BK Alive
News and Information for BK Families
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THIS NEWSLETTER CONTAINS A LOT OF INFORMATION, AND THE LENGTH OF THE NEWSLETTER CAUSES IT TO BE TRUNCATED.
LOOK FOR THE BLUE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMAIL THAT SAYS "VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE" TO EXPAND THE EMAIL, OR CLICK HERE TO SEE ARCHIVED COMMUNICATIONS FROM BK.
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Next Week
Monday 10/18 - Periods 1-4
8:30 AM Start, 3:00 PM Release
Tuesday 10/19 - Periods 5-7
9:00 AM Start, 2:45 - 3:15 PM Office Hours
Wednesday 10/20 - Straight 7
8:30 AM Start, 3:05 PM Release
Thursday 10/21 - All School Mass, Periods 1-3
9:00 AM Start, 3:05 PM Release
Friday 10/22 - Periods 4-7
8:30 AM Start, 3:00 PM Release
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday, October 18th - BK Music Concert @ 7:30 PM (Please note 7:30 PM start time, it was published incorrectly last week.)
Wednesday, October 20th - Just in Time email to parents with sign-up links for Online Parent/Teacher Student Progress Conferences.
Wednesday, October 20th - Signs of Suicide Presentations to all Freshman Theology Classes
Thursday, October 21 - All School Mass (Virtually) Honoring our Grandparents
Wednesday, October 27th - Parent/Teacher Student Progress Conferences, online from 4:00 - 5:30 PM, and 6:00 - 7:30 PM (Sign ups will be sent on 10/20 in a Just in Time email.)
Thursday, October 28th - Parent/Teacher Student Progress Conferences, online from 3:30 - 5:00 PM. and 5:30 - 7:00 PM (Sign ups will be sent on 10/20 in a Just in Time email.)
October 28th - 31st - Bishop Kelly Fall Play, Dracula
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A Note from Rich and Mike |
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Dear BK Families,
We have reached a milestone in the school year as we have finished our ninth week of school - or 25% of the school year. We continue to be grateful for our community and the efforts we have all put in together - students, teachers, staff and parents - to make this such a successful start to the school year.
In this BK Alive letter, we will provide our weekly COVID-19 update and discuss the BK Parent Ambassadors program.
COVID-19 at BK
We are continuing to track and publish our school data on BK.org daily. As of today, 10/15/21, we have had 46 positive student and 9 staff cases since the start of school nine weeks ago, with 2 student and 0 staff member cases added this week. We currently have no students or staff members out in quarantine. Student attendance remains strong at 96% and staff absences for illness have been low this week.
In our COVID assessment meeting this week, we spent an hour with Dr. David Pate, retired CEO of St. Luke’s and a member of Governor Little’s Coronavirus Task Force. We reviewed our current situation and our data, learned what the most recent research is showing and what the outlook is for COVID-19 in our state and region. It was very informative and helpful as we assess what we should be considering as we move forward in the school year.
Here are the highlights of our discussion with Dr. Pate:
- We here at BK have seen a significant drop in our cases, no confirmed spread inside our school, and an increase in attendance since we began wearing masks six weeks ago. Given what is happening in our broader community and state, this is an anomaly per Dr. Pate. He feels the likely reasons we are seeing these results are our high vaccination rates, our wearing of masks indoors, our rapid response to cases with identifying and isolating close contacts, our community’s behavior, attitudes, culture, and the leadership here at BK. He encouraged us to keep up the great work and be a beacon for other schools and organizations in how to keep kids in school safely.
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When asked about the frequency and impact of breakthrough cases for vaccinated people, he stated that, while they do happen, there are very few hospitalizations and virtually no deaths from breakthrough cases because the vaccine protection is fantastic. He also stated that there is a 5-11-fold reduction in getting infected if you are vaccinated and, while not resolved yet, recent studies have shown that if you are vaccinated and you get infected, you have detectable virus for a much shorter period of time and there is increasing evidence that those persons do not transmit the virus very effectively. This is especially important to understand if you have children at home not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.
- There are lots of studies currently looking at natural immunity versus the immunity from taking the vaccine and looking at both how robust natural immunity is and how long it lasts. More to come. He did say if you have had the virus and get vaccinated, you have a far better immune response. One might say you have turbocharged immunity.
