Next Friday, March 6 is a Teacher In-Service Day. No classes will be held. The main offices at both campuses will be closed.

Please join us on March 21 for a festive celebration of the Bear Creek community at our annual auction and dinner. RSVP online by March 11. If you wish, you may also purchase a sponsored ticket which allows a faculty or staff member to attend at no cost. Watch our Facebook page and see the Auction 2015 pages on our website for a preview of some of the great items you can bid on at the auction: a basket of Apple products, an Alaska adventure, a Sounders Suite for 18 with food, condos in Hawaii and Cabo, and so much more.

Make a night of it! Stay overnight at the Westin Bellevue after the auction on March 21. Call the reservations line at 888-627-8084. Indicate you are with The Bear Creek School group and you will be offered the room rate of $169 per night plus tax.

Please encourage your Redmond-area friends and neighbors to come learn about Bear Creek from a parent’s perspective over a cup of coffee on Wednesday, March 4 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Panera Bread in Redmond. A few Bear Creek parents who are representing the Admissions Office will be on hand to answer questions about the school. Your friends may RSVP online at tbcs.org/parentcafe.

Summer is for staying active and getting outdoors! Sign up for one or more of our exciting sports and athletics camps at Bear Creek’s Summer Camp. We have 19 different sports camps for all ages! Come Pursue Your Passion for sports and enroll today at www.tbcs.org/summer. With over 60 camps to choose from, there’s something for everyone!

A combined exhibition by Advanced Studio Art students will feature the works of two student-artists. Senior Christine Nye will present "A Woman: Removed," an exhibition of nine photographs. Senior Wendy Hsia will show acrylic paintings on canvas in an exhibit entitled "In the Depths." The artist reception is this evening, February 27, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM, and the show runs through Sunday, March 1 at Ryan James Fine Arts in Kirkland (11905 124th Avenue NE, in the Totem Lake area). Learn more about the show at www.tbcs.org/artshow.

The Bear Creek forensics team finished the 2014-2015 regular season on February 20-21 with a first place sweepstakes finish at the "WInterlake Invitational" hosted by Interlake High School. The entire team contributed to the victory which included four first place awards in speech events plus numerous additional awards. Click the article title for a complete list.

A small, but mighty contingent of the Bear Creek forensics team competed at the Becky Gallentine Memorial Tournament at University of Washington on February 13-14. Sophomore Alyssa Varghese placed first in Open Expository - a finish that would earn her a qualifying spot at the State tournament - and finished as the 10th place speaker in Open Lincoln Douglas debate. Sophomore Sean Gallagher placed fourth in Open Impromptu and second in Open Extemporaneous Speaking. Congratulations!

The Bear Creek forensics team competed February 14-16 in the California National Invitational Tournament at UC Berkeley. Senior Jesse Domingo placed fourth in Humorous Interpretation (125 competitors). This is the first time a Bear Creek forensics team member has reached the finals at the Cal Invitational; Domingo faced some of the top competition in the nation in that final round. The team posted its best finish at the Cal Invitational in school history, and the best finish by the school at any national circuit tournament. Click the article title for complete results.

The Growls Young Life leaders are excited to announce that registration is open for 2015 Young Life Camp! We would love to take your son or daughter to camp with us this summer!

• Malibu in Princess Louisa Inlet, BC – Aug 6-12 for current sophomores, juniors, and seniors
• RockRidge Canyon in Princeton, BC – June 29 - July 3 for current freshmen

Learn more and register online. Hurry! Registration is due by March 29 and space is limited.

Students in grades 10-12 with a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or above and who are not already National Honor Society members should watch their mailboxes for an NHS application packet. Please read the instructions carefully and submit all forms and letters of recommendation to Mrs. Graham by Wednesday, March 11. Students accepted into the National Honor Society will be notified in early April and invited to attend the NHS Induction Ceremony with their family members on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:00 PM in the Cornerstone Theater. Read the NHS Eligibility Requirements and NHS Application Checklist. Click the article title to learn more about NHS.

The Growls Young Life leaders are excited to announce that registration is open for 2015 Young Life Camp! We would love to take your son or daughter to camp with us this summer!

• WFR Creekside in Antelope, OR – July 2-6 for current Middle School students

Learn more and register online. Hurry! Registration is due by March 29 and space is limited.

Middle School students should turn in this waiver and $20 by March 9 to attend the social at Family Fun Center on Saturday, March 14. Students will meet at school at 6:00 PM and take the bus to Tukwila, returning by 10:30 PM. Go karts, bumper boats, miniature golf, laser tag, and 10 tokens included.

Please congratulate the following students who were recognized at Chapel this week on February 24:
Conner J., kindergarten, for Kindness
Jaeden J., grade 4, for Enthusiasm

Congratulations to the Super Sleuth winners for the week ending February 13. At Redmond Campus, the winners were:
1. Anderson L., grade 4
2. Andrew L., grade 4
At Valley Campus, the winner was Ryan F., grade 5.

This annual celebration honors the significant men in our students' lives. Please come and enjoy coffee, donuts, and classroom visits. Valley Campus dads will gather on Tuesday, March 3, 8:15 AM - 8:45 AM. Redmond Campus dads are invited on Wednesday, March 4, 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM. No RSVP required.

Let's get to know one another! All parents of grade 2 students are invited to join room moms and Kristen Gephart, next year's Grades 1-4 Lower School Division Head, for coffee and conversation. We will meet in the Ida Lairson Library at Redmond Campus from 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM on Thursday, March 12.

On February 24, Bear Creek's Cub Scout Pack 581 proudly conferred the Arrow of Light Award on the following grade 5 Webelos at the Pack's annual Blue and Gold Banquet: Omo A., Alexander D., Colton F., Sam H., Stefan K., Parker S., Aidan S., Egan T., and Eamon T. The Arrow of Light Award is the highest rank in Cub Scouting.

Lower School students and families are invited to a Skate Party on Friday, March 20 from 1:45 PM - 3:45 PM at Skate King in Bellevue. This event is free to all Lower School students; all students must bring a signed waiver. The PTF thanks everyone for running all those laps at the Walk-a-thon!

Grades 4-6 students are invited to bring their lunches (hot lunch or sack lunch) and join in the fun of discussing the "Battle" books, quizzing one another, and getting to know everyone participating in Battle of the Books on April 2. Battle lunches are held in the library - on Mondays at Redmond Campus and on Tuesdays at Valley Campus. Go to tbcs.org/battleofthebooks for specific dates and more information.

The boys basketball team won a thrilling victory (49-47) on February 14 in the Emerald City League wildcard playoff game when senior AJ Rial scored the winning shot at the buzzer. Rial scored a career-high 17 points in the game and senior Jonny Magee scored 12 points. With the win, the team advanced to the first round of the 1A District 1/2 Boys Basketball Tournament. The Grizzlies lost to the Sultan Turks on February 17 (52-40), ending their season. Rial and Magee each scored 10 points, and junior Caleb Kesinger scored 9 points. The Grizzlies finished the season with a record of 7-5 (league) and 11-11 (overall).