Inside this issue:

Helpful Hints 3-5

New Staff @ BC 6

Health Room News 7

PTO 8-14

Car Free Commute 15

Classroom Clips 16-

20

Money Makers for BC 21-

24

Bear Creek Elementary

2500 Table Mesa Drive

Boulder, CO 80305

Kent Cruger, Principal

August 30, 2013

Bear Tracks

BC At-A-Glance 2

1st Day of School for these Bear Creek

Students and Parents…..

Thank you parents, students and Bear Creek staff for such a fantastic start of the year. I feel

lucky to be beginning my tenth year as a part of such a wonderful community.

Each year there are a few new faces on our Bear Creek team. We welcome Jeff Brison as our

teacher for the third section of fifth grade. Jeff comes to Bear Creek after teaching last year at

Monarch K-8. In fourth grade Liz Wilmers joins our staff. Liz will be job sharing with Sally

Wood, and completed the same Friends School Teacher Preparation program that Sally com-

pleted before beginning at Bear Creek. Kathy Hawk is one of the new members of the 3rd

grade team of teachers, and is job sharing with Heidi Casey. Last year Kathy was at Whittier

Elementary as a student teacher working in a kindergarten classroom. Another new face in

3rd grade is Michelle Hill who comes to us after many successful years at Eisenhower Elemen-

tary. Last but certainly not least, Abigail Vajda will be teaching ½ of the music classes at Bear

Creek this year. We are lucky that Abigail chose to relocate to Colorado and she brings with

her a number of years of elementary music teaching experience.

We welcome 75 new kindergartners and 35 new students in grades 1-5. Our total school

population is 411, which is the largest we’ve been in 15+ years.

If your child took TCAP assessments last spring you will receive the results by way of the Fri-

day folder in the next week or so. Bear Creek students once again performed extremely well

on these state tests, a tribute to the students and also to the support of teachers and parents.

An annual report, which will be completed at the end of October, will detail some of our suc-

cesses and the goals we will set for the following year.

Please take the time to read through Bear Tracks each week so that you are aware of school

events and news. In addition to Bear Tracks, parents can find a wealth of information about

Bear Creek on our web-site, and particularly on the document Bear Creek A-Z.

As I look back on the first two weeks and forward to the rest of the year, I truly feel that my

tenth year will score a perfect 10 in terms of safety, learning and fun. I welcome the oppor-

tunity to meet some of you who are new parents and to reconnect with all of you in the com-

ing weeks and months in order to build a strong partnership in the education of your children.

Here’s hoping for a fantastic school year ahead for all of us!

~Kent Cruger

BC monthly Calendar 25

BVSD 26-

27

BEAR CREEK CALENDAR

AT - A - GLANCE

Monday, Sept. 2

NO SCHOOL—Labor Day

Tuesday, Sept. 3

CalWood Mandatory Meeting @ 6:30

Thursday, Sept. 5

SoHills Back to School Picnic

Monday, Sept 9

Picture Day

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Back to School Night

Wednesday, Sept 11

Instrument Rental Fair @ Platt MS

Fairview Back to School Night

Monday, Sept. 23—Wednesday, Sept. 25

5th Graders to CalWood

Thursday, Sept. 26

Bear Creek Carnival 4:30-6:30 PM

Friday, Sept. 27th

INTRAMURALS begin @ 7:45 AM

Tuesday, October 1

OCTOBER COUNT DAY

Vision & Hearing Screening

Jump Rope begins @ 7:45

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Lifelong Learning, which is part of BVSD's Community

Schools Program runs many wonderful activities for stu-

dents in schools across the district. If you go to their web-

page http://www.bvsd.org/lll/Pages/default.aspx you can

find great kid classes, many of which will happen right at

our school! This fall at Bear Creek Lifelong Learning will

offer: Chess, BVSD Enrichment Spanish, Basketball,

Dance, Snag football, Floor Hockey, LEGO Enrichment,

and Skate Boarding Classes.

Please check the Community Board and table in our

front hallway where other activities that are not spon-

sored by the school or Lifelong Learning can be posted.

Oftentimes these activities happen at Bear Creek, as

groups can rent some of our spaces after school.

