Cougar Chronicle: June 2026

The alphabet countdowns have started in our primary grade and preschool classrooms which means the end of school is not far away.  This time of year brings a lot of mixed emotions for students, families, and staff.  While for some the promise of summer vacation brings excitement and anticipation, for others summer is a time of uncertainty.  Some of our Clyde Hill cougars are moving to new schools, and even for those who are staying, the prospect of advancing a grade, being in a new class, or being away from peers over the summer can be hard to face.  Also, while there are many exciting end of the year events happening in classrooms, the change in routine can be challenging for many students.  Children thrive on predictable routines and known boundaries.  The end of the school year can lack predictability.  It is a time of  transition; and as adults, we know that transition is one of the most challenging times for anyone.  If you are trying to open up conversation with your student about school and you’re getting the “school was fine” response, try one of these:

• Tell me two things you are proud of that you did at school today.
• If you could rewind the school day, what would you want to go back to?  Why?
• Who are two people you made smile today?  How did you do this?

These questions are not designed to give you a summary of their day, rather it’s to help ground students in the good they bring to our school community and/or help them focus on what mattered to them (especially that “rewind” question).  If you have another great question that you want to share with families, send them to me, and I’ll add them into our newsletter!

 

Community Leadership Opportunity

The following is an opportunity for families to partner with staff and students on the EdTech Design Team.  If you have a passion around screen time, devices in school, personal technology devices in the classroom (e.g. watches, phones), artificial intelligence (AI), and/or the technology used in classrooms, please consider applying to be part of this team! 

Bellevue School District is forming an EdTech Design Team and invites students, families, and staff to apply. 

The Design Team will review how educational technology is used across the district — including topics such as how devices are used, screen time, access to platforms such as YouTube, cell phones and other personal devices, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Together, the team will:   

• Develop shared beliefs and guiding principles to inform future policy and practice. 
• Create actionable recommendations that support student learning, engagement, innovation, and equity. 

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Time Commitment 

Beginning September 2026, the Design Team will meet 1–2 times per month, with each meeting lasting 2 hours. Meetings will be in person, with optional time between meetings for reading, research, or reflection. 

Tentative meeting dates (5:00–7:00 p.m.): 

• September 24 
• October 8 and October 29 
• November 19 
• December 1 and December 15 
• January 14 and January 28 
• February 9 
• March 11 and March 25 
• April 8 and April 29 
• May 13 

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How to Apply 

If you are interested, please complete the application survey by June 5. Applicants will be notified by June 12 if they are selected to serve. 

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Why This Work Matters 

Bellevue School District currently provides devices in a 1:1 learning environment from elementary through high school, supported by shared digital tools for learning, assessment, and communication. While technology offers many benefits, it also raises important questions about developmentally appropriate use, consistency across classrooms, personal devices, and emerging tools such as AI. 

Over time, technology practices have evolved in response to instructional needs, research, and new tools. As a result, community perceptions and actual classroom use may differ, and expectations can vary across schools and grade levels. This Design Team will help build shared understanding and develop thoughtful, future‑focused recommendations. 

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Purpose of the EdTech Design Team 

The Design Team will:  

• Refresh a districtwide vision for educational technology grounded in BSD values and community voice. 
• Study current practices and research, including how peer districts approach similar challenges. 
• Center lived experiences of students, families, and educators. 

This work aligns with the district’s 2026–27 Annual Plan and Strategic Plan, emphasizing inclusive engagement, equity‑driven decision‑making, and long‑term system coherence. Recommendations will be shared with the Superintendent and School Board by spring 2027 to inform future, phased implementation. 

Focus Areas 

Initial focus areas include:   

• Elementary educational technology (K–2 and grades 3–5) 
  • Devices and hardware 
  • Software applications, including YouTube 
• Cell phones and personal devices (K–12) 
  • Cell phones 
  • Personal devices such as smart watches, etc. 
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
  • Use of AI for educational purposes 

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Thank you for considering serving on this important team. If you have questions, please reach out to us — we would love to hear from you. 

Best regards,  
 

Tom Duenwald  Director of Educational Technology, Design Team Co‑Lead

Angela Christofferson  Executive Director of Technology, Design Team Co‑Lead

 

Technology Topic:  YouTube No Longer Accessible on Student Devices at Clyde Hill

When students first received 1:1 devices at the elementary level, YouTube was blocked on elementary student devices; however, in the last 2-3 years, elementary students gained access to it.  It has proved challenging to keep students off of YouTube.  Even monitoring systems such as “Class Policy” which allows educators to see students’ screens have not deterred student use.  Instead, students have looked for work-arounds adding “scripts” to their computers that allow them to watch YouTube undetected by monitoring software. 

