BFPP NEWS

Dear BFPP Families,

It is wonderful having everyone back in the building and starting off what is sure to be an amazing year! Hard to believe that just a few years ago we couldn't have families on campus...and before that no students. The walls are buzzing with excitement and so are we!

Here are some general on-campus reminders:

Badges - We are requesting that everyone wears a badge when entering the building. This is a great way for us to monitor who is here and to help try to ensure that all are welcomed. Peggy is working on creating lanyard badges for those who go through the volunteer paperwork process. A visitor badge from the front desk works for someone who is only on campus periodically or for a short period of time.

Volunteer Paperwork - We ask that everyone who is going to be on campus regularly fill out the district volunteer paperwork. This helps ensure safety. It is good for two years and is all electronic and can be found on the district website.

North Star and Family Spaces- Is our term for students having a "guiding adult" on campus at all times. A North Star can be a parent, family member, another family on campus or teacher. We are asking families to be on campus the first month of enrichment classes and the individual instructors will let you know if they are having a sign-in North Star option in October. Otherwise, there are lots of family spaces on campus and we ask that you join us on campus while your student is in class. Family spaces include: Family Lounge, hallways, entry, Communicator Room, Library, playground, and any space not being used for meetings or classes. Come borrow the gym key when it's not in use and an adult can supervise!

Family Lounge and Lockers - There is a fridge and microwave available in the lounge for your convenience. If you put anything in the fridge please label it with name and date. We will periodically clean out the fridge! Also, please wipe out the microwave after use. If you'd like to use a locker to store supplies at school, please check in with Caroll about selecting one. No locks can be used on the lockers, but they can have a carabiner or pipe cleaner closure. Please monitor food items in lockers to cut down on vermin and smells.

Parking - You may have noticed we don't have a parking lot. The school was built in 1921, before there were a lot of cars! So, please be mindful of our neighbors and where you park. The Presbyterian church kitty-corner from us has offered us parking in their lot behind the church; please don't block the entrance. Also, in front of the school building is a loading zone for official school vehicles; please don't block that area.

Dogs and Other Pets - While we love our furry friends and other pets, we ask that they are not brought on campus (including the playground and field) during school hours. You are welcome to ask permission to bring a pet for a special project or class.

Warmly,

Kate

Mon. Sept. 11th: Enrichment Classes and Clubs Begin!

9/11-9/13, 10-2pm: Laptop Distribution

Wed. Sept. 13th: Last day to sign up for iReady Assessment

9/18-9/29: iReady Assessment Window

WHAT: Laptop Distribution

WHEN: Sept. 11th-13th 10am - 2pm

WHERE: Basement Multi-Purpose Room

WHO: All BFPP Students

If you would like to have a laptop to use at home for the school year, please come during the designated times below to pick one up for each of your students. This is when we have staff to support the hand off.

1. Please be prepared to wait a few minutes.

2. VERY IMPORTANT: You will need to stay to log in to ensure it works and the laptop needs to sync to the network before taking it home.

3. Don’t forget to take a charger and laptop bag.

4. Check it out with Peggy before you walk out the door!

BFPP parent Juliana West is leading two Future City Clubs this year!

Future City for grades 6-8 meets Mondays at 10am in the Fort.

Future City for grades 4-5 meets Mondays at 11am in the Fort.

Future City is a competition that encourages students to plan, design, compose an essay about, build, and present a city one hundred years in the future. This club will be run like a class, with homework and regular attendance encouraged as this will be a collaborative project. Parents are encouraged to come to the first meeting to see if this is a good fit for your families. Come with any questions you have too! To read about the competition you can click here.

Interested in mentoring our school's future city club? Time commitment can be very small as this is just a requirement to compete. Anyone who is an engineer or has city planning experience is welcome to mentor us! Contact Juliana West to learn more.

BFPP parent Rachel is once again leading two math clubs, both on Mondays starting Sept. 11th in the Cottage portable.

10:00-10:50am, 3-6th grade Upper Elementary Math Club
11:00-12:05pm, 6-8th grade Middle School Math Club

Elementary club will be using Math Circle resources (https://mathcircles.org) and problems from around the web, and the middle schoolers will be following James Tanton’s series of essays for AMC preparation. (https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/teachers/curriculum-inspirations).

Both levels will participate in MOEMS, Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools, a series of 5 tests held monthly from November to March. Each contest consists of 5 non-routine questions, with a 30 minute time limit. A sample can be seen here. Please contact Rachel with questions.

The first meeting of this homeschool hiking club for grades 1-3, organized by BFPP dad Donald Antenen, will be Friday, September 15th at 9 AM! We'll meet at the BFPP gazebo and then walk to the woods near Fairhaven Park. Please dress for the weather and email to RSVP.

