BC Bear Facts
October Newsletter: October 10, 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE:
Dear Boulder Creek Families,
October brings with it cooler fall weather, beautiful fall colors, and a long month with no holidays off for students. It’s a great month for establishing and reinforcing routines. October means that many programs are underway to enhance and support our students’ education at Boulder Creek. Students will begin trimester testing this month and working hard to finish the first trimester strong in their classes. You can help at home by encouraging your child to do his/her best while providing a quiet workspace for homework and studying, healthy breakfasts, and a regular routine. Together we can maintain optimal environments for successful learning.
Be sure to read about upcoming events and important information below in the October Bear Facts!
Sincerely,
Tina Croes
SPIRIT/RED RIBBON WEEK!
Our spirit week coincides with Red Ribbon Week. Our Student Leadership Team has created Red Ribbon-themed spirit days in which we invite all of our Boulder Creek students to participate.
The themed dress-up days are as follows:
Red Ribbon Monday: Wear Red to support making healthy choices!
Twin Day Tuesday: Pair Up Against Drugs (Friends dress alike)
PJ (Pajama) Day Wednesday: Follow Your Dreams and Be Drug-Free!
Sports Day Thursday: Team Up Against Drugs! (Wear your favorite sports team apparel - professional, high school, etc.)
Halloween Costume Friday: “Boo to Drugs!” (Dress up in your Halloween costume)
Dress code applies (see handbook on the BC website)Fake blood of any color is not allowed
Weapons (toy or otherwise) are not allowed
Costume masks are not allowed
Scary or gory costumes are not allowed.
Required face masks will still need to be worn by all while indoors.
We look forward to a wonderful week!
FALL IS THE TIME FOR LOST AND FOUND - JACKETS AND SWEATERS
On-site Covid-19 Testing for Students - Close Contacts and Symptomatic
- Modified Quarantine (preferred most) - Test twice weekly at school
- Modified Quarantine (still preferred) - Test twice weekly outside of school AND provide proof of completion and test results to our school office within the same timeframe as school testing. You can email proof of testing and results to our Student Services Clerk, Devin McComas at dmccomas@eesd.net.
- Full Quarantine (least preferred) - Stay home for 10 days. Absences will be excused.
We encourage you to choose the Modified Quarantine option, as your child's class could be named as a close contact more than once based upon the current community spread of Covid-19. Close contacts who do not test must stay home for the full quarantine of 10 days.
We have now added testing for students who are symptomatic as long as we can fit it into the tester's schedule. If your child is going home sick or wakes up sick at home, you can request a convenient Covid-19 at Boulder Creek. Let's work together to get him/her back in school as quickly as possible!
ATHLETICS
Fall Sports Winding Down ... Winter Sports Around the Corner
Next up, 6-8 Girls' Basketball and 4-5 Soccer. Permission slips and tryout times will be announced to our students in the morning announcements very soon. We are thankful to all of our staff members who have stepped up to provide coaching for our athletes! 6-8 Boys Basketball and 4-5 Boys and Girls Basketball seasons follow the girls after the new year.
State Guidance for Sports in Schools
- Mask-wearing: Masks are required for all persons while playing all indoor sports, unless wearing a mask during play has been determined to pose a choking hazard by a well-recognized health authority, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Students in Modified Quarantine or Full Quarantine may not participate in extracurricular activities, including sports, during their quarantine period. We will contact by seating chart whenever possible. This will keep an entire grade level/class from entering into quarantine.
We will do everything possible to continue with extracurricular activities as long as there is staffing available and we can meet the state's requirements.
PARENT/ADULT VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
2021/22 COVID-19 Protocols for Volunteers/Visitors/Mentors (Aligns with CDPH Guidance for Schools)
- Limit nonessential visitors, volunteers, and activities involving external groups or organizations with people who are not fully vaccinated, particularly in areas where there is moderate-to-high COVID-19 community transmission.
- Schools should not limit access for direct service providers but can ensure compliance with school visitor policies.
