Happy Tuesday Bear Creek Cubs,

Sorry for the delay as there were some technical difficulties last night. We hope to see everyone at the "What The 2021-2022 School Year Look Like" engagement event tomorrow night at 5:00pm. The Zoom information is at the end :-)

AJ and David

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.

Remember that doors open @ 730am for walkers, bike riders, and car riders.

How you can help:

1 – The “GREEN CHECK” is absolutely essential – we will pull you forward if you do not have one so we can keep the line moving. Just show it when we approach and then we can take temperatures and get going with our days.

2 – Have your kiddo ready to go, I know some are not morning kids but it really has a pretty big ripple effect if we have to manage several exchanges. Because only one lane is used everything is delayed by the amount of time it takes to make each drop-off. We will not use two lanes in the morning because there are too many moving parts and I will not sacrifice your child’s safety at any cost. DO NOT GET OUT THE CAR.

3 – Your car heater raises your child’s temp and in some cases to a point where we have to administer an oral temperature check or ask you to do a drive around the block.

4 – You may only drop off using our parent lane – We will not allow any drop-offs anywhere else on property – the reason is that it will turn into a free for all which is not acceptable or safe.

Being mindful of these things as they will expedite the process significantly while we remain safe.

Parents and Families—Pledging for this year's Bear Creek Dance Fit is live! Our two-week program is kicking off THIS WEEK on April 14th. Families can help us by gathering pledges for the main event on April 23rd. This year our goal is to raise $35,000 for Teacher and Student Support, and we need your help! We’ve asked the experts at Booster to power our fundraiser to make it easier, more profitable, and more fun.

Not only are we raising funds for Bear Creek Elementary, our students are also learning how to live with character through Booster's new character theme: Sports City Now - a fitness theme about activating character and an active lifestyle! You can check out all of this year's character videos at FUNRUN.COM.

Here is how you can help our school:

• Log onto FUNRUN.COM

• Share! Go to social media to help spread the word by creating a Student Star Video! You can upload your student’s picture and share it through Facebook, email, or text. It is a fun and easy way to ask for a donation from friends, family, or even local businesses.

• Give online to support our school if you are able to.

• Check to see if your company offers corporate matching gifts with the easy-to-use widget on FUNRUN.COM!

To be clear the school does not make money from this venture but I have to say how EXCITED I am to offer Camp Invention to you. I hosted this camp for many years in Florida and I have to say it was one of the most engaging camps I have ever seen. Our dates are June 14 through June 18 and the teachers will all be Bear Creek teachers. Take a look at the flyers and let me know if you have questions.

Did you know that Test Anxiety is a real thing? It's true! It peaks in grades 2-4 but can continue for years to come.

It affects 35% of all students in some way.

That is over 10 million of our students in North America!

So we can be sure that some of our students at Bear Creek will face some of the same anxiety and fears. Students with test anxiety can actually score up to half a grade lower than their peers due to their anxiety. Test anxiety can also lead to poor morale, decreased comprehension, low confidence, and avoidance of school work.

YIKES!!

So what do we do?

👉Give students a different point of view about what they are feeling. Heartbeat racing? That is their brain getting excited and mentally prepared for the task ahead!

👉Kids will need more physical activity but also good food and SLEEP!

👉Use phrases like "these tests don't measure who you are as a person." and encourage all the things that make them who they are.

👉Be open and available to talk and listen. Encourage student to talk with their teacher or counselor, as well, if the fear is strong.

Here are some great books on anxiety. Check them out!

Test anxiety can be frustrating and stressful, but it doesn't have to win! Please feel free to reach out if I can help in any way!