Weekly Warrior
Stay in touch. Stay informed.
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly, in love.” Galatians 5:13
What’s Inside:
Week at a Glance
Letter from Head of School
Elementary News
MS/HS News
Letter to BCS
Prayer Warriors
BCS and You
Bracken Backers
Admin Announcements
Quick Links
Week at a Glance

Monday, Nov 11
9 am - Veteran’s Day SALT Chapel in the gym

1 pm - Elementary Choir sings at Mammen Family Public Library

Tuesday, Nov 12
6:30pm - MS Girls Basketball @ SACS

 Wednesday, Nov 13
10th Grade Field Trip to SAMA

HS Drama Class field trip to Tobin Center

Thursday, Nov 14
   4:30 pm - MS Girls Basketball @ Atonement

Friday, Nov 15
*Nothing scheduled*

Saturday, Nov 16
3pm - Varsity football playoff game @ BCS
Head of School
Jerry Beene

Greetings, Bracken Family.
Can you believe it’s almost Thanksgiving? Time flies when God’s abundant blessings keep us busy and thankful.
Blessings abound here on campus as the weather has cooled a bit (for now), and the Bracken family is impacting the culture for Christ daily:
·  Secondary students completed another service day where they had the opportunity to be the face of Christian service and build relationships in our community as they helped local charitable organizations and engaged those in need.
·     Our sports teams are competing honorably and excelling at their sports. Further down in this Weekly Warrior you’ll see a letter from one of our opponents in volleyball extolling the conduct of our Lady Warriors on and off the court. Please read it; it’s a testament to the impact our sports programs can have on the broader community and a fitting tribute to the coaches and our Lady Warriors.
·     A group of 15-20 students has formed a Business Professionals of America chapter on campus and will be bringing area business professionals on campus to gather insight into opportunities available in the business world. This is yet another opportunity to build relationships within the community.
·     The golf tournament was a rousing success. On October 14 we hosted 100 golfers at River Crossing and had a great time raising $15,000 toward scholarships and other needs. The great news is that approximately 70% of those golfers did not have a prior affiliation with Bracken, meaning we’ve made more new friends. 
And don’t miss our Veterans Day chapel on Monday, November 11. It will be a blessing and a chance to honor those who value our lives and safety more than their own. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Bracken. One.
Blessings,
Jerry S. Beene

P.S. Riding around the golf course during the tournament I discovered that it’s not necessarily safe to be around some of the dads when they tee off…even if you’re standing behind them!
Elementary School News
Sheila Kerby, Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians,
This Christmas season Bracken will participate in a school-wide Operation Christmas Child gift box program during SALT Chapel on Nov 20th. Please see the list below for the each grade's assigned items. We will need 100 of each item. Your child's teacher has sent an email with instructions. Please note that in addition to the items for the box, each student is asked to bring $5.00 to cover shipping costs.

K-4 and K5 - Pencils, erasers, and small notepad to write 
First/Second - Brush, comb, toothbrush, hair ties
Third/Fourth - small toy and playing cards
Fifth Grade - Socks
Pastor Jerry Slye of Bethel Methodist Church, and grandfather of two Bracken students, was our guest speaker during elementary chapel on Tuesday. Pastor Slye shared with the students the difference between belief and trust in the Lord. We can say we believe that Christ is our Savior, but do we trust that Christ is our Savior? Using a chair to demonstrate the point, he said he believed the chair would hold him if he sat in it, but did he trust enough to actually sit down. He sat, and the chair held him! We have to trust in Christ as our Savior.
Thank you, Pastor Slye, for sharing your message with our students at Bracken.  
Elementary Science
Mrs. Thompson continues to keep her science classes engaging and hands-on. This past week students learned about and built habitats, studied insects up close and personal, learned about the properties light, and more. Contact Mrs. Thompson if you would like to talk to her more about the program or visit the science classroom.
Join us!
Monday, November 11th, is Veterans Day. Please join us at 9:00 am in the gym to honor our military veterans.
"Make every effort to give yourself to God as the kind of person he will accept. Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way." 
2 Timothy 2:15
Middle School/
High School News
Tashi Land, Principal
Parents,
 Our second of four service days this year was held this past Wednesday and sent over 140 students, teachers, and parent volunteers to over 20 service organizations in the local area. Organization we supported included: the Hope Center Food Pantry, Los Ninos Children’s Center, Acacia Medical Mission, Spring Branch/Bulverde Pregnancy Care Center, Heights of Bulverde retirement community, Hope Hospice, Mamman Family Public Library, Jumbo Evans Sports Park, Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitation Center, Spring Branch/Bulverde Activity Center, Riverside Community Church, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, The Loft Coffee House, Bulverde Baptist Church, Provisions Food Pantry, Guadalupe State Park, Grace Fellowship, Bulverde Assisted Living, Bracken Christian School, Kleck Park walking trail, and Spring Creek Gardens.  
This day of service inspired many students to want to continue volunteering at these locations on an individual basis in the future. Additionally, as each group represented a range of grade levels from sixth to twelfth grades, new connections were made between younger and older students that will help foster the mentoring activities we have in place this year.
Bracken Christian School hopes to facilitate the seniors’ and juniors’ growth in their leadership abilities as they mentor the younger high school and middle school students through areas of service and study.
We are all excited for the next scheduled service days on February 5th and April 22nd!

