The Bear Facts

Come to the Ida Lairson Library, December 5 – 9, 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., for the annual Secret Garden Book Fair! Enjoy our Enchanted Forest while doing some Christmas shopping and supporting our school libraries and teachers. Wish lists for teachers will be available as well as student wish lists.

We invite you to join with us in preparing for, planning, and implementing our annual Gratitude Gala. There are many ways you can help us—no assistance is too big or too small. Please join us for the Gratitude Gala 2023 Kick-Off meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., in the Farmhouse.

Bear Creek dads are invited to join President and Headmaster Patrick Carruth for virtual breakfast and casual conversation about Bear Creek’s long-term vision, strategy, and school operations on Thursday, December 8, at 8:45 a.m. Although we cannot actually provide breakfast, please grab a cup of coffee and join the meeting.

Due to the incredible generosity of several donors, The Bear Creek School is pleased to announce two new scholarships for the 2023 – 2024 school year. Applications are due Friday, December 9. Learn more about how the school endeavors to make a Bear Creek education accessible to more families by reviewing our Tuition Assistance, Scholarships, and Grants page.

If you are interested in a Bear Creek education for a child who is not currently attending, and you would like us to consider him or her for the 2023 – 2024 school year, learn how to apply. The application deadline for siblings who wish to be considered for fall 2023 admission is December 12, 2022; all required application checklist items must be submitted by this date.

On Friday, December 16, the Preschool office closes at 11:45 a.m. and the Main and Upper School offices close at noon. No classes will be held Monday, December 21, through Monday, January 2. Teachers will be in service on Monday, January 2; all offices will be closed. Classes and regular office hours resume on Tuesday, January 3.

If you are interested in learning about tuition assistance or to apply for it for the 2023 – 2024 school year, please visit the tuition assistance page on our website.

The Grizzlies Booster Club greatly appreciates the incredible turnout from our Bear Creek community at the eighteenth annual Green & White Night last week. It would not have been such a successful event without the support from the numerous volunteers in the Hungry Bear and Grizzly Gear Shop, event leads Annette Clark and Torie Luedke, and all of the attendees. We hope to see you all at upcoming home basketball games; it is a fun way to spend time as a community.

Bear Creek has changed the internal systems we use for sending health alerts via email and text message. Health alerts are sent to subscribers in cases of any communicable diseases at school. Anyone who wishes to receive health alerts must log in and subscribe by submitting this form. Note: Subscribers to our original health alert system, which was deprecated in mid-November, must re-subscribe in order to continue to receive health alerts after November 14.

Please complete the online diploma name form by Friday, December 2. Read more for details.

The Grades 7 – 12 Choral Concert featuring Upper School Concert Choir, Upper School vocal ensembles, and Grades 7 and 8 Choir will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, in the Upper School's Diamond Performing Arts Center.

Registration for the 2023 Ski & Snowboard Program is due December 9 at midnight. This optional program is available to students in grades 7 – 12, and all the program information including waivers, transportation, lift passes, lessons, and rentals is online. Please read the Q&A and complete the multi-step registration process by the deadline. No late registrations accepted.

Each member of the senior class must order his/her own cap, gown, and official tassel from Jostens by December 9, 2022. There is no charge for these three items (select the required grad ceremony package and enter senior's height and weight), but there are tons of optional items you may add to your order.

Christmas Jubilee festivities culminate with the ASB-hosted Christmas Social on Saturday evening, December 10, from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., in the Nagel Commons. Read more for details.

The fall 2022 Upper School exam schedule is listed below. 

• December 14:
  • Math exam 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
  • Science exam 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• December 15:
  • English exam 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
  • History exam 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• December 16:
  • AP Music Theory exam 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
  • Students who have more than one math or science class will take their additional class exam 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Read more for additional details.

Upper School students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, December 14 – 16, following the conclusion of their exams. Check with your child to determine his or her exam schedule as students who do not have a final exam are not required to be on campus.

Students in grades 7 – 12 will participate in JanTerm 2023 upon return from Christmas Break in January. Classes meet for 80 minutes per day for seven days from January 3 – January 12, 2023, (no school on Fridays, January 6 and 13). Most students start the school day at 9:35 a.m.

All juniors and their parents are invited to attend this informational session on Wednesday, January 18, at 8:00 a.m. in the Andrea Lairson Library. We will review key academic issues that affect college applications, discuss the college planning timeline, explain the junior family meeting in the spring, as well as answer any college planning questions. Attendance is highly recommended. 

Community service hours are a requirement for graduation. Upper School students must log at least 100 hours (75 hours for classes of 2021 – 2024 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic) between the summer before freshman year and the spring of senior year. Students must log their community service hours on x2VOL, our school tracking system.

Bear Creek will host an SAT School Day administration for juniors on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Online registration will open the first week of January and will run until February 10. Details to come.

