Our deepest gratitude to BHS Security Specialist Soodjai Kutrakun, who is retiring at the end of the month after 40 years working with BHS students.
Soodjai left an indelible mark around the BHS Campus since he started working at Ballard in 1980.
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If you didn't get a chance to share a note of thanks with Soodjai at last week's Curbside event, you can leave notes in the bin outside of the south school entrance door from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help in our celebration.
Congratulations to Soodjai! We will miss you! #AG2BB!
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Final week of 1st Semester timeline |
The 1st Semester ends Jan. 27. Here are some important dates and informational links for this week:
Jan. 25-26 | Regular Schedule
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PTSA General Meeting 7 p.m. via Teams
Learn about BTHC, teen wellness on Feb. 11
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Did you know that BHS has a wide variety of FREE medical and mental health services that are provided on campus? Both our school nurse and the Swedish Medical Center/Ballard Teen Health Center (BTHC) are available to support students now and when school meets in person.
At the 7 p.m. Feb. 11 PTSA Meeting, we will have a pa nel of Teen Health Center representatives and BHS Nurse Laurie Tirtanadi, RN, MS, ARNP available to answer questions about supporting student mental health during remote learning.
Mental Health Counselor Chelsea Clark, MSW, LICSW and Nurse Practitioner Karen Boudour, ARNP will discuss BTHC care options during the building closure and share helpful resources.
The presentation follows a quick PTSA introduction and Principal Keven Wynkoop update. We are looking for questions to be submitted ahead of time (by Feb. 10), so that our panelists can be prepared.
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BHS free tutoring offers online help |
SAT School-Day Assessments Update |
Also, at this time, the SPS School-Day SAT is still scheduled for Juniors on March 3. The SAT is offered free of charge with no pre-registration required. Students can visit the SAT Information page for more updates and helpful practice links.
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Library activities for week of Jan. 25-29 |
You are doing it Beaver Readers! Now round out all that end of semester hard work this week with some library fun. (Someone's REALLY enjoying his visit to our famed library.)
Here are the daily activities; all links are available on the Library Schoology page.
Monday, Jan. 25 | Eager Beaver Readers noon; Library Game Club 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 26 | Library Leaders noon; MakerSpace (make braided dog toys) 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 27 | Picture Book Pilot Reading Buddies 10 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 28 | Day Between Semesters no school
Friday, Jan. 29 | Beaver Comic Book Club noon | Beaver Reader Book Club 12:30 p.m.
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Next Curbside Pickup Feb. 11
Curbside cuteness last week, Valentines come next
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Did you meet Ogre, the amazing shoulder-lounging lizard, or the floofy bunny in a stroller named Blue at last week's Curbside Pickup? Cuteness overload!
Thanks to the BHS families who shared their sweet critters at this hour-long petting zoo. (There were rats, chickens, and two more bunnies there too. Yes, Ms. Chambers had plenty of Purell on hand! No, there were no actual Beavers ...)
On tap for the next epic Curbside Pickup event (3-5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11) are more books ready to check out, puzzles to take home and ponder, plants to adopt, and a Valentine table.
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Remember: If you are done with your BHS Library book you can return it during Curbside events or on any school day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the bin at the south school entrance off Northwest 65th Street.
Visit the BHS Library page to stay current on what's happening in the BHS Library!
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Earn Community Service hours thru BHS Library |
Service learning allows BHS students to apply academic, social and personal skills through activities that benefit the community. It's been challenging, however, to find COVID-safe opportunities of late.
Never fear, the BHS Library is here! Check out these online options and meeting times on the Service Learning page -- here's some quick highlights:
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Library Ambassador meets by appt to help staff and students learn how to use SPS & SPL Library resources; Hoopla, Libby, and databases.
Eager Beaver Readers - Read, rate, and write reviews of books for the Washington State Evergreen Book Award.
Reading Buddies - Read to 1st grade students at Magnolia Elementary.
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PRIDE Book Club - Read, rate and amplify LGBTQIA+ characters in literature.
Students are invited to amplify great books and support inclusivity at BHS.
Beaver Book Club - Talk about great books with Mr. Wynkoop and Ms. Chambers. Community service hours are available to write reviews, create trivia, organize events, and amplify connection through great books.
