BLAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Back to School 2020-2021 A special publication of The Northern Light
Welcome Borderites to the 2020-2021 School Year! Staff and administrators at Blaine School District have been working all summer to prepare for this new and unique start to school and are ready to welcome our students back to learning! What will it look like? How will it work? We have created a new section of our website specifically for the 2020-2021 school year, and we hope it will answer all your questions, but we’d like to share a few highlights here as well.
purchased a Chromebook for every student in grades K-12. programs. We are working to engage students through an There are also mobile hot spots available for families who improved delivery, translating what we know about good indicated a need for assistance with improved connectivity. teaching to a remote setting and finding ways to help students do important thinking and concept work rather than How will it work? simple task completion. Students will be provided a structured schedule K-5 with a good mix of synchronous and asynchrowill receive periods of instruction, 6-12 Students nous learning. This will give them a chance to engage in with a significant amount of direct contact live sessions with their teacher and classmates for focused with teachers and classmates in live sessions. Lessons What will it look like? bits of time, but also have time to work offline and flexi- will be formatted with a mix of live instruction and time The Blaine School Board made the decision to start the bly. There will also be pre-recorded video lessons for core to work and process; beginning with a short mini-lesschool year in a 100% virtual environment. The district has content, such as our Bridges and Fountas and Pinnell son from their teacher, work time with support, and a wrap up/summary. We are also working hard on remote learning strategies to engage students for improved delivery, as well as enhanced electronic tools and We’ve worked hard all summer to improve remote learning, and we’re ready for fall! curriculum.
Enhanced curricula with improved delivery, including live streamed lessons and recorded content. Technology investment in Chromebooks for every student and mobile hotspots for those needing improved connectivity
All new website content specific to this school year to support students and families
Virtual office hours for teachers and a special tech help team to support students and families
What if we need flexibility? Last spring we heard from many families who asked for more structure in our online delivery, and we have worked to provide that. Since then however, we have heard from more families who say flexibility is what is needed. We understand that every family’s situation is unique, and we want to meet the needs of every student and family. To that end, we are preparing to offer some flexible options for meeting the requirements of attendance, but these options do include more onus on the part of the parent or guardian in helping their student stay on pace. As each family’s need for flexibility is unique and plans need to involve collaboration with teachers, we will not be able to finalize how they will work until all of our teachers are back to work. Stay tuned to our website and social media platforms for updates.
BLAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Back to School 2020-2021 Every Student. Every Day. In a New Way!
Dr. Christopher Granger, Superintendent Blaine School District
I sit here typing this back to school message and realize when you read this I will have just completed my 365th day of being the superintendent of the Blaine School District. Looking ahead to a new and challenging year, I know the value of Blaine community and the heart that runs black and orange through the town and its people. Despite all the ad-
versity we have faced, many have stepped up and met the challenges head on. We are committed to partnering with families and community members to continually improve our schools. In spite of anything that is going on around us, Blaine will rise above and set the standard, because we are BLAINE. Building Community Learning to Lead Achieving Success Inspiring Growth Nourishing Potential Educating for Greatness We are pleased to welcome back our staff members, and
we will continue to work hard for every student every day. Together we will uilding Community make Blaine the best earning to Lead place in Washington for our students to chieving Success get a well-rounded nspiring Growth education. It is a great day to be a Borourishing Potential derite, and, as always, ducating for Greatness a great day to be your superintendent.
