BCHS Families,

I am thrilled to welcome you to the 2024-2025 Boulder Creek High School school year. It has been a busy summer at BCHS as the staff has worked together to prepare the campus and classrooms for student learning. The campus also got a fresh, updated coat of interior paint celebrating our Jaguar PRIDE in school colors! It looks spectacular! We are so excited for Thursday, August 1st, when we welcome our incredible students to a year of learning, growth, and opportunity!

In order to prepare our students for the first day of school, I have assembled information and details to support every Jaguar’s success in this edition of our Jag PRIDE Newsletter! For even more information on all things BC, please check out our BCHS Parent Student Handbook!

There is always so much happening at BCHS! Please be sure to check our website at http://bchs.dvusd.org for more school events, access to our athletics site, or for up-to-date school information. Also, follow us on our official social media accounts for school updates & celebrations: Twitter @bchs_dvusd, Facebook @BoulderCreekHighSchool, and Instagram @bouldercreekhigh.

I am so thrilled to be starting the 24-25 school year with your family! Each day is a new opportunity for learning and growth. I truly believe that as we work collaboratively and communicatively, we will continue to grow a culture of academic excellence that prepares all students to be successful. Our goal at BCHS is to prepare each student to graduate with post-secondary choices. I look forward to building strong relationships with your family that support the growth and learning of our students. Please reach out if you have questions or need support. We are happy to help!

Looking forward,

Mrs. Brittany Sutton

Principal

Brittany.Sutton@dvusd.org

623-445-8604

Between July 29 and July 31, students should check their Day 1 schedule on PowerSchool (the link is below). Students who cannot access their schedule can come to the Jag Center in the front office on Day 1 for assistance. Students will follow their schedule as written. Students will have the opportunity to fix scheduling errors later in the week.

Classroom numbers will be listed in PowerSchool. Below is a general map of the campus building layout. The 300 and 500 buildings are on the ground floor.

• The 400 and 600 buildings are on the second floor. Classrooms in the 300, 400, 500, and 600 building have room numbers that are smallest closest to the central staircase between the two two-story buildings. There are also staircases on the far sides and rear of the buildings as well.
• PE/Health classes are in the 800 building (gym). All PE classes meet daily in the main gym. Health classrooms are on the south side of the main gym lobby.
• Fine and Performing Arts classes are mainly in the 100 building. Students access this building through the door under the covered walkway across (east) from the cafeteria. Choir and Theatre are off the main hallway. Ceramics, Art, Band, Guitar, and Dance are down the first hallway on the right as you enter the building. Once art class is also in the 600 building.
• If your have a classroom listed at 102 plus a letter such as 102A or 102G, those classes are in the library along the west wall.

While BCHS will seem big at first, it becomes very easy to navigate very quickly. There are way-finding signs in the academic hallways to help as well. Also, our Student Government students will be out to help students on day-one.

• Freshman Cat Camp is Thursday, July 25th from 9-12. Sign in begins at 8:00 am for our students that registered.

• If you would like to visit our campus with your student(s) and see the locations of classes, we have Open Campus from 12 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 25th. Please note that teachers, counselors, and other staff will not be available for walk-in appointments that day. Also, please pardon our dust, as our painters will likely be finishing our interior paint job just in time for school to start!

To best serve our community and to support a safe campus, our school entry and exit procedures are:

• We use one, security-monitored school entry point at 7:00 am, which is the main walk through gate between the front office and the library. Please walk on the sidewalks closest to the school buildings rather than walking through the parking lot. Due to safety concerns with traffic, no students are permitted to enter campus walking in the bus lanes.

• Students with schedules beginning after Period 1 will enter through the main entrance at the gate nearest to the front office. Once they have their school IDs, students will show them to security to enter the campus. Security will open this gate at the end of the first and second periods.

• Students with shortened days will leave campus through the student gate south of the Performing Arts building. Students must show their school ID to exit campus. The gate will close after a few minutes at the start of each period. If students miss the open gate, they need to exit through the front office.

