PRESIDENTS' LETTER

I hope this letter finds you all well and looking forward to spending time with your families for the holidays. I have considered many themes for this issue’s letter, but they all seem to come back to gratitude - to my profound appreciation for the parents, administration, staff, students and BHS community. We have called on many of you over the last few months and time and time again, you have risen to the challenge and exceeded our expectations. It would be impossible to list everyone by name, but the following have been done by our parent volunteers over the last few months: PTSA Membership, Directory Publication, Grants, Senior Party Planning, PDC, Bellevue Schools Foundation Fundraiser, Legislative Updates, Reflections, Volunteer Coordination, Parent Forums, Email Notifications, Robinswood Staff Appreciation Lunch, Homecoming BBQ, and of course, our newsletter The Bellevue Blast, the BHS PTSA website, and the Weekend Update e-mail. In addition to those committee chairs and their virtual armies of volunteers, our treasurers have spent countless hours handling and processing payments and necessary forms so that we can continue to do what we need to do.

It is also important to recognize that our PTSA is a partnership with the entire school community. Our administration, David Wellington, Andrea Pfeifer, and Jonathan Shearer, have spent untold hours in support of our programs through planning, attendance, and coordination. Our ASB advisors, ASB representatives, parents and an army of unbelievable kids spent hours and hours planning, decorating, setting up and tearing down the various events of homecoming and then followed up with a truly moving Veteran’s Day assembly. Our counselors spent months planning and put on a hugely successful college conference. Our teachers continue to not only teach our kids, but spend hours of their own time planning, mentoring, and overseeing extra-curricular activities so that our students can have more than a basic education. Our athletics department has overseen a hugely successful sports season and put together a tremendous event at Qwest Field. Of course, none of this could be accomplished without the unbelievable patience, time, and talents of the entire support staff that make these things possible. Finally, our students have held fundraisers for their classes, food and supply drives for those less fortunate, and continue, on a daily basis, to remind us why we are so lucky to be a part of Bellevue High School.

Over the next few months, we will be asking for help with fundraising, looking for volunteers for our spring events and rushing headlong into graduation. For now, I would simply like to say “Thank you”. We truly could not do it without each and every one of you. Let us know how we can return the favor.

Melissa Johnson
PTSA co-President
Melissa@eDave.org
425-829-6626