Bellingham Public Schools

As summer sun and blue skies give way to fall weather of rain and shorter daylight, the brand new turf field at Kulshan Middle School stands ready to serve the school community and beyond throughout the year. ? On Wednesday, Oct. 9, the Kulshan boys soccer teams hosted Whatcom Middle School for the first official extracurricular contests on the new surface. ? The first Kulshan girls soccer games on the turf field are coming up on Tuesday, Oct. 15 against Whatcom at 5:15 pm and 6:15 pm. ??? Construction began in May 2024 and was completed this fall. The new facility features cork infill turf, LED lights, a blue turf track around the field, improved fencing and ball control netting along with shotput, triple jump and long areas outside the fenced field. Prior to the start of the fall extracurricular schedule, the school community has also been able to use the new venue for physical education and other school day uses. The old natural surface field was often unusable for much of the fall, winter and spring due to standing water and poor draining soils. Not to mention shorter usage into the evening without lights. Nearly every day, Kulshan students have been out on the new field regardless of weather. For example, on Friday, Oct. 11, Kulshan hosted its first field day during which grade levels each had extended time to enjoy recreational activities. The improvements are thanks to voter approval of the February 2022 school facilities bond. “We are so grateful for our community’s investment in this project and the prospects it provides to our Kulshan community and beyond,” Kulshan principal Kevin Terpstra said. “It has been so great to see the joy and smiles on faces of this refreshed area of our campus that supports our development of healthy and active individuals.” #bhamschools #bhampromise

Photo Feature Friday ?? ?? On Tuesday, Oct. 8, Bellingham High School, Sehome High School and Squalicum High School orchestras came together to perform in the Collaborative Strings Concert hosted at Bellingham High School. This annual event is a chance for student musicians to enjoy the work of the other high school orchestras in Bellingham Public Schools. As a culminating moment of every collaborative concert, the chamber orchestras from all three schools play together. This year’s combined chamber orchestra performed A Su Merced, Don Jose, composed by Nubia Jamie Donjuan, to end the evening. The collaborative orchestra concerts began in 2005 and have been running every year with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Sehome orchestra teacher Kirstin Doud brought two different groups (her Intermediate and Advanced Orchestras) to BHS. She believes this is a great chance for students to watch each other perform and learn from each other. “The orchestra collaborative concert is a wonderful opportunity for our students to hear their friends perform from the other high schools,” she said. “I also love that the chamber orchestra kids get to perform together on one piece of music.” Nick Strobel, orchestra teacher at Bellingham High, conducted the final piece of the combined chamber group this year, as well as his Advanced and Chamber orchestras. He emphasized that this is a unique opportunity for students to come together. “Collaborative concerts support camaraderie between schools and really help us live into our ideal of One Schoolhouse.” he shared. The One Schoolhouse Approach is a key strategy found in the district’s strategic plan The Bellingham Promise. Orchestra teacher Mary Marshall led three performing groups from Squalicum High during the evening, her Nova, Chamber and Concert orchestras. #bhamschools #bhampromise

Our high school career centers are a place where our students can find helpful and resourceful staff who are specifically there to offer tailor-made, targeted support for career and college exploration. And all of them would like to remind you to attend College Fair 2024 this Thursday, Oct. 10 from 6 pm to 8 pm at Squalicum High School! - Martha Zender, Sehome High School - Emily Gardisky, Squalicum High School - Mark Jacques, Bellingham High School - Kristin Causey-Siemion, Options High School #bhamschools #bhampromise

Bellingham Public Schools board of directors, executive team and Superintendent Greg Baker visited Happy Valley Elementary School last week on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Principal Nick Hayes shared information about Happy Valley and highlighted one of the school’s goals this year: staff making connections between academic and social-emotional learning (SEL). Like all of our elementary schools, Happy Valley uses the social-emotional curriculum Caring School Community. Hayes says SEL helps build students’ social skills and deepens caring relationships with teachers and staff and between peers. Board members visited students in classrooms, noticing the subtle implementation of this curriculum, from morning meetings and a “soft start” (allowing students to choose an activity to start their day, including play-based activity, drawing or listening to music) to hugs, high fives and smiles to start their day. Hayes says we know that when students are part of a community where they feel genuine love and belonging, they are more able to engage in learning. “Our social emotional care is foundational to knowing our students’ identities and interests and ensuring that they see themselves represented in their classroom community,” Hayes said. #bhamschools #bhampromise