• At the end-of-day release time, students exit campus through the main gate between the library and front office or the walkthrough gate south of the Performing Arts building. Bus riders board buses in the rear of the school.

• Please note that no students are permitted to leave campus through any other area/ building.

• All BCHS visitors, late students, and daycare parents must check in with the receptionist in the front office. We only provide access through the door to the right of the receptionist’s desk upon ID verification and sign- in.

These practices support a safe campus for each BCHS student and staff member, which remains a top priority each and every day.

The start of the school year requires some friendly reminders for dropping off and picking up students in the parking lot. Parents/guardians dropping off students will use the northernmost parking lot entrance (near the library signage). In the morning, please use both lanes to eliminate traffic backup on Gavilan Peak Parkway. Both lanes access the curb closest to the school to safely drop off students and lead to the traffic signal at the south exit of the parking lot for exiting.

New in 2024-25 for Drop Off & Pick Up: Daisy Mountain Fire Department and Fire Marshall require the driveway to remain clear in front of the nurse’s office for safety. This area is now marked with a red curb, X’s painted on the asphalt, and no parking signage. Please do your best to pause to allow this area to remain clear. As traffic moves forward, please proceed through the area to the BLUE marked curb, the designated drop-off point.

See the parking lot maps below for a traffic flow visual.

• If you are a student parking at BCHS, please use the center (right turn only) or south (traffic signal with right/left turn) parking lot entrances. Please drive through the parking lot before school starts to best plan your route to your assigned parking spot. A parking lot space map is below to help you plan your route. Please be cautious, patient, and leave to have plenty of time to safety park and walk from your car to your classroom on time.

In the afternoon, the northernmost parking lot entrance becomes two directions to help move traffic to Gavilan Peak. Parents who pick up students should exit at the traffic light. Student drivers will exit campus at all three exit points of the lot.

Our parking application will open on July 24th to allow junior or senior students to apply for any remaining spots for the 24-25 school year. Once parking is sold out, the application will be closed and the waitlist link will be posted on the parking page on the website with directions.

Student parking sticker pick-up will be in the BCHS Bookstore on July 25th from 9-12 for Seniors and July 26th from 9-12 for Juniors. Students can continue to pick up stickers at the bookstore after that date Monday, July 29th through the start of school.

Students will receive information from their teachers during the first days of school regarding needed supplies or other recommended items for class. We strongly recommend students bring the basics: a bag or backpack to hold their Chromebook and school stuff, personal items/cell phone, pens and pencils, and paper. All the other specifics will come from teachers based on the classes they take.

PE classes have a specific dress code that you can prepare for now! PE clothes are available for purchase through our DVUSD online purchasing system, In Touch Receipting (link below). Students may alternatively wear a plain, white T-shirt and black shorts instead of purchasing the BCHS PE clothes. Items purchased will be available for pick up in the bookstore before or after school during the first week of school.

Students will get brand new technology in the form of Chromebooks for the 24-25 school year. Freshmen will get their new device after their school pictures on Friday, August 2nd, during their English Language Arts class.

Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors who have a DVUSD iPad will need to bring their device (with case, cord, and brick) to return it and then will receive a new Chromebook on the following days during their Social Studies class on August 5 through August 7.

Due to network changes, students with a BCHS iPad will be unable to properly use the device to start the year. Please understand that we will be low-tech until devices are distributed.

To purchase insurance for the Chromebook, please click here and log in using your student’s credentials: https://www.dvusd.org/Domain/2166

SCHOOL IS THE BEST PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO BE!

Student attendance is critical for student learning. We expect students to arrive on time for each period. For our student drivers, please remember the parking lot is busy. Lines typically start to form in the parking lot at 7:00 am and remain busy until after the bell rings at 7:30 am. Please plan accordingly to ensure you are on time for the first period.

Students who are unexcused tardy to first period must sign in in the OCR room in the front office and will receive lunch detention the same day as a loss of privilege consequence for being tardy. Please plan ahead and get to school on time!

