BFPP NEWS

Dear BFPP Families,

As the days get shorter and colder I am drawn to the warmth and safety of family. One of the things I love most about BFPP is that I also consider it family. I know we all have things that pull at our time and attention, but what I believe is that being together helps us find strength, guidance, support, confidence and belonging. At BFPP we provide an opportunity to have a home learning community, one in which you can find others on the same journey, glean some good ideas and gain the best kind of support the makes a sometimes isolating endeavor such as home learning possible, love. You can get a sense of that love when you are in the building, and that certainly goes beyond the physical facility (although I admit, it is quite lovely too). It is the people about the place, the noises through out, the smells from the kitchen, laughter on the playground, the quiet contemplation of a head buried in a book in the library....it's like a big family home and hearth full of love and warmth. I hope you join us at the building, be drawn into the warmth and safety, the feeling of love and family. It's a good place to be.

Warmly, Principal Kate

Tuesday 12/6 11-12pm Harry Potter Club

Thursday 12/8 BFPP Staff Potluck Lunch

Thursday 12/8 Math Clubs MOEMS Test

Thursday 12/8 10:30am LTW: Vocab, Sight Words, & Spelling

Friday, 12/9 12-1pm LTW: Home Learning 101

Saturday 12/10 Lego League Competition in Everett

Wednesday 12/14 11am & 6pm Theater Arts Showcase

Thursday 12/15 1-3pm Craft Fair

***December 19th-30th~ Winter Break ***

***Tuesday, January 3rd~ Classes Resume***

12/8/22 10:30-11:30 Vocabulary, Sight Words, and Spelling Ideas (appropriate for K-4th readers) What's the difference between these? How should we approach these at home?

Sign Up HERE for Vocabulary, Sight Words, and Spelling Ideas

Home Learning 101 ~ Routines, Rhythms & Relationships

Friday, Dec. 9th 12-1pm, on Zoom

This Learning Together Workshop is facilitated by BFPP Instructional Coach and former homeschool parent, Erin McCarthy. The intended audience for this workshop is adults who are new/newish to home schooling (this includes online learning) and who have chosen this option for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they feel in their hearts, heads and bellies that this is how their child should learn best right now. Basically, we’ll be taking the energy of “Yayyy, I’m homeschooling!!” and addressing the “Well, now what?!”

Please join us! RSVP to Erin by 9am on 12/9 for the Zoom link.

This workshop will be repeated again on 1/20

EVERY Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00-12:00 on ZOOM (11/15/23-1/19/23)

Meet other online learners, learn a new tip or trick in Edgenuity, get answers to questions, learn how to use other apps on your computer!

Zoom Link: https://bellinghamschools.zoom.us/my/brookewertz

Thursday, December 8th

Let's celebrate and appreciate our 17 BFPP staff members by serving up a hearty potluck lunch.

Please sign up here if you'd like to contribute.

Please bring your ready-to-serve contribution to the school kitchen by 11:45am on Thursday, December 8th.

You can also put items (labeled "staff Potluck") in the family lounge refrigerator ahead of time - just let us know.

Be sure to label all dishes, crockpots, and serving utensils with your name. We'll wash them and have them available for pickup from the school kitchen the day after the potluck.

Short on time? Store-bought is terrific!

Short on cash? We need a few volunteers to help with set up at 11:45 and/or clean up at 1:30! We'd also love for students to make festive table decorations or notes of appreciation.

This is the first of three staff appreciation meals we're planning for the year- so we'll learn as we go!

Thank you!

Gretchen Anderson & Heidi Zollner

Are you a Harry Potter Superfan? Then get to know your other witches and wizards as we complete magical quizzes, discuss exciting topics and do fun Harry Potter themed activities.

HP Club meets every Tuesday in the Fort from 11am-12pm for kids ages 8-14 years old.

Next meeting is next Tuesday, December 6th!

Contact Bailey Waterhouse with questions: emmasworldfourteen@gmail.com or 626-324-6233. Covid safety and masking supported but not required.

Thursday, December 15th from 1-3 in the gym

Sign up now to sell your arts and crafts at the Winter Craft Fair!

All sellers are asked to donate one of their craft items to our raffle table. Raffle ticket proceeds will go toward the BFPP Holiday Gift Card Drive (see below!).

Invite your family, friends, and neighbors!

