Middle School Activities and Athletics

Registration Deadline: September 5
Season Start Date: September 8
Season End Date: October 31

Registration Deadline: November 3, 2025
Season Start Date: November 6, 2025
Season End Date: January 16, 2026

Registration Deadline: January 19, 2026
Season Start Date: January 23, 2026
Season End Date: March 20, 2026

Registration Deadline: March 23, 2026
Season Start Date: March 27, 2026
Season End Date: May 29, 2026 / June 5, 2026* for football

Fairhaven Middle School
Assistant Principal: Shari Walsh
Athletics Administrative Assistant: Karen Batt
360-676-4601

Kulshan Middle School
Assistant Principal: Hazel Clapp
Athletics Administrative Assistant: Lisa Scott
360-676-4886

Shuksan Middle School
Assistant Principal: Rachel Grogan
Athletics Administrative Assistant: Karen Monterossa 
360-676-4816

Whatcom Middle School
Assistant Principal: Breann Hulford
Athletics Administrative Assistant: Payton Fowler
360-676-4361

Creating an Account 

FinalForms sends an email to parents and students with steps to create a FinalForms account. Emails are only sent if the student is in grades 6-12. The student must be enrolled in the Bellingham Public Schools before an account creation email is sent. If you need assistance creating your account, please contact FinalForms technical support. 

Registering a Student 

1. Visit https://bellingham-wa.finalforms.com/ 
2. Click LOGIN under the Parent icon. 
3. Click INCOMPLETE FORMS. 
4. Select the sports for which you would like to register. Your selection can be changed at any time prior to the registration deadline. 
5. Complete each form and sign your full name in the Parent Signature field at the bottom of the page. After signing a form, click SUBMIT FORM and move on to the next form. 
6. You will see a “Forms Finished” message when all forms are complete. 
7. An email will automatically be sent to the your student, prompting them to complete the forms requiring their signature. 
8. Click MY STUDENTS when you are done. Repeat steps 3 - 6 for additional students. 
9. If you need to update your information, click the UPDATE FORMS button. 

• To be eligible to participate in athletics, each student athlete needs to be cleared through a sports physical. Sports Physicals are valid for two years. 
• The following professionals can provide a sports physical: Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Physician’s Assistant (PA), and Naturopathic Physician. 
• We recommend you connect with your primary care physician as soon as you are interested in sports. Often it can take a couple of months to get in for a well-child check. When you make your appointment for a well-child check, be sure to tell the office that you also need a sports physical form completed. Some clinics have their own form and others will fill out the forms attached here. 
• After the form is complete, either upload the Medical Eligibility form to FinalForms or bring to your school’s athletic and activities office. 
• The required sports physical forms can be printed prior to your appointment from FinalForms or you can access them directly from the WIAA website under "health and wellness forms."

Middle School Athletics  
Student Code of Conduct Agreements 

Athletics and Activities are an essential part of what we offer our students in Bellingham Public Schools. The Vision of The Bellingham Promise states, “We, as a community, make a collective commitment to Bellingham’s children. We will empower every child to discover and develop their passions, contribute to their community, and achieve a fulfilling and productive life.”

Core Beliefs within The Promise include “The whole child is important.” Many of The Outcomes within The Promise can be achieved and enhanced through our athletics and activities. Examples include:

• Artists and Performers
• Artisans and Technicians
• Leaders, collaborators, and team players
• Dependable and responsible people
• Confident individuals who continuously challenge themselves
• Respectful and compassionate humans
• Honest and ethical individuals who act with integrity
• Healthy, active individuals

To be successful in school and athletics/activities, here are some reminders:

• Be on time
• Attend school all day, everyday
• Work at your best level towards meeting standard everyday
• Communicate with your teacher/coach
• Be respectful

Academic Standards

We are committed to supporting you in maximizing your success during the school day. Bellingham Public Schools has established standards, strategies, and policies to help you succeed academically:

• Your attendance, behavior, and effort impact your grades. Our goal is to prepare you for high school, and we know that middle school matters. Meeting standard and doing your best will be honored.  You control how much effort you put into your classes, and we are here to help you be successful. Always keep up with our assignments.  Talk to your teachers and coaches about your progress and ask for help when you need it.

Behavioral Expectations

As a student athlete, you represent Bellingham Public Schools both on and off-campus. Your behavior reflects on our school community, and we expect you to demonstrate role model behavior, sportsmanship, and self-control:

• Commit to fair play and avoid unsportsmanlike behavior or cheating.
• Exercise self-control during competitions, including avoiding profanity, aggression, inappropriate gestures, taunting, excessive celebrating, and disrespecting others.
• Interact positively with fans and game officials.
• Participate actively in practice, and if you need support, coaches will work with you to ensure you can fully engage.
• Treat teammates with respect and dignity and avoid harmful activities.
• For your safety stay with your team during practice and off-campus activities, following coaches' directions.

