Inside this issue:

BC At-A-Glance 2

Class Placements &

Elementary Parent Portal

& Immunization Changes

3,4

PTO Events 5-7

Earth Day & Bike to

School, 8,9

Bear Wear Spirit Wear 10

Classroom Clips 11-

13

BC Monthly Calendar 14,

15

Bear Creek Elementary

2500 Table Mesa Drive

Boulder, CO 80305

Kent Cruger, Principal

April 25, 2016

Bear Tracks

16-

19

BVSD

Bike to School & Earth Day

BEAR CREEK CALENDAR

AT - A - GLANCE

Friday, April 29

3rd Grade Program @ 9:00am

Author Visit 1:00-3:00 in cafeteria

Monday, May 2-Friday, May 6

Teacher Appreciation Week

Wednesday, May 4

Mrs. Kallio’s Mothers’ Day Tea @ 10:30

Friday, May 6

Mrs. Jenak’s Mothers’ Day Tea

AM Jenak @ 10:30

PM Jenak @ 12:15

Monday, May 9 - Friday, May 13

Volunteer Appreciation Week

Tuesday, May 10

PTO Meeting @ 1:30

Wednesday, May 11

Spotlights Musical 9:00am & 6:30pm

Friday, May 13

Hannah Cahn Dance Co - Assembly @ 1:05pm

Tuesday, May 17

1st Grade Program @ 2:00pm

Wednesday, May 18

Band Concert @ SoHills @ 6:30pm

Thursday, May 19

Art & Drumming Show, Tribute to Retirees 5:00-7:00pm

BEFORE , AFTER SCHOOL , and

SUMMER ACTIVITIES

As you are looking for activities for your children to participate

in before and after school, I just wanted to give you a "heads-up"

about where to look for activities that are happening at Bear

Creek, and which ones are Bear Creek and BVSD sponsored.

*In Bear Tracks, you will see opportunities for your children to

participate in school sponsored clubs such as intramural sports,

jump rope, Spotlights, and drumming club. Bear Creek clubs are

supervised by Bear Creek staff.

*Lifelong Learning, which is part of BVSD's Community Schools

Program runs many wonderful activities for students in schools

across the district. If you go to their web-page you can find

great kid classes, many of which will happen right at our school!

Lifelong Learning will send you mail alerts of activities that are

happening at Bear Creek. You can sign up for classes at any loca-

tion, but parents have found it particularly accommodating when

classes happen right at Bear Creek. This fall at Bear Creek Life-

long Learning will offer at Bear Creek such things as chess, bas-

ketball, Spanish classes, and Lego building.

Summer Speed Camp, run by Mr. Soole, is now open for registra-

tion. Forms can be found on the table in the foyer.

Kindergarten and Kindergarten

Enrichment for 2016-2017 Kindergarten Enrichment online enrollment

opened on Monday, February 8, 2016. In order

to register for Kindergarten Enrichment, your

child has to be completely registered with their

neighborhood or OE school. All enrollments

are done online through the BVSD website

(Kindergarten enrollment) The following link will give you detailed infor-

mation about KE and their enrollment procedures (KE procedures). Here

is the link to regular (Kindergarten Enrollment). If you have any questions,

please don’t hesitate to give me a call and we look forward to having as

part of our community.

~Thank you….Carolyn

BVSD is switching to an online registration system!

New this year, Boulder Valley School District will conduct an Annual Data Update (ADU) for all families via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. This online system will now replace the paper registration process throughout the district.

The online ADU will allow you to review the data we currently have for your child and household. You will be able to request changes and updates if needed. This process will also al-low you to electronically complete and submit the Parent/Student Sign-Off Sheet from the Student Rights and Responsibilities Guide.

Emails with more information about the BVSD Annual Data Update will be sent to all par-ents and guardians during the last week of April.

2016-2017 School Year Class Placements

The following is the process for class placements for the 2016-2017 school year. Teachers,

specialists, and the principal work through a thoughtful and deliberate process to derive a class list:

1. First, all the teachers from your child’s current grade level get together to build balanced class lists. They consider

student abilities and achievement levels, learning styles, behavior, special needs, gender, peer relationships, and lead-

ership qualities of all the students.

