Charger Beat

Thank you for joining our curriculum night open house on Tuesday evening. We so enjoyed welcoming you to explore classroom learning in action!

This newsletter is jam packed of important information related to learning and events in October. Please take a moment to look through the information and save this link to refer to throughout the month.

Your voice matters!

For non-urgent communication, please expect a 48-72 hour turnaround and response time. For more urgent matters, I will strive to respond within 24 hours. For immediate support related to your child needs, please call our main office line at 426-456-4900.

My email: stedmane@bsd405.org

Happy fall! 🎃🍂

Join Mrs. Stedman on the first Friday of every month on teams from 9-10 AM!

Join the meeting now

October Coffee Recording (NEW!)

Oct 1 – 31 Dessa Testing

10/1-2 Yom Kippur

10/6 Mid-Autumn Festival

10/6 Sukkot

10/6 – 10/10 School Pool – walk, bike to school

10/7 Snoqualmie Tribal Recognition Day

10/7 G5 Orienteering 8:10am – 11:30am at Bridle Trails Park

10/7 PTSA General Meeting 6-8pm in Cafeteria

10/10 World Mental Health Day

10/10 Non-school/no student day (Emergency Day if closure prior to 10/1)

10/13 – 10/17 National School Lunch Week

10/13 National Indigenous People’s Day

10/15 National Unity Day

10/15 Bridle Trail Community Meeting 6-7:30pm in Cafeteria

10/16 Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill 2:00-2:20pm

10/17 PTSA Outdoor Movie Night 6-8:59pm on Field

10/20-10/24 National School Bus Safety Week

10/20 Deepavali/Diwali

10/21 PTSA Science Olympiad Club 3:30-4:30pm in Rm 211 (weekly on Tuesdays)

10/31 End of First Quarter

10/31 Halloween

November – Native American Heritage Month

11/1 Día de los Muertos

11/10-11 No School

11/11 Veteran's Day

11/14 Family Engineering Night

11/27-28 Thanksgiving Break

• Tue, Oct 7 @6:00 pm, PTSA General Meeting in the school cafeteria
• Fri, Oct 17 @6:00pm, Outdoor Movie Night Fundraiser
• Sept 29-Oct 17th, Giving Month

Get cozy in your PJs, grab a blanket, and join us for a magical night under the stars. Enjoy a family-friendly movie, snacks, and community fun—while supporting our school.

✨ Admission is free & comes with a glow bracelet! Concessions will be available for purchase.
🎥 Plus: Don’t miss the special feature video starring Cherry Crest students on the 26-foot screen!
🌟 To make the most impact, reserve a ticket package that includes concessions and Cherry Crest swag — for our biggest fundraiser of the year!

More FUN:

• View student posters at the event and vote on the Top 3 that will be featured in the Chatter and Yearbook. The #1 voted poster will also win a Principal for a Day experience where they get to rule the school for a few hours and enjoy lunch with Principal Stedman. Every student that participates and turns in a poster by October 9th will get a small prize.

• If we raise $50K or more, Principal Stedman will dress up in a costume all day at school. Students will vote on the costume.

• If we raise $90K or more by Oct 17th, every student and staff member will get a free Cherry Crest t-shirt before Thanksgiving. Students will vote on the winning t-shirt.

We hope you'll join us for this special evening - rain or shine, we'll be there watching the special movies in our PJs, laughing together, and showing our CHARGER PRIDE!

💡 Every donation and ticket package helps fund Cherry Crest programs and brings your student’s class closer to exciting prizes (like a pizza party, popcorn & movie in the class, or a Silly String the Principal experience)

Rain plan: If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we’ll move indoors.

Join PTSA Today!

Join Mrs. Stedman and PTSA at the first general membership meeting, which has been changed to October 7th at 6 pm at Cherry Crest Elementary in the cafeteria.

We plan to continue our new traffic flow, and ask that you continue to follow expectations for arrival and dismissal each day. We will work on a plan to hear feedback from you in the coming weeks.

Please follow the guidelines below (see photo attached):

- Do not use side streets to access 32nd street. This creates unsafe conditions for our families and students who walk to school each day. Cutting into the line disrupts our flow and efficiency.

- Expect delays; no matter the traffic flow, traffic will always be an issue when several hundred cars are entering our campus all at once. Please be patient and drive safely.

- Arriving between 7:30-7:40 each morning minimizes traffic lines and allows you to park and supervise your student with ease until our GSAs arrive at their posts.

- Give yourself plenty of time each day!

- Follow the directions of our GSA staff wearing pink vests.

