BFPP NEWS

Dear Bellingham Family Partnership Families,

Here are some general on-campus reminders....which I just have to say.....it is so fun being on campus with you and I am super happy to give some reminders about being together :)

Badges - We are requesting that everyone picks up 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. Besides, it is community building if we all walk around with our name hanging from a lanyard. This helps us all get to know each other. Peggy (library/office assistant) is working on creating badges for those who go through the volunteer paperwork process so that you have a more permanent badge. A visitor badge 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. Some have asked about vaccination requirements....the state mandates are changing on Oct. 31st and in the meantime there are some exemptions.

North Star - Is our term for students having a "guiding adult". A North Star can be a parent, family member, another family on campus or teacher. We want every student to have a North Star. We are asking families to be on campus the first few weeks of enrichment classes and the individual instructors will let you know if they are having a sign in North Star option. Otherwise there are lots of family spaces on campus and we ask that you join us on campus while your student is in class. This is also an opportunity for families to connect with each other! 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!

Family lounge - There is a fridge and microwave available for your convenience. We ask that 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.

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. There is a Presbyterian church kiddy corner from us, they have offered us parking in their lot behind the church, but please don't block the entrance. Also, in front of the school building is a loading zone for school official 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 during school hours. Unless you have permission for a project or class.

Warmly,

Principal Kate

BFPP has teacher workdays on several Fridays (marked in purple on the calendar) throughout the year. Today is the first one! Classes are cancelled on these Fridays.

Check out the BFPP calendar to see all of the Purple Fridays for the school year.

Thursday 9/29 1:30-2:30 Arts & Crafts Club

Friday 9/30 12-1pm Home Learning 101- Routines & Rhythms

Monday 10/3 & Wednesday 10/5 MAP testing session for 6-8th graders

Thursday 10/6 & Friday 10/7 MAP testing sessionfor 6-8th graders

Friday 10/7 12-1pm Home Learning 101- Goals & Intentions

Monday 10/10 Scholastic Book Orders Due

Friday 10/14 Purple Friday - No School

Thursday 10/20 BFPP Shopping Day at Village Books

Thursday 10/27 3-5 pm SMATE workshop at WWU

Home Learning 101: Routines, Rhythms & Relationships (Zoom, 12pm-1pm; Friday 9/30)
This first session in our Home Learning series is facilitated by BFPP Instructional Coach and former homeschooler Erin McCarthy. In it we will focus on the philosophical shift and home management techniques that support families in their roles as primary educators. The intended audience for this workshop is adults who are new to home schooling (this includes using online learning!) and have chosen this option for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they feel in their hearts, heads and bellies that this is how their child should learn best right now. Basically, we’ll be taking the energy of “Yayyy, I’m homeschooling!!” and addressing the “Well, now what?!”
Please join us! RSVP Erin by 9/29 at erin.mccarthy@bellinghamschools.org for the Zoom link.

Home Learning 101: Setting Goals and Intentions for the Year (Zoom, 12pm-1pm, Friday 10/7)
This second session in our Home Learning series will build on the learning from the 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 eb 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 10/6 at erin.mccarthy@bellinghamschools.org for the Zoom link.

6th-8th graders ... save these dates

10/3/22 at 9:00am-11:00 am & 10/5/22 at 9:00-11:00 am

Or

10/6/22 at 9:00 am -11am and Friday 10/7/22 at 9:00-11:00 am

Letter coming early next week with more details

by Teacher Sammy

“[Everyone] flourishes with the sustained, loving commitment of ritual.” -The Art of Inquiry

The benefits of rhythms and rituals....

• Predictability
• Sense of security because your kids (and you!) know what comes next
• Confidence in what comes next
• Provide peace and calmness vs. mental chaos
• Efficient- Creating extra time
• Give structure
• Help eliminate power struggles
• Instill habits
• Teach by modeling
• Help kids make sense of the world and master their fears
• Knowing what comes next brings a sense of security and we can approach what comes next with confidence and eventually some ease.

For more information on this topic I encourage you to sign up for our Learning Together Workshops: Home Learning 101 with Erin McCarthy.

Looking for more ideas and resources for your young learner? Check out past Early Learner's World articles here.

Come join us for Arts & Crafts Club!

When: Thursday, Sept. 29th 1:30 - 2:30ish

Where: We’ll meet outside the Multipurpose Room (downstairs in Larrabee Building). If it’s nice out we’ll go outside on the lawn.

What to bring: We’ll be doing tie-dye for our first club! Bring a white or light color/pastel shirt or garment. We’ll provide the dye and rubber bands this time around, but if you have any extra rubber bands laying around, feel free to bring them!

RSVP: Please email or text sivspain@icloud.com 206-349-9078 if you plan to come. Thank you!

