Ardmore Community Newsletter: March 2025

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Mar 14 2025

Dear Ardmore Families,

Happy Holi!

Spring is upon us and we are so happy to celebrate all that comes with the new season. To families who are observing Ramadan, and Holi we wish you a peaceful and joyful celebration with family and friends. In our weekly Monday morning broadcasts we recognize worldwide observances and recognitions. It is a great learning experience for our students. Please visit our District's Cultural Calendar so learn more and help us bring these learning opportunities to your homes.

As you know, Bellevue School District is facing a financial crisis and will be making tremendous cuts in the coming school year. The BSD budget reduction plan has been announced here: Message from the Superintendent: Final Revisions to the Spending Reduction Plan Proposal | News Details. One of the areas that will have immediate affect at Ardmore is the level of Administrative support. Ardmore along with Lake Hills, Stevenson, and Sherwood Forest Elementary will retain the support of a halftime Assistant Principal. Whereas this is less than what we have now it is a higher level of support than other elementary schools who will be losing Assistant Principals completely. Each spring the district determines administrator placements, and we will have more information about this in the coming weeks.

Ms. Obaid remains committed to supporting our students and families at Ardmore and we are very grateful to have her unwavering and selfless leadership. The announcement of her placement will be made when all Administrative placements have been decided across other schools.

We are thankful and very grateful to have your partnership and support during this time of uncertainty.

Please let us know if you have any questions. The Ardmore community remains strong and we know we will successfully navigate the coming months and are already planning for a strong 2025-2026 launch.

Sincerely,

Tina Bogucharova-Principal

Yusra Obaid-Assistant Principal

Ardmore Community Handbook Ardmore-Community-Handbook-2024-2025.pdf

Save the Date

April 1-30-Panorama Spring Student Survey

April 1-MLL Coffee

April 2-Arab American Author Assembly (K-3)

April 7-11-Spring Break-No School

April 16-PTSA Board Meeting 7:30-8:30pm

April 23-Dardasha Parent Advisory Meeting 8:30-10:00am

April 25-Hispanic Parents Connection 5:00-6:30pm

Please follow our Calendar for future events https://ardmore.bsd405.org/our-school/calendar

Multilingual Learner Coffee Parent Event

Is your child in the MLL program? Please join us for our second gathering. There will be coffee, breakfast treats, and a short presentation on how we are engaging students in learning languages. So please join us to continue our collaboration.

When: Tuesday, April 1, 8:15-9:15 am

Where: Ardmore room 105

Parking Lot Safety

Please use the Student Load Zone when picking up or dropping off students. The "Safe" area is where students should be because they can walk on the curb instead of walking between cars.

The Parking Lot is for families who need to enter the school. If you park and walk your child to the school please hold their hands. The cars backing out are often larger than the child so they can get hurt if they walk without an adult.

We need your help to keep our students safe!

After School Club Spring Session: Sign Ups coming soon!

Please pay attention to your email inbox! Soon we will share our our After School Club sign ups! The Spring session will be April 21-June 13. Registration will remain open until April 4th. You will be notified by April 16th if you child has been selected. When we select students through the lottery, we will prioritize those who haven't had the opportunity to participate yet. We hope this approach will help support families whose clubs fill quickly before they have a chance to sign up. Click on links below to sign up.

Spotlight on Instruction

Thanks to the City of Bellevue's Free Assembly program, student had a chance to review the 3 Rs for Environmental Awareness: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

We want all students to form healthy and responsible habits regarding resource preservation. These habits are formed at home and in school. We would love your partnership in reminding students about making smart choices at home.

Panorama Spring Student Survey

Each Spring, students are provided the opportunity to give feedback about their experiences at school and in the classroom. They are given a computerized survey that asks how they feel about the adults in school, what they're learning, friendships, and their overall experiences coming to school. We use their feedback to create goals and initiatives. At the yearend PTSA General Membership meeting we will share with parents an overview of the student feedback.

Safety Drills

Washington state law and Bellevue School District policy require all schools to hold at least one drill per calendar month while school is in session. This month, we will be conducting a lockout drill and practicing quickly securing the building sometime in the week of March 25th.

A lockout is different from a lockdown. A lockout is used when there is no direct danger to the school, but there may be something potentially dangerous in the area around the school. For example, if a bear was spotted in the neighborhood or if there was police activity near the school.

During a lockout, students are brought inside and all exterior doors are locked. Inside, classes continue, but staff maintain a heightened level of awareness in case there is a change in the situation.

Please talk with your student about preparing for emergencies and disasters. Encourage them to talk about their concerns and express their feelings. Emphasize that even though sometimes things happen that we may not expect, there are lots of things we can do to help us stay safe.

For more information on talking to your child about school safety, you might want to visit the website https://www.mhanational.org/talking-kids-about-school-safety.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Preschool Enrollment: Now Open! Spaces Limited!

BSDPreschoolEnrollment2025-26.pdf

BSD Event: Spring Into Reading

Council’s Spring Into Reading kicks off in March 2025! Join us as we celebrate the joy of reading and highlight the importance of literacy with over 8,500 students attending all 16 BSD elementary schools - including ours!

The program features 2 books that share the incredible true story of Springer, an orphaned orca calf found in the Puget Sound in 2002. Springer was rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to her home by the north end of Vancouver Island BC. Within 24 hours, she was successfully reunited with and accepted back into her pod - the first time in history! Bellevue PTSA Council is giving away 1 book to every Preschool to 5th grade class at all 16 BSD elementary schools. Our kindergarten through first grade classes will receive The Spirit of Springer (by Amanda Abler) and our 2nd to 5th grade classes will receive: Orca Rescue! (by Donna Sandstrom, WLA 2025 Sasquatch Nominee).

In addition, the Bellevue PTSA Council invites all BSD elementary students and their families to an Author Talk with Donna Sandstrom, author of Orca Rescue! (2025 Sasquatch Nominee) and founder of The Whale Trail. You do need to register for one of the two sessions offered. Click here to learn more about the program and to RSVP for the Author Talk with Donna Sandstrom!

The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orph…

A nonfiction picture book about the rescue of an orphan…

The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca by Amanda Abler | Goodreads