Please congratulate the following students who were recognized at Chapel on November 15:

• Mirielle Deppa, grade 5, for Joyfulness
• Joshua Abraham, grade 5, for Contentment 
• Jack Ventura, grade 5, for Perseverance
• Brooke Mickels, grade 5, for Perseverance 
• Thomas Mason, grade 6, for Integrity and Leadership 
• Jonah Stchur, grade 6, for Humility and Diligence
• Lijin Yoon, grade 6, for Initiative
• Rory Krause, grade 6, for Kindness and Leadership

The Grades 7 – 12 Choral Concert featuring Upper School Concert Choir, Upper School vocal ensembles, and Grades 7 and 8 Choir will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, in the Upper School's Diamond Performing Arts Center.

Parents are invited to join Division Head Jenn McDonough and Dean of Students Nathan Pettit for conversation about the happenings in Middle School. Join the Q&A on Thursday, December 8, at noon.

Register online now for Middle School girls basketball (grades 6 – 8); the registration deadline is Thursday, December 8. The first day of practice is Tuesday, January 3. Girls are also invited to participate in Green & White Night (please sign up by November 10). If you didn't take care of it this summer, please schedule your child's physical exam as soon as possible; she can't attend the first practice without it!

Registration for the 2023 Ski & Snowboard Program is due December 9 at midnight. This optional program is available to students in grades 7 – 12, and all the program information including waivers, transportation, lift passes, lessons, and rentals is online. Please read the Q&A and complete the multi-step registration process by the deadline. No late registrations accepted.

The Grades 5 and 6 Christmas Concert will be Wednesday, December 14, at 7:00 p.m. at the Main building's Cornerstone Theater. The grades 5 and 6 music, choir, and band classes will perform. Read more for details about dress code, streaming, parking, etc.

The fall 2022 grades 7 and 8 exam schedule is as follows. 

• Thursday, December 15:
  • 8:00 a.m. math exam (grades 7 and 8)
  • 10:00 a.m. English exam (grade 8)
• Friday, December 16:
  • 8:00 a.m. history exam (grade 8)
  • 10:00 a.m. science exam (grade 8)

Middle School students will be dismissed at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, December 15, and Friday, December 16. Parents may pick up children by following the regular pick-up route to the back of the school or park and walk into the building to pick up children from their classrooms.

Students in grades 7 – 12 will participate in JanTerm 2023 upon return from Christmas Break in January. Classes meet for 80 minutes per day for seven days from January 3 – January 12, 2023, (no school on Fridays, January 6 and 13). Most students start the school day at 9:35 a.m.

Upon return from Christmas Break, January 3 – 13, 2023, students in grade 6 will participate in our Shakespeare Immersion Program while grade 5 students participate in our Science Immersion Program. Students may wear free dress, and the school day starts at 9:35 a.m.* There is no school on Fridays, January 6 and January 13.

* Parents may sign up for before school care for students in grades 5 – 8 (no charge) and drop off children as early as 7:45 a.m.

After grade 8 families have watched the video about our Upper School curriculum, please schedule an individual advising appointment with Dean of Academic Advising Ayoleida Páramo (aparamo@tbcs.org) to ask questions and receive support as your child prepares for course registration in February.

Please congratulate the following students who were recognized at Chapel on November 22:

• David X., grade 4, for Creativity
• Xiyun X., grade 2 for Endurance

On Thursday, December 8, Bear Creek will host two concerts in the Main building's Cornerstone Theater. Students in grades 1 and 2 will perform a Christmas concert for their families at 6:00 p.m. Please drop off your child in his or her classroom at 5:45 p.m. Then, at 7:00 p.m., students in grades 3 and 4 will perform a Christmas concert for their families. Please drop off your child in his or her classroom at 6:45 p.m. Read more for details about dress code, streaming, parking, etc.

Lower School students will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, December 16. Parents may pick up children by following the regular pick-up route to the back of the school or park and walk into the building to pick up children from their classrooms.

Help your child learn scripture in a fun way! Check out the Scripture Verses page to hear this year's memory verses set to music or watch the videos with the music and hand motions. Additionally, these bible verses are available to stream on all popular music apps (e.g., Spotify, Amazon Music, iTunes, Pandora, iHeart Radio). Search for Nicole Klimisch, one of our Lower School worship leaders, to find Bible Memory Verses, Vol. 1.

Preschoolers will present their Christmas program at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 13, in the Main building's Cornerstone Theater which is located at 8905 208th Ave NE, Redmond, on Union Hill. Read more for details about dress code, streaming, parking, etc.

Welcome back alumni! Bear Creek basketball begins with boys JV at 4:00 p.m., boys varsity at 5:30 p.m., and girls varsity at 7:00 p.m. Christmas theme night too!

Check out BCGrizzlySports.org for the latest sports scores and game highlights as well as the team schedules. You will find cross country and track & field results on athletic.net. You can also watch the Grizzlies on NFHS Network directly from bcgrizzlysports.org. Go Grizzlies!