- Asked when we are likely going to hit the peak of this fourth surge here in Idaho, Dr. Pate said that the consensus model, which has been accurate to-date, states mid-October (now) as the peak with cases significantly down by Thanksgiving. But these are hard to predict because the spread depends on two factors - the behavior of the virus and the behavior of people. Let’s hope and pray we will be through this surge by Thanksgiving, which is just six weeks away.
Speaking of vaccinations, to help make it easier and more convenient to get vaccinated, we will be hosting our fifth Saint Alphonsus Mobile Vaccination Clinic here at BK in our cafeteria this Thursday, October 21st, from 8:00 am - 10:00 am. Anyone over the age of 12 is welcome - BK students, parents, partner middle school students, etc. and you can receive your first or second dose or a booster if you are eligible. Please see below for the necessary information.
Thank you again for your partnership with us in preventing the spread of COVID-19, keeping our families safe and our kids in school for face-to-face learning and playing sports, and helping our health care systems. Please maintain your efforts on proper indoor mask wearing outside of school, staying home when sick, considering being vaccinated if you/your child are not already, discouraging sleepovers, movie nights, and car pools, and being kind, civil, understanding and respectful to our BK team and to each other. We all want the same thing - our kids in school for face-to-face learning. Every day. Safely. And the better we can do all these things working together, we stand the best chance of making this happen, potentially soon without masks at all times while indoors.
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Strengthen the BK Way and a Sense of Community - the BKPA!
One program and a group of people that is making a huge difference in helping strengthen our BK Way culture and strengthen a sense of community here at BK has been the BK Parent Ambassadors. We want to take a moment to highlight their efforts in this letter and express our gratitude to our generous BK Parent Ambassadors who go above and beyond to volunteer their time and talents on behalf of our students, faculty/staff, and school.
In any school setting, and especially at Bishop Kelly, volunteerism is a critical aspect of our school that strengthens our BK Way culture and builds a sense of community. This is especially important after nearly two years of this pandemic, where there have been limited opportunities to gather and learn and live out our culture in our actions. Allow us to share a few examples of what the BKPA has done already this year:
- This past summer, over 50 BK Parent Ambassadors stepped up and made over 250 welcome calls and emails to new and incoming BK student families. The goal was to help our new BK families with the transition, and begin building community at BK. We have received very positive feedback from our new and incoming parents.
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- Over 20 BK Parents volunteered their time and talents at the annual Welcome Back BBQ in August ensuring the success of the event. Simply put, without their support, BK could not have accommodated the roughly 500 members of our community in attendance - BK students, parents, faculty, staff, coaches, and families.
- Three exceptional BKPA volunteers have been leading our BK Spirit Store - Dianne Schlafer, Kris Codina, and Sarah Li. Thanks to these three women for stepping outside their comfort zone and into this important role for BK. We are also grateful for the many volunteers they have recruited to help them in their efforts and the record sales they have achieved. It has been great to see so many of our students, parents and grandparents wearing BK spirit wear at school, at games, and around Boise. Thank you, Bishop Kelly Spirit Store team!
Finally, thank you to all those parents who help in so many other ways to make our community stronger and support our students, teachers and coaches - by volunteering to help with pre- and post- practice and competition meals, locker decorations, theatre arts props and scenes, pickup and dropoff for activities, the BK Foundation, and many, many other ways you give back to BK. If you have interest in exploring the many opportunities to volunteer at BK, please reach out to our VP of Philanthropy and Community Engagement, Tommy Steiner, to discuss ways you can help, especially with upcoming events like Pasta Festa (January 23rd) and Irish Fest (March 12th). Email Tommy at tsteiner@bk.org or call him at (208)947-1325.
In conclusion, let’s continue to work together to strengthen a sense of community and our BK Way culture. It is especially important as we safely navigate our way through this period of high transmission in our region. As promised, we will continue to review our metrics and our mask policy every two weeks and determine if we should make any changes to our mitigation policies for the coming two weeks to keep kids in school for face-to-face learning and playing sports. Safely.
Thank you for your support, understanding, feedback, and trust.
God bless,
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Mike Caldwell
Principal
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Reflections from Father Vance |
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By now, I’m sure that most of you have heard the news that our intrepid President, Rich Raimondi, will be leaving his role as the leader of Bishop Kelly at the end of this present school year. I know firsthand that this news can create stress, anxiety, and turmoil in our community, so I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on my experience of transitions like this present one at the other schools where I have served, hopefully in the service of tranquility as we face this change of leadership. I know full well that there will be many tributes and accolades offered to Rich as the end of his Presidency approaches, and I will participate in them with much gratitude in my heart for having been blessed to work with him these last three years. But today, I wanted to reflect with you about the particular nature and mission of an institution like BK, and what happens when transitions in leadership inevitably occur.
