Bear Creek Newsletter
December 2018
Winter Break
Tip Top Holiday Shop at BCE
This will give your child the opportunity to buy Christmas gifts for friends, family and teachers at low prices. Prices range from $ 0.25 to $ 15.00.
** Online gift certificates available for purchase at www.TTHSgift.com
Dates of purchase
Monday, December 10 - Thursday, December 13
Sponsored by Bear Creek Elementary PTA
SAFETY IN THE SCHOOL ZONE
- cell phone use is prohibited (fine up to $250)
- speed limit is 20 mph
- use the crosswalk when crossing the street (respect the crossing guards)
Car Riders you must have your car rider tag visible the entire time you are in line, this helps staff ensure students get to the correct car quickly and safely. Staff members are assigned to different check points along the car rider line to make sure it flows smoothly. Remember when exiting, the driveway can support two cars at a time, one going to the left and one going to the right, please do not stop in the middle.
Thank you for all you do in helping to keep our students safe during arrival and dismissal.
9th ANNUAL BCE JINGLE BELL WALK AROUND THE BLOCK!
All families, neighbors, and community members are invited to line the streets to cheer on the BCE students and staff during our ½ mile “Jingle Bell Walk Around the Block!”
Date: Friday, December 21, 2018
Time: 8:15 am
Route: We will walk around the Track and exit the school yard on the Whispering Falls gate. We will proceed down Whispering Falls and take a right on Hickory Downs and then another right on Rippling Water until Boulder Oaks where we will take a right until we get back to Whispering Falls. This will take us back to the back of BCE.
Student Holiday Book Week
Please wear white!
Tuesday, December 18th- Too Many Tamales! by Gary Soto
Please wear your favorite holiday shirt!
Wednesday, December 19th- Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Please wear pajamas, robe, and slippers!
Thursday, December 20th- The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Kandy Kadzinski
Please wear your furriest or softest sweater or shirt!
Friday, December 21st- Jingle Bells by Iza Trapani
Please wear your favorite holiday hat!
PTA Needs You
Santa and a Movie and Tip Top Holiday Shop
We need volunteers to help us
December 10th-13th from 7:30 AM-1:30 PM
during Tip Top Holiday Shop!
We also need volunteers on
December 13th
from 4:30 PM-8:30 PM
Winter Staff Luncheon
Donate sides and desserts on
Thursday, December 20th by 10 AM
Non-perishable food can be delivered on the 19th
PTA is hosting a luncheon for the entire staff at BCE. We serve 125 people so the more food the merrier!
*If you send the item in a container that you need returned, please label your name, child's name and teacher on it please.
Holiday Class Parties
Volunteer in your child's classroom
for the holiday parties.
Friday, December 21st from 9:15-10:15 AM
Bring your ID to get into the building.
Volunteers are welcome to come in after the Jingle Bell Walk Around the Block to help setup and get ready early.
Parent Involvement Policy Bear Creek Elementary 2018-2019
Statement of Purpose
The Bear Creek Elementary Professional Learning Community will provide a safe, positive learning environment that ensures every child achieves personal academic success to inspire them to be life-long learners through collaboration and engagement with innovative best teaching and learning practices that grow the whole child. The campus academic priorities include improving academic achievement in reading, mathematics, science and writing. Student performance on the STAAR should meet/ and or exceed the campus group state comparison campuses and should be at or above the Katy ISD average for each subject area and subpopulation group as indicated on the state TAPR report. Students experiencing difficulties in reading, mathematics, science and writing will receive extensive intervention opportunities through differentiated classroom instruction, Academic Support, Dyslexia, Imagination Station, Title I, Targeted Tutorials, Academic Helpers, RAZ Kids, Brainpop, Think Through Math, Fastt Math, Dream Box, and LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention).
Bear Creek Elementary believes that school and home must work together to improve student achievement. Ongoing, two-way, meaningful communication will occur to facilitate mutual understanding and to stimulate student success. Communication is a high priority at Bear Creek. We provide a monthly calendar of information and use phone messenger to communicate with our parents. Marquis, flyers, teacher websites, Black Board, Katy On The Go app, and informational brochures are provided to parents on a weekly basis. PTA has an informational bulletin board and a flyer container at the front of our building. Community events (Meet The Teacher/Curriculum Night for Parents, STEAM Night, Open House/Fine Arts Night, Walk For Success, etc.) provide parents opportunities to learn about school and to participate in their child’s education. We work closely with our supportive PTA to increase communication and parental involvement at BCE.
Developing the Policy
Each school has a written Parent Involvement Policy that outlines how parents can take part in the school’s efforts to increase student achievement. This policy is written with the help of parents, teachers, and administrators.
Our Campus Advisory Team will work together to develop and revise Bear Creek’s Parental Involvement Policy. The advisory team will convene at a time and place convenient to all its members.