Roots Theatre Club - 1 & 2 grade

Fridays @ 12:30 - 1:30 in the gym

October 6 - January 26

BFPP parent Angela Vizina is leading this new club for 1st and 2nd graders. It will help students get a sense of the performing arts with games, movement, set design, rehearsals and a culminating performance for family and friends. The goal is to create a love for theatre and help students gain confidence. Students must be available for the show dates at the end of the semester. The success of this club will depend on regular participation each week. For signup and questions, please reach out via email to roots.bham@gmail.com.

Student/Parent-driven clubs are an integral part of BFPP. Past clubs have included arts & crafts club, Pokemon club, chess club, kindness club, and several others!

There are a myriad of ways clubs can look at BFPP. They can be year-long or short-term, drop-in or more consistently attended, open to all age groups or targeting a particular age range. All that's needed to get started is an idea and an adult supervisor.

Interested in starting a club? Spend some time thinking about the Topic, Purpose, and Format of your club. Then contact Heidi Zollner with your idea.

Dear BFPP Families,

Yesterday Principal Kate sent out info about changes to the Bellingham School District assessments, sharing that the iReady Math and Reading assessment has been adopted as our 1st-8th grade growth and diagnostic tool. Kindergarten will be added in the Winter and Spring. The MAP assessment is no longer offered in our school district.

• iReady is an adaptive, online assessment that corresponds with My Path online curriculum
• iReady will help determine areas of strength and growth in Literacy and Numeracy
• iReady should be used 3x a year (or 2x for Kindergarteners) to show your child’s growth
• iReady is done at home with your technical guidance, but not your help
• The assessment will be open for those who register September 18th – 29th

Learn more about i-Ready by watching the following videos:

• I-Ready Diagnostic for Families
• I-Ready Personalized Instruction Family Guidance

If you'd like your child to take the iReady assessment this fall, you must register them. REGISTER EACH CHILD HERE. Registration is open now through Sept 13th at 3:00pm. If you don't register your child, you will not have access to the assessment or the My Path online curriculum.

Once registered, you will have the window of September 18th-29th to complete the assessment at home using the iReady link. The iReady link is found on our BFPP website under the “Academics” tab. Note the assessment is only available Mon-Fri, 7:00-4:00pm.

Please note that your child must have a school district laptop for the assessment. If you need a laptop, please contact Peggy Gallegos.

Please email Carrie Vining or Kate Baehr with questions.

This small group meets weekly with Carrie Vining to coach parents alongside their struggling 2nd or 3rd grade reader. This class pairs well with families who already use All About Reading or are willing to use this curriculum at home on a regular basis. This class meets every Monday from 9:00-9:55am. It is an invitation only class. Please contact Carrie Vining if you are interested.

Howdy All,

A nice tradition we learned from a previous school experience was to have families bring in a houseplant (or plants) to help bring more life into the school. If you are interested, please bring in a plant (with your name taped on somewhere to the pot) and we will place them throughout the school during the year. Students and staff will take turns attending to them (watering, picking up dead leaves) and we can try to create an even more welcoming environment at BFPP!

~ The Lotts Family

Come, relax, hang out, chat and create FiberArt!

More detailed info is available here. Please read before you RSVP.

Where: Ragfinery Community Classroom - 1421 N. Forest St, Bellingham, WA

When: Thursdays - every 2 weeks. 2:00pm - 3:30pm.

Sept. 14 + 28, Oct. 19, Nov. 2 + 16 + 30, Dec. 14. (and then break for the holidays), and resume on Jan. 11 - June 13.

Who: Ages 8 to 88 - Invite your friends to RSVP too!

Cost: Free to attend, with an optional donation to Ragfinery

RSVP: To reserve your spot for one or more sessions, fill in this Google Doc form

Max: Limited to 10 attendees per session (classroom limit).

Walk-ins are welcome if there are open spots.

Does your family love adventure, the outdoors, and helping community? The Cub Scouts might be right for you! Pack 19 is an all-gender Cub Scouts unit with Dens for kids in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Come learn more about Scouting at our "Join Night" on Tuesday, September 19, where we will provide dinner and introduce Scouting through fun activities. Invite your friends and anyone interested in Cub Scouting!

Cub Scout Pack 19 Info/Join Night

September 19 (Tuesday) at 6:15pm

Fircreek Day Campus, Noble Hall

4604 Cable St, Bellingham, WA 98229

Join the Whatcom Watersheds Information Network in celebrating Whatcom Water Week from 9/9 through 9/17. Find a full list of events at WhatcomWaterWeeks.org.

Friday, October 6 at 10:15 a.m. at WWU Performing Arts Center Mainstage

Jovon Miller is a tap dancer who has a style all his own, fusing elements from other dance forms - such as hip hop - into his dancing. He is performing at WWU on 10/6 at 10:15am.

BFPP has 50 free seats reserved for our families for this performance. Please RSVP here if your family would like to attend.

REQUEST…..

Please bring in your clean plastic bottle caps! We are hoping to gather a variety of caps for projects. A few plastic lids will work too. There is a tub in the Collaborator Room for collection. Thanks in advance!

Do you have something to share with our BFPP community? Please email your newsletter submissions to Heidi Zollner.

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