The Bear Facts

Summer Camp 2025 offers a variety of sports, arts, and STEM camps, and registration is open! Camps are open to the public for kids entering kindergarten through grade 12 next fall. Camps run June 16 – July 11; the number of days and hours vary by camp.

There will be no school during Spring Break, April 14 – 18, nor Easter Monday, April 21. All offices will be closed. Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 22.

Read more for instructions on how to stream live Bear Creek performances and how to watch your child's previously recorded performances. 

Congratulations to the 2024 – 2025 WIAA/Gesa Credit Union Winter Academic State Champions. Bear Creek's cheer squad and forensics team were both recognized for their success in the classroom. See all the winter team academic results.

Upper School students and their families are invited to learn about our 2025 Theater/Visual Arts Trip to New York City, scheduled for October 15 – 19, at an informational meeting on Tuesday, March 25, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., in the Upper School's Nagel Commons. Registration and deposit will be due Thursday, April 10.

Upper School students and their families are invited to learn about our 2026 European Reformation Trip to Switzerland, Germany, and France, scheduled for April 2 – 11, 2026, at an informational meeting on Tuesday, March 27, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., in the Upper School's Nagel Commons. Registration and deposit will be due Thursday, April 10.

Students in grades 7 – 12 and their parents are invited to join Dean of College and Academic Advising Katie Gomulkiewicz and Dean of Academic Advising Ayoleida Páramo for an engaging presentation to explore essential executive functioning skills like time management, organization, and planning. Join us on Thursday, April 3, at 7:00 p.m., in the Diamond Performing Arts Center, and gain practical tips and strategies for thriving in Bear Creek's Upper School, college, and beyond.

Parents of graduating seniors are invited for breakfast and a special panel presentation with several parents of alumni on Tuesday, April 29, 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., in the Andrea Lairson Library. Join us to discuss ideas on how to help you and your child successfully navigate this time of transition. Your RSVP is appreciated. Immediately following our panel discussion, join our student body outside to congratulate our seniors as they conclude our third annual senior class tunnel.

Spring is here, bringing reflections on a year nearly complete. What better time to purchase a yearbook? Secure your Upper School or Middle School yearbook covering the activities of your student in grades 9 – 12 or grades 5 – 8, respectively. Please note that yearbooks ($75 each) must be ordered online in advance and will be delivered to students in June.

Bear Creek's chapter of the National Honor Society will hold an induction ceremony for new members on Tuesday, April 22, at 7:00 p.m., in the Marilyn R. Nagel Commons. New members were notified on March 21 if their applications for membership were accepted. Seniors will be honored, and friends and family are invited to attend!

Students in grades 8 – 11 interested in playing an Upper School sport in the fall (boys and girls cross country, boys golf, girls soccer, boys tennis, and girls volleyball) must attend the interest meetings on Thursday, April 24, held at the Upper School at noon. Read more for details.

On Tuesday, April 29, at 7:00 p.m., Upper School Concert Band, Concert Choir, and Jazz Band will perform in their spring concert in the Diamond Performing Arts Center. Friends, family, and guests are all welcome.

If your child is in grades 4 – 6, register by Monday, March 31, for A Guide to Growing Up on Saturday, April 5. These gender-separated Mom/Daughter and Dad/Son classes, led by Bear Creek's health team, are designed to help children understand the how, when, and why of puberty in a comfortable, age-appropriate setting. The cost is $30 per child. Invite a friend to sign up with you today! Read more for details.

Students in grades 7 – 12 and their parents are invited to join Dean of College and Academic Advising Katie Gomulkiewicz and Dean of Academic Advising Ayoleida Páramo for an engaging presentation to explore essential executive functioning skills like time management, organization, and planning. Join us on Thursday, April 3, at 7:00 p.m., in the Diamond Performing Arts Center, and gain practical tips and strategies for thriving in Bear Creek's Upper School, college, and beyond.

Middle School Grandparents Day, on Thursday, May 1, will be a very special event! Grandparents listed in your Household Profile have already received their invitations by mail. Please encourage grandparents to RSVP by Friday, April 4. After this date, we will mail day-of instructions and other essential materials to those who have RSVP’d. Read more for details.