- Anyone who has symptoms of infectious illness, such as flu or COVID-19, should stay home and seek testing and care.
- Volunteers must show proof of vaccination or a weekly test.
- Indoors: all adults must wear a face covering and practice social distancing*.
- Outdoors: masks are optional but encouraged. Practice social distancing*.
- Field Trip volunteers/chaperones must provide proof of vaccination or a negative test within three school days. No volunteers will ride the bus with students, or provide transportation unless they provide proof of vaccination and have administrator approval. All the above guidelines for face coverings and social distance apply to field trip chaperones.
- All visitors/volunteers must register in the school office and be cleared through the district’s Raptor System (Board Policy 1250).
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP WEEK - OCTOBER 18-22
October 18-23 is Digital Citizenship week at Boulder Creek. Throughout the week we will focus on the importance of being safe and responsible when using technology. We will discuss important information about keeping information safe and secure, about being respectful while using technology, and how to safely search the internet. Students in 4th-8th grade will be taught lessons on how to be safe and respectful when using technology.
Did you know that Boulder Creek teaches our students about bullying behaviors, including cyberbullying? All teachers use a social-emotional learning curriculum on a weekly basis. Bullying lessons are embedded in the curriculum, and cyberbullying is presented more in-depth each October during Digital Citizenship Week.
You may have heard about the monthly Tik Tok Challenges your children are exposed to on that social media platform. If you haven't, please become aware of the social media sites and interactions your child has with them. October's Tik Tok Challenge - Slap a Teacher or Educator - will land a student with battery charges and expulsion from school. We don't believe any of our Boulder Creek students would ever engage in this behavior, but sometimes children make poor choices when dared by peers. Please speak with your children about how devastating these choices can be for them. Thank you for your partnership while we all navigating raising and educating children in the age of technology.
SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL
The School Site Council (SSC) is responsible for the development of the School Plan and overall school site budget including any categorical funds. The SSC is expected to:
Help develop and approve the School Plan for Student Achievement and school site budget.
Review and analyze student data.
Solicit community input and develop a needs assessment.
Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the SPSA on an ongoing basis.
2021-2022 is a year of elections for some of our parent site council member seats. This week we will take nominations of parents who might like to participate on the school site council this school year. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, click HERE to access the nomination form. Complete the form and return it to school by Friday, October 15th. Next week, voting will take place.
Our 2021-2022 School Site Council (SSC) will be determined by October 22nd.
BOULDER CREEK BOOSTER (Parent) CLUB
October Booster (Parent) Club Meeting: Please join us for the Booster Club parent meeting this Wednesday the 13th @ 5:30 pm. The meeting is virtual and can be accessed by the following Google Meet Code:
https://meet.google.com/zfa-cooi-gds?hs=224
The Booster (Parent) Club is also looking for a few parent volunteers to help on Fridays during lunchtime with Golden Bears/Friday Foodies. If interested please email Melissa @melissamcgee1418@gmail.com or check the Booster Club Facebook page for more information which can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/BCbearsboosterclub
The Booster Club’s Facebook page can be found by clicking HERE.
DROP-OFF/PICK-UP TIMES AND PARKING LOT PROCEDURES Where/when should I drop-off and pick-up?
Grade-Level Start and End Times
We are happy to welcome our students on campus for breakfast as well as on the playground before the start of the school day this year. The earliest drop-off time is 7:30 a.m.
Regular Day - School Start/End Times:
4-8 grades begin at 8:00 a.m. - 2:10 p.m.
K-3 grades begin at 8:15 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Minimum Day - School Start Times:
4-8 grades begin at 8:00 a.m. - 1:06 p.m.
K-3 grades begin at 8:10 a.m. - 1:06 p.m.
Students will be released from class based upon the dismissal time. Students will be walked to a designated pick-up area (see below) and remain with their teacher/classmates. If they have a younger sibling(s), they should report to the designated pick-up area of their youngest sibling so parents don't have to visit both pick-up loops. Please coordinate this with your children.
