BFPP NEWS

These past two weeks have been a dream come true with families back on campus. We’ve missed your energy and your presence in big ways and its been such a treat to have you back with us. Thank you for trusting us and for leaning into the awkward discomfort we can all feel when we are taking steps to try something new.

Building community and meeting new people can take an enormous amount of energy so please have patience and grace with yourself and with others as we build stamina for sharing spaces with one another. If we can each commit to sharing just a little bit more of ourselves every time we are together – a smile, a hello to someone you don’t yet know, a vulnerable reaching out to make a new connection – we will come together collectively, over time, stronger than we’ve ever been before.

If you are looking for a structured, safe, and facilitated way to build community, please join us for our Connection Parenting gatherings on Wednesdays at 10 am and 1:30 pm. These gatherings are for all adult community members, regardless of volunteer status. We will meet for eight consecutive weeks. During each gathering we will take time to get to know one another, to share stories and homeschooling tips, and to have fun together as we continue to remember how great it feels to be connected and in community.

We also have several community members reaching out to offer school wide events and smaller clubs for students. Please connect with us if you feel inspired to share your gifts and passions and if you are not ready to lead something, please support your community members through your enthusiastic participation.

This is a community for all, where everyone Belongs and everyone Matters.

If you are ready to say yes to more community, please reach out to Erica Wolverton. We will begin our first gathering on March 2nd. I can’t wait to connect with you.

Warmly,

Erica

Mon. Feb 21st: Presidents' Day, No School

Wed. March 2nd: Connection Parenting Workshops begin (see below)

Tues. March 8th: BFPP Fundraiser Day at Village Books (see below)

Tuesdays afternoons: BFPP Field Trips (see below)

Hello BFPP Families,

If you have been in the library at BFPP recently you might have noticed that there is a corner of it now called The Literacy Lab. Prior to coming to BFPP, I was a Reading Specialist in the Bellingham School District. After I had been a 1st and 2nd grade classroom teacher for many years, I spent 13 years working specifically with Kindergarten- 5th grade struggling readers.

During the last year, I have been providing Literacy Consultation to BFPP families over Zoom. Now that the building is opening up, I wanted our families to know I am available to meet with you either on Zoom or In Person. I have brought many of the materials I’ve gathered over the years to BFPP and am making them available by appointment with me. If you’d like to meet with me, please send me an email introducing yourself and briefly letting me know what your needs are. I’ll send you my Sign Up Genius to make an appointment. If you have a struggling reader at home and are in need of some help, please feel free to reach out to me.

–Carrie Vining (carrie.vining@bellinghamschools.org)

If this sounds supportive and you are ready to join us, please consider the following:

• This will be a closed group of 8-10 people.
• Each workshop will invite active engagement. You will need to carve out time and space just for you for the full 1.5 hours for all eight weeks.
• Creating and maintaining community is one of the main intentions for this group, which means we will use a variety of interactive tools and strategies to engage with one another.

**Please RSVP to Erica Wolverton.

On Tuesday be looking for a family survey asking about your enrollment intentions for next school year.

I know, I know it seems far too early, and I may ask you again, however now is the time that the district starts making plans for next year. This is particularly important around our staffing....and we love our teachers! I'm going to ask for your help!

There will be hard copies on site, your LPP can fill it out with you during meetings, computers will be set up to take the survey at school....we are going for 100% participation.

Don't worry if you don't know what your plans are, that is helpful data too. If you think you might be staying at BFPP, and we hope you are, help us keep our teachers!!

Thanks in advance for your help. -Dr. K

Mark your calendars and start compiling your lists - the BFPP fundraiser day at Village Books is coming up on Tuesday, March 8th. That's the day Village Books and Paper Dreams donate 20% of sales online and in-store to our school library for new books!

There are two ways to shop:

1. In-store anytime on March 8th - fill out and bring in a copy of the flyer below to ensure BFPP gets credit for your purchases. Copies of this flyer will also be available at school starting Feb. 28th.

2. Online anytime on March 8th - type "BFPP" in the comments box to ensure BFPP gets credit for your purchases.

Happy reading and thanks for your support!

Materials pick up is changing! You can now pick up your requested curriculum materials from Peggy Gallegos in the front lobby whenever you are on campus. Peggy is available to assist with pick up from 9-2 each day.

Another exciting way we are nurturing growing connections among students and families is with Tuesday afternoon field trips for families. Join up with other BFPP homeschoolers to meet new friends, learn together, and explore opportunities throughout our community.

Think of these as anything from hikes in the park to museum visits, insider business tours, service projects, art tours, and other interest you want discover together. There is no registration process for these events.

Stay tuned and find an updated list in the coming weeks right here in our BFPP Newsletter released every other Friday.

Have questions? Please contact Randy Leventhal.

At times as adults we may forget all the authentic and spontaneous opportunities we provide our kids to grow socially - and yes, even academically - as learners.

Children are learning all the time, but especially when they are playing. They need time to explore, wonder, experience, interact, discuss, draw, build, collaborate, and make mistakes.

Experiential learning naturally lends itself to kids being able to use different learning modalities to first help make meaning of information, then hold on to it, and finally transfer that knowledge to other situations.

So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed, guilty, or unsure of what to do next with your child as a learner, remember; YOU ARE ALREADY DOING “IT!”