Attendance Expectations

To participate in same-day after-school activities, you must be at school for more than half of the school day. Unexcused absences or tardies may affect your eligibility. Excused absences include:

• Medical appointments
• Legal appointments
• Funerals
• Family emergencies
• School-sponsored activities (such as field trips)

By adhering to these guidelines, you will be well-supported in achieving success both academically and in your athletic and activity pursuits. However, if these guidelines are not followed, you may see a reduction in playing time or competitions. Let's work together to make the most of your middle school experience!

Student and Parent Acknowledgement

We understand and agree to uphold the participation standards and policies outlined above. We recognize that adhering to these standards is essential for a positive and supportive athletic environment. Should any of these standards be violated, we acknowledge that the administrative team may need to take appropriate actions, which could include restrictions, suspension, or even termination of participation in the athletics program.

 

If you are student who is homeschooled, participates in the Family Partnership Program, or attends private school, you are able to participate in activities at your neighborhood school. To do so, please register online and then sign up through FinalForms.   

In June 2020, the WA State Legislature passed House Bill 1660. Essentially, this law requires all school districts to: 

• Waive attendance or participation fees for eligible low-income students 
• Reduce attendance fees for low-income students’ family members 
• Reduce attendance fees for low-income nonstudents age > 65 

In many ways, our school district has already done much of what HB 1660 seeks to accomplish. With Project Free Education, we have removed many of the fees related to extracurriculars for all students. However, we know there continue to be costs associated with our extracurricular programs, and the next steps in implementing this law are to establish systemic ways to remove those fees for eligible students (to be eligible students must be eligible for college bound scholarship, qualify for free or reduced lunch, or meet certain criteria on the family income survey). 

To ensure we are working to remove fees for all our participants, there is a HB 1660 Consent Form in all student athletes’ FinalForms pages. This consent form will ask the athletes and their family for consent to determine whether they qualify to have fees removed. From there, our ASB bookkeepers at each school will work with students to ensure fees are waived when appropriate.

In 2011, Bellingham Public Schools launched Project Free Education, an initiative whereby families are not asked to pay towards school supplies and some activities. This is a budget priority that attempts to close some of the gaps in state funding without asking too much financially of our families. 

One piece of Project Free Education is there are no fees for school-based athletics or activities. There may be costs for additional opportunities throughout the year to travel with teams, purchase uniform pieces, or attend post season events. However, as we continue to make our programs as accessible as possible, we seek to cover costs whenever possible. 

Medical insurance is required to participate in middle and high school athletics. 

If you do not have medical insurance, we provide information regarding student accident and health insurance coverage administered by Myers-Stevens & Toohey, Inc. Coverage is available for: 

• Interscholastic Tackle Football 
• School-Time Accident Plan 
• Full-Time 24/7 Accident Plan 
• Accident & Sickness Plan 
• Dental Accident Plan 

These low cost plans are used by many school districts across the state. Although they are not the only provider of this type of coverage, they have been recommended by our Washington Schools Risk Management Pool. 

All students are welcome and encouraged to participate in school athletics. Students are able to participate in sports according to their gender identity or their gender most consistently expressed. 

Students with eligibility questions should reach out to the school assistant principal. 

From the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Handbook: 

PHILOSOPHY OF GENDER IDENTITY PARTICIPATION: The WIAA encourages participation for all students regardless of their gender identity or expression. Further, most local, state and federal rules and regulations require schools to provide transgender and other gender-diverse student-athletes with equal opportunities to participate in athletics. The purpose of this policy is to offer clarity with respect to the participation of trans and gender-diverse student-athletes. Additionally, this policy encourages a culture in which student-athletes can compete in a safe and supportive environment, free of discrimination. 

18.16.0 GENDER IDENTITY PARTICIPATION - All students have the opportunity to participate in WIAA athletics and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity. Currently, most athletic programs are offered separately for boys and girls as outlined in Appendix 1. Athletes will participate in programs consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed. School personnel responsible for student eligibility will work collaboratively with the student-athlete to determine eligibility. Once the student has been granted eligibility to participate in the sport consistent with their gender identity, the eligibility is granted for the duration of the student’s participation and does not need to be renewed every sports season or school year. The WIAA staff is willing to collaborate with any member school seeking assistance regarding gender equity. For additional information on Gender Identity, refer to Appendix 6.