Mack Memo

Mack Memo ~ Parent Newsletter

4/26/21

Dear Families,

We're excited to be in the planning stages of a fantastic 2021-22 school year! We wanted to take this time to update you on some of the changes happening next year. Enrollment continues at very robust levels and as of right now we plan to welcome more than 50 new students to the Mack Campus. Here is a glance at how grades and sections are shaping up, based on current enrollment:

2 sections of Kindergarten
2 sections of 1st Grade
2 sections of 2nd Grade
2/3 Combo Class

1 section of 3rd Grade
2 sections of 4th Grade
1 section of 5th Grade
1 section of 6th Grade

We are looking to fill many positions. If you or someone you know would be a good fit for BCS, please check out the link below or direct them to the link. We are hiring bus drivers, teachers, counselors, and more. Thank you so much.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jennifer Smith

Director of Preschool & Principal, Mack Campus

Open Positions

Announcements

We are paying tribute to two of our magnificent Mack faculty members who will be retiring this year. Ms. Elaine Gibbs and Mrs. Marian Sweeney will end their service at BCS at the end of this school year. So many students, staff, and faculty have benefitted from their gifts, talents, abilities, and wonderful work. With heartfelt appreciation for all they have done and still do, we wish Ms. Gibbs and Mrs. Sweeney much joy and happiness in their retirement!

Ms. Elaine Gibbs has been with Mack for 20 years and has left wonderful blessings in the lives of her students and coworkers all along the way. She has always been someone to look up to and learn from as a result of her vast experience of 48 years of teaching. Ms. Gibbs has a deep knowledge and passion for subjects and imparts life lessons to her students. Because of her attention to detail and high expectations for students, they learn to strive for excellence. Her love for teaching, and her students, are displayed within each lesson. She is able to listen to colleagues and give insight into all kinds of situations. Another result of her teaching experience is Ms. Gibbs' deep understanding of the purpose of a Christian school to equip students and give them tools to see the world using the lens of a Christian perspective. She is an inspiration and blessing to those around her, and we will miss her.

Mrs. Marian Sweeney is finishing her 17th year at Mack and has blessed the lives of students in all grades, as well as faculty and staff, with all she has done in those 17 years. Within her time here she has served as a computer teacher, Educational Assistant in the classroom as well as in the playground, worked in the after-school program, and beautifully created year-end slide shows showing life at Mack, all of which have blessed everyone in so many ways. Mrs. Sweeny is known to see the best in students and colleagues, able to keep things calm in the midst of storms (especially at the playground!), engages with the students in teaching, laughing, and learning. She is a lifelong learner and models that to her students, who would show and model respect and expect it in return. In her capacity as a computer instructor, Mrs. Sweeney is a teaching expert and has enabled our students to grow in their digital citizenship skills. She has a great passion for research and finding just the perfect “extra” to make her lessons engaging and interesting and captivates her students with innovative and fascinating projects.

Saying Goodbye to BCS

A Note from Mrs. Kristen LeClair: "While COVID-19 threatened to make learning difficult this past year, I am incredibly grateful that BCS offered me the Kindergarten Teacher's job online with the @Home community as my family opted to take extra precautions that we felt were necessary due to underlying health conditions. It has been an amazing and fulfilling year for both me and my little cohort of students! One of the reasons BCS is special and unique is rooted in Teaching for Transformation. As part of our work in Teaching for Transformations (TfT), we write a Deep Hope every year. My Deep Hope for my students is what I also hope for our families: May you love and serve like Jesus, loving radically and unconditionally wherever you go and whoever you meet along the way! What a JOY it has been this year to explore this with my students! As I complete my 20th year at BCS, I have reflected on the multitude of relationships and memories that have brought me to where I am today. I have always taken great pride in the partnerships cultivated between family, church, and school. For that reason and many others, my departure from BCS next year leaves me feeling excited to see where God will direct me next and sad to leave such a fantastic place filled with so many remarkable people. Thank you for such a wonderful partnership throughout the years! This is truly a special place."

Transitioning Within Mack

From Mrs. Inda Hawke - "I am currently working as an EA in third grade at Mack Elementary. I have been working in Ms. DeFreece's third-grade class this school year. I graduated from Western Governors University in 2020 with my bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Elementary Education. I spent the beginning of my teaching career with the Edmonds School District in first grade. I began teaching right before the pandemic sent schools online. My husband Andrew and I will be married for four years this June. We recently bought our first house and we live with our cat Delta. I love to hike, I am a CODA (child of a deaf adult) and I enjoy cross-stitching. I am so thrilled to continue my teaching career with Bellevue Christian at Mack."

Rejoining Mack

From Ms. Kaitlyn Konsmo - "I am a recent elementary education graduate from Northwest University. This last year, I was a long-term sub for Mrs. Pelone and then went to Three Points to fill in at the fourth grade level when she returned from maternity leave. The year prior, I student taught in a 4th/5th grade classroom and worked as an EA at the BCS Three Points campus. I have been a summer camp counselor for the last 3 years. I grew up in beautiful Tacoma, WA, and I love the sunshine, spending time outdoors, reading, and playing volleyball. I am so excited and grateful to come back and be part of the Mack family."