Our Bible verse for the week is Galatians 6:9
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Coming Up!
Nov. 20 - SALT Chapel - packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child as a SALT chapel activity. We are asking every student to bring enough items to pack at least 100 boxes and $5.00 to cover shipping costs. Items are assigned by grade as follows:
  • 6th and 7th: soap and washcloths AND $5 per student
  • 8th and 9th: bandaids and lip balm AND $5 per student
  • 10th and 12th: deodorant and small flashlights AND $5 per student
  • 11th: plastic shoe boxes (to pack all the items in) AND $5 per student
Peru Mission Trip
T-shirts to support the Peru mission trip are for sale.
$25
See Ana McCrum or visit the office to purchase.
Lost and Found
Take a close look! Recognize anything here? Secondary lost and found Items will be donated if not claimed at the end of the quarter.
Letter from the Covenant Christian School Athletic Administrator and Varsity Volleyball Coach to the Bracken Head of School:

Good Morning,

I just wanted to take a minute to again say thank you for your hospitality on Saturday. Each of you, your players, your parents, and your fans - were so welcoming! Even in a loss, it was a wonderful experience for myself and my team. Your girls are so sweet, and very talented - it is going to be great to see their progress in the years to come. Our fans also commented to me how nice your parents and fans were, that speaks volumes about the atmosphere at your school.

Thanks again, good luck as you continue in the playoffs, and God's blessings throughout the school year!

Diane L. Severson        John 14:27
Athletic Administrator
Secondary Teacher/Varsity Volleyball Coach
Covenant Christian School
Prayer Warriors
 Please be in prayer for:
  • BCS Search Committee as they evaluate applicants for our new Head of School
  • Health and safety for our athletes
  • Enrollment
  • The right leadership
  • The Moore Family (alums Grant and Lyndsey) are asking you to join their prayer army for their daughter Remmie. Remmie has been recently diagnosed with a very rare genetic disorder (only 40-50 cases worldwide). Please pray for God to work a miracle in Remmie and, as Lyndsey prays, "that she be a testimony of the wonder of our God. The WONDER of his works. The WONDER of His love."

If you have a prayer request that you would like to share in the newsletter, please contact one of the principals or Amy Day to have it included here.

BCS and You
The Giving Tree
If the leaves on this tree represent classroom resources, our teachers could use your help! Please consider donating to meet the below classroom needs.

THANK YOU for pencil erasers and games for 1st grade and power cords for science!

Clinic :
Crutches of various sizes, white fitted twin sheets X 6, Riccola Original throat lozenges, liquid cold & allergy medicine (Dimatapp or generic), protein snacks, adult acetaminophen.

