Brave Families -
Can you believe that August is only 12 days away!? I have heard from families that are out preparing for the start of another transition back into the school schedule by collecting supplies, preparing for new drop off and pick up procedures, and organizing all the things families do to get everyone where they need to be each day. It is a busy time of year mixed with excitement and wonder!
Hopefully the following information will help you prepare your transition to Bear Creek as well as give you dates to add to your schedule for planning purposes. The closer we get to the beginning of school, which is August 16th for students, you will be receiving more communication to help with the transition for you and for our Braves.
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!
Brenda Riebkes
BCI Principal
ENROLLMENT UPDATE
All of our returning students should have received an email from Keller ISD last week containing the info snap code needed to confirm registration for the 23-24 school year. If you did not receive this email please contact Lindsey Cunningham at lindsey.cunningham@kellerisd.net and she will ensure to send you the information needed. The link for returning registration is Returning Registration Link
If you are not returning to our campus next year and need to withdraw please reach out to Megan Marshall at megan.marshall@kellerisd.net
NEW FAMILY MEMBERS TO BEAR CREEK INTERMEDIATE!
Hello! My name is Macie Steele, and I am so excited to teach 5th grade general music and 6th grade choir at BCI! I love music, I love to sing, and I love to play the ukulele. I am married to the choir Director at Keller High School, have two sweet girls named Millie and Ella, and a spunky pup named Murphy. I received my Bachelor of Music in the Spring of 2013 from Tarleton State University where I met my husband, Zach. I taught at Basswood Elementary School for six years and received my Master’s in Music Education from Texas Tech University in August of 2019. After my oldest daughter Millie was born in October 2018, I decided I wanted to stay home and soak up as much time with her as possible while also continuing to teach music in some capacity. Since the fall of 2019 I have been sharing my passion of singing classical, musical theater, jazz, and popular music with middle school students in Keller ISD! I also had a private home studio, where I taught piano, voice, and ukulele to children and adults of all ages! I am looking forward to being back in the music classroom in wonderful Keller ISD!
My name is Priscilla Patague (pronounced puh-tah-ghee) and I am excited to be joining the Braves Team this coming school year. I have been in the education field for over 20 years however, I have only been actively teaching for 8 years. I took time to raise my four children and go to school while my husband served in the military. We were able to travel to many places but my favorite spots were when we were overseas immersed in the different cultures. I was fortunate to teach 3rd grade in Aviano, Italy before we moved back to the states where I taught ECSE in Warrensburg, MO. We decided to retire after 23 years of service and moved the family to Keller where I began my time as a long-term sub in 2nd grade before taking over the class in spring. I stayed there for 2 years before I moved to Kindergarten. Now, Bear Creek Intermediate is where I will have the privilege of serving our students in the Special Education program. I look forward to all the adventures this new chapter brings but most importantly, I look forward to all the new friendships I will be making with each of you. Here's to an amazing school year!
SCHOOL SUPPLIES!
Below are the 5th and 6th grade lists for supplies. The closer we get to Meet the Teacher Night(s), we will communicate out where the supplies can be housed. We do NOT want students to have to carry in all of the supplies on the first day. Plan on sending students with something to write one, something to write with, and a folder to place any papers in.
New BCI BRAVES ON THE BLOCK
Bear Creek Intermediate will be hosting their first New BCI Brave On The Block next week! The main purpose for this event is for students to get to know other students before the first day of school - to hopefully take some of the nervousness of meeting others away.
You needed to of registered for this event previously in order to attend. Families registered received more information from our counseling staff this week.
Birthday Treats -
We have several students with severe food allergies. A severe allergy is an allergy that may cause an anaphylactic reaction. A child with a serious food allergy can suffer a reaction merely by touching an allergy containing food. Therefore, we are putting the following safety guidelines into effect:
Do not send food that contains or may contain peanuts or tree-nuts to be eaten as a snack in the classroom. Snacks that do not contain nuts as an ingredient but say they may have been processed in a facility that has peanuts/tree-nuts will still be allowed as a snack.
Birthday parties are a special time for children, and we want to celebrate your child. If you want to send something fun to celebrate your child with his/her classmates, we are requestion that you send non-food items (bubbles, pencils, stickers, etc..). Please do not send a treat containing peanuts/tree-nuts. Any treat brought into the classroom to be consumed by other students must be store bought with the ingredient labels attached.
