Welcome New Staff
We have recently been able to add a couple of additional staff to serve our students, and we are excited about the level of service they will be able to provide:
- Hailey Moilanen joins us as our new part-time Chemistry teacher. Hailey brings experience as a former Honors Chemistry and AP Chemistry teacher in San Jose, California. She began her week and is quickly transitioning into the department.
- Our high school counselor (Colleen Courtney) has been out on maternity leave. We are pleased to have an experienced counselor from one of the other schools in the district support us in her absence. Jamie Johnson will soon be joining us for the remainder of 1st semester. Jamie has served as a counselor at Chinook Middle School for a number of years and at Bellevue High School and University Prep prior to that. She will slowly be transitioning over this week and will be fully available next week.
Picture Day
School pictures are tomorrow, September 22. Pictures may be ordered at mylifetouch.com with ID: EVTV9NZVJ
Club Fair
We want to ensure that all students have the ability to engage with our MANY clubs that are available at school. Most of these clubs meet during lunch time, so it is easier for students to participate. A sampling of available clubs are available online. We will hold a Club Fair before and after school (7:30 – 8:00 AM and 1:45 – 2:15 PM) on Wednesday, September 29.
Updated King County COVID-19 Return to School Flowchart
BSD follows King County Public Health recommendations regarding COVID-19. Recently, the “COVID-19 Return to Work/School Flow Chart” was updated, in which one column of options was removed. We recommend all families use this when making decisions about sending your child to school after being a close contact or having any symptoms. Please note that at this time, all students with 1 or more symptoms must receive a negative COVID-19 test or an alternative diagnosis—in addition to waiting 24 hours after fever resolves (without medication) and symptoms have improved. This is true for vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff.
COVID Quarantine Work Options
Per Department of Health requirements, school are asked to “prepare for instructing students who are excluded from school due to illness and quarantine.” We know that there will be times that students are asked to quarantine and not attend school in-person. These absences will have a unique attendance code and students are considered to be “present” during this time. However, the mode of instruct might vary from class-to-class. Some options available for teachers to use include:
- Small group/personalized virtual instruction
- Independent learning and practice
- Concurrent and/or recorded instruction
If your student does need to quarantine, the communication with the school will begin with Andrea Olsen, our Attendance Specialist. She will provide families with a general overview of the instructional plan that teachers have pre-identified. Families will need to communicate with teachers about the specifics of the work and deadlines.
A Note About Lunches
I wanted to share that Nutrition Services is experiencing challenges due to national supply chain issues. One example of this is the fact that the disposable school lunch trays we have been using are not available. As a result, we will soon be transitioning to paper plates. Additionally, they have been unable to consistently find sources of breaded chicken for chicken sandwiches as well as hamburger patties. Additionally, pizza items are also a challenge. I am sharing this so that all students understand the reason for the challenges and why some items might not be consistently available. I continue to thank everyone for their patience.
Official Notices
It is the intent of the Board of Directors of the Bellevue School District that all students, parents, and school employees who deal directly with students have access to and an understanding of the state laws, regulations, and district policies that pertain to the procedural and substantive rights of students, teachers, and administrators. The official notices may be found at: https://bsd405.org/about/resources/notices/
Jubilee Reach
We are pleased to welcome Maggie Hoffman as our new interim Jubilee Reach site coach. Maggie comes to us from Tillicum Middle School, where she was a site coach for the past three years. For those new to IS, Jubilee Reach is a community partner that facilitates many of the after school sports and clubs that are available for middle school students. Jubilee Reach site coaches are also available during much of the school day and often connect with students during lunch time. Here is a communication regarding fall sports:
Hello International Families,
Jubilee Reach Fall Cross Country is starting this week at International School and we would love to invite your student to participate! Cross Country practices will be held at International school from 4-5pm on Monday, Tuesdays, and Fridays, with meets happening each Thursday at rotating locations throughout the district. Students will meet on the track at 4pm, following tutorial.
Registration is through final forms and will remain open until Wednesday, 9/22. Students who are not registered through final forms by 9/22 will not be eligible for participation in 2021 Fall athletics.
Jubilee athletics are open to all ability/experience levels and are offered at no cost to BSD families. We would absolutely love to have your student join us for this 2021 season!
So far we have a large number of International students registered for this Fall season! A huge part of a successful athletic season depends on the generosity and dedication of community members willing to volunteer their time to help at meets and practices! A favorite activity of our runners is the opportunity to run through the beautiful natural areas surrounding International; this is only possible if we have enough adults to ensure the safety of our students during practice. If you or someone you know (potentially an older high school student looking for volunteer hours?) would be interested in volunteering in any capacity this season please contact me ASAP (no running required!). Please feel free to reach out with any questions! I can be reached at [email protected].