December 18, 2020
BK Alive
Weekly 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 December 21st thru Monday January 4th - CHRISTMAS BREAK
Tuesday, January 5th
First Day of 2nd Semester
8:15 AM Start, Straight 7 Schedule
3:08 PM Release
Wednesday, January 6th
A Day
8:15 Start
Thursday, January 7th
B Day
9:15 AM Start
Friday, December 18th
A Day
8:15 AM Start
A Message from Rich and Mike
Dear Bishop Kelly Parents,

It is hard to believe that we have arrived at the end of the Fall 2020 semester. Thank you for all you have done in partnership with us to make this fall semester so successful in most every way. 

In this BK Alive letter, we will provide a first semester assessment on how we did against the goals we set for the 2020-21 school year, provide a refresher on our Instructional Plan for the first two weeks after the Christmas break, give you an update and some context for the COVID-19 numbers here at Bishop Kelly, and share some final thoughts as we leave for our Christmas break.
First Semester Assessment
When assessing our performance as a BK team and community against the four goals we set for the school year, we looked at the feedback you and our students provided through surveys, reviewed conversations with you and our faculty and staff, looked at internal metrics and applied some of our own judgement. While we feel very good about what we accomplished as a school this semester, there are clearly areas for improvement, especially from our students’ perspective. 

Here is our mid-year assessment and areas of focus for the spring semester:

  • Make the learning experience exceptional for all BK students and faculty/staff: 
  • Overall a positive learning experience, but still striving for “exceptional”
  • Faculty/ Staff worked extremely hard to meet the needs of all students while teaching in online and offline worlds simultaneously
  • Students that committed to be campus had a better educational experience than those that didn’t (based on student surveys)
  • Parents rated us 84/100 on survey and students scored us 67/100
  • As we move from 2020 to 2021, we need to break out of “survival” mode and move into thrive mode.

  • Build a plan that provides flexibility, adaptability and options for our students, faculty/staff and our school:
  • Very flexible in the fall in decisions based on internal and external factors and made many changes, adaptations based on learnings, while providing options for students & parents 
  • The entire semester was an adaptation of best laid plans and felt like a regular exercise of daily, daunting, unprecedented decisions. 
  • Parents graded us 84/100 on decisions made and students 62/100
  • As we begin a new semester, we feel much more confident in our plan and what we’ve learned in the past few months. Focus will be on having all students and staff on campus for in person learning other than a few exceptions and when students are sick or in quarantine or isolation.

  • Keep our students, faculty/staff and community safe and healthy: 
  • Cumulative data since August 17th to current date: 35 total student cases, 6 faculty/ staff cases, 297 students in quarantine with no known internal spread of COVID-19.
  • The 3W’s were effective and countered what was commonly thought back in August - that we should not be in person because it was not safe.
  • Our internal processes and procedures were successful in quickly responding to COVID cases and identifying close contacts.
  • Parents scored us 87/100 and students 71/100 on feeling safe at school 
  • We must continue to remain diligent in our safety protocols, especially as external numbers continue to rise, both here at school and outside of school. We are optimistic that we can remain in person for the entire spring semester if everyone does their part. 

  • Engage our parents and community as partners to the overall learning experience of our students: 
  • Parents have been extremely supportive in volunteering their time, talent and treasure to support our plan and our school.
  • Just about every phone call home to parents to share bad news about putting a student in quarantine or asking for home support when their student was not wearing a mask properly has been received with positive support and understanding.
  • We’ve met 1:1 with a small number of parents that have unique health concerns for spring 2021 and developed plans that address their concerns
  • Parents/families commitment to 3 W’s outside of school scored 87/100 and our communication earned a 91/100