LOST and FOUND

The lost and found is located at the end of

the hallway by the gym between the inside

and outside doors.

SAVE THE DATE!!!!!

SUPER SCIENCE NIGHT

THURSDAY , NOV 7TH

It's a journey through the stars! We have a great night planned

for you and your family at Bear Creek during our

Annual Super Science Night, from 6 to 8 pm on Thursday, Nov.

7. Outside the school we'll have telescopes set up to view the

night sky, while inside the school we'll have presentations about

Mars and exploring deep space. This is always a great and eye-

opening event . Mark your calendars!!!!

If you can help out and are interested in volunteering we are

looking for a few adults to help things run smoothly.

Please contact Lisa Cook: lisatcook@gmail.com.

AS A NEW SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS…

SOME HELPFUL HINTS FROM THE OFFICE

School Hours: School begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. Morning Kindergarten session is from 8:30 a.m. to

11:20 a.m. Afternoon Kindergarten session is from 12:05 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Playground Supervision: The playground is supervised for 15 minutes before school starts and for 15 minutes af-

ter dismissal. Students should not arrive before 8:15 a.m., as there is no supervision prior to this time. Students

should leave the school grounds promptly after dismissal at 3:00 p.m.

Inclement Weather: Students do not enter the building until the entrance bell, except in the event of bad

weather. A red flag on the flag pole will signal that students may come inside before the morning bell, and a green

flag will signal that students should remain on the playground until school begins.

Bear Creek Bike Policy. Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 may ride their bikes, skateboards or scooters to school.

Students in grades K, 1, and 2 may ride with an adult accompaniment. All students are to wear a helmet. Please

dismount on the edge of the Bear Creek property and walk your bike or scooter to the rack. Ride safely. Bike

racks are now located in 3 places on our campus and skateboards now have racks in the front.

Tardiness: We believe that regular school attendance and being on time is of the utmost importance. The warning

bell will ring at 8:28a.m. and the regular bell at 8:29 to allow students enough time to be seated, ready, and in

class by the time announcements start at 8:33 a.m. A student not in their seat at 8:35 a.m. needs to report as

tardy to the office.

Early Dismissals: If your child must be dismissed early or excused from school for a brief period of time, please

see his/her teacher to determine the necessary arrangements. In addition, please stop by the office to sign your

child out and back in (if applicable).

Visitors/Volunteers: All visitors are asked to stop by the school office, sign in, pick-up and wear a visitor or vol-

unteer badge every time they visit. Please return the badge to the office and sign out upon leaving the building.

We know many of you are here regularly to volunteer, but we ask that you still check in every time.

Play Dates: After-school arrangements should be made prior to the beginning of school. It is not always possible

to get a message to a classroom during the last minutes of the day. We understand that emergencies come up and

we will try to help when this happens.

Absences: Please call the office at 720-561-3502 by 8:45 a.m. if your child will be late or absent.

If you know your child will miss the following day at school, please call and leave a message for the

office staff on the Bear Creek voicemail.

LUNCHROOM INFORMATION Negative Balance:

With all the new and exciting changes Nutrition Services is making, we will always feed our students and will allow their

accounts to go in arrears. Nutrition Services staff will be generating letters from the QSP POS system and will have them

distributed through homeroom teachers in Friday folders. We will also be making phone calls and sending emails to parents

directly from Nutrition Services Dept.

Food Allergies:

If you child has a milk allergy, we will provide the student with juice as an alternate beverage if, and only if, we have a Medi-

cal Statement Form on file. If a child has other food allergies, we will provide alternate items as availability allows if, and

only if, we have a Medical Statement Form on file. Nutritional information as well as allergy information can be found at

www.bvsd.org/food/Pages/default.aspx

Lunch Fees

Elementary $3.00

Reduced Price K-2 $0.00, 3-12 $0.40

(with qualification)

1% Milk $0.50

Side salad - child $1.00

Juice $0.50

Adult Price $4.25 w/milk (side salad $2.00)

Paying for Lunch:

About Your Child’s Cafeteria Meal Account:

All students have a personal meal account. Students access their account using their six-digit student ID#.

