BK Alive
Weekly News and Information from Bishop Kelly
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BK Alive is emailed each week on Friday with information for BK Parents. Please read this important information, as it is our primary method of communication with our families.
If you would like to put an announcement in BK Alive, please email
communications@bk.org
by noon on Thursday for the next day's newsletter.
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Can't See the Whole Newsletter?
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BK ALIVE CONTAINS A LOT OF INFORMATION, AND THE LENGTH OF THE NEWSLETTER CAUSES IT TO BE TRUNCATED. TO READ BK ALIVE IN ITS ENTIRETY,
VISIT THE BK ALIVE ARCHIVE HERE
OR
LOOK FOR THE BLUE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMAIL THAT SAYS "VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE" TO EXPAND THE EMAIL.
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Just In Time Information - April 17th, 2020
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Dear BK Parents and Students,
A lot has happened this week at the state level. By now you have likely read or heard about Governor Little's amended stay-at-home order through April 30, the Idaho State Board of Education’s criteria for public and charter schools to resume normal operations, and the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) announcement that all spring sport and activity seasons and all state tournaments are cancelled.
You may ask how this all impacts us here at Bishop Kelly. Our first priority will continue to be
the health and well being of our faculty, staff, students, and greater community and we will certainly align with the Governor’s orders. However,
given we are a private school and not subject to state board oversight,
we are not prepared at this time to give up, as the surrounding public school districts have, on the possibility of our students in some form returning to school before the end of May. Governor Little said he would be looking at his decisions and orders in 14 day increments as suggested by state epidemiologists. We will do the same. It is entirely
possible for a smaller, more nimble school like Bishop Kelly to adapt and switch to some school-based learning in May if things get back to a more normal controlled state and we are confident we can operate within the guidelines for social distancing that will be in place at that time. Stay tuned.
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Idaho High School Activities Association Announcement about Spring Sports, and BK Activities Fees.
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IHSAA announced this morning that Spring 2020 Activities seasons, and all State tournaments are canceled due to Covid-19. You can read the official statement
HERE.
Regarding the cancellation of spring sports and activity seasons, we are very sad for all the students, especially our seniors, and coaches who have worked so hard to prepare for their season and were only able to compete in a limited number of games/meets/matches.
A few of you have inquired about the reimbursement of some portion of spring activities fees. We made the decision back on March 15th when spring sports were suspended to pay our spring coaches for the full season regardless of whether the season was cancelled. The activities fees help to pay a good portion of the coaches’ salaries. We know how much time and effort they give to their teams and student-athletes in both the offseason and during the season, and want to reward and recognize their contributions and dedication.
We would be most grateful if you would not ask for a refund and consider that a donation to the school. We must continue to operate as a healthy business and we have, in addition to paying all of our teachers, coaches and staff through the year, significant additional costs associated with the school closure and with providing a great educational experience now via virtual learning. Should you still wish to be reimbursed for the portion of the season that has been cancelled, that amounts to $67 or ⅔’s of the $100 activity fee, given we completed one month of a three month season. Please contact our business office (
lbiggs@bk.og
or
jfehringer@bk.org
) if you wish a reimbursement.
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AP Exam Information for Students and Parents
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As you have likely heard, this year’s AP exams have radically changed. All exams will be 45 minutes in length, and all will be administered online. Students may use open book/notes for the exams. You will be taking these exams from home on your own computer or phone. There will be no multiple choice questions, only free response. The exams will be given May 11-22. The College Board has done an excellent job of communicating information about the exams on their website and through emails to students who have registered for exams. If you have not been receiving these emails, check your spam file. If they aren’t there, contact Mrs. Crum for assistance. Please take a moment to read the updated information from AP regarding test dates and times, study help using specially developed YouTube lessons, specific details about exam requirements, and areas to be covered on each exam.
Updates for AP Students Affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Bishop Kelly Specific Instructions
- We encourage all AP students to take these exams. The study hints provided, along with Bishop Kelly teacher instruction give students an excellent opportunity to be successful on these exams.
- If you don’t have the internet, or a device to take the exam, AP will help provide access. Please contact your Bishop Kelly teacher ASAP if you need help with this. All requests must be completed by April 22.
- Students will be emailed a code that gives you access to the exam. You don’t need to do anything special to confirm that you are taking the exam, simply access your exam using this code. All students need to use a non-Bishop Kelly email on your College Board account to make sure that the code gets to you on exam day. If you need to change your email address, this is accomplished by going to the settings tab on your College Board account. Please contact Mrs. Crum ASAP if you need help with this.
- Students will receive an email in late April with information on how to access the testing system on test day, along with video demonstrations to familiarize students with exam day procedures.
- Students must log in to their account 30 minutes prior to each exam to make sure there are no technical issues.
- Students who decide not to take an exam must complete this Google Form to request a refund on your account. We suggest that you wait until closer to the exam date to make this decision. Give yourself time to practice for the exam and to make a thoughtful decision before canceling your test. No refunds will be allowed after the start time for each exam. There is a $9 processing fee for cancelled exams, so the amount of the refund will be $85 per exam.