Post Christmas Break Instructional Plan
As shared last week, we have made the decision to implement the FLEX instructional model once again, with some minor modifications based on our learnings post-Thanksgiving, for the first week after the Christmas break. We felt overall the first six FLEX days post-Thanksgiving were successful in keeping our community safe the three weeks after Thanksgiving with a total of five student and two faculty/staff cases, greatly reducing the number of students and faculty/staff on quarantine (down from 62 on 11/18 to 30 today), and in giving families who might have had high exposure potential during Thanksgiving break the option to have their children remain home. It has also led to the highest number this semester of students on campus for in person learning the past two weeks.
The areas we wish to improve are to provide more flexibility and consistency for teachers on the instructional model, ensure students are fully engaged in their learning and not taking advantage of the “flexibility”, and making attendance tracking easier and more consistent. We also need to set clear expectations for our students on what is acceptable - and what is not - during this FLEX period.
Here are the details:
For the first four instructional days after Christmas (Straight 7 on Tuesday January 5th, followed by three block periods, Wednesday, January 6 - Friday, January 8) we will once again use the FLEX Instructional Model with some increased levels of accountability and expectations for students. 
Student Attendance
  • Any students that have had no/ low exposure potential are expected to come to school to attend classes with their teacher. The expectation is that students will be at school for the entire day and unless something changes, those same students should be present all week.  
  • Any students that have had high exposure potential during the Christmas break (airplane travel, travel to a hotspot, gathering with people outside of your immediate household, etc.) are expected to remain home during our FLEX Instructional Model time period. (Read more about risks here on the CDC website.)
  • Any student experiencing any illness symptoms must stay home per our usual protocols. 

Attendance Protocols during FLEX
  • As a courtesy to help our teachers with instructional planning, students are expected to email their teachers prior to Monday January 4th if they are not going to be physically present in the classroom. 
  • FLEX MODEL ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS: Teachers will take attendance via ZOOM and/or in person in the first 15 minutes of each block period. 
  • Students will be held accountable for being on time, present, engaged and appropriately behaved whether they are face to face or online. 
Behavior and Learning Expectations
  • Instruction, lessons and content will be delivered as the teacher best sees fit, balancing the content to be taught, the number of students in their classroom, and the number online. We will be following our existing bell schedule with teachers taking attendance at the beginning of each class. 
  • Students will attend online classes individually and in an environment that is conducive to learning and focused attention on the academic subject. It is the students responsibility to be in a location where internet capabilities are sufficient for learning online. 
  • Teachers have complete authority to remove students from an online learning environment without credit for the day’s lesson if the student does NOT follow Bishop Kelly’s Expectations for Online Learning. 
All services (lunch, study hall, library, etc.) and activities/sports will be operating as usual, with appropriate safety and health protocols and regular school policies, practices and procedures will remain in place with all students that choose to attend in person. We would ask that student-athletes who have had high exposure potential during Christmas break not attend practices or games the first week back after the holiday.
After these two blocks/four days, we will move back to all students on campus and an in-person instructional model for the remainder of the semester (hopefully), starting on Monday, January 11
We expect to be in red at the start of the spring semester and likely throughout much of the semester. Given the few number of cases we have had while in red, the lack of in school transmission, and the value of in person instruction for students, it is our expectation that all students be at school in person, except for those who are sick, in quarantine or in isolation. Please review our Board Approved Amendment to our Attendance Policy for Spring 2021. 

Semester Grades
Semester grades are posted on the Infinite Campus portal.

Inclement Weather Plan and Text Alerts
Winter weather is here! Please review the Inclement Weather Plan that we sent out last week. And if you have not already done so, opt in for text alerts via Infinite Campus so that you are always in the know about urgent information at BK:

COVID-19 Update
Here is the final Friday update of the fall semester on the COVID-19 numbers for Bishop Kelly. We have had only one new student and no new faculty members test positive this week. We currently have 32 students and two faculty/staff in quarantine. Our data continues to show that we as a community have done an incredible job adhering to the 3 W’s, making good decisions throughout the semester and that quarantining of students and faculty/staff works and helps eliminate spread.

Final thoughts
We are grateful to each of you as you are a vital part of our school community. Thank you once again for all you have done in partnership with us to make this fall semester so successful in most every way.
 
Please enjoy your Christmas Break with family and friends. We look forward to seeing each of you in the New Year refreshed and ready to make the spring semester even more successful and more rewarding than the fall!

A very Blessed and Merry Christmas to you and your family and a safe and healthy start to a new year - 2021!

God bless,
Rich Raimondi
President
Mike Caldwell
Principal
A Reflection from Father Vance
BISHOP KELLY HIGH SCHOOL’S VERSION OF
“TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”
BY FR. GREG VANCE, S.J.

‘Twas the week before break, and throughout BK’s halls,
You could feel the anxiety, it seeped through the walls!
Stress about finals, and projects and grades,
Was felt all around, would there come any aides?

The school was all locked away in their classes,
To attend the last one of our all-school Masses.
Today we are challenged to listen, serene,
To a vision of BK we might never have seen.