Thank you for being a big part of helping keep BCI safe for all students!
This letter was sent out on Monday regarding technology deployment. We encourage, if your family is able, to come prior to Meet the Teacher night(s) due to expected attendance.
Keller ISD students in grades 5-12 will receive new Microsoft Surface devices to use for the 2023-24 school year, and to aid with the distribution process, students and families are invited to obtain their device prior to the start of the school year.
Returning Braves can drop by Bear Creek Intermediate for the Microsoft Surface deployment from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. July 17 through August 4th. Additionally, deployment will take place during our school's Meet-the-Teacher or Walk-the-Schedule nights (noted in parentheses):
Bear Creek Intermediate (5:00 - 6:30 p.m. August 10th (5th) or August 11th (6th))
Students must go to the campus they will be attending for the 2023-24 school year to obtain their device.
Students will need to bring their Chromebook and charger to turn in if he/she did not turn in his/her device at the end of the year. Those students who have lost their Chromebook will need to visit the Keller ISD Webstore to pay the required $50 fee. The receipt for that transaction can be brought to the campus to receive a new device. Incoming fifth-grade students who turned in their iPads to their previous school will not have to bring anything to the deployment session.
Reminders for pick up:
1. Please buzz in at our front door. Someone will be there to help!
2. Deployment of technology will be held in BCI's library.
3. Student needs to be present to receive technology.
4. Student can bring their ID or give their ID number to the person helping with deployment.
Students who were not enrolled in Keller ISD for the 2022-23 school year, along with returning students at Panther Pride elementary campuses, New Direction High School, and Keller Collegiate Academy, will all receive their devices at the start of the school year.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Bear Creek Intermediate at 817-744-3650.
Sincerely,
BCI Administration
Brenda Riebkes
BCI Principal
Kristy Oboyski
6th Grade Assistant Principal
Coleton Cox
5th Grade Assistant Principal
Student Emails Transitioning to Microsoft Outlook - Over the next few days, all Keller ISD email accounts will be transitioning from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook. Email addresses for staff and students will remain the same, however, once the transition is complete, staff and students will need to access their email through Outlook. Please watch for a communication from Keller ISD later today to provide more information.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
July 26th: Open House from 1:00 to 3:30; This event is for families to walk through the building that may have not had the opportunity. This will be time to walk the campus. You will not receive your schedule at this time.
August 10th: Meet The Teachers (Schedule Pick Up) 5th from 5:00 to 6:30 P.M. Students will receive a paper schedule from their 0 Period teacher.
August 11th: Meet The Teachers (Schedule Pick Up) 6th from 5:00 to 6:30 P.M. Students will receive a paper schedule from their 0 Period teacher.
August 16th: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (Students are allowed in the building starting at 7:15 A.M. Classes start at 7:45 A.M.)
August 19th: Locker decoration 11:00 A.M to 1:00 P.M.
August 24th: Braves Connection - This meeting is for our new parents to BCI. Learn more about our campus, hear from our counselors, and meet our administration team. The focus of this meeting is more for our new Brave family members.
Brave Office Staff
If you are in need to connect with any of our office staff members, please visit our campus webpage to retrieve direct emails: https://www.kellerisd.net/domain/3817
Bell Schedule.pdf
BCI PTA is looking forward to another year of supporting our students and school. Please visit BCIPTA.org for more information on how to get plugged in this year!
BCI PLAYLIST VIDEOS
We have made a few videos in the past that have helped families navigate some of the new expectations. Even though some of the participants you may see in these videos may not be on campus next year, the message is still important. You will hear about how to read a paper schedule, how our drop off and pick up works, and about other procedures. Once all staff has returned, we will work on updating!
BCI PROCEDURE VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA17YKvOli9AiSGxK1GlVmT2Hq5Zs1WFy
OFFICE HOURS
July 17th - 20th = 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Closed Friday)
July 24th - 27th = 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Closed Friday)
July 31st - August 4th = 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
August 7th - August 11th = 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
August 14th - 15th = 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
August 16th will start our regular hours = 7:15 AM to 3:30 PM