B L A I N E
THE BLAINE WAY
BLAINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Craig Baldwin, Ed.D., Principal Blaine Elementary School
Online Preschool www.amitymontessori.com
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year students and families of Blaine Elementary! We’re grateful for your partnership and are excited to launch the school year as we serve the children of Blaine Elementary School. We welcome the arrival of our new students, including our incoming third graders and those new to the Blaine School District and would love for you to join us at a virtual orientation and welcome night on Tuesday, August 25 from 6–7 p.m. At Blaine Elementary we strive to provide an outstanding education, believing that as a community: Together We Make a Difference. Our mission is to work in partnership with our community and families to educate and inspire students as they develop the skills necessary to reach their academic and creative potential. At Blaine Elementary we nurture respectful, socially
responsible and life-long learners. We work hard to provide students with an education that cultivates academic, social and emotional development. This year our staff will continue to grow engagement practices that are responsive to students and nurture classroom environments where every student feels safe, supported and can thrive. We would like to invite all Blaine Elementary families to participate in our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). This leadership group actively supports our school by funding educational enrichment opportunities and coordinating community events. We would also like to encourage Blaine community members to volunteer or participate in our school events and celebrations. Public schools are about coming together as a community to serve children and we can all contribute to a quality educational experience for our
kids. You can learn more about our school by visiting the Blaine School District website, contacting our office or joining school events. School starts Wednesday, August 26, with individual, scheduled google meets. The typical class schedule will begin on August 31. Virtual classrooms will start promptly at 8:20 a.m. each day. Your child(ren)’s teacher will provide more details regarding specific learning schedules in the first days of school. We welcome communication from families. Please check our website for updates, including a link to our new student and family orientation night. If you have additional questions or need clarification on the start of the 2020-21 school year, please don’t hesitate to contact our main office at 360/332-5213. On behalf of our staff, welcome to the 2020-21 school year!
School Meal Distributions Two convenient pick up times: Wednesdays at 12-2 & 4-6 p.m.
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Meal distribution is going to look different in the 2020-2021 school year than it did in the spring of last year. Without a federal waiver similar to the one received in the spring, the school district is unable to provide free meals to all children. Students or their families will be able to pick up meals at the school once a week, and it will contain five breakfasts and five lunches. Cost for the meals will be based on the student’s meal approval; free, reduced or paid. The cost of the weekly meals is as follows; PAID: K-5 $21.75 ($1.50/breakfast and $2.85/lunch) 6-12 $23.25 ($1.50/breakfast and $3.15/lunch)
Meals can be picked up each Wednesday, at the rear of the high school, in the parking lot behind the grandstands with two convenient pick up times; 12–2 p.m., and 4–6 p.m. To help our food service staff plan, please complete our weekly online order form, which can be found on the new 2020-2021 school year section of the school district website. Families may apply for free and reduced meals at any time, and we encourage you to do so. This year we are offering an easy, new online option, which can be found in Skyward Family Access. Applications can also be printed from our website and mailed or delivered to the district office.
Keep aiming for the stars. We've got your back.
REDUCED: K-3 Free 4-12 $2.00 (Free/breakfast and .40/lunch)
978 Peace Portal Drive, Blaine 360-922-0102
638 Peace Portal Dr. Suite 202 Blaine, WA 98230
Best of luck this year!
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
Have a fantastic school year!
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A special publication of The Northern Light
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August 2020
BLAINE HIGH SCHOOL Welcome back Borderites! The 2020-2021 school year is one that will be remembered for a very long time. The administration and staff are here for you every step of the way during this worldwide pandemic. This year, as every year, we commit ourselves to providing the very best educational experience possible, both virtually and in the hybrid model to come. Be assured we are committed to meeting the needs of all our students and families. Our focus is on continuous improvement and communication. We will update you often through our district and school websites, Skyward emails and social media outlets, as well as updates via Dr. Granger’s community question and answer sessions. In this virtual start, it will be very important for students to monitor their district issued email (first.last@stu.blainesd.org). This is how students will access their Google Classrooms and communicate with their teachers. We ask that parents make sure to verify and up-
date their student’s information, as well as have an accurate parent email in Skyward. This is how we will continue to communicate with you regarding your student and with school news and updates.There are a few things we will never change, such as our belief and our mission that: WE ARE BLAINE HIGH SCHOOL We foster RESILIENCE We model RESPECT We practice RESPONSIBILITY We demonstrate COMPASSION Resilience is a precious skill, and this year, more than ever, it will serve us all well. Those with resilience tend to have three underlying advantages: a belief they can influence life events; a tendency to find meaningful purpose in life’s turmoil; and the conviction to trust they can learn from both positive and adverse experiences. Students, we want you to know your teachers care about you and your edu-
cation. Work hard under difficult circumstances and push through adversity knowing that good things will be there for you. Please feel free to contact our administrators via email at scott_ ellis@blainesd.org, wvezzetti@ blainesd.org and dcottnair@ blainesd.org. We are here to help our families and students with any issues that may occur during the 20/21 school year. We look Scott Ellis, for forward to seeing our stu- Principal dents digitally and in person in Blaine High School the near future.
