August 21, 2020
BK Alive
Weekly News and Information for BK Families
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A Message from Rich and Mike
Dear Bishop Kelly Parents,
 
It has been wonderful to reopen school and see so many students here on campus and online. Thank you for partnering with us to make this possible.
 
In this BK Alive we will be introducing a new feature called “The Week in Review/The Week Ahead”. For the past five months, we have striven to make all of our communication with you, our BK community, transparent, honest, two-way and frequent. It is imperative we continue this as we begin school and the execution of our instructional and operational plan. We are all learning and adapting to this new instructional model and we want to share what is going well, what needs attention and what adjustments we are making for the coming week based on what we have learned. We also want to remove any possibility of ambiguity and make sure it is clear to you what the week ahead looks like. 
 
You will also find some photos of the first week of school so you have a feel for what is happening in the classrooms, in the hallways and and during lunch. We know that a common response you get when you ask your son or daughter “How was school today?”, is “fine” or “good”. We also know that some students and parents are nervous and anxious about in person school and our phase in plan. Many of you are wondering if students and faculty/staff are following the protocols and practices we are requiring of all members of our community. And many of your sons and daughters are freshman or transferring in from another school and/or city and this is their first week here at Bishop Kelly. Are they feeling welcomed? We hope the photos give you a better feel for all of these questions.
 
As we have stated several times, key to our plan being successful is its execution. As you will see in the photos, our students and faculty/staff are overall doing a great job following the 3W’s (wear a mask, watch your distance and wash your hands) and making BK a very welcoming environment for all. But we are by no means perfect yet. That is why we will continue to make adjustments and set clear expectations for all. We need the consistent application of these policies and practices by all throughout the school community - faculty and staff, administration, students, and parents. And, in our BK Way culture, we have the freedom and expectation to kindly call out inconsistencies because we wish for BK to be a safe, caring and compassionate community. We like to think of the 3W’s as “Christian service in action”. We here at Bishop Kelly need to reflect the love that Jesus had for the world by taking steps to protect ourselves and others at all times.
 
Finally, we will be asking you next week after we have two weeks of school completed to take a survey and provide feedback on how the opening of school is going for your student and your family, what is working well and what suggestions you have for improvements.
 
We continue to be grateful to all of you for your partnership in the learning experience of your sons and daughters.
 
God Bless,
Rich Raimondi
President
Mike Caldwell
Principal
If you could see what we’ve seen this week, we think you would have profound appreciation for what is occurring on the BK Campus. 

We’ve seen high school students respectfully following guidelines to keep themselves and each other safe. This includes wearing masks where required, walking on the right side of the hallways, paying attention to distancing, washing their hands and working with the teacher to disinfect desks, tables and chairs after each class period. There is still so much room for improvement, but we’ve really appreciated our student efforts this week. 

We’ve seen teachers find a way to teach amidst the chaos and crazy. We’ve seen our teachers quickly adapt and find a way to teach students on campus and online.. simultaneously. As we walk through the halls, we see teachers and administrators coaching students on spacing while at the same time guiding students on where to find their next class. We see teachers politely greeting students as they enter their classroom, eagerly engaging with students in the classroom, and making time to get to know each of them in the process. We see our teachers doing their absolute best to connect with students that are joining through technology, despite not always having the perfect technology hardware for the job. 

We’ve seen our BK parents respond in a huge way in our plea for help. We’ve seen our faculty lounge get transformed into an academic kids camp so that our teachers can still teach while having their young children out of school or in online school. We’ve seen our parents take these kids on short mini-field trips around campus, set up a movie theatre or take them out to Ms. Aver for some daytime physical activity. I’ve also seen our parents assist our remote teachers that meet high risk criteria and that are currently teaching from home. We’ve seen these parents provide a physical presence of support in the classroom with students while the teacher conducts a lesson from their home. 

We’ve also seen some challenging areas that need to be addressed quickly. Without surprise, any time students have less structure and more flexibility, they lose focus on expectations like distancing and in some cases, masks. The most frequent areas of concern are lunchtime and after school. After only four days, these two time periods are our highest priority area of concern. An ideal solution would be for the kids to each do their respective part and to police each other. We cannot hold our breath and hope that happens soon. Since we don’t live in an ideal world, we will be looking at some tweaks and changes for next week that will help control these time periods in a tighter fashion. 
 