-Teacher Sammy

They love to play in all sorts of ways. They play with reading, writing, art materials, making tents out of sheets, and all the other ways. Kids also spend time learning how to use critical thinking skills while they are asked to do things such as make their bed, put their toys away, or tie their shoes. Below are categories of different ways kids spend their time. Under each category is a list of just some of the skills they are working on. I am sure you can think of many more!

Housekeeping/Playing House

Oral communication skills

Conflict resolution

Vocabulary development

Understand experience through role playing

Book Baskets/Listening Center

Reading for enjoyment

Letter recognition

Concepts of print (left to right, tracking print, etc)

Following directions

Comprehension

Vocabulary Development

Math

Hand/eye coordination

Problem solving

One to one correspondence

Counting

Patterning

Sorting

Art Tubs, Art Easels, Art Table

Fine motor skills

Creative expression

Colors, shapes and size relationship

Exploring materials

Visual perception

Writing/ ABCs

Fine motor skills

Develop creativity and expression

Communicate ideas

Letter recognition

Sequencing

Letter/sound correspondence

Puppets

Comprehension/retelling of stories

Vocabulary development

Problem solving

Cooperation and social skills

Blocks

Spatial relationships

Cooperation

Balance

Cause and effect

Shape and size discrimination

Physical coordination

Are you interested in learning more about early childhood development? Check out this progression of skills outlined by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills:

Progression of Development and Learning Objectives

And take a peek at the Early Learner's Archives for other articles and resources by your BFPP early educators.

Hi, I am Scout and I am in 5th grade. This is my sister Elena and she is in 2nd grade. We are selling Girl Scout Cookies and are wondering if you would like to buy any.

If you would like to order, please let us know by emailing or texting my mom at the number below. There are adventurefuls, lemon-ups, trefoils, do-si-dos, samoas, taglongs, and thin mints for 5 dollars a box. Toffee-tastics are 6 dollars a box.

When the cookies come in, we will deliver them to you. They come in the end of February.

Together Elena and I are trying to sell 800 boxes of cookies!

Thank you for ordering,

Scout and Elena Bybee

Lauriel Bybe

206 940 9774

laurielbybee@gmail.com

March Mammal Madness is a celebration of our natural world, animals, art, and storytelling. Based off the March Madness basketball tournament bracket structure, every year a Twitter tournament is held that pits animals against each other in simulated 'battles.' Battles are narrated on Twitter with story details pulled right from the scientific literature. Sixty-four animals are hopeful contestants, but only one will be crowned champion!

Started by Dr. Katie Hinde and launched from her Mammals Suck…Milk! blog, the MMM tournament has grown steadily to accommodate more art, science, and education. This year is the 10th anniversary of MMM and the perfect one to join in on the fun and learning!

This will be my family's third year participating and I am looking forward to it! Here are some of the ways we've used MMM in our homeschool:

1. Research an animal contestant and write a report

2. Make a Scratch game featuring MMM contestants and their adaptations

3. Fill out a bracket and see how close your predictions match the final results

4. Compare and contrast animals and their biomes with graphic organizers

5. Write your own MMM battles!

6. Watch Youtube videos about the animals and their biomes

7. Make a Jeopardy game with questions about the contestants

8. Draw/sculpt/paint a contestant

9. Make up a slogan or cheer for your favorite animal

.....the list can go on and on!

If you'd like to participate, sign up for the educator materials here. They will be released February 22nd.

The battles begin March 14th on Twitter, with fun, kid-friendly recaps available the next day on the MMM Facebook page or in video format on the Rodent Roundtable Youtube channel.

-Heidi Zollner

Another doubles day is coming up next week: 2/22/22 even falls on on a Tuesday, or should we say Twos-day! Here are some math activities to help commemorate this day of twos.

One Grain of Rice is an Indian folktale in which a witty girl tricks a greedy king using her knowledge of the power of doubling. Many read alouds of this book are available on YouTube. Try a doubling challenge with an ice cube tray and rice grains, placing one grain in the first cube space, and doubling in each space after the first. What happens?

All those twos also reminded me of a Yahtzee. Your family could celebrate 2/22/22 with a game of Yahtzee and a talk about probability.

Some closing questions to ponder......

If 2/22/22 is the next Yahtzee Day, when was the last Yahtzee Day?

When will the next one be?

How old will you be on the next Yahtzee day?

Would 11/11/1111 be a “Super Yahtzee Day”?

Warmly,

Rachel Throolin

Have you seen our aquarium by Caroll's office? The salmon eggs hatched and are now alevin!

Here's what's in store for our alevin:

~The eggs lie in the gravel through the winter, as the embryos within develop. In early spring, yolk-sac fry, or alevins, hatch. The tiny fish carry a food supply (a sac of egg yolk) attached to their bellies. They will not leave the protection of the gravel until the yolk is used up, 12 weeks or more. At that time, the young salmon, now called fry, swim up to the surface, gulp air to fill their swim bladders, and begin to feed.~

Want to learn more? Check out the curriculum resource below.

In March, Squalicum and Sehome High School are hosting information events for incoming 9th graders. Please click on the flyers below for the specific dates and times as well as contact info for each school.

Send your items of interest to Heidi Zollner. Thank you!

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