BK Alive
Weekly 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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Monday, February 15
Presidents' Day
NO SCHOOL
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Tuesday, February 16
A Day
8:15 AM Start
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Wednesday, February 17
Mass Day
9:15 AM Start, 3:21 PM Dismissal
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Thursday, February 18
A Day
8:15 AM Start
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Friday, February 19
B Day
9:15 AM Start
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Upcoming
Friday, February 12th - Teacher InService, NO SCHOOL
Monday, February 15 - Presidents' Day - NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, February 17th - Ash Wednesday, Virtual All School Mass
Friday, February 19th - Early Registration Deadline for next Fall
Wednesday, March 3rd - Junior SAT Testing (no school for other grade levels)
Wednesday, March 17 - One Day One Knight Annual Day of Giving
March 22 - 26 - Spring Break!
Register for next school year before the 2/19 early bird
deadline in order to save $25.00 on your registration fee!
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A Message from Rich and Mike |
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Dear Bishop Kelly Parents,
As we complete our 23rd week of school and begin a four day weekend for students, we wanted to once again thank you, our parents, for your partnership in making this school year so successful to-date. Your feedback, adherence to protocols, understanding, and trust has helped us develop and execute the plan we put in place to meet the four goals we set for this school year.
In this BK Alive, we will reflect on this school year-to-date, provide an update on plans for the 2021-22 school year, introduce new COVID-19 testing capabilities here at BK for our students and staff, ask for your continued support with another call to action for the Advanced Opportunities bill in the Idaho legislature, and give you the latest on the COVID-19 numbers here at Bishop Kelly.
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Reflections on Bishop Kelly's 2020 - 2021 School Year So Far |
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As our neighboring public school districts (Kuna, Boise, West Ada and Nampa) discuss bringing all students back on campus in the coming weeks, we have much to be proud of as a BK community. The successful execution of a very innovative and, quite frankly at the time, bold plan by our teachers, staff, administrators, students and parents has been amazing to behold. We have had all students on campus for 19 of the 23 weeks so far in the school year, half the students on campus each day for three weeks, and only one week of virtual learning. And while we have had positive cases (53 students and 15 faculty/staff), that is a small percentage of the 871 students and 150 teachers/staff/coaches we have here at Bishop Kelly. Plus, we have had no positive cases this week.
The CDC will be releasing new guidance this week to open schools for in person learning as safely and quickly as possible. They will cite five key strategies to reopening schools - hand washing, masking, social distancing, cleaning and ventilation, as well as contact tracing, isolation and quarantine. We have been successfully doing all of these since August as a school community and the results show they work when a school community commits to these five actions.
Having said all that, we must remain focused on following the protocols and mitigation measures we have in place. We do not want to regress. We also need to remain humble and empathetic. We have some advantages that many of the surrounding public schools do not have - a supportive community, engaged parents, our Catholic faith, and a smaller population to manage. Please also know we have been proactively and willingly sharing our learnings this year from our instructional plan with our public schools colleagues and wish them success as they move forward with their in person learning plans. All Idaho students need to be in school for in person learning safely and quickly.
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2021 - 2022 School Year Plans |
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In planning for the 2021-22 school year, we have been working on applying the lessons learned from this pandemic year and talking to many experts about what assumptions we should use regarding the state of the pandemic when we begin school in August. We also have incorporated the priorities from the 2023 BK Strategic Plan. Based on that analysis, here are our key assumptions and plans for the 2021-22 school year:
- Assumptions
- 7-8% Increased enrollment from previous year (870 to 930)
- We will start fall 2021 with vaccine and herd immunity beginning to reduce Covid-19 transmission
- Masks and good hygiene will remain integral to mitigate virus transmission
- Distancing protocols will be reduced
- Instructional Model Plan
- Increase class sizes from 16:1 to 20:1 (90% of “Normal Size” Classes)
- Keep A/B period block schedule but with improvements (see below)
- Add 3 additional classrooms in 100 wing to accommodate the growth
- Bring back elective offerings that were paused in 2020-2021
Specifically for our block/bell schedule, our goal for the coming year is to design and implement the ideal schedule that helps accomplish our academic priorities. We received overall very positive feedback on the A/B block from all stakeholders - students, teachers, and parents. There were also several areas of improvement suggested. They included:
- More consistent start and end times for each school day
- Consistent weekly schedules, not a rolling two week A/B schedule
- Increase contact time/instructional days
- Provide consistency in giving all teachers a prep period four days per week
The schedule we are moving forward with that best addresses the feedback received and helps us accomplish our academic priorities will thus have the following features:
- Each school day will begin at 8:30 am Monday - Friday and end at either 3:00 pm or 3:05 pm
- A “normal week” (no holidays) would have Mondays and Thursdays as A days, Tuesdays and Fridays as B days, and Wednesdays a straight seven period day.
