Tiger Tales

Dear Medina Families and Community,

We hope you enjoyed a peaceful weekend before the busyness of spring break! Thank you to those who helped to plan, prepare, and organize the amazing and fun auction, as well as all of you who attended and/or donated to support our kids! We are deeply appreciative and recognize that our families and community members play a big part in making our school so special. It was also heart-warming to connect with some of you at the Bellevue Schools Foundation Spring for Schools event on Saturday!

Spring break is coming, and we hope you enjoy lots of family time and refuel for the final stretch when schools resume on April 17. For those who celebrate Passover (4/6 - 4/13) and/or Easter (4/9), we wish you Chag Pesach Semach and a Happy Easter, respectively.

Warmly,

Kati & Betty

Upcoming Events

April 10-14: School Closed for Spring Break

April 18: Pastries with Principals (virtual link coming soon), 5-6:30pm, Topic: Digital Safety & Screen time

April 28: STEAM Family Night, 5pm

May 8-12: Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week

May 11: Joint Clyde Hill & Medina Family University Night, 5:30-7pm, @ Medina

Spirit Week

Check out the daily fun for this week. Participation is optional!

Monday – Silly Socks Day, Mismatched, funny, or multiple pairs, wear your funniest socks!

Tuesday – Sunshine Day, Wear bright sunny colors, sunglasses, or hats!

Wednesday – Career Day, Dress for the job! Wear something you would wear to your future job.

Thursday – Teacher Look Alike Day, Dress like a teacher or staff member!

Friday – PJ/Comfy Clothes Day, Wear your PJs or your comfiest clothes!

Counselor Update

We have exciting news! Elise Geck, our counselor, has returned on a part-time schedule and met some of our students last week. Ms. Danuta Sztuka will continue to support us on Mondays and Tuesdays, while Ms. Geck will be in the building on Wednesday and Friday. Ms. Geck anticipates returning back to a full schedule shortly after spring break.

Virtual Pastries with Principals

To accommodate requests for evening times, we will be hosting our next Pastries with Principals event virtually on April 18th, from 5-6:30pm. The topic will be Digital Safety and Screen Time Use with guest BSD speakers, Jason Golec (Executive Director of Technology) and James Luke (Director of Cyber Security). The next newsletter will feature the online TEAMS link that you can use to access the event.

Community Message from our Superintendents

Dear BSD Community:

Finding new words of comfort is hard amid yet another school shooting. Monday, March 27, six people were killed, including three children, at the Covenant Christian School in Nashville, Tennessee. Our sincerest thoughts and prayers seem hollow in the wake of the stark reality of gun violence plaguing our communities across the county. The Bellevue School District expends yet another expression of sympathy and outreach of condolences to the Covenant school family – in hopes that collectively, we will take more significant action toward keeping all students safe. Together, the collective voices of our staff, students and families can make the difference.

We ask that you continue the conversations with some and remind others of the district’s multi-layered approach to safety, security, and emergency preparedness. We encourage everyone to be informed and know what to do in an emergency.

We acknowledge the impact of these incidents on our families and share these resources to strengthen and support us during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Art Jarvis, Interim Superintendent

Dr. Kelly Aramaki, Incoming Superintendent

World Autism Awareness Day

World Autism Awareness Day is April 2nd. This annual observance raises awareness of autism and advocates for the acceptance, support, and inclusion of people with autism and the larger neurodivergent community. World Autism Awareness Day also kicks off Autism Acceptance Month, which is recognized every year in April.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by unique social interactions, non-standard ways of learning, repetitive behaviors or interests, challenges in typical communications and particular ways of processing sensory information. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning each person with autism has their own unique set of strengths and challenges.

Some ways you can show support on World Autism Awareness Day and throughout the month of April include: listening to and sharing stories of autistic and neurodivergent individuals, advocating for practices that accept and accommodate neurodivergence, engaging in random acts of kindness at school, work, and in the community, and celebrating the people in your life who are neurodivergent. You can also check out the resources below to learn more about autism and neurodivergence.

Resources and Additional Information:

CDC: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Seattle Children's Autism Center

UW Medicine: What is Neurodiversity?

UW Medicine: Are Women with Autism Getting Overlooked?

WADOH: Autism | Statewide Resources

BSD: Special Education

UW Autism Center

Norovirus

Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can get sick with norovirus (and you can have the illness more than once). The virus spreads very easily and quickly and outbreaks are common, especially from November—April. Most people get better within 1-2 days, but dehydration can be a problem for some people, especially the very young, the elderly, and people with other illnesses.

You can get norovirus from:

• Having direct contact with an infected person

• Consuming contaminated food or water

• Touching contaminated surfaces and then putting unwashed hands in your mouth

The most common symptoms of norovirus are:

• Diarrhea • Vomiting

• Nausea • Stomach pain

Additional resources and information on norovirus:

CDC: Norovirus

WADOH: Norovirus

Public Health Seattle & King County: Norovirus