Cougar Chronicle: August 14, 2026

Welcome to Clyde Hill Elementary School and the 2026-27 school year!  For our families who are new to Clyde Hill, we, the staff of Clyde Hill Elementary,  look forward to meeting you in the very near future!  For our families returning to Clyde Hill, we look forward to seeing you again in just a couple of weeks! 

Right now, our school awaits the return of our students.  Over the summer a team of Bellevue School District custodians conducted a deep clean of our school, making sure that every space would be ready for a fresh start this school year.  Teachers and other staff members are starting to stop by the building, beginning to prepare classrooms for our students and the year ahead. 

As we prepare for the upcoming year, you can anticipate a school community newsletter, The Cougar Chronicle, each Friday with key information for families.  This week's newsletter contains information about school supplies, transportation, childcare, class placement, and key dates.  Future newsletters will explain arrival and dismissal, school meal options, and more!  Once school is underway, this newsletter will move to its monthly cadence arriving via email on the first Friday of each month.

School Supplies:   Clyde Hill Elementary provides all basic school supplies such as pencils, paper, crayons, markers, and safety scissors.  We do ask that students come to school with a backpack that can carry a folder for papers and a couple of books.  Many kindergarten students also carry a spare change of pants and underwear in a bag in their backpack because accidents still happen at this grade level. 

Transportation:  Students who live more than a mile from Clyde Hill will receive a communication from the Transportation Department on or just after August 19th telling which bus route they are on and the time for pick-up and drop-off at their stop.  Our buses utilize a card which students scan as they enter and exit the bus which allows us to know who is on each bus and when they have exited the bus.  These cards are delivered to the school and are handed out on the first day.  Additionally, we also place a tag on the bags of our youngest students identifying which bus route they are on for the way home/childcare.  This allows any staff member to be able to help a student if there is confusion about which bus to board.

Childcare:  Clyde Hill's before and after school childcare is provided by the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club.  This program is provided at both the Downtown Bellevue Boys and Girls Club as well as onsite at Clyde Hill for students Preschool - 5th grade.  If families wish to register for this program, this is completed through the Boys and Girls Club website at:  https://www.bgcbellevue.org/  Both the school age and preschool programs are found under the "Programs" menu on the left hand navigation bar.

Class Placement:  We know that students and families are eager to find out who their teacher will be for the upcoming school year.  Official class assignments will be emailed by teachers to families on the afternoon of Friday, August 28th.  While students may "see" a teacher name via some online applications, those are not class placements.   Our class assignments and even grade level configurations (how many classes we have at each grade) shift as new students enroll throughout the summer and especially during August.  

Key Dates:  The following are key dates that families will want to know about as we prepare for and begin the 2026-27 school year.

Wednesday, August 26th:  Kindergarten Camp - Please use the link below to see information that was sent to kindergarten families on 8/14/26.

• https://clydehill.bsd405.org/our-school/news/news-details/~board/clyde-hill-elementary-school-news/post/welcome-to-kindergarten-august-2026

Thursday, August 27th:  New Family Tours, 4:30 - 5:30 PM  

• Families new to Clyde Hill Elementary are invited to join tours provided by Clyde Hill Elementary staff.

Friday, August 28th:  Class Placements Emailed, Late Afternoon

• With nearly all elementary schools sending class placements on the same day, emails can be slow to arrive (sometimes 4-6 hours after we press send).  If you do not receive an email on Friday, please contact the main office on Monday, August 31st or just come to the Teacher Meet and Greet on August 31st where we can share your student's placement with you.

Monday, August 31st:  Teacher Meet and Greet, 3:00 - 4:00 PM

• Students and their families are invited to come visit their new classroom and meet their teacher!

Wednesday, September 2nd:  First Day of School for 1st - 5th Grade

September 2nd, 3rd, and 4th:  Kindergarten Family Meetings

Tuesday, September 8th:  First Day of School, Kindergarten

Wednesday, September 9th:  First Day of School, Preschool

Friday, September 11th:  Ice Cream Social, 5:30 - 6:30 PM

• Come celebrate the beginning of the school year by having an icy, cool treat and connecting with old and new friends!  Students must be accompanied by an adult.

Wednesday, September 16th:  Curriculum Night, 5:30 - 7:15 PM

• Details about this event will be shared in future newsletters.

 

Again, welcome to the 2026-27 school year.  We look forward to seeing all of our Clyde Hill Cougars back at school in the near future!

Amy MacDonald

Principal, Clyde Hill Elementary

 

 

Bellevue School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, neurodivergence, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Civil Rights, Racial Discrimination, and Gender Expression or Identity Discrimination: Civil Rights/Nondiscrimination Compliance Coordinator Nancy Pham, (425) 456-4040 or phamn@bsd405.org.

Sex-based Discrimination, including Sexual Harassment: Title IX Coordinator: Nancy Pham, (425) 456-4040 or phamn@bsd405.org.

Disability Discrimination: Kerince Bowen, (425) 456-4168 or bowenk@bsd405.org.

Mailing address for all three: 12111 NE 1st Street, Bellevue, WA 98005. Members of the public with disabilities who have specific concerns about the effectiveness of the District’s communications to them should contact Janine Thorn, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, at 425-456-4000 or thornj@bsd405.org.