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Early Registration Deadline for Fall 2021 - 2022 is next Friday |
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For our existing families with no new students, you should have received an email from TADS, our tuition management website, to start your new tuition agreement. These emails should have arrived in your mailbox on Tuesday, January 19th. Please let Kelly Shockey (kshockey@bk.org) know if you did not receive the email from TADS.
If you have a new student to register, you can save yourself a bunch of time this year! If you log into your Infinite Campus portal, your family's information will already be filled out. You just need to provide your new student's birth certificate, immunization records, report card/transcript and course request form. To access this, log into the portal (at campus.bk.org) then click on "More" in the left menu, then click on 'Online Registration". Then just follow the directions from there.
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Vault Health Testing at Bishop Kelly |
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The Vault Health COVID-19 Testing Program is being offered by the Idaho State Department of Health and Welfare through Central District Health for Idaho students and staff. We have decided to move forward with the program here at Bishop Kelly and are excited about this program helping our students, parents and staff.
The benefits for staff, parents and students are that they will not have to search for a test appointment, they won’t have to drive and wait in line to be tested, and they can be tested very quickly with results back within 48 hours. It can be administered at school or at home under visual observation from a trained BK employee via FaceTime. Having these testing capabilities on campus will enable us to provide tests for any staff member who wants to be tested, for students and student-athletes on the 5th day of quarantine to be able to return to class and/their sport more quickly, and for students who exhibit symptoms at school.
Here are the specifics of the Vault Health Testing program:
- It is a saliva PCR test and simple to do. 95%+ accuracy rates. Each test kit comes with an UPS overnight envelope to mail to a lab in New Jersey. You just have to drop it off at any UPS store. Turnaround time is less than 48 hours with the results going to the individual and/or parent.
- There is NO COST to the school, student or staff member. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is covering all costs for schools.
- The tests can only be used for students and school staff, not parents or other family members.
Stay tuned for more details. Our BK HR manager, Amy Eisele (aeisele@bk.org), is managing all the logistics for this with our school nurse, MaryLou Cunningham (mcunningham@bk.org).
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Advanced Opportunities Legislation |
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The Advanced Opportunities Bill S1045 for private school and home schooled students passed out of the Senate Education Committee by a vote of 6-3! It now moves to a vote on the Senate Floor, likely next Monday or Tuesday. Special thanks to BK parents Ylliana Villegas and Brand Novosel who gave compelling testimony on the impact this bill could have on their family and their children’s opportunities. Also, thanks to those of you who submitted letters of support.
In advance of that vote next week, we need parents and school leaders to reach out to as many Senators as possible. We need a statewide effort that will let people hear from their constituents at home. We know there will be considerable opposition from public schools lobbying groups, like the Idaho School Boards Association and the Idaho Association of School Administrators. We can win this but we need help from the ground - that means you, our parents.
So our Call to Action is to ask you to write or reach out to your Idaho State Senators. Here is a Find Your Legislator resource if you do not already know. If you have a personal relationship with a Senator, all the better. Contact them, please, and share the impact this can have for your family and your son or daughter.
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Here is our update for this week on the COVID-19 numbers for Bishop Kelly. We have had zero additional students and zero faculty/staff members test positive since last Friday’s BK Alive update. We currently have only 5 students and 3 faculty/staff members out in quarantine or isolation. Both the number of cases and people out on quarantine are the lowest numbers in many months. Thank you all for doing your part to minimize spread and keeping our students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy.
On a personal note of thanks once more, we so appreciate your prayers for us and our families. We are back at work this week.
Final thoughts
We are grateful to each of you as you are a vital part of our school community. Thank you for all you have done in partnership with us to make this school year so successful. Have a wonderful Presidents’ Day weekend celebrating and honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln!
God bless,
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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, Bishop Kelly's Valedictorian and Salutatorian from the Class of 2021!
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BK Staff of the Week
Mr. Andrew Markosian
Academic Excellence, Generosity, Safe and Caring Place
- He is a great teacher and we all are honored to have him teach our history class. Mr. Marko is one of my favorite teachers and makes history one of the funnest classes of the day.
- Mr. Marko gives us fun work to do that is enjoyable to do and is easy to learn.
- He is very helpful in class and helps us understand the material very well.
- Mr. Marko is very funny and understanding. I have never seen him be rude to any of his students and never fails to make his class laugh.
