Weekly Warrior
Stay in touch. Stay informed.
Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
What’s Inside:
Week at a Glance
Letter from Head of School
Elementary News
MS/HS News
Nurse’s Corner   
BCS and You
Prayer Warriors 
Quick Links
Administration Info
Special Announcement
Week at a Glance

Monday, Oct 7
4 pm- MS volleyball game @ Geneva

Tuesday, Oct 8
8:30 am - 3rd grade
Elem Chapel
5:30 pm - MS volleyball game @ Shepard of the Hills
6 pm- Varsity volleyball @ BCS

Thursday, Oct 10
8:30 am - Fire Safety Program (K4, K5, 1st
and 2nd)
5 pm - MS football @ NBCA
6 pm - Varsity volleyball @ Victoria Faith Academy
6:30 pm - MS volleyball @ St. George

Friday, Oct 11
7 pm - Varsity football @ Temple Holy Trinity

Saturday, Oct 12
MS and HS Cross Country meet - Concordia
Head of School
Jerry Beene

Greetings!
With many positive changes occurring over the summer months, God’s plan for Bracken Christian School continues to be good. 
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10
With input from our consultants, we’ve made some organizational changes in order to better direct the operations of the school. We have formed an executive leadership team where I serve as Head of School/Business Director and am chief administrator responsible for overall operations and direction and report to the Board of Directors; Amy Day is Director of Marketing, Communications, Volunteer Coordinator and Event Planning; and Jill White functions as Director of Academics in her capacity as consultant to Bracken. We’ve also revamped the staff reporting structure in an effort to improve operating efficiency, increase academic standards, and facilitate better communication. We’re striving for continuous improvement, so as the school year progresses we will be assessing the impact of these changes and responding accordingly. We’ll keep what works, and change what doesn’t.
Volunteers are a vital part of the success of our school. Last year, Nurse Robin Urbanovsky did a wonderful job of leading the Helping Hands organization and we are so grateful for her servant heart. As part of our improvement effort, we are researching the viability of a PTA/PTO as a means by which our families can actively connect and participate. We will be hosting a meeting very soon to unveil the purpose and plan for our families to get involved. One event that we know will be on the agenda for this new venture will be Bracken Fest! We know Bracken Fest will be missed, but we have decided to take a step back this year to begin preparations for a Bigger and Better Bracken Fest in 2020.
The golf tournament is back! Come join us on October 14 at River Crossing Golf Club for a great day of golf and fellowship. There will be prizes, raffles, and food…and probably some high scores. Go to www.brackenchristian.com/golf2019 for more info and registration details.
Boots and Ballgowns has graciously offered to host another fundraiser for Bracken in the spring of 2020! Last year this event raised over $100,000 for scholarships, bus repairs, elementary roof repairs, and various needed improvements around campus. 
If you venture toward the football field, you’ll notice that we have new sidewalks and concrete aprons around our field house, courtesy of a very generous donation of time and materials. You’ll also see that we now have a new concession stand by the football field, again with time and materials donated to erect that structure. These donors have requested anonymity, so we’ll just ask that you ask God to bless these families for their support.
We are excited to see God’s provisions to pour out over Bracken as we seek to glorify Him in all that we do! We ask for your prayers as we seek to partner with Bracken families to provide an excellent education within the context of a biblical worldview and equip students to impact their culture for Christ. 
 
Bracken Christian. One.
Elementary School News
Sheila Kerby, Principal

What really makes a Christian school distinctively Christian? Beyond seeing elements such as chapel, Bible classes, and prayer, it is a purposefully academic experience framed in a Christian worldview. Christian schools must pursue academic excellence while establishing and sustaining a curriculum with an authentic biblical focus. In the book Understanding by Design, authors Wiggins and McTighe explained that "best practices" require the school's faculty to stay current in professional reading and attending professional development events. Our students and parents deserve an academically superb education.
The K5 chapel presentation was an awesome success. I truly hope you were able to attend and listen to these precious students sing about God’s creations -- how He made each one and how special they are.   
Make that contraction, STAT! First Graders transformed into word surgeons this week. Donning gloves and masks, they carefully selected their surgical instruments (scissors and band-aids) and went to work mending "bones." They performed a serious Contraction Operation on two-worded bones, combining those words into a contraction. Now that's a lesson they will remember!
Middle School/
High School News
Tashi Land, Principal
Parents,
Homecoming week was a huge success. Thank you so much for supporting all of the fun outfits! The energy on campus was great, and we had a wonderful time being Warriors! 
This week we are finishing up some of the district play for middle school athletics and will have playoffs coming up soon. We have two weeks left in the first quarter, so help your students finish strong!

Our Bible verse for the week is Colossians 4:6, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
This week: Please see the "Week at a Glance" above for more information. Looking further ahead:
Oct 14, Monday - No school for students. Golf tournament. (See info below.)
Oct 16, Wednesday - PSAT for all 9th - 11th graders
Nurse's Corner
Robin Urbanovsky, RN
1st Annual Blood Drive
for 2019-2020
Blood Drive Scheduled for Wednesday, October 16th from 12:30-4:45pm
Please call to schedule a time 830-438-3211 
We need at least 38 donors to meet our goal. Please! Will you be one of them?!? Can I count on you? Can those in need count on you?
BCS and You
The Giving Tree
If the leaves and fruit on this tree represent teacher classroom resources, our teachers could use your help! You can help make this tree full by donating items listed below. Feel free to give donations to any classroom whether your child is a student in that class or not. If you have any questions, please contact the respective school principal.