- Avoid turning left at the intersection of 124th and 32nd street as this disrupts our flow and efficiency. And please do not U-Turn unsafely in the middle of the street where pedestrians are walking.

- Use 124th as an exit only.

- Consider carpooling with friends and neighbors.

- For neighborhood families, we encourage that students build healthy habits to walk or bike to school. This means less cars on the roads and less pollution!

Our school is one of many schools participating in Bellevue SchoolPool’s Walk & Roll to School campaign during the week of 10/6-10!

Bellevue SchoolPool is a program that encourages families and students to explore sustainable transportation options for their commute to and from school and alleviate congestion at drop-off and pickup times and locations. During the campaign, students and families are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or take the bus to and/or from school.

This fall, the campaign is centered around International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 8, but SchoolPool encourages students to try a new way to school any time during week!

SchoolPool also provides students with a safety tips flyer and fun items such as reflective zipper pulls and smiley face note packs.

For resources including how to set up a bike train or walking school bus and carpooling tips, visit www.BellevueSchoolPool.org and look under “Resources for Students and Families.”

If you would like to sign up for the Bellevue SchoolPool newsletter, click here.

This year for primarily grades K-8, Bellevue School District transitioned from STAR to i-Ready as our districtwide diagnostic and instructional tool for reading and mathematics.

i-Ready is an online program designed to support students’ learning throughout the year. It helps educators identify each student’s individual needs, personalize instruction, and monitor progress. The program has two main components: Diagnostic Assessments and Personalized Instruction.

Please note that scores may look different from what families have seen in the past. This is expected, as i-Ready uses a different set of measures and provides a more comprehensive picture of student learning. These results do not affect your student’s grade or their access to their current course/grade-level learning. Instead, i-Ready will be a powerful resource to strengthen and support students in both reading and math. Score reports will be available in ParentVUE late October.

Refer to these resources as you view your student's reports as needed:

· Understanding Your Student’s i-Ready Diagnostic Results (PDF)

· Understanding Your Student’s i-Ready Diagnostic Results in Multiple Languages (PDF)

· Understanding i-Ready Diagnostic for Families ( 2 minute video)

· Understanding i-Ready Diagnostic for Families in Multiple Languages (2 minute videos)

To learn more about i-Ready and how you can support your student at home, please visit BSD Launches i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction for K-8 or our Assessment Information webpage.

At this point in time, all buses are at capacity. Transportation is unable to fulfill any new seat assignments at this time.

What does this mean for you?

For open-enrolled families, this means that daily transportation is your responsibility. We encourage partnering with other families to carpool, and to please make arrangements to ensure your child is at school each day.

Please contact transportation directly for questions at transportation@bsd405.org.

Classroom teachers will be sending out information about conferences and scheduling time to connect with you about your child(ren)'s progress and goals. For most, conferences will take place during the week of November 3-7. We will be operating on a Wednesday schedule for this entire week; dismissal at 12:15 PM daily.

Attendance Matters Fall Update: Every Day Counts

Did you know that chronic absenteeism means missing just 10% or more of the school year? That’s just 18 days total, or only 2 days per month!

It doesn’t matter if the absences are excused or unexcused — they all add up. And this is why attendance is one of the Bellevue School District’s key focus areas this year. Learn more about why attendance matters and what students and families can do to reduce absenteeism.

Applications for Advanced Learning Services for the 2026-2027 school year are open now through October 10 at 4:00 p.m. for students currently in grades 1 to 11. Please note that this is an earlier date than in previous years.

About Advanced Learning Services

Bellevue School District's Advanced Learning Services provide identified students with academic services at an advanced level and accelerated pace. Instruction is designed to meet students' cognitive and academic needs at the appropriate level. Centered program services begin in second grade at select schools. Domain Specific services are available to students in grades 1-10 at all schools. We welcome you to consider Advanced Learning Services for your student.

Who Should Consider Applying for Advanced Learning Services?

Students in need of Advanced Learning Services have an exceptional ability to learn and reason beyond their same-age peers. These children exhibit a high ability to make meaning out of complex concepts or problems.

You may want to consider applying for services for your student if you have noticed these characteristics:

· advanced vocabulary for their age

· strong reading skills two or more grade levels above current grade in school

· demonstrates high interest in numbers at an early age

· is imaginative

· finds interesting solutions to problems

· understands information quickly

· may prefer to interact with adults or older children

Apply Now!

Visit the Advanced Learning Services webpage to learn more about Advanced Learning Services and to apply for your student.