In 1991, when I first began my teaching career, I was brought to high school ministry by a Jesuit who saw potential in me that I didn’t see at the time. He was serving as the President of Seattle Preparatory School, and he became a mentor, and was one of the closest Jesuits friends that I have had in my life. Over the course of that first, tumultuous year of teaching, he made the announcement that he would be retiring at the end of that school year. My first feeling was one of betrayal, and that he had lured me to this work only to abandon me as I needed his companionship and support. What I didn’t understand at the time was that I HAD his companionship and support, no matter whether he was President of the school or not. I couldn’t have said this then, but I do see it so clearly now. In addition, the Jesuit who replaced my dear friend in the role of President served, over the next few years, to help solidify my confidence that secondary education was indeed my calling within the Jesuit Order, my “vocation within my vocation.” The rest, as they say, is history, and without BOTH of these Jesuits in my young life, I would never have spent the better part of the last 30 years in high school ministry.
What enabled me to weather this transition at the start of my educational career, is the same thing that will enable me, and all of us, to weather both the present and future transitions at Bishop Kelly. It is the simple but profound realization that our mission and our identity is bigger than any single person, program or family. This school ultimately has a transcendent purpose, and that is to be an evangelizing force for Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church in the Treasure Valley. This mission is dependent on the choices we all make each day, in our families and other relationships, in our classes, sports and other activities, and in the privacy of our hearts as we stand before God. But ultimately, this purpose can only be fulfilled by that same God. Every choice we make, every program we adopt or class we teach, every decision we make for ourselves, our children and our world, should be held to this standard and nothing less. But at the end of the day, we need to be humble enough to realize that, thank God almighty, the success doesn’t rely on these choices, but rather on God’s power and providence. All we do is offer our faith and our lives to be used by God in the eventual completion of His Kingdom. To carry both at once makes us humble, and at the same time indescribably precious.
There were Presidents before Rich Raimondi, and there will be Presidents after him. This is no disparagement to the 12 years of committed and holy work that he has done here at Bishop Kelly! Personally, I am indescribably grateful for having worked with him these last three years, and I know we have begun a lifelong friendship that will outlast both of our tenures at BK. But our Board and those others charged with the process will reveal to us our next leader, and I am looking forward to working with him or her in the next phase of our school’s life. This mission will outlive all of us, and thank God for that! For the first of what I am sure will be many times this year, I want to bless Rich and his family, and commend our school to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we engage the process to uncover our next President.
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Our Chaplain, Fr. Vance, will be celebrating Mass once a month at local area parishes.
On October 24th
Father Vance will be celebrating Mass at
St. John's Cathedral
at the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass
St. John's Bishop Kelly students and families are invited to attend the Mass. Students are encouraged to wear Bishop Kelly Spirit Wear. Let's represent BK!
Following Mass, there will be an opportunity for parishioners to talk with Fr. Vance and Bishop Kelly Student leaders.
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Each week Bishop Kelly faculty and staff nominate students, and students nominate faculty and staff, who have demonstrated the BK Way attributes of Faith, Safe and Caring Place, Academic Excellence, Activities, Honor, Generosity, Community, and Partnership.
Congratulations to this week's Knights of the Week!
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Jacob Brotman
Community
Jacob has taken a tremendous leading role in building the music performance community group. He played his own instrument, encouraged others to get involved, and suggested ways of having musical fun. People gravitate to him.
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Maibre Edwards
Academic Excellence
Maibre puts in an incredible effort in my computer science class, always going above and beyond. She's curious to learn as much as she can about the subject and is never content just knowing how something works--she has to know WHY it works! Her drive to learn more has resulted in some really beautiful projects that go well beyond the standard material I am teaching.
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Audrey Thomson
Activities
Audrey's work on the fall play and Drama Club activities is amazing! She is dedicated, focused and still so generous! She inspires me!
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Chance Schwer
Academic Excellence
Chance has completely taken responsibility for making sure that the digital display in the Atrium shows the announcements each day. He even keeps it updated on the days he's not an office aid. He's done a great job keeping everyone informed, and he also makes each slide look really nice! It's a huge help to me to know that it's being handled so expertly.
