The Bark Community Edition 1/23/2026

Jan 24 2026

Hello Bennett Families,

We’ve had a short but mighty week at Bennett! Our school community gathered for a beautiful, completely student‑led assembly honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ms. Bassani’s 5th graders led the assembly, teaching us about the importance of MLK Day as a day of service. Their leadership and demonstration of our three schoolwide expectations earned them this week’s Golden Bulldog.

Our PBIS team also introduced new rewards connected to our Pawsitive Paws system. In connection with our MLK focus on service, they revealed grade‑level service tasks that students will take on to give back to our community. We closed our assembly with a joyful performance of “This Little Light of Mine,” taught by our music teacher, Mr. King.

We are incredibly proud of how our students exemplified the Bennett Way and their enthusiasm for helping our community.

It was wonderful to see such a great turnout for our Glow Party! Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make it such a joyful event. And a huge thank you to our Walkathon Committee for thinking through every last detail. Your hard work made the night incredibly fun for all.

As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, January 26th.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead.

With Bulldog Pride,

Jessica Strazzulla

Principal

Upcoming Dates

Save these dates on your calendar!

1/23- Walkathon GLOW PARTY!
1/26- Non-Student Day- required certificated staff workday (No School)
2/2- New Student enrollment opens for K-12 students
2/12- Student Lighthouse Team Meeting @8am
2/16-2/20 - Mid Winter Break - No School

BSD Cultural Calendar

Safety Reminders

As we settle into the new year, we want to share an important safety reminder about our school zone and pick-up/drop-off procedures. Your partnership helps keep all students, families, volunteers, and staff safe during our busiest times of day.

Please continue to use extra caution when driving near the school. This includes following all posted traffic laws, slowing down, and remaining patient and courteous to pedestrians and those directing traffic. We understand that traffic can feel slow or that you may be in a hurry, but maintaining the 20-mph speed limit throughout the entire school zone is essential. We have noticed cars accelerating too quickly in our parking lot or immediately after drop-off, and this creates unnecessary risk for others.

Additionally, we’ve recently received concerns from our neighbors about increased traffic and parking on NE 18th Street and 179th Place NE during drop-off and pick-up. These areas are not designated for school use, and parking there can block driveways and create safety hazards. To support safe routines and be thoughtful neighbors, we strongly encourage all families to use our designated pick-up and drop-off lane.

Thank you for helping us keep our community safe, respectful, and efficient during these important times of day. Your cooperation truly makes a difference.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Bennett Bulldogs

My name is Judy Takahashi-Hunsberger and I am your Family Engagement Specialist. I also serve several other schools(K-12) in our wonderful district. I am here to support Bennett’s family to find resources. Resources such as basic needs, food, housing, and other needs. I am also here to help you navigate our sometimes-complicated school system. My main office is at Phantom Lake Elementary, but I am glad to come to Bennett, meet outside school, or parents have come to Phantom Lake to meet me in my office. All conversations are confidential and will not be shared without your consent. Please let me know how I can support your family. Here is a picture of me with my Golden Retriever, Beau, I am also an AKC Obedience competitor on my spare weekends.

Judy Takahashi-Hunsberger

hunsbergerju@bsd405.org 425-456-5679

Health Services Update: January 2026 Vaccine Guidelines for Kids

The district urges families to ensure their children are up-to-date on all vaccinations, as Washington state reports new measles cases in Snohomish and Kittitas counties. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe, highly effective, and offers protection against this extremely contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person sneezes, breathes or talks.

To help keep our community healthy, families should:

Stay current on all recommended vaccinations.
Create an account at MyIR Mobile to review your child’s vaccine history and get reminders for future immunizations. MyIR users can now access their health records in Spanish.
Contact your healthcare provider if you have symptoms or if you believe you were exposed to measles.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns.

Learn more about measles, the MMR vaccine, and ways to help keep your family healthy and ready to learn.

PTSA News

2026 National Math Challenge Tournament at Bennett Elementary School – Event Details

School Name: Bennett Elementary School

School Address: 17900 NE 16th St, Bellevue, WA, 98008

Organizer’s Name: Imran Siddique

Organizer’s Email Address: imransiddique@live.com

Tournament Date: Wed, Apr 1 2026

Tournament Time: 6:30:00 PM PT (Pacific Time)

Max number of seats: 50

Tournament Location: Gym

Tournament Open to Public: No

Student’s Registration Link for Bennett Elementary School: https://ellipsisacademy.as.me/?appointmentType=54621770.

Important MCT information for parents and students

Link to general information about the 2026 National Math Challenge Tournament (intro, format, awards, etc.): https://www.ellipsisacademy.com/2026-math-challenge-tournament.html. The information on this page contains good amount of information on MCT for parents/students who are new to MCT.
Important notes about students’ registration:

1. Tournament Fee: $26 per student.
2. This tournament is in-person only and not available online. Seats are limited and first come first serve.
3. Tournament fee is non-refundable and non-transferable - 20% of the tournament fee will be given back to participating schools (through the MCT give back programs). A portion of the tournament fee will also be allocated to sponsor and support the FREE Math Challenge Program.
4. If you need to request changes (i.e. division, name, etc.) after registration, you can submit a Change Request at: https://www.ellipsisacademy.com/mct---change-request2.html.
5. Once you've registered, you will immediately receive a registration confirmation email containing additional information. If you didn't see the confirmation email, please check your spam or junk folder.
6. The organizer for your school/center will send out an email with details on this event (within 1 week of the event).
7. Last day to register is March 6^th, 2026.
8. Last day to submit a change request is March 6^th, 2026.

Local Levies Help Fund Learning and Safety

Ballots Arriving Soon – Learn About the Levies

Ballots will be mailed to Bellevue voters around January 23–24 for the February 10 election. The ballot includes two replacement levies that continue local funding for our schools.

The levies support student learning, classroom staff, safety programs, technology, and building maintenance. This funding helps make sure every student has access to safe and supportive learning environments. Watch the district’s short informational video and learn more about what each levy funds.

District News and Resources

Attendance Matters: When are Absences Considered School Avoidance?

“School avoidance” is when a child refuses to attend school or has difficulty remaining in school the entire day. There are many reasons why students avoid attending school and uncovering the reason why your student is avoiding and/or refusing is key to fixing it.

School avoidance may look like:
Full day absences from school
Going to school but leaving early
Going to school, but only after crying, hiding, having an outburst, or refusing to move
Faking illness to miss a day of school or having physical symptoms related to anxiety (e.g., headache, stomachache, nausea, etc.)
Showing unusual distress about going to school and begging you not to make them go

Learn more about school avoidance and how to prevent it in this edition of the Attendance Matters series.