It’s an achievement not thought to be matched by any high school tennis coach in Washington state history. On Thursday, Oct. 3, Bellingham High School tennis coach Steve Chronister coached the boys tennis team to a victory over the visiting Mount Vernon Bulldogs. It marked the 1,000th all-time victory in Coach Chronister’s illustrious and remarkable coaching career. ‘Coach Chron’, as players call him, has impacted the lives of an estimated 3,000 student-athletes coaching 77 boys and girls tennis teams over a titanic 46-year coaching career at Sehome and Bellingham high schools. Equally impressive as the 1,000 wins are only 147 losses for a winning percentage of .871. A lifelong Bellingham resident and product of Bellingham Public Schools himself, Chronister has also taught physical education in the school district for 27 years. Chronister, an affable model of humility focused on the success and support of students, expressed sincere appreciation for the journey in the spotlight moment after the match with his family, current staff and students, along with past student-athletes and friends gathered. “Thank you, so much, for coming today,” Chronister said, fighting back tears of appreciation while addressing the crowd. “It has been a joy to coach tennis all these years. And hopefully, there will be a few more.” #bhamschools #bhampromise

Thirty plus years ago, Stephanie Schroeder was attending Western Washington University and interned with the teen parent program at Bellingham Technical College. The program moved into Bellingham Public Schools, and it became the GRADS Teen Parent Program. Since then, Stephanie has been an integral part of the expansion of GRADS to three high schools in BPS and currently serves as the ELC childcare coordinator. This fall, Stephanie helped open the Early Learning Center in the new District Office. Read about her and her open heart for our youngest learners on our Promise website! ?? https://lnkd.in/gsgQNUWN #bhamschools #bhampromise #humansofbps

?? ?? Bicycles and the Bellingham community are a natural pairing, so it’s a logical and joyful move to add bikes to the physical education curriculum in Bellingham Public Schools. For three weeks in September, students at Lowell Elementary have been learning about bikes in PE classes as part of the new Let’s Go! Pedestrian and Bike Education curriculum. “The vibe overall for the bike unit in PE is extreme positive energy throughout the school and community,” physical education specialist Kathy Norwood shared. The bike education program has been traveling the circuit of elementary schools since fall 2023 when the trailer of bikes arrived in the district. In its inaugural year, the program traveled to Alderwood, Cordata, Lowell, Northern Heights and Roosevelt. This school year, the program returns to those five schools and expands into five more: Birchwood, Carl Cozier, Columbia, Geneva and Sunnyland. Read more: ?? https://lnkd.in/g__3kKec #bhamschools #bhampromise

?? ???? A week ago today on Saturday, Sept. 7, the Bellingham High School band program and dance team were a part of the 71st Annual Husky Band Day festivities at the Washington Husky Football game against Eastern Michigan University. Held annually by UW, Husky Band Day is the longest continuous event of its kind in the country. It is described by the university as follows: “…this annual celebration of the Husky Marching Band and Seattle music lovers everywhere features thousands of local school marching bands, some of whom join the Husky Marching Band on the field for a halftime performance.” The 265-member Husky Marching Band was joined on the field at halftime by 32 bands for a total 2,200 musical guests – the BHS band among them. Beyond the bands, many color guard, cheer and dance members – the BHS dance team among them – were invited as well to put on an impressive halftime performance. The programs had a chance to rehearse alongside high school colleagues from around the state and Canada before the halftime show. #bhamschools #bhampromise

?????????????????? ???????????? ???? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????? ???? ???????????? ???????????????? Around 90 children and adults received more than 120 immunizations on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at the mobile vaccination clinic at Bellingham High School. Available vaccines included childhood vaccinations like TDAP, MMR and chicken pox, plus seasonal boosters for flu and COVID-19. The clinic, which was open to the public, was co-hosted by BPS and the Washington State Department of Health's Care-a-van. The Care-a-van serves communities all over Washington state, setting up mobile clinics in easy-to-access locations. “We were so happy with the success of the clinic and the partnership with the department of health,” BPS Director of Health Services Preet Singh said. “It was a joy to serve our community this way.” If families missed this clinic, don’t worry: Same-day, walk-in appointments for flu and COVID-19 boosters are available at most pharmacies for ages 12 and up, and we will be hosting another clinic on Wednesday, October 2 — more information soon. #bhamschools #bhampromise

The new school-based health center at Options High School has entered its first full academic year of service following a soft launch in May 2024, representing a nearly realized vision two years in the making. On Tuesday, Sept. 10, a group of Options students, staff and leadership, along with district staff, school board member Jenn Mason and a representative from the Washington State Department of Health, were joined by State Representative Alicia Rule to tour the space, celebrate progress and share conversation while looking forward to more services the health center will soon provide. Rep. Rule assisted in securing state capital funding via the legislature to support the renovations of the medical clinic area, called The Health Center at Options. Students had the opportunity to listen to Rep. Rule explain her role as an elected official and how youth mental health has become an issue with strong support across the state. Read more: ?? https://lnkd.in/gg3WgTv3 #bhamschools #bhampromise