August 26, 2026
It is hard to beat the energy of a new school year. Students running to hug their friends they have not seen all summer, empty desks now filled with smiling students, and the unmistakable anticipation of what the new school year will hold.
At BASIS Independent Bellevue we are thrilled to be staring the 2026–2027 school year as it marks a special milestone for our campus—this is our first year with a full primary program and our very first class of Kindergarten students! We have long been anticipating the arrival of our youngest learners on our campus and could not be more thrilled with the warmth, joy, and curiosity they bring to our Mountaineer Community. We were equally as eager to welcome new and returning mountaineers to our campus from grade 1 all the way to grade 11!
Orientation
In order to set our students and families up for success, we always kick off the school year with a Student and Parent Orientation.
During Orientation students had the opportunity to meet their teacher and classmates through introductions and ice breakers, participated in team building exercises, discussed the importance of respecting the learning process, and of course got their picture taken!
While the students were with their teachers, families met the Administration Team who will be supporting their child’s learning throughout the year, had time to mingle with one another to build community within their child’s grade level, and wrote an encouraging first day of school note for their child.
The First Day of School
After a good night of rest, our students and teachers returned to campus for the first day of school!
As students arrived onto campus they were greeted by smiling teachers and staff members to help them find their way to class. Ms. Metrick and Ms. Armitage were especially eager to greet our first class of kindergarten students at BASIS Independent Bellevue!
The first day of school focused on building community, getting to know the campus, and learning important expectations and procedures.
Campus Tours
All students got to take a campus tour to see important places they may need to navigate to throughout the year. An important stop on the tour was the SCC (Student Support Center) where students can go to, to see our School Counselor, Ms. Olivia, update their schedule with Mr. Pitak the Director of Academic Programs, or meet with their Director of Student Affairs, Ms. Hinton or Ms. Rakotz. The tour also took a stop at the Main Office where students learned how to check in if they are late, where the Health Office is, or where to turn in their P.A.C.E. passes. Students can earn P.A.C.E passes through demonstrating our community values of Perseverance, Active, Community, or Empathy. Each week students turn in their P.A.C.E. passes for a chance to win a prize in their grade level raffle.
Communication Journals
Students also learned about their Communication Journals or CJs. Students in all grade levels utilize CJs to keep track of what they learned in class each day and any homework they might have. CJs are one way we build up student’s responsibility in the learning process and a great tool for parents to see the learning that is going on in the classroom each day.
Community Building
Additionally, students participated in team building exercises to build community within their class. In grade 6 students worked together to brainstorm unique ideas of how they would survive in different wilderness scenarios. The classroom was alive with unique ideas, passionate plans, and collaboration. In grade 3 students played a silly game where they copied the leaders sound our gestures. Students who were shy at the start of this game were quickly participating in the laughter and fun.
Lockers and Procedures
Part of a launching a new school year is ensuring students know emergency procedures, dismissal expectations and also learning new skills, like how to open a locker. Students who were learning how to use a lock for the first time got support from classmates, teachers and even our Head of School, Dr. Thies! This was the perfect example of how our Mountaineer Community supports each other in the small and big ways.
We are so grateful to our Mountaineer Community—students, families, teachers, faculty, and administration—who all worked together to make the start of the 2026–2027 school year a success. We are confident that our students are going to have a year full of inspiring challenges, curiosity, and discovering that they are capable of more than they can imagine!
