Bellevue Blast - January 9th, 2024, Vol 19

BELLEVUE BLAST

The Newsletter of

Bellevue High School PTSA

Join The PTSA!

January 9th, 2024

Bellevue Schools Foundation

LINK CREW COOKIES AND CRAM -

COOKIE DONATIONS NEEDED!

Do you have a Freshman? Or a student who used to be a Freshman? Then you know how overwhelming the first ever high school finals can be! Luckily our Link Crew is coming to the rescue, partnering with our National Honor Society students to host a "Cookies and Cram" study session for all BHS 9th graders on January 17th in the Library.

Please sign up to donate a dozen or two of cookies to help make the event a success! You can bring them to the school office anytime on Monday, January 15th or Tuesday, January 16th, or in the morning on Wednesday the 17th.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805084DABA92EA3FE3-47068163-link#/

GET INVOLVED! VOLUNTEER!

Are you looking to get involved in the PTSA? We have shuffled a few of our Executive Board positions, and we need a new Secretary for the duration of the 2023/2024 school year.

This is a fantastic way to learn more about the school, learn what is going on, meet other parents, and help the school function smoothly and effectively.

Secretary – PTSA Executive Committee

Responsible for taking meeting minutes at the Board and General meetings.

Distributing meeting minutes after each meeting and following up on action items.

Email Jaclyn Schwartz - PTSA President

This is a great time to get involved with Bellevue High School!!!

PTSA NOMINATING COMMITTEE

It is almost the end of 2023, and we can't believe how quickly time is flying by - so quickly that we are already thinking about next year's PTSA Board and are looking to put our NOMINATING COMMITTEE together.

The Nominating Committee serves a critical role by identifying and nominating individuals to serve on the 2024-2025 PTSA Executive Board and Board of Directors. The success of the PTSA in supporting our school and community relies on the passion, dedication, and diversity of our volunteers, and the Nominating Committee helps find the right people for the right job!

We are looking for individuals who are friendly, inquisitive, and like getting together for coffee or tea and meeting new people. If this sounds like you, or if you would like more information about the committee, please fill out the short form found here and we will reach out to connect!

Have a great week!

FORMER SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR

TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT I-CONNECT

When former Bellevue School Board Director Joyce Shui announced her resignation on January 4, midway through her four-year term, some constituents were surprised, and some questioned her reasons. Join us for the next I-Connect meeting to hear from Ms. Shui herself. She will join us on Tuesday, January 30, 8:15-9:45 a.m. in the library. All Bellevue High School (BHS) parents and caregivers are invited.

We will ask Ms. Shui to give us her candid thoughts on these issues and more: Why resign now? Who should fill her seat on the Board to represent District 3, the District in which BHS is located? Does she have any regrets about her vote to consolidate elementary schools? Which issues does she believe BHS parents need to pay more attention to? What does she make of the criticisms she has faced since resigning?

I-Connect is a PTSA-sponsored community engagement program.

I-CONNECT DOCUMENTARY SCREENING

Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia… The challenge of getting into the most difficult colleges to get into will be the focus of a special PTSA I-Connect film screening on February 6 in the Bellevue High School (BHS) Performing Arts Center. The evening event begins at 6:30 p.m. A panel discussion immediately follows. All BHS families are invited.

“Try Harder!” (running time: 85 minutes) is a compelling documentary that follows five high-achieving students at a majority Asian-American public high school in San Francisco, as they strive to get into the elite universities of their dreams. Watching these students go through hope and heartbreak will certainly spark conversations between you and your own child.

Variety called “Try Harder!” both “endearing and alarming.” The New York Times said following the college application process in this film “has all the energy of a high-stakes poker game and a reality competition show combined.”

Guest speakers:

JUST ADDED: Timothy Gager, School Counselor, Bellevue High School

A significant part of Mr. Gager’s job is counseling BHS students about their college application plans and writing recommendation letters on their behalf. He will fill us in on the pressures students face trying to get into their dream schools. He will tell us the trends he is seeing regarding the colleges BHS seniors want to attend vs. the ones to which they are being accepted.

