a group of students holding presents and smiling for a photo with their teacher

Each year our Bellevue School District community finds different opportunities to lend a hand during the holiday season! Highlighted are just some of the ways our students, staff, families and community members have given back this year.

two students walk down a red carpet at the International School Snowflake Assembly

International

International School has put on their annual Snowflake Donation Drive since 1996! The ASB Senior Class Officers lead the drive along with getting Snowflake Representatives from each grade level to encourage students to donate. Throughout the month of December, the entire community comes together to collect food donations and other goods to benefit Hopelink, a local organization supporting people experiencing homelessness and low-income families in King and Snohomish counties. This year, International School donated over 2,500 pounds of food to Hopelink and presented the donations at their annual Snowflake Assembly.


Phantom Lake

The kindergarten classes at Phantom Lake sponsored a school-wide toy drive in partnership with the Bellevue Fire Department. Firefighters arrived in their bright red fire engine to the school’s assembly to collect all of the new, donated toys. The drive ended just in time for the toys to be distributed at the fire foundation’s annual Youth Holiday Party!


a student hugging a firefighter

students from Big Picture holding items they donated to Northwest Harvest

Big Picture

This season Big Picture supported Northwest Harvest, Washington’s statewide hunger relief agency, and collected more than 2,200 items to donate! On Monday students and staff filled up a truck full of food, ready to be picked up by the organization and distributed to their partner programs. Each year the Big Picture community hosts a food or clothing drive to benefit a local organization.


Educational Service Center

Staff at ESC hosted a Winter Wish Drive which benefitted Unaccompanied Youth – students who are on their own and experiencing homelessness. The foyer was filled with white mitten wish tags which reflected the gift wishes of the students. The most popular request was for gift cards because the majority of the students enjoy choosing clothing that fits them best and feel empowered in being able to make that decision. By the end of the drive all of the mitten tags had been taken and each request had been fulfilled!


a pile of gifts for the Unaccompanied Youth drive

We are thankful to be a part of a community that values compassion and service! Both of which are values that are outlined in our Strategic Plan.

Do you want to share some of the ways your school has given back this holiday season? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram by using the hashtag #BSDSpiritofGiving and tag us!


The Bellevue School District acknowledges that we learn, work, live and gather on the Indigenous Land of the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Duwamish and Snoqualmie Tribes. We thank these caretakers of this land, who have lived and continue to live here, since time immemorial.