What went well:
  • Having students and faculty/staff back on campus for in person learning
  • Wearing of masks (and correctly) was exemplary by everyone. 
  • Seating and spacing in classrooms worked well
  • Our teachers (new, reassigned and returning) have really stepped up to the challenges of teaching during a pandemic. Thank you!
  • Over 30 parents volunteered to help in classrooms as proctors and at the Mini Knights Academy. Unbelievable support for our teachers and their families and partnership in the learning experience for our students - thank you!
  • Sports practices began - over 400 students participating, safety protocols followed well.
  • Having only half the students on campus helped with seeing adjustments needed, education of students and getting protocols to start becoming habits
  • Teachers taking their classes outside for socially distanced “mask breaks” and to get to know students and for them to get to know each other, especially freshman and transfer students
  • Hybrid Students and Reverse Zoom teachers overall went well, but some technical and process improvements are needed
  • Staggering release times from classes during 10 minute passing period helped relieve crowding
  • Installation of the GPS Ionization equipment has been completed in all classrooms and large spaces (Commons, Cafeteria, Carley Center and Reg). This $75K investment will improve the indoor air quality and take an active role in killing pathogens (such as the coronavirus, cold and flu viruses), neutralizing VOC's and reducing airborne particulates. Thanks to Tim and Doug LaMott/DML for making this happen.
  • Enrollment is very strong. 873 currently students enrolled (budget goal was 864) and we have 8 students on waitlist and 12 in the application process.
 
What needs improvement: 
  • Social distancing outside during lunch periods when masks are off while eating. The length of the lunch period is too long and needs adjustment. 
  • We are currently regularly disinfecting classroom desks, tables, etc at the end of each period. We need all students to carry either a supply of disinfectant wipes for their desk or at the very least their own clean washcloth in a ziplock bag. We would strongly recommend disinfectant wipes over the washcloth. 
  • Some hallway congestion, but we are less concerned about that given mask wearing and speed of transitions 
  • Students forgetting their name badges/ID cards. Please remind your students to bring and wear their name badges/ID cards.
  • Schedule change requests were numerous and at times parents and some students got pretty demanding and did not honor what we had asked. We understand you are looking out for your student’s best interest but we really have limited opportunities for changes due to class size restrictions. Counselors are doing their best but please understand, be patient, and work with us on this.
  • Integration of students on hybrid instructional plan on days when class is in session at BK
  • Students arrived too early for school and were crowding into Commons, Library, etc. We ask that students don’t arrive earlier than 15 minutes prior to class if/when possible and once they enter the school, they go directly to their first class period for the day. 
  • Some students congregate in parking lots after school. We are asking students to wear masks until they get into vehicles and they exit parking lots, etc.

COVID-19 status at Bishop Kelly
  • No known positive cases of BK students or faculty/staff 
  • No students or faculty/staff in quarantine or awaiting testing.
  • There will be no Welcome Back BBQ on Wednesday, August 28th as previously scheduled due to limitations on social gatherings in Ada County.
  • SAVE THE DATE: BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT will be held virtually on Wednesday,September 2nd, at 6:00 pm.
  • We have Freshman and JV football games plus a Varsity football jamboree scheduled for August 28th and 29th. Those games are not likely to be played as we anticipate being in Category 3 for another week.

Adjustments we will be making this coming week:
  • Shortening Lunch Period a bit and adding that time back into instructional time. 
  • Review and potentially refine our end of day release times. 
  • Preferred Arrival times for the start of school - 8:00 am (A Day) or 9:00 am (B Day) to enter the building. Students that are dropped off early should either wait outside whenever possible (without gathering) or once they enter the school, they should go directly to their first class for the day.  
  • Improved integration of Hybrid students at home into primarily in person classes and Remote teachers back into their classrooms.
Daily Student Supply List
As a reminder, the following items should be carried by each student (in their backpack) on a daily basis when at BK.

  • Fully Charged Computer
  • Computer Charger 
  • Earbuds/ headphones
  • Supplies/ Books for Class (at least 1 expo marker)
  • Refillable Water Bottle (preferably with a straw)
  • Student Covid Kit
  • Disinfectant Wipes for Desks/ Tables OR Clean Washcloth in Ziplock
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Mask
  • Extra Mask
Attendance Q & A:
Q: When Should I Call the Attendance Office?

A: If your child will not be attending in person school during phase 3 - Students will learn virtually. Absence will be marked as VL, present but not on campus.  

If your child is not feeling well and is scheduled to be at school - Student able to learn virtually. Absence will be marked as VL, present but not on campus. 

If your child is not feeling well and is scheduled to be at school OR scheduled to learn virtually during the phase in period - Student unable to learn virtually. Absence will be marked as VA or DR upon notification. (i.e. Dr’s note)

If your child is awaiting testing or out for quarantine - will be coded as CO. Absence is excused. Attendance officer will coordinate with counselor and administration for academic needs based on each individual situation. 

When to NOT call the attendance office

My child is in 9th or 10th grade and is scheduled to learn from home when 11th and 12th is on campus.  

