Important DatesJanuary 16 Martin Luther King Day Observed, No School January 27 First Semester Ends January 30 Second Semester Begins February 20-24 Mid-Winter Break, No School
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Greetings Chinook Middle School Community,
How does your student use social media? How do you know? Chinook, like other schools nationally, is seeing a rise in inappropriate behavior between students via text and social media. It is important for families to be aware of the social media activities of their children, to regularly review the apps installed on their devices, and to scroll through their messages and feeds. See this page from Common Sense Media for more information. Other news and updates are below. In Partnership, James Peterson Principal |
Breakfast
Breakfast is available every day. Cost: $2.50 (free for students who qualify).
Daily Menu Includes: Assorted Cereals, Mini Bagels, Banana Bread, English Muffin Sandwiches, Cinnamon Roll, Pancake on a Stick, Oatmeal Round. See the full menu.
Yearbook Pre-Orders January 16-30th – While supplies last!
You can pre-order your 2022-23 Yearbook at the Chinook office or online at Touch Base Signin (intouchreceipting.com).
PTSA General Meeting
Mark your calendars for the Chinook Middle School PTSA General Membership Meeting on Wed., Jan. 18th, 7:00 – 8:00 pm.
Join us in person at Chinook or on Zoom
(Zoom Meeting ID: 946 3660 7944, Password: 987716)
Donate to 6th Grade Science Camp
The expected cost for 6th Grade Science Camp has gone increased and is expected to be approximately $325.00 per student. You can help reduce the cost for all students by donating. Make a donation.
Chinook 5th Grade Family Information Night
Have in incoming 5th grade student and unable to attend the information session? See the presentation here.
Staying Safe Online: Current Trends in Cybercrime
In our schools, district and surrounding community, safety extends beyond physical security. BSD families are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with current events and best practices related to web safety. The FBI recently shared a web safety topic that can impact students. In partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NAME), the FBI has issued a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money — a crime known as financial sextortion. It is reported that over 3,000 minor victims were targeted in the past year across the United States.
BSD has also been made aware of similar issues impacting our area. In some cases, extortionists have used false identities on social media to attempt to gain access to personal information and convince minors to send them explicit photos — or photos that are not explicit but could be altered to appear as such. Extortionists may then threaten to “ruin the lives” of their victims by publishing any sensitive information they receive, to influence their victims to pay them with money or gift cards.
Learn more about this topic and the measures you can take to protect yourself from cybercrime.
Black Student Union
We are excited to announce that we will be starting our very own BSU (Black Student Union) here at Chinook! Here’s a brief in detail description of our goal in mission.
Mission: my mission is to provide community and a positive platform for African American students to express themselves, tackle, stereotypes, and create a more positive image for the black community. We encourage leadership, student, empowerment, community outreach, and we embrace, unity, diversity, and culture.
Goal: Our goal is to focus on building awareness and an improved level of consciousness about being African American in today’s society, it is not a means of isolating students from the rest of the school population, we value diversity and welcome all students to be a part of our mission.
BSU will have the initial meeting this Thursday, 1/19. Sign up to join BSU will be during all lunches next week!
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 17 to February 14, 2023. Please look for an email from Panorama Education on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, with a survey link and instructions. If a family has multiple students in one school, the link will be specific to the experience of the oldest student at that school.
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
City of Bellevue MLK Health Fair
The City of Bellevue and the Bellevue Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. invite the community to join the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Health Fair, hosted online on MLK Day, January 16, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
The MLK Celebration and Health Fair celebrates the Rev. King’s legacy and centers individuals and organizations experiencing or responding to racial and health inequities in our community. This year’s theme is “reinvesting in health,” with holistic wellness presentations from community partners, youth-led health and equity discussions, performance art and remarks from city leaders.
Learn more and register for this online event.
