The Bark Community Edition 5/1/2026

May 1 2026

Hello Bennett Families and happy May!

What a wonderful way to begin the month with such beautiful weather. Our students have been busy learning and growing, and throughout April we proudly brought awareness to neurodiversity across our school community. Students engaged in thoughtful read‑alouds, activities, and discussions centered on acceptance, understanding, and unity. As a staff, some of us also showed our support by participating in the All In for Autism 5K, proudly representing our school community. We closed the month with our Celebrate Neurodiversity Assembly, created and led by our incredible Student Lighthouse Team. They did an amazing job presenting to both our PK–2 and 3–5 students, sharing what neurodiversity means, highlighting well‑known individuals and members of our own community, and reminding us of the value of honoring differences. As a school, each class also worked together to complete our unifying quilt, pictured above. What a meaningful way to head into the final stretch of the school year!

With Bulldog Pride,

Jessica Strazzulla

Principal

Upcoming Dates

Save these dates on your calendar!

5/4-5/8- Staff Appreciation Week
5/5-5/9- Bellevue SchoolPools's Walk, Bike and Roll to School!
5/15- PTSA Family Bingo Night
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

Bellevue SchoolPool

Our school is one of 22 schools participating in Bellevue SchoolPool’s Walk, Bike & Roll to School campaign during the week of May 5-9!

Bellevue SchoolPool is a program that encourages families and students to explore sustainable transportation options for their commute to and from school and alleviate congestion at drop-off and pickup times and locations. During the campaign, students and families are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or take the bus to and/or from school.

This spring, the campaign is centered around National Bike & Roll to School Day on Wednesday, May 7, but SchoolPool encourages students to try a new way to school any time during week!

SchoolPool also provides students with a scavenger hunt flyer and small, fun items for all students.

For resources including how to set up a bike train or walking school bus and carpooling tips, visit www.BellevueSchoolPool.org and look under “Resources for Students and Families.”

If you would like to sign up for the Bellevue SchoolPool newsletter, click here.

PTSA Corner

📘 Yearbooks: One Week Left to Pre‑Order! Bennett’s 2025–26 yearbooks are on sale now at Buytheyearbook.com (School ID 730639). Pre‑orders close May 7, and this is a hard deadline — once we go to print, that’s it!

This is also the final chance to upload your favorite photos from this year for possible inclusion, using the same link.

5th‑grade families: Please email baby photos to AKelly@bennettptsa.org right away so we can include them before the May 7 print cutoff!

District News and Resources

Secondary Families

College Conference: Upcoming Events

LAUNCH Panel

LAUNCH is a collaborative college event featuring a panel from Cornell University, Pomona University, Rice University, Washington University in St. Louis. They will each present about their institutions. There will be a mini college fair after the presentation where families can ask questions and learn more.

Date: May 18, 2026
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location: Interlake High School

Please register online, as space is limited.

BSD Student Alumni Panel

Current high school students are invited to a virtual event designed to help them understand the college application process. Participants will hear directly from BSD alumni who are now in college or recently graduated. The panel will share their application experiences, offer practical advice, and answer student questions in a Q&A session.

Date: May 27, 2026
Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Location: Online via Microsoft Teams - Join the meeting.