2. Next, teachers from previous grades are asked to review the lists.

3. Then, specialists (art, music, PE and special education) review the lists.

4. Finally, the lists are given to the principal, who considers any special circumstances that might necessitate changes

to the lists. The principal then assigns the next year’s teacher names to the lists, using all the input from the previous

steps.

5. As a double check, the lists are given one final review by the current year teachers and then are considered ‘final’.

Most families have communicated throughout the year with their teachers so that we understand

students’ needs and optimum learning environments. However, we know that at times there are

special circumstances that you would like us to consider. If this is the case, please send an e-mail to

Mr. Cruger and copy the current classroom teacher by May5th to express these considerations. Your

concerns will be placed into the process as described in step 4 above. Requests for specific teachers

will not be accepted.

Previous enrollment in a teacher’s class does not affect a sibling’s class placement the following

school year. Though we understand the relationship you may have developed with a particular

teacher, we must consider the overall classroom dynamic for every child’s success. Every new student

and every new teacher is an opportunity for a fruitful and lasting relationship.

Thank you,

The Bear Creek Staff

PTO PULSE

Teacher Appreciation Week

Our Bear Creek Teacher Appreciation Week is planned for May 2-6! The PTO has a wide range of perks planned for our wonderful teachers at Bear Creek. On Wednesday, May 4, we are asking all students bring in a card or note to his or her teacher as a special surprise. We hope all our teachers are showered with appre-ciation!

PTO Board Meeting – May 10, 1:30 – 3 pm

At the next Board meeting we will be voting on next school year's PTO budget, as well as how we will spend the surplus PTO funds. All are welcome to attend the final meeting of the school year!

Welcome to the 2016-2017 PTO Board!

Chair – Karin Larsson

Fundraising Chair – Michi Sakurai

Treasurer – Annie Haselfeld

Secretary – Katie Birkholz

Hospitality – Treloar Medd and Brigetta Stephenson

Volunteer Coordinator – Kristin DeLorenzo

District Parent Council – Sonya Gary

Members at Large – Mindy Munger, Amy Viverito,

Michelle Wellington, Camila Weise,

Narisa Wild, Jessica Knape, Dave Penzkover

We are currently accepting donations for the Garden's Shed. We need the following:

2 long handled shovels 4-5 rake cultivators 3-4 5 gallon buckets 10 long handled weed pullers 2-3 hand clippers 3-4 scissors 3-4 garden gloves Wheelbarrow

We are also looking for garden and cook book donations for our Box Garden Library. We will have a donation container in the Bear Creek Foyer starting Monday, March 28. Many thanks and happy spring!

Bear Creek Learning Garden

Bike To School And

Earth Day Photos (Photos by Michael Kanda)

HARD Deadline…..April 29th

Color Run rescheduled for Monday April 25th.

Please come join us if you can for a fun 1 mile run.

Kids playing soccer - 15 fueling snacks to take to your

child when your little league baseball player or soccer star

says, "Your turn to bring snacks," stress can inadvertently

be added to your already hectic day. But, it doesn't have

to when your snack game plan provides nourishing, tasty

choices for the hungry kids.

Providing snacks that fuel up, not bog down, little athletes

is a chance to teach kids the proper way to get energy

for sports while, at the same time, showing them how

much you care. So, instead of reaching for candy or

heading to the drive-thru, stop to consider the reasons

for snacking and try these suggestions.

Snacks serve several purposes for active kids, including:

•Providing energy (calories) to help working muscles

power through activity.

•Supplying fluids for hydration and to keep the body cool.

•Providing nutrients for growth and development.

•Promoting recovery after hard exercise.

In addition, snacks should be easily digested so blood

flows to the muscles during exercise and not to the gut

in order to digest a heavy, greasy snack.

Depending on the time of the game, different snacks

meet different needs. Here is a guide to choosing

snacks based on game day and time.