Elementary
K4- Nothing at this time.
K5- Bob Books (Set 5, long vowel sounds)
1st- Highlighters. Thanks for the erasers and games!
2nd- Nothing at this time.
3rd- Dry erase markers and erasers
4th- Candy for bucket ( no gum ).
5th- Sound system. Please see Mr. Armstrong for correct specs.
Science- Nothing for now. Thanks to Mrs. Thompson's parents for the cords!
Music- Nothing for now.
Library - Electric pencil sharpener.
Art - Dry erase markers

MS/HS Under $10
Expo Markers, post-it notes, pens, pencils, paper towels, Kleenex,white board erasers (school wide)
Canvases, paint brushes, drawing pencils, acrylic paint, oils paint (Art)
Meter (not yard) sticks, magazine subscription (Ideas and Discoveries, Discover Magazine)
Books (novel sets) such as The Hobbit, etc. (English)
Individually-wrapped candy (Social Studies)
Historical movies on DVD (Ask history teacher for specifics)

MS/HS Over $10
25 graphing calculators (Math)
New skeleton and stand, organ models, magazine subscriptions like Ideas and Discoveries, Discover Magazine, etc. (Science)
Concordance reference books (Bible)
Novel sets such as The Hobbit, etc. (English)
Retractable screen and sound system for gym (See Dede Wolf for details)
2 flat screen TVs for announcements in hallway

MS/HS Gift card/donation
Teacherdiscovery.com gift cards (Social Studies and foreign languages)
Gift Cards from Sam Ash Music store, Walmart, HEB, Guitar Center (Music)
Donations for script purchases and set/prop purchases (Drama)
Volunteer
As ONE school, we must be united in our efforts to ensure Bracken thrives. Bracken needs ALL families to volunteer to support special events, fundraisers, outreach efforts, or other campus activities throughout the year. The following are upcoming opportunities:

-- Santa's House
-- Painting the bleachers
-- Parent Volunteer Organization (Thursday, Nov 14, at 8:30am)

Click here to sign up for current volunteer opportunities. If your schedule does not allow you to volunteer your time, please contact Amy Day to determine other ways you can contribute.
Raise Money for BCS while you Shop!
Christmas shopping is upon us, but why just buy one gift when you can buy two ? When you buy a gift card from Scrip, you give a gift to Bracken. Brands offer rebates up to 20% of the face value of the card that go straight to Bracken! With over 700 merchants, there is something for everyone. Go to ShopWithScrip.com and click "Join a Program." Enter code 6BL5A91B6151 to register.
Put some more meat on the bones of our Bracken Warrior athletics program when you support Bracken Backers with a purchase of a delicious ham or turkey from the Honey Baked Ham Co. this holiday season!
Administration Announcements
Parent Volunteer Organization
We will host a Parent Volunteer Organization Round Table Discussion meeting on Thursday, Nov 14 at 8:30am. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend as we establish the purpose and direction of this group.
Please let us know that you are coming. Click RSVP .
2019-2020 Bracken Business Network
The 2019-2020 Bracken Business Network Directory is here! Please consider supporting our Bracken family business owners when in need of services such as day care, plumbing, dentistry, and more! You can link to the directory for the full list and contact information here: Bracken Business Network.

Employment Opportunity
BCS is currently seeking a dedicated individual to join our after school program staff! This is a part-time job on Monday-Friday from 3:15-6:30 p.m. Contact Ms. Sheila Kerby, Elementary School Principal, for more details at 830-438-3211.
BCS 2019-2020 Voluntary Accident
Insurance Program
Bracken Christian School does NOT assume financial responsibility for injuries sustained while attending school and participating or practicing in school-sponsored and supervised extracurricular activities and sports. Parents or guardians do, however, have the option to purchase ACCIDENT-ONLY insurance. It covers injuries sustained while attending school and participating in school-sponsored and supervised extracurricular activities and sports (except football grades 9-12). There is also a full-time (24-hour) coverage option and an extended dental option. Please click here to view an enrollment form that is for information only or click the following link to enroll or get more information: https://www.texaskidsfirst.com/Plans.aspx
Administration:

Head of School:
Jerry Beene

Academic Director:
Jill White

Financial/Business Director:
Jerry Beene

Advancement Director:
Amy Day

HS/MS Principal:
Tashi Land

Elementary School Principal:
Sheila Kerby

Athletic Director:
Terri Sanders

NILD Coordinator:
Kim Miglicco


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