Bellingham Public Schools
Community partners and educators welcome families to the fifth annual districtwide Block Party
Bellingham Public Library staff were on hand at the event
The new Options High Health Center was taking appointments
Boys and Girls Club tabled at the event
Wade King principal speaks with a family
Transportation director helps families with their bus routes during the event
District staff help students get in for their sports physicals
Block party organizers Isabel Meaker and Jennifer Gaer
Haircuts at the event were provided by Evergreen Beauty College and Northwest Barber Academy
Operation School Bell volunteers
Student leaders and interpreters helped families find what they needed
Family Care Network provided health care information
Smart Trips was on hand outside the high school giving out city bus information
The ARC of Whatcom tabled at the event
Washington Family Engagement tabling on Saturday, Aug. 23 at the districtwide Block Party
Happy Valley principal Kelly Gouveia interacts with student and family
Bellingham Central Lions Club was giving out free books to families throughout the event
Bellingham Symphony shared information about upcoming family friendly productions
- Well-rounded community members who engaged with the broader world
Community partners and educators welcome families to the fifth annual districtwide Block Party
What do sports physicals, haircuts, child immunizations and school supplies all have in common? For Bellingham Public Schools, it is the convergence of school readiness activities that are part of the annual districtwide Block Party.
Add to those important activities, the opportunity to meet your principal, retrieve meal account information, and find out what school bus you are riding, and you have an event where families can find answers to the pressing questions they might have starting the school year.
This year's event also brought in 35 community partners tabling inside the BHS gym, connecting families with what they and their children need for a strong start to the school year. By all estimations, nearly 1,500 students and family members attended this year.
Highlights included a record number of onsite sports physicals provided by six doctors from Family Care Network and PeaceHealth, critical childhood vaccines administered by Hoagland Pharmacy, hundreds of free books distributed from the Bellingham Central Lions Club, backpacks and clothing vouchers distributed by the Assistance League of Bellingham, and more than 140 haircuts and braids completed by Evergreen Beauty College, Northwest Barber Academy and Blessed Hands Braiding Studio.
Dedicated educators teaming up with robust community partners is the collective commitment needed to fully support our families and students in Bellingham.
As The Bellingham Promise says, “together we achieve more than alone.”
For a peek into the Block Party, view photos from the event.
- Community in Action