Putting money on your student’s account in advance eliminates the need for your child to remember to bring money to school

daily. Having money in their account also helps keep lunch lines moving.

Send cash or check in any dollar amount to be credited to your child’s personal meal account, or go to

MyPaymentsPlus.com to add money to their account. MyPaymentsPlus.com is fast, easy and very convenient to use.

With MyPaymentsPlus.com you can set up a low-balance email reminder for when your student’s account gets below a

level you choose. If you prefer, you can set up an auto-refill when your student’s account drops to zero. No money is ever

charged to your credit card without your approval and there are no transaction fees.

If using checks, please make payable to: Boulder Valley School District. Write your child’s first and last name and student ID#

on the check to be sure the money is deposited in the correct account.

When students bring a lunch from home, they may use their account to purchase milk, juice and side salad bar.

Please contact the cafeteria or MyPaymentsPlus.com as needed to check on your child’s account balance before it gets too

low.

Cash and Checks. Please make checks payable to BVSD and include your child’s full name and student ID #. With cash pay-

ments, please be sure the money is in a securely sealed envelope with full name and student ID number on the envelope. Money

can be divided among siblings at the same school; please make a note if you would like to do this, and note the dollar amount

per child.

Free/Reduced Lunch Program. Please contact the office for the appropriate forms.

Lunch Times:

K-Enrichment Program: 11:15 Kindergarten: 11:20

1st Grade: 12:10, 12:12, 12:14 2nd Grade: 11:45. 11:47, 11:49

3rd Grade: 11:30, 11:32, 11:34 4th Grade: 11:55, 11:57

5th Grade: 12:20, 12:22, 12:24

BEAR CREEK ELEMENTARY DIRECTORY

Welcome to the New Bear Creek Directory!

We are using a new online directory, A to Z Directories, that allows parents to view student/household information from a desktop, smart phone and in the coming months, a printed booklet. We have found that this is a very efficient way for parents and students to connect with one another and keep everything as up to date as possible.

To get started:

If you are an existing family at Bear Creek, you should have received an email from the administrator with information on how to verify current information and edit any old. You will also be assigned new passwords.

**Please note, if you have a child already at Bear Creek but have an additional child coming in, you will have to add his/her name when you login and verify.

If you are entirely new to Bear Creek, or have never registered your student in the previous directory, you will have to set up a new family account. Go to www.atozdirectories.com, choose login - school directory app and click 'join as new family'. Please choose Bear Creek Elementary-CO from the drop down. Fill out as much information as you like and save.

You will receive an email (if you provide an email) from the administrator with login data. From that email, just follow the directions of the Verification Wizard.

There are a few students that did not match correctly with old directory data and current class lists so please pardon any corrections you may have to make.

Thank you SO very much for your patience with any kinks that may come along with the transition–

For any questions, please email bearcreekelementary@schooldirectoryupdate.com

New Staff At Bear Creek

Mrs. Wilmers - 4th Grade

I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and have taught school in many places. I was an intern teacher at BCSIS in Boulder

in 2011, and have taught kids ages 5-17 in Asia, Central America, Southern Africa, and Oceania. My hobbies in-

clude international travel, backpacking, cooking, and biking. The thing I love most about teaching is helping kids

realize their passions and watching those "light-bulb moments" happen both in and out of the classroom.

Mrs. Hill - 3rd Grade

I am new to our third grade team at Bear Creek but not new to third grade. I have been teaching third grade for

the past five years at Eisenhower Elementary just across town. I previously worked as the math interventionist

at Eisenhower and have also taught fourth and sixth grade in Virginia and Ohio respectively. I grew up in Ohio so

I am Buckeye at heart. My hobbies include tennis, travel, reading, and spending time family and friends. I am the

mother to three sons, Kyle ( 22), Josh ( 20), and Brady (17) as well as a beloved Brittany Spaniel, Abigail. This

summer my husband, Fenton, and I snagged our 50th state with an amazing trip to Alaska. It was a fun milestone

and as well as absolutely breathtaking! Favorite pick me ups: dark chocolate and popcorn! Favorite aspect about

teaching: It is fresh and new each and every day!

