Bear Creek Elementary -

Did you know that absences from class result in serious disruption of a student’s learning experience? Up to 8 days per year (4 per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond medical, approved excused, and statutorily exemptions. Vacations taken during the school year will be coded as unexcused absences. Learn more by visiting our website: https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/attendance

BCE Families- We all LOVE our pets but for the safety and comfort level of our students please do not walk or carry your dogs on campus during school hours. This includes during drop-off and dismissal. They are more than fine to ride along in your car, we are just asking that you don't walk them near the front of the school or front patio. Thank you for understanding!

SPIRIT WEAR SHOP IS OPEN! Can't wait to see you all rocking your cub pride! Shop HERE: https://www.bearcreekpta.org/story/332049

Check out the latest BCE news in the Bear Creek Blast! https://www.smore.com/rnqy9

✏️Attendance matters✏️ Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s learning and educational experiences. Up to 8 days per year (4 per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond medical, approved excused, and statutorily exemptions. Vacations taken during the school year will be coded as unexcused absences. Learn more about attendance by visiting our website: https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/attendance

Effective 9/1/2023, Texas House Bill 114 requires a student to be placed in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) if the student possesses, uses, or is under the influence of, or sells, gives, or delivers marijuana, THC, or an e-cigarette to another person within 300 feet of school property or at a school-related event. Parent may find the full version of the Bill here: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00114F.pdf The District encourages all families to talk with their students regarding the dangers associated with vaping or drug usage and to discuss the implications of this new law with your children, emphasizing the importance of adhering to school policies and laws for their own welfare and for the betterment of the school community as a whole. Your cooperation and support in ensuring that our district remains a safe and healthy educational environment for our students is deeply appreciated.

Attendance matters! Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s learning and educational experiences. Parents and students are encouraged to avoid unnecessary absences. Up to 8 days per year (4 per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond medical, approved excused, and statutorily exemptions. Vacations taken during the school year will be coded as unexcused absences. Learn more about attendance by visiting our website: https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/attendance

Reminder: All parents must have a visitor's badge & valid id in order to walk their child to class on the first day of school! You may use the kiosk on Monday between 9:00-3:00 to collect your badge & save it for Tuesday. Lines to print badges could be long on Tuesday morning.

Changes to School Policy Regarding E-Cigarettes, Vaping and Related Substances Effective 9/1/2023, Texas House Bill 114 requires a student to be placed in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) if the student possesses, uses, or is under the influence of, or sells, gives, or delivers marijuana, THC, or an e-cigarette to another person within 300 feet of school property or at a school-related event. Parent may find the full version of the Bill here: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00114F.pdf The District encourages all families to talk with their students regarding the dangers associated with vaping or drug usage and to discuss the implications of this new law with your children, emphasizing the importance of adhering to school policies and laws for their own welfare and for the betterment of the school community as a whole. Your cooperation and support in ensuring that our district remains a safe and healthy educational environment for our students is deeply appreciated.

Important Information about the 1st Day of School: ALL parents will be required to scan in and have a badge to enter the building if they want to walk their child to class. In order to make the process quicker and avoid long lines please either 1. Scan and get a sticker at Meet the Teacher which you can save and use on the first day. 2. Come up to the kiosk any day this week or on Monday the 14th to scan and get a sticker between 7:30-3:30. If you do not pre-scan for a sticker you WILL be required to get one on the first day before you are allowed to enter the building. Thanks for understanding our kids' safety comes first!

Bear Creek Families, Please check out the latest edition of The Bear Creek Blast!https://www.smore.com/m8b39f

Hi there Bear Creek! My name is Chloe Brooks and I am so excited to be joining the BCE family and becoming apart of the 5th grade team! I can’t wait to start off my 2nd year of teaching with all of you! I moved to DFW in 2020 and absolutely love it! In my free time I enjoy reading, watching movies, singing, practicing my sign language and baking all kinds of different sweets and treats! I am looking forward to meeting everyone and being apart of the BCE community!

