Sehome High School Mariner Memo
Week of August 30-Sept 3, 2021
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Note from Principal
We are SO excited to start school tomorrow and welcome each of our Mariner students. The school building opens at 8:15. We are asking that students go directly to their Anchor class each morning so that we can limit congregating. After checking in and taking attendance, we will begin our first assembly of the school year outside! We are excited to be able to welcome our freshmen class and also celebrate all of our classes on this momentous day. The assembly is for students and staff only. Masks will be required during the assembly. At the conclusion of the assembly, students will go to their first period class.
We are excited to have our hot school lunches back! They are free for all students this year thanks to a federal program. Students have several options on where to eat lunch. We are an open campus for 9-12th grade students this year. They are welcome to go home or go to one of the surrounding businesses. We are encouraging anyone who stays on campus to eat to take their lunch outside. We have lots of great seating options and we know that this is the best option in terms of mitigating the risk of the spread of COVID-19. If students choose to stay inside, they will need to be in designated areas 6 feet apart. Please talk with your child about your expectations for them at lunch and talk through these options as a family and decide what is best for your child.
We cannot wait to see kids tomorrow! The building came back to life yesterday as we welcomed all of our teaching staff. It is so wonderful to be in person connecting and learning together.
Here's to a great 2021-2022 school year. Know that we are here to support you and your child. Reach out with questions, concerns, celebrations, or feedback!
Sonia Cole
Principal
IN THIS EPISODE:
1- Key Dates
2- Schedules
3- Cameras
4- Parking Permits
5- Bus Loop
6- Bell Schedule
7- A/B Schedule
8- Attendance
9- Open Campus for 9th-12th Grade
10- Athletics & Activities Information
11- COVID-19 Safety Protocols
12- Transportations
13- Staffing Update
14- Save the Date- Open House
15- Multi-Lingual Message Line
16- Food Service
17- PTSA
18- Contact Information
1 - KEY DATES
2 - SCHEDULES
- This year, you will not be receiving a printed copy of your class schedule. You can access your class schedule through Skyward.
- Freshmen schedules were made available during freshman orientation on August 26.
- Sophomore, junior, and senior schedules are viewable on Skyward beginning August 30th.
- If you are unable to access your schedule, please come by the main office or counseling office and we will print a copy for you.
How do I change my schedule?
1) Check the Master Schedule - Classes for 1st Semester to see what courses are offered.
2) Check the Course Catalog - Course descriptions and Graduation requirements.
3) Email your counselor with courses you want to drop and add.
- Schedule changes are not guaranteed and are subject to approval only due to extenuating circumstances. Schedule Change Forms are only accepted the first two weeks of school.
3 - CAMERAS
Over the spring and summer, contractors installed security cameras inside and outside of several of our schools, including here at Sehome. This project was approved by our community as part of the 2018 school facilities bond. Security cameras will help us maintain the health, welfare and safety of students, staff and visitors, and protect our school’s equipment and beautiful campus.
Cameras are located at key points outside the building for exterior vandalism deterrent and protection, and in some common interior areas such as hallways. Cameras do not record audio, and they will not be installed in classrooms, restrooms or locker rooms or any places where we presume privacy. Recordings will only be available to authorized people. For more information, see policy 6610.
Our district is installing cameras at all of our schools and has prioritized high schools for the first phase. We are excited to see this project coming to our high schools as an important tool in helping keep our school community safe and secure.
4 - PARKING PERMITS
5 - BUS LOOP
Thank you
6 - BELL SCHEDULE
7 - A/B SCHEDULE
8 - ATTENDANCE
9 - OPEN CAMPUS
10 - ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
Fall Sports Information:
Football Practices start Wednesday, August 18.
All other Fall Sports start Monday, August 23.
Please contact the coaches listed below for additional details.
To register for Fall Sports:
Update your student’s information and documents in Final Forms.
1. Go to FinalForms, click on “Parent” and login.
· If you forgot your password, click “Forgot your password?”
· If you have never set up your FinalForms account, click “Never logged in?” then enter the main email address that we have on file for you in Skyward to resend the confirmation link. Then, use the link to set up the account and login.
