The Weekly Paw Print

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Bear Nation,

We are working hard to foster a culture of kindness, respect, and belonging for every scholar at Bear Creek. As partners in this work, we ask for your support reinforcing an important message at home.

Please remind your scholar that when disagreements or unkind comments occur, they do not need to respond with sarcasm, hurtful words, or negative behavior. While it can be difficult in the moment, responding negatively often escalates situations and can create additional challenges.

Instead, we encourage scholars to:

• Remain calm and respectful.
• Walk away from the situation when possible.
• Seek assistance from a trusted teacher, counselor, administrator, or staff member.
• Report concerns when someone is speaking negatively to them or making them feel uncomfortable.

Our staff is here to help scholars navigate conflicts and address concerns appropriately. We want every scholar to understand that asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness.

Together, we can teach our scholars that kindness, self-control, and respect are key parts of “The Bear Way” and life. Thank you for working with us to create a positive learning environment where all students feel safe, valued, and supported.

"In a world where you can be anything, be kind."

Thank you,

Principal Armstrong

This month, our school is launching an attendance awareness campaign centered on the message, “Your Presence Matters: 95% to Thrive.” Our shared goal is for every student to maintain at least 95% attendance, which means no more than two absences this quarter.

Daily attendance plays a critical role in student success. When students are present, they strengthen their reading, writing, and math skills through consistent instruction and practice. In addition, they build lifelong habits such as responsibility, perseverance, and commitment. Even a few missed days can create gaps in learning that are difficult to recover from.

We encourage all families to help us start the month strong by prioritizing daily attendance. Being present each day sets the foundation for academic growth and long-term success.

Stay connected and informed by activating your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. The portal provides access to important student information, school updates, grades, attendance, and electronic forms that require parent signatures throughout the year. If you have not yet activated your account, please do so as soon as possible to ensure you don't miss important communications and updates about your child's education.

Bear Creek Middle School is seeking a community member to serve on our School Governance Council (SGC). This is a great opportunity to support our school, collaborate with stakeholders, and help make a positive impact on student success.

If you are interested in serving as a community member on the SGC, please email Ms. Rashida Armstrong at armstrongr@fultonschools.org.

We look forward to hearing from you!

As we continue to integrate technology into every facet of our educational experience, the safety and security of our students in the digital space remains a top priority for Fulton County Schools.

This week, the district is launching a new digital safety initiative: Qustodio, a free app designed to help parents monitor and manage their child’s online activity. This powerful tool provides families with greater visibility into how students use both district-issued and personal devices.

On school-issued devices, parents and guardians can view the amount of time their child spends online, the applications being used, and the searches conducted throughout the day. After school hours, they can also set limits and manage usage to support healthy digital habits.

For student personal devices (optional), parents can choose to install Qustodio to monitor usage and set limits at home. The district does not have any visibility or access to data from student or parent/guardian personal devices — that information is visible only to the parent or guardian who installs the app.

This initiative reflects our deep commitment to fostering a safe and responsible digital environment. By encouraging the use of Qustodio, we aim to strengthen the partnership between schools and families, empowering parents with the tools they need to support their children’s online well-being.

We will continue to invest in programs, technologies, and policies that protect our students and promote responsible digital citizenship. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure a secure and enriching learning experience for all.

Activate Your Free Account

Get started today by visiting www.qustodio.com/my-school.

For more information on how to get started, visit the Qustodio Help Center for School-managed devices.

We are excited to announce that Fulton County Schools is transitioning from Online School Payments (OSP) to SchoolCash Online as our new online payment platform.

We encourage all families to register for a SchoolCash Online account as soon as possible and add your student(s) to your account.

Register here:

https://fultonschools.schoolcashonline.com/

Once your student is linked, you will be able to view and pay for school fees and activities online.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are new to Fulton County Schools, it may take a couple of days for your student to appear in the SchoolCash system after enrollment.

IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SCHOOLCASH ONLINE AND OSP

• With OSP, parents could select a school and view all available school fees and activities.
• With SchoolCash Online, fees and items are assigned directly to individual students.
• When you log in to SchoolCash Online and select your student, you will see all BCMS items currently available for that student.

You may see two types of items on your student's account:

Mandatory Items (examples below)

• Band, Chorus and Orchestra Activity Fee (for the students enrolled those classes)
• Other required course or program fees, as applicable

Optional Items (examples below)

• School dances
• Field trips
• Special events and activities

Please be aware that optional items will automatically be removed from your account once the event date has passed, so we encourage families to make payments before registration deadlines.

We appreciate your patience and support as we make this transition.