Mr. Brison - 5th Grade

I am excited to get this new opportunity to work with a class of eager children. I join the Bear

Creek Team this year from Monarch K-8. I enjoy reading, teaching, and wearing ties; often all at the

same time. With over 80 different neckties and bow ties my chances are pretty good to wear one

every day of the year, without too much repeating. A huge proponent of technology in the classroom, I am

pleased to find myself in a school that places an emphasis on the same. I am very pleased and comforted to have

been welcomed by such a caring community. Always eager for the future, I celebrate that every day spent in a

classroom, is another new day well spent. Thank you Bear Creek!

Abigail Vajda (Mrs. V) - Music

I grew up in Canton, OH and then moved to Northern VA where I taught elementary music and choir for 8 years

with Fairfax County Public Schools. I love to go thrifting and white water rafting. What I like most about teach-

ing is giving students a creative outlet and an opportunity to succeed outside of the core academics. I also like

watching students abilities and independence grow from year to year.

Kathy Hawk - 3rd Grade

Teaching is an exciting new profession for me. I love the daily contact with the kids. One of the most wonderful

teaching moments is when a student has an "ah-ha" experience with a new concept and they "get it." This student

made a connection with new knowledge in a powerful way.

Before teaching, I managed and co-owned Fleet Feet Sports. I moved to Boulder 13 years ago to open the store,

not knowing a single person in town. Thank goodness I took that risk, because Boulder is a near perfect place to

live - especially for someone who loves to run, ride bikes, and swim. All of these activities I still adore but do

sparingly as I have two young, amazing boys, Sam who is 6 and Case who is 3. Now, I happily spend most of my ex-

tra time with them on the floor building Lego towers and racing cars.

Health Room News Because we are all back to together and like to share everything, we want to

remind parents of BVSD guidelines for keeping your student at home and good hygiene practices.

Guidelines for Keeping Your Student Home

Fever, vomiting, or diarrhea: Your student should remain home for 24 hours after symptoms end.

Colds/respiratory viruses: Keep your student home at the beginning of a cold. This is also the time when one is most

infectious and least likely to feel well enough to participate in class. When he/she feels better and no longer has a

persistent cough, it is permissible to return to school.

Strep throat: Your student may return to school after taking the antibiotic for 24 hours, feeling better, and being

free of symptoms.

Your child will be sent home if he/she has a temperature of 101° or 100° accompanied by any other symptoms.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs. (taken from the CDC website on Flu Prevention)

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you are sick with flu–like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except

to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing

medicine.)

While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

Strep throat and Sore throat (taken from the CDC website on Strep Throat in Kids)

Not all sore throats are strep throats. Most episodes of sore throat — which can be accompanied by a runny nose, cough,

hoarseness, and red eyes — are caused by viruses and usually clear up on their own without medical treatment.

A child with strep throat will start to develop other symptoms within about 3 days, such as:

red and white patches in the throat lower stomach pain

difficulty swallowing fever

tender or swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling

red and enlarged tonsils loss of appetite and nausea Headache rash

Strep throat usually requires treatment with antibiotics. With the proper medical care — along with plenty

of rest and fluids — a child should be back to school and play within a few days.

What is the right way to wash your hands?

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.

Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your

fingers, and under your nails.

Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end

twice.

Rinse your hands well under running water.

Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

PTO News Bear Creek Community Picnic

Bear Creek Hot Lunch Tasting with Chef Ann Cooper Oct. 2

The PTO welcomes Chef Ann Cooper, Food Director from BVSD Nutrition Services, for a tasting and dis-

cussion on hot lunch at Bear Creek on October 2 at 6:30pm. We are looking for 2-3 students per grade

with diverse opinions on hot lunch to participate in this event with a parent. Our goal is to increase partici-

pation in the hot lunch program by listening to kids and parents about what they like and what they don't!

Take this opportunity to try a hot lunch sample and provide your feedback directly to Chef Ann. If you are

interested in participating, please contact our School Food Project Liaison, Sonya Gary:

sonya.gary@hotmail.com, and be sure to let her know whether your child is a

kid who:

1. loves hot lunch and participates regularly (2-5 times per week);

2. never or seldom participates;

OR

3. has dietary restrictions but could enjoy the hot lunch program more with

some changes.