After School Games

Many kids have early lunch periods during school, so

they might start the game hungry. A good after school

snack provides quality carbohydrates and protein for

quick energy and a satisfied tummy. Consider packing

your cooler with these nourishing options:

6-ounce cartons of a variety of fruited yogurt or

yogurt in a tube

• Turkey and/or cheese wraps cut into 1-inch slices for

easy finger food

•Peanut butter or almond butter sandwiches with natural

fruit jam (using sports-themed cookie cutters for fun

shapes)

•Low-fat string cheese and mini pretzels

•Bottles of cold water or pitchers of cold water with lem-

on (cold water helps lower body temperature in active

athletes)

Weekend Morning Games

Muscle fuel can be very low after an overnight fast. There-

fore, if you are rushing out the door to make it to a morn-

ing game, consider serving breakfast foods that kids love:

•A mini cinnamon-raisin bagel with flavored cream cheese

•English muffin sandwich with a slice of lean ham and/or

reduced-fat cheese

•Vanilla Greek yogurt with a variety of toppings

(homemade granola, chopped almonds or walnuts, or

dried fruit)

•Yogurt smoothies in a variety of flavors

•Cartons of low-fat milk with baggies full of cereal

•100-percent fruit juice boxes

After the Game

After the game snacks should help to replace muscle fuel

lost in exercise and replenish fluids without ruining their

appetite for the next meal. Consider:

•Air-popped popcorn sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

•Low-fat chocolate milk

•Banana, orange slices and/or apple slices (dipped in orange

juice to prevent browning)

•Fig, blueberry or strawberry bars

Providing snacks is a part of every parent's job, so choose

wisely and help your child succeed on the field, in the

classroom and life.

15 Fueling Snacks to Take to Your Child's Game

By Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN, CSSD

Once again Bear Creek is sponsoring a spring Scholastic Book Fair. The book fair will take place in the Fishbowl on May 10-12th. The fair will be open from 8-8:30 and 2:45-4:30 on Tues and 8-8:30 and 2:45-5 on Weds. and 8-8:30 and 2:45-4 on Thurs. If you can’t make the fair or don’t find something you’re looking for at the fair, we will also have online shopping available at

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/bearcreekelementaryschool from May 4 until May 17th. You can also preview selections from the fair at this site.

Scholastic Book Fairs are a huge source of new materials for our school and classroom libraries. We earn up to 50% of sales (depending on our sales amount) in Scholastic credit. We are able to buy from a resource catalog that includes many more curriculum related items that what the fair offers. As always we will need volunteers to run the cash register. Please sign up on the online sign up sheet https://sites.google.com/a/bvsd.org/bear-creek-library/.

Thank you so much for your support. We couldn’t host a fair without your help!!

The last day for library check out is Friday, May 6th. All books are due on Friday, May 13th. Please help your child remember to return books and pay for any lost books so that all books will be back on the shelf in time for end of the year inventory. Thanks so much for your help in maintaining our library collection.

Scholastic Book Fair

Open Forum Discussion

Talk on Sensory Processing Disorder Friday, April 29th Mesa Elementary School Library 8:45 am until 9:30 am Is your child overly sensitive or under-reactive to touch, movement, sights, or sounds? This is some of the many signs of sensory processing disorder (SPD). Cindy Shiko, a pediatric OT specialist in SPD, will be speaking about common indicators and the possible impacts of SPD which can affect behavior, motor skills, and learning. Strategies to address sensory issues and self-regulation support will also be discussed.

Cruger Cup If your child walked, biked, scootered, took pub-

lic transportation, car-pooled, etc. to school

every day that they attended school

last year (or 90% of the time)

as you probably know, he/she has

earned the right to bring home the

CRUGER CUP for one week

this year. We have 2 Cruger

Cups this year so every child should get their own week. There

are plenty of weeks still available so

stop by the office.

The March Thrive Update newsletter is about staying safe

and having fun. Topics covered include water safety, paren-

tal control, child empowerment, and media literacy.

Parenting events are listed in the calendar on the last page.

In accordance with the BVSD policy on distribution/posting of non-curricular material-Bear Tracks will print curricu-

lar items about our school. Many outside opportunities available, (i.e. Science Matters, second language programs,

parenting workshops, community sports, non-profit organizations, etc.) may be posted on the hall bulletin board with

prior approval of the Principal, but may not be included in Bear Tracks. Be sure to check the Parent’s Board in the

school for information regarding outside opportunities. All articles can be submitted to Carolyn Walker at car-

olyn.walker@bvsd.org.

Additional information about Bear Creek can be found on the website at http://www.bvsd.org/schools/bearcreek/ .

