Halilts Newsletter: October 5, 2026

Dear Orca Families,

Our PTO Move-a-thon has officially kicked off, and our PTO is in full swing rolling out an amazing lineup of activities. It is such a fun event!

We appreciate all our PTO does for our community and the strong relationship we have with the PTO Presidents and volunteers

You might be surprised by just how much our PTO does to support our students and staff. Funding teacher grants for professional development, providing classroom resources and materials, organizing recess games, paying for field trips, organizing special assemblies, and coordinating after-school activities are just a few of the ways they support our Orca Community.

All of these events, resources, and activities are only possible because of your generous support—both through donations and your valuable time. Every single family plays a vital role in making x̌alilc the amazing place it is. Together, we have Pod Power!

The Move-a-thon is our PTO’s only fundraiser of the year, making both the campaign and the event on October 16th wonderful opportunities to get involved. Please keep an eye out for details from the PTO, and plan to join us during your student's Move-a-thon time on the 16th—it’s going to be so much fun!

We so grateful you belong in our x̌alilc Pod, and because you do, x̌alilc is a better place!

Rhonda

Mark your calendars for an afternoon of honor, culture, storytelling, and community connection at the 10th Indigenous People's Day Celebration.

This event is open to everyone in the community. Bring your family, a friend, and a dish to share as we come together to celebrate Indigenous culture and heritage. We hope to see you there!

BISD students in grades 3-12 will be invited to complete the Panorama Student Survey. The survey provides students with an opportunity to share feedback about their experiences at school, with questions aligned with the goals in our Strategic Plan and centered around belonging, engagement, school climate, and student well-being. Students at different grade levels will take different versions of the survey, with variations in both the number of questions and wording to ensure age appropriateness. The feedback we receive will help us better understand our students’ experiences and identify areas where our students are in need of interventions, supports, and enrichments in order to strengthen our school community.

Families who would like to preview the survey can do so here. Students may choose to skip questions for any reason, and parents/guardians have the opportunity to opt their student out of this survey and any others by reaching out to the administrator at their child's building. Please also know that your Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) Annual Notice was included in an earlier school newsletter and is posted on each school's website under Policies and Procedures. It lists all anticipated surveys for this year for your child’s school.

Note for K–2 Families: Teachers in grades K–2 are completing a teacher perception survey for each of their students aligned with the topics from the surveys for older students.

To support student online safety, Bainbridge Island School District has partnered with Qustodio, a leading provider of online safety solutions. While BISD Chromebooks already feature internet filtering and monitoring, we are providing every family with a free Qustodio Parental App account for additional oversight outside of school hours. Qustodio prioritizes privacy and safety - Learn more about Qustodio.

Activate Your Free Account HERE www.qustodio.com/my-school using the email address on file in Family Access with the district. Splithouse holds? You can establish separate accounts. Follow the directions when signing up. 

Need help with Qustodio, please reach out to myschool@qustodio.com. BISD does not provide technical support for this tool. Note from Qustodio: Your child’s data stays protected. We collect the minimum data required and your data is securely stored. We never market to children, share or sell it to third parties. Qustodio’s platform meets FERPA and COPPA standards.