Would you like to be involved with School Food Project Events at Bear Creek?

The School Food Project is hosting a back-to-school parent meeting to discuss the fall schedule of events –

Rainbow Days, tastings and chef demos.

When: Thursday, September 12, 10:30am-11:30am

Where: Arapahoe Ridge High School Cafeteria

School lunch will be provided.

Please contact Sonya Gary (sonya.gary@hotmail.com) by September 6 to RSVP.

Bear Creek Intramural Program

Dear Parents,

Soon we will be starting our Intramural program for 4th and 5

th grade

students. The program is designed to give students extra time to

further develop motor skills as well as enjoy a more competitive game

environment. Good sportsmanship and safety will be first priority.

The sports students will be participating in are Flag Football,

Floor Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball, kickball, and possibly others.

All necessary equipment will be provided and altered to incorporate

safety. I encourage students to participate in all sports; however

students will be allowed to choose sports they want to participate in. I

encourage them to commit to the chosen sport because their teammates

will be counting on them.

Intramurals will take place on Thursday and Friday mornings from

7:45 to 8:25, beginning in September and ending at the end of March. Our

first day will be on Friday, September 27th. Our first sport will be Flag

Football. Drop off time is 7:40. Be on time because games start at 7:45.

Students wishing to participate need to pick up a permission form

from the PE Office, or print a copy online. After filling out the

permission form, the bottom portion must be returned to Mr. Soole before

participation can begin.

Thank you,

Mr. Soole

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Intramural Program Sign-up

If interested, please fill out and return just this bottom

portion to Mr. Soole.

Student’s name -----------------------------------------------

Parent Signature----------------------------------------------

Parent email address --------------------------------------

Emergency Phone Number _____________________________________

Bear Creek Jump Rope Club

Dear Parents,

Soon we will be starting our Jump Rope Club

for all Bear Creek students, Kindergarten

through 5th grade. Our objectives will be to

increase cardiovascular endurance, improve

coordination and agility, meet friends, have

fun, and learn to be a great rope skipper.

Jump Rope Club will be held every Tuesday

from 7:45 – 8:25 AM. Our first day will be

Tuesday, October 1st.. Although we encourage

students to come every Tuesday, students should

feel welcome to come as much as they desire.

Jump ropes will be provided.

Students wishing to participate will need to

pick up a permission form from the PE Office, or

print a copy online. After filling out the

permission form, the bottom portion must be

returned to Mr. Soole before participating in

Jump Rope Club. We will make sure that all

students are safely transported to their

classrooms at the end of each session.

Questions: james.soole@bvsd.org

Thank you, Mr. Soole

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jump Rope Club Sign-up

If interested, please fill out and return just

this bottom portion to the P.E office.

Student’s

name________________________________________

TAG/Enrichment Activities

Bear Creek provides a variety of enrichment activities to enhance your child’s educational

program. The following enrichment opportunities are available to all interested students.

Spelling Bee – 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students participate in the

Spelling Bee at Bear Creek Elementary. The school winner then moves

on to the Regional Spelling Bee. The Bear Creek Spelling Bee will take

place in January. More information, including study words, can be found

at www.spellingbee.com

Geography Bee: 4th and 5th grade students participate in the National

GeoBee sponsored by National Geographic Magazine. More information and

daily quizzes can be found at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/

In order to practice for the Geography Bee, the 4th and 5th graders can

participate in optional weekly geography quizzes. I will compile a list of

questions each week from previous Geography Bees. Students can use

atlases, maps, encyclopedias, the internet, and other resources to answer

questions.

A new quiz will be ready by Friday of each week starting in October. Teachers may send

out these quizzes as an attachment to their e-mail newsletter on Fridays. Interested

students can get copies of the quizzes from their teachers (or print it out at home) and

work on them during the week. Students must turn in their completed quiz by the

following Friday. Participation in the weekly quizzes is completely optional.