K4 : Gold Fish, Teacher Pay Teacher
K5 : Glue Sticks
1st : Dice, Scrabble tiles, Teacher Pay Teacher
2nd : Treasure Box items
3rd : Carpet Sweeper
4th : Treasure Box items
Elem music : Cardboard music stands
Elem science: Zip lock sandwich bags
MS/HS Math: 25 graphing calculators (for classroom use), plastic rulers with inches and centimeters
MS/HS Science: New skeleton and stand, organ models, meter (not yard) sticks, magazine subscription (Ideas and Discoveries, Discover Magazine), Women of Science Posters by Anatomology
MS/HS Social Studies: Teacherdiscovery.com gift cards, individually wrapped candy
MS/HS English: Books (novel sets such as The Hobbit, etc.)
MS/HS Bible: Concordance reference books
MS/HS Music: Gift Cards (Sam Ash Music store, Walmart, HEB, Guitar Center), Retractable Screen (see Dede Wolf for details), Sound System for Gym (see Dede Wolf for details), water bottles
MS/HS Art: Canvases, paint brushes, drawing pencils, acrylic paint, oils paint
MS/HS Drama: Donations for script purchase and set/prop purchases
MS/HS Foreign Language: Teacherdiscovery.com gift cards
MS/HS Other Electives: Historical Movies (DVDs)(Ask teacher for specifics)
Secondary wide: Expo Markers, post-it notes, pens, pencils, paper towels, kleenex,white board erasers, 2 flat screen TVs for the high school hallway (for announcements)
Volunteer
As ONE school, we must be united in our efforts to ensure Bracken thrives. Bracken needs ALL families to volunteer to support special events, fundraisers, outreach efforts, or other campus activities throughout the year. The following are some upcoming opportunities:

-- Golf Tournament (See below)
-- Santa's House
--Join the future PTA/PTO

Click here to sign up for current volunteer opportunities. If your schedule does not allow you to volunteer your time, please contact Amy Day to determine other ways you can contribute.
Mon, Oct 14, 2019 8:00 AM CST
Bracken Christian School Golf Tournament
River Crossing Club, Spring Branch
We would love to see our families at the River Crossing Golf Course supporting Bracken! This is a family event for all ages!
We still need players for the tournament, volunteers to help run the tournament, and sponsors. Our initial fundraising goal for the tournament is $20,000. Funds raised will be used to help fund scholarships and teacher Christmas bonuses. We are still looking for someone to sponsor lunch at $2,000. You can also sponsor a hole for just $150, enter a team of 4, or enter as an individual player. We would love to see some Father/Child, Mother/Child, or even some Grandparent/Grandchild teams! Invite the guys/gals from work for a fun morning and a nice lunch!
If you would like to volunteer or participate, please visit the links below:
Prayer Warriors
 Please be in prayer for the following:
  • Enrollment
  • The right leadership for the right time
  • BCS Athletes
  • HS students as they prepare for the PSATs and SATs

*If you have a prayer request that you would like to share in the newsletter, please contact one of the principals or Amy Day so we can include it here.
Administration Update and
Contact Information
Administration:

Interim Head of School:
Jerry Beene

Academic Director:
Jill White

Financial/Business Director:
Jerry Beene

Marketing/Communications:
Amy Day

HS/MS Principal:
Tashi Land

Elementary School Principal:
Sheila Kerby

Athletic Director:
Terri Sanders

NILD Coordinator:
Kim Miglicco


Did you know?
Bracken Christian School is offering a new program this year through the National Institute of Learning Development (NILD). NILD is a program for students with average to above-average intelligence who struggle in the classroom. The goal of the program is to equip students who have learning differences with the tools to succeed academically and in life as they become independent learners. This program will allow us to widen our doors and serve more students in our community, preparing them for God’s calling.
Ms. Kim Miglicco is leading the NILD program at BCS. She is a Level III licensed educational therapist and holds a Master of Education in Exceptional Student Education (Special Education) and a Master of Counseling degree. She is also a Texas certified teacher. She previously served as the Director of the Einstein Center at New Braunfels Christian Academy.
For more information, please call Kim Miglicco at 830.980.3267.
Special Announcement
Employment Opportunity

BCS is currently seeking a dedicated individual to join our after school program staff! This is a part-time job on Monday-Friday from 3:15-6:30 p.m. It is an opportunity to make a positive impact, significantly help BCS families, and earn some extra money. The added benefit: These children are GREAT! Prior experience is not necessary.

Description:  As a caretaker for the after-school care program you shall prayerfully help students learn attitudes, social skills, and help develop Christian character under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Requirements:
·     CPR & AED training as well Universal First Aid.
·    Use/own a personal cell phone and provide number to parents of children in the program in case of emergency.
·     After school care workers must stay until the last child is picked up. On occasion, this may be after 6:30.

Contact Ms. Sheila Kerby, Elementary School Principal, for more details at 830-438-3211.
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