- It's a fun and good learning environment.
- We have a really good learning environment that mixes fun and work well.
- I've missed all week, and he's been flexible and worked with me to get caught up.
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Thank you Knights for Life! |
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The Bishop Kelly Knights for Life Club purchased these candles and stand for the St. Teresa of Jesus Chapel here at BK. Thank you to these dedicated students and volunteers for enriching our prayer life here at school. |
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Host Family Needed for BK International Student |
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We have a BK Junior who is an International Student and needs a host family. This student is in his second year at BK. His living situation was disrupted by COVID, and he is in a temporary home without any other BK Students in it. As a result, it is really hard for him to find transportation to and from BK. We need to find him a permanent spot, preferably in a home with other BK students.
Host families receive a $700 per month stipend (possibly more upon discussion.)
Alternately, this student needs to find a carpool to BK from the area near Cynthia Mann Elementary School.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Ying Donegan at (208) 853-8542 or ying@27eie.com. |
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Parents are the Solution
Tips for Helping your High School Student Make the
Transition from Childhood to Adulthood
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Click infographic to download and print.
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Juniors will be taking the SAT at BK on March 3, 2021. Click on the image below to download and print a resource guide to help them formulate a study plan between now and then. |
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Video Production Class is back for Fall 2021 |
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Parents BK is once again offering a Video Production class for next year. It is so easy to produce and publish video content these days, but will anyone want to watch? Making the next "viral" video that people want to watch and share is hard and rewarding work.
Student's in the BK Video production class will learn valuable skills that have real world applications. This is a project based course like Art, and is worth an art credit for graduation! You can watch some of the great content produced by Video Production students on our YouTube channel, BK Spotlight.
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Girls Basketball
Congratulations to the Girls Freshman and JV Basketball teams for winning their District Tournaments! We are very proud of our District Champions.
We are also proud of our Varsity girls who fought valiantly at the District Tournament.
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Swimming
BK Senior Gabe Machado was recently named Swimmer of the Year in the Idaho Press Tribune's Sports Stars program! Congratulations Gabe.
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Dance Team
The Bishop Kelly Knightliners competed in their first competition last weekend. Kalyca Erwin placed fifth out of 11 in the lyrical Solo Division for 4A. The Knightliners are off to districts this weekend, wish them luck! You can catch their performances at the Boys Basketball JV and Varsity half time shows.
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Speech and Debate
Your BK Speech and Debate team was in action this past weekend at the WarHawk Invitational. Twenty-four schools from a three state area competed and your Knights showed their prowess with numerous outstanding performances. Leading the hit parade was super sophomore Maggie Avey who captured another championship in Sales Speaking. The debate team of Sarah East and Aiden Scanlan went undefeated and took top Gold honors. A series of great runner=up performances padded the team's point totals. Congratulations go out to Gabe Lamey (ADS), Andrew Severance (OO), Justice Walker (INF), Josh Mitra (OO), Jude Balderson (HI), and the Duo team of Madison Dixon and Peyton Jungert. Next up will be the NSDA Qualifying Tournament this Thursday through Saturday. As always. our most sincere thanks to our parent volunteers, especially Mrs, Carol Barkes, our fantastic parent coordinator. Without their tremendous support judging and providing meals, we would be unable to compete. As the team continues its buildup to Districts and State: GO, KNIGHTS!
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Congratulations BK Coaches!
Three BK Coaches have earned honors as 4A SIC Fall District III Coaches of the Year:
Sarah Hale - BK Head Swim Coach
Jared Vreeland - BK Head Boys Soccer Coach
Tom Shanahan - BK Head Cross Country Coach
And Sarah Hale has also been named the 4A Coach of the Year for Swimming!
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International Travel Opportunities |
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Peru, Spring Break 2022
Our Peru trip is back!!!
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce that our international trip has been rescheduled to Spring Break 2022! We will be traveling to Lima, Machu Picchu, Cuzco, and Lake Titicaca. If visiting Machu Picchu is on your bucket list we are taking parents also.
This trip is available for all current freshmen and sophomores. If you are interested please stop by my room 113 or any Spanish teacher to get a recommendation form. You will need two recommendations from two different teachers.
Right now, we are offering a Risk-Free Guarantee for new travelers who enroll in 2022 tours. This means anyone who enrolls between now and the end of February 2021 will be able to cancel by May first and receive a full refund! There is a $100 discount for new travelers who enroll. The code is Peru2022 and it is valid through February 25th 2021. The price below is a student price, adult prices are different.
If you have any questions, please contact me at mperea@bk.org. I will be hosting a Zoom meeting soon.
