June 3, 2022
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.
Important Upcoming Dates

Thursday, June 9th - Retirement Party for Rich Raimondi on Lachiondo Plaza from 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Monday, June 13 - Strength and Conditioning Class Starts

August 5 - 7 - Alumni Reunion Weekend for the Classes of 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2012.

Monday, August 8 - First day of fall sports.

August 8 and 9 - Freshman and New Student Academy (students attend one day, more information to come)

Monday, August 15 - Registration Day for ALL BK Students

Tuesday, August 16 - Classes resume for the 2022 - 2023 School Year
A Note from Rich and Mike
Dear BK Community,
 
Just a week ago on a wet and rainy evening - although the rain stopped just as we started the procession and held off during the celebration - a record 232 graduating seniors of the Class of 2022 walked across the stage at Nick Ysursa Field. This amazing class showed remarkable courage, grace, resiliency, fortitude and compassion right through their last day on campus. Our first commencement with rain in the 12 years since we started having graduation on Nick Ysursa Field, was a fitting end to their time at BK. 
 
If you were not able to attend live nor watch the livestream, it is available on our BK YouTube channel. Congratulations once again to this remarkable class! We hope you enjoy THESE PHOTOS of the evening.

If you would like to include some of your own photos in this gallery, please email them to communications@bk.org.
 
BK President Transition
Now that graduation has happened and the 2021-22 school year has ended, I (Rich) will be accelerating the transition of my role as BK President to our new President, Bill Avey. I will be leaving this role on June 30, 2022. It has been an honor, privilege and blessing to be part of this incredible community of students, teachers, staff, parents, and alumni. I hope to see many of you this coming Thursday at my retirement party where I can say thank you and farewell in person. 
 
Bill and I have been working together since the announcement in early March that he would be serving as our third president. I know Bill well both from our time together at HP, as a parent and supporter here at BK, and through his involvement in the community. We are lucky to have someone of his talents. experience, skills, and passion for our school and for Catholic education as our next president.
 
We set several objectives with the BK Board of Governance for the transition back in March and are on track to achieve them. The overriding objective is to have Bill ready to go on July 1, 2022. Specific things we have done and will continue through June are:
  • We meet weekly (at a minimum) and discuss elements/learnings/issues of the job 
  • Bill attends key meetings/events in the final months of the school year - Leadership Team, Board and Committee meetings, Scholarship Luncheon, Advisory Council, Community events (Irish Fest, Music Concerts, etc.)  
  • Bill meets 1:1 with members of my/soon to be his team and is involved in hires for the 2022-23 school year, including the new Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs and Counselor, who we are introducing below. As well as the rest of our new faculty and staff who we will introduce over the next few weeks
  • Our VP of Philanthropy, Tommy Steiner, and I introduce Bill to key supporters and friends of BK 
  • Bill attended the National Catholic Education Conference (NCEA) in April and is attending Mass at partner school parishes and meeting individually with pastors of our sponsoring parishes and key Diocesan leaders
 
In next week’s BK Alive, Bill will begin introducing himself to you on a more personal level via a video he will record and a column he will be writing throughout the summer. He will also be there on Thursday evening at my retirement party. Please introduce yourself to him that evening if you have not done so already.
Salt & Light Catholic Radio
This past Wednesday I (Rich) was on Salt & Light Catholic Radio’s “Morning Light” show with Brian Howell and Hope Ryan for the last time as president of BK.  I have been fortunate to have been a guest numerous times on Salt & Light over the years to talk about Bishop Kelly and the wonderful things that happen here at BK. I so appreciate all the folks at Salt & Light, led by BK parents Keith Pettyjohn and Diana Tetreault, and the work they do to fulfill their mission - “to evangelize and teach, through multimedia communications, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with the fullness of Truth of the Catholic Church.” They have been a great partner with BK on Morning Light, with our football broadcasts, and in many other ways. Thank you, Salt & Light team and Board for all you do for our Church and for BK!
 
If you wish to listen to the podcast of my final interview with Brian and Hope, please click here and scroll down to the June 1 episode.