From Mrs. Laura Ribera - "I was raised in Brooklyn, New York near the Atlantic Ocean. My father passed on to me a love of the sea, along with his blue eyes. My mother gave me a love of the sky, always encouraging me to look up at the beauty. In 1993, Dr. Ribera, our three sons, and I moved from one shining sea to another! Our sons are all grown now and have their own homes. Dr. Ribera and I live on the top of a hill, where I can see the mountains and watch the clouds go by. I have been teaching for many years and have had the privilege of teaching at BCS since 1994. I shifted from in-classroom teaching to BCS@Home this past year, but I am glad to be returning to in-classroom teaching at Mack for the 2021-22 school year! I relate to the young child—I, too, am filled with wonder and awe at God’s creation. As we marvel together, we learn more about our Father and about each other. My deep hope for your child is that they would know that God loves them and helps them. I have the best job under the sun!"

Welcoming New Staff

Mrs. Vickie Jo, MA, LMHCA - "Warmest greetings faculty, parents, and the greater Bellevue Christian School community! I am rejoicing in this new door God has graciously opened for me to come alongside the Mack Elementary campus with the honor to serve students, parents, and faculty as the Elementary School Counselor. I am a mother of three children ages 7, 13, and 15. I earned both my bachelor's degree as well as my Masters's in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University in Kirkland. I went on to work for Friends of Youth, supporting at-risk youth and young adults, and also have special training in cultural competency as a clinician from Asian Counseling and Referral Services. Most recently, I had the privilege to work at Restart Life in Bellevue launching their outpatient program, providing therapy to adolescents and adults with overuse/addiction to technology including but not limited to Video games, YouTube, Tiktok, and other forms of social media. As I grew in my knowledge and in my work at Restart, I found that I desired to be on the preventative side of these issues. Feeling compelled to bring education and guidance to parents just like me who are raising kids in a world where youth face issues that are new to this generation. I have found that whether counseling youth or adults, teaching coping skills can be one of the strengths we can build to equip them to better handle the variety of challenges that may come. My hope and desire are that God may somehow be able to use any gifting, skill, and knowledge I may have now and in the future to bless and edify the Mack Elementary family and surrounding community. Looking forward to walking together.

Join our Team!

BCS is in the process of and hiring counselors, teachers (Preschool-Grade 12), and staff for the 21-22 school year.

If you or someone you know would be interested in one of our open positions, learn more and/or apply via the button below.

BCS tuition discounts are available to all regularly scheduled employees.

Open Positions

PTF Corner

Ways to Get Involved, April Banach, PTF President Elect

Do you have a heart of service? Maybe you're new to the Mack community. Getting involved with our Parent-Teacher Fellowship group (PTF) as an event/classroom coordinator or an E-Board member is a great way to get connected and develop lasting relationships. The PTF is currently looking for parents who are interested in volunteering for a variety of positions for the 21-22 school year. Last week, a packet of information that details the various volunteer opportunities in addition to an application was sent home with your child's folder. The list of volunteer descriptions and the application is also linked below. For questions, email April Banach. Applications are due at the office by Monday, 5/24.

PTF Volunteer Packet

Elementary News

Spotlight on Speech

This is a reminder that our school Spotlight on Speech Celebration will be taking place today and tomorrow.

Students in the first through fifth grades are memorizing a poem or Bible passage from a selection appropriate for their grade level. Sixth graders are busy preparing to present their persuasive speeches. We are so excited to hear from all of the students.

COVID-19 restrictions mean that parents will not be able to attend in person. However, we are going to attempt to stream and record the speeches so you can watch them from home. To get the streaming link for your classroom, please email me or your classroom teacher. If you have any other questions or need more specific information, please contact jcobbley@bellevuechristian.org. Thank you!

Parent Input Forms

Parents, please feel free to share via the form below the kind of classroom that works best for your child. When completing the form, please do not name specific teachers. It is also helpful to know which friends are important to your child so that everyone enters a new school year with a buddy. It is most helpful if you list a group of friends that your child feels comfortable with. Please do not list only a best friend, as I cannot guarantee they will be together, but with a group of friends, it is possible to pair each child with someone they are comfortable with.

Please complete the form and return it to the front office by, Friday, May 21.

Parent Input Form

Elementary / Jr. High Music

Please enjoy this video from our combined elementary and junior high Spring choral program!

In this virtual concert, you will get to:

Hear vocal and instrumental selections from each of the three campuses.

Learn about how teachers have been adjusting the learning process to create meaningful learning experiences in the midst of tricky circumstances.

Hear from students about what the music means to them.

Watch Video

"The elementary music teachers and I hope that this will be a fun and encouraging peek inside the music program. Access it via the link to the left and feel free to share it with family and friends. Thank you to our students and teachers who participated in this video project."

-Ms. Amy Shockey, Jr. High Music & Theatre Teacher

Chapel

Wishlist from our friends at the Maltby Food Bank:

Hamburger Helper
Coffee
Cranberry & Apple Juice
Oil (other than vegetable oil)
Protein Drinks
Protein Bars
Size 5 diapers

If you would like to contribute, please send items to school with your child on Tuesdays.

Watch this week's Chapel

Preschool Highlights

Imaginative play is a popular part of the preschool/pre-K day, as children this age have strong imaginations and love to try out different roles. To provide variety, the imaginative play area is transformed every month into someplace new. It has been a pizza parlor, a grocery store, a coffee shop, a bakery, and much more.