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Faculty/Staff Knight of the Week
Dr. Anthony Paz
Safe and Caring Place, Academic Excellence
- His classroom is a great environment and he makes his class educational and fun.
- Dr. Paz is such a fun teacher and always helps you out when you need it.
- He always makes his class a safe place and has a way of learning for all different types of kids. Also he’s just cool.
- Dr. Paz is very faithful and he is always including everyone. I feel that he cares about everyone in the class a lot.
- Dr. Paz makes the day better when we are in his class. His activities are great, and we all enjoy them.
- Dr. Paz provides a safe and caring place for everyone in his class. He is a very welcoming teacher and he provides a safe space for all of his students.
- Dr. Paz deals with the craziest group of sophomores in the most calm and collected manner. In all honesty I do not know how he remains mentally sane at this point. One of the best teachers I have had so far.
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Important Information for Parents of Freshmen |
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Bishop Kelly Counselors will meet with all freshmen on Wednesday, October 20th during their Theology classes to present The Signs of Suicide, a nationally recognized suicide prevention program. On Monday, October 18th, freshman parents will receive more information about the program with the opportunity to preview the program materials. |
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Dear parents,
I have received a portion of my requested allotment of seasonal flu vaccine. I have both the Flumist nasal spray (live) and the injectable (non-live) variety of vaccines. If you would like your student to receive the seasonal flu vaccine at school, please check BK Alive or the school website for the consent form. There will also be copies available in the front office. You can return THIS SIGNED FORM to the main office. Information sheets on each vaccine are available in the Forms Manager section of BK.org, and in the front office. There is no cost to the student. Please contact me at school if you have questions.
Thank you,
Mrs. Cunningham, School Nurse
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Saint Alphonsus COVID Vaccine Clinic for Ages 12+ with parental consent
This clinic is open to all BK Students and their families who need their first or second dose, and also for boosters for those who are eligible.
Thursday, October 21st
8:00 Am - 10:00 AM
Bishop Kelly High School
7009 Franklin Road
Boise, Idaho 83709
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How do you get into National Honor Society at Bishop Kelly?
NHS considers four areas in accepting members: character, leadership, scholarship, and service. Students have two chances for acceptance into NHS at BK: after the first semester of junior year and at the start of senior year.
To be scholastically eligible for NHS in junior year, a student needs to have a cumulative GPA of 3.75 on the 5 point weighted scale or above. The same scholastic criteria are applied to first semester seniors. To those who have met the scholastic requirement, the advisor will send and students will complete, an information form to enlighten the faculty council to all demonstrated character, leadership and service. Students also ask adults to respond to two recommendation forms, one of which must be completed by a Bishop Kelly employee, to the advisor. Family members cannot serve as recommenders. The information form and recommendations will be returned to the advisor.
The names of those scholastically eligible and their information are then shared with the faculty council. The faculty council consists of five to ten teachers who have wide experience with students. The NHS advisor, a counselor and one administrator also may meet with the council but have no vote in selecting members. The faculty council decides whether candidates have demonstrated sufficient character, leadership and service for acceptance into NHS. Remember scholastic eligibility is already established.
Candidate’s contributions to the community are considered, but since this is a school organization, involvement at school is emphasized in the council’s considerations. There is no limit to the number of students that may be accepted into NHS at BK. All who have demonstrated sufficiently the four characteristics of NHS, in the judgment of the faculty council, may be accepted. All materials used in the selection process are destroyed upon completion of the process by the advisor to ensure the privacy of students.
Students are notified by email about their acceptance or rejection for NHS membership. Often it takes 2-3 weeks for the council to complete their work. No notifications are made until ALL candidates have been evaluated.
Students may be dropped from NHS if they cease to demonstrate the characteristics of membership.
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Blanket Drive for Refugee Families
The Human Rights Club is sponsoring a blanket drive with CSI Refugee Center for the South Sudan refugees. This will be their first winter ever, so let’s help them stay warm. Please bring in NEW blankets to Mr. Harris’ room (313) by October 29th. Our goal is to get 75 blankets by the end of this month.