The Theater Arts Team is looking for a group of parents to work together to organize a “Fall Festival” for Wednesday, October 26th from 10-12. Theater arts students will present skits as part of the festival.

Please contact Carol Makela, Marci Bass or Karen Nuckles-Flinn if you are interested!

Thank you from the Theater Arts Team!!!

A big thank you to all who contributed to our BFPP club interest list at the resource fair.

Our most-wished-for clubs are Minecraft, chess, Pokémon, Harry Potter, and hiking.

Our vast array of other interests include cooking, volleyball, Star Wars, parkour, dance, board games, handball, Future City, birding, speed cubing, horses, and March Mammal Madness.

Now we need to make these wishes come true!

Clubs come in many different shapes, sizes, and formats. A key to leading a club is to create something that's a good fit for you and your family- that adds to your homeschool experience in a way that makes the extra effort worthwhile.

If you're itching to lead a club, that's wonderful! Contact Heidi Zollner to get started.

Are you unsure but willing to entertain the idea? Thank you for considering it! Be on the lookout for club-building support opportunities in the month of October.

Do you need some new books for your home library? Scholastic Books Inc. offers a great value on a wide variety of children's books.

Please place your online order by Monday, October 10th.

New to ordering? Here’s how:

1. Go online to: https://clubs.scholastic.com/

2. Click on 'Connect to a Teacher' and enter our BFPP Class Code: RT8NH

3. Create an account.

4. Shop the flyers and pay online for your order. You can choose from any and all of the many different flyers available.

5. Please email Heidi Zollner and let her know you've ordered so we can arrange pick up/delivery of your books.

6. Books should arrive at school by the first week in November.

Thanks for supporting our school's library with your purchase!

Every purchase earns us free books and other goodies for our school.

We'll have book ordering opportunities 3-4 times through the year.

Mark your calendars and start compiling your lists - the BFPP fundraiser day at Village Books is coming our way on Thursday, October 20th. That's the day Village Books and Paper Dreams donate 20% of sales online and in-store to our school library for new books! Stay tuned for more details - including the flyer you'll need to ensure BFPP gets credit for your purchases.

Save the Date - Thursday, October 27th

Hi Families! Have you been wondering how to incorporate more hands on and engaging activities regarding science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into your home-learning experiences?

Come join us in person on Thursday, October 27th from 3-5pm at SMATE (Science, Math and Technology Education) on WWU's campus, where professors from each discipline will work in small groups to introduce you to new ideas, what’s available on SMATE’s shelves for check-out and answer all your questions. More details to come…

If you have questions please send them to Teacher Jackie.

Do you know about the Free Store?

At the end of the hallway on the bottom floor is a closet the school has been kind enough to let us take over. It was started by and has been run by parents, and it works best when we all pitch in to keep it organized and updated.

The Free Store is a space to give and take used but quality (clean & not broken) items like household items, clothing, curriculum, toys, and books.

This has been such a great resource and it will continue to be with all of us pitching in. Bring some stuff, take some stuff, feel good about your thriftiness!

See below for some of the current items available.

Pick up a pamphlet at the front desk of BFPP to discover all the amazing shows available this season to you and your family at MBT!

Starting November 2nd and running through April 13th, students and their families may attend professional theatrical performances for just $7-8 per seat, thanks to the generosity of the King family, in memory of their son Wade.

To buy tickets for your family, visit their website or call the MBT Ticket Office at 360-734-6080. Families are responsible for their own transportation and bringing their email confirmation of tickets.

The Sehome High School Varsity Dance Team is hosting a Mini-Mariners K-8 Dance Camp from Oct. 17 to 21.

The camp will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday with a special performance at the football game halftime on Friday, Oct. 21.

The campers will participate in dance games and activities throughout the week and will learn a pom style dance for the halftime performance.

Registration forms are available at this link. The cost to register is $50 and includes a set of poms and a t-shirt to wear at the halftime performance. The deadline to register is Friday, Sept. 30.

If you have any questions, please email the Sehome dance team coach at Selena.Arciniega-Storey@BellinghamSchools.org.

The Lego Engineering class is collecting donations of used crayons.

The W.C.S.H.I. needs some Diaper Genie Insert bags (not used!).

The Sew What? class needs all purpose spools of thread (prefer white, but we will take any color).

If you have any of the above to donate, please connect with Teacher Marci. Thank you!

Boy Scout Handbook (2017 printing)—FREE (and a requirement for anyone joining Scouts) Please connect with Erin to pick up.

Have an item, talent, idea, or interest to share with the BFPP community at large? Please consider sharing via the newsletter! Email Heidi with your contributions. Thank you!

Next newsletter: Friday, October 7th.

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