Passing time between all BC classes is 5 minutes, which limits stopping and standing on the way to class. Students with excessive tardies will have disciplinary consequences, including losing parking privileges without a refund. Additionally, students with excessive absences may be placed on an attendance contract and lose class credit. Learning is important, and students who are in class have the greatest success!

BCHS ABSENCE REPORTING FORM FOR FULL DAY ABSENCES

BCHS offers a form for parents to report absences in addition to our attendance phone line to make reporting absences easier. You can find more information here.

Students may purchase breakfast ($1.50) and lunch ($3.50) with your student’s lunch account or cash. Families wanting to apply for Free/Reduced Meals can find the application and information here. New applications must be submitted by continuing and new-to-program families.

For information regarding school lunches and also adding money to your student's lunch account, please go to the DVUSD Food & Nutrition site.

All BCHS staff are trained in campus safety procedures before the start of the school year. Training includes processes for lockdown, lock-out, and evacuation. We are required by DVUSD to complete monthly evacuation drills and quarterly lockdown/lock-out drills to help practice safety procedures. We will run additional training at the start of the school year and lockdown drills at inconvenient times, such as lunch or passing periods. Please check out the DVUSD website for more information about our campus Safe Schools Plan.

At BCHS, we believe in building a community of respect and kindness each and every day. Students who exhibit positive conduct aligned with campus and district expectations will have access to school privileges such as attending after-school events (athletics, activities, dances, etc.), the opportunity to purchase and park on campus during junior and/or senior year, and also the greatest privilege of our graduating seniors walking at the BCHS commencement ceremony. We expect that students demonstrate exceptional conduct that helps create a safe, positive environment for learning and growth. When students receive suspendable consequences due to disciplinary infractions, campus privileges may be lost.

• Any student receiving disciplinary consequences may also lose activity or athletic privileges due to their behavior throughout the school year.

• Any sophomore or junior student with a disciplinary infraction resulting in on-campus or off-campus suspension during the 2024-2025 school year will be waitlisted for parking privileges for the 2025-2026 school year and will have to appeal to be considered.

• Any senior with disciplinary infractions during the school year may lose the privilege of participating in the graduation ceremony in May.

To ensure you have access to your student privileges, make sure you come to school on time, that you are focused on learning, and that you follow campus PRIDE expectations each and every day!

To help eliminate distractions during class time, BCHS expects students to keep cell phones in their backpacks in either off or silent mode. Students will have access to their Chromebooks for learning and must come with them charged each day. Please keep any other items that may distract students in the learning environment at home.

To be college-, career-, and community-ready, students in the Deer Valley Unified School District are expected to demonstrate academic integrity. Academic integrity is all about being honest and fair in your schoolwork. It means doing work entirely on your own and giving credit to others (including generative Artificial Intelligence tools) through proper citation when you use their ideas or words. If you have questions about the guidelines for academic integrity, you should discuss them with your or your student’s teachers.

During this year, teachers may allow students to use AI as a resource to support their learning. The following parameters will be communicated by teachers depending on the lesson and will guide students in meeting the expectations for classroom AI usage. Forms of AI that may be used will follow the DVUSD technology approval process to ensure age appropriateness and student safety and privacy requirements.

BCHS Intervention Time or “Flex Time” will be held this year twice a week, Wednesday and Thursday. This is the time when students receive differentiated learning support based on need. Some students are assigned targeted academic support, while others will self-select tutoring sessions or choose opportunities to deepen and enrich their learning experiences. All BCHS students participate in Flex Time. We will show students how to sign up for their sessions through Flex Time Manager before the first session in mid-August. For a description of BCHS Flex Time, Flex bell schedule, and Flex Time dates, click here.

To support planning for student learning, interventions, and targeted support, we are excited to continue our adopted 90-minute early release Fridays to support BCHS teacher collaboration and student learning through dedicated Professional Learning Community (PLC) time. This time is invaluable to our teachers and students, as it gives critical time to our teacher teams to design skill-based instruction and assessments, review student progress data, and design supports and interventions. The year’s early release dates and the school calendar are available here.

