Newsletter: January 5, 2026

Dear Halilts Families,

Every three weeks, all students in grades K-4 receive a 40- to 50-minute enrichment lesson integrating both math and language arts.

Younger students have been building magic squares out of unique shapes, piecing together tessellation puzzles, making star polygons, designing with symmetry, using 21st-century pattern blocks to explore new shapes, building bridges with pennies, studying math in real-life situations, and adding and subtracting with playing cards, among other activities.

Older students have been exploring algorithms with Rubik's cubes, learning Russian multiplication, discussing biomes and creating creatures, challenging math conjectures and looking deeply at connections in mathematics. They also investigated the mysterious property of inertia with gyroscopes, manipulating equations with broken calculators, creating parabolic curves using x & y axes, subtracting with diffy squares and using geometry and spatial awareness to build skyscraper buildings out of cubes.

As the school year progresses, students will continue to have more opportunities to think outside the box.

Happy New Year!

Laura Nelson

BISD Enrichment Coordinator

To support families with an efficient and safe dismissal and arrival process, please help us by following these reminders:

And remember in the morning:

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping our routines run smoothly for everyone!

Families with a rising kindergartener are invited to learn more about kindergarten options in Bainbridge Island School District. Join us for our general kindergarten information night and program-specific events to explore both neighborhood schools and choice programs.

4704 Blakely Ave NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Learn about kindergarten from representatives of all BISD elementary schools and get answers to your questions. More information at www.bisd303.org/kindergarten. Let us know about your rising kindergarten student by completing this form.

Enrollment will open in early January 2026.

Along with traditional kindergartens at BISD neighborhood schools, BISD offers choice programs (meaning families choose to enter them through a lottery). Attend these program-specific information nights to learn more!

Commodore Options | 9530 High School Road

Kindergarten Information Night

Kindergarten Information Night

* Lottery note: Applications for Odyssey and El Velero are due Thursday, February 12 at 9:00 a.m.

The 2026–27 school year will be here before we know it! We look forward to welcoming families to a series of information nights and transition events this winter and spring. Please save the dates below—February & March events will include additional details and times in our upcoming Community Newsletters.

Sakai Intermediate School

Tuesday, January 27 | 6:30 p.m.

Commodore Options School

Woodward Middle School

Eagle Harbor High School

Bainbridge High School

Bainbridge High School

Additional details, reminders, and links will be shared in district publications as we get closer to each event. We look forward to connecting with you and supporting your student’s transition into the 2026–27 school year!

Join us for our January PTO Meeting!

Questions? Contact halilts.president@bainbridgeptos.org

Annalisa Alberti & Lisa Sipprell

x̌alilc (Halilts) PTO Co-Presidents

Learn more at: https://bainbridgeptos.org/halilts/

2nd to 4th Graders are invited to sign-up to join Coach Henry for the next round of Halilts After-School Multi-Sports. 

Registration is through Island Hoops. Visit www.IslandHOOPS.org for more info. 

Join the Coding Crew! This is a free after school activity organized by the PTO for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders interested in coding and game design.

Register Here for the Coding Crew.

2nd to 4th Graders are invited to sign-up to join Coach Henry for the next round of Halilts After-School Multi-Sports. 

Register Here for Afterschool Chess. If you have any questions, reach out to Ingrid Kraig at iryan@bisd303.org. 

Come support our library!

Click here for the sign-up list to support classes in the library. All volunteers must be BISD approved.

As the days get shorter, we want to remind families how important it is for students to be visible while biking to and from school.

Please encourage your rider to wear reflective clothing or accessories, such as reflective bands, vests, stickers, or lights on backpacks and bikes. These simple additions make a big difference, especially during early mornings, late afternoons, and rainy winter weather.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe on their commute!

Families and students are invited to join the Young People’s March for Peace and Kindness on Monday, January 19 at the Bainbridge Public Library.

The morning will begin with letter writing from 10:30–11:15 a.m., followed by a march to the post office at 11:15 a.m. Participants are encouraged to bring signs and march together in support of peace, kindness, and youth voices in our community.

The Bainbridge Island PTO Coordinating Council and school PTOs extend their sincere thanks to the Bainbridge Community Foundation (BCF) for awarding a $13,000 grant to support emergency preparedness across the Bainbridge Island School District. This generous funding helps strengthen our district’s resilience in the event of a disaster, such as an earthquake.

Thanks to this grant, emergency supplies—including first aid kits, mini lanterns, disposable gloves, masks, and more—are being distributed equitably to classrooms in every BISD school. We are deeply grateful for this community partnership and BCF’s continued support of student and school safety.

5: School Resumes

9: PTO Meeting @ 9:00 am in Library

19: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - No School

22: Kindergarten Orientation @ 6:00 pm at Blakely Elementary

22: x̌alilc 4th Grade Music Concert @ 6:15 pm in Halilts Commons

30: BINGO Night @ 5:30 pm in Commons

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