Public Events Calendar

In Brief 

Enroll Now for Fall
Please share this information with your neighbors: Families new to the district or those with children starting kindergarten in the fall are encouraged to register now at their neighborhood school. Click here to view attendance areas, directions and school contact information or call 676-6520. Click here for new kindergartener information.

WASL Grade 10 Results
By June 14, Bellingham School District sophomores will receive individual score reports mailed to their homes, detailing their performance on the reading, writing and math sections of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL).  Read more...

Summer School
The Bellingham School District is now accepting applications for summer school, which runs Mondays through Thursdays from July 10 through Aug. 10.  To register or read more... 

Specialized summer school programs are offered for students in grades two through eight who are not yet meeting state standards in reading, writing or math.  Current fifth and eighth graders need to demonstrate that they can meet the state standards in reading, writing and math, according to the district's Progress and Promotion policy. Summer school is highly recommended for fifth and eighth graders who are not yet meeting grade level standards by June. Summer school will be provided at no charge for these students entering grades 6 and 9 who have been highly recommended for this intervention.

Student Newsmakers
For a round-up of student honors, awards and scholarships, see news release...

Bellingham School District seniors presented their culminating projects to hundreds of community members and staff on May 17-18 as part of their graduation requirements.

"We are extremely proud of our high school students," said Superintendent Dale E. Kinsley. "We have listened to hundreds of seniors discuss the profound impact of their projects on their learning and future careers, as well as how their projects significantly benefited our local community. We greatly appreciate our community volunteers and high school staff who have personally supported students throughout this process. This a milestone for our district that reflects the power of personalizing instruction and engaging our community in student learning."

More than 600 seniors successfully completed the presentations for their culminating projects in January and on May 17-18 by presenting to panels of staff and community volunteers at Bellingham, Options, Sehome and Squalicum high schools. Hundreds of local business leaders, retired persons and community members volunteered to serve as community advisers to help guide students through their projects or evaluate presentations as community panelists.

Students who had extenuating circumstances or who need to revise their presentations will be given another opportunity to present their work on May 31 and June 1 prior to graduation. Some students who have not completed their projects prior to graduation may finish them during summer school.

Photo: Squalicum student Jami Suedel reviews her notes prior to presenting her project.  Her essential question: "What tactics and tools make a murder investigation successful?"  She plans to attend Whatcom Community College and WWU, and to apply to the Bellingham Police Department.  Her community advisers were Bellingham officers.

Photo: Bellingham High students provide feedback on the process and celebrate in the commons after completing their projects.  Senior Whitney Stefani (not pictured) explored treatments for HIV/AIDS and the impediments that health care workers face across the globe.  "I had no idea that it would be this complex," says Stefani, who helped local organizations with fundraising.  She plans to study biology and viruses.

Photo: Options senior Mike Lott relaxes after presenting on why orca whales are on the endangered species list. 

Photo: A mother of an Options students waits outside the door to congratulate her daughter.