Dear Parents,

As the year draws to a close, we thought it would be good to provide some transparency and clarity around the closing of the school year. In light of events of the past month within our Bear Creek community, and being sensitive to the resulting focus and concentration level of some students, we have modified our traditional final exam assessments, thinking that smaller, end-of-year assessments will be more effective than a cumulative final assessment. The faculty and administration have decided to either incorporate smaller/focused assessments or offer optional summative exams (i.e. finals) in the weeks prior to June 4-6, rather than hold a traditional series of final exams. As such, students are not required to attend school on June 4-6. Additionally, review week will be modified, since there is no need to review for final exams, and will instead be conducted as regular class days. As a result, class instruction and assessment for students in grades 9-11 will effectively end on June 1. AP students are wrapping up their AP exams this week and will also not be required to attend June 4-6.

As in prior years, seniors have already completed their classes and exams and are working off campus on their Senior Capstone Projects. They will return to campus on June 4-6 to present their projects to their peers and a panel of faculty and administrators. The change in exam schedule affords freshmen, sophomores, and juniors the opportunity to attend Senior Capstone Project presentations. We encourage them to attend, particularly juniors, so they may take advantage of the opportunity to preview project presentations before their own senior year.

Here at Bear Creek, we organize our Humanities curriculum around a historical timeline; thus, within each grade, students study the same time period in their English, Christian studies, and history classes. We find that this unites knowledge and provides a coherent framework so that student learning will have "hooks" with which to make sense of all the parts. In an effort, then, to provide assessment which allows students to show their understanding of that integration, faculty had already replaced the traditional final exam in those courses with an end-of-year culminating project. This is an innovative feature of The Bear Creek School experience, and all grades 9-11 Humanities classes are preparing in class each day for their end-of-year integrated project presentations which will be scheduled on or before June 1.

Finally, we will close out and celebrate the school year as a community on Thursday, June 7. The school day begins at 8:10 a.m. and after some morning wrap-up activities with teachers and classmates and time to sign yearbooks, the Honors Assembly will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Performing Arts Center. This event includes tributes to each grade level, awards for character and achievements, special acknowledgement for the juniors who are becoming the new leaders of our Upper School, and a chance to honor our exiting senior class as a school community. Parents are encouraged to attend this special event.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement this year and for partnering with us in guiding students to become the individuals God intends.

Grace and peace,

Patrick Carruth

Upper School End-of-Year Snapshot

Also see all of the senior class events scheduled at the end of the year.

June 1: Final day of class instruction and assessment.

June 4-6: No traditional final exams, and grades 9-11 students are not required to attend, though they are encouraged to attend Senior Capstone Project presentations (see schedule).

June 7: Last day of school (half day beginning at 8:10 a.m.) to include teacher/student activities, yearbook signing, and Honors Assembly from 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

June 9: Class of 2018 Commencement at Bellevue Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m. All are invited.