Yvonne Chiu, Assistant Admissions Director, University of Washington (UW)

Ms. Chiu, who oversees freshman recruitment, is currently in the midst of reviewing applications submitted to UW for Fall 2024. As the parent of a high school senior herself, she offers unique insights from both sides of the admissions office door. Ms. Chiu has a B.A. from Dartmouth College and earned her Master of Science in Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Benjamin Liu, Alumni Interviewer for Princeton University; Founder and CEO, Devblock Technologies

After graduating from Bellevue’s Newport High School, Mr. Liu entered Princeton at the age of 17. On his college applications, he listed these credentials: National Merit semi-finalist, top-ten nationally ranked tennis player, state doubles champion, and concert pianist with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Youth Symphony. Having lived through what he calls a “quintessential ‘tiger’ upbringing,” Mr. Liu shares his perspectives on trying to strike the right balance when parenting his own children.

BHS PTSA 2023-24 School Directory now available!

Did you know another benefit of Bellevue High School PTSA membership is access to our school directory, provided by DirectorySpot? This year's directory is now LIVE! All current PTSA members should have received an email on Thur., Dec. 7th (Subject: "DirectorySpot Account") with a link to login. If you still have plans to join, all new and returning parents, guardians, students, staff, and interested community members are invited - it's never too late!

Questions? Email: membership@bellevuehighptsa.com.

To sign up for membership go to: http://www.bellevuehighptsa.com/wp/joinptsa/

YEARBOOK PURCHASING AND SUBMISSIONS

Purchase a Yearbook: Yearbooks are available for purchase on Touchbase: https://wa-bellevue.intouchreceipting.com / . Once in TouchBase, find a grey box with the student’s name -> My school -> categories -> Yearbook. If your student has ASB it will give you an option to purchase a yearbook for $80 but if you student does not have ASB, it should give you an option to purchase a yearbook for $90. Guarantee your student a yearbook by purchasing before Friday, January 26. After January 26, we will only have a limited amount to be sold.

Senior Yearbook Ad submission: Parents can purchase a senior advertisement on Jostens: https://www.jostens.com/apps/jcom/router.mvc?affiliateId=1119104.

Ad Size	By 1/26/24
Quarter Page	$100
Half Page	$195
Full Page	$390

Senior Photo and Quote Submission – 2/2/24 deadline: Between now and February2, email bhsbeacon@bsd405.org with subject line as “Senior Portrait, Quote + your students first and last name”. No late submissions will be accepted.

WOLVERINE GUARD

Wolverine Guard (WG) is a Bellevue High PTSA sponsored award that recognizes students who perform 100+ hours of community service in the 12-month period from May 1st to April 30th of each school year. Each student who reports 100 or more approved hours will earn the Wolverine Guard Community Service Award. During the last school year, WG had 98 Bellevue High students earn a Wolverine Guard certificate for the 2022-2023 school year!

ALL BHS students from 9-12 grades are eligible for WG should they meet the requirements.
Students who earn WG in at least two of their four years at BHS will qualify for a WG Blue/Gold Honor Cord at graduation; students with 4 years of service at BHS will be awarded the WG Distinction Community Service Award.
Submissions must include WG application, and time log forms. Time logs should include detailed hours and with signed (non-digital) signatures from volunteer coordinators.
Volunteering is done through a non-profit organization (usually a 501c3 organization).
The PTSA WG program is separate from the Bellevue School District volunteer hours requirement for graduation. We DO NOT coordinate with Naviance and will only accept Wolverine Guard time logs.

Application is due midnight on April 30th, 2024. No late application will be accepted!

Review guidelines and WG application and time logs at PTSA Wolverine Guard page: https://www.bellevuehighptsa.com/wp/wolverine-guard/.

Any questions, please reach out to Lucille Tam and Michelle Pflaum at wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com.

Next Booster Meeting

The next Theater Booster Club Meeting will be Tuesday, January 16th at 7 PM in the Black Box. All parents of theater students are invited. Join the theater director and booster club officers in discussing what is on the horizon for the theater department.

Spring Musical Auditions

Spring musical auditions for The Addams Family start Tuesday, January 16th and continue through Thursday, January 18th. Contact Mr. Kline for more details!

Black Box Shows - January 18th and 19th at 7 PM in the PAC

Join us for the next Black Box shows - student written, directed, and acted! Admission is FREE!

ORCHESTRA BOOSTER CLUB MEETING 1/9

BHS Orchestra Booster Club Meeting: New date, time & location! January 9th @ 8pm - online!

Our BHS Orchestra Boosters welcomes all orchestra parents to our next meeting on Tuesday, January 9th at 8pm (please note date & time change). This meeting will be virtual. Please email with any questions and for zoom link. bellevueorchestra@gmail.com

We hope you can join us to hear details about upcoming events, discuss fundraising projects, and meet other parents!