Welcome New Faculty and Staff
Over the next few weeks we would like to introduce you to all of our new faculty and staff who will be joining Bishop Kelly for the 2022 - 2023 school year. This week, we are introducing two outstanding new additions to our team, Dr. Sarah Quilici, who is returning to Bishop Kelly in the Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs role, and Dr. Gina Gridley, who will be joining our counseling team, working with students whose last names begin with A-C.
Dr, Sarah Quilici has been an educator in Catholic and public schools for the last 20 years.  Dr. Quilici started her career in education in 2002 as a high school English teacher.  From 2004-05, she taught part time speech and debate at Bishop Kelly High School while working on her master's degree in English.  Dr. Quilici served at Bishop Kelly again from 2008-2011 as an assistant principal.  She was head principal of St. Joseph's Catholic School (2014-17) and Superintendent of Idaho Catholic schools (2017-2022). Dr. Quilici earned her PhD from University of Idaho in 2011.  Dr. Quilici and her husband Tony are involved in the marriage ministry at St. Mark's parish, and they have four children in Catholic schools, including a freshman at BK this fall.
 
“This return to Bishop Kelly is a homecoming for me.  I am excited to continue to serve Catholic schools in this capacity and to work with the Bishop Kelly team.”
Dr. Gina Gridley has spent the last few years working individually with high school students throughout the Treasure Valley. Prior to having children, she was a high school counselor in the West Ada School District.  Dr. Gridley is passionate about helping students, and is excited about coming back to a school environment. “I’m so blessed that my return to school will be at Bishop Kelly!”
 
Dr, Gridely  is a proud Vandal, attaining both her masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Idaho. She is very involved in her Basque culture, serving on multiple boards and participating in many Basque community events.  She and her husband Rob have twin daughters who will be freshman at BK in the fall. Dr. Gridley has been very involved with the girls’ education at Saint Joseph’s Catholic School, where Gina served on the School Board for many years.

Final Thoughts
Please join us in congratulating the 232 new “Alumknights”! We look forward to welcoming back our 700 rising sophomores, juniors and seniors and a new incoming freshman class of around 240 students in August! 
 
We wish you a wonderful summer!
God Bless!
Rich Raimondi
President
Mike Caldwell
Principal

2022 - 2023 Bishop Kelly Parent Ambassador Social and Kickoff
Dear BK Parents,

We hope your summer break is off to a great start for you and your family! We are reaching out to make you aware of the 2022 BK Parent Ambassador Social and Kickoff scheduled June 21st at Bishop Kelly.

Are you interested in supporting our BK students? Do you like planning fun events and activities? Are you looking to meet/network with other parents and build community? If so, please consider joining our annual school efforts as a 2022-23 BK Parent Ambassador today!

Thank you to our amazing parents who generously stepped up to volunteer this past school year as BK Ambassadors. You successfully enriched the school community through your generous time and talents. From planning community building events such as the Welcome Back to School BBQ, Grandparent’s Mass reception, and Irish Fest, to fulfilling enrichment activities like the New Student Family Welcome/Onboarding Calls and the BK Spirit Store operations, your continued volunteer efforts ensure we are able to directly impact the BK educational experience for all BK students, families, faculty/staff/coaches, and community.

To join our 2022-2023 BK Parent Ambassador efforts, please click on the link below! Questions? Please contact Tommy Steiner tsteiner@bk.org or Rachel Flachbart rflachbart@bk.org in the Bishop Kelly Development office. We look forward to seeing you on June 21st, and thank you for choosing BK for your family! Go Knights!
A Note from the Nurse
Dear parents,

If your student will be a senior this coming school year, please be sure to check with your student’s provider to make sure they have received their second Meningitis vaccine. If not, they need to have it done. This is now one of the state required immunizations for school children in Idaho.

Thank you,

MaryLou Cunningham, BSN, NBCSN, MHS
Coordinator, Saint Alphonsus School Health Program
Summer Office Hours - Diploma Pick Up, Driver's Ed Forms
Bishop Kelly High School
Summer Office Hours
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Monday - Friday

GRADUATES - You will have the following items available for pickup in the front office beginning Monday, June 13th.

  • A Class of 2022 Graduation Program
  • Your Official High School Diploma
  • A Professional Photo from Graduation, with the option to purchase additional prints.
  • A Class of 2022 Composite Photo with pictures of all the graduates

These items can only be picked up by the graduate, or the parents of the graduate. You must come into the office and sign for the diploma.


PARENTS, if your student will be getting their driver's permit or turning 18 over the summer, please note you will need a Verification of Compliance (VOC) Letter from the Front Office before you go to the DMV.

Please plan ahead, so we have time to print the VOC. The DMV does not accept email or faxed copies.