In Case You Missed It
Encore Presentation: BSD Research Scientist to Share Chinook Student Data
Due to strong interest in last month’s in-person I-Connect meeting, “Show Us the Data: What BSD Research Reveals About Chinook Students,” there will be a special encore presentation – this time via Microsoft Teams – on Thursday, January 19, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Note: This will be a live virtual meeting, not a recording.
Recent news reports showed troubling drops in post-pandemic test scores nationwide in math and reading. How did Chinook students fare? Was there learning loss, and was it consistent across grade levels? How do students feel about their mental well-being? During this I-Connect event, we will look at what the latest data reveals, and much more.
All parents/caregivers are invited to join this presentation, “Show Us the Data: What BSD Research Reveals About Chinook Students,”
https://teams.live.com/meet/9379352580246
Tap on the link or paste it in a browser to join.
Our returning guest speaker will be Anna Van Windekens, Ph.D., Research Scientist in the Bellevue School District’s (BSD) Department of Research, Evaluation and Assessment. Van Windekens specializes in collecting and analyzing data about our students, their performance, and other vital issues related to education. She will show us the latest reports she has on Chinook, and how these statistics compare to overall District numbers. Also appearing will be Chinook Principal James Peterson, who will provide his insights and perspectives.
I-Connect is an award-winning program sponsored by Chinook PTSA.
Questions? Contact I-Connect Chair Sharon Pang: [email protected]
January’s Advisory Period Focus
Community: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 16th. Students will engage in a three-part lesson to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and discuss the importance of using respectful language at Chinook.
Academic: The first semester ends on Friday, Jan. 27th. Students will have time to work on assignments, study for tests, and conference with their Advisory teacher. They will end the month with reflection and goal setting.
Social Emotional: Students will have a day to relax and play games with each other.
Information Nights, Open Transfer, Choice Schools and Language Programs
Families may still apply for Open Transfer, Choice Schools, and Choice Language Programs for the 2023-24 school year. Applications must be submitted by January 20, 2023, to be considered. Before applying, families can:
Learn About BSD’s Choice Schools and Language Programs
BSD offers a number of unique opportunities for students, including choice schools and language programs, to best suit their learning needs and future goals. Learn more about current offerings and apply to enroll.
Attend Family Information Nights
To help families prepare for their next grade-level transition in the 2023-2024 school year, BSD’s neighborhood schools, choice schools and choice language programs will host information sessions for prospective students and families. Review this year’s information night dates.
6th Grade Science Camp- Update
We are looking forward to March 21-24 when our 6th-grade grade students will experience outdoor education at Camp Orkila. Read the full update on our website.
Private School Applications
All private school applications are handled by the BSD Records Department.
For private school applications, please go to the Bellevue School District website for an explanation of the procedures.
https://bsd405.org/departments/records/private-school-applications/
Please use this link to submit your initial private school application.
Please note that BSD will NOT be uploading records to third party vendors such as Ravenna and Gateway. The records department will forward your student’s records directly to the school(s) you list on the application, and you will receive a confirmation email once the request has been processed.
Open Transfer and Choice School Lottery
Update: The Open Transfer and Choice Schools/Program application period has been extended to January 20, 2023.
The Open Transfer and Choice Schools/Program application period for the 2023-24 school year will be from December 5, 2022, to January 20, 2023.
Please review the Open Transfer and Choice Schools & Programs webpages and the frequently asked questions for each to learn more about the application process and programs offered.
Commitment to Nondiscrimination
Bellevue School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Civil Rights, Racial Discrimination, and Gender Expression or Identity Discrimination:
Civil Rights/Nondiscrimination Compliance Coordinator Nancy Pham, (425) 456-4040 or [email protected]
Sex-based Discrimination, including Sexual Harassment: Title IX Coordinator: Jeff Lowell, (425) 456-4010 or [email protected]
Disability Discrimination: Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Heather Edlund, (425) 456-4156 or [email protected]
Mailing address for all three: 12111 NE 1st Street, Bellevue, WA 98005.