Halilts Newsletter: November 10, 2025

Dear Orca Families,

Thank you so much for your very generous donations for our Move-a-thon Fundraiser! Your gifts of funds, time, and partnership are greatly appreciated! Saying thank you doesn't seem adequate and I promise that we will be careful stewards of all you bring to our community.

And, by the way, HUGE shoutout to our PTO for all they do, not only running the Move-a-thon, but all the enrichment for students and appreciation for staff! If you aren't connected yet, this is the group for you! Thank you x̌alilc PTO, you rock!

I'd like to start highlighting our attendance goals and progress on a regular basis. Regular attendance at school is one of the strongest indicators of success for students academically and plays an important role in your students' social and emotional growth and health. Strong relationships, feelings of belonging, and connections to the community require regular and on-time attendance. Thank you for doing your part to have your students here and on-time every day; we know these dark fall mornings can make it challenging to get up and get moving!

Our goal is to maintain over 90% of our students at school 90% of the time. Please join us in achieving our goal!

Monday is our Veterans Day Assembly and Tuesday is a day off to celebrate and honor the veterans in our lives, communities, and country. Having my veteran dad close to me this year will give me an opportunity to take him to the parade in Poulsbo and share the pride he has in serving our country. I am thankful for all those that have and continue to serve our country and the experiences and perspectives they bring into our lives. Thank you to all of you in our Orca community that have served in the U.S. Armed Forces!

Have a great weekend! We are grateful for our Orca Community!

Sincerely, 

Rhonda Walton

Please join us in person or virtually* for our monthly PTO meeting in the Halilts library on Friday, November 14.

Whether you have school-related questions, suggestions, or ideas—or you simply want to stay in the loop on what's happening—this is the place to be! All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Coffee and light snacks will be provided!

*We sincerely apologize for the previous Zoom technical difficulties. We've secured the right equipment, and virtual meetings will be reliable moving forward. We hope to see you Friday!

Annalisa Alberti & Lisa Sipprell

PTO Co-Presidents

A HUGE thank you to this incredible community and all our sponsors, large and small!

We are thrilled to announce that together, we raised almost $76,000 for x̌alilc Elementary! This is absolutely incredible and will fund so many enriching experiences and learning tools for our students. From classroom materials and unique assemblies to experiential learning, field trips, staff appreciation, community events, and more - your generosity will make a real difference in our students’ lives every single day.

A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event so successful and fun for our kids. Your time, energy, and support mean the world to us. Did you know the beautiful new Spirit wear students and staff received was designed by a 2nd grade parent? Thank you again to Nicole Cleary owner of geekycleary.com Fantasy Art & Stories!

We are so grateful to be part of such a generous and spirited community. Together, we’re making x̌alilc Elementary an extraordinary place to learn and grow!

With immense gratitude,

x̌alilc Elementary PTO

There are still slots available to volunteer in the library! Volunteering is a wonderful way to connect with students and support a love of reading.

Library volunteer jobs include:

Classrooms that have requested support are listed in the Sign-up Genius. All volunteers must be an Approved BISD Volunteer.

Thank you for supporting our readers and keeping our library a vibrant place for learning!

Sweater weather is here! Let’s share some warm & cozy treats to show our amazing teachers and staff how thankful we are.

Either make something or buy something and drop off at Halilts. Or consider participating in our wish-list options and have it sent directly to the school! Either option is available.

Click here to sign up!

Also, we’ll be decorating the staff lounge with personalized notes of appreciation and need your help! Take a minute to share your message by filling in this quick form today!

The x̌alilc PTO is pleased to announce our 2nd annual Food Drive to support Helpline House this holiday season. Local food banks are facing increased demand and reduced resources, making community support more crucial than ever.

From Wednesday, November 12 through Tuesday, November 25, we’re collecting items to help our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Please send donations to school with your student! 

Thank you for helping us support our community during this important time!

We have had a few cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in the school recently and want you to be aware of the following information.

Please read this letter with more information about symptoms and treatments for HFMD.

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.  Halilts-Nurses@bisd303.org or (206) 780-3022.

Nurse Pru and Nurse Tara

BISD will conduct a test of our emergency alert system on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m.

This routine test helps ensure that we can quickly reach staff and families by phone, text, and email in the event of a real emergency or weather-related closure.

If you receive a message that day labeled “TEST MESSAGE”, no action is needed. It simply confirms that your contact information in ParentSquare is up to date and our system is functioning properly.

If you do not receive the test message, please check your ParentSquare settings or contact your school’s office to confirm your contact information.

To manage your settings in ParentSquare - please use this link:

Thank you for helping us make sure we can communicate quickly and effectively in any situation.

10: Veterans Day Assembly

11: Veterans Day - No School

13: School Board Meeting @ 5:45

14: PTO Meeting @ 9:00 am in Library

26-28: Thanksgiving Break - No School

Looking for things to do around town? Visit our Community Events page for local happenings, classes, and family activities—updated regularly.