BFPP NEWS

Dear Bellingham Family Partnership Families,

A reminder about enrichment classes. They are the sprinkles on top! BFPP gets to honor the whole child’s learning experience and portfolio. Our onsite enrichment classes are intended to be the community and social interaction that we all benefit from. Therefore, we ask that you limit how many classes you sign up for. This allows others access as well as maintains the balance with home learning, which should be the majority of that portfolio. Think of it like going to your favorite ice cream shop, pick your favorite flavors (maybe just 2) and then celebrate the sprinkles!

I’ve heard some folks concerned about the number of courses on the schedule. Well, we are a smaller school now, almost back to pre-COVID numbers, which means less staff members. Further, many of our classes are being co-taught with multiple teachers, this builds on each other’s strengths and provides for a very rich learning experience. We certainly hope to have more and will also try to gather your feedback with the schedule development and offerings. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Warmly,

Principal Kate

Hello to all!

Each September and new school year brings those familiar excited jitters, yet they express themselves differently each year. It’s the start of something new! And this year, it is also very true for me. With the gracious support of the BFPP team and Bellingham School District, I am taking a leave of absence for the year. I chose to pause for myself and my family. I know this journey will grow my teaching and collaboration with you all for next year. Thank you to everyone in our tremendous, caring community for your support and friendship– past, present, and future. You and your children are a huge inspiration modeling the courage and patience for change. Please feel free to be in touch with any questions by phone, email, or perhaps even around the building.

My apologies to those awaiting our previously scheduled classes together. The creative, talented staff have new opportunities ready to meet your child’s interests and needs. Be sure to check out the new registration openings and reach out to your LPP with questions.

I wish you all a wonderful, fun-loving 2022/2023 school year! Stay in touch, take risks, give grace, and enjoy all the warm fuzzies at the heart of BFPP.

In partnership always,

Randy

Meetings are underway! It has been wonderful to catch up and hear about your summer adventures.

If you haven't yet had the chance, please be sure to sign up for your initial meeting with your Learning Plan Partner by today.

Monday, September 5th

• Labor Day - School Closed

Tuesday, September 6th

• 10:00-2:00 – Laptop Distribution

• 10:00-1:00 -Come and Connect Day for grades 6-8 (no drop-ins, pre-registration required)

• 5:00-5:45 on Zoom – LEO (Learning Experience Online) Informational Meeting

Wednesday, September 7th

• Enrichment Class Registration

• 10:00-2:00 – Laptop Distribution

• 10:00-1:00 -Come and Connect Day for Grades 3-5 (no drop-ins, pre-registration required)

• 12:00-2:00 Community and Clubs Resource Fair and Open House

Thursday, September 8th

• Enrichment Class Registration

• 10:0-2:00 – Laptop Distribution

• 11:00-1:00 – Come and Connect Day for grades K-2 (no drop-ins, pre-registration required)

Friday, September 9th

• 10:00-2:00 – Laptop Distribution

• 12:00-1:00 – Learning Together Workshop “Homeschooling 101 Home Learning Rhythms and Routines” on Zoom

Monday, September 12th

• First day of classes

WHAT: Laptop Distribution

WHEN: Sept. 6-9th 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. Enter school via the side door by the gym and come to the basement multi-purpose room. Please be prepared to wait a few minutes. As we are expecting multiple families, please limit how many family members accompany you.

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

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

We are excited to be back on campus and offering enrichment classes again this year. There are always some updates, adjustments and changes with the enrichment schedule and therefore we will be running registration again on Wednesday, September 7th at 8:00am through Thursday the 8th.This will be an open registration window, no staggers, limits or breaks.

The updated schedule can now be viewed in AL*e!! Login instructions are below and at the bottom of every newsletter.

We have had a chance to add some classes to the enrichment schedule.