When you reach out, beyond selfishness and greed
To a classmate or a teacher, understanding their need,
You fulfill the mission that God has imparted,
And you bring more to life what Jesus Christ started.

This world can be lonely, stressful and cruel,
And at times, we may dread even coming to school.
But it is here together that we can even dare conceive,
Of a world based on love, running on what we believe.

No place is perfect, or free of all sin,
And at times we don’t sacrifice, only preferring to win.
But today, as we gather to listen and pray,
We remember that God will return to us one day.

That child in the manger, so innocent and sweet,
Will one day be nailed by his hands and his feet,
To the cross of our sins, our darkness and shame,
And love us so much, that salvation we can claim!

Christmas can be happy, joyful and fun --
Friends and family to visit, relaxing to be done.
But let’s not forget, avoid or escape,
That this child is God, and our souls He did shape!

Wherever you go, and whatever you do,
On your break and in your life, my prayer for you,
Is that you remember, and let it sink in,
How MUCH you are loved, in spite of your sin.

On your break please relax, celebrate and play,
But just a few times, please remember to pray!
And try hard to see, through the craziness and hype,
That the season is upon us, and the time is now ripe,

To accept the great love and the grace and the blessing,
That God offers us as a gift, NOT for possessing,
But for sharing and giving freely to all
Who might need something from us, and to us might call.

Even if you feel lonely, confused and unsure,
There is MUCH you can give that is holy and pure.
All you need to do is start giving, and without a care,
You’ll find just how much you have within you to share.

To believe that Jesus is present to you,
In good times and bad -- in whatever you do,
Is the gift of our faith -- it’s the subject of ALL classes,
And it’s what we can see at this, and all Masses!

Let’s help each other, both today and next week,
To get through our finals, and find what we seek,
Not wrapped in a box, or under a tree,
But right next to you now, in you and in me!

BK will be here on the day you get back,
To challenge, support you and keep you on track.
And while you’re away, give some time for the thought,
That your school is a powerful blessing you’ve got!

Blessed Christmas to all in this wonderful place,
May God fill the New Year with health and with grace.
My prayer for you all, as Christmas draws near,
Is that we all know what a special place we have here!

Listen to Father Vance recite BK's "Twas the Night Before Christmas"
at morning Mass this week.
Confirmation Classes at BK for St. Mary's Parishioners
Father Worster, will be offering Confirmation classes to all students (9th thru 12th) here at Bishop Kelly during either "zero" hour on "B" day, or online. Students must be from St. Mary's parish or unaffiliated with a parish. 

If you are interested in having your child attend. Please complete the PRE-registration google form. Once completed, the secretary from St. Mary's will contact you. 

Festival of Trees
Once again, the BK Foundation partnered with the BKPA for the St. Alphonsus Festival of Trees. The theme for this year's tree was "Christmas Staycation" and included everything and anything needed for a wonderful Christmas at home which will be the case for many of us this year. A huge thank you to Sarah Carey, BK parent and her amazing crew, including her daughter, Annie Carey, '24 for all of their efforts in designing this beautiful tree! 
BK Athletics
Congratulations Coach Tim Brennan, AFCA Power of Influence Award Winner!!

"Five of the best high school head coaches in the nation highlight today’s announcement of the 2020 Regional Power of Influence Award winners. This award is given jointly by the American Football Coaches Association® and the American Football Coaches Foundation®. These winners will be honored during a virtual AFCA Convention, which will be held on January 12-14, 2021.

This is the second year that the AFCA has recognized regional winners for the Power of Influence Award. The award was created as a way for the AFCA® and AFCF® to honor deserving high school football coaches. Coaches who receive this award are recognized for their impact on their team, as well as the legacy they leave with the school and surrounding community. This award is not based on wins and losses; however, it should be noted that coaches of powerful influence have longevity and success. The winners are selected by members of the AFCF Board of Directors.

2020 AFCA/AFCF Regional Power of Influence Award winners are: Region 1: Don Smolyn, Lenape Valley Regional (N.J.) High School; Region 2: Terry Curtis, UMS-Wright Preparatory (Ala.) School; Region 3: Jake Gilbert, Westfield (Ind.) High School; Region 4: Bill Blankenship, Owasso (Okla.) High School; and Region 5: Tim Brennan, Bishop Kelly (Idaho) High School.

