August 23 - 29, 2018 • thenorthernlight.com
Back to School Blaine School District 2018-2019 Find the school district online at www.blainesd.org
Welcome to the New School Year! It has been a very busy summer on the main campus of the Blaine School District. With completion of the second phase of construction at Blaine High School, staff and students will return on August 29 with access to 19 new classrooms. This is most certainly a very pronounced milestone and, although there are still a few details to address, it is wonderful to have this stage of the process come to fruition. Phase III of this overall project is underway and began with demolition of the area which will become the center courtyard of the High School campus. During Phase III’s renovation work, the library and school offices will be temporarily housed in the Phase I facility. Patience is appreciated as we experience one additional year of displaced programs on the Blaine High School campus. We have most certainly turned the corner of this project and completion is in sight. Over the summer, five of the oldest classrooms at Blaine Elementary School were also
remodeled, and the existing outdoor play area was enclosed. In addition, seismic upgrades were completed in the old Middle School Gym, as well as the Ken Waters Gym. Finally, we are actively engaged in the overall design of a new grandstand structure which is scheduled for completion by the end of summer in 2019. We are so very fortunate in the Blaine School District to have experienced such a high level of financial support from our community for these long-overdue capital improvements. Thank you voters! As the new school year gets underway, parents and visitors will notice significant changes to the entry points at Blaine Primary School, Blaine Elementary School and Blaine Middle School. Electronic door locking systems have been installed at each of these schools, as well
2018-2019 Calendar AUGUST 23 HS fall sports parent meeting, 6:30 p.m., PAC 27 All certificated staff day Link Crew Freshman Orientation, 8 a.m.-noon, Blaine High School Freshman Orientation, 5 p.m., football field School Board Meeting, 7 p.m., district office 28 All staff day 29 First day of school (except Kindergarten), 8:20 a.m. SEPTEMBER 3 Labor Day – No school 5 HS picture day 12 HS open house, 6 p.m., PAC 13 MS open house, 7 p.m., PAC 6th grade band parent meeting, 7 p.m., MS Cafeteria 17 Late start at 10:20 a.m. 18 PS PTO Meeting, 6 p.m., PS library 20 MS picture day ES curriculum night, 6 p.m., PAC 24 School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office 27 PS open house, 6 p.m. 28 MS academic assembly, 10:45 a.m., PAC OCTOBER 8 Late start at 10:20 a.m. 11 PS picture day 16 PS PTO Meeting, 6 p.m., PS library 17 ES picture day HS picture retakes HS honor society inductions, 6:30 p.m., PAC 22 School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office 25 MS picture retakes 27 PS PTO harvest festival, 1–3 p.m., MS cafeteria 29 Late start at 10:20 a.m. NOVEMBER 1 7th and 8th grade concert, 7 p.m., PAC 8 MS Veterans Day assembly PAC, 9 a.m. Elementary School Veterans Day Assembly PAC, 2 p.m. 9 Teacher workday – no school 12 Veterans Day holiday – no school 15 PS picture retakes
as camera monitors at main entry points. This security system will provide increased monitoring and more direct management of the flow of pedestrian traffic. Details of the management of these new features remains under discussion at the administrative level and will be communicated more specifically as the new school year gets underway. Blaine High School’s electronic door locking and monitoring system will not be fully operational until the final phase of construction is complete. In addition to security upgrades at school entry points, other campus safety enhancement features are currently being processed. We are entering into an agreement with the City of Blaine for the assignment of a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) on campus not later than January 3, 2019. In the interim, we will continue with the current arrangement of part-