Parents may subscribe to a district TAG email list, if they wish. They will receive

information about enrichment activities, articles, websites of interest to students and

families, programs and presentations for parents, and information about general student

opportunities. To sign up they should call Becky Whittenburg at 720-561-5067 or email

her becky.whittenburg@bvsd.org

TAG Conference

The following is provided for your information and does not constitute an endorsement or

recommendation. The Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented (CAGT) invites

parents and educators to attend their annual conference. Parents are invited to attend:

CAGT Conference which will be held on October 7 and 8, 2013 at the Marriott Denver Tech

Center. Keynote speakers include:

•The Honorable Deborah Delisle, Assistant Secretary, US Department of Education

•Jim Delisle, a Colorado GT favorite

•Susan Jackson, GT Consultant

~Meire Martini, TAG Coordinator, Bear Creek

ART

Welcome back! The Bear Creek art program schedule has expanded for first through fifth graders. It has gone from one 50 minute class a week to two 40 minute classes a week. I feel fortunate to have the chance to implement this program with your students in the inspiring and beautiful art room. For some of the students this is our fourth year of creating together and with this opportunity we will have more time to explore and challenge ourselves.

This year we decided to have the art program fundraiser at the beginning of the school year Please be on the look out for your student’s KidzArt Work this fall in their Friday folder. The delivery of products will arrive before the winter break. Their creation could make special holiday gifts.

Looking forward to working with your students and having a creative year. Ms. Koch's second grade artists working

on their starry night

~Brie Wright

NONDISCRIMINATION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

In compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, Colorado law and Board of Education Policy AC

(Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity), Boulder Valley School District does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, religion, ancestry, need for special education services, age, marital status, genetic information, or physical characteristics in admissions, access to, treatment, or employment in educational programs or activities which it operates. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees and members of the public. The following person has been identified as the compliance officer for the district:

Superintendent

Boulder Valley School District6500 Arapahoe Rd.

Boulder, CO 80301

720.561.5114

Superintendent@bvsd.org

Outside agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI (race, national origin), Title IX (sex/gender), Section 504/ADA (disability), may be filed directly with the Of-fice for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 N. Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

In accordance with the BVSD policy on distribution/posting of non-curricular material-Bear Tracks will print

curricular items about our school. Many outside opportunities available, (i.e. Science Matters, second language

programs, parenting workshops, community sports, non-profit organizations, etc.) may be posted on the hall

bulletin board with prior approval of the Principal, but may not be included in Bear Tracks. Be sure to check

the Parent’s Board in the school for information regarding outside opportunities. All articles can be submitted

to Carolyn Walker at carolyn.walker@bvsd.org.

Additional information about Bear Creek can be found on the website at http://www.bvsd.org/schools/

bearcreek/ .

Submission Deadline Publication Date

Sept. 11 Sept. 13

Sept. 25 Sept. 27

Oct. 9 Oct. 11

Cell Phone & Electronics Recycling from The Wireless Alliance

About The Wireless Alliance The Wireless Alliance is a cell phone and ink cartridge recycling company. We work with wireless retail stores, e-waste recyclers, schools, universities, state and local government, large corporations and non-profit organiza-tions to collect and recycle cellular equipment and ink cartridges. All equipment is repurposed in a zero waste, environmentally-conscious manner. Since 2001, The Wireless Alliance has reclaimed over 500 tons of wireless equipment from landfills, contributing to a cleaner and safer environment.

Items we accept The Wireless Alliance accepts:

All cell phones, smart phones, PDA’s, iPods, digital cameras, and iPads

regardless of age or condition

Chargers

Rechargeable cell phone batteries

All accessories including: bluetooth, air cards, clips and cases

Paper manuals and plastic packaging

All ink cartridges

Bear Creek receives a portion of the proceeds from the recycling of these

products and has both a cell phone and ink cartridge

September 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

NO SCHOOL

LABOR DAY

3

Mandatory

CalWood

Meeting @ 6:30

4

5

SoHills Back to

School Picnic

6

7

8 9

Picture Day

10

Bear Creek Back to School

Night

11

Instrument Rental Fair @ Platt 4-7:00

Fairview Back to School

Night

12 13

NO SCHOOL

Assessment Day

14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26

Bear Creek

Carnival

4:30-6:30

27

Intramurals

begin at 7:45

28

29 30 **October 1**

Vision & Hearing

Screening

Jump Rope Club

begins @ 7:45

OFFICIAL

OCTOBER

COUNT DAY

5th Graders to CalWood

Parent Engagement Network presents: Thriving During the Elementary Years

Our Community Collaboration

By Jan Hittelman

There’s power in collaboration. For the last four years, Boulder Psychological Services (BPS), in collaboration with

the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD), Parent Engagement Network, Boulder County Healthy Youth Alliance,

