BFPP NEWS

Dear BFPP Families,

We have a wonderful opportunity at BFPP to truly partner together. Our mission statement, "We promise to inspire learning and support families because together we achieve more" is something we strive for every day. Over the years we have had families support our program in a variety of ways. In the early days by helping with program creation and development, defining who we are and how we work together and over the years that partnering has continued to evolve. This authentic partnering is what makes BFPP a special place to be. It has been a while since we had a Thought Partner meeting (see invite/info below Tuesday, March 11th 12:30-2pm in the Library ). It is time to rekindle our collective commitment and vision of what is possible. I hope we have lots of voices and diverse perspectives join us in the conversation. It's time BFPP, let's talk!

In partnership, Principal Kate

Greetings BFPP Families,

Spring is just around the corner! As we are easing into this next season and our new semester routines, how are you and your family feeling? Pause and do a check-in on your emotional and physical needs. Our community has been having a rough time with cold and flu season this year! Keep resting up and looking out for one another. If you are currently feeling under the weather, we at BFPP are all wishing you a speedy recovery!

Upcoming Programming

Challenge Accepted

March 10th

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Counseling Office

All ages welcome! Come work on communication and teamwork skills through participation in fun games and activities!

Manga & Me

Next series coming! Email me with questions.

Warmly,

Counselor Jess

jessica.sheasley@bellinghamschools.org

360-676-6424 x 4966

Tues. 3/4, 11-12: Parent Book Club in Library

Wed. 3/5, 10-11am: Forward Movement Club Begins

Wed. 3/5, 11am: Tea With Kate

Fri. 3/7, 11-12pm: Differently Wired Parenting Group

Tues. 3/11, 12:30-2pm: Thought Partner Meeting

Mon. 3/17, 10am: MBT Dragons & Mythical Beasts

Tues. 3/18, 12:30-2pm: Sturdy Parent Workshop

Tues. 3/18, 12:30-2pm: Family Sensory Workshop

Please let your learning partner know what school your student is planning on attending for next school year, ESPECIALLY, if you have a 5th and/or 8th grader.

ALL Students: If you are planning on staying at BFPP for next school year please confirm that with your LP.

5th Graders: All 5th graders currently at BFPP will default to BFPP for next year UNLESS, you tell us otherwise. Middle Schools send out important transition communications from here on out and thus it is important you let us know if you are planning on attending your neighborhood middle school so that you can be in that communication.

8th Graders: 8th Graders will default to their neighborhood high schools UNLESS, you tell us otherwise. If you are interested in going to a different BPS high school, other than your neighborhood one, please let us know. You will need to submit a transfer form 3131F Request for Student Attendance Area Transfer.

If you are planning on going to a private school or any school not part of our school district please let your LP know.

Out of District Students: Current students that are outside our district boundaries need to apply for a Choice Transfer every year. Here is the link: eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/ChoiceTransferRequest

If you have any questions or are unsure of what to do please feel free to contact me at

Peggy.gallegos@bellinghamschools.org

Can you spare 30 minutes to help keep our library in tip top shape? We're looking for volunteers who are willing to help shelve books, sort the book cart, and tidy up the library. A 30-minute shift, once per week, would be so appreciated! Please contact Sheri if you can help.

Mount Baker Theater has generously given us 50 free tickets to the Dragons & Mythical Beasts show coming up on Monday, March 17th at 10am. This show is suggested for students in grades K-8th. Please sign up for tickets here if you'd like to attend.

Karen Nuckles-Flinn, who many of you know as a beloved past teacher at BFPP, is working to set up some music opportunities on site. Karen taught me that if you can talk, you can sing!! If you're interested, please click here to take a survey that will help her shape what those offerings will look like. This will be a family paid learning opportunity but we are glad to host 😊

Click here to view a current list of BFPP Clubs.

Feel free to join in the fun! It's a good idea to email the club contact before making plans to attend a club meeting so you have the most current information and they know to expect you.

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

See below for some of the newest club additions and developments.

