January 7, 2021
BK Alive
News and Information for BK Families
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.
NEXT WEEK AT A GLANCE

Monday 1/10- Periods 1-4
8:30 AM Start, 3:00 PM Release

Tuesday 1/11 - Periods 5-7
9:00 AM Start, 2:45 - 3:15 PM Office Hours

Wednesday 1/12 - Straight 7
8:30 AM Start, 3:05 PM Release

Thursday 1/13 - Periods 1-3
9:00 AM Start, 2:45 - 3:15 PM Office Hours

Friday 1/14 - Periods 4-7
8:30 AM Start, 3:00 PM Release


Important Upcoming Dates

Monday, January 10th - First Day of 2nd Semester, 8:30 AM Start

Tuesday, January 11th - Mandatory meeting after school for any boys interested in playing golf at BK this spring.

Monday, January 17th - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School

Wednesday, January 19th - Parent Book Club, Part 3 - 7PM - 8PM in the Fraser Library

Sunday, January 23rd - PASTA FESTA!

Wednesday, January 26th - Sophomore Parent Night in the Fraser Library at 6:30 PM

Monday, January 31st - Virtual Information Knight for Prospective BK Students and their Families
A Note from Rich and Mike
Hello BK Community,

Welcome to a new year and the start of the spring semester on Monday! We trust that you and your families had wonderful and safe holidays! While it does not feel much like spring yet, we do believe over the course of the upcoming five months our students will grow in knowledge and other ways and, for our 232 seniors, leave the nest as they begin their adult lives. It is indeed an exciting time.

Thank you to the 240 parents who completed the end of fall semester survey. We are busy reviewing the results and feedback you provided and will share a report on what you told us and our plans to address the input in the next two weeks.

In this BK Alive letter, we will focus on the changing COVID-19 landscape since we broke for Christmas just 17 days ago and the implications for Bishop Kelly.

COVID-19 Protocols at BK
In our 12/17 BK Alive letter, we stated that we had made the decision to continue with masks being encouraged, not required, through the end of the semester and upon our return for the spring semester the week of January 10th. We said that at our next COVID-19 assessment team meeting on January 12th we would review our protocols in light of what we learned about how the Omicron and Delta variants were impacting our school, our community, and our area hospitals.

We chose to meet on January 6th given the amount of change we have seen in our country, state, and region since December 17th. Here is what we know, what is driving our thinking, and what we forecast:
  • We must do everything in our power to ensure we have in person learning every day this semester. We do not want to revert for even one day to remote learning. Period.
  • In person learning requires us to have teachers or subs in all classrooms. We cannot be in person if too many of our teachers are out because we will not be able to find enough subs to cover their classes. Plus, learning will suffer. 
  • We also need a high percentage of our students in the building or else teachers will not be able to meet the needs of both sets of students - those out and those in class. 
  • The CDC has changed guidelines for isolation (when you test positive) and quarantine (when you have been exposed) based on the data from COVID-19 and, in particular, the Omicron variant. These changes are welcome and will help us keep kids in school and faculty/staff on campus.
  • The Omicron variant is the dominant strain in the US. The CDC estimates it is 95% of all new infections. It is much more transmissible with the CDC estimating up to 4 times more contagious. However, the good news is that study after study is showing the complications to be less severe, especially for fully vaccinated and boosted people.
  • Omicron is not yet believed to be the dominant variant in Idaho but is growing rapidly and is underreported due to delays in sequencing. It soon will be the dominant strain.
  • Reported positive cases of COVID-19 in Ada County per 100,000 people have grown in the past 14 days from 140 on 12/23 to 358 on 1/07. 
  • Positivity rates in Ada County have gone from 7.5% to 24.8% during that same two week period.  
  • We are aware of several students and faculty who have tested positive in the past two weeks and, anecdotally, we all know of family members or friends who have contracted COVID-19 recently. 
  • We also know many families traveled over the break, spent time with family and friends, and all pose a risk of unknowingly bringing COVID-19 into our school this coming week. 
  • Hospital admissions and patients in ICU for COVID-19 have increased slightly in the Treasure Valley. St. Luke’s COVID-19 hospitalizations rose from 50 on 12/8 to 59 on 1/04; COVID-19 ICU admissions rose from 10 to 15 in that same period. Saint Alphonsus has had a similar experience. Saint Al’s is seeing a similar trend. They both expect COVID-19 admissions to rise in the coming weeks.
  • Given it is winter and very cold and wet outside, we do not have the ability to conduct outdoor classes and have students eat outdoors. 
  • This current surge is forecast to last 4 to 6 weeks in Idaho, likely through mid-February. 