To ensure the safety of all children, students must be picked up at their dismissal times. The school does not provide supervision for students after 2:20 p.m. on regular days and 1:20 p.m. on minimum days. Every Monday is a minimum day. If students are not picked up by the aforementioned times, they will be escorted to the office. Parents will then be required to go to the office to check students out. Remember this is to ensure your child’s safety, so please be prompt when picking up your child.
Assigned Parking Lots for Drop-off and Pick-up
This location is decided by the youngest child in the family. Older children in the family will need to find their youngest sibling at the pick-up location that is assigned to that sibling's grade level. For example, Kindergarten will be picked up in the front parking lot, so all older siblings of Kindergartners will report to the dismissal location to find their Kindergarten sibling's class at the front of the school and wait for their parents there together. We will be out to help older siblings find their pick-up point. This should only take a day or two to get into the routine of where to go.
Parking Lot Assignments by Grade-Level:
- TK/K (and all older siblings) - Front Lot
1 and 2 (and all older siblings) - Back Lot
3 and 4 (and all older siblings) - Front Lot
5 (and all older siblings) - Back Lot
6-8 (and all older siblings) Front Lot
Please do not arrive earlier than your oldest child's release time (see above), as we want to be able to clear the parking lot quickly for each group. If you have multiple children who are released at both times, please find a parking space rather than waiting in the pick-up lane as this will block the lane from moving as you wait for your older child. Thank you for your cooperation.
Please review the BC Flow of Traffic Map in order to determine which way to enter/exit the campus from the neighborhood depending on which parking lot you are assigned. Front lot = red arrows. Back lot = green arrows.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER IMPORTANT DATES:
Wednesday, October 13th at 5:30 p.m.: Parent Club Meeting (Virtual)
GoogleMeet link: https://meet.google.com/zfa-cooi-gds?hs=224
October 18th-22nd: Digital Citizenship Week
October 25th-29th: Spirit/Red Ribbon Week (see themed days above)
October 28th: End of First Trimester
November 1st: Staff Development Day (no school for students)
November 11th-12th: Veteran's Day (by law, must be Nov. 11th if a weekday - no school)
November 15th-19th: Parent/Teacher Conference Week (minimum days all week)
November 22nd-26th: Thanksgiving Week (no school)
LUNCH AND BREAKFAST
Breakfast Menu
Lunch Menu
OFFICE HOURS AND PROCEDURES
PARENT PORTAL LOG-IN
All parents, including new parents, should have logged into the Parent Portal at some point already. Why do you need to create a parent account? This is a secure platform through which you will view your child's teacher/class, receive your child’s report card, complete enrollment, and complete the necessary beginning of the year school forms like your child's emergency card. In the future, this is also how state testing results will be communicated.
Click HERE for the link to the parent portal. If you cannot log-in successfully, please call our school's office at 224-4140 or email our tech helpline at help@eesd.net. Be sure to keep your log-in information in a safe but accessible place.
IMPORTANT LINKS
- help@eesd.net: for Chromebook questions (including how to get a device); technology troubleshooting as directed by your child's teacher
- eesd.net: for online resources and other district information
- bouldercreek.eesd.net: for weekly newsletters and other information
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Q: If a student in my child's class becomes Covid -19 positive, will my child and his/her class have to quarantine?
A: If students are following all protocols, mainly properly wearing their masks indoors, they will be on a modified quarantine. This means they will still be able to come to school in person but will not be able to participate in extracurricular activities for a period of time. When at all possible, we will contact trace by seating chart. This means only those within six feet of the person positively infected for more than 15 minutes will be considered close contacts.
Q: Is there ever a time when my child's whole class may have to learn from home?
A: This could happen if your child's teacher was covid positive, named as a close contact, had to quarantine, AND we could not find a substitute teacher. There is a very limited number of substitute teachers and other substitute staff available in Shasta County.
Boulder Creek School
Website: https://bouldercreek.eesd.net/
Location: 505 Springer Drive, Redding, CA, USA
Phone: 530-224-4140
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bouldercreekschool/