Good evening students, staff, families and community,
We have entered the first week of March and are working hard going into the last few months of the school year. We are proud of all the work being done in our classrooms to connect students with meaningful learning.
Student Celebrations:
We continue to see amazing achievements from our students. Recently Blaine High School student Ryker Reneau won a Silver medal in Snowboarding at the Winter Special Olympics. Congratulations Ryker! We are so proud of you!
Today our high school students cheered on the Chess and Knowledge Bowl Teams, as both are headed to State Championships. The Chess Team left today for Stanwood and will begin competition there this evening. Knowledge Bowl and TSA (Technology Student Association) will be headed to their championship events later this month, and I’ll be sharing more details about their achievements soon.
This week many classrooms across the district celebrated Read Across America Day and the birthday of American author, Theodor Geisel. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! In other reading news, we are looking forward to bringing back our Bedtime Stories for Little Borderites series in April. Be on the lookout for news about its return!
New Board Member:
Mr. Don Leu took his oath of office Monday night as our newest school board member, representing District 5. Don is a retired Professor and Endowed Chair of Literacy and Technology at the University of Connecticut. He completed his masters degree at Harvard and his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. He was born in Bellingham and his family has resided in Whatcom County since 1910. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, he was an elementary grade teacher and reading specialist in the San Francisco Bay area. He is the author of over 17 books on reading and literacy and over 100 research studies. You can read more about Director Leu on our website.
Masks Update:
Governor Inslee recently announced the removal of the mask mandate beginning on March 12th. As we have throughout the pandemic, we will continue to follow the Department of Health guidance for K-12 schools. We anticipate the guidance will state masks are optional for students. As soon as the new guidance is received we will communicate the details with you.
In anticipation of masks being optional for students, we have asked all schools to visit with students next week about what they can expect beginning on Monday March 14, 2022. We want any person who chooses to continue wearing a mask in our facilities to know that they will be welcome to do so.
Q&A:
We will have our next community Q&A this Wednesday, March 9th, at 6:00 P.M. The meeting will be held virtually. This is an opportunity to ask me your questions and hear about what’s new. The meeting link will be posted on our homepage on March 9th. We hope many of you will be able to join us!
Upcoming School Calendar Items:
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 @ 6 P.M. - Community Q&A
Monday, March 21, 2022 - 2 hour late start
It’s a great night to be a Borderite, and, as always, a great night to be your superintendent.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher Granger Every Student. Every Day. In a New Way!