Inside this Newsletter
- From the Principal
- Field Day
- x̌alilc PTO Happenings
- Ice Cream Social
- Library Update
- Lost and Found
- Moving?
- From the Health Room
- June Attendance Note
- Girls Basketball Camp hosted by BHS
- Calendar
- Helpful Information/Links
- Community Events
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Dear Orca Families,
Here we are at the end of another school year! It is a bittersweet time for all of us. As we reflect on this year, we are reminded of the many wonderful experiences we shared as a school community:
- Meet and Greet
- Harvest Fair
- Move-a-Thon
- Unity Day
- Taproot Theatre Assembly
- Student-led Veterans Day Assembly
- Helpline Food Drive
- Field Trips
- 4th Grade Winter Music Concert
- Student-led MLK Jr. Day Assembly
- Bingo Night
- All You Need Is Love Day
- The Great Kindness Challenge
- Pacific Science Center visits
- Refugee Support Drive
- Greg Bennick, "The Kindness Guy," Assembly & Classroom Visits
- Bike to School Day
- 2nd Annual Orca Splash and Music Concert Performances
- Our First Annual Volunteer Tea
- 4th Grade End-of-Year Celebration
- Ice Cream Social (this evening!)
- 4th Grade Clap Out (Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.)
A sense of community and joy was felt at each of these events, many of which have become treasured x̌alilc traditions. We are grateful to everyone who helped plan, organize, volunteer, and participate.
That gratitude extends to our PTO. So many of you gave your time, energy, and talents to support our students and staff throughout the year. We are incredibly thankful for your generosity and dedication. A special thank you goes to the dynamic duo, our PTO co-presidents, Lisa Sipprell and Annalisa Alberti.Their leadership, commitment, and care for our students and the x̌alilc community have been extraordinary. If you see them around town, please take a moment to thank them for all they do.
To our 4th grade families, we wish you a heartfelt farewell. For many of you, this marks the end of your years at x̌alilc. Your students will be deeply missed, and we have already been telling Sakai how fortunate they are to welcome this outstanding group of Orcas. We look forward to watching them continue to grow and thrive. Once an Orca, always an Orca!
As we close out the year, I wish your family a summer filled with joy, adventure, rest, safety, and wonderful memories. Thank you for trusting us with your children. They have brought so much joy to our school and to me personally each and every day.
Sincerely,
Rhonda
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It’s almost here — the most exciting school day of the year! After months of hard work, our kids are ready to celebrate with a day full of fun, games, and laughter. Thanks to the amazing efforts of PE Teacher Noel Strand, this year’s event promises to be unforgettable. But to make it truly magical, we need your help.
We are looking for parent volunteers who will help lead a fun station activity. There will be two sessions on the morning of June 16th. The first from 8:05-9:10 (3rd, 4th and Pellegrino) and the second from 9:25-10:30 (K-2). Volunteers will receive an email from Mr. Strand on June 15th with specific details about the day.
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We have made a few important updates to our 2026-2027 academic calendar this year to better support our educators and families. Please take a moment to review the changes so you can plan ahead!
What’s New:
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Full-Day PD Releases: We have added full days dedicated to comprehensive staff training. Students will not have school on these days.
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Half-Day PD Releases: We have incorporated early dismissal days to allow for regular teacher collaboration and curriculum planning. On these half-day releases our school hours will be 7:50am-10:50am.
- Adjusted Conference Schedules
If you have any questions about these specific dates, please reach out to the main office at (206) 842-4411.
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Volunteers are needed to keep our school garden alive and thriving over the summer!
Please sign up here for one (or more weeks) to water the school garden 4 days (or more) a week. We also need a few weekends in June, as the spring has been very dry!
It's all pretty simple, and is a fun way to visit the school playground and enjoy the garden over the summer!
Thank you to our fantastic school garden volunteers!
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Help us return all the books to the library. All books are due TOMORROW, Tuesday, June 9.
Notices of student checked out/missing items will be sent to family emails beginning Monday, May 31. Lists will also be given to classroom teachers.
If your student has a checked-out/missing item, you can:
- Return the book
- Pay the fine
- Buy the book in hardcover and bring to library
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We are at 47% registration for the 2026-27 school year! If you haven't registered yet, please take a moment to complete your child's registration. Having an accurate headcount is essential for us to determine staffing, class sizes, and building capacity. AND remember, you will not be able to see your class placement in August if your ABC is not completed!