room during the first four periods of the day. In the afternoon, students will get active by following the PE lessons posted in the Google Classroom, as well as selecting from music and/or study hall content, also accessed through Google Classroom. Fridays are designed for students to complete weekly work, improve music skills, and focus on being physically fit through exercise and kinesthetic activities. Middle school students and families are invited to attend a BMS orientation presented by school administrators: Mr. Benson, Mr. Vanderyacht, and Mrs. Cottnair on Thursday, August 20 from 6–7 p.m. This orientation will be an informative Zoom Webinar, where students and families will receive up-to-date information related to the school sched-
ule, classes, and expectations. Be looking for a Zoom link to the meeting on the BMS calendar on the district website as well as on the district’s social media channels. Questions can be emailed in advance to questions@blainesd. org before noon on the 20th. Please put BMS in the subject line. Blaine Middle School stands ready to teach, learn, and grow as we partner to educate our stu- Darren Benson, dents together. We got this! Principal Blaine Middle School
BLAINE MIDDLE SCHOOL Welcome to the 2020 - 2021 school year. To begin, I want to thank the Blaine community for your support and commitment as we develop and implement our new continuous learning model in the Blaine School District. At Blaine Middle School, we focus on building students with strong social and emotional skills, who can persist while reading and interacting with complex text and solving challenging problems. As we transition to this new school year, we are committed to providing a quality education in whatever virtual or physical setting we find ourselves. Middle school students can expect that language arts, social studies, math, and science teachers will teach real-time virtual lessons Monday through Thursday using Google Meet and Google Class-
BLAINE PRIMARY SCHOOL Students and families of Blaine Primary School, we want to welcome you back to the 2020-21 school year! My name is Jordan Radke and I am so excited, humbled and honored to be joining you as your new principal this year. I want to personally thank you for entrusting us with your students and their education. We take our work very seriously and know just how important education is for our children. While this year is going to look different than years past in many ways, the staff here at Blaine Primary wants you to know we are here for you and are committed to your success, now more than ever. Together we are going to accomplish great things this year! Our mission at Blaine Primary School is to unite family, staff, community and students in a partnership that provides opportunities to enable children to fully develop their individual potential. We believe deeply in the power of partnering together with our families and community to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of our students. We are working hard to provide an educational experience that meets each child at their own level and helps them to develop the skills necessary to be lifelong learners. As we begin this year in remote learning, we know you will have many questions. We are all learning new ways of doing things. We want you to know you can always reach out to us with questions or concerns you may have. We are in this together and are here for you. You can reach out by calling the school at 360/332-1300 or by emailing me at jradke@blainesd.org. If you’re new to Blaine Primary and would like to know more about the school prior to the first day, you can attend our virtual orientation night on August 25 from 5–6 p.m. Along with Michelle McKeown, assistant principal and our
Make it a great school year!
counselor, Mr. Robinson, we will lead students and families on a virtual tour of the school, share information about virtual learning this fall and provide a question and answer segment where we can respond to your questions. Whether you’re new to Blaine Primary or not, all parents and students are welcome! This year will be one to remember and we will continue to work hard for you, our students, families and community. We are honored to be navigating these times with you and to have the opportunity of serving your students. We are excited to be seeing our students’ shining faces again very soon and can’t wait to begin engaging them in learning. On behalf of our staff, welcome to the 2020-21 school year!
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Blaine Harbor Music Fest July 11-17, 2021
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Wishing You A Healthy School Year!
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Vwich Agency 341 H Street, Blaine 360-332-4444
Fortiphi Insurance wishes all the Borderites a great school year!
