Principal Newsletter 1.10.22 – Ardmore Elementary School

Principal Message:

Happy Friday Ardmore Families,

Hope you are all enjoying the few sunny days we’ve had recently. This reminds me that while the surge in Omicron has continued to bring a sense of fear or distress to many, we can still find joy in so many things. This week, I reflected on the significance of Monday’s holiday, Martin Luther King Junior day and what it means to me. Dr. King was a hero in America and his legacy continues to live in our world today. He fought for the civil rights and justice of African Americans in our country. He was an exemplary model that shared a tremendous vision of what America could become. Because of his work and many others like him, we have the privilege to share and be in community with one another. Every day I learn from each of our students and am honored to be in their presence, serving our wonderfully diverse community.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'” –The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here to serve our Ardmore community,

Ms. Arroyo, Ardmore Elementary Principal, arroyob@bsd405.org

Announcements: January 24-28, 2022

Monday

January 24, 2022

Tuesday

January 25, 2022

Wednesday

January 26, 2022

Early Dismissal at 12:20 pm

Thursday

January 27, 2022

Friday

January 28, 2022

This day, school will be in session to make up for the school closure on November 12, 2021.

Third (3^rd) Grade Social Studies Unit

BSD Announces NEW 3rd Grade Social Studies Unit!
All too often, difficult stories are ignored because they are considered too uncomfortable to teach or to learn, especially in the elementary grades. The new lessons include the experiences of several Japanese American families in Bellevue before, during and after World War II, to strengthen traditionally silenced narratives.

Current Guidance on COVID in BSD

Let’s Talk with Dr. Jarvis & Heather Edlund
In order to provide the most current information to families, the latest installment of our Let’s Talk series is devoted to sharing current guidance on COVID-19. This episode features Heather Edlund and Art Jarvis as they discuss the measures that are in place at your schools to help mitigate risk and promote the health and safety of students and staff.

The video has been shared to the district YouTube and on social media, and it will be added to the district website and BSD News & Events next week. It has also been added to this article. We encourage you to take some time to watch the video in order to reinforce this guidance to your school community. You may also share it in your regular newsletters. The salient topics of discussion covered in Let’s Talk include:

What does Test to Stay mean?
COVID-19 Dashboard update.
What is the updated mask guidance?
Information on upcoming vaccine clinics.

Watch the video.

Bellevue School District Annual Survey

Your Participation is Requested: Annual Family Engagement Survey
The Bellevue School District’s Department of Family Engagement is hosting its annual Family Engagement Survey from January 4 to February 1, 2022. Please look for an email from Panorama Education received on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, with a survey link and instructions.

The purpose of the survey is to gather feedback from you, our families, around how our school informs, supports, and empowers you to contribute to your student’s success. Your valuable feedback is essential to the continuous improvement and advancement of the family engagement practices in our school community, and we thank you in advance, for your participation.

For more information, please visit: Family Engagement Survey

Upon completion of the Family Engagement Survey, we invite your input on grading in the Bellevue School District. Visit https://bsd405.org/grades for more information.

Access this message in Simplified Chinese and Spanish.

WIDA Annual Assessment – ACCESS

Annual English Language Proficiency Assessments

ACCESS for ELLs is the annual assessment Washington will begin using in spring of 2022. It is an online assessment given to all students in grades 1 to 12 who are eligible for English language development (ELD) services. Students in kindergarten will take the Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs test as their annual ELP assessment which is paper- pencil based. 

These assessments’ measures students’ English language proficiency, both knowledge and skills, in four language domains (reading, listening, writing, and speaking). 

The 2022 testing window is January 31 to March 25.

Learn more and access WIDA quick facts.

COVID-19 Testing at Ardmore

COVID-19 screening and diagnostic testing.

Pool testing Discontinuing as of January 21, 2022

Diagnostic testing–Diagnostic testing is available at Ardmore on Mondays through Fridays during school hours for students with symptoms. If you would like a diagnostic test, please contact our main at 425-office to set up a time to come in.

It’s not too late to provide consent to participate in COVID-19 testing in our schools. Permission for testing can be updated at any time. Testing may only occur with consent. You may provide us with information on your desire to opt-in or opt-out of the COVID-19 testing by completing this COVID Testing Consent form. Because the Washington Department of Health requires the district to obtain written parental consent for minor students, and assent/consent for students themselves if they are 18 or over and their own legal guardian, any student that does not have consent will not be tested.

For questions related to testing at our school, please contact me at arroyob@bsd405.org or Nurse Amy at borberga@bsd405.org

BSD Funding Town Hall

Save the Date: Funding Town Hall
We invite our community to come engage with Melissa deVita, Deputy Superintendent for Finance and Operations as she is joined by BSD students for a fun and informative town hall discussion about funding for district programs. The Funding Town Hall will take place virtually through Teams. More information about funding is available on the district website.

Session Date: Monday, January 24, 2022
Session Time: 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Virtual attendance link: Attendee Link for BSD Funding Town Hall

COVID vaccination clinic coming up!

COVID-19 Vaccine POP-UP Clinic for Bellevue School District Students, Staff and Families
In partnership with Safeway/Albertsons

BSD will host a clinic at WISC on January 26th offering:

Pediatric Pfizer vaccine first or second shots for students aged 5-11,
Pfizer first or second shots for students aged 12 and up and adults, and
Pfizer booster doses for students aged 12 and up and adults.

Clinic at WISC (Wilburton Instructional Service Center)
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: WISC
Street Address: 12241 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98005