Daily Camera, and others, have provided free community presentations and workshops through the Pathways to

Parenting Success series. While we began at one location in partnership with the Meadow’s Branch Library in

Boulder, free monthly events are now also offered in the Louisville and Broomfield libraries. In addition, we continue

to provide our televised monthly program “Pathways to Parenting Success” in partnership with BVSD on Channel 22.

Viewers can watch live and email questions for panelists or watch archived shows at www.bvsd.org at their

convenience.

As we continue to grow, we will soon be expanding to other communities. Because we are also expanding our topics

to address not only parenting issues, but also mental health issues for adults, caregivers, seniors and others, we have

renamed our series “Pathways to Success”.

While we are very grateful to all of our collaborators for making this possible, our most important community

partners are YOU! Please feel free to contact me directly with any feedback, comments, suggestions for future topics,

or requests for speakers for your school or community group. And join us at our upcoming events. We would love to

see you at one of the libraries and/or get your live questions during our TV show! Keep up on all the latest by

checking the BVSD calendar at www.bvsd.org or signing up for the BPS newsletter at www.BoulderBPS.com.

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UPCOMING PEN EVENT:

PEN 12th Annual Kick-off:

Bully Prevention and Social Competency

Featuring: Rosalind Wiseman

(Author of “Queen Bees and Wannabes” and her new book “Master Minds and Wingmen”)

Date: Monday, September 30, 2013

Time: 6:30-8:30 pm

Location: Centaurus High School (10300 South Boulder Rd, Lafayette)

Cost: $15/Adult

Register: www.penbv.org/PENKickOff

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE, free interpretation

And join us for an intimate gathering with Rosalind at Apeizza E Vino Restaurant in Lafayette from 4:30-5:30 prior

to the event. Tickets are $50 and include: 1 glass wine/drink, appetizers, & admission to the Centaurus event above.

To register, contact Paula Nelson at paula.nelson@penbv.org or 303-880-6030.

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Learn more about PEN by visiting their website: www.parentengagementnetwork.org or by contacting Paula Nelson,

PEN Executive Director (pjn6225@yahoo.com, 303-880-6030) or Betsy Fox, PEN Lead Coach,

(foxbetsy123@msn.com, 720-563-7007).

Dr. Jan Hittelman, a licensed psychologist, is Director of Boulder Psychological Services and the Founder of the

Boulder Counseling Cooperative. Questions or comments for this monthly column can be sent via email to:

jan.hittelman@gmail.com, or by phone: 720-217-3270

Student accident insurance 2013-14

Low-cost student accident insurance is again being offered by Markel this year. They have changed their enrollment method from

paper to electronic and will not be providing print outs to schools to distribute to students. Attached is a PDF of their enrollment

information. This information is also available on the district website at

http://www.bvsd.org/employees/AthleticsActivities/Athletic%20Insurance%20Information/Forms/AllItems.aspx.

Healthy Kids Initiative

Another possible option for parents whose students need health insurance is the Boulder County Healthy Kids Initiative which

helps families enroll in Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) and Medicaid. CHP+ and Medicaid are free and low-cost health insurance

plans that provide dental, medical, prescription, mental health, and vision benefits. There are no monthly premiums, and co-pays

range from $0 - $15 depending on family income. CHP+ has higher income eligibility limits than many public assistance programs,

so many working families can qualify. Assets are not considered when determining eligibility for these programs. Some families

who have not previously qualified may be able to qualify now due to new income guidelines.

Eligibility specialists are available to serve families at all BVSD schools. Call 720-515-1454 today to talk with a specialist or to make

an appointment!

More information is available on the district website at http://www.bvsd.org/healthykids. A link to this page is on the front page of

the district site: Go to www.bvsd.org and click the Healthy Kids Initiative logo at the bottom of the page.