Following the lead of other elementary schools in our district, we have asked the BSD technology department to block YouTube on all student devices associated with Clyde Hill.  If a video in Code.org, iReady, or another edtech program sends a student out to YouTube, the student should still be able to view the video, but they will not be able to access additional YouTube videos.

Additionally, we have been sharing with students (particularly in the upper grades) that loading scripts on their computers goes against the appropriate use rules for their district computers.  We are needing to remind students that their BSD laptops or iPad does not belong to them.  The device belongs to the school district, and they need to follow school district rules when using it.

While we anticipate some students will be frustrated with this change, we are asking for your support so that we can keep our classrooms focused on learning.  Can YouTube be a learning tool?  Absolutely, but it needs to be modeled by adults – showing how we use a variety of media and texts as well as other resources to learn about our world. 

 

Class Placements

Our K-4 teachers are hard at work building drafts of next years classes.  As shared in previous newsletters, these classes are drafts until you are notified by an email from your child’s teacher this coming August, welcoming your student to their classroom. 

Here’s the scoop, we build the classes, and they are loaded into our student information system in June.  This allows us to see “live” numbers in August once the system rolls over to the next school year.  Actual or “live” student numbers determines the teacher staffing we start the year with which is why we need to know from your families if you will or will not be back with us next year. 

When the rollover to the new year happens in August you will see a teacher name connected to your child’s name.  These are the draft classes.  Sharing this name with your child is not advised because we make many changes to the classes in August.  As some of you know, we sometimes have to reconfigure and rebuild classes if enrollment increases or decreases significantly.  We know everyone is excited to learn about who their new teacher will be, but we ask for your patience to wait for the official emails. 

 

PTA:  Walk-a-thon, General Membership Meeting & Yearbook!

Walk-a-thon/Move-a-thon

We need volunteers to help with the PTA Walk-a-thon on Friday, June 5^th!  Specifically, we are looking for four volunteers to help support the water table.  We would love to avoid using small plastic water bottles which proved to be a challenge last year.  If you are able to help with station, please sign up using the link below in the message from PTA:

The Annual PTA Walk-A-Thon is coming up on June 5th! This annual fundraising event will see students walk and move to raise funds to support our school. 

Register your student for the Walk-A-Thon!

Once registered, encourage your student to share their link with friends and family to gather sponsorships. Plus, registration guarantees your student an official Walk-A-Thon T-shirt featuring Clyde the Cougar! REGISTER HERE

Please also sign up to volunteer at the Walk-A-Thon, we need parents support to track laps, hand out treats, and make sure this event goes smoothly! Extra volunteers needed to distribute water at the Walk-A-Thon. SIGN UP HERE

On June 5th we will walk and move to support our school.

 

General Membership Meeting:

Join us virtually on Monday, June 1st at 5pm for the final PTA General Membership Meeting of the 2025–2026 school year.

This is your chance to hear firsthand what the PTA has accomplished this year and have your say in what will be ahead for the next. As a PTA member, your vote matters—you will help shape initiatives that directly impact your student’s experience at Clyde Hill Elementary.

At this important meeting, we will:

* Review and approve the PTA budget for the upcoming school year.

* Elect next year’s Executive Board members, dedicated parent volunteers who help bring vital resources to all our students.

 

Because of your PTA, students benefit from:

* General School Assistants (GSAs)

* Curriculum Enhancements, including field trips and educational tools

* Community Events like Bingo Night, Trunk or Treat, School Dance, the Science Fair, and the Heritage Festival

 

Yearbook

There’s still time to order your yearbook and customize your 2 free pages!

To purchase your yearbook:

1. Go to: treering.com/validate

2. Enter your school's passcode: 1016081451422156

Customize your 2 free pages:

- Add photos from your computer, Facebook, Google Drive and more

- Answer fun memory questions to help remember the year

Deadline: June 5^th

 

Lost & Found

We have many items waiting to be found…  Those items with names clearly written on them have been returned to students.  We will “model” these items at our monthly assembly in late June in hopes of them being reunited with their owner.  If an item remains unclaimed, they will be packed up and donated to a local charity as we know there are many in need across our community and nearby communities.  If you are missing an item, please send a message to your child’s teacher so they can carve out time for the student to look carefully through lost and found or if you are available, please drop by school. 

