With just six more days until classes begin, I want to welcome all the new and returning families to BBCA.

Please do not forget the Parent Orientation Open House scheduled for this Friday, August 20th, at 7:00 p.m. At this meeting we will discuss all the operational procedures of the school and give each family an opportunity to meet with your student’s teacher, as well as view the classrooms. Family packets (containing important contact and health documents) will be distributed at this time. Please remember that annual fees and the first installment of your annual tuition are due before students may begin classes. For help in this please speak directly with Mr. Abshire.

Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 23rd. Please remember that students may not arrive prior to 8:10 a.m.; unless they are enrolled in the morning extended care program. A complete “supply list” for each class can be found under the “documents” tab on our website. If you need more information concerning supplies please contact the school office.

If you need more information please call the school office, or stop by at your convenience.

Summer is now upon us, and I want to remind you of some important dates:

June 1st: The first installment of your annual fees are due. Please mail, or drop off, this installment as soon as possible.

June 17th – 19th: Pioneer Clubs Family Campout. This year’s campout will be held at Clearlake State Park. It is not too late to take part in this annual event. If you are interested, contact us via email or stop by the church office. The cost to attend is $10 per camper, with a maximum fee of $40 per family.

July 1st: The second installment of your annual fees are due.

July 19th – 23rd: 2010 VBS program; SeaQuest – Dive Into God’s Word. This program is open to all children ages 4 thru 12. There is no cost to attend. The program will begin at 9am and will dismiss at noon each day. You can register online via our church (www.bbaptist.org) or school websites. If you prefer, you can stop by the church office and pick up a registration form. I am looking forward to seeing all of you there.

August 1st: The first installment for the 2010-2011 school year is due.  This payment will be delinquent after the 20th of the month. Please remember that all annual fees and the 1st installment must be paid prior to a student being allowed to begin classes.

August 20th: Parent Orientation Night, 7 pm. All families are encouraged to attend, as new rules and policies are covered during this time.

August 23rd: The 2010-2011 school session begins at 8:30 am.

The school office will be closed until June 21st. If you need information please email Mr. Abshire at dabshire@bbaptist.org, or call the school office and leave a message. We will check messages regularly.

With only fourteen more school days remaining, I wanted to remind you of some important dates:

• MAY 5: This was the due date for your final tuition installment. If you have not yet made this final payment please do so by May 20th. Students with outstanding balances after that date may not be allowed to return to classes.
• MAY 17, SPORTS AWARD BANQUET: This event is open to all student athletes and their immediate family. Please RSVP to the school office right away.
• MAY 21, CLASS FIELD TRIPS: Please speak with your student’s teacher as to the time and location of their class trip. There will be no classes and no extended care on this date.
• MAY 26, ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM: The awards program will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. All parents are invited; and encouraged; to be present for the presentation of academic awards for the 2009-2010 school session.
• MAY 27, KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION: The ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. The students will perform a short play based upon Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Academic awards for the kindergarten students will immediately follow the graduation ceremony.
• MAY 28, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: This will be a half day. All students must be picked up at noon. There will be no afternoon extended care on this date.
• MAY 28, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION: The ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. The speaker for the evening will be Pastor V. Mark Smith. All families are encouraged to be present for this ceremony to honor our graduates for this year.

We have not yet finished totalling the pledges from the Human Race event. As soon as the final numbers are available we will post them to our website. That being said, I would like to express my most heartfelt appreciation to all the students and parents that labored to raise funds for this event.

If you have not yet re-registered for the 2010-2011 school year, please do so right away. Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have concerning this.

As always, my door is open to all of you. Please contact me with any questions you may have.

That’s right! BBCA now hosts an online mall. Simply log on to our website; select the “School Office” tab; then select the “Online Store” option. From there you can choose from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Blockbuster, Kmart, Office Depot, Sears, Target, and Walmart (others may be added soon) for your online purchases. Whenever someone browses the store through these links, and makes a purchase, BBCA will receive a percentage of each sale. That’s it! It’s that simple. Please make sure and tell all your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers about this program. It’s a simple way to help BBCA without expending any additional funds! For more information on this program speak with Mr. Abshire or Mr. Petro.

We are firmly into the third quarter. Things slow down just a bit during the month of February, and we look forward to making good progress in all our classrooms.  Following are the events scheduled for this month:

• February 5th – 2nd Quarter Merit Shop
• February 5th – Crusader’s Volleyball Home Game – 6:00 pm
• February 15th – President’s Day – No School, No extended care
• February 19th & 20th – BBCA Rock-A-Thon Athletic Fundraising Event

In the next week or so, you will receive information detailing re-enrollment for the 2010-2011 school session.  Please make sure to read the information carefully and if you have any questions contact me directly.  Re-enrollment for currently enrolled families will begin on March 1st.  Open enrollment will begin on April 1st.  We are working very hard to keep your tuition costs as low as possible.  Remember, you can help us save you money by referring our school to your family and friends.  Please review the informational videos on our website (http://bbcacrusaders.org/news/category/videos/) for ways that you can save money on your tuition.

I trust that all had a very restful and enjoyable Christmas break. It is wonderful to be able to spend time with family and friends. But now, we must turn our attention to the new year approaching, and return to the classroom and to the task of educating our students.