There are no adults to supervise students after school ends on these days. Buses run exactly 90 minutes earlier every early release Friday afternoon. You will find the Districtwide Start and Dismiss schedule here. You can access our BCHS bell schedules (regular day, early release, Flex Time, and final exams) on our website.

School Pictures/ IDs for Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors and IDs for Seniors are during ELA classes on August 2nd. Click here if you would like to pre-order your 9-11th grade student’s school portraits. Seniors will have pictures on the 2nd ONLY for school IDs, and they must make an appointment for their senior yearbook portrait at Grads Photography using this link.

Our Meet the Teacher Open House is on Monday, August 12th from 6:00-7:30 pm. This is a night where you can meet teachers, see classrooms, and have your student(s) take you around to see what their day is like at BCHS! We will send more information out before the night.

Extracurricular activities are a great way for students to get involved in the BC school and surrounding community and foster skills they will use throughout their lives.

Club rush will be during both lunches on August 14th. This is a time for students to learn about clubs on campus and how to be involved.

If you are interested in starting a club, present your idea to a BCHS teacher or staff member and ask if they would sponsor it. When you have a club sponsor, please see Mrs. Tunnell in the front office for a club packet containing information about starting a club.

Student Government is a class of 9th-12th grade students who are elected by their peers to represent the entire student body. StuGo officers work diligently year-round to create a spirited and exciting atmosphere at Boulder Creek High School while developing their individual leadership skills.

For important information regarding upcoming events, spirit days, and voting, follow us on social media at:

Instagram: @Bchsjagnation

Link Tree: Boulderhs.jagnation@gmail.com

Snapchat: @Bchsjagnation01

TikTok: @Bchsjagnation_

Facebook: @Boulder Creek’s Student Government

Get involved in BC Athletics whether you are on the field or court or are cheering from the stands, we want you to be a part of the action!

Fall Try Out and Physical Information is on our website: https://www.dvusd.org/Page/87956.

Our fall athletic schedule is being finalized and posted on our website soon!

Our first home Varsity Football game of the season on Friday, August 30th at 7 pm. Come on out and cheer on your Jags!

We are using GOFAN for all home athletic events!

Types of ticketing available

1. Single game tickets on GOFAN - https://gofan.co/app/school/AZ12766

2. Boulder Creek Student pass, online or in the bookstore for $30. Please add the athletic pass symbol to your students I.D. by having it re-printed at the Bookstore, prior to an event.

3. Family pass punch cards, $60 at the bookstore only. 20 punches per card, can use 1 or 20 punches at each event.

4. There are NO backpacks or water bottles allowed into any BCHS event. please plan accordingly.

Insta - @BCAthleticsjags

Facebook -@ Boulder Creek Athletics

JALAC Insta - @BCHSJALAC

Yearbook

The 2024-2025 Yearbook is available to purchase online through Jostens using this link. The link is also available on the DVUSD online payment system and on the Boulder Creek web site.

Our Parent Association is always looking for membership to do amazing things for our students and staff! Please reach out to Beverly Jones about supporting BCHS through our Parent Association! bcjagparents@gmail.com

BC Jaguar PRIDE means that our Jaguars are Prepared, Respectful, have Integrity, are Disciplined, and show that Everyone is united! To ensure a safe, focused, and positive learning environment, we PRIDE expectations with students on Thursday in second period.

• This includes our expectation that students keep their cellphones on silent mode in their backpack so students can properly engage in learning.
• Students should be prepared with a fully charged iPad each day and any other items required for class to help with their success.
• It is also critical that students are in class and on time to be present for learning which is critical for their success.
• We also expect our students to be respectful of classrooms, school and personal property each and every day.

Please review our BCHS PRIDE expectations in our Student/Parent Handbook . Taking time to show Jaguar PRIDE is important as we work toward our mission of providing “a safe learning environment with rigorous academic opportunities for all students to graduate as productive, responsible, and contributing citizens!”

• X (Twitter): @bchs_dvusd
• Facebook: @BoulderCreekHighSchool
• Instagram: @bouldercreekhigh
• TikTok: @BoulderCreekJaguars