Based on all the above considerations, we have made the decisions to implement new isolation and quarantine policies and to require masks while indoors for the first week of school. Here are the specifics of our decisions:
  • Isolation policy - First, let’s define isolation. This separates people with a positive test for COVID-19 from people who do not have the disease. Here is the new isolation policy we will be adopting immediately per CDC/CDH recommendations:
  • We will move from 10 day isolation to 5 Day isolation. Students or staff can return to school on the 6th day as long as they remain asymptomatic, are fever free or have improving mild symptoms. They must, however, maintain wearing a face covering through day 10 while indoors at all times - in the classrooms, hallways, and in sports when not actively competing.
  • Before they can return to class on the 6th day, they must be checked by the BK school nurse.
  • Individuals who are having moderate to severe symptoms or fever beyond Day 5, or those who are immunocompromised, and/or those that are unable to wear masks should isolate for a full 10 days following infection and may not return to school until Day 11.
  • Quarantine Policy - Quarantine refers to the practice of separating individuals who have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 to determine whether they develop symptoms or test positive for the disease. Quarantine also reduces the risk of transmission if an individual is later found to have COVID-19. Here is our new quarantine policy:
  • All students or staff, regardless of vaccination status, may remain in school but must wear a mask indoors in public for 10 days following exposure, regardless if BK is requiring masks or just encouraging.
  • They should be watching for symptoms and, if they do develop symptoms and/or receive a positive test result, they must follow isolation guidance.
  • Masks must be worn indoors at all times for the entire 10 days - in the classrooms, hallways, and in sports when not actively competing.
  • Mask Policy 
  • We will be requiring masks be worn indoors for the first week of school, starting Monday, January 10th. We will review this policy each week at our COVID-19 Assessment meeting and announce each Friday what the policy will be for the following week. 
  • We believe by doing this to start the semester we will increase our probability to remain in person all semester, allow us to gather data on how many students and faculty/staff are out sick the first week of school, and see how the Omicron variant is impacting cases and hospitalizations in our valley.
  • We encourage the use of surgical, KN95 or N95 masks. We will have an ample supply of surgical masks to start the semester and will provide them to those who need them for the first week. We would ask that you work with your students on the proper fit of their masks (tight-fitting over nose and mouth) as we will be stepping up our enforcement of proper mask wearing.
  • Lunchtime
  • We are exploring ways to further separate students into smaller lunch groups through the winter season. Last fall we had the benefit of nice weather and kids were able to eat lunch outside. Stay tuned for more information.

Final Thoughts
We believe the new isolation and quarantine policies will minimize the amount of school days any student or faculty/staff member is out and at the same time minimize the spread in our school. We know there are strong feelings about mask wearing in our community. No one likes wearing them. But they work. We hope we have earned your trust these past 22 months and that you know we will monitor and adapt our mask and other mitigation policies as we gather more data, especially our internal metrics. We strongly desire to provide the best in person educational experience for our students and faculty/staff - and do it safely. 

Let us continue to partner together - students, parents, faculty and staff - to make this semester a success for all stakeholders! Thank you for all you do for our school!

God Bless!
Rich Raimondi
President
Mike Caldwell
Principal

Host Family Needed for BK Student
Looking for a host family for a junior boy from China. This is his third year at BK. He would like to exercise and do activities with the family. Host fee is $800 or more upon discussion.   
 
For questions or more detailed information, please contact Ying Donegan @(208) 853-8542 or ying@7eie.com.
Information Knight for Prospective BK Students and their Families
We have made the decision, based on the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases, that New Student Information Knight will be a virtual event on Monday, January 31st. We will be broadcasting live from BK starting at 6;30 pm that evening. It will still be a fun and informative evening for families who are considering Bishop Kelly for the 2022-2023 school year. We invite you to watch the event from the comfort of your home rather than coming to Bishop Kelly.

If you have an incoming freshman or a student who wishes to transfer, please plan to join us! And if you know of a family who is considering BK for next fall, please encourage them to attend New Student Information Knight!

We would ask that you register via the link below for this evening. Please know we will still have personal tours and our shadow program available.


Questions? Contact our Admissions Director, Kelly Shockey, at (208) 375-6010 or kshockey@bk.org
Junior Retreat - February 3-5
2022 Junior Retreat:
February 3-5, 2022
Trinity Pines Retreat Center, Cascade

  • Cost: $95 to be added to your BK account – there are scholarships available. See Mrs. Horn for more info.
  • Transportation: Bus will leave BK at 3:30 PM on Thursday, February 3rd and return to BK at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 5th
  • Meals: Provided
  • What to Bring: warm, comfortable clothes for the retreat as well as outer gear and shoes appropriate for outdoor activities. Jeans without holes are permitted. Participants will also need a sleeping bag, pillow, towel and toiletries, and a notebook or journal. See the printable retreat flier for a full packing list. 
  • Lodging: Students will be sleeping in dorm-like lodging. (Separate dorms for boys and girls.) Dorms have twin beds, and bathrooms with showers.
  • Cell Phones: There is no cell reception at the camp. Students will be asked to either leave phones at home, or have them turned off for the entire retreat. We will give parents land line phone numbers in case of emergency.
  • Registration due by Friday, January 21st.
Pasta Festa!
The Bishop Kelly Parent Ambassadors Presents:

PASTA FESTA
Sunday, January 23
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Bishop Kelly High School in “The REG”

Enjoy a delicious Italian Dinner prepared by BK’s talented parents!

