The Bark Community Edition 3/25/2026

Mar 25 2026

Hello Bennett Families,

This week marked our final Hot Cocoa reward for grade‑level celebrations through our Pawsitive Paws system. A huge thank you to our many parent volunteers who made this special experience possible, we truly couldn’t do it without your support. From our preschool through fifth‑grade families, we are grateful for the strong partnership we share.

We are also looking forward to our Multicultural Night this week, which is back again to celebrate the many cultures, backgrounds, and traditions that make our community so special. It’s a wonderful opportunity to honor what makes us uniquely unique and perfectly Bennett.

We hope to see you there!

With Bulldog Pride,

Jessica Strazzulla

Principal

Upcoming Dates

Save these dates on your calendar!

3/26- Multicultural Night
3/27- No School
4/1- PTSA sponsored Math Challenge 6:30-8:30pm
4/6-4/10- Spring Break
4/20-4/24- STEAM Week
5/25-Memorial Day
5/26-Non School Day
6/18-5th Grade Promotion Ceremony 2:30-3:30pm
6/19- Juneteenth observance
6/23- Last Day of School

BSD Cultural Calendar

Safety and Security

*Important information from BSD Elementary School Handbooks

E-BIKES, BICYCLES, HOVERBOARDS, UNICYCLES, SKATEBOARDS, AND SCOOTERS (includes other electric, motorized, & non-motorized personal transportation devices)

Students are encouraged to ride bicycles and other personal transportation devices to school when families determine they are ready! Please note that Bellevue requires riders of e-scooters to be 16 years of age, so e-scooters are not permitted for elementary school students.

Please make sure your child has a helmet as helmets are required whenever your child is riding a personal transportation device to and from school.

Use of a bicycle rack is required for the storage of bikes and other personal transportation devices on school property.

Bikes, e-bikes, scooters, and other personal transportation devices must be walked on school property during school hours and may not be ridden on the sidewalks, athletic fields, grass, and plazas.

Bikes and other personal transportation are not allowed inside school buildings.

No e-motorcycles, go-carts, skateboards, roller blades, motorized scooters, or roller shoes are permitted to be used on school property.

The district is not responsible for the loss, theft, or damage of personal transportation devices.

Detached vehicle batteries are not allowed in school buildings at any time.

Recess Running Club

Join the Fun—Volunteer for Running Club! 🏃‍♂️

We’re excited to launch our K–5 Running Club, and we need YOU to help make it a success! This fun and energetic program will take place during afternoon recess (1:30–2:40 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays)—and it’s all about keeping kids moving, motivated, and smiling.

Volunteering is easy and fun! You’ll use a school iPad to scan student laps as they run or walk. Each student will wear a lanyard with their own QR code, making tracking simple and quick—no experience needed!

Whether you can help once a week or more, your time makes a big difference. You’ll be encouraging healthy habits, building community, and cheering on our students as they reach their goals—one lap at a time.

Come be part of something active, positive, and fun—we’d love to have you on the team! https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/63901472095/

PTSA Corner

Join Us for Multicultural Night – March 26

Our school community is excited to host Multicultural Night on March 26 in the Bennett Elementary gym, and we would love to have teachers and staff participate. This event is a fun, welcoming opportunity to celebrate the many cultures that make up our school community and to connect with students and families outside the classroom.

We hope you’ll join us for this joyful evening of learning, celebration, and community!

We need a STEAM Event Lead!
Bennett's Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Math week is at risk without volunteers! PTSA has funds set aside for a STEAM event the week of April 20-24, but no volunteers to coordinate. Fresh ideas welcome and encouraged - this is a great opportunity for new volunteers who want to contribute to an educational experience for our kids. If you’re willing to help shape this year’s STEAM experience, please contact PTSA President Angela Schneider - president@bennettptsa.org.

If no volunteer comes forward by March 25, we’ll move ahead with only the Ready‑Tech‑Go seminar and skip additional STEAM programming this year.

District News and Resources

Student Survey - Spring 2026

We are launching the Spring 2026 Student Survey to gather valuable insights into students' experiences and to further support their growth and well-being. Students in grades 3–12 will participate in the survey during the school day at their school. Each school will administer the survey sometime between April 1 and April 30, based on their schedule.

The survey will focus on several key areas, including sense of belonging, student engagement, and social-emotional learning (SEL), offering students an opportunity to share their perspectives. Learn more about the Student Survey.

If you would like to opt your student out of the SEL portion of the survey, please complete an opt-out form by March 27, 2026.

Middle and High School Families

BSD High School and Beyond Plan: Preparing Students for their Future

Last fall we shared that Washington state has adopted SchooLinks as the universal solution to fulfill the statewide High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) requirements for students.

In working on their High School and Beyond Plan, BSD encourages students in grades 6-12 to take ownership of their learning while exploring their values, strengths, passions and long-term goals. Students can then focus their learning on the skills necessary to reach their goals. The HSBP is a map to get a student from where they are to where they want to be, both academically and in life.

BSD is in the process of transitioning from our Naviance platform to SchooLinks following this timeline:

Earlier this year, all students in grades 6-11 learned how to use SchooLinks to begin using the HSBP functionality and college and career models in two classroom-based assemblies.

This spring, all students in grades 8-11 will participate in a HSBP Financial Aid Lesson via SchooLinks.

Once a student has finished all High School and Beyond tasks for the year in SchooLinks, students in grades 8-11 will submit their own High School and Beyond Plan by June 5.

BSD 2026 graduates (seniors) will continue to use our current platform, Naviance.

All BSD students in grades 6-12 will use SchooLinks for their HSBP and college application process in the 2026-2027 school year.

BSD will share more information as we work to fully utilize this very exciting platform via school and district communications, and on our district website.

Learn More

Washington state statewide: High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP)

Washington state HSBP vendor: SchooLinks

Bellevue School District College and Career Readiness

Avoid the Spring Slump – Keep Attendance Strong!

As we enter spring, student attendance often declines — a trend known as the Spring Slump. Research shows that students who miss just two days a month (or 10% of the school year) are at risk of falling behind academically. Learn about strategies to help maintain strong attendance.