Grades 7 and 8 Drama students will present King's Boat, Beggar's Bow: The Story of the Odyssey for their friends and families at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, in the Upper School's Diamond Performing Arts Center. Both grades are combined into one large cast with two variations, and all students have parts in each. Read more for details.

We are excited to extend an invitation to all Middle School dads to join their child at school on Wednesday, April 9, at 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., for donuts and fellowship in the Main Commons followed by a fun scavenger hunt through the upstairs hallways and classrooms. We look forward to hosting this lively event.

Students in grades 8 – 11 interested in playing an Upper School sport in the fall (boys and girls cross country, boys golf, girls soccer, boys tennis, and girls volleyball) must attend the interest meetings on Thursday, April 24, held at the Upper School at noon. Read more for details.

A Neon Social for Middle School students will take place on Tuesday, April 22, in the Main Commons and Gym, with neon-theme games and activities. The grades 5 – 6 social will be after school from 3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and grades 7 – 8 will be invited back to school at 5:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Students are encouraged to wear white spirit dress. Pizza, snacks, and drinks will be provided. Read more to RSVP.

Spring is here, bringing reflections on a year nearly complete. What better time to purchase a yearbook? Secure your Upper School or Middle School yearbook covering the activities of your student in grades 9 – 12 or grades 5 – 8, respectively. Please note that yearbooks ($75 each) must be ordered online in advance and will be delivered to students in June.

Please congratulate the following student who was recognized at Chapel on March 18:

• Samuel H., grade 3, for Responsibility

Winter term report cards for students in grades K – 4 are now posted on the Parent Portal. Look for report cards on the Classes & Reports tab.

If your child is in grades 4 – 6, register by Monday, March 31, for A Guide to Growing Up on Saturday, April 5. These gender-separated Mom/Daughter and Dad/Son classes, led by Bear Creek's health team, are designed to help children understand the how, when, and why of puberty in a comfortable, age-appropriate setting. The cost is $30 per child. Invite a friend to sign up with you today! Read more for details.

Lower School dads are invited to join their children at school on Friday, April 4, from 8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m., for an interactive activity on the playground followed by a visit to your child's classroom for coffee and a donut. Read more for details.

On Wednesday, April 9, and Thursday, April 10, kindergarten students will perform And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon in the Cornerstone Theater for their family and friends. Read more for showtimes, streaming, etc.

On Thursday, April 10, from 2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., grade 1 students will showcase their writing from the year, and we will celebrate their hard work and creativity. Parents are invited to join us in their child's classroom.

Grade 2 parents are invited to the Ida Lairson Library on Friday, April 11, from 8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m., to meet with Division Head Kristen Gephart and Dean of Students Tracy Whitfield to discuss some of the social and developmental changes to expect in grade 3.

In lieu of class photos, our photographer creates Lower School class collages. Parents may download (free) or order a print (8x10, $10) of their child's 2024 – 2025 class collage from Nation Photography. The password to access the gallery is grizzlypride.

Preschool students will enjoy a time of worship and teaching with Mrs. Urban during our monthly Chapel on Wednesday, April 2, at 9:00 a.m. (Except for the P3 2-day students, who have Chapel with their classmates on Thursday morning.) Parents are welcome to attend, but space is very limited.

Please join us on Monday, April 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., for a discussion about "Raising a Resilient Child" with Bear Creek's Dean of Literacy and Learning Tressa Parker and Preschool Division Head Rachael Urban. Spend the morning with us learning more about this topic and sharing ideas with the group. RSVP here.

Preschoolers are invited to dress in their grade-level shirts on Thursday, April 10, or Friday, April 11. Read more for details.

Parents of P4/P5 students entering kindergarten at Bear Creek next fall are invited to join us for one of two orientation events on Friday, April 25, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., or Wednesday, April 30, from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., in the Main building's Ida Lairson Library (8905 208th Avenue NE, Redmond). Learn about the Bear Creek experience and receive helpful information for a smooth transition to kindergarten. Please RSVP.

Check out EmeraldSoundConference.org for the latest sports scores (click the Sports tab) as well as the team schedules. Game schedules are posted on this page and on the Athletics Calendar. Go Grizzlies!