Superintendent’s Blog: Bellevue Bright Spots
![Instructor teaching Phantom Lake Elementary students learning how to use the rock wall in their school gym.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1773352713/bsd405org/nvjoypk9nkxu9i9xhiwl/31226SuptBlogBellevueBrightSpotsThumbnail.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1773352713/bsd405org/nvjoypk9nkxu9i9xhiwl/31226SuptBlogBellevueBrightSpotsThumbnail.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1773352713/bsd405org/nvjoypk9nkxu9i9xhiwl/31226SuptBlogBellevueBrightSpotsThumbnail.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1773352713/bsd405org/nvjoypk9nkxu9i9xhiwl/31226SuptBlogBellevueBrightSpotsThumbnail.png","width":960}])
Superintendent’s Blog: Bellevue Bright Spots
Dear BSD Community,
Last night sure was windy! We had to close Interlake High and Sherwood Forest Elementary today due to downed trees and power outages. But don’t worry, kids 😉. We should be back to normal by tomorrow. (I do know at least one Interlake student who was pleasantly surprised by the extra sleep-in this morning.)
Updates on Awards, Language Learning Opportunities, and Safety
This past week, Bellevue School District received the State Superintendent Award for Educational Excellence. We were recognized as one of the top 25 districts in the state for academic achievement by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Kudos to Bellevue’s amazing educators, our hardworking students, and to our community for their support.
As part of this recognition for Bellevue, the state called out our expansion of dual language and heritage language opportunities. Record numbers of students in Bellevue are getting the opportunity to learn in two languages from kindergarten! Learn more about our elementary language programs, including Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish as well as our equally impressive secondary world language programs. Bilingualism is a superpower! ¡Ser bilingüe es un "superpoder!"
In our beautifully multilingual, diverse, and global community, we are continuing to wrap our arms around our immigrant community, many of whom have been experiencing increased fear due to recent immigration enforcement in Bellevue. Every week, our schools are reporting students and/or family members who have been detained or deported. And it’s increasingly impacting the mental health and well-being of students, classmates, families, and staff. To better support schools and our students, we are updating our protocols on how to respond to immigration enforcement in or near schools and will communicate that with families soon. The Bellevue School Board also passed a resolution at the March 5, 2026, Regular Board Meeting asking our federal legislators to clearly and formally designate schools as protected areas.
Bellevue Bright Spots
(A few things in our schools and community that made me smile this week…)
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Breakdancing at Ardmore – If you haven’t watched the video of Massive Monkees breakdance group visiting Ardmore, it’s sure to make you smile (especially seeing some of the impressive dance moves by kids and staff)! |
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Rock climbing at Phantom Lake – With PLE’s new rock-climbing wall, which was installed over mid-winter break, PE teacher Duke Truong brought in an expert from Edgeworks (the rock-climbing gym in Crossroads) to teach kids how to climb safely while having fun! No surprise, the kids took that opportunity to teach us a few lessons of their own about how to “climb through tough moments in life.” |
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BGCB x BSD – We just announced an expanded partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue! Starting in fall 2026, they will be the sole provider for before/after-school care at every elementary school in Bellevue. More details to come! |
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Epic Win for Robototes – From Mr. Magendanz at Sammamish: For the first time in our 18-year history, the Robototes have won a regular season competition. This weekend at the PNW District event in Bonney Lake, not only were they first-place finishers as alliance captains, but they also took home the Impact Award, the most prestigious award in FIRST Robotics. (International Titans won in alliance with the Robototes, and Newport NRG was also in the finals!) Congrats to all of our robotics teams and kudos to STEM education in BSD in general! Watch the highlight video. |
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Great Season for Bellevue Girls Basketball – Although they came up just short of winning the state championship, they finished strong, had an unbelievable season (26–4), and made our city proud! Bright futures ahead for these amazing scholar athletes. |
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Maple Bars & Rocky Road – And as a “low-key” foodie, thank you to the BCPTSA for the two maple bars this week (I needed both of them). And thanks to Dick’s Drive-In for introducing rocky road ice cream to their lineup. |
If you have any Bellevue Bright Spots you want to share with me, email me at superintendent@bsd405.org! Have a great weekend (almost)! Hope to see some of you at the Bellevue Schools Foundation Spring for Schools event on Saturday night!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kelly Aramaki
Superintendent
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