Blakely Newsletter - October 6, 2025

Blakely Families and Community, 

October is here, and it is National Bullying Prevention Month! We will be supporting this cause with our annual Unity Day on Wednesday, October 15th. We call on all students, staff, and families to wear and share the color ORANGE on this day to send the visible message that we are building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. 

In the Counseling Classroom, we are learning about and practicing the 3Rs when it comes to bullying prevention– Recognize, Report, and Refuse. Students are also learning about the four key components in recognizing bullying behavior. They are learning that it’s behavior that is hurtful (physically and/or emotionally), on purpose, one-sided, and repeated. We are also practicing how to Report and Refuse using a strong, respectful voice, and how to be an upstander (instead of a bystander). 

In addition, students will participate in creating a unity chain, pledging to bullying prevention efforts by signing our giant UNITY letters that will be on display in our school, and will join together in taking our annual whole-school Unity Day picture. In the afternoon on Unity Day, October 15th, we will also enjoy a Taproot Theater production that is sponsored by our hardworking and incredible PTO. 

We encourage you to continue the conversations at home, centered around the 3Rs and how to be an upstander when we recognize bullying behavior. 

In unity, 

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Fundraising starts NOW and culminates on Friday, October 17th, when our very own Blakely Bulldogs will blaze their way around the field to raise funds directly benefiting our students, teachers and staff! 

Raising money for the Jog-A-Thon is simple: use our QR code or share this link: https://go.rallyup.com/blakely-jog-a-thon-2025 with friends and family and/or make a donation yourself. 

Our goal is to raise $70,000! To meet our goal we need to raise an average of $250 per student. We hope to have 100% participation and every cent helps support our students. 

The PTO is looking for an After School Club Coordinator to help manage and organize the after-school offerings at Blakely. If you're interested please contact PTO Co-Presidents Elli Koskella and Becky Juhl blakely.president@bainbridgeptos.org

Check out our PTO social media for up-to-date information, follow us on Instagram @blakelypto

Our next PTO meeting will be Friday November 7 at 9am in the Blakely Library. All are welcome, please join us to get the inside scoop on the goings-on at Blakely!

Fall Referral Window: September 29–October 10, 2025

BISD’s Highly Capable (HC) referrals are welcome during our fall window for students new to our district (since February 2025) in grades 1–11. (Referrals for Kindergarten and currently enrolled BISD students will open during our spring window.)

If you’d like your student considered for HC services, please visit our BISD Highly Capable page for the timeline, program details, and the referral form.

Please complete the BISD referral and email documentation (e.g., assessment scores, grades, placement letters) to Whitney Skarbek at wskarbek@bisd303.org.

Deadline: Submit the referral (and any supporting documents, if applicable) by end of day Friday, October 10, 2025.

Questions or need assistance? Contact Whitney Skarbek at wskarbek@bisd303.org.

Did you know that you must OPT-IN to share your contact information with other families in the Skyward School Directory? Families are defaulted out, until you OPT-IN. 

This is not a requirement, but If this is of interest to your family, please refer to the OPT-IN guide linked HERE on how to add your contact information to the school directory.

You only have to do this ONCE - so take the time to do it today, so that others can find you on the directory!

8: Sign up for Conferences @ 3:00pm via Family Access

15: Unity Day (Wear Orange) & Taproot Theater Assembly

17: Jog-A-Thon (Morning)

24-25: Vision and hearing screening

28: Picture Retakes Iin the AM

30-31: Conferences (No School)

Helpful Links