2023-24 Activities & Athletics
Elementary School Activities听and Athletics Opportunities
Please contact your neighborhood elementary school office for information about elementary activities and athletics.
Vision and Mission
The Bellingham Public Schools Athletics and Activities Department provides guidance to students through athletics and activities as they develop into productive adults who understand that dedication, resiliency, and respect translate into success in life.听
Vision: Our activities community, makes a collective commitment to Bellingham’s children. We will empower every child to discover and develop their passions, contribute to their community, and achieve a fulfilling and productive life.听听
Mission: We collectively commit that our students are cared for and respected, and that they will graduate from our schools prepared for success. All students will be exceptional in their own way, with strong character, a passion for learning, and ready for the widest range of educational and vocational options to support a diversity of life choices.听听
Core Beliefs:听
- We love all children.听
- We meet and welcome each student where they are at.听听
- We Believe:听
- The whole child is important听
- Every child can learn and perform at high levels.听听
- Engaging in activities is lifelong and essential to a high quality of life.听
- Compassion, service, and working towards a common goal builds community.听
- Teaching children to do their best involves self-reflection and reaching higher.听
- Diversity enhances a strong and health team and community.听
- Together we achieve more than alone.听听
Key Strategies:听
- Great coaching with strong support: high quality coaching occurs every day throughout our system. We support positive, responsive, and skilled coaching through the following:听
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion: each of our teams, clubs, and activities strives to be more diverse, inclusive, and equitable with diverse coaches and leaders that are representative of our students and community.听
- Early childhood opportunities: create opportunities for all children throughout Bellingham to be active in activities outside of the school day.听听
- Student, family, and community engagement: we develop partnerships with families and community partners to support the success of all our participants.听听
- Innovation and flexibility: we embrace change, growth, and creative thinking to continue to improve the student experience.听听
- A One Schoolhouse Approach: our programs are part of a larger One Schoolhouse, and we focus on taking care of each other. There is so much we can learn from one another, and we will build one another up.听听
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string(11816) "Bellingham Public Schools proudly serves students with disabilities birth through age 21. We strive to give all our students love, care and great teaching. We build skills that allow each student to discover and develop a passion, contribute to our community and live a fulfilling, productive life.
What is Special Education?
Special Education is specialized instruction for students age Birth to 21 who qualify according to the laws and regulations outlined by state and federal government. A student may qualify for services in one of the areas as identified by the听. The following definitions are from the U.S. Department of Education website.
Getting Started
The district participates in
听"child find"听- awareness and screening activities for the purpose of locating, identifying and evaluating听children who are suspected of having disabilities and who may be in need of special education services. A student may also be referred for a听special education听evaluation by any source, including parents. The referral is to be made in writing and submitted to the building principal or designee.听
The Special Education Process
- IEP Review
Frequently Asked Questions
- 听(from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction [OSPI] website)
- 听(from the OSPI website)
- 听(from the OSPI website)
- 听(from the OSPI website)
Our Special Education Programs
Our district has听a variety of听programs听to support families of students with special needs:
- Birth to 2:听Bellingham schools听partners with community agencies to provide early intervention services through the Department of Early Learning (DEL) Early Supports for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program. Children ages Birth to Two who have delays in their development or have a physical or mental condition that is known to cause a delay in development may be eligible for early intervention services. These services are provided in a child鈥檚 natural environment which may include in听 their home or childcare program.
- Preschool: Early childhood preschool programs provide a language-based curriculum to students ages 3-4 with developmental delays. Preschool programs are based in the following locations:
- Alderwood Elementary
- Birchwood Elementary
- Cordata Elementary
- Geneva Elementary
- Happy Valley Elementary
- Northern Heights Elementary
- Sunnyland Elementary
- Sehome High School
- Resource:听programs provide direct, integrated, and/or consultative services to students with mild to moderate disabilities in general education. Resource programs are based in every elementary, middle and high school.听
- Life Skills:听Life Skills programs provide a functional academic and skill domain curriculum, with supported integration in general education and opportunities for community-based instruction to students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities. Life Skills programs are based in the following locations:
- Carl Cozier Elementary
- Columbia Elementary
- Cordata听Elementary
- Wade King Elementary
- Fairhaven Middle
- Kulshan Middle
- Shuksan Middle
- Bellingham High
- Sehome High
- Squalicum HIgh
- EBD (Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled) BRIDGES:听The "BRIDGES" programs provide an academic curriculum within a structured behavior management system, with integration or mainstreaming in general education, to students with moderate to severe behavioral disabilities. EBD programs are based in the following locations:
- Parkview Elementary
- Lowell Elementary
- Whatcom Middle
- Squalicum High
- Community Transitions:听The Community Transitions post-high school program provides transition classes, supported and independent vocational experiences, and linkages to adult services for students ages 18-21 with mild, moderate, or severe disabilities.
- Itinerant Services:听Itinerant services provide instruction and support to students who need:
- Physical Therapy
- Assistive Technology
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Language Therapy
- Sign Language
- Aural Rehab Management
- Braille
- Diagnostic-Psychological intervention
- Autism Consultation
- Out of District Placements:听For students who need intensive services, the Bellingham Public Schools听contracts with other providers including:
- Northwest ESD 189 - Whatcom Discovery
State and Federal Resources
听(OSPI)
Resources
Continuing Education Opportunities
Special Education Office Staff
Director:听Mike Haberman, (360) 676-6458
听 听 听Secretary:听Deanna Bannerman (360) 676-6458
Assistant Director:听Bethany Verner (360) 676-6458
听 听 听Secretary: Joy Rawls听(360) 676-6470 ext. 2042
Program Secretaries:
Coleen Aylen: (360) 676-6470 ext. 4408
Vickie Tapparo: 听(360) 676-6470 ext. 6833
Julie Webster: 听(360) 676-6517
Special Education Records Requests
Please fax requests to 360-676-2692 or email BPS.Spedrecords@BellinghamSchools.org"
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