 

 

News from the Bellevue School District

The following are updates from the Bellevue School District central office:

Learn About Community Events on BSD405.org

The Bellevue School District supports our local community partners by posting digital flyers online and distributing them electronically through our schools. Learn about events geared toward all grade levels and interests. Upcoming events include sports camps, STEM classes and workshops, summer camps, and more!

View all upcoming community events.

 

Bellevue Youth Climate Action Fund

Bloomberg Philanthropies launched the Youth Climate Action Fund to help empower the next generation of climate leaders. As a Bloomberg Sustainable City, Bellevue received funds to distribute as microgrants to youth groups seeking to address climate change and its impacts on our community. The city was awarded $50,000 to fund projects through microgrants to youth teams to lead the climate action they want to see in their communities.

Microgrants of $1,000-$5,000 will enable youth-led organizations to implement new projects related to one of the following focus areas in our Sustainable Bellevue Plan(External link):

• Climate Change
• Energy and Buildings
• Mobility and Land Use
• Waste and Materials Management
• Natural Resources

Projects can be focused on climate mitigation (reducing pollution), climate resilience (adapting to the impacts of climate change), or climate engagement (getting people educated or involved).

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from July 15 to October 1, 2026. Interested and want to stay up to date? Fill out the early interest form(External link) to get started.

Learn More - Attend the Upcoming Webinar

Get an overview of the Bellevue Youth Climate Action Fund.

Date: June 3, 2026

Time: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Online event

Register Here.(External link)

 

Summer Resources and Information for Families

The Bellevue School District seeks to support our community through the summer months when students are away from our buildings. Please check back frequently to locate information about summer meals and grocery programs, summer learning, health and immunization requirements, information from student technology services, and more. New details have been added about summer meals and important dates for fall 2026. View all of the district’s summer resources.

 

Attend the Preschool Spring Preview

Incoming preschool families are invited to join the BSD Preschool team at the Preschool Spring Preview! This event is intended to welcome new preschool families and provide an opportunity for them to visit classrooms, meet preschool staff, and engage in hands-on activities. It also serves as an important step in helping students and families feel comfortable and connected prior to the start of the school year. 

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Time: 3:30-5:00 p.m. (families may attend at their convenience during this time range)

Location: Each child’s assigned school

 

June Events & Dates to Know

While each classroom has its own special end of year events, the following are several larger events and key dates that I want to make sure our community is aware of:

Wednesday, June 3^rd – Preschool Preview, 3:30-5:00 PM

• Incoming preschool families are invited to join the BSD Preschool team at the Preschool Spring Preview!

Friday, June 5^th – PTA Walk-a-thon/Move-a-thon    

• Prek – 5^th Grade – happening during the school day

Friday, June 12^th – Preschool Only – No School

• This day is set aside for preschool teachers to hold end of year conferences.

Monday, June 15^th – All School Assembly, 9:30 AM

• Celebration of May “This or That” contest – either Minute to Win It Games or Lip Sync contest
• Lost & Found Fashion Show

Thursday, June 18^th – 5^th Grade Graduation, 9:30 – 10:30 AM

• Happening in our covered area just outside of the gym

Friday, June 19^th – Juneteenth National Holiday, No School

Monday, June 22^nd – Field Day, 1:45 – 3:00

• A request for volunteers will be sent out in the near future as we will need families to help us run events
• We will be connecting with our nearby fire department to make an appearance (provided there are no calls they need to respond to) to spray the field at the end of Field Day.
• Families are strongly encouraged to send a change of clothes or at least a towel.

Tuesday, June 23^rd – Last day of school, 9 AM – 11 AM

• The final day of school is only two hours.  If your student rides a bus, please be prepared for buses to bring students home just after 11 AM. 

Friday, June 26^th – Progress reports become viewable to families in ParentVue

• Time of publication of the reports is currently scheduled for noon on 6/26.

 

Thank you for reading through this longer-than-usual newsletter.  The end of the year often brings more updates than other times of the year.  If needed, I will send additional information via email, update our June Cougar Chronicle, and resend the newsletter link to you. 

 

Looking forward to enjoying the final month of this school year with our Clyde Hill Cougars!

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: Jeff Lowell, (425) 456-4010 or lowellj@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.