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Japan, Spring Break 2022!
The Spring Break trip to Japan has been rescheduled for 2022! We will be traveling to Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, and Osaka. The tour includes a full-time tour guide, travel on the Shinkansen (bullet train), breakfast and dinner, and private transportation within the cities. All current Freshmen-Juniors that are interested are welcome to join [parents are also welcome but the price is different]. The trip price is $3700.00. For questions or more information, please see Mr. Harris in room 313 or email bharris@bk.org.
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College and Career Center |
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University of Idaho President Scott Green is coming to Bishop Kelly to have lunch with our students!
President Green will be on campus on Friday, February 19th during homeroom and lunch. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors who are interested in the University of Idaho are invited to attend.
Seats are limited, and filling up! Interested students should sign up on Schoology ASAP.
BK is providing a boxed lunch for all of the students who attend!
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Virtual College Visits at BK
Coming Soon!
College and Career Fairs
NCACA Virtual College Fairs
Here's your chance to hear firsthand from those-in-the-know at hundreds of colleges and universities nearby, across the country, and around the world.
More than 500 colleges and universities will be online to talk with high school juniors and seniors on each of these days. Each virtual fair is a free, one-day event. Attend as many as you'd like. Families invited, too.
Sunday, Feb. 28: 1-7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Mar. 7: 1-5 p.m. ET - STEM
Tuesday, Mar. 16: 4-8 p.m. ET - Performing & Visual Arts
Sunday, Mar. 21: 1-7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Apr. 10: 3-7 p.m. ET - Western US
Tuesday, Apr. 20: 3-7 p.m. ET - Southeastern US
Sunday, May 2: 1-7 p.m. ET
BigFuture Days College Fairs
The College Board is hosting virtual events for high school sophomore and juniors to connect them directly with college admissions representatives from all over the country. See the link for more information and to register. Register for the region the schools you are interested in attend are in. You may register for multiple dates.
BigFuture Days Southeast Tuesday, February 23
BigFuture Days Northeast Sunday, March 7
BigFuture Days Midwest Thursday, March 11
Scholarships
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St Ignatius Catholic School in Meridian is substituting its annual Fire Gala auction with a “Fire Campaign Raffle” for its 2021 fundraiser. One lucky winner will go home with a brand new F-150 Ford Pick-up Truck! Each ticket costs $250 and gives you an 1/1,000 chance in winning. You can purchase your ticket online at https://sifireraffle.maxgiving.bid/about-us
Thank you for supporting Catholic schools!!
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Online Ordering from the BK Spirit Store! |
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In order to maintain safe distancing AND be available for all your Spirit Wear needs, the Bishop Kelly Spirit Store will be offering online ordering for Fall Semester. A selection of items will be available each month, and you can order via email!
Please note, the actual BK Spirit Store will NOT be open during the lunch hour for additional items, and the Front Office staff will not have access to the store.
We're all getting really good at shopping online, right?
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#146
Ladies Short Sleeved BK Strong T-Shirt
$15.00
#147
Mens Short Sleeved BK Strong T-Shirt
$15.00
(Not pictured, Same Design)
(Size Small SOLD OUT)
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#256
BK Unisex Hooded Sweatshirt Drk. Gray
$36.00
(XL and 2 XL SOLD OUT)
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#255
BK Unisex Hooded Sweatshirt Lt. Gray
$45.00
(2XL SOLD OUT)
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#141
Unisex Long Sleeved T-Shirt
$20
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#822
BK Cap, Velcro Back
One Size Fits All
$22.00
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#253
Black Crewneck Sweatshirt (No hoodie)
S, M, L, XL
$30.00
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How to Order
*Order deadline: EVERY MONDAY
*Order Pickup: EVERY FOLLOWING THURSDAY for PREPAID Orders only.
You will be emailed a confirmation.
- Your Name
- Contact Phone Number
- Item # listed above
- Size of Item (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)
- Price
Method of Payment Before Pickup: Venmo @BK-ParentsAssociation, or Credit Card. These are the only payment options at this time.
NOTE: If you are paying by Credit Card, you will be contacted via the "Contact Phone Number" listed in your email at confirmation between 1:00 - 3:00 PM on Tuesday.
ONLY PREPAID ORDERS via the email process listed above will be accepted at this time. The Front Office Staff does NOT have order information.
THANK YOU for your cooperation as BK Spirit Store volunteers try to keep BK Spirit Store items available for our community.
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Job Openings at Bishop Kelly |
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Girls Head Soccer Coach
Bus Route Driver
Activities Bus Driver
Substitute Teachers
Substitute Kitchen Assistant
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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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