Submission Deadline Publication Date

May 5 May 6

May 19 May 20

Did you know you can find Box Tops on

many of the brands you use to make your

holiday dinner, from potatoes to crescent

rolls? Remember to clip those Box Tops and

turn them in to school. They really add up!

The holidays are also a great time to collect

extra Box Tops from family and friends as

you gather together. For a list of participating

products, go to BTFE.com.

Children’s Peace Garden

Spring Program

April 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Trip Tracker Open

2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

Trip Tracker Closed

11

Garden Committee

@ 8:45

12

PTO Meeting @ 1:30

13

14 15

NO SCHOOL

16

17 18

NO SCHOOL

19 20

FUN

COLOR

RUN

21 22

BVSD Bike to School and

23

24 25 26 27 28

29

30

Program @ 9:00 am

May 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4

Kinder Mother’s Day Tea

Kallio @ 10:30

5 6

Kinder Mother’s Day Tea

AM Jenak @ 10:30

PM Jenak @ 12:15

7

8 9

10

PTO @ 1:30

11

Spotlight’s

Musical

9:00 & 6:30

12 13

StuCo Spirit Day

Hannah Cahn Assembly

14

15 16

Garden Committee

@ 8:45

17

Program @ 2:00

18

Band Concert @ SoHills

@ 6:30

19

Art Show, Drumming &

Mrs. Steiner’s & Ms. Winters’

Tribute 5:00-7:00

20

Bear Tracks

21

22 23 24

Awards

Assembly

@ 9:00

25 Awards

Assembly

@ 9:00

5th Grade Pool Party

26

Last Day of School

5th Grade Graduation

@ 1:00

27 28

29 30 31

Teacher Appreciation Week

Book Fair Tuesday - Thursday

Tentative KG

Graduation

Introducing the 2016 Annual Report The 2016 BVSD Annual Report, available online here, provides a glimpse of district goals, priori-ties, financial standing and vision for student success. The BVSD Board of Education, administration, educators, staff and parents in every school are vital to the success of all students. The strategic plan, called the Success Effect, is based on three principles: learning, talent and partnerships. The intrinsic objective of the Success Effect is to achieve individual success for all students.

Our commitment to achieving student success will be accomplished by various means, one of those being innovation, achieved by building for student success funded by the bond approved in 2014. Educational innovation is at the core of our effort to improve existing schools as well as new construction projects. Sustainability and secure learning environments are also high priori-ties. Financial transparency is a fundamental component of the report and our standing with the community.

BVSD vision, mission and goals will be realized through a commitment to community and family partnerships. We rely on these relationships to achieve student success. I am hopeful that you find value in this year’s report, and I look forward to our continued success this semester.

A limited quantity of print copies of the report will be available at each school and district office

Subscribe to BVSD Superintendent Dr. Bruce K. Messinger's Blog by submitting your email address at the blog home page.

Dear parent or guardian,

In the last Success Effect newsletter article, I introduced you to the Boulder Valley School District strategic plan, The Success Effect, and the organizing principles of Learning, Talent, and Partnerships. Six priority areas are embedded within these three organizing principles:

Learning

Systems of Support

Literacy & Early Learning

Successful, Curious, Lifelong Learners

Talent

Educator Pipeline

Educator Growth & Development

Partnerships

Parent & Family Partnerships

More than 100 teachers, administrators, staff, parents and community members are presently developing implementation plans to accomplish The Success Effect. The six action planning teams are refining activities to achieve short-term outcomes for the next two to three years. Each activity is working toward the goal of maximiz-ing every student’s potential to succeed through a personal approach that recognizes and fosters the unique talent of every child.

We believe that communication is key to keeping staff, students, parents, and the greater community in-formed and involved in The Success Effect as our work progresses. To that end, Boulder Valley School District is proud to announce the release of our newly redesigned website. The website is designed to update all stakehold-ers about our goals and the priority action areas in the strategic plan. The improved website will serve as a gather-ing place for information about the strategic plan, school improvement plans, and innovation in our schools. There are expanded capabilities for learning, sharing and interaction, now available in both English and Spanish.

We encourage you to visit: bvsdsuccesseffect.org. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure all Boulder Valley students succeed in school and beyond.

