Good evening students, staff, families and community,
As we wrap up this week it also signals a wrap up of the first month of remote learning for the Blaine School District. I want to thank all of the families and staff members who are working together to bring quality education to the students of Blaine. Many of you are doing things to support students at home that you never imagined, and we appreciate the time and effort you are putting in.
Phase-In
We continue to monitor health indicators and staffing capacity as we prepare to bring Kindergarten students to the building in a hybrid model on Monday October 12, 2020. At this time, we are still on track for this date and all families were sent an email with their student’s A/B hybrid schedule assignment and a link to an important transportation survey. If families could please review the email and let the campus know if you have any questions, it would be greatly appreciated. In future weeks as we plan to bring additional grade levels to the building those families will receive a similar letter and transportation survey.
A letter was sent home to Kindergarten families today with Skyward Family Access information, so please watch for that as well.
Upcoming Q&A and Other Events
Point Roberts Primary School Families: Monday, Oct 5th at 6:00 pm
Blaine Primary School Kindergarten Families: Tuesday, Oct 6th at 6:00 pm
FAFSA Night Presentation for BHS Juniors and their Parents/Guardians: Thursday, Oct 8th at 6:00 pm.
Please visit the Blaine School District website for the links to these meetings on the day of the event. We hope to see many of you there!
BMS/BHS Library
Starting next week, Blaine Middle School and Blaine High School will be making school library books available for contactless curbside pickup. Students can search the library catalog for available books, and then submit a book request form. After receiving a library notification email that their book is ready, they can go to the main entrance of their school during designated times, and a bag with their name on it will be waiting for them to pick up outside. Please visit the BHS or BMS library webpages for more detailed information.
Athletics
BHS is preparing to bring a small group of student athletes to our football field for athletic conditioning, beginning the week of August 5, 2020. No sport specific drills or practices will be occurring. This is strictly an opportunity for physical conditioning. Our coaches will communicate directly with the student athletes who will be invited to partake in this first step.
All student athletes and staff will be asked to complete a wellness screening in FinalForms, our new online registration system for athletics, as well as having an in-person wellness screening by our Head Athletic Trainer, to include a temperature check, prior to entering onto the field. Anyone attempting to enter whose apparent health condition does not meet the requirements, for example visible symptoms or a fever, will be denied entry. No spectators will be permitted.
(After posting information about FinalForms earlier this evening we learned of an error, so have taken down the link while corrections are being made. We apologize for the inconvenience.)
This first small group will allow us to determine if our preparations and intended practices will be manageable, and a great deal of the success will depend on the students' willingness to follow the guidelines provided. We look forward to this chance to put into practice all the hard work and preparation of our staff, so we can welcome students onto the field in this first hopeful step towards a return to athletics.
Please remember, all of this is also contingent on case counts in the County and pending guidance around athletics, with new guidance rumored to be coming in the next week or so. There are additional considerations for extracurricular activities under the decision tree. They do not align identically with students returning to the building, so they could progress at a slower rate than face to face learning does. The competitive season for all high school sports is still slated for the Spring Semester, with the current start of some official practices around December 28, 2020.
Stay Up to Date
As a reminder we have added a section to the website specific to the 2020-2021 school year. This site, the school district app available on the App Store and Google Play Store, as well as our social media platforms of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great ways to stay connected and up to date on the happenings around Blaine School District. If there is something you think would be helpful for families to see on this page or in other communications please reach out to us pr@blainesd.org
Thank you all again for the time and effort you are putting in; this community is truly blessed. It is a great night to be a Borderite, and, as always, a great night to be your Superintendent.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher Granger, Superintendent
Every Student. Every Day. In a New Way!