Kulshan Connect

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We hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during this "Stay Home" time. Next week, our Kulshan teachers will continue connect with students, using both the MS Teams and MS OneNote platforms. We encourage you to create a schedule that is reasonable and healthy for your family, considering what you are experiencing during this difficult time. Creating balance is the most important skill here: we want families and students to feel healthy and supported. If you are having a hard time viewing the learning activities in One Note or MS Teams, or if you want to receive emails directly, please email Viry Ferriera, our school registrar. She can help you access platforms on your students' device and/or she can help connect you to your student's teachers. Many common questions are posted on this district page: Remote Learning FAQ link

Many parents and students requested that we find a way to organize, view, and submit assignments. Luckily, we already had MS Teams as a part of our Microsoft Suite. MS Teams is connected to MS OneNote. As we move to MS Teams, we know there will be a learning curve for parents, students, and teachers. We have put this Resources page together on our Kulshan website to help navigate MS Teams. Students in grades 6-8 receive assignments via their district email accounts (which we encourage students to check regularly), Teams and OneNote via Office 365 every Monday and Tuesday. If you are not sure what your student should be working on, please ask them to check MS Teams and OneNote. Here is a district link that provides guidance for families using Teams for the first time.

Yearbooks are still available online through May 16th! You can purchase your $10 copy of the Kulshan Yearbook by clicking this link. The district has waived the credit card fee. Families will be able to pick up their yearbook when they return their district laptop for updates. If families do not pick up their yearbook, they will be mailed home, so please check that your address in Skyward is current. If you are not sure if you have already purchased a yearbook, please email Cindy Schuitema and she will confirm the status of your order.

Use this link to access our Library OneNote, where you will find how-to videos, links to activities, podcasts, virtual field trips, and more. I am also reading a poem every day on FlipGrid: click here. Comment on the poem, share one of your own, or just check in! I would love to hear from you, either on FlipGrid, email, or Instagram (@kulshanlibrary)!

Jennifer Lovchik, Teen Services Librarian at the Bellingham Public Library, invites all Shuksan and Kulshan MS students to join her for a virtual “Lunchtime” book club! During this first session, we’ll share what we’ve been reading/watching/doing during the first month of the “stay at home” directive. Join us on Wednesdays at 1:30 PM. Join the Zoom Meeting here. Meeting ID: 954 1152 4805 Password: 699134

Thanks to the beautiful and talented Ms. Bachman, our Morning (Daily) Announcements have gone online! YAY! Check them out here and watch for a new Morning (Daily) Announcement every day! This is a great way to get news during our extended break and it gives you a chance to stretch your legs and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Jennifer Lovchik, Teen Services Librarian at the Bellingham Public Library, invites all Shuksan and Kulshan MS students to join her for a virtual “Lunchtime” book club! During this first session, we’ll share what we’ve been reading/watching/doing during the first month of the “stay at home” directive. Join us on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 1:00 PM. Join Zoom Meeting here. Meeting ID: 346 508 255 Password: 007594

It's National Poetry Month! You can visit Mr. Shaffer's Poem-a-Day on FlipGrid . He posts a new video every weekday. The Library OneNote also has links to podcasts, virtual field trips, directions for accessing digital books, and more! Take a look!

Our counselors really miss meeting and checking with our students so they have started a Flip Grid page to try to connect with kids. Each week they will be releasing 2-3 videos ranging in topics from self-care, establishing good routines, to Mood Meter Check-ins. Here is a link to their Flip Grid Page; to see more of their videos click on "Topics.” They have also started an Instagram Page and you can follow them here.

Hello Families! It is such an important time to focus on wellness! We want to help you and your students by creating a daily Big 4 plan that you can follow. In each plan there will be suggestions for: mental/emotional wellness, physical activity, social connection, and reflection. Students were emailed a link to a new "read-only" PE/Health Notebook in OneNote. The Big 4 will be posted there daily. If your student is having trouble finding that notebook, please email Carrie Pasquale or Jason Sytsma. We hope you will join us in striving for wellness!

Our counselors now have the ability to conduct virtual counseling sessions with students either by phone or by using video conferencing via Zoom. If your student would like to arrange a counseling session with Mr. Tiger or Ms. Newbauer, they can fill out a self-referral form by using this Link. If you are a parent or guardian and you would like to request counseling for your student(s), you can email Mr. Tiger or email Ms. Newbauer . Counselors will arrange counseling sessions by either emailing or calling students and/or families. Starting next weeks, counselors will have office hours (to be announced) and will be available by phone (phone numbers will also be announced). Online resources are also available here.

Do you have a general student health question during our school closure? Nurse Barb is available by phone (360) 201-6390 or you can email Barb by clicking this link. We have many COVID related health questions and answers on our district website here. COVID educational materials are available in 26 languages at the Washington State Department of Health website.

Starting on Monday, April 6, our district meals will only be distributed on MONDAYS from 11:00-12:30 PM. Our district is serving free lunches at these school sites: Alderwood, Carl Cozier, Cordata, Geneva, Happy Valley, Parkview, Roosevelt, Wade King, Shuksan, and Options. We are also serving at these neighborhoods: Eliza Court, Evergreen, Regency Park, Sterling Meadows, Sudden Valley Community Center, and Villa Santa Fe. Any student can pick up food at any location. Several KMS staff members are helping at these sites and we hope to see you soon!