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Important Senior News and Reminders |
➟ Class of 2021, don't forget to check out the Senior Resources page for timely news and information.
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➟ The Ballard High School Class of 2021 Graduation Ceremony has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 16.
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Free tuition for Seattle Colleges
Apply for Seattle Promise by Feb. 1!
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Don't miss out on two years of free tuition at Seattle Colleges. Apply by Feb. 1 for Seattle Promise! The scholarship is available to all SPS graduates regardless of GPA, income, ability, or country of birth.
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New Degree Option: Tech Theatre for Social Justice | Jan. 27
Seattle Promise/Intiman Theatre Info Session
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Seattle Promise and Intiman Theatre will host a joint virtual info session for high school students on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Intiman Theatre and Seattle Central College are now offering a two-year Associate of Arts degree with an emphasis in Technical Theatre for Social Justice.
Graduates of the program will have the skills to begin working backstage in theatre, TV, and film right away! The program is eligible to be covered by Seattle Promise, and it starts this fall. Learn more about the program, backstage storytelling, and walk through the application in an info session with Intiman and Seattle Promise on Jan. 27, 4-5 p.m. Get link and details here!
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College Visits & Events, a ticket to campus life! |
The BHS Counseling Center offers college visits this year online! Students can get information about admission processes, financial aid and campus life in a virtual setting, while speaking with a rep from their school of interest. |
Upcoming college visits include:
1:10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 | Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland
10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3 | Academy of Art University, San Francisco
1:10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12 | Academy of Interactive Entertainment, Seattle
9 a.m, Wednesday, Feb. 24 | University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
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2:05 p.m. Thursday, March 11 | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
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College Board offers virtual fairs for 10/11th graders |
College Board is hosting its first-ever series of virtual college fairs called BigFuture Days.
Sophomores and Juniors, as well as parents/guardians, are invited to sign up for a chance to connect directly with college admissions representatives and current college students.
Students will have a chance to explore colleges in a way that's not overwhelming, ask questions about topics they want to learn about, and take action on key college planning steps.
Students can attend any event and more than once. Explore your college options in each region! Visit the BigFuture Day site for updates, current days and time zone information.
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New NACAC Virtual College Fairs | Jan. 31 to May 2
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More than 100,000 students and families signed up for NACAC virtual fairs this past fall. It's easy to drop in on live Zoom sessions offered by hundreds of colleges on a single day.
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InspirASIAN, a non-profit Employee Resource Group of AT&T, is seeking qualified applicants for its 2021 scholarship program.
The scholarship is open to all high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.4. More info and application at Inspirasian.us/Scholarships. Deadline Jan. 31.
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Note from the Nurse
Soup, the quintessential comfort food
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It’s unquestionably winter. Cold and dreary outside. It rains and rains and rains. We continue to wear masks, social distance and avoid crowds. One absolutely, scrumptious thing about this time of year is soup. Soups are your quintessential wintertime comfort food. Our brains seem to connect hot soup with physical or social warmth which encourages connections with others. Depending upon the soup, they can be nutritious when loaded with veggies. Close your eyes and remember tasting your favorite soup and smelling fresh baked bread at the dinner table. Wasn’t that just yummy?
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Free Student Meals offered locally |
SPS Nutrition Services offer free meal distribution to students/families from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. weekdays at 40 meal sites around the city -- including these area neighborhood schools:
- B.F. Day Elementary, 3921 Linden Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103
- Broadview-Thomson K-8, 13052 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98133
- Catherine Blaine K-8, 2550 34th Ave. W, Seattle, WA 98199 and
- North Beach Elementary, 9018 24th Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98117
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Collage Concert ~ a virtual showcase success! |
Congratulations to BPA performers, directors and volunteers for their successful Collage Concert that aired online last Friday evening.
Of her Concert Orchestra, Director Elizabeth Fortune noted: "Many students in this ensemble are new to Ballard High School. None of the students, this school year, have spent one second together in a rehearsal room playing music in person. The amount of effort and work that this ensemble put in to create this product -- sight unseen, all by themselves, one on one -- is to be celebrated."
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62nd Annual (Virtual) BPA Spaghetti Dinner Feb. 6 |
Join BPA for the reimagined 2021 Virtual Spaghetti Dinner 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. While this traditional and treasured community event has been reimagined this year, we will still have lots of pasta, laughs and fun.
