Coho Connection 05/13/25

Dear Sakai Families,

Wow! Our choir did such an amazing job singing the National Anthem last night at the Mariners game. We are so proud of them, and I am so grateful to Mrs. Gibbs for providing this opportunity for our students. 

Bike to School Day is this Friday! Thank you to our volunteers for making it happen! If your student is interested in riding with one of these chaperoned rides on Friday, please have them there before 8:00 AM. In the afternoon, they should be back at 4:00 PM. Please refer to this map below if needed. Aside from riding to and from school, students will also have an opportunity to ride their bikes at recess on our course, which is complete with a BIPD speedometer. We will also have a fun assembly with Ride and Glide. We will be parking bikes on the Pickleball court Friday. We will have signs up to help. 

SBA testing resumes tomorrow and Thursday. To ensure students feel confident and ready, please have them get plenty of sleep and be on time for school. For 6th-grade families, please have your student charge their Chromebook. 

Finally, we are busy making plans for next year. As you have heard, we are so excited to be offering band in 6th-grade next year. One note, however, is that specialist schedules will look different next year than they do this year. If your student is enrolling in 6th grade band, they will also have PE on a rotation all year. Students NOT taking band, will have music, PE, and art all year. If you have any questions about this, please reach out to me. 

I hope you have a wonderful week, Sakai!

Drew

This month the following students were honored for outstanding spirit:

These students invited a friend to attend a pizza party with Mr. Crandall. Thank you to That's a Some Pizza and PTO for sponsoring our student incentive program. The nominations are made in reference to Sakai's Four R's: Responsible, Respectful, Reasonable, Reliable.  ​​​​

The KRL Summer Learning Program begins June 1st. Bainbridge Library youth librarians will be on the broadcast on Friday, May 30 to share information about the program. They will also bring student booklets that will be given to classroom teachers to distribute.

Just a reminder that the optional Parent/Guardian Placement Input Form is due this Friday, May 16th.

In an effort to assure a fair and consistent district-wide placement procedure, the following process has been adopted: The teaching staff will provide the building principal and counselor with the necessary information concerning all students considered for placement in the next year’s classrooms. The Sakai placement team receives information from current 5th grade teachers. The principal has final responsibility for classroom assignments. 

Parents/Guardians may provide additional information to assist the staff in meeting the needs of their child if they feel it is necessary. Please be brief and specific.

Student placement is one of the most important things we do. A great deal of time and effort is put into this process to provide a placement where each child will succeed. Mr. Crandall, Sakai Principal, receives information from each 5th grade teacher about their students. Along with the parent/guardian input forms, the Sakai Placement Team (Principal, Dean of Students, Counselors, and Special Education Teachers) uses this information to determine the placement. Our goal is to create balanced supportive learning communities. The majority of students are well equipped to adjust to any classroom placement.

Beth Hebert, ehebert@bisd303.org, 206-780-6506

Anita Watson, awatson@bisd303.org, 206-780-6561

Sakai School Counselors

As we prepare to set our students up for Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA), we are asking that each student bring in a set of wired headphones or earbuds to use. These should be in a plastic bag labeled with the student's name and homeroom teacher. We ask that they are left at school for the duration of the testing window and can be taken home when the student is finished.

Thank you for helping Sakai set our students up for success!

All tests begin at 8:55 and end at lunch time.

It’s time to get your students bike out and get them ready. We will be having chaperoned rides starting from five different locations. If your student is interested in riding with one of these chaperoned rides they will be able to meet at that location at 8:00 AM. Please refer to this map.

Bike to School Day is a really fun day at Sakai and a good opportunity to reinforce safe biking habits and healthy choices. Aside from biking to and from school, students will also get to ride their bikes at recess on a course outlined on the field (complete with BIPD speedometer). We also have a really engaging assembly set up that day. If your child would like to participate but doesn’t have a bike, let me know. We have received some bikes in great shape we can loan out.

To make this happen, we need LOTS of volunteers. Please consider signing up here. 

All volunteers must have completed our district's application process outlined here: https://www.bisd303.org/Domain/1809

We have several upcoming volunteer opportunities. Thank you for considering signing up to help us out.

Bike to School Day is on May 16th. We need many volunteers. If you can, please consider signing up to volunteer. Bike to School Day is a really fun day at Sakai and a good opportunity to reinforce safe biking habits and healthy choices.

As our Spring weather becomes a little unpredictable and may be less-than-outdoor-recess-ideal, our awesome Sakai staff would like to provide a game room alternative during lunch recess! Game Room will be available during recess on "B" or "C" specialist days T-F. We would love one parent volunteer to supervise each of these. Please review the available slots below snag one or more if you are able. Thank you!

Please remember that all volunteers who help in the classroom, on field trips, and other various activities must be cleared by the district: Volunteering with BISD. The approval process can take up to two weeks. Once approved, you are ready to volunteer and your approval is valid for two years.

Please bring your driver's license or id each time you sign into any school in the district.

The Annual Back-to-school Check-in (ABC) process is now open. This annual process lets us know that your student(s) are returning to our schools for 2025-26 and allows parents/guardians to review annual information. 

The ABCs must be completed* for all students attending BISD schools in 2025-26, including both new and returning students. Access the ABCs by logging into your Family Access account. It should take about 15 minutes (or less!) to complete. 

If you need assistance with the ABC process (such as translation, accessing technology, or other questions), please get in touch with our office.

 

NOT RETURNING? If your current K-11th grade student is not returning to BISD schools next fall, please let our office know.

BISD’s last day of school for the 2024-25 School Year is Monday, June 23rd.

​The last day of school runs on a half-day schedule. Sakai is dismissed at 11:55 a.m.

Buses run to/from school and breakfast is served but lunch is not served. 

And, as a reminder. there is no school on Thursday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth. 

Bainbridge Youth Services would like to better understand what parents are currently navigating with the goal of aligning their services to meet parents' needs. BYS can be a source of support for parents (our Parent Counseling, Parenting Together Groups etc).  

Click here to take a short anonymous survey.

Free summer program for students entering 6th grade in fall 2025 - Register now for the Future Focused Summer Academy! Students who are entering sixth grade in fall 2025 will participate in this two-week program to learn self-regulation skills, mindfulness, goal setting, and hope as they explore interests, strengths, and career and future pathways. Coordinated by Kitsap Strong, held at the Olympic College campus in Bremerton. Two sessions available: July 14-24 and August 4-14. Register here. Contact: promise.partner@kitsapstrong.org.

For a list of other local events happening in our community, visit BISD's Community Events page. 

*Bainbridge Island School District does not sponsor this event, and the district assumes no responsibility for it. In consideration of the privilege to distribute materials, the Bainbridge Island School District shall be held harmless from any cause of action filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials, including costs, attorney's fees, and judgments or awards.

14: SBA Math CAT Testing 5th & 6th grade 9:00 AM

15: SBA Math PT Testing 5th & 6th grade 9:00 AM

15: PTO Meeting 9:00 AM

16: Bike to School Day

20 : SBA Science - 5th grade only 9:00 AM

26 : Memorial Day - No school

28 : 6th Grade Restoration Point Field Trip 10:15 AM

29 : Coho Ambassadors Field Trip to Ordway 9:00 AM

19 : Juneteenth Holiday - No school

23: Last day of school, dismissal 11:55 AM