- Students who have applied for and received accommodations will automatically receive those when they log in to the exam. Contact Mrs. Crum if you have questions regarding accommodations.
- Calculators are allowed for exams, but the test questions are written in a manner such that calculations can be completed with pencil and paper. You may be more comfortable using the calculator, so make a decision that is best for you. Familiarize yourself with the AP list of approved calculators
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to Mrs. Crum at
mcrum@bk.org
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Help Us Get Your Child to the Finish Line
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Several students are still adjusting and/or struggling with Virtual Learning, despite our extensive efforts to make this manageable for all. If your child is struggling, they have multiple avenues for support that we strongly recommend they take advantage of. This is a perfect time for you as parents to strongly reinforce that students should be their own best advocate.
- Students should always start by communicating directly with their teachers, requesting help or assistance
- Just like when they are in the building together, students reaching out to other students for help is a great way to get support.
- Our counselors are always willing to give suggestions and support if they are asked!
- Students who are receiving accommodations have a great resource in our Student Support Team. Ms. Kurdy and Mrs. Slaven are ready to help!
- Any students or parents who need additional help are encouraged to reach out to Mr. Caldwell, Mrs. Herrera, or Mrs. Hutchinson for guidance and support.
In terms of Final Exams, we will send out a special Just in Time Communication mid-Next Week to share the plan for the last couple of weeks of school, including clarification on final exams, etc. Be on the look out for that information next week.
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NEXT WEEK April 20 - 24
Monday
- 8:45 AM Announcements, 9:00 AM Start - Periods 1-4
Tuesday
- 8:45 AM Announcements, 9:00 AM Start - Periods 5-7 and Office Hours
Wednesday - 8:45 AM Announcements, 9:00 AM Start - Periods 1-4
Thursday - 8:45 AM Announcements, 9:00 AM Start - Periods 5-7 and Office Hours
Friday
-
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Workday with office hours from 9:30 Am to Noon.
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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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Dr. Paz's 4th Period Theology II has started an online fundraising campaign for Saint Vincent de Paul, which feeds many families in need every day. These students have gone above and beyond by volunteering to create special content for the custom fundraising website that our community can donate through. If anyone would like to contribute to the good work SVDP does, visit
www.svdpid.org/bk
.
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Alex Bloom
Generosity
Alex volunteered to edit classmate-submitted "thank you" videos into one awesome video for Medical Workers. He did it quickly and really went above and beyond!
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Faculty or Staff of the Week
Mrs. Amy Yowell
Community, Generosity, Academic Excellence, Safe and Caring Place
- She is doing the best she possibly can. She always makes sure her students are doing well. She cares about her students and wishes she could see them in person.
- Mrs. Yowell has been positive and motivational through all of the technological struggles this week. I have been excited to go to her class and she has been a light in my school days.
- She is always caring for ALL of her students and wishes she could see them in person. She really wants all of her students to succeed, even in these hard times.
- She let us use our notes on the test because it had been a while since we covered the stuff from the beginning of the unit. That's so generous and she really is concerned with our learning! Thank you so much for what you do Mrs. Yowell!
- I am nominating Mrs. Yowell because she cares so much about her students. She has been doing a really good job helping everyone in her classes adjust to all of the changes that are happening, and if something goes wrong, it's really reassuring to know that I can turn to her for help and that she will be empathetic about the problem.
- She makes sure her students know that she is there for them. She stays after class if they need help. She really cares.
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BK Students Showing Gratitude
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Sophomores in Dr. Paz's Theology classes have been researching and reflecting on their own and others' experiences of life during this pandemic. They have come up with ideas of how they can extend "gestures of kindness" (Pope Francis' Holy Week address) to specific populations affected by the pandemic.
Check out this video thanking Medical Workers, created by Knight of the Week Alex Bloom, and Dr. Paz's 7th period class.
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Senior Parents - Please help us keep track of your Knight's scholarship offers.
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As students receive notification of scholarships, please send a copy of the award letter to kshockey@bk.org. We will use this information to compile for graduation. Please submit
all
awards, regardless of the student's final college selection.
Thank you for your help with this!
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The Counseling, Student Support, and Service Learning Departments would like to share some resources with you to help as we navigate life during Covid 19. Please know that we are available to help students and parents if you have needs not addressed in
THIS RESOURCE GUIDE
.
Some of the items covered in the above guide are:
- BK Student Support Services
- College and Career Resources
- Counseling and Mental Health Resources
- Senior Service Project Info
.
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Scholarship Opportunity for St. John's Parishioners
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The St. John's Cathedral Endowment Fund is offering to members of St. John's Cathedral six (6) $500.00 scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year; these scholarships can be used for tuition at St. Joseph's School, Bishop Kelly High School, or any accredited college, university or vocational school. The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of active membership in St John's Cathedral, academic achievement, and financial need. Scholarship applications can be found below; applications are due in the Cathedral Office by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2020.
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Job Openings at Bishop Kelly
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Substitute Kitchen Assistant
Activities Bus Driver
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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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