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Volunteer Opportunities for BK Parent Ambassadors |
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Kitchen/Cafeteria Help
The BK Kitchen is in need of volunteer support to help with daily lunch prep, serving, and clean up. We are hoping to identify volunteers in shifts: Monday-Friday from 10:00-11:30 AM (Shift 1) and 11:30 - 1:00 PM (Shift 2). You are able to volunteer your time and talents for one shift, or multiple shifts/days, please email Tommy Steiner at tsteiner@bk.org or call at 208.947.1325.
Thank you for your support of BK and our students!
YOU would be a Great Pasta Festa Chairperson!
BK is in need of a volunteer to lead our annual Pasta Festa! The event is scheduled for Sunday, January 23. This is a great community building event and an opportunity to "break bread" and share a traditional Italian dinner with our Bishop Kelly family and friends.
The Chairperson would form a volunteer committee of parents and/or student volunteer groups to coordinate this event.
To volunteer and/or ask further questions, please contact: Tommy Steiner, VP of Philanthropy and Community Engagement at: 208.947.1325 or email: tsteiner@bk.org
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2021 Winner's Choice Dinner & Auction
Golden Tickets & Auction Item Donations
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It's time to cinch your saddles and raise your paddles at the 45 annual Winner's Choice Dinner and Auction hosted by the Bishop Kelly Foundation! One lucky person goes home with an automobile from the Auto Ranch Group. Our sponsorships and golden ticket raffles are SOLD OUT. Now all we need is you! Click here to BUY TICKETS to the Gala.
We recognize that not everyone may be comfortable attending a large gathering. There are still ways to participate from afar if you are unable to attend by purchasing a ticket for a chance to win a car AND to bid in the silent auction via mobile bidding. Contact the Foundation office at 208-323-4789 for more information on this option.
For those who will be joining us at the Boise Centre, masks are optional and hand sanitizing stations will be found throughout the venue. If you are feeling ill and/or displaying covid symptoms, please stay home. Refunds will be given upon request in the event you are unable to attend due to illness or you may convert your ticket purchase into a straight cash donation.
Finally, we are still accepting donations for the silent auction. Check out our Amazon donation wish list and help us cross the last few items off our list! Thank you to our amazing Bishop Kelly Community for all of your support!
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Student Photos and Senior Yearbook Ads |
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Senior Ads In the Yearbook
The early bird pricing deadline for a senior ad in the yearbook is quickly approaching. October 19th is the deadline for a discounted price, and the regular deadline is November 18th. Don't miss this opportunity to send off your senior with a few special words and photos. The ads are built primarily online, and it's a simple process. For more information, see THIS FLYER and/or visit The Yearbook Company website. |
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10/19 @ 11:10-11:45 Rice University (Virtual Visit)
10/19 @ 2:45-3:15 University of Southern California
10/27 @ 12:00-12:45 Georgetown University
10/28 @11:10-11:45 Hillsdale College
10/29 @ 11:25-12:00 University of Redlands
To attend, sign up using SCOIR or come to the Counseling Center
College & Career Fairs
Registration for the NACAC Virtual College Fairs are now open!
Virtual College Tours
Student-driven virtual college tours
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This one-day Zoom event is free and includes hands-on design virtual workshops taught by expert faculty in the following fields:
- Architecture
- Art & Design
- Interior Architecture & Design
- Landscape Architecture
- Virtual Technology & Design
The College of Art and Architecture Virtual High School Design Day takes place via Zoom from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Pacific time (from 10:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Mountain time) Friday, October 29, with a 90-minute lunch break.
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Upcoming Catholic Community Events |
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Putting a Choose Life Idaho license plate on your vehicle sends a message of hope to mothers and fathers in Idaho. 100% of the funds received from these plate purchases is donated, and each plate provides $22 to an Idaho Pro-Life Pregnancy Center. So far, 677 Choose Life Idaho plates have been purchased. We need another 322 plates to be purchased by the end of 2021 in order for the Idaho DMV to continue offering this program. Click Here to learn more and order your Choose Life Idaho plates. |
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Our website at www.bk.org is a wealth of information for parents and students alike!
Check out some of the cool tools that are just a few clicks away:
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- Front Office: 375-6010
- Fax: 375-3626
- Business Office Manager: 947-1209
- BK Development Office: 947-1325
- BK Foundation Office: 323-4789
To add, remove, or change your email address, or to remove your name from our regular mailing lists, please contact Chrissy at cbeckner@bk.org.
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Bishop Kelly High School | (208) 375-6010 | www.bk.org |
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