Teens: Bring your favorite art tools and work on your projects while you connect and share your art with your peers!

Thursdays 1:00pm-2:30pm, please check with Amber for room location

Contact: Amber Owen - amber.owen@live.com

Parent volunteers welcome!

Interested in D&D? Want to join a campaign? We know you're out there- let's connect and make it happen! Day and time to be decided by interested parties. We're looking for interested students and their grown-ups who can help supervise. Please email Heidi if this is something you're interested in.

Led by Teacher Brooke and Counselor Jess. Parents and kids can participate in all or any of these. We recommend students and parents learn and play side-by-side for each meeting in the series. Maybe there will be a family that wants to take the lead to continue the club into the future!

STARTING NEXT WEDNESDAY!: Forward Movement Club for Grades 3-HS, Wednesdays in March 10:00-11:00, meet at The Cabin at BFPP

April: Mountain Biking Club for Grades 3-HS: Fridays in April 4:00-6:00, meet at the Galbraith Parking Lot

May: Recess Fun Time for Grades 3-HS, Wednesdays in March 10:00-11:00, meet at The Cabin at BFPP

March Mammal Madness is a celebration of our natural world, animals, art, and storytelling. This tournament pits animals against each other in simulated 'battles' with story details pulled from scientific literature. Sixty-five animals are hopeful contestants, but only one will be crowned champion!

1. Watch this video to learn how it works, then print out or pick up a tournament bracket. Brackets are available at school across from the salmon tank. Research the contestants and fill out your bracket predictions. Pick your champion!

2. Take a picture of your filled-in bracket and email it to Heidi by Sunday, 3/9 to be eligible for prizes. Grown-ups and siblings can join in too- the more the merrier!

3. Have fun following along with the battles! Join us on Mondays or Thursdays from 12-12:30pm throughout March in the Performer/Creator Room to watch the competition together and do some art, poetry and biology extensions. You can watch/read the battles from home too.

Find a buffet of MMM Resources here: https://libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalMadness

Click here for tips for doing MMM with young (K-3) learners.

Email Heidi with questions!

Parents of young gamers—We are looking for other video-gaming homeschool students, 10-14 years of age, to play and share remotely with our 13-year-old son. He desires friends to play Minecraft, Minecraft Dungeons, Mech Arena, and Roblox, and also to share single-player games with others as well. We can connect over Discord or Google Meet. Open to this leading to in-person playdates once they build trust and familiarity. If you are interested, please email us at dscottspangler@gmail.com.

Thought Partner Meeting: BFPP Next Steps (Planning for 2025-2026)

Please join us Tuesday, March 11th 12:30-2pm in the Library for a community Thought Partner Meeting on BFPP Next Steps.

If we could run a longer title, we would have named this meeting: The BFPP Village: Where To? What Next? How We Continue to Build Community with Children and Learning at the Center.

Please join us for an open conversation about where we want to take this program in the year ahead and how we might work together to continue to build connection and capacity across the whole community (learners, families and staff). The goal of this meeting will be to generate ideas and suggestions that will be organized into a BFPP Spring Survey rolled out to the whole community in early April. The information from this survey will greatly inform programming for the 2025-2026 learning year.

RSVP to Kate in the Collaborator Room (on paper!) or Erin at erin.mccarthy@bellinghamschools.org to confirm your attendance.

We decided to offer the workshop to all ages! We adjusted the dates to make time for this pivot and ask that you please RSVP so we can plan for the number of families attending. Email Sheri at our front desk at sheri.robinson@bellinghamschools.org so she can help us get a head count. Let us know the parent/guardian and learners attending as well as any sensory needs we should consider. This will be a fun and immersive experience we are excited to share with you!