Enjoy a fun 90-minute performance video produced by BPA graduate Gustavo Gutierrez - featuring a smattering of spaghetti dinner and concert performances from years past and interspersed with fun skits, trivia, and testimonials from BPA students, directors and beloved BHS staff!
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Jan. 30 Goodwill Truck at BHS to help BPA |
Bring your Ballard Market receipts! Save receipts from Ballard Market and bring them to the volunteer collecting them near the Goodwill Truck. Ballard Market donates a percentage of purchase proceeds to Ballard Performing Arts.
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MetroLeagueWA Updates | Season 1 registration due
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Based on the information in Gov. Inslee’s plan, the MetroLeagueWA adopted a two-season sports model for this year only. This format protects participants’ safety while providing student-athletes the best possible quality athletic experience. Seasons and/or sports may need to be adjusted based on Puget Sound Region's metrics. Infection rates need to drop before any of this happens, so stay safe!
SEASON 1 | Feb. 22 - April 17 | Athletic Registration Due NOW
Boys: Football
Girls: Soccer, Slowpitch Softball, Swim & Dive, Volleyball, Gymnastics
Coed: Cross Country, Golf
SEASON 2 | April 19 - June 12 | Athletic Registration Due April 9
Boys: Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Swim & Dive
Girls: Basketball, Fastpitch Softball
Coed: Tennis, Track, Wresting
NOTE: Up-to-date physicals must be good from and be current from the first day of tryouts/practices until the day after the State Playoffs. Physicals may be scheduled with the Ballard Teen Health Center as well.
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8th Grade Choices Virtual Event Feb. 4 |
Ballard HS will host an Asynchronous (independent) 8th Grade Choices Virtual Event on Feb. 4 for prospective families to learn more about Open Enrollment and hear from staff and students on why "It's Always Great to Be a Beaver!"
We will be pre-recording our presentation. Please submit questions by Jan. 29 so that we can best prepare our presentation and answer as many of your questions that we can!
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The Main Office is staffed 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (for email or phone communications only) on school days. The phone number is 206-252-1000.
Helpful quick links
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Interim SPS Superintendent vote Jan. 27 |
Following SPS Superintendent Denise Juneau's announcement that she’ll be departing this June, the SPS School Board looks closer to moving ahead with an interim superintendent.
Dr. Jones was the district’s Chief Equity, Partnerships and Engagement Officer for three and a half years, until June 2019. Since then, he’s been Metro's Equal Employment Opportunity Officer and Assistant General Manager for Strategy and Partnerships.
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SPS District 4 Director interest form due Jan. 29 |
On March 24, Seattle School Board will appoint a school board director for District IV (4) representing Northwest and Central Seattle including Magnolia, Queen Anne, and southern neighborhoods in Ballard. Candidates interested in the position should complete the form below by 5 p.m. on Jan. 29.
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AAMA launching Listen and Learn Forum in Feb. |
The SPS Office of African American Male Achievement (AAMA) is launching its Listen and Learn forum in February to continue to listen to Black families to help reconstruct the educational system to celebrate the brilliance and excellence of Black boys and teens.
AAMA is committed to the long journey of dismantling a legacy of systemic racism. Black families are invited to participate and collectively envision what an educational environment looks like for Black boys and teens to thrive. Your voice will help build the office's intentional, long-term plan.
Among its Regional Forums is the one for Northwest Families on Feb. 9. For more information and other citywide forum dates check the AAMA news page.
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SPS Planning for Inclement Weather and Snow Days |
Planning for winter weather in 2020-21 is different this year. With remote learning, changes to school schedules because of winter weather will be unlikely.
In the event of an extreme weather-related power or an outage impacting large numbers of families and staff, the district will close and cancel all buildings, services, and remote learning. Learn more about how to stay informed.
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Return to in-person learning update |
Special Education Family + Community Forums |
Special Education families are invited to share their experiences during this pandemic period. SPS Special Education Department leadership and staff will provide info, listen to feedback, and answer questions.
Links to each session can be found below:
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COMMUNITY ARTS, CULTURE, ACTION |
BHS PTSA offers these Community Activities for informational purposes & does not necessarily support activities or views presented therein. |
Reimagine Seattle Storytelling Project |
To understand the impacts of 2020 and what that new path forward might look like, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods launched Reimagine Seattle, a storytelling project in which community members from across the city reflect on their current experiences in Seattle, how they’ve been impacted by the events of 2020, and their hopes for the future of our city.