Tuesdays: Shuksan Middle School from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Wednesdays: Christ the King on Meridian from 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Thursdays: Civic Field from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Check out the Bellingham Food Bank to learn more or to make a donation.

Edible Education for the Home Classroom: We love the work done by The Edible Schoolyard and are excited to share their resources for home learning around food. Follow the link to subscribe to their newsletters to receive new activities and inspiration each week. Earth Month Challenge. It’s April and one way we are celebrating our planet is by participating in a challenge dreamed up by our partner site, Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center. Engage your students by “challenging” them to find something outside to nature journal about or use Oxbow’s prompts. We recommend this resource, How to teach Nature Journaling. Kids Gardening has declared April “Garden together at home” month, and they’re hosting a contest. Feel free to encourage your students to participate.

Strengthening Families is a WSU Extension program that we have hosted at Kulshan for many years and they are working to produce material for families during this quarantine time. Class titles include: Supporting your child’s emotional and behavioral needs during COVID-19 and Family Management and Resiliency. Courses are available in English and Spanish: Whatcom Strengthening Families Facebook page.

While we want to encourage families to remain active during our current pandemic crisis and “stay at home” orders, we need to balance that with social distancing practices that keep everyone safe. Due to health concerns about coronavirus spreading in our community, we have temporarily closed all school playgrounds and outdoor tennis and basketball courts until further notice. We are following the lead of the City of Bellingham and guidance from the state. When using our outdoor fields, please be sure to use careful physical distancing at all times. We ask that you do not allow these places to be areas to congregate. Thank you for sharing this information with your children if they are regularly using these outdoor areas at our schools with friends and family members. If you have any questions or concerns about these closures, please email us. Be wise and be safe, but stay active!

If your family has capacity for more learning at this time, we encourage you to:

· Read! All Bellingham Public Schools students have access to the Bellingham Public Library collection, and can check out e-books and other resources.

· Take advantage of this set of curated resources, vetted by our teachers.

· Reach out to your child’s teacher(s), understanding they are also adjusting to a new routine and means of teaching that is very different from what we are all used to. They know your children well. They will have suggestions and ideas for extensions and quality resources.

· Consider learning in other areas during this time — perhaps areas your own family has expertise in. These could include lessons in cooking and baking, outdoor learning, or practicing a new skill.

This is a fun Scholastic site that has organized day-by-day projects for kids Pre-K through grade 9. If you have children at various grade levels, it might be fun for older kids to read these books to younger kids. The last time I checked, there was no paywall or password required. My favorite article explained where various Star Wars movies were filmed. Enjoy!

Hey Cross Country Thunderbirds! We want you to know that you will be receiving updates from us, your coaches, with information about safe activities that you can do from home while practicing physical distancing! We will have Walk-Run challenges, workouts, and surprises for you! Stay tuned, stay connected, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for updates!

Do you still have a question that has not been answered via this newsletter or email? The Bellingham Public School website now has a (click here) one-stop resources page. On this website, you can submit a question about childcare, meals, learning resources, technology resources, mental health, and more. We are here for you.

Brigid Collins House is a community resource here in Bellingham offering free virtual parenting classes for parents during this difficult time. Click on this link to see all of their online virtual parenting seminars. These classes are for all types of families, using positive, practical, research-based approaches. Upcoming seminars include: Coping with Stress, Parenting in the Digital Age, Positive Parenting During the Pandemic, and Start your Day in a Positive Way with Play.

Attention 8th grade Parents: Most of our 8th grade KMS students were able to complete the high school registration process before we headed off into this extended COVID break. If you would like to view the Course Catalog , feel free to check out course offerings for next year. (Spanish version of Course Catalog) Do you have questions about high school registration? Please contact one of our Kulshan counselors with your questions. Thank you!

On March 19, Kulshan was scheduled to host local author Christine Day, who wrote I Can Make This Promise. Day is a member of the Upper Skagit tribe and the book takes place in both Seattle and the Suquamish ancestral lands. This book has been read aloud and discussed in 6th and 7th grade Social Studies and Language Arts classes. We will work behind the scenes to make a connection with this local author via online platforms. If you are interested, you can purchase this book or check it out via Libby. It makes a great family book club!

In the midst of COVID, the U.S. Census is still happening. In fact, it is more important than ever to be counted. Census data guides how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to states and communities each year for schools, health care facilities, roads, transportation, recreation centers, social services and more. The U.S. Census Bureau will send you an invitation to respond online to the 2020 Census between March 12-20. Responding to the Census helps our community get its fair share of funding. Your responses are safe and secure. The law requires the U.S. Census Bureau to keep your information confidential, and your responses cannot be used against you in any way. Learn more about how you can shape your future at 2020census.gov.

Our school building may be closed, but we are available everyday! Please email us if you have questions during this COVID school closure:

Meagan Dawson, Principal

Kevin Terpstra, Assistant Principal

Aaron Tiger, Counselor

Jen Newbauer, Counselor

Viry Ferriera, Registrar

We love you and we miss you and we hope you are staying safe and healthy!

Kulshan Middle School 1250 Kenoyer Drive Bellingham, WA 98229 360-676-4886