The eve is upon us. Tomorrow we start our official journey together as Bear Creek Cubs. AJ and I could not be prouder to be a part of AISD history.

We will reimagine and reinvent the pubic school experience with your help.

Please exercise grace and patience as we forge new online territory and if things get frustrating please just take a step back and try again later. This grace is a two way street as we pledge to be as flexible as you need us to be!

We are here to help. Remember administration will have office hours starting tomorrow and I will post those links in the office hour section which will be a little farther on down the line in this issue.

Also note that your grade level newsletters are now officially linked to this newsletter. This is truly one stop shopping for all your Bear Creek news.

AJ and David

Just click the icon for your child's grade level newsletter. These will be updated weekly.

Please see the remote learning schedule below. If you have questions, please shoot us an email or give us a call. Please note this has not changed and we have full confidence that this is our final schedule.

We tried to be as consistent as possible across grade levels. Because our special areas (art, music, and PE) have to be synchronous, we had to spread them throughout the day as we would if we were on campus. Because there are different blocks for those special areas, the schedule cannot be the same for each grade level.

Please note that based on TEA guidelines the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grade students have the same amount of synchronous instructional minutes and pre-k and kindergarten have the same amount of synchronous instructional minutes.

Also note that all grade level teachers will be in lock step with schedules and assignments. The schedule and these instructional expectations have been created intentionally to accommodate the multiple learning pods that are being formed to help the community distribute the logistical load of remote learning.

* Download the PDF for the clearest view of the schedule.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XztiUYbbk-k5WOi6SjLHBXB-JACuf7Dt/view?usp=sharing

I requested several more Chromebooks however we have plenty of iPads that are ready to go. We also have several hotspots that have not yet been claimed. Let me know via email if you need assistance by emailing me at david.crissey@austinisd.org.

I know many of you do not use social media however there are several Facebook groups dedicated to the school and to specific grade levels. They are good places to connect. The main school Facebook group is primarily for branding and marketing as this newsletter has replaced it as a source of information.

Bear Creek School Page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1172057442989760/

Bear Creek PTA - https://www.facebook.com/groups/272116890829280/

Bear Creek Kindergarten - https://www.facebook.com/groups/284635179309301/

Bear Creek Kinder Immersion - https://www.facebook.com/groups/3194839180612842/

Bear Creek First Grade Immersion - https://www.facebook.com/groups/614658239467441/

Bear Creek First Grade - https://www.facebook.com/groups/784782732263559/

Bear Creek Second Grade - https://www.facebook.com/groups/335449904147942/

Bear Creek Third Grade. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/948900888893066/

Bear Creek Fourth Grade- https://www.facebook.com/groups/701523747356817/

Bear Creek Fifth Grade - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1102836326834460/

Hello Bear Creek Families!

First week of school is ahead of us! Lots of excitement. Maybe a bit of nerves too. It's all ok! The year may be starting off a bit different than usual, but we are all strong, powerful people able to tackle any challenge! Before you know it, you will be a Zoom Pro and a BLEND Wizard! The kiddos too:) Good news! Bear Creek staff are so pumped and ready to help any way we can. So reach out and use those office hours. Takes one, big, giant village or a sleuth for all us bears. 😉

Focusing on Growth Mindset can turn our mistakes into gains! See the guide below and give it a try.

It was so great to meet some of you this past week during our Cousnselor Connect time. I absolutely thrive on interacting with students and families I serve. So for me, last week was awesome! I get to continue that this week, meeting many more of you.

Below you will find my sign-up sheet for Meet the Counselor. This a time where I meet one student at a time and learn a little bit about them. When you sign up for a time slot you will get an email with a zoom link. This link gets you to the waiting room, where you may have to wait a few minutes for me to finish up with another student. But no worries, I will get you in as soon as I can!

Sing-up Sheet------>

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4cafa62aa1fbc25-counselor1

Zoom Link (will also be emailed to you, but just in case) ---------->

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81241245698?pwd=WlhLR21tbkFnYXhxYThWWG40K0ZNZz09

I will be continuing Counselor Connect "Meet The Counselor" until I have been able to meet every student. If this week fills up, no worries, more opportunities to come:)

I want you to know that I am here for you. If you or your student need to meet with me for any reason at all, please don't hesitate to email me at alyssa.sheeran@austinisd.org

Thank you for allowing me to be your school counselor!💙🐻

Want to kick off the new school year with Bear Creek PTA?

Add these two things to your To-Do List:

1. Join the PTA

2. Buy your Bear Creek Spirit Wear (available only through 9/15)

You can take care of both these things with one simple click. All major credit cards accepted + a small credit card processing fee. All proceeds benefit the Bear Creek PTA. All orders must be placed by September 15th or while supplies last.

https://bearcreekspiritstore.cheddarup.com

Parent Video For Attendance

https://www.screencast.com/t/ghb1amDe

Elementary How To For Students and Parents

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTQDgFfesYkFHDcCy19qsyd2W5AR47yeNVvaDhAPCHuRBVWWh8nzfraQGSmjiZvCfpCa07AEu5eTgsu/pub

Blend Parent Tour

https://aisdblend.instructure.com/courses/105825

AJ and I will be available from 2pm - 3pm each week day to answer your questions. These office hours and the office hours scheduled by your teacher should become your BEST FRIEND as we traverse the remote learning landscape.

David Crissey is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Bear Creek Office Hours

Time - 2pm - 3pm (Monday - Friday)

https://zoom.us/j/92989899258?pwd=NnJYVk96NTZIeVFJdkVwRHhLRWh4QT09

Meeting ID: 929 8989 9258

Passcode: 0kJKBH

One tap mobile

+13462487799,,92989899258#,,,,,,0#,,792421# US (Houston)

Hunter 5K Halloween Fun Run

Registration is open for the second annual Hunter 5K Halloween Fun Run, honoring Hunter Henderson! The event this year will be virtual.

The Hunter 5K was created to honor and celebrate the fast and free spirit of Hunter Henderson, who tragically passed away in December of 2018. Hunter was a vibrant member of the Avana/Circle C community who loved Halloween and dressed up in costume throughout the year. Funds raised from this year’s virtual event will go to Dell Children's Medical Center who helped the Henderson family immensely during Hunter’s stay. Register today at https://thehunter5k.com/.