We are excited for you to meet Kunqi, a Grade 7 student at BASIS Independent Bellevue! Kunqi joined us from a local public school this school year. He heard about our school from his friends and was excited to join our founding year. Kunqi is also a member of our first graduating class, the class of 2028!

Join us to learn more about the student experience as Kunqi takes us through his school day on a Wednesday.

Kunqi starts his day with Physics, which is brought to life by Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Nielsen. His class is learning about the theory and application of friction and dynamics. Kunqi shared that initially this topic sounded intimidating, but that he is able to understand and apply it along with his classmates as they work together. He shared that in Physics they do many labs, which he enjoys.

His next class is an elective course, Creative Writing, taught by Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Wilson. This is one of Kunqi’s favorite classes. He shared that in his previous school he had writing projects where students were critiqued by their peers and the feedback was not always constructive. In his current Creative Writing class, he is able to redefine himself as a writer and continue to improve his skills through frequent projects. The class is currently focused on persuasive writing and essays. He is working with a classmate on a topic he selected to write about, which is reverse discrimination in college admissions.

After Creative Writing, he walks to Algebra & Geometry II, which is taught by Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Norcross. The class is diving into square roots and complex numbers. Kunqi communicated that math was previously a subject he was not entirely confident about. However, he has boosted his confidence in this class. Prior to joining BASIS Independent Bellevue, Kunqi did not find math challenging enough. In Mr. Norcross’ class, Kunqi expressed that he is more focused and motivated and the class is engaging. If he has questions or is in need of more explanation on a math topic, he regularly collaborates with his classmates to solve problems together. This makes him happy as he enjoys working together with his classmates.

Kunqi’s 4th period is World History, taught by Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Tyler. They have been preparing for a unit test and reviewing a study guide. Kunqi enjoys listening to Mr. Tyler share historical information and the discussions that take place in class amongst himself and his peers. He expressed that he finds this class to be an engaging class in the sense that history is full of viewpoints. Students are currently studying reformation and revolutions across the world.

After History, Kunqi, heads to lunch with his friends, which is in our Multi-Purpose Room (MPR). Lunch is 50 minutes.

After lunch, Kunqi walks to Chemistry, which is led by Subject Expert Teacher, Dr. Hegde. Dr. H, as students call her, challenges students while encouraging them to add to a topic. Through this exchange, which Kunqi describes as a Socratic seminar, he learns through the disagreement and discussion between two sides. Both perspectives, the duality of each subject/content, help increase his understanding and application of the content. Chemistry is currently focused on molecular trends and periodic trends. Students in Grades 6 – 8 take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics as separate courses concurrently each school year.

For his 6th period, Kunqi has English, taught by Subject Expert Teacher, Ms. Marlow. His class is currently focused on grammar, specifically personal, reflexive, and intensive pronouns. Kunqi shared that Ms. Marlow is very down to earth and makes grammar interesting and engaging. Kunqi and his classmates ask tough questions and Ms. Marlow also does the same. In class, students recently finished reading The Giver and Romeo and Juliet. Next, students are allowed to select their own text and conduct a presentation. Kunqi has selected Pride and Prejudice.

Kunqi ends Wednesday with French which is taught by Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Drouet. This is Kunqi’s first time taking French. He is bilingual and enjoys seeing connections between French and Mandarin. He shared that his French teacher is impressive as he also teaches Spanish. Kunqi would enjoy the opportunity to visit Paris and learn more about the culture and history of France.

After French, Kunqi heads to his locker and prepares for dismissal if he is not participating in an after-school club. He enjoys dismissal as he gets to talk to other Grade 7 students and catch up with some of his friends and hear about their day.

On a typical school night, Kunqi has about an hour to an hour and a half of homework. His homework time also depends on how much time he spends studying for a quiz or test.

After his school day, Kunqi participates in World Travel Club. This summer, the club will be traveling to London, Paris, and Rome over nine days. He is also a member of the Seattle Orchestra and plays on two different basketball teams outside of school. Additionally, Kunqi is a Student Ambassador at BASIS Independent Bellevue who assists in hosting Shadow Students.

Kunqi is excited to see his self-improvement as he progresses through our middle and high school program.

BASIS Independent Bellevue, a private school, opened with Grades 2 – 7 to start and will add a grade level each school year as we expand to a full middle and high school (Grades 5 – 12).