Upper School Update - October 2018

Greetings from the Upper School leadership team!  We are in full swing enjoying the sights and sounds of our academic, athletics, fine arts, and student life activities. Our campus is buzzing with students and faculty members all working hard to plan and implement all we have going on. It is a great place to be! 

Many of you have asked me how I’m enjoying my first few weeks as the Upper School Division Head, and I have consistently answered, “It’s going so well—I love it so much!” One parent subtly leaned in after I gave her this answer, and she said in a gentle whisper, “No—really, how is it going?” “Truly,” I answered, “I believe it is my favorite job to date!” But as I reflect on the varied jobs I’ve had in schools, each one was my “favorite” at the time. My first teaching job was at the age of 22, where I taught middle school mathematics at an inner-city school in Dallas, Texas. Looking back, it was a favorite of mine because of the relationships I developed with my students and all they taught me about diversity, resilience, and empathy. Since then, I’ve served in several different educational roles at a variety of campus types, and each one gifted me invaluable lessons. 

For the last 23 years I’ve cherished the opportunity to share my passion for classrooms where student and teacher engagement is priority. This year’s Upper School faculty development theme is “alchemy,” the concept of turning lead to gold. Each month the faculty gathers together to brainstorm and evaluate our pedagogy to ensure our lessons and learning objectives are “pure gold.” We ask ourselves, “Is the lesson engaging? Are the assignments meaningful? Are the assessments in line with the learning goals?”

 

It is energizing and rewarding to deliver such amazing programming and opportunities for our faculty and students. As a faculty, our intention is that every student has a purpose and a role in the Upper School where he or she can be engaged and fulfilled. I invite you to view a video created by one of our auspicious seniors, Stephen Mistele, which I believe captures much of the emotion and excitement of our great school. If you see Stephen, please thank him for sharing his gift of cinematography with us!

For many of us, the fall is our favorite time of year. October at Bear Creek is packed with many fun events for the entire school community. Please check the school calendar and note the announcements highlighted below to capitalize on opportunities to observe and/or participate in the many upcoming programs. We love to share these endeavors with you, and I will see you there! 

Evening of Classics: Come celebrate Upper School performing artists as they share their talents with our community.  This is a concert featuring Upper School students in a recital setting showcasing vocal and instrumental music and dramatic scenes. Meet us in the Performing Arts Center tomorrow evening, October 16 at 7:00 p.m. to support our talented performing artists! 

Grandparents Day: Students should wear dress uniform. We are excited to welcome hundreds of grandparents to campus on Thursday, October 18. For most grandparents, this biennial opportunity is the only time that they get to experience their K-12 grandchild's school life first-hand and see what makes The Bear Creek School so special.  

Parents may visit the classrooms throughout the school year, so we ask this day be reserved just for grandparents. This is important to reduce crowding in the parking lots, classrooms, and common areas and ensure there are enough seats for our visitors. A schedule and detailed information for parents and grandparents may be found on the website at tbcs.org/grandparents.   

Parent/Teacher Conferences: If you have not already done so, mark your calendars for this Friday, October 19 for our fall Parent/Teacher Conferences. Teachers will be located throughout the Marilyn R. Nagel Commons for brief 3-5 minute conferences. No appointments are necessary, just drop in any time between 8:00 a.m. – noon or 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.  

To recap what you need to know for a great day on Friday: 

• Who is involved? Parents meet with the teachers. Students do not attend these conferences.

• What happens? When you check in at the Upper School, you will receive a mid-semester progress report (a snapshot of how your child is doing at the mid-semester point). You will then proceed to the Nagel Commons where you will have an opportunity to sit down with your child's teachers individually to briefly discuss your son's/daughter's class achievements and/or any areas in need of improvement. 

• Where do I park? You may park at either the Upper School or the Main Building if the Upper School parking lot is full. Please refrain from parking on the street. There is a footpath connecting the two buildings. 

• When? Friday, October 19 from 8:00 a.m. – noon or 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. No appointments are necessary; just join us during these designated times and get in line to see the teacher. Thank you for not exceeding 5 minutes per teacher to ensure that wait times are minimal. 

Visual Arts Trip to San Diego: Please pray for our visual arts students and teachers who are travelling to San Diego October 17-21. The goal of this trip is to help expand students’ skills as artists and work with capturing a moment “right in front of them.” Students will meet with concept artist, Terryl Whitlatch, who has designed characters for Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, and more.

Grizzlies Forensics Invitational: Bear Creek will host our seventh annual speech and debate tournament in the Main Building on Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20. If you have time, stop by to support our students on the forensics team as they kick off their season.  

Faculty In-service: Our students will have a day off again on Monday, October 22 as our faculty will have a professional day of training focusing on the topic of innovation and engaging learners. 

Nick of Time Heart Health Screenings: Upper School students may sign up this week on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at lunch for Nick of Time heart screenings on Wednesday, October 24 by submitting a completed and signed packet. Screenings consist of a heart health survey, electrocardiogram (ECG), and a limited physical exam. Please refer to the email from Athletics Director Chad Pohlman for details. 

Fall Costume Dance: All Upper School students are invited to the dance on Saturday, October 28 in the Marilyn R. Nagel Commons from 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Your child may buy a ticket for $15 October 22-26 or $20 at the door.

NHS/Hopelink Food Drive: Once again Bear Creek's chapter of the National Honor Society is sponsoring a food drive benefiting families in need on the Eastside. Please help us collect five tons of non-perishable food items in five days, October 29 – November 2. 

Tools for Success: On Saturday, November 3 from 9:00 a.m. – noon, Bear Creek is hosting Tools for Success, a parenting and academic strategies seminar specifically designed for parents and students. Our keynote speaker is Cynthia Tobias, an internationally recognized author and speaker. There are sessions specifically for students in grades 5 and above and many other fascinating breakout session topics. This free event is open to the public, so feel free to invite your friends and neighbors. I hope you can join us! Doors open at 8:45 a.m. for coffee and refreshments. A complete list of session topics and registration information is available online at tbcs.org/success. 

Senior Diploma Names: Parents of seniors, please complete the online diploma name form by Monday, November 5. Enter the full name of your son/daughter exactly as you would like to have it appear on his/her diploma and how it will be read during the Commencement ceremony. You will find the form on the Senior Class tab on the MyBC/Parents page.

Colleges Visiting Bear Creek: Over the next few weeks, representatives from colleges and universities continue to visit our campus. Students can access the list of all upcoming college visits and register to attend in Naviance.   

Again, we are grateful for your partnership, and I look forward to seeing you soon at upcoming campus programs and events. Our school mission and faculty’s passion is to help our Grizzlies grow into the individuals God intends and to thrive as image bearers. Thank you for your support and prayers as we work together to accomplish this!

All’s joy, 

Karen Wright, Ph.D. 
kwright@tbcs.org