Please mark your January calendars for the following dates:

• January 4 – Classes resume at 8:30 a.m.;
• January 5 – Tuition installment 6 of 10 is due (delinquent after the 20th of the month);
• January 8 – BBCA Crusader’s Basketball – this is a home game, begins at 6:00 p.m.;
• January 9 – Pioneer Club Pine Car Derby Workshop – here at the school – 10 am til 1 pm;
• January 15 – End of first semester;
• January 18 – No School – C.A.L. Tournament @ BBCA – Schedules TBA
• January 23 – 5th Annual Pine Car Derby – 10:00 a.m.

Please remember the many ongoing programs to help our school raise funds: EScrip programs at Safeway and Raley’s, Box Tops, and Campbell Soup Labels. Please speak with Donna Chamblee or Tina Balderrama for more information on these programs. Also, please remember our referral program which could help you earn a $100 credit for every student enrolled by your personal referral. Go to the video archives on our website and learn all the details concerning this program, or call the school office for more information.

This is one of our busiest times of the year. Our students and staff have been working very hard in preparation for the 14th Annual BBCA Christmas Pageant. From our youngest students to our graduating seniors, all have a part in this year’s program. Please make plans to be here and lend your support and encourage to your child. Invite all your relatives and friends. The cost of admission is: $5 per adult, $2.50 for children 12 and under (BBCA students attend for free), and no cost for children 3 and under. A nursery will be provided for all children 3 and under. Tickets must be purchased through the school office. Ticket order forms are available upon request from your student’s teacher.

Please remember that we depend upon the timely payment of all tuition accounts to meet the obligations of the school. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

On behalf of the entire staff of both BBCA and the Berean Baptist Church, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, December 1st, as our students hold their first Art Auction.

The student’s art will be on display and available for purchase, by the highest bid, to family or friends. Digital reproductions of all art work can be ordered and purchased. In addition to the student’s work, we will have on-hand some paintings and photographs by professional artists and photographers. These works will also be available for sale to the highest bidder. In addition to the original art and digital reproductions; student’s art will be available through an online novelty store (details will be presented at the auction). There you will be able to purchase items (coffee mugs, key fobs, etc.) with the student’s art superimposed onto the item purchased. The school will receive a percentage of these purchases.

This is one of the three main fundraising efforts of our school this year. Please help us by inviting all your relatives, and friends, to be present at this event.

Our annual Fine Arts competitions are a wonderful opportunity for our students to develop the talents God has given them. Whether it be a talent in: art, music, photography, academics, crafts, or a combination of these; we encourage every student to discover and develop these talents, and we attempt to facilitate this through these competitions.  Therefore, we ask that you encourage your student to do their best and participate in as many of these areas as they can.

Following is the schedule of competitions:

• MUSIC: Monday, November 23rd – 9:00 a.m. – Main Auditorium
• ACADEMICS: Bible and Mathematics – Monday, November 23rd – 10:00 a.m. – Classrooms
• STRATEGY: Chess – Monday, November 23rd – 10:00 a.m. – ULC Classroom
• CULINARY: Entrees – Monday, November 23rd – Hourly throughout day – Kitchen
• SPELLLING BEE: Monday, November 23rd – 1:00 p.m. – Classrooms
• ART: Tuesday, November 24th – All Day – Main Auditorium
• JUNIOR ART: K students only – Tuesday, November 24th - All Day - Main Auditorium
• PHOTOGRAPHY: Tuesday, November 24th – All Day – Main Auditorium
• CRAFTS: Tuesday, November 24th – All Day – Main Auditorium
• CAKE DECORATING: Tuesday, November 24th – All Day – Main Auditorium
• JUNIOR CULINARY: K students only – Tuesday, November 24th – 9:00 a.m. – Main Auditorium
• CULINARY: Entrees – Tuesday, November 24th – Hourly, if necessary – Kitchen
• CULINARY: Desserts – Tuesday, November 24th – 10:00 a.m. – Main Auditorium
• STRATEGY: Scrabble – Tuesday, November 24th – 10:00 a.m. – ULC Classroom

Awards will be presented on Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the main auditorium. We encourage as many parents as possible to stop in and view the competitions and entries presented. If you have any questions please contact the school office.

The holiday’s are upon us; and with it comes one of the busiest times of our school year. During the month of November, our students will be busy: rehearsing for the upcoming Christmas programs in December; as well as getting ready for the Fine Arts Competitions in November. Following is the schedule of events for November 2009:

• November 1: Tuition Installment #4 is due and payable.
• November 9 – 13: BBCA Book Faire, 8-8:30am and 2:15-6:00pm Monday thru Friday.
• November 12: Family Fun Night, 5-7pm, games, book reading, projects, etc.
• November 20: BBCA Crusaders Basketball Game, 6pm.
• November 23 – 24: 13th Annual Fine Arts Competitions.
• November 25 – 27: Thanksgiving Holiday, no school, no extended care.

Please plan to visit our book fair. A percentage of the sales of these books goes directly back to your child’s classroom; making it possible for us to obtain much needed resource and literature books for our school library.

Please encourage your child to participate in this year’s Fine Arts competitions. This is always a very enjoyable time of the school year, and a wonderful opportunity for our students to share their individual talents with their classmates.

Thank you for your continued confidence and support. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.