OR

My child is in 11th or 12th grade and is scheduled to learn from home when 9th and 10th is on campus.

If your student is participating online, as scheduled per our phased reopening plan, they will have regular attendance taken by their instructor via Zoom.

Q: What are the Attendance Codes?

A:
VA - Verified absence  (counts towards attendance)
DR - Doctor appointment  (does not count)
VL - Virtual Learning  (does not count)
CO - Co-Vid Related Absence  (does not count)


Q: What is the procedure for checking out early?

**Attendance Change**

A: Students will not be released between 2:50 - 3:05pm on an "A Day" and between 2:15 - 2:30pm on a "B Day" (The last 15 minutes of the last period of the day) 
 
Students may leave before these times for verified appts i.e. doctor/dentist appts. by having a parent request a Permit to Leave (PTL) pass. A leaving early absence will be counted towards their 7 allotted absences per semester. Parents should email: attendance@bk.org either the previous day or by 9:30am on the requested day. Please do your best to schedule appointments after school hours or on a "B Day' before school starts at 9:15am or after 2:30pm. Students arriving late to class or leaving early disrupt the classroom.  
 
Students may pick up their PTL pass at the Attendance Office window before school, during passing periods or at lunch.
Schedules, and Schedule Changes
Due to ongoing virus concerns, schedule change requests will be handled differently this year. Please read the new scheduling guidelines before contacting your counselor. Thank you for your patience as counselors work quickly to address your scheduling needs.

  • Counselors have worked very hard to ensure classes are balanced and small in size to ensure social distancing. For this reason, there will be few schedule changes available for the 2020-2021 school year.
  • New Enrollments, students with incomplete schedules or class conflicts, failed courses needing to be repeated, or misplacement of class will receive the highest priority for schedule changes.
  • Students requesting elective changes will have a very limited number of electives to choose from, so there is no guarantee a change will be made.
  • Schedule changes for teacher requests will not be accepted.
  • Due to social distancing concerns, students will not be able to wait in the counseling hallway to meet their counselor. In person visits will not be possible during this peak time. 
  • To discuss a scheduling issue, students should email their counselor who will then respond by email, phone, or they will set up a zoom meeting if necessary. Every effort will be made by the counselors to respond to student requests quickly.
School Lunches - Order form for August 24-28
mozzarella_cheese_pizza.jpg
Bishop Kelly will offer limited food service for the 2020 - 2021 school year. Breakfast will not be served until further notice, however additional vending options with minimal or touchless payment and dispensing are being explored. Students are encouraged to bring a mid morning snack and a refillable water bottle.

Lunch will be served at school each day beginning August 24th.
Lunches will be prepared and individually packaged in the BK Kitchen, and delivered to students in their 2nd (A Day) and 6th (B Day) period classroom. 

Students will be sent a Google Form each Friday, and asked to make their selections for the upcoming week by 8pm on Sunday evening.  For simplicity, only full meals (entree plus vegetable, fruit, and milk) can be purchased. There will not be a la carte options at this time.

This form was NOT sent to students this week - only parents via email from Mrs. Hutchinson. Please make sure your student fills out this form! Next week we will send the form to students directly,

Student Lunch Accounts will be charged for lunches ordered using the My Payments Plus online payment system.

Freshmen and New Student Parents - in order to set up your My Payments Plus Account, you will need your student's Student ID Number. Your student should know their number, if they do not, they can look it up by logging in to Infinite Campus using their BK Google Account.

You can see the weekly lunch menu, access your My Payments Plus account, and apply for free and reduced lunches on the BK Cafe Page on our website.
Parent Volunteers - Week 2
As part of our instructional plan, we anticipate a higher need for parent volunteers in the classroom if/when teachers are unable to teach on campus. Additionally, we are looking for some volunteers for the first three weeks who can help Teachers whose kids have not yet started in-person school.

Here are the descriptions of what we need:

Classroom Proctor- As a classroom proctor you will help manage 
classrooms whose teachers are teaching remotely due to being in the "Higher Risk" category for COVID-19. There will be two, four hour blocks available per class per day.

Mini Knight Academy- The Mini Knight Academy is something new we are providing for our employees with school aged children, who have to start school online, but have no place to go during the day due to both parents working. We need WEEK 2 volunteers who can make sure our children are staying on task, are able to help with small computer needs (like logging in), answer questions, etc. The age of the students range from 2nd grade to 8th grade. I would like to have at least two volunteers helping at all times. Mini Knight volunteers will need to commit to a four hour block from either 7:30am-11:30am or 11:30am-3:30pm on the same day(s) through September 4th. I promise, all of our kids are very well behaved!  