Please note that if your student is currently receiving Advanced Learning services, there is no need to re-apply. All kindergarten, 2nd and 5th graders enrolled in the district will be considered automatically for Advanced Learning Services through our universal screening program.

Update Your SchoolMessenger Preferences for Important Notifications

BSD uses the SchoolMessenger communication notification system to send districtwide messages and urgent alerts such as school delays and closures. Families may receive SchoolMessenger communication via phone call, text message and email. You do not need to create an account to receive notifications, as you will automatically receive them to the phone number and email address listed in your student’s record.

However, if you choose to set up a SchoolMessenger App account, you may adjust how you prefer to be notified. You may also view messages from the last 30 days online or by setting up the app on your IOS or Android smartphone.

Important: Families should sign up with the same email address used for Online Student Data Verification through Synergy ParentVUE.

Complete a School Meal Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals

The 2025-2026 Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit Application (CNEEB) is open. Qualification for free or reduced-price meal benefits is based on household size and income. Families, including those with students attending schools where meals are available at no cost, are encouraged to complete the CNEEB application to establish eligibility for school meal benefits.

Families must reapply every year. If your student(s) qualified for free or reduced-priced meals last year in the Bellevue School District, their prior year eligibility is extended for the first 30 school days to allow time for a new application to be completed. The final day they may use their prior year eligibility is October 14, 2025. After this date, meals will be charged at the paid meal price if eligibility for free or reduced-price meals has not been reestablished.

It’s More Than a Meal Application

Did you know that completing an application for free or reduced-price meals can assist with more than just meals at school? Unlock benefits for your student, family and school with an approved application. Learn more about the benefits of applying.

Bellevue School District is partnering with Seattle Visiting Nurse Association (SVNA) to provide vaccine clinics for the public.

SVNA is offering flu vaccines to anyone aged four to adult, and the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone aged five to adult. SVNA clinics require insurance (most insurance accepted) or payment.

Make Your Vaccine Appointment

1. Find a date and location that is convenient for you and your family. These vaccine clinics are open to all in the BSD community. You do not have to be a student or staff member of a particular school to make an appointment.

2. Register for an appointment online.

3. Come to your appointment.

Teachers will communicate with families about fall festival celebrations. While students may wear costumes to school on Halloween day, our celebrations are inclusive to all celebrations that may occur in the fall (i.e. Diwali and Día de los Muertos).

Never is it our intention to exclude students from school on October 31st. Please email Principal Stedman with questions at stedmane@bsd405.org.

Alternative Celebration

On October 31st, Ms. Mykela and Ms. Stedman are hosting an alternative to Halloween.

There will be a book celebration for students who need an alternative to parties happening on Halloween day (Friday, 10/31 at 1:30 pm).

Please RSVP directly to Mrs. Stedman, stedmane@bsd405.org.

• Wearing costumes on Halloween is allowed, but optional (with the following guidelines: No weapons, masks, gore, or cultural appropriation)
• What is cultural appropriation? The general rule of thumb: "My culture is not your Halloween costume."
• Please be considerate as you plan costumes this year as to not reflect another person's heritage or culture that is not your own. Thank you!

Join us on Wednesday, October 8, from 4–6 p.m. in the Rainier Room at the Wilburton Instructional Service Center (12241 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005) to learn more about the work of the Bellevue School District Sustainability Committee.

This is a great opportunity for staff and community members to:

· Explore the district’s sustainability initiatives

· Engage in conversations about environmental stewardship

· Learn how to get involved — the committee will be adding new members this year!

No RSVP required — just bring your curiosity and passion for a greener future.

Monday, 9/30 was Orange Shirt Day.

Orange Shirt Day: The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. This day serves as a powerful reminder of the painful legacy of the Indigenous residential school system and its ongoing impact on communities.

Wearing an orange shirt symbolizes our commitment to acknowledging the experiences of Indigenous children and the importance of fostering understanding and healing. It’s a time to reflect on the past, honor the survivors, and advocate for a future rooted in respect and reconciliation.

Let’s use this opportunity to listen, learn, and support Indigenous voices as we work towards a more equitable and inclusive society. Together, we can contribute to a collective healing journey and ensure that the lessons of history guide us forward.

Video Resources:

Fry Bread Read Aloud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i2va8jG_WE

How to Powwow Dance FOR KIDS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI2gnTZh0-I

Here's a video from Canada that describes what "indigenous" means:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CISeEFTsgDA&t=26s

On 9/24 we held a welcome back assembly for all students and celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month. Students learned our Three Rs in Spanish with Ms. Maya, and we watched two performances, one by our very own, Ms. Iniguez, and another by her brother, a professional opera and mariachi singer!