CPA Meetings are every month on the Third Thursday.
Dec 16, 2021 06:30 PM
Jan 20, 2022 06:30 PM
Feb 17, 2022 06:30 PM
Mar 17, 2022 06:30 PM
Apr 21, 2022 06:30 PM
CPA Board for 2021-2022
President - Shelby Giltner * shelby.giltner@gmail.com
Co-Treasurer - Liz Snyder * liz@elizabethasnyder.com
Co-Treasurer - Louise Salem * louise.salem@hotmail.com
Secretary - Regan Levinson * reganlev@gmail.com
Communications - Molly Belvo * molly.ruf@gmail.com
Volunteer Coordinator - Megan Ball * megan.ball@me.com
Honorary Board Member - Zed Blue * zed_blue@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.columbia-cpa.org/
Columbia Elementary School
Email: Michele.Foster@bellinghamschools.org
Website: https://columbia.bellinghamschools.org/
Location: 2508 Utter Street, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: 360-676-6413