Halilts Newsletter: February 24, 2025

Dear Orca Community,

Welcome back! What a month February has been. Both adults and students appeared glad to be back and school and into a routine. I agree--February has been very confusing to my inner clock!

With breaks and snow behind us, we look forward to focused learning and community building. Part of returning to our routine is settling into our class communities and rebuilding our stamina. We will be reviewing the best ways to be a community by following our Three Be expectations: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible. Following these expectations helps us remember the best way to live, learn, and grow together. Ask your students about the Three Be expectations and how they practice those throughout their days.

Kindergarten Tour and Bus Ride, as well as the 4th Grade Parent Night @ Sakai are coming up in March! Watch for more information in the newsletters coming soon. These are big transitions and so exciting for our incoming and outgoing Orcas! 

We also have two new After School Activities starting up. Watch for information about our garden group, Little Sprouts, and our new Culture Club. We are excited to offer these new opportunities to our Orca Community.

As usual, please reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or just to let us know about something amazing your Orca or the staff here has done. We love to hear about both!

Stay dry out there, spring is just around the corner!

Sincerely,

Rhonda Walton

Attention incoming Kindergarten families! Visit x̌alilc Elementary on March at 9 am for a school tour and bus ride!

Other tours:

Blakely Elementary Tour: March 6th @ 9 am

Ordway Elementary Tour: March 7th @ 9 am

Information for Halilts Sprouts Scouts below!

x̌alilc (Halilts) Culture Club is a welcoming space for students from BIPOC backgrounds, students with disabilities, students of LGBTQ+ families and identities, and allies. We will come together to share, celebrate, and learn about the rich tapestry of traditions and experiences that make up our community. The Culture Club’s purpose is to create a space where every child feels valued, included, and inspired to embrace diversity in all its forms—a place where all students can "Be Safe, Be Respected, Be Yourself."

To enroll your child in the Culture Club, please fill out this Google form. Please be sure to also send an email to halbus@bisd303.org for an after school transportation change.

Students may bring an after-school snack. All club materials will be provided.

Join us for our PTO meeting this Friday, February 28 at 9:00 am in the Halilts Library.

The mission of the Sprout Scouts is to inspire curiosity and a love for nature in students grades K-4. We aim to foster environmental stewardship, creativity, teamwork, and a sense of responsibility through:

The club will integrate our district farm-to-school focus and strives to cultivate a positive and inclusive space. Join Mrs. Keach and Mrs. Wood on Thursdays after school this spring!  

Sign-up for session 1: Thursdays, March 6 - April 17 (not April 10). 

Sign-up for session 2: Thursdays, May 1 - June 1. 

The cost per session is $20/student. Scholarships available upon request by contacting halilts.president@bainbridgeptos.org

Bainbridge Island School District offers services to students 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. 

In the Spring referral window, all students in grades K-11 may be referred by teachers, family, or community members. 

If your student is in 2nd or 5th grade, you do not need to complete a referral because every student in these grades will be screened to determine eligibility for HC programming. Specific information about the screening process for 2nd and 5th grade will be shared through your student's school in late February.

For grades K, 1, 3, 4, 6-11, if you are interested in having your student evaluated for our Highly Capable program, please visit our Highly Capable webpage for more information. The referral submission link was posted on February 10th and will remain open until March 3rd at 5PM.

Highly Capable Webpage: https://www.bisd303.org/33922_3

Scroll down to "How is a referral made?" to access the referral link.

February 10-March 3: Referral window open

March 10-28: Data collection, which may involve CogAT testing

April: Evaluation & placement determination

Mid-May: Results communicated with families

Please contact your school's highly capable teacher with any questions you may have. Contact information is found at the bottom of the highly capable webpage.

Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 18, Washington State Department of Transportation crews will begin daytime work on SR 305 Agate Pass Bridge. As our crews care for this key bridge, we once again ask for your help to keep people moving.

This year, cleaning is scheduled to take place each day Tuesday, Feb. 18, through Friday, Feb. 21. Inspections are also set to take place this year and are scheduled Monday, Feb. 24, through Thursday, Feb. 27.

Crews work on the bridge from above and below. To get that access, they will use Under Bridge Inspection Trucks (UBITs). The UBIT is a specialized piece of equipment that sits on the bridge and uses a long arm and bucket to extend above and below the deck. These vantage points give our inspectors an up-close look at the steel structure.

For safety reasons, this specialized equipment is only used during daylight hours.

11: All You Need is Love Day & Recess Activity

12-14: Conferences - No School

17-21: Mid-Winter Break - No School

28: PTO Meeting @ 9:00 am in the Library