288 Martin Street • Downtown Blaine • 360-332-7300 www.Fortiphi.com
Back to School 2020-2021
BLAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT
School Calendar AUGUST 20 21 24-25 24 25
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6-7 p.m., BMS Virtual Orientation Teacher Work Day District Wide In-Service 6-7 p.m., BHS New Student Orientation 5-7 p.m., BPS Virtual Orientation 6-7 p.m., BES Virtual Orientation First Day of School
SEPTEMBER 7
Labor Day (no school)
NOVEMBER
11 Veterans Day (no school) 13 Teacher Work Day (Non-Student Day) 20,23-25 Family Conferences (K-8) 26-27 Thanksgiving Break
DECEMBER 18-31
Winter Break
JANUARY
1 4 18 22
New Year’s Day (no school) School Resumes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (no school) Teacher Work Day (non-student day)
FEBRUARY 12 15
Mid-Winter Break Presidents Day (no school)
MARCH 4-5 12
26
Family Conferences (K-8) Closure Make Up Day #1 (no school unless make up day needed) Closure Make Up Day #2 (no school unless make up day needed)
APRIL
5-9 21-22
Spring Break HS Family Conferences
MAY
7 14
31
No School (Work Day rescheduled) Closure Make Up Day #3 (no school unless make up day needed) Memorial Day (no school)
JUNE
11 15 16-18
BHS Graduation Students & Teachers Last Day Closure Make Up Day #4-6 (no school unless make up day needed)
Contact Information
A special publication of The Northern Light
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August 2020
Chromebook Information Questions? Call us: 360-332-5881 Email us: techhelp@blainesd.org Chromebook Monitoring & Filtering • Internet activity at school is filtered through a district server • Internet activity through your home wireless network is not filtered • All activity is logged and monitored when logged into your district Google account • Emails ARE NOT confidential. Emails are monitored. Emails are considered legal documents Student Safety • You are responsible for what is in your Google account • Be careful about information you share from your Google drive • Once something is posted on social media and online, it is permanent • Respect others: Never post anything rude or offensive • If someone makes you feel uncomfortable - do not respond, save evidence, tell your parent, guardian or another trusted adult • Keep your passwords strong and secure • Do NOT leave your device logged into your Google account and unattended Internet Safety Tips at Home • Keep vital numbers private • Establish “house rules” - Use your device in a “public” place in the home • Have your student show you what they have learned What is Cyberbullying? • Cyberbulling is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communications tools including social media sites, text messages, chat and websites • Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites or fake profiles Safety Tips at Home • Keep liquids at a safe distance from your Chromebook • Keep your Chromebook & charger away from pets • Close your Chromebooks before moving Theft Protection • Keep your device in your possession at all times • You could be liable for loss and/or damage • Theft of a laptop will result in legal action • Failure to return a laptop at the end of the year or at the time of withdrawal will be treated as theft Cleaning and Caring for Your Chromebook • Never spray water directly on the Chromebook, spray the cloth • Keep your device at room temperature at all times - Don’t leave it in the car. • Make sure that the keyboard area is clear prior to closing the lid • Keep your Chromebook in the bag when you are not using it • Don’t drop or throw the Chromebook on the floor, desk or table
• • • • •
Use microfiber cloths to clean screens No Windex or chemicals Keep your Chromebook and power cord clean Rest on hard surface while in use Do not apply excessive pressure on the screen
Take Care of Your Chromebook • Clean your Chromebook with a dry soft cloth • Open and close your Chromebook with care • Bundle and store your charger appropriately
Tech
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Technical Support • Do not attempt to repair your Chromebook. • Do not purchase after market chargers, etc. • If you are having technical concerns email techhelp@blainesd.org
Email techhelp@blainesd.org for any technical support.
TIPS for success
Phone Numbers & Emails to remember www.BlaineSD.org Administrative Offices .................. 360/332-5881 Blaine Primary School ................... 360/332-1300 Blaine Elementary School ............. 360/332-5213 Blaine Middle School .................... 360/332-8226 Blaine High School ........................ 360/332-6045 Point Roberts Primary School ....... 360/945-2223 Family Service Center ................... 360/332-0740 Special Education ......................... 360/332-5881 District Snow Hotline .................... 360/332-0789 Transportation ............................... 360/332-0700 Chromebook Tech Support Email: ....................... techhelp@blainesd.org
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Prioritize social and emotional wellbeing for your family
Use a daily schedule or checklist to complete tasks in small chunks
Pause learning for movement and brain breaks
Stay in touch with your child’s teacher and school