District Newsmakers Make State, Regional and Local News
Bellingham Public Schools staff and students receive honors and recognition from local, regional and national organizations.
Kulshan Teachers Head to Workshops on Sustainability
Kulshan Middle School teachers Julie Bennett, Kathy Dooley and Criss Forslund will attend a Key Issues Institute at the Keystone Science School in Silverthorne, Colo. this summer. Sponsored by Alcoa, the five-day institute will focus on developing projects that will engage students in issues of sustainability. In addition, Forslund and teacher Laurie Mueller will attend the Sustainability Education Summer Institute at Islandwood on Bainbridge Island. These workshops will assist in the integration of the new state standards into middle school environmental education curriculum.
This school year, Kulshan students have coordinated carbon footprint reduction pledges and waste audits. The Kulshan school community pledged to reduce Co2 emissions by 20,000 pounds this year. Halfway through the calculations, they are at a 17,000 pounds reduction. Students also organized an effort to reduce Kulshan's landfill waste by 50 percent. After surveying the school, they determined that paper towels waste was mostly generated in the science classrooms. The students responded to feedback from the science teachers who wanted recycle bins for glass, plastics and metal. Now that these bins are in place, they are seeing a reduction in landfill waste and an increase in proper disposal of recyclables. (Photo below: Kulshan GreenRRR's in pirate costume.)
Larrabee Teacher to Participate in NEH Summer Seminar 
Larrabee Elementary School teacher Elise Mueller will attend a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) teacher seminar, "Golden Compasses as Moral Compasses: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Fairy Tales and Fantasy." Among other investigations, the Harvard Summer School seminar will analyze the primal power of fairy tales, their connection with myth, and their attractions for both adult and child. The seminar will focus on how to use these stories to teach children to read. For more information, go to http://www.summer.harvard.edu/programs/neh/
Three Middle School Students Competed in the State National Geographic Geography Bee
In late March, three district middle school students were state finalists in the National Geographic Geography Bee. Fairhaven Middle School eighth grader Liam Watts, Kulshan Middle School eighth grader Noah Thompson and Shuksan Middle School eighth grader Tyler Smith. After participating in and winning a schoolwide contest, these students scored in the top 100 on a geography test taken by all participating grade 4 to grade 8 students in the state of Washington.
Squalicum Music Program Awarded Grant
Squalicum High School's music department was awarded $2,000 from Best Buy. Best Buy Mobile is opening a kiosk at Bellis Fair Mall and in support of the local community, the company teams up with the Grammy Foundation to look for an area organization that deserves a financial grant.
Congratulations to teacher Chip Bergeron and his Squalicum music program.
District Bus Drivers Win Big at Regional Bus Road-eo 
Bellingham School District bus drivers won the Overall Team trophy at the Regional School Bus Road-eo in Marysville earlier this month. In other categories, first place individual went to Mark Miller; first place special education team went to Abbey Blakeslee and Loriena Bobb. In the Rookie Driver Division, drivers John Vitale and Steve Choate took second and third place. Three drivers will compete at the State competition on June 24 in Yakima. (Bus drivers, left to right: Loriena Bobb, Steve Choat, Mark Miller, Daniel McGlothern, John Vitale, Abbey Blakeslee.)
Spring 2012 State Athletic Champions
The following is round-up of district high school athletes who competed and placed at state competitions:
Bellingham High School
Boys Tennis doubles: Reed Welch and EJ Troutman, 3rd in State.
Girls Tennis singles: Bella Hoyos, 3rd in State.
Girls Golf: State Champions (10th time in 11 years): Brooke Branigan, Jenn Paul, Audrey Orem, Jenna Reardanz, Madi McNeely, Katherine Rodgers.
Girls Track and Field: 4th place overall in State.
Girls 4 x 100 relay team: 2A State Champions (setting an all-time BHS school record and 2A State meet record): Holly Schrock, Alyssa Porter, Mary Dyrland, Chantal Tran.
Girls 4 x 200 relay: Chantal Tran, Alyssa Porter, Aurelia Carrillo and Holly Schrock, 2nd in State
Girls 100 Meters: Alyssa Porter, 2nd place in State; Chantal Tran, 4th place in State
Girls 800: Mia Hodges, 3rd place in State; Bekah Jensen, 5th place in State
Girls high jump: Oliva Halverson, 4th place in State
Boys 800: Paris Speidel, 4th place in State.
Sehome High School
Boys High Jump: Riley Fraser, 2A State Champion
Girls 4 x 200 meter Relay: State Champions: Kendra Thomas, Hanna Tarleton, Shannon Debacker, Sarah Dolese
Hanna Tarleton - 2nd place finish in 300 meter hurdles
Emily Pittis - 3rd place finish in the 1600 meter
Emily Pittis - 5th place finish in the 3200 meter
Madison Heilmann - 4th place finish in the 800 meter
Reed Henderson - 2nd place finish 800 meter
Ian Earle - 4th place finish 300 meter hurdles
Ian Earle, Michael Faulkner, Malik Williams and Konstantin Andrushenko - 2nd place finish 4x100 relay
Sehome Softball placed 4th at Districts to qualify for State
Girls Track: 2nd in State
Boys Track: 4th in State
Boys Tennis: Avery West, 3rd place in State
Boys Tennis: Sehome team tied for 4th place with Bellingham
Squalicum High School
Girls Discus and Shot Put: Gina Flint, State Champion
Boys Shot Put: Jarek Jensen, State Champion
Boys 3200 Meters: Patrick Gibson, State Champion
Britanny Gappa - 2nd place finish in the 1600 meter
Kyler Reed - 5th place finish 100 meter
Jason Pfannenstiel, Chris Fredlund, Joey Malloy and Kyler Reed - 4x400 meter relay 3rd place finish
Girls Track: 3rd place trophy at the State Track Meet
Boys Track: 3rd place trophy at the State Track Meet
Girls Tennis doubles: Rebecca Wilson and Claire Krause, 2nd place in State
Girls Tennis- 2nd place trophy at the State Tennis Meet
Boys Soccer: League Champions
Shuksan Tops Participation at Middle School Challenge Event
At the Middle School Challenge Run Event on June 11, Shuksan Middle School brought home two school trophies, one for Top Student Participation and another for Top Staff Participation. Congratulations to all the winners and participants! (Photo below: District staff member Isabel Meaker (right) with Shuksan students Yohaly Camacho and Stephanie Salvador.)