If you are interested in volunteering, please check out THIS WEEK 2 SIGNUP GENIUS and add your name.

THANK YOU!
Online Ordering from the BK Spirit Store!
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?
#256
BK Unisex Hooded Sweatshirt Drk. Gray
$36.00
#255
BK Unisex Hooded Sweatshirt Lt. Gray
$45.00
#146
Ladies Short Sleeved BK Strong T-Shirt
$15.00

#147
Mens Short Sleeved BK Strong T-Shirt
$15.00
(Not pictured, Same Design)
#141
Unisex Long Sleeved T-Shirt
$20


MASKS COMING SOON!
How to Order

*Order deadline: EVERY MONDAY      
*Order Pickup: EVERY FOLLOWING THURSDAY ONLY,
7:45 AM-8:15 AM OR 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Email bkspiritstore@gmail.com and must include:
  • Your Name
  • Contact Phone Number
  • Item # listed above
  • Size of Item (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)
  • Price

Method of Payment at Pickup: Exact Cash, Check to BKPA, Venmo @BKParentsAssociation, or Credit Card

Choice of Thursday ONLY Pickup Slot: AM or PM (see time period above) *BK Spirit Store volunteers are unavailable for other pickup days or times, and the front office staff does not have access to the store.

Thursday ONLY Pickup table outside in front of St. Teresa of Jesus Chapel. Please park, and walk up to pick up your order. Please do not park or leave your car unattended in the pickup lane.

THANK YOU for your cooperation as BK Spirit Store volunteers try to keep BK Spirit Store items available for our community.  
Looking for a Host Family for a BK Sophomore
We are looking for a host family for a returning BK International Student from China. He is a sophomore, and he has not left Boise since last fall. He is a good student, and likes swimming, playing basketball, and golf.

Host families receive $700 per month, possibly more upon discussion. For questions and detailed information contact Ying Donegan at (208) 853-8542 or ying@7eie.com.
We Need Your Pictures!
Building the yearbook this year is going to be challenging, to say the least! We are asking parents and students to regularly submit photos to help us cover events that actually do happen, and even things that your students are involved in outside of school. I can't guarantee that we will be able to use all of these photos, but it will certainly help us build our pages.

Photos can be submitted to the BK Yearbook Instagram Account @BKYrbook, or via email at Knightpix@bk.org. Please include a brief description with your photos!

Because of image quality on Instagram, we will most likely have to contact you directly to request an emailed copy of the photo. The only major photo guideline is that our publishing company doesn't allow for "hand signs" in photos, so just be aware of that. Thank you for helping us out, and please encourage your students to submit photos too!
Mark Your Calendar
Holy Apostles Confirmation Classes
2020 - 2021 Parent & Candidate Information Zoom Meetings

Sunday, August 23rd at 7:00 PM (pick one)

The links to attend the meetings are online at: www.hahsm.org/confzoom. Once there, both meetings are listed and families can get to the Zoom meeting by simply clicking on the date/time for the meeting of their choice.

Questions? Contact Rusty Bang, Director of High School Youth Ministry at Holy Apostles. (208) 888-1182 ext. 3025 or rbang@holyapostles.net
LADIES-Registration is now open for the 2020 Idaho Catholic Women's Conference. Our theme is Brave, and our keynote speakers are Sister Miriam James Heidland and Heather Khym, two of the co-hosts of the Abiding Together Podcast; and Father Justin Brady of the Diocese of Boise. This will be a virtual conference and will include a virtual Mass, adoration, cameos from Catholic personalities, live chat and Q&A, virtual marketplace, and nine days of live, pre-conference online sessions in the Serenity Lounge. The date is Saturday, September 19th . The early bird price of $20 and discounted conference shirt orders last until Tuesday, August, 25. For more details and to register go to: www.IdahoCatholicWomen.com or call 208-484-0898.
Safety Protocols at Bishop Kelly
The following protocols are in place on the Bishop Kelly Campus. Please observe all safety measures at all times when you are on campus.
BK Knights wear masks at all times while on campus. Students are responsible for bringing their own face covering to school each day. Reusable face coverings should be washed after use each day.
BK Knights thoroughly wash and disinfect their hands regularly. BK Knights monitor their health daily, and stay home if they experience Covid-19 symptoms.
BK Knights avoid close contact by maintaining at least six feet of distance from others and observing one-way walking patterns in our hallways.
BK Knights reflect Jesus' love and compassion for our greater community by taking these steps to protect ourselves and others at all times.
Job Openings at Bishop Kelly
Bus Route Driver
Activities Bus Driver
Substitute Teachers
Substitute Kitchen Assistant
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.
Bishop Kelly High School | (208) 375-6010 | www.bk.org