School begins in just 15 days. Our staff are busy making preparations for the start of school, and we are very excited about seeing all of you again. Please note the following information:

All tuition payments are to be made directly to the school office. Do not send any payments to SMART Financial. Tuition payments are due by the fifth (5th) of each month and are delinquent after the twentieth (20th). For more information call the school office.

Parent Orientation is scheduled for Friday evening, August 22, at 7 p.m. This is an important meeting, as we will discuss any and all changes to our procedures. Please make the necessary arrangements to have both parents present for this meeting.

We do hope that you have had a refreshing and restful summer vacation. For more information please contact the school office or contact Mr. Abshire at his email address.

The academic calendar for the 2008-2009 school session is now completed and has been posted to the online calendar on this website. Copies of the school calendar are also available for pick-up at the school office. Please remember this calendar is subject to change. Advance notice will be given in the event a change is necessary.

We are moving full steam ahead in preparations for the coming school year. We are very excited about the changes we have made.

First, the change in curriculum. For many years now we have wanted to make the change to the A Beka Books Curriculum; however, for numerous reasons, this was not possible until now. All students enrolled in grades K through 6 will use this second-to-none curriculum. Students enrolled in grades 7 through 12 will continue to use the Switched On Schoolhouse program they have been using for the past 5 years.

Second, the change in classrooms. This change allows us to place each teacher in the area of their individual strengths. The classroom organizations are: Learning to Read (K4 and K5), Primary Elementary (1st and 2nd grade), Lower Elementary (3rd and 4th grade), Middle Elementary (5th and 6th grade), Junior High (7th and 8th grade), and High School (9th through 12th grade). Each department will be limited to a maximum of 20 students, insuring the teacher’s ability to offer one-to-one attention with each student as is necessary.

We believe these changes will help to strengthen the program of our school, thus insuring a stable and consistent school for your children; one that you can have confidence will be here as long as you need it. With your help we will continue to improve and develop the academic and extracurricular programs in our school.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you who came out and supported our fundraising efforts in this year’s firework sales. It was our best year ever, and all the funds raised will help us further the extracurricular programs of our school.

Vacation Bible School is now just 12 days away. The dates of VBS are Monday, July 21 through Friday July 25. The hours are 9 a.m. until noon daily. Registrations will begin on Monday, July 21st at 8:30 a.m. Please consider pre-registering your child by either visiting our church website and selecting the VBS link, or stop in at the church office and register there. Early registrations will help us keep things moving along on Monday, July 21st. Please remember, there is no cost to enroll and all children are invited. For more information please contact the church or school offices.

Lastly, please remember to submit your annual fees as soon as possible. All annual fees are now due. These funds are very important to us; as they are used to purchase materials necessary to begin the new school year. If you have any questions please contact me via email, phone, or drop by to see me.

Once again this summer, B.B.C.A. will conduct fireworks sales to raise money for our programs. The location of this year’s sales will be at the Wolf Den Plaza, directly across from Sonoma State University. Sales will begin on Saturday, June 28th and will continue through Thursday, July 4th. Please tell all your friends and relatives, and ask them to come out and support our school. For more information speak with Mr. Charon.

Vacation Bible School is rapidly approaching. Registration is free, and may be completed online at our church website: www.bbaptist.org, or you can stop by the church office and register your children. The dates of the VBS are July 21 - 25, and is held from 9a.m. until noon each day. Closing ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday evening, July 27th at 6pm.

Please remember that your first installment of annual fees was due on June 1. Please be sure and submit this to the school office; not to SMART tuition management. If you have any questions please call the school office.

School is out for summer; however, we have a full schedule of activities planned for our children throughout the summer months.

It all begins with our annual Pioneer Club Campout. This year we will camp at the Little Bear Campground at beautiful Lake Mendocino. The dates of the campout are Thursday, June 19 through Saturday, June 21. An organizational meeting will be conducted at our church on Sunday evening, June 15, following the evening service. If you are interest in attending this event please be present at this meeting. This is always a great event; one you will not want to miss.