Sincerely,

Bruce Messinger, Ph.D., Superintendent

& the Success Effect Executive Committee

BVSD Strategic Plan

Article for School Newsletters

New Safe2Tell mobile app helps keep students safe

Student safety is a high priority in the Boulder Valley School District. One of the ways the district works

to ensure students are safe is by partnering with local law enforcement officials on programs like

Safe2Tell, a state-funded strategic initiative of the Colorado Department of Law, Office of the Attorney

General. Beginning in 2004, Safe2Tell has provided a phone tip line that students can call anytime to

report concerns about threats that may endanger them or someone they know. The caller remains

anonymous.

Safe2Tell now has a free mobile app that offers students, parents and community members a more

convenient and modern alternative to the phone line. The app allows people to submit secure,

anonymous safety concerns and to upload dialogue, images and video. The reports are sent to a live

24/7 answering point where they are handled by professionals who provide the information to Colorado

school administrators and law enforcement officials. This can enable quick, effective interventions that

prevent violence and tragedies from happening.

Find this app in the Apple App Store or Google Play by searching for any of the following: Safe2Tell, Safe

2 Tell or Safe to Tell.

Safe2Tell fields reports about a wide variety of threats, including:

• Bullying and physical threats

• Domestic violence and child abuse

• Assaults and harassment

• Sexual assault and misconduct

• Alcohol and drugs

• Suicide threats

• Gangs and fights

• Explosives, guns, knives and other weapons

• Stealing and vandalism

• Starting fires

• Internet misuse

• Ditching

• Animal cruelty

Tips can still be submitted on the Safe 2 Tell website at safe2tell.org or by calling the 24-hour tip line at

877-542-SAFE (7233).

Student accident insurance 2015-2016

Low-cost student accident insurance is again being offered by Markel this year. They have changed their enrollment method from

paper to electronic and will not be providing print outs to schools to distribute to students. Attached is a PDF of their enrollment

information. This information is also available on the district website at

http://www.bvsd.org/employees/AthleticsActivities/Athletic%20Insurance%20Information/Forms/AllItems.aspx.

Healthy Kids Initiative

Another possible option for parents whose students need health insurance is the Boulder County Healthy Kids Initiative which

helps families enroll in Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) and Medicaid. CHP+ and Medicaid are free and low-cost health insurance

plans that provide dental, medical, prescription, mental health, and vision benefits. There are no monthly premiums, and co-pays

range from $0 - $15 depending on family income. CHP+ has higher income eligibility limits than many public assistance programs,

so many working families can qualify. Assets are not considered when determining eligibility for these programs. Some families

who have not previously qualified may be able to qualify now due to new income guidelines.

Eligibility specialists are available to serve families at all BVSD schools. Call 720-515-1454 today to talk with a specialist or to make

an appointment!

More information is available on the district website at http://www.bvsd.org/healthykids. A link to this page is on the front page of

the district site: Go to www.bvsd.org and click the Healthy Kids Initiative logo at the bottom of the page.

BVSD Community Connections is a valuable online resource guide for families seeking services, activities and resources in Boulder County and beyond. Community Connections can be found at guide.bvsd.org. There you can find resources in the following categories: (Click on the links to bring you directly to listings in our guide.) Academics and Tutoring Adventure Arts (Arts & Crafts, Dance, Game Design, Music, Theatre) Camps and Classes Childcare and Preschools Clubs College Planning Cooking Dining Out Family Assistance Fitness Clubs/Gyms General Services Health and Support Services (Therapy & Counseling, Vision, Learning Challenges, etc.) Languages Real Estate Agents Sports and Fitness Teens

We also have a new feature this year in Community Connections: Deals! On the Deals page you can find discounts on

services, activities and resources that are listed in the guide. This is a great way for you to try something new at a dis-count! Check back with us often as we continue to add more Deals throughout the year.

And finally, visit the Events page for activities happening in our community. Please note: BVSD does not endorse organizations and individuals listed in Community Connections (other than BVSD programs). Individuals and organizations pay a fee to advertise in this guide and have not been screened in any way.

If you have questions or are interested in advertising in BVSD Community Connections, please contact Marla Riley at 720-561-5977 or marla.riley@bvsd.org.ent@bvsd.org