We are proud to induct our newest members into the National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)! 🌟   NHS members uphold the pillars of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character, while NJHS members embrace Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character, and Citizenship. Each student was selected through a rigorous application and approval process that recognized their excellence both in and out of the classroom. Additionally, our NHS inductees were a very special class this year as they are our inaugural group for the BASIS Independent Bellevue chapter. We are inspired by the leadership, compassion, and dedication these students will bring to our school community and beyond.    Special thanks to our incredible advisors for guiding and supporting our students through this journey: +NJHS: Ms. Bryant, Ms. Fischer, Ms. E-E, Ms. Iliescu, Ms. P-V +NHS: Ms. Abele, Dr. Dornhoffer, Ms. Fischer, Mr. Griffioen   We also appreciate Dr. Thies and our amazing operations team for their work in making this event special. Congratulations to our 2025–2026 Inductees!

Today, BASIS Independent Bellevue celebrated Latin American & Hispanic Heritage Month! First observed in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and later expanded to a full month in 1988, Latin American & Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.    As Latin beats played in the background, students enjoyed conchas (soft, sweet Mexican pastries with a crunchy topping), refreshing horchata (a cinnamon rice milk drink), and jamaica agua fresca (a tangy hibiscus-flower iced tea). They also created colorful papel picado—traditional hand-cut tissue paper banners often used to brighten festivals and holidays—and played lotería, a beloved Mexican game similar to bingo but featuring vibrant images instead of numbers.    Celebrating different heritages helps us learn from one another, honor cultural traditions, and strengthen our shared sense of community. We hope our students enjoyed a taste of other cultures today!

As we head into the new school year, we wanted to take a minute to shine the spotlight on our 2024–2025 Teachers of the Year, Ms. Bryant and Ms. Perez-Vargas! Ms. Bryant is an exceptional human being and an even better educator. She is brilliantly smart; how else could she successfully teach Grade 5 Science, Grade 5 Physical Geography, Honors Chemistry, AND Jazz Band last year? Ms. Bryant has also served as a Mentor Teacher, NJHS Advisor, and Track Coach, and she was even willing to dedicate extra time to working with her very grateful Head of School to perform a musical number for the talent show. In the classroom, her structured approach allows her to make her expectations very clear but also build meaningful relationships with her students. She is kind and considerate, and our students are so very lucky to have her as a teacher and coach.  Ms. Perez-Vargas has been a member of our math department since we opened. In the classroom, she naturally anticipates problems and therefore has creative solutions readily available. Additionally, she meets students where they are: She understands their needs and finds appropriate ways to keep them challenged and engaged in the learning process. Her PEMDAS dance and Pre-Algebra Market Day are especially memorable activities that allow her students to apply concepts in creative ways. On top of all that, Ms. Perez-Vargas is the first to volunteer to help when needed and has served as a Subject Advisor, Teacher Mentor, and NJHS Advisor. She is also just a genuine joy to be around. Please join us in congratulating Ms. Perez-Vargas and Ms. Bryant as the 2024–2025 recipients of the Head of School Award for Excellence in Teaching!