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Attending Next Year? Log in to your Family Access account, select ABC 26-27 in the left menu, and complete the process ASAP. It takes less than 15 minutes! (Note: This is required for ALL students, including those in Running Start. For students with more than one household, only the Primary Family can complete this step).
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Not Returning? Please contact your school office or email studentrecords@bisd303.org with your educational plans so we can update our records.
For more details, guidance for split households, and step-by-step instructions, please visit: bisd303.org/enrollment.
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Are you missing a coat, scarf, mitten, hat, sweatshirt, sock, water bottle, or lunch box?
Our lost and found is overflowing!
Come visit the lost and found in the front hall or remind your students to check the lost and found.
We would love to have your family reunited with your belongings!
All items will be donated at the end of the school year.
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Summer vacation is just around the corner! As we get ready to celebrate a fantastic year, our front office is working hard to tie up all the final loose ends. If your student will miss school during these last couple of days, please make sure to request their absence be excused before the final bell rings! Our absolute cutoff for accepting any recent absence notes is dismissal time on the last day of school.
Thank you for a wonderful year, and we wish everyone a happy and safe summer!
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A reminder for families that are moving over the summer!
If you are not returning to BISD schools, please contact the office at 206-780-3010 to inform us of your plans.
Thank you so much.
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As we near Summer Break, we want to ensure every student in our community stays fueled and ready for fun! Helpline House, in partnership with Bainbridge Island Rotary, is proud to offer the Kids’ Pantry program to provide supplemental groceries for local families.These bags are for any youth (ages infancy-18) in need of additional food during the summer break. Bags contain enough food for 1 youth for a week.
Pick-Up Information
If your family could benefit from extra groceries over the summer, you can stop by for a pick-up:
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Location: Helpline House | 282 Knechtel Way NE
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Dates: Monday – Friday
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Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Delivery Options
We know that work schedules and transportation can sometimes make it difficult to get to Helpline House. If you are unable to make it during pick-up hours, Rotary volunteers are available to deliver groceries directly to your home.
To Register for Delivery:
Please contact Sarah Frost, sfrost@bisd303.org, to coordinate a drop-off time that works for your family.
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Washington State’s Summer EBT program, also known as SUN Bucks, will again provide grocery benefits to eligible students during the summer months. The program is administered through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in partnership with OSPI.
Eligible students may receive $120 in summer food benefits on a SUN Bucks card to help support access to meals while school is out.
Students may qualify if they:
- Are enrolled in a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program during the 2025–26 school year, and
- Qualify for free or reduced-price meals through direct certification or a Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefits (CNEEB) application.
Some families may also qualify through participation in programs such as SNAP or TANF.
Benefits are expected to be distributed between June and August 2026.
Families looking for additional information can visit the DSHS SUN Bucks webpage or call the SUN Bucks Contact Center at (833) 543-3230, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
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JUNE
15: Ice Cream Social @ 6:00 pm
16: 4th Grade Clap out at 10:50 am
16: Last Day School - School out at 10:50 am
19: Juneteenth Holiday - No staff in building
25: School Board Meeting @ 5.45 pm in Board Room
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SCHOOL INFORMATION
K-4 School Hours
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Monday: 7:50-12:50
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Tuesday-Friday: 7:50-2:20
Preschool Hours:
Tuesday-Friday
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AM: 7:45-10:15
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PM: 11:45-2:20
Phone Numbers
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Main office: 206-842-4411
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Attendance: 206-780-3050 or halattend@bisd303.org
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After-school Transportation: 206-780-3002 or halbus@bisd303.org
Helpful Links
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Looking for things to do around town? Visit our Community Events page for local happenings, classes, and family activities—updated regularly. |
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Non-Discrimination Statement
Bainbridge Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, the presence of any sensory mental, or physical disability, neurodivergence or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The BISD provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator & Title IX Coordinator:
Kristen Haizlip, Associate Superintendent
206-780-1058
Section 504/ADA Coordinators:
Annalisa Sanchez, Director of Student Services
206-780-1069
Maria Kuffel
206-780-1088
8489 Madison Avenue North Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
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