Tim Brennan has racked up on overall record of 225-79 in his 29 years as a head coach, with the last 25 coming at Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, Idaho. He has led the Knights to six state championships, 11 league championships and four undefeated seasons. Brennan has won numerous awards over his career including six Idaho State Coach of the Year honors and the Hugh Brady Award in 2018 for outstanding service and dedication to the Idaho State Coaches Association and the youth of Idaho. He has served as vice president and president of the Idaho State Coaches Association and has been a board member of the Idaho Third District Coaches Association for 32 years.

The AFCA will announce the 2020 National Power of Influence Award winner during the virtual AFCA Convention on January 12-14, 2021. The Regional winners are finalists for the national Power of Influence Award."

basketball-basket.jpg
BK Basketball will be streamed online!
Thanks to BK Parent Tom Hiler,BK Boys and Girls Basketball games will be streamed live on the BK Facebook page while we resolve the issues that have been happening with Pixelot. You can find the link to the livestream on the BK Facebook page, or on the BK Athletics Website at gametime.
Parent Volunteers are Needed for Virtual New Student Information Knight
New Student Information Knight is going virtual this year! Part of what makes this event so great for our prospective new students is that feeling that they are already an important member of our BK Family. To help build that excitement, we will be sending the first 150 families who register to attend the virtual event a Watch Party Kit, and we need volunteer parents to help us deliver them. (And also to be the first to welcome and encourage these prospective families to become Knights!)

If you would be interested in welcoming prospective families, and could deliver 3-4 Watch Party Kits during the week of January 18th, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM. You will be contacted after the break with more instructions.
Host Family Needed for BK International Student
We have a BK Junior who is an International Student and needs a host family. This student is in his second year at BK. 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.
PSAT Study Guides
On January 26th, all Sophomores and Juniors will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT here at Bishop Kelly. There are study guides with a practice test available for any student who would like one. Students can pick up the study guide in room 710.
College and Career Center
Virtual College Visits at BK:
The College and Career center will be hosting virtual college visits during lunches on A and B days as well as during office hours on B days. Have your Junior or Senior log into SCOIR to RSVP and to see all upcoming events.

College Application and Scholarship Workshop
Need help with your college application or scholarship search? Bring your questions and computer to see Ms. Klover in the College and Career Center, room 406 during office hours.

Scholarships
For scholarship information see Current Scholarships on the BK website.

If you have questions contact Ms. Klover at jklover@bk.org
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?
#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)
#256
BK Unisex Hooded Sweatshirt Drk. Gray
$36.00

(XL and 2 XL SOLD OUT)
#255
BK Unisex Hooded Sweatshirt Lt. Gray
$45.00

(2XL SOLD OUT)
#141
Unisex Long Sleeved T-Shirt
$20

#822
BK Cap, Velcro Back
One Size Fits All
$22.00
#253
Black Crewneck Sweatshirt (No hoodie)
S, M, L, XL 
$30.00
How to Order

*Order deadline: EVERY MONDAY      
*Order Pickup: EVERY FOLLOWING THURSDAY for PREPAID Orders only.
You will be emailed a confirmation.

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 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.  

Mark Your Calendar!
The Idaho Catholic Men’s Conference will take place on Saturday, January 30, 2021 at St. Paul's in Nampa and online. The conference theme is "Jesus, I Trust in You!" and will feature dynamic national speakers including Fr. Larry Richards and Dr. Ray Guarendi. Bishop Peter Christensen will also be celebrating the opening Mass. The early bird registration fee is just $48 before January 15 and online is $40. For all the details and to get registered go to www.IdahoCatholicMen.org or call 208-484-0898.
Attendance Office Update
In order for us to gather accurate attendance, please make sure you are providing documentation if your student is out for a COVID-19 related reason.

COVID-19 Absences (marked CO) are for students who test positive, and/or are quarantined for COVID-19 as a close contact.

If your students has tested for COVID-19:

If the test is positive - please provide documentation so that we can mark the absences as a COVID-19 (CO) Absence/Exempt Absence.

If the test is negative - please provide documentation so that we can mark the absences as a Doctor DR) Excused/Exempt Absence.

If your student will be absent for any reason, please notify the Attendance office via email by 9:30 AM. attendance@bk.org
Job Openings at Bishop Kelly
Bus Route Driver
Activities Bus Driver
Substitute Teachers
Substitute Kitchen Assistant
Full-time Janitorial/Maintenance Worker

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