Annual Meetings
Bear Creek Elementary will hold an annual meeting at the beginning of the school year for all parents. At that meeting, the Title I school wide program will be described, the Parental Involvement Policy will be distributed, and opportunities for parental participation will be discussed. Title I will hold a minimum of three additional meetings on different days and at different times during the school year. Two of the meetings will provide parents the opportunity to learn about BCE and to participate in their child’s education. The third Title I meeting will meet with our Campus Advisory Team to evaluate the effectiveness of the Parental Involvement Policy. Title I family questionnaires will be reviewed to determine suggested areas for improvement. Also, at this meeting, the policy will be revised to meet the needs of the students, school, parents, and community. There will also be a Title I Public Meeting in May of 2019. This meeting will be at the Education Support Center. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child’s education and are encouraged to offer suggestions as we all work together to ensure that all children succeed at BCE.
Building Capacity
BCE values the partnership of the parents in their child’s education. There are many ways parents can make significant contributions to student success both at home and at school. Student achievement is the result of effective home-school-community partnerships.
Bear Creek Elementary will:
- Maintain high expectations for every child to learn and achieve.
- Provide high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables all children to meet the state’s student academic achievement standards as follows:
1.Research-based instruction
2.All staff uses best teaching/ learning strategies
3.Highly qualified staff
4.Data-driven instruction
- Develop an effective parent school partnership on behalf of the students.
- Host activities providing instructional opportunities for parents and students.
- Establish a classroom environment that is safe, well-disciplined, respectful, and promotes learning to meet the needs of each student.
- Provide parents with frequent reports on their child’s progress through regular and ongoing two- way communication, progress reports and report cards.
- Provide parents reasonable access to staff.
- Hold parent teacher conferences.
- Provide parents opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class.
Parents have the opportunity to support their child’s learning in the following ways:
- Help their child develop a positive attitude about school by arriving on time and prepared for the day’s learning with the required assignments and materials.
- Ensure that their child attends school regularly and on time.
- Take an active interest in their child’s schoolwork and attendance.
- Supervise homework activities by monitoring assignments and completion.
- Review and discuss with their child his/her take home folder, planner, report card or other communications to help improve areas needing attention.
- Encourage their child to read daily.
Other areas in which parents are encouraged to participate in their child’s education are:
- PTA (Parent Teacher Association)
- VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools)
- CAT Team (Campus Advisory Team)
- Meet The Teacher/ Curriculum Night
- Field Day
- Parent Teacher Conferences
- Junior Achievement
- Family Engagement Activities: Literacy Extravaganza, STEAM Night, Family Fitness Night/Glow Run, Open House/Fine Arts Night, Family Dances, Movie Nights
- KEYS Mentors (Keep Encouraging Youth Toward Success)
- Walk For Success
- Watch DOGS
- DI (Destination Imagination)
- Working on Wednesday Work Baskets
*School- Parent Compact to be received during “Meet the Teacher”
Staff-Parent Communication
Bear Creek Elementary will communicate with parents on a regular basis. Important information will be provided in the student handbook, the school-parent compact, and on our school website. Our staff will work to provide parents with frequent reports on their child’s progress. Communication will be provided by phone calls, e-mails, Black Board, Home Access Center on-line, Katy On The Go app, parent-teacher conferences, notes, school calendar, Remind, and daily planners. Parents will also be informed about their child’s academic progress through weekly assignments sent home in take home folders, progress reports and report cards. Parents are always encouraged to contact BCE or their child’s teacher when questions or concerns arise.
Contact information:
Katy ISD home page: http://www.katyisd.org/
BCE home page: http://www.katyisd.org/campus/BCE/Pages/default.aspx
BCE telephone number: 281-237-5600
Evaluation
Bear Creek Elementary will work with its Campus Advisory Team to evaluate the effectiveness of the parental involvement program. Surveys, family/staff questionnaires, assessment data, and other resources will be used to determine the needs and develop revised strategies for student success. Revisions to the Parental Involvement Policy will be made and communicated to the parents.
Funding
Katy ISD is required to set aside 1% of its Title I funds for the purpose of parental involvement. Those funds will be divided among the Title I campuses. The campus principal will consult with the Campus Advisory Team about allowable uses of the funds. The campus principal will then authorize the use of the funds designated for parental involvement. Bear Creek Elementary will spend Title I funds according to identified, comprehensive needs and Title I guidelines and will document activities and expenditures.
Concluding Statement
Bear Creek is committed to the success of all students. We will work collaboratively with our parents to monitor the effectiveness of our parental involvement to provide excellence in education. We will also work together to ensure that every child at BCE achieves expected academic standards and becomes a life long learner.
2018-2019 School Year