This VOC Request Form is always on the BK website in the Forms Manager section under Forms and Documents for Current Students.
End of Year Info from the Business Office
We will be sending out the final billing for the 21/22 school year this weekend. The invoice will be due June 10, 2022. Parents of graduating seniors: As a reminder, final transcripts cannot be sent until your Bishop Kelly TADS account is paid in full. 
Billing will include:
  • Negative lunch account balances
  • Textbooks fines: Damage to books and books not returned (the book assigned to the student needs to be the book turned in by the student. Simply handing in a textbook does not count – it must be the one that was checked out to them
  • Items not returned/damaged: Uniforms, technology, library books, misc.
  • Lost locks and fines for lockers not cleaned out or damaged

If you receive an invoice for an item not returned, your student may return that item before June 10th to receive credit. We will not issue credit for any items returned after that point.

Parents of graduating seniors: As a reminder, final transcripts cannot be sent until your Bishop Kelly TADS account is paid in full.  

Summer Academic Bootcamps at BK
Summer Academic Bootcamps are designed to help our students feel confident and prepared for academics at Bishop Kelly High School. These workshops are especially helpful for incoming Freshman who want to review and improve their math, writing, and study skills before beginning high school this fall. Other BK Students who don't want to experience summer learning loss will also benefit from the academic workshops. And for students who want something engaging and fun to do this summer, we offer workshops in ceramics and faith formation.

Session 1 Academic Boot Camps: June 13 - 16
  • Math Foundations LaunchPad
  • Academic Survival Skills

Session 2 Academic Boot Camps: June 20th - 23rd
  • Math Foundations LaunchPad
  • Writing Foundations LaunchPad
  • Academic Survival Skills
  • Artistic Creations
  • Evangelization and Leadership
Host Family Needed for BK Student
Looking for a host family for a new student from China. She will move from Washington in June and stay in Boise this summer. She will be a junior at BK this fall. Host fee is $800 or more upon discussion.  
 
For questions or more information, please contact Ying Donegan @(208) 853-8542 or ying@7eie.com.

Galapagos Islands Trip, Spring Break 2024
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce our new international trip to the Galapagos Islands during spring break in 2024. This trip is available for all current freshmen and sophomores as well as incoming freshmen. This is a Biology and a Spanish trip.

Interested students should come by Mr. Perea's room, #113. or ask any Spanish teacher or Biology teacher for a brochure and a recommendation form. You will need two recommendations from two different teachers. The investment for this once-in-a-lifetime trip is $4500. Please visit our website to learn more about this amazing trip. explorica.com/Perea‐80 Please email me if you have further questions. We will have an information meeting soon. mperea@bk.org
Bishop Kelly Summer Sports Camps are a GREAT way to keep your kids active and engaged this summer. Check our our Summer Camps page on www.bkathletics.org to see what we're offering for elementary, middle school, and high school students for Summer 2022!

RECENTLY ADDED - WRESTLING AND SOFTBALL YOUTH CAMPS!
College and Career
College Application Accelerator for Seniors

Wednesday, August 3rd from 9:00 AM – Noon for ALL Seniors

This is a three hour course to help incoming seniors get a fast track on college applications, scholarships and college essays. All seniors are strongly encouraged to attend.

Seniors, please RSVP by filling out THIS GOOGLE FORM.


Diocesan Events
17th Annual Vocations Golf Tournament 
The 17th Annual Vocation Golf Tournament benefiting the Diocese of Boise Vocations Office and Salt & Light Radio is Friday, June 10th at 8AM at River Birch Golf Course in Star, Idaho. Register or Volunteer at www.saltandlightradio.com.com or call 208-344-4774.
Employment Opportunities
Bishop Kelly is currently taking applications for the following positions for the 2022-2023 academic school year.

Full Time Technology Assistant
Full Time Daytime Custodian
Part Time Biology Teacher
Kitchen Assistant
Activities Bus Driver
Substitute Teachers

For more information and to apply, please visit the Employment Page on BK.org.
Job Opportunities for High School Students
Boise Parks and Recreation has job opportunities at the 4 City Pools currently open; Borah, Fairmont, Natatorium and Ivywild. Applicants must be 16+ years of age to be a Lifeguard and 18+ years of age to be a Cashier, Manager or Swim Coach.

There are some exceptions to be a Swim Coach at a younger age, depending on the applicants experience.


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.