MENU INCLUDES:
Antipasto- Marinated artichokes, kalamata olives, various cured meats & cheeses

Main course- Bolognese – Meat sauce over Cavatappi * Pesto Alfredo over Cheese Ravioli
Vegetable Marinara over Spaghetti * Garlic Bread * Caesar Salad

Admission at the Door
$50 for Families (up to 6 people)
$10 for Adults
$8 for Students (ages 11-18) & Seniors (age 65+)
$6 for Children (ages 6-10)
Free for Children 5 and Under!

Soft drinks, beer, wine, and dessert available for purchase!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!! This is a fun event for couples to volunteer together, and for students to gain service hours.

Seniors We Need Your Scholarship Info
An important task for graduation is the commencement program and the accurate listing of the scholarships and awards our seniors earn. As students are notified of scholarships and awards, even the awards that students do not plan to accept, please provide a photocopy of each letter from the sponsoring organization (whether it is from a university or corporation). Those should be sent to Kelly Shockey at kshockey@bk.org by Monday, May 2, 2022 in order to meet the printing deadline for the graduation program.
 
Why is scholarship information important, and how is it used?
 
First, we list all the scholarships our students have been offered in the program. We do not include the amount of the scholarship in the program. This is how we publicly recognize the students for their achievements, and it is a tribute to them. It also helps raise a certain degree of awareness regarding where our students have been accepted and the types of scholarships that are available to them. 
 
Second, we use this information as part of our school profile. High Schools calculate the total dollar amount of merit scholarships that students are offered from various institutions to which they have been accepted. This information is of interest and value both to BK as an institution and to prospective parents and students.
Student Opportunity Assistance Program
The Student Opportunities Assistance Program (SOAP) is a non-public school program by Advanced Opportunities in which students not attending an Idaho public school (grades 7-12) may be eligible for a reimbursement of approved college course costs taken for dual credit and/or specific exams. Eligible students are allowed up to $750 in total reimbursable funds. Applications will be available April 1st to submit a request. For more information see the SOAP website.
NEW - Parent Book Club at BK!
Who Gets In and Why - by Jeffrey Selingo
Join the BK Counseling Department for a 3 part parent book club discussing New York Times best-selling author, Jeffrey Selingo’s Who Gets In And Why 

Jan. 19 7pm-8pm Library
 Part Three Spring: Decision Season 

For questions email Julie Klover, College and Career Counselor 
Volunteer Opportunities
What: Child care and helping with stations in a Nurturing Skills Group
When: On-going starting in January. Monday nights, 6:30-9:00.
Where: St. Mark’s
Info: There are positions for babysitting infants ages 0-3, or helping the children in the program learn and practice skill they’ve learned. Training will be provided before volunteering begins. Volunteers will be under adult supervision. For a more complete description of the positions, email Mrs. Colleran at jcolleran@bk.org or stop by room 412.

College and Career

College visits are done for first semester, check back soon for second semester visits.

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 

Catholic Community Events
Registration is now open!
The Idaho Catholic Men’s Conference will take place on Saturday, January 29, 2022 at St. Paul's in Nampa and online. The conference theme is "Chosen For Such A Time As This" and will feature dynamic national speakers including Fr. Don Calloway, Deacon Adam Curtis, and Matt Harte. Bishop Peter Christensen will be celebrating the opening Mass. The early bird registration fee is just $49 before January 16 and online is $29. For all the details and to register go to www.IdahoCatholicMen.org or call 208-484-0898.

Employment Opportunities
The Diocese of Boise is looking for a Finance Administrative Assistant to assist the Finance Department in timely completion of tasks, handling routine correspondence and calls, and providing clerical assistance and handling accounts payable. Details on the job can be found on the Diocesan website.
 
Please fill out a job application form found at https://www.catholicidaho.org/human-resources and send with your resume to clawrence@rcdb.org


Bishop Kelly is currently taking applications for the following positions for the 2021-2022 academic school year.

President (2022 - 2023 Academic Year)
Kitchen Assistant
Activities Bus Driver
Substitute Teacher

For more information and to apply, please visit the Employment Page on BK.org.
Important Links
Contact BK
  • 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.