A Message from Communications and Community Relations
 

Commemorating Treaty Day through collaboration, listening and learning

Bellingham Public Schools will honor Treaty Day as a day of recognition this school year and there will be no school on Jan. 22, 2024. Treaty Day in our region marks the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855. The treaty enacted a government-to-government relationship between the United States government and many Coast Salish and Indigenous nations, including the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe, in the Pacific Northwest.

Project Free Education: 5th Grade Strings

When the 5th-grade strings program was redesigned in 2015, it was with the intent to have it available to all students — in keeping with the Bellingham Public Schools Project Free Education philosophy. “We decided if we were going to bring back strings, it was going to be part of every kid’s experience,” says Mike Copland, Deputy Superintendent, who comes from a musical background and had his own career in bass and cello.

A sustainability update from Facilities and Operations

One of the focus areas in the newly launched BPS Climate Action Plan is facilities and operations. This area includes everything about our buildings (including HVAC systems, windows, lighting), and other operational areas such as transportation and food services. In this fall 2023 update, read about our reusable utensils in school cafeterias, our new efficient boilers installed in two schools, a new rain garden, and increased ridership on school buses. Read about our new Climate Corps Fellow at the end of the update.

Q and A with outgoing school board director Kelly Bashaw

Kelly Bashaw finishes her final term on the school board this fall. We caught up with her for a few reflections on her time in Bellingham Public Schools. Kelly served as a director for 16 years from 2007 to 2023.  "It’s going to be hard stepping away because of all the great things going on in Bellingham Public Schools," she says. "It’s why I have stayed so long. During school visits, we see all the great work that happens and we meet the incredible staff. We hear the accolades from parents and kids. That’s what I’m going to really miss."