Coach Contact for Fall Sports:
Fall Sports
Boys Tennis Tom Sloane sloanes@comcast.net
Coed Cross Country Kevin Ryan kevin.ryan@bellinghamschools.org
Coed Dance Selena Arciniega-Storey selena.arciniega-storey@bellinghamschools.org
Coed Football Kevin Beason beas5112@yahoo.com
Coed Cheer Beth Kealy elizabeth.kealy@bellinghamschools.org
Girls Slow-Pitch Jim Emerson burgleremerson@comcast.net
Girls Soccer Emily Webster emily.webster@bellinghamschools.org
Girls Swimming Don Helling don.helling@bellinghamschools.org
Girls Volleyball Zach Calles skagitislandvball@gmail.com
Any questions, reach out to:
Kristin Cerenzia
Activities & Athletics Admin Asst
Kristin.cerenzia@bellinghamschools.org
Colin Cushman
Athletic/Activities Coordinator
11 - COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Our two primary goals for the 2021-22 school year are to maximize in-person instruction by keeping kids in school and to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff and to their families and our broader community. Our best protections are the COVID-19 vaccine and masks.
Here is the current guidance that we will follow:
- Masks are required inside schools for everyone regardless of vaccination status.
- Masks are optional outside but recommended for crowded events.
- Physical distance should not be a barrier to in-person instruction. Our goal is to have a distance of 3 feet between students in the classroom.
- We will not be doing health attestations for students. We ask that everyone stay home when they are sick.
- We are hoping to expand testing access to every school.
- We will continue to do contact tracing.
- We will continue to focus on handwashing and sanitizing.
12-TRANSPORTATION
A Message from Transportation
Dear families,
You are receiving this email because at least one student in your household is eligible to ride the school bus to and from their school. (If you have children attending different schools or levels you may also receive a message regarding walk and bike routes.)
Welcome back for a new school year! This email will help you:
- Figure out when and where your student will catch the school bus.
- Teach (or reteach!) your student how to ride the bus and get home safely.
- Mark your calendar for important dates when school and bus schedules change.
Bus Routes
Check our Transportation website and click on “Infofinder Bus Route Locator” for the most current bus stop locations and times. Please double-check your bus stops, routes, and/or times, as they may have changed since last year. We recommend families check routes online now and again just before the first day of school.
We especially encourage kindergarten families to have their student ride the bus on the first two days of kindergarten for kindergarten bus learning opportunities.
Do Routes Change?
On occasion, some routes and times may change to better serve our students as we make adjustments based on the number of riders. Changes, if any, will be updated daily on the Infofinder website. We will use email and text messaging to notify schools and riders of significant changes (i.e. earlier pickup times or a pickup/dropoff change of more than 10 minutes) after the first day of school.
Make sure your family’s contact information is updated in Skyward Family Messenger to receive transportation alerts about bus route changes, along with other important and helpful school information. To update, follow the instructions at bellinghamschools.org/skylert.
Ride Safely
Please take a few minutes and watch our “Ready to Ride” video at our transportation webpage to review how to ride safely. The video will also be shared at your elementary school if your student is a new rider.
In the morning, please arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to the scheduled time. Masks are required while on the bus. Please have your mask on when the bus arrives. Siblings will sit in the same seat when possible. Please see our COVID-19 webpage for more information.
Additional instructions on how to ride the bus and rules and safety procedures for riding the bus are found on page 37 of the Family Handbook and Calendar, which was recently mailed to your home. If you did not receive a copy of this, you can pick up one from your school.
Create Your Return Home Plan
All elementary families need to complete a Return Home Plan in Skyward Family Access. We care about your children and want to ensure that every K-5 family has a safe Return Home Plan from school, whether your student walks, rides the bus, or is picked up. The safety of your student is our primary concern. Bus drivers will help kindergartners and other young children learn to ride the bus. If you plan to greet your student, it is very important that you or a designated adult be at the bus stop a few minutes before the dropoff time.
If a parent/guardian is unable to meet their student at the bus stop for dropoff, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to teach their student what steps to take, such as walking in groups with other children or going to a neighbor's home.
Bellingham Public Schools is unable to assume responsibility for a student who is dropped off at a designated bus stop after school when a parent/guardian is not present. It is not recommended, implied or otherwise, that kindergartners or other young children are capable of attending to their own needs for extended periods of time. However, it is up to the parent/guardian to decide the maturity level of their student and to make studentcare arrangements when the parent/guardian is unable to meet their student at the bus stop.