Dates: 3/18, 3/25, 4/1

Time: 12:30 – 2:00 PM

Location: Cabin

Join us to talk shop about the hard stuff in parenting and learning! This workshop series welcomes any adults who are curious about building community and finding tools to balance setting boundaries while communicating empathy. We will again delve into the research of Dr. Becky Kennedy, clinical psychologist and author of Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want To Be. Join us! And come with a sense of camaraderie and a willingness to explore and connect. Come with some thoughts about this Dr. Becky nugget: The role of a sturdy parent is to: “acknowledge, validate, permit.” And for those of you who haven’t yet listened to Dr. Becky on the Huberman Lab (this podcast is our primary resource), listen to it here.

Meetings for EVERYONE INTERESTED:

• Tuesday, March 18th 12:30-2pm in the Fort
• Tuesday, April 22nd 12:30-2pm in the Fort
• Tuesday, May 20th 12:30-2pm in the Fort

Please RSVP Erin at erin.mccarthy@bellinghamschools.org

The results are in- French toast sticks are the reigning champion! In recent weeks we have polled students on their favorite community meal food and with an overwhelming majority French toast is the winner! Now French toast winning might not surprise you, but what might is that many students prefer them cold! Be on the lookout for future polls :]

Need a break from meal prep? Want to save a little money on grocery shopping? Remember you can always take home food from community meals! There are bags and tinfoil in the kitchen to pack some up. Community meals are every Wednesday at 12 noon and leftovers are kept in the Family Lounge fridge/freezer.

Nurturing and Scaffolding the Writing Process (for all levels): Thursday consultations with Erin

Please reach out to schedule a one-on-one or small group consultation for support with how you guide and nurture the writing process at home with your learner(s). RSVP to Erin to schedule a Thursday morning 11-12pm time slot.

In March, the district's high schools are hosting informational family nights at each high school for incoming 9th graders and their families. In addition, they will be hosting an informational session specific to private school/homeschool students detailing how to choose and register for high school classes. The 2025-26 High School Course Catalog is now available online.

Private School/Homeschool Students Info Session

Friday, March 7th from 2-3pm at

• Bellingham High School
• Sehome High School
• Squalicum High School

Incoming 9th Grade Family Nights

Monday, March 10th from 6:30-8pm at

• Bellingham High School
• Sehome High School
• Squalicum High School

• Options High School (open to 9th graders and other interested students)

Please see the flyer below for details about high school enrollment, in-district and out-of district transfers, and contacts for each school.

Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest

The 2025 Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest will accept poetry submissions in the month of March. General information about the contest can be found online.

Youth Peace Poetry Contest

The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC), with sponsorship by Village Books, announces the launch of their annual 2025 Youth Peace Poetry Contest and are accepting submissions of poetry, lyrics, flash fiction or short prose. They invite youth, ages 4 to 18, to explore the theme of peace and peaceful conflict resolution and to submit entries by June 13th. Submit online, email youth@whatcomdrc.org, or drop a hard copy to 206 Prospect Street, Bellingham, Wash. 98225. The WDRC will also be hosting poetry workshops in the coming months.

Pre-K Dance and Theatre for ages 2.5-4
Tuesdays, April 15-June 10, from 10:00-11:00 AM

Join us for a fun-filled hour of creative movement, storytelling, and imagination led theatre games. We will playfully learn how to move through space, work with each other, and appreciate our bodies. Caregivers are encouraged to stay and participate along the way!

Homeschool Creative Writing for Grades 3-5
Mondays, April 14-June 9, from 12:30-2:00 PM

Unlock your inner storyteller while learning the fundamentals of creative writing! We'll explore a variety of writing styles and techniques through games, activities, and workshop sessions. Students will practice writing poems and stories, and they will also get a chance to share their work with the class and get feedback. Learn how to craft your characters, plan your plots, and advance your authorship!

Homeschool Improv for Grades 6-8
Tuesdays, April 15-June 10, from 12:30-2:00 PM

Explore improvisational comedy through a series of games and scene work. Students will develop a toolkit to collaborate as a group and create hilarious theatre on the spot! Through improv, we’ll learn skills like communication, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence.

Newsletter contributions always welcome! Please send items of interest to our school community to Heidi Zollner.

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