Stories are told through writing, artwork, photography, audio recordings, and videos.
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Parent University Digital Safety talk |
Please join Bush School 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3 for Parent University: Digital Safety with Jo Langford for an overview of t/ween behavior in this digital age.
Jo Langford, M.A. is a dad, a Master’s-level therapist, author, and sex educator for tweens, teens and parents, in Seattle.
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STEM-focused College Webinar |
Phinney Neighborhood Association-sponsored webinar | 7-8 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 4
Do you know a teen who wants to pursue STEM in college? Many students pursue STEM majors in college for the wrong reasons and are often unaware of the specific skills and experiences to cultivate in order to be competitive for college admission, internships, and jobs in these areas.
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Join Dr. Mark Hofer for an introductory talk on the STEM college application and admissions process. This seminar is most helpful for parents of freshmen and sophomores, but families of juniors will find it useful, too.
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Teens in Public Service internship |
TIPS Summer Internship application is open for students ages 15-19 who are interested in working for not-for-profit causes!
Teens In Public Service (TIPS) is a not-for-profit dedicated to developing future leaders committed to their communities. TIPS selects teenage leaders for paid community service internships and pairs them with charitable organizations over the summer.
Application
Deadline is March 5.
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Join JazzED and learn protest jams! |
Open to students grades 5-12, learn iconic protest songs by Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Charles Mingus and Sam Cooke.
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Hugo House winter programs |
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PTSA Nomination Committee |
We need a couple PTSA members to volunteer for the BHS PTSA nominating committee.
Members of the committee will help identify candidates for next year's PTSA Executive Board (President, VP, Treasurer and Secretary)
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Become a member of BHS PTSA |
Please join the BHS PTSA and become a partner in your student’s education. The PTSA is you, me and all of the parents/guardians, students and staff dedicated to the educational development and success of all students. The PTSA membership is open to anyone concerned about the education, health, and welfare of our youth and is a way to show your commitment to working with teachers and the school administration to build a better future for the next generation.
- We help families stay informed and connected to the school community.
- We plan school-wide celebrations, parent education and staff appreciation events.
- We raise much needed grant money for academic, enrichment and extracurricular activities.
To learn more about your Ballard HS PTSA visit the PTSA Overview page.
Warm Regards,
PTSA Membership Chair
Lisa Vanderford-Anderson
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Friends of BHS on Facebook |
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Make sure legislators hear your voice |
Dear WSPTA member,
Right now, we need your voice more than ever as our Washington state legislature grapples with funding choices. We know this year is like no other and we need you to speak up. Legislators often comment that they don’t hear enough from parents – you can change that.
Please take a few minutes to advocate for kids - ask legislators to preserve this school year’s funding and make no mid-year cuts, and to prioritize new revenues and federal stimulus funding for early learning, higher education and programs that help students who struggled the most under this pandemic.
Thank you for supporting kids at this important time,
Sherry Rudolph, WSPTA Advocacy Director
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SHOP AND SUPPORT BHS PTSA |
Contribute to PTSA while you shop |
Thank you to BHS families who contribute to our PTSA while they shop at Fred Meyer.
Once you link your card, all you have to do is shop at Fred Meyer and swipe your Shopper’s Card.
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AmazonSmile supports Ballard PTSA |
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to BHS PTSA. Check out the AmazonSmile information page to learn about using AmazonSmile and select “Ballard High School PTSA, Seattle, WA.”
Thank you!
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The BHS PTSA offers Community Resources for informational purposes & does not necessarily support activities or views presented therein. |
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Learning/mental health support
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Do You Have an Announcement for the BHS PTSA Newsletter?
Submit content (appropriate and relevant to Ballard High School or Community) by 5 p.m. Thursday (1 or 2 weeks before your event ) to the BHS Newsletter Editor email at ballardhighnews@gmail.com. Please submit posts no more than 100 words and include relevant URLs, contact info and a small graphic (if available). Editor has full discretion over what is published. The BHS PTSA provides Community News for purely informational purposes and does not necessarily support the activities or views presented therein.
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