The Cub Hub
Notes from the Den | Volume 3 : Issue 2 - 7-25-22
Principal's Message
Good Afternoon,
We hope everyone is still enjoying their summer.
We will start publishing Cub Hub each Monday or Tuesday until the start of the school year. We will try and chunk some information out over the course of the next few weeks but please know we respectfully acknowledge the LARGE amount of information here. So take your time and read all the news that matters.
We would also like to extend a great big heartfelt WELCOME to all of our new Cubs.
Excitement is certainly in the air as we start this school year without the significant constraints of the past two!
Note that we are using the RSVP feature for the first time to help prepare for the correct number of people at our engagement events.
All The Best,
David & Michaele
Class Placement Information
With input from you, your children's former teachers, and administrators/counselors, the formal process of class placement will begin now and will not be “officially” final until August. It is critical that we are purposeful and diligent as we create classes that are balanced and will lead to success for all stakeholders which includes your child, yourself, and the school.
As classes are formed we consider many criteria. First and foremost, we think about your child and vet the best teacher and environmental qualities to support him/her. Other considerations include learning style, temperament, health issues, general achievement levels, special programs, and services.
Final placement will not be complete until July 29, 2022 as some students leave and new students enroll. We will send home individual class placement information on or before August 5, 2022.
Pre-K And Kindergarten Social-Emotional Survey
Forming Pre-K and Kindergarten classes is a little more challenging as we do not know the children as well. If you are interested please complete this survey which we will reference while forming these classes. This survey will close on Monday, August 1, 2022.
School Supply Lists
Also to be clear this is not an opportunity to order supplies. This is simply a listing of each grade level and the asks.
Also note that the name brands listed on the linked document may or may not coincide with the brands at your retailer. The intent is to get item not necessarily the brand.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_9EfhH8q5kgXNnfHlNus3RfKvIzRhk0u/view?usp=sharing
Food Service Updates
District Update
Beginning in June, Food Service resumed pre pandemic operations, affecting which schools and students are eligible for free meals. The Department of Agriculture pandemic-related waivers that allowed us to provide free meals for all students, as well as free summer and afterschool meals at any school, expired at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
Updates For Bear Creek
All students will no longer automatically receive free breakfast and lunch.
Students may be determined eligible for free or reduced-price meals through a variety of ways, outlined below.
Beginning on the first day of school, students will dine using their current meal status - free, reduced-price, or paid. There is no 30-day grace period like in the past.
We encourage families to complete a meal benefit application prior to the start of school to avoid accruing any negative balances.
Students will enter their ID number when coming through the serving line to get their meal.
As this may increase the amount of time it takes for students to get through the line, please take this into consideration when planning lunch times. Students need adequate time to receive and consume their food.
Students may add funds to their account by bringing cash to the cafeteria or caregivers may make online payments through their SchoolCafé account. Online payments are subject to a processing fee.
If students exhaust their meal accounts, they may charge meals at any meal service as follows:
Students in elementary and middle school may charge up to three meals.
Students in high school may charge up to two meals.
Once a student reaches their charge limit, if the account is not replenished, the student shall receive a courtesy meal, their choice of the available menu items for that day. We do not pull trays or provide an alternative meal. There is no limit to the number of courtesy meals a student may receive.
We will notify caregivers of any negative meal account balances.
All campuses will offer healthy à la carte Smart Snacks available for purchase. Students may purchase using cash or funds on their SchoolCafé account. Parents may set à la carte restrictions on a student's account by contacting their café manager.
Free Meal Eligibility
Students at your school may receive free meals by meeting one of the following criteria:
Directly certified through state-funded benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Directly certified through foster care; migrant, homeless, or runaway programs; Head Start, or state-sponsored pre-K programs.
Determined eligible by completing a free or reduced-price meal benefits application.
Paperwork for Your School - Meal Benefit Applications
Your school will collect meal benefit applications from any student that is not directly certified, as outlined above, to determine if they are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
We encourage online meal benefit applications for quicker and more efficient processing. Online applications will go live in July, accessible by creating an account at www.SchoolCafe.com/AustinISD.
In August, Food Service will provide paper applications to your school. Completed applications will return to the Cafe Manager, who will submit to Food Service Business Support for processing.
All schools may collect Income Verification Forms to maintain campus demographic data, this information is submitted online or returned to the AISD Office of Accountability and Assessment.
Leftover Belongings From 21-22 School Year
We are open from 9am - 3pm each day Monday - Thursday for item pick up.
New Building Additions
Parent Orientation Opportunities
Each event will cover the same material so there is no need to attend multiple events.
#1 Bear Creek Parent Orientation (IN-PERSON)
Monday, Aug 1, 2022, 04:00 PM
Bear Creek Elementary School, Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
#2 Bear Creek Parent Orientation (ZOOM)
https://austinisd-org.zoom.us/j/82986424736?pwd=VlIvT3lua0xkN0dLeUhmRHBkUldZdz09
Meeting ID: 829 8642 4736 ||| Passcode: 915974
Thursday, Aug 4, 2022, 04:00 PM
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#3 Bear Creek Parent Orientation (ZOOM)
https://austinisd-org.zoom.us/j/87573153569?pwd=ZE02L3ErY3I1S2ZaZ3FLRlBoS0JEQT09
Meeting ID: 875 7315 3569 |||| Passcode: 727092
Monday, Aug 8, 2022, 03:00 PM
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#4 Bear Creek Parent Orientation (IN-PERSON)
Please RSVP As The Count Will Determine Exact Location On Campus.
Tuesday, Aug 9, 2022, 09:00 AM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Ice Cream Socials + Supply Drops
There is no expectation here of meeting the teacher(s) or even getting into the classrooms (we will use our traditional Meet The Teacher for those opportunities.)
These are new and evolving and again (not to be redundant) there is much positive anticipation building to start the year.
Pre-K Ice Cream Social + Supply Drop
Monday, Aug 8, 2022, 03:00 PM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Kindergarten Ice Cream Social + Supply Drop
Monday, Aug 8, 2022, 04:30 PM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
First Grade Ice Cream Social + Supply Drop
Tuesday, Aug 9, 2022, 03:30 PM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Second Grade Ice Cream Social + Supply Drop
Tuesday, Aug 9, 2022, 05:00 PM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Third Grade Ice Cream Social + Supply Drop
Wednesday, Aug 10, 2022, 02:00 PM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Fourth Grade Ice Cream Social + Supply Drop
Wednesday, Aug 10, 2022, 03:30 PM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Fifth Grade Ice Cream Social + Supply Drop
Wednesday, Aug 10, 2022, 05:00 PM
12801 Escarpment Boulevard, Austin, TX, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
2022-2023 Meet The Teacher Events
Yearbook Committee Opportunity
Questions
Please reach out to me at david.crissey@austinisd.org