If a parent/guardian is unable to meet their student at a bus stop, and the student feels insecure about leaving the bus, then that student will be transported to a designated high school’s main office. Please call district office reception at (360) 676-6400 for assistance in connecting with your student.
Any Questions?
After reviewing this letter, please contact us at (360) 676-6546 with any remaining questions. Our automated telephone system will help direct you to the person that can best help you. Please listen to the prompts. Your call is important to us, and please be aware that our call volume is high during the first week of school. Your call may not be immediately answered, but please know that we will respond as soon as we can.
Mark Your Calendar
Wednesday, Sept. 1: Bus service begins for grades 1-12
Thursday, Sept. 2 and Friday, Sept. 3: Bus service begins for kindergarten. We have kindergarten bus learning opportunities on these days, since kindergartners will go home earlier than the older kids. We encourage all bus-eligible kindergartners to ride the bus on Sept. 2 and 3 to learn how to be safe and have fun.
Thursday, Sept. 9: First Thursday early dismissal for elementary students. Grades K-5 are dismissed at 12:45 p.m., and afternoon buses arrive at stops approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes earlier than their regular time.
Thursday. Sept. 23: First Thursday early dismissal for all schools. Middle schools are dismissed at 12 p.m., elementary schools are dismissed at 12:45 p.m. and high schools are dismissed at 1:30 p.m.
Please see the school year calendar for a complete list of all early dismissals.
Rae Anne Thon
Transportation Director
Esta es información sobre la educación de su hijo/a. Solicite traducción o interpretación gratis si necesita al 360-676-6456.
13-STAFFING UPDATE
NEW STAFF:
- Amy Boyson, Preschool Paraeducator
- Christina Campbell, Intervention Prevention Specialist
- Kerri Clary, Exceptional Education
- Sasha Colmenero, Exceptional Education
- Sarah Curlin, Administrative Assistant
- Valerie De Fehr, School Psychologist
- Kristin Dungan, Paraeducator
- Katharine Festin, Exceptional Education
- Luke Holtgeerts, Video Productions
- Kim Kirk, Ed Tech TOSA
- Laura Lawyer, Preschool Paraeducator
- Trish Neary, Paraeducator
- Megan Parent, Pareducator
- Gulzar Rahman, Custodian
- Donny Rose, Band & Choir Teacher
- Serhiy Zablotskyy, Night custodian
- Max Zentner, Social Studies and Leadership
COUNSELING ASSIGNMENT CHANGE:
We are moving away from the model of having a 9th grade counselor. Students will now be divided by alpha and will remain with their counselor all four years.
The new assignments are:
Amy Hjelt, Counselor A - D: amy.hjelt@bellinghamschools.org
Jeff Smith, Counselor E-K: jeffrey.smith@bellinghamschools.org
Hana Schutz, Counselor L-Re: hana.schutz@bellinghamschools.org
John Vandermolen, Counselor Rh - Z: john.vandermolen@bellinghamschools.org
14- Save The Date
15-MULTI-LANGUAGE MESSAGE LINE
16-FOOD SERVICES
Families are still encouraged to fill out the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application for other benefits related to free and reduced status.
You can view the lunch menu here.
17-SEHOME PTSA
To join the Sehome PTSA: https://www.memberplanet.com/packetview/sehomehighptsa/sehomehighschoolptsamembershippages
Email: sehomehighschoolptsa@gmail.com
Website: https://sehomehighptsa.memberplanet.com/
Facebook: SehomeHighSchoolPTSA
Instagram: @sehomehsptsa
18-SEHOME POINTS OF CONTACT
Sonia Cole, Principal: sonia.cole@bellinghamschools.org
Mike Couto, Assistant Principal: A - K mike.couto@bellinghamschools.org
Bethany Barrett, Assistant Principal: L - Z bethany.barrett@bellinghamschools.org
Colin Cushman, Athletics & Activities: colin.cushman@bellinghamschools.org
Amy Hjelt, Counselor A - D: amy.hjelt@bellinghamschools.org
Jeff Smith, Counselor E-K: jeffrey.smith@bellinghamschools.org
Hana Schutz, Counselor L-Re: hana.schutz@bellinghamschools.org
John Vandermolen, Counselor Rh - Z: john.vandermolen@bellinghamschools.org