Next is our Vacation Bible School, July 21 through 25, 9:00 a.m. until noon daily. The cost to attend VBS is free. Students will enjoy great singing, fun games, creative crafts, delicious snacks, and stirring lessons from the Word of God.

If you need more information on these events please contact the school office. We encourage each of you to take advantage of these wonderful family activities through the summer months.

We are now entering our final week of classes for the 2007-2008 school session. Please note the following:

Monday, June 2: Regular day; classes follow normal schedule.

Tuesday, June 3: No classes due to Sonoma County Elections.

Wednesday, June 4: Academic Awards Program, 9:00 a.m.; classes following presentations for students requiring additional testing.

Thursday, June 5: Classes for students requiring additional testing only; dismissal at noon.

Friday, June 6: Commencement exercises begin at 7:00 p.m.

Please remember that extended care is now over, and no extended care (morning or afternoon) will be provided for the last week of school. If your child has been released from mandatory attendance they do not need to report to classes on Monday or Thursday; however, all students need to be present (in chapel uniform) for the awards presentations on Wednesday. Students that have been released may leave immediately following the presentations. Report cards will be completed and mailed to your home no later than Friday, June 13. If you have not received your child’s report card by June 18, please call the school office.

Please remember that the first installment of the Annual Fees for the 2008-2009 school session are now due. Please forward these to the school office as soon as possible. Also, please continue to watch this page throughout the summer for important updates. If we do not have a current email address for you please contact the school office or send me an email (dabshire@bbaptist.org) with your current email. This will allow us to keep you informed throughout the summer.

With school winding to a close, I want to remind you of some important dates:

Thursday, May 29, 2008 - Last day of school for all Kindergarten classes - last day of extended care for all students. 

Friday, May 30, 2008 - School-wide picnic, Howarth Park group area, Santa Rosa, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Please remember to purchase your lunch tickets through the school office. Limited parking, so arrive early.

Friday, May 30, 2008 - Kindergarten graduation, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008 - Sonoma County Elections - No classes for the upper learning center.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 - Annual Awards Presentations - 9 a.m. in the main auditorium.

Thursday, June 5, 2008 - Last day of school - All classes dismiss at noon.

Friday, June 6, 2008 - High School Graduation - 7 p.m.

Please mark you calendars for these dates and times. If you have any questions please contact the school office.

The school year is coming to an end, and it is once again time to turn our attention to the annual school-wide picnic. This year, we will hold this event on Friday, May 30 at Howarth Park in Santa Rosa. We have reserved the group picnic area from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Parking at the group area is limited, so plan to arrive early. The area contains a large bar-b-que grill and ample dining area. You may bring your own food to prepare, or you may purchase a meal ticket; through the school office; for your entire family. Relax as you supervise your children as they enjoy the playground, take a hike around spring lake, or just sit in the shade of the gazebo and enjoy the company of your friends and family. There will be no classes or extended care on this date. All children must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. For more information please contact the school office.

I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks to all of you who worked so hard to help us raise funds for this year’s Human Race. Our school was well represented on Saturday, with fifty-three (53) people participating in the 3K walk, and four (4) more in the 10K race. Congratulations to James, Jacob, Michael, and Mr. “P” for completing the course. We were very proud of them. You can visit the sports blog page on our school website for their individual times. We will not know how much money we were able to raise until all the funds are turned in. I will let you all know as soon as we have that number. Also, please remember to refer to the calendar; also on our website; to stay informed of the many events taking place during this final month of school. If you have any questions please contact the school office.

That’s right, only eight more days until the 2008 Human Race event. Please do all you can to raise pledges between now and next Saturday, May 10th. Every moment counts, and every dollar counts. Team leaders, and students alike, have been working very hard to meet their goals. For more information on how you can help please speak with Mr. Abshire or Mrs. Charon right away.