Dear x̌alilc Families, 

February is a short and busy month! This week students are completing semester one assessments and showing off what they have learned over the past 5 months. If you have not scheduled a conference with your student’s teacher, please do so by Friday. This is a great opportunity to connect with your student’s teacher to work together to best support each student.

We are continuing to learn about and practice Perseverance. Try these conversation starters at home: 

• Can you share or show what it means to have Perseverance?

• When working towards goals, how does Perseverance help us to reach them?

Practice Perseverance with your student. Consistency is hard. Have each person in the family commit to one thing they will do each day this week. Maybe it is flossing, drinking a certain amount of water, going to bed at a certain time, limiting screen time, or exercising. Create a place where each person can tally their progress and see who can keep their streak going the longest!

Warmly,

Whitney.

Conference Sign-up!

Mid-year Conferences will be held in-person and via Zoom from Wednesday, February 14, through Friday, February 16.  Sign-ups will close on Friday, February 9 at 3:00 pm through Skyward Family Access.

Please plan to attend as conferences are an important time to hear about your student’s progress and create a strong home-to-school connection.  Teachers are looking forward to conferencing with you!

If you need assistance signing-up for a conference, please contact your student's teacher or Sheila Jakubik @ 206-780-3010  or sjakubik@bisd303.org.

NOTE: There is no school on February 14, 15 & 16 due to Conferences.

PTO Meeting

Please join the PTO for our February meeting this Friday, February 9 in the x̌alilc library from 9:00-10:00 am. 

For this meeting, we will be soliciting feedback on the x̌alilc PTO - what is working and what is not. Our goal is to serve our school community, and to do that best we need to hear from you! Please come with your thoughts about what you like that the PTO does, what you don't like, and if there is anything you would like to see happen more often in the future. 

New Spirit Wear Options!

Great news, Orcas! We have new x̌alilc spirit wear ready to be ordered! These options are in addition to the Bay Hay orders placed before winter break. 

Click here to order!

Unlike the Bay Hay order, this spirit wear is purchased directly online with a credit card and mailed directly to the address of your choice! The website will be open until the end of the school-year, so shop at your leisure. 

We want to extend a huge thank you to x̌alilc parent Megan Sanchez for spearheading all of the spirit wear designs, coordination, and order set-up. Thank you, Megan, and happy shopping everyone!

Parents & Guardians of the Class of 2037: It's time to discuss kindergarten!

Your child is about to embark on a wonderful milestone and BISD is proud to be part of this momentous event. Kindergarten sets the foundation for your child’s school career and puts your student on a lifelong path of learning. 

While kindergarten is a time of great discovery, excitement and growth, it’s also a big transition — for families and children alike! That’s why when you enroll your child in kindergarten at BISD, your student will receive a high-quality education and gain a team of staff whose main goal is to help your child succeed intellectually, socially and emotionally.

JOIN US:

General BISD Kindergarten Program:

WHEN: Tuesday, February 6 at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Blakely Elementary, 4704 Blakely Ave. NE

WHAT: Attendees will learn more about BISD's kindergarten program, the enrollment process and key dates. 

(Representatives from all BISD elementary schools will be in attendance)

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOUR FAMILY

Tell us a bit about your family and your student by completing this brief form.   

Please share this information with future BISD Kindergarten Families that you know!

*Note: This event is intended for adults. Incoming kindergarten students will have an opportunity to visit a kindergarten classroom at a later date.

Voters will decide on two BISD ballot measures in the February 13, 2024 election. 

ENRICHMENT & OPERATIONS LEVY

• Picks-up where state funding falls short

• Provides enrichment to students’ school experiences

• Helps us achieve our goals outlined in the District Improvement Plan

TECHNOLOGY LEVY

• Like other Washington State school districts, BISD receives no dedicated state funding for technology. Instead, we rely on local taxpayer support for our technology needs.

MORE INFORMATION

• General Information

• Levies Q&A

• Enrichment & Operations Levy Q&A

• Technology Levy Q&A

• Informational Videos

Clothing donations needed for our health room! 

Our health room provides dry clothes for students who need a change of clothes.  With the recent wet weather. We are requesting sweatpants and leggings only. All soft pants of any size would be a great help!

If you have any gently used clothing you are no longer using, please consider donating them to the health room.  We would appreciate it! 

Reporting Absences:

If your child will be absent due to an illness, please state if the illness is diagnosed as one of the following:  Influenza, Covid, Strep Throat, Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), Measles/ Mumps/Rubella, or Norovirus.

We are required to notify the Kitsap County Dept. of Health if we reach a certain threshold of absences due to these illnesses. 

Spring Window Opening for Highly Capable (HC) Referrals!

Bainbridge Island School District offers services to students in grades K-12 who have been identified as highly capable. Highly capable students are those who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels. Services are provided for students in grades K-12.

Spring Referral Information:

Who is this for? 

• Students must be currently enrolled in the Bainbridge Island School District.

• All 2nd graders will be considered for HC in this round.

• Students in grades K-11 may be referred.

Who can refer students?

The referral window is open from February 2-16. Parents, school employees, and community members may refer students. 

Visit BISD Highly Capable Webpage on or after February 2, 2024, to access the referral guidance and submission links. 

Important Dates:

• February 2-16: Referral window open

• March 4-22: Data collection which may involve CogAT testing

• April: Evaluation & placement determination

• Early May: Results communicated with families

Please reach out to Jill Queen, x̌alilc (Halilts) Highly Capable Teacher with any questions.