Need ideas or supplies? Let us know - we have both!

*Thanks to BFPP student Linnea Schwartz for creating our craft fair flyer!

Season Greetings, let’s join together and help uplift BFPP families who need extra support during the holidays!

These gift cards will be used throughout the year to help our BFPP families whenever they are requested as a way to offer invaluable support throughout the year.

Help us reach our goal and spread JOY!

Gift card suggestions:

• Gas Cards
• Haggens
• Fred Myers
• Safeway
• Winco
• Grocery Outlet
• Whole Foods
• Co op
• Tj Max
• Ross

It’s not the gift we get but the one we give that fills our heart with joy!

Questions about donations? Please contact Megan Renkert.

Please drop off donations with Erica Wolverton.

A big thank you to Marian, Joan, Malia, and Christina for reorganizing the Free Store and keeping its contents from creeping out into the basement hallway!

Have you discovered the Free Store? At the end of the hallway on the bottom floor is a closet the school has been kind enough to let us take over. It was started by and has been run by parents, and it works best when we all pitch in to keep it organized and updated.

The Free Store is a space to give and take used but quality (clean & not broken) items like household items, clothing, curriculum, toys, and books.

This has been such a great resource and it will continue to be with all of us pitching in. Bring some stuff, take some stuff, feel good about your thriftiness!

See below for some of the current items available. (And notice how organized it all is!)

The Lost and Found bin is overflowing! It's located next to the benches across from the preschool. Lots of cold weather gear and water bottles are hoping to be reunited with their owners.

Middle schoolers - want to practice your typing and race your friends? Join BFPP student Taylor Mack on Tuesdays beginning in January for Nitro Type Club.

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz

Review written by BFPP student Marley Lotts

1940. Poland. Nobody knows what is coming next. Especially Yanek. He is a young Jewish boy living in Krakow when the Nazi’s invade. After his parents disappear, and he is taken, he must survive ten different concentration camps for more than half a year at a time, and two different “death marches” that last more than a week in freezing temperature. On top of all that, he is alone every step of the way, dealing with horrific things that no teenager should have to think of. Will he survive? I recommend this book for ages 11 and up and for anyone who likes Alan Gratz or historical fiction.

*Does your student have a poem, short story, piece of artwork, or other creation to share with our school community? Send it in - we'd love to include it in a future newsletter or special edition!

Please consider donating to the Winter Helping Hands Campaign by the Friends of the Family Resource Center. We provide coverage for basic and emergent unmet needs (think: deodorant, detergent, boots, gas cards, kitchen supplies, diapers, etc) for Bellingham students and their families for which no other funding can be found. As you know, prices are up overall - as is need. 100% of these donations go straight to families.

To donate online please click here.

You can also send your tax-deductible donation by check to Friends of the FRC, P.O. Box 24, Bellingham, WA 98227-0024.

Are you a parent with a baby 2-4 months old? Do you know someone who is? Roots of Empathy is a program that increases caring and engaged citizenship in kids. At the heart of the program are a neighborhood baby and parent(s) who visit an elementary classroom about 1x/month, with the same kids and teacher through the year, with the baby in the role of tiny teacher just by being themselves! A trained Roots of Empathy instructor facilitates the class, which lasts 30-35 minutes (or when the baby is done of course!). Click here for the introduction video.

We have 11 classrooms starting in Bellingham, and just 2 openings left- 1 at Lowell Elementary, and one at Cordata. If you are interested, please contact Sara Airoldi (360-603-6247). All diversities of families and babies important! Parent comfort levels about germ boundaries and covid precautions prioritized.

It’s that time of year to think about snow and our procedures and impact of weather-related school cancellations.

Depending on conditions (which could include snow, flooding, power outages, etc.), school could:

• close for the day,
• open two hours late, (BFPP classes will start at 10am)
• open on time with buses on snow/alternate routes.

Families travel to BFPP from throughout the county. We ask that you use your best judgment when deciding whether or not to come to campus on inclement weather days.

Please familiarize yourself with our weather procedures.

Have an item, talent, idea, or interest to share with the BFPP community at large? Please consider sharing via the newsletter! Email Heidi with your contributions. Thank you!

Next newsletter: Friday, December 16th.

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Website: https://fpp.bellinghamschools.org
Location: 1409 18th Street, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 676-6424