15 – 21 K-8 parent – teacher conferences – early dismissal at 12:50 p.m. 15-17 HS drama performance, 7 p.m., PAC 17 HS drama performance, 2 p.m., PAC 21 K-12 early dismissal at 12:50 p.m. 22 – 23 Thanksgiving break – no school 26 School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office 27 PS PTO Meeting, 6 p.m., PS library 28 ES picture retakes 29 1st / 2nd grade concert, 1:15 p.m., PAC
DECEMBER 3 Late start at 10:20 a.m. 7 MS academic assembly, 8:30 a.m., PAC 11 School board meeting, noon, district office 7th/8th grade community concert, 7 p.m., PAC 13 HS community concert, 7 p.m., PAC 19 – Jan. 2 Winter break JANUARY 14 Late start at 10:20 a.m. 15 PS PTO Meeting, 9 p.m., PS library 18 MS MLK, Jr. assembly, 8:30 a.m., PAC ES MLK, Jr. assembly, 2 p.m., PAC 21 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday –no school 23 HS 6th period theater arts production, 6 p.m., PAC 24 6th grade concert, 7 p.m., PAC 28 School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office Teacher workday – no school FEBRUARY 4 Late start at 10:20 a.m. 12 Kindergarten concert, 1:15 p.m., PAC 15 Mid-winter break – no school 18 Presidents Day holiday – no school 19 PS PTO Meeting, 6 p.m., PS library 23 Whatcom County math championships 25 Late start at 10:20 a.m. School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office 28 7th – 12th grade band concert, 7 p.m., PAC MARCH 4-8 K-8 Parent – Teacher Conferences – Early Dismissal 12:50 p.m. 7 7th - 12th grade choir concert, 7 p.m., PAC 19 PS PTO Meeting, 6 p.m., PS library 14 Kindergarten registration, 10 a.m., primary school
Enjoy Dancing Into The School Year!
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time SRO support. Over the past two years we have initiated a number of programs in Blaine School District aimed at ensuring that more students stay in school and finish on time. Preliminary data from the State has indicated an increase to our “on time” graduation rate from a percentage in the mid-70s in 2017 to a percentage in the low-80s in 2018. At this time, we are poised to welcome a total of 24 new staff members to the Blaine School District. We continue to believe that we have been successful in attracting the very best to our team. As such, our District is offering solid instructional programs at all levels in the system. There is much work yet to be done, and we are ready to get started with new learning experiences for all students in 2018-19! Ronald C. Spanjer, Ed.D. Superintendent Blaine School District
Late start at 10:20 a.m. MS academic assembly, 2:20 p.m., PAC Washington State math championships School board meeting, 7 p.m., Point Roberts
APRIL 1- 5 Spring break – no school 16-17 HS student-led conferences, 1 p.m., HS cafeteria 16 PS PTO meeting, 6 p.m., PS library 19 MS Spelling Bee, 2 p.m., PAC 22 Late start at 10:20 a.m. School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office 23 7th – 12th grade band concert, 7 p.m., PAC 24 PS class pictures 24-27 MS Bay Area trip MAY 2-3 HS spring drama performance, 7 p.m., PAC 3 HS spring drama performance, 2 p.m., PAC 6 Teacher workday – no school 9 1st/2nd grade concert, 1:15 p.m., PAC 15 HS recognition night, 6 p.m., PAC 16 PS getting ready for kindergarten, 5 p.m., primary school HS 6th period theater arts production, 6 p.m., PAC 21 – 22 HS senior boards HS early dismissal at 11:50 a.m. 21 PS PTO Meeting, 6 p.m., PS library 23 6th grade spring concert, 7 p.m., PAC 27 Memorial Day – no school 28 School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office 30 Evening of the Arts, 6:30 p.m. JUNE 4 6th – 8th grade band concert, 7 p.m., PAC 5 All choral concert, 7 p.m., PAC 12 8th grade tea, 6 p.m., PAC 13 Last day of school 14, 17, 18 School closure make-up days 24 School board meeting, 7 p.m., district office
NOTE: Date changes may occur. Please check the online calendar at www.blainesd.org
School starts Wednesday, August 29
Nourish your body, feed your brain. Happy back to school!
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