Happy Monday Bear Creek Cubs,

We are chugging right along towards Spring Break which is very hard to believe!

Please make sure you register for next school year. This is something that you have to do every school year.

If you have friends that are entering Pre-K or Kindergarten please forward this to them or direct them to us.

https://bearcreek.austinschools.org/sites/bearcreek.austinschools.org/files/announcement-uploads/registration_information_for_2021-2022_school_year.pdf

Please let us know if you need anything.

AJ and David

This is really important as we took in approximately 75% of our cars this morning after 7:45am which caused a solid disruption to the start of the day.

We have a need for families to start using the window we have established for arrival which is 7:30am - 7:50am. When we start screening children there is almost no one waiting.

As we have moved through the year people have started arriving later and later so what is happening currently is we have the majority of our families arriving at 7:50am and we are getting backed up which is impacting the instructional day as we start teaching almost immediately.

We have shared this in other forums but we wanted to make sure we shared it here. It is our honor and privilege to announce Megan Shultz as our Inaugural Bear Creek Elementary Teacher Of The Year. We also wanted to recognize our other two finalists who were Karen Preston and Marcy Seijas.

These are outstanding examples of all that is right in the world of public education and they all represent all of our amazing educators here at Bear Creek.

TEA will calculate and report data based on spring 2021 tests but will not calculate scaled scores or A-F ratings for accountability purposes.

There will only be one administration of 5th/8th-grade math and reading given in May. The SSI passing requirements have been suspended for this year.

Per the TEA, whether a student is an in-person or remote learner, they must be present in a test session proctored by a trained district test administrator to participate in a state assessment (TELPAS, TELPAS Alternate, STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2.) This means remote learners are expected to be in the building for STAAR testing.

If remote learners want to take a paper administration we have a one week timeline. If remote learners want an online STAAR administration we have a five week timeline. This will become important soon as we start to plan for social distancing and creating a safe learning environment.

Also note that by 2022 - 2023 all STAAR Assessments will be online.

If your child is ill with symptoms consistent (cough, sore throat, stomach issues, headaches, fatigue, congestion, etc ...) with Covid-19 contact Mr. Crissey and your child's teacher and then the following protocols must be followed:

Students May Return After

10 days have passed since symptoms started, and improvement in overall symptoms, and 24 hours have passed without fever and use of fever-reducing medication.

OR

Provide doctor’s note to campus health room staff stating that symptoms are not COVID-19-related and student can return to school.

OR

Provide a negative COVID-19 test.

As an FYI the same holds true for staff members.

If you need assistance please contact the AISD Student Help Desk at 512-414-4357. If they are unable to assist please reach out to me at david.crissey@austinisd.org.

Hello Bear Creek families!

If you were unable to check out the POWER of CHOICE lesson I did the last 2 weeks, I have included it here as I think it an applicable tool for both home and school. SEE BELOW.

COMING UP:

The next 2 weeks we will be diving into diversity including race and ethnicity. We will talk about how each of us is different and that is AWESOME! My true hope is students become aware of all the culture our world offers including their own and that students will feel the courage to ask questions. 🙂

Mark Your Calendar!

The next PTA General Membership Meeting is Tuesday February 23rd from 5:00-6:30 pm. After a brief update on PTA items, we are thrilled to welcome Bandingo, who will host Bear Creek families in a virtual game of musical trivia BINGO. This is fun for the whole family, and you won't want to miss it!

Winter Bear Creek Spirit Store is BACK!

We have a limited number of remaining winter spirit wear items for sale, featuring hoodies and hats for adults and children, as well as some other fun Bear Creek swag. All proceeds benefit the Bear Creek PTA to support our fabulous teachers and staff. Available while supplies last.

https://bearcreekspiritstore.cheddarup.com