BHS BAND BOOSTER CLUB MEETING

FIRST MONDAY OF EACH MONTH, 7:00PM

Room 1405

All parents of BHS Band students, please join us on the first non-holiday Monday of every month, for a chance to learn more about the Bellevue Band Boosters.

Mr. George and Mr. Harvey share all the ins and outs of BHS Band happenings and news about upcoming performances, special events, fundraising needs, and share how you can help volunteer and support your student and the band program! We have a lot of fun!

Meeting dates are Feb. 5, March. 11, April. 1, April. 29, June. 10.

If you have questions, please email bellevueband@gmail.com

SPORTS

FIRST PLACE FINISH FOR BOYS' SWIM TEAM

The Bellevue Boys’ Swim and Dive Team was the top point earner after a day of competition against 42 teams from the Pac-Northwest during the 2024 Kentridge Invitational, hosted at the world class venue King County Aquatic Center.

It was a close meet with lead swaps throughout the day between Bellevue and 4A Issaquah. The champion was decided by the final 4x100 relay of the day! The team of Seniors Cole Sevier, Leo Choi and Michael Masters and Junior Bob Frazer swam an outstanding 3:11.87 to beat Issaquah’s team by nearly 4 seconds!!

The Boys SWIVE team sent a select group of 25 athletes including:

Freshman – Jensen Baker, Jordan Chan, Brennan D’Alessio, Jackson Franck, Nestor Solonnikov, Kylin Wu, William Wu, Wesley Yu

Sophomores – Daniel Choi, Eric Liu, Kai Moroff, Jeffery Tao, Robin Wang, Christian Wong, Aidan Kim

Juniors – Nicholas Ahn, Bob Frazer, Jeremy Li, Dan Venidiktov, Andy Zhu

Seniors – Leo Choi, Michael Masters, Cole Sevier

Fast finishes and points were earned by many team members.

200 Yard Medley Relay (4X50): 5^th Place – Wesley Yu (Back), Christian Wong (Breast), Michael Masters (Fly), and Daniel Choi (Free) and 12^th Place – William Wu (Back), Aidan Kim (Breast), Robin Wang (Fly), and Dan Venidiktov (Free)

200 Free: 1^st Place – Bob Frazer, 12^th Place - Christian Wong and 14^th Place - Dan Venidiktov

200 IM: 7^th Place – Leo Choi and 13^th - Aidan Kim

50 Free: 8^th Place – Cole Sevier, 16^th Place Robin Wang and 17^th Place – Daniel Choi

100 Fly: 1^st Place – Bob Frazer and 17^th Place – Michael Masters

100 Free: 5^th Place – Cole Sevier, 11^th Place - Robin Wang and 18^thPlace – Michael Masters

200 Yard Free Relay (4X50): 1^st Place - Cole Sevier, Aiden Kim, Leo Choi, and Bob Frazer and 7^th Place – Christian Wong, Robin Wang, Dan Venidiktov, and Daniel Choi

100 Back: 7^th Place – Leo Choi and 16^th Place – Daniel Choi

100 Breaststroke: 3^rd Place – Christian Wong and 10^th Place – Aidan Kim

400 Yard Free Relay (4X100): 1^st Place: Bob Frazer, Michael Masters, Leo Choi, and Cole Sevier

BOYS SOCCER

Does your son play soccer? All parents of boys soccer players are invited to our next booster club meeting, Wednesday, January 10, 7PM, Lisa Mohanty's home, 2133 102^nd Pl SE. Please come learn about the boys soccer program and help us plan for our Spring 2024 season.

IMPACT TEST DATES

ImPACT Test Dates for the BHS 2023/24 Sports Seasons:

No registration needed, just show up – the impact test takes approximately 30 – 45 minutes.

Students will need their BSD laptops for ImPACT testing.

ImPACT Testing will begin at 2:00pm at Bellevue High School – Lower Aux/North Gym – Room 0302

January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, March 6, 13, 20, 27. April 3, 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22 and June 5, 12, 19, 2024

Impact testing is required for Football, Soccer, Divers, Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse prior to participating.

Any question please contact Kelli Mayer, BHS Athletics & Activities at mayerk@bsd405.org

The Wolverine Way. It’s Worth the Climb…. We hold high standards.

We embrace the challenge together and support one another along the way.

DIVE INTO EXCITEMENT

WITH THE GIRLS WATER POLO TEAM!

Calling All Aspiring Athletes!

Are you ready to make a splash? The Girls Water Polo Team is looking for new members to join our squad. Whether you're an experienced player or new to the sport, we welcome you to be a part of our team.