Hello Bear Creek families! My name is Anne Bowen and I am so excited to be joining the team as a 5th grade math and science teacher! I graduated with my Bachelors Degree in Education in 2019 and I can't wait to kick off my 5th year as a teacher. I previously taught 5th grade for 3 years and taught all subjects, and I spent one year in middle school teaching 6th grade math. I love all things school, but especially math and science. I can't wait to share my love of learning with my students. In my free time, I love spending time outside, reading, and catching up with friends and family. I am excited to meet all of you and I am so happy to be a part of the Bear Creek Elementary team!

Hello Bear Creek Elementary School, I am so excited to be joining the team! My name is Annie Sanchez and I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have worked as a speech-language pathologist at the Albuquerque Public School District for the past 25 years. I recently moved to Coppell with my husband, Greg and 12 year old Labradoodle, Sophie. We have a 23 year old accountant son, Joel who just moved to Texas with his fiancee, Arianna and will be getting married in October. Our 20 year old son, Ryan, is a junior at Texas A&M studying mathematics and mechanical engineering. Our youngest son, Ian, will be a freshman at the University of Alabama in the fall studying Kinesiology. I love early intervention and working on incorporating literacy and phonetics into activities with my students. I cannot wait to get started and meet all of you!

Hi BCE! My name is Erianne Fairley. I am so excited to be starting my sixth year of teaching at Bear Creek! I was born in New Orleans and raised in Houston. I moved to the North Texas area in 2013 to attend UNT, and I have been here ever since! In my free time, I like to travel with my husband, go to concerts with my friends, and hang out with my cat Frankie. I am looking forward to having an amazing school year and getting to know this wonderful community!

Hello! I am Denisse Altamirano, I am excited to join the Bear Creek family as Administrator Liaison of Special Services. This will be my 12th year in education. I am coming from Lewisville ISD where I served 7 years as a dual language teacher and 4 years as a bilingual dyslexia interventionist. I hold a bachelors in interdisciplinary studies from UNT. My passion for literacy instruction led me to obtain my Masters in Reading from TWU and I recently completed a principal certification program through Region 11. My husband Ivan and I have 2 young boys ages 5 and 2, they keep us busy! We enjoy traveling, reading new books, exploring parks, and playing soccer! I look forward to meeting everyone and serving along with each of you.

Hello Bear Creek, my name is Kent Bushart! This is my first year working in education and I am excited to support students as a Special Education aide. I have lived in Grapevine for over 25 years and believe we have a great school district. I grew up in Arlington, Texas, and graduated with a BFA in Broadcast Film from Southern Methodist University. I have worked in technical documentation for a defense contractor, then later for small service businesses, and for 15 years ran a Staffing agency with my partner. I have many creative pursuits and hobbies. I wrote comic features for Boy’s Life, the Boy Scouts of America’s magazine, as a freelancer for many years. I enjoy paper-crafting and lots of other types of crafts, painting, writing, reading, and cooking.

Hello Bear Creek Elementary! My name is Mary Gardner. I received my B.S. degree in Education in 2009 from East Tennessee State University. This is my 12th year in education. I taught kindergarten and first grade for six years and was a behavior specialist for two years. In my free time, I like rock climbing, acro yoga, paddle boarding, backpacking with my dogs, reading, live music, and painting. I am ecstatic to meet everyone and look forward to the new adventure!

Hi Bear Creek Elementary! My name is Maggie Glenn. I attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington and graduated in 2021 with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I previously worked as a Mother/Baby nurse before moving to Texas last summer, where I have been working as a clinic nurse at Pediatric Associates of Dallas. I love baseball, black coffee, baking, and doing anything outdoors. I am so excited to be joining the BCE family this school year and cannot wait to meet each and every one of you!

Hello Bear Creek Elementary families! My name is Heidi Robinson, and I am excited about joining the BCES team. I was born and raised in Grapevine, Texas and received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Child Development from The University of Texas at Austin. After pursuing my teaching degree, I taught kindergarten in Highland Park for 10 years while obtaining my Master of Science in Counseling at Southern Methodist University where I became a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Registered Play Therapist, and a Certified Child-Parent Relationship Therapist. Previously, I was an elementary school counselor in both Frisco and Keller for 9 years combined before landing “home” at Bear Creek Elementary. I love working with students and look forward to meeting all of you!