Dear International Families,
As you probably read, last week the district shared a communication that there is a shift in COVID testing to move away from pool surveillance testing and to prioritize diagnostic testing. I wanted to share a bit more about this change:
- First of all, I want to say that I am appreciative of everyone’s support for the pool testing. Even though since the start of 2022 we have had some positive pools, each week we had fewer positive pools, no staff were ever positive in the follow-up testing, and those few students we identified were identified early before they were symptomatic.
- The challenge is that it was taking so long to get results back. The labs were constantly choosing between prioritizing pool testing or diagnostic testing. This last week, we had a quick turnaround for our pool tests, but individual diagnostic tests are now taking many days.
- This current change is a pause, not a cancellation, of pool testing. It still serves a purpose. However, with the current surge the prioritization will be on the diagnostic tests of those who we truly have a suspicion they might be sick with COVID so that we can determine if they need to stay home or if they are able to return to school. This will help us minimize absences for students. I do anticipate that once the demand for testing lessens, we likely might be returning to the pool testing.
- We are working on increasing our ability to offer the diagnostic testing. Our school nurse has been able to offer this on the days that she is here (Thursdays and Fridays), but now we are working on building capacity to offer this service on other days for students who are sick as well as Test to Stay options for those who have been identified as a close contact AND who are not fully vaccinated.
Respectfully,
Russell White
Bellevue School District Renewal Levies
Bellevue School District is seeking to renew two local levies that provide funding for our students, staff and schools. These two measures are not new taxes but renew expiring levies.
Proposition 1: Educational Programs and Operations Levy Renewal
Continues funding for:
- Staff, including nurses and counselors
- 7th period classes and tutorial at middle schools and high schools
- World languages in middle school
- Programs like special education, STEM and AP classes
- Opportunities for students not funded by the state including performing arts, athletics and after school activities
Proposition 2: Technology and Capital Projects Levy Renewal
Continues funding for:
- Technology for students and classrooms
- Professional development to ensure our educators have the technology training they need
- Maintaining and updating our school buildings, including large scale school improvements like the carpeting, roofing, and heating and cooling systems and repairs and maintenance to our school buildings
Want to learn more about our levy renewals? Read more at https://bsd405.org/about/school-levies/
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
BSD Family Engagement 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
BSD Grading Survey
We want to hear from you: Family Grading Survey
Each Bellevue School District family has a unique experience with grades and grading, and we invite you to share yours by completing the Family Grading Survey. While the focus is on grades 6-12, we invite all families to complete the anonymous survey. The deadline for your input is 11:59 p.m. PT on February 1, 2022.
The survey is available in multiple languages including English, Amharic, Arabic, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, and Simplified Chinese. You may view and answer the survey in whichever language you feel most comfortable.
Your feedback will inform recommendations to district leaders about improvements to grading for students in grades 6-12. For more information, visit our website at https://bsd405.org/grades.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
February Principal Coffee
The next Principal Coffee will be Tuesday, February 8 from 9:00 – 10:00am. The topic will be Focus Week as we prepare for making requests for this year’s activities. We will discuss how Focus Week works, the timeline, and impacts to consider in light of the current environment.