Be on the lookout for:

• Zines
• Yoga, Mindfulness and Movement
• Monsters, Robots, Aliens and Mystical Creatures (2 sections)
• Heathy Habits
• Adventure Based Counseling (2 sections)

We have also been able to add a few more spots in a few popular classes: One/Two Experience and Nature Discoveries

With Teacher Randy taking a leave for the 2022-23 school year we are going to need to cancel her courses from the enrichment schedule. BUT, Teacher Sam will still be teaching Nature Discoveries 1-2 and Teacher Piper will be joining in. Other courses that will be cancelled due to low enrollment include:

• Coffee & a Book
• For the Love of Animals
• Hack Learning

So the thing about waitlists, they don’t really function the way we would like and we are stuck with the system’s limitations... if you are on a waitlist from last spring, it inhibits you from registering for that very course (you would think it would have the programming to automatically move folks over from the waitlist when openings happen, not so). Therefore, once the registration window opens we want everyone to have access to openings, so waitlists will be cleared to allow that function to happen. We do make note of the waitlists as that helps us know what classes are popular.

*Enrichment classes will begin the week of September 12th.*

We are excited to welcome Brooke Wertz to BFPP! She'll be heading up our LEO program this year.

Interested in learning more about our K-8th grade LEO curriculum? Please join her for a Zoom family meeting and information session on Tuesday, September 6th from 5:00-5:45pm.

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

If your student is in 6th-8th grade and interested in using LEO this year, please also sign up for one of the below meetings:

Tuesday, September 20th 4-5pm via Zoom: click here to sign up

Tuesday, September 20th 5-6pm via Zoom: click here to sign up

Please feel free to contact Brooke with questions.

Wednesday, September 7th, 12-2pm in the gym

Come and visit with community groups, businesses, and BFPP clubs to learn about their offerings for homeschoolers.

Hear about opportunities offered by:

Pace Atelier, Life Force Ninja, Scouts, 4-H, Math Club, Arts & Crafts Club, Whatcom Mountain Biking Association, Evergreen Music School, Girls on the Run, Bellingham Coding and Robotics Club, Animals as Natural Therapy, Liberation Youth Yoga, Piano Lessons by Spencer Rank, Math Instruction with Chris Elzea, Classes by Heather Hadfield, Adventure Quest, Hawthorne Learning Solutions, Girl Scouts, Sportsplex, Playspace, Bellingham Library, and more!

Friday, September 9th 12pm-1pm via Zoom

This second session in our Home Learning series will build on the learning from our first session. It will apply many of the fundamentals of strong home learning practices and share tools for establishing daily/weekly learning routines that foster deep learning. Specifically, it will address how to set goals to support the development of your child’s literacy, numeracy, inquiry and social emotional growth and development and ride the ebb and flow of your home learning journey. If the first session is about home learning philosophy, then this series is about the practice. Ideally, these workshops will be taken together; however, as busy parents balancing the work of so many roles, we do what we can!

Join us if/when you can!

RSVP Erin by 9/9 at erin.mccarthy@bellinghamschools.org for the Zoom link.

Our student information system is called AL*e. On the AL*e website you can view your learner's SLP and register for enrichment classes.

AL*e Parent Login

AL*e Parent Login Instructions

Here are the ways you can learn about school news, events, and activities:

Have Questions?

Your Learning Plan Partner (LPP) is a great first point of contact.

Twice Monthly School Newsletters

Newsletter Archive

Facebook

@learningtogetherpartnership

@bellinghamfamilypartnershipprogram

Facebook Groups

Looking to connect with other families at our partnership program or in our larger homeschooling community? Check out these Facebook groups. They're a great way to hear about homeschooling opportunities in our community, get advice from other families, and find quick answers to those burning school questions!

Bellingham Family Partnership Program Parents Facebook Group

Homeschoolers of Whatcom County Facebook Group

Hi! My name is Heidi Zollner and I'm a BFPP mom to Luke, Anna, and Nate. I'm helping out with the school newsletter this year. My goal for this every-other-week publication is to create opportunities for all of us to connect; both by sharing school, district, and community news, as well as celebrating our milestones and successes together.

Do you have a news item to share with our school community at large? How about ideas on how to help this newsletter better meet our school's needs? Please let me know- I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome Guide

Vision, Mission, and Core Beliefs

AL*e Parent Login

AL*e Parent Login Instructions

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