Parent Workshop 2021

Saturday, May 1, 2021

A mandatory workshop will be held for all new students and their parents. Letters will be mailed to each parent with a prescribed appointment time, along with paperwork that must be reviewed, completed, and returned to the school on or before the date of the workshop. Due to the number of new students enrolling, we have no flexibility in scheduling; therefore parents and students must arrive on time for their scheduled appointment. Anticipate the process lasting approximately 90 minutes. The purpose of the workshop is to provide parents with important information regarding school, finalize student enrollment, and perform preliminary academic and school readiness assessments. Students whose parents fail to participate in the parent workshop will not be guaranteed admission and will lose any preference in enrollment. There will be no exceptions.

Required Paperwork

If not already returned to the School (which may be requested), parents must bring the following completed paperwork with them for their appointment. Note: It is imperative that you return any paperwork that is mailed to you, which is requested to be returned in advance of the scheduled workshop.

Student Enrollment Notification Form
Birth Certificate (original or certified copy)
Driver’s License or State Issued Photo Identification
Proof of Residency (see below)
Release of Records Form
Emergency Contact/Permission to Treat Form
Home Language Survey Form
Permission to Photograph/Video Form
Student Transportation Form
IEP Document from Prior School/Agency (if applicable)

If you have a copy of your child’s current immunization records, please bring a copy with you to the workshop.

Proof of Residency

Parents and legal guardians of prospective new students are required to provide proof of residency acceptable to the school prior to admission. If copies are requested in advance, original documents must still be brought to the New Student/Parent Workshop. Acceptable documentation proving residency includes a current and valid driver’s license with photograph or a current and valid Department of Transportation photo identification card AND one (1) of the following original documents:

Current utility bill (electricity, public water, public sewer, natural gas, cable television, or land-line telephone), dated within the last 45 days;
Current deed to primary residence;
Current lease of primary residence;
Property tax bill for the primary residence the most current tax cycle;
Most recent real estate mortgage statement for primary residence;
Homeowner’s insurance policy for primary residence for the current policy period;
Copy of a state or federal program enrollment with address, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Children’s Health Insurance Program, etc.;
Voter registration card.

All documentation proving residency must match. The name of the parent/guardian and the primary address of the student provided on the student admission paperwork must match the photo identification and secondary source document that is provided.

Students who live with someone other than a biological parent are required to provide documentation proving legal custody and physical residency, no later than the new student/parent workshop. A student residing with someone other than a parent may qualify for enrollment if the requirements of 24 PS 13-1302 are met, and the responsible adult provides a signed affidavit, proof of residency, and proof that they are supporting the child gratis. Students whose parents/guardians fail to provide proof of residency and legal custody acceptable to school administration at or prior to the new student/parent workshop will not be guaranteed admission and will lose any preference in enrollment.

Bear Creek Community Charter School reserves the right to require a student to withdraw from the school if it is later determined that a student has been enrolled at Bear Creek Community Charter School under false pretenses (fraudulent address to gain preference, fraudulent documentation to obtain sibling preference, etc.). By completing the enrollment process, parents certify the information and documentation they provide the school is true and accurate.

Immunizations & Other Required Medical Documentation

The Public School Code requires public schools to ascertain that a child has been immunized in accordance with Pennsylvania law prior to admission to school. Whenever possible, this documentation should be provided to the school at the New Student/Parent Workshop. Bear Creek Community Charter School requires that parents provide all required immunization records to the School Nurse no later than June 30th of the year of enrollment. Students whose parents/guardians fail to provide complete and accurate immunization records to the School Nurse no later than June 30th of the year of enrollment will not be guaranteed admission and will lose any preference in enrollment. Parents are urged to contact their child’s primary care physician as early as possible to ensure they receive all the necessary immunizations within the timeframe required.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health requires that all students receive following immunizations before they are permitted to enter school:

Diptheria & Tetanus: Four (4) or more properly spaced doses of DTP, DtaP, Td or DT, or any combination of the three with one (1) dose administered on or after the child’s fourth birthday.
Polio: Four (4) or more properly spaced doses of polio vaccine with the 4th dose administered on or after the child’s fourth birthday and six months from the last dose.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): Two (2) properly spaced doses of the MMR vaccine with the first does administered at 12 months or older.
Hepatitis B: Three (3) properly spaced doses of the hepatitis B vaccine.
Varicella (Chicken Pox): Two (2) doses of varicella administered at 12 months or older, laboratory evidence of the disease or a physician-signed immunity statement.

Children need not be immunized if a physician provides a written statement that immunization may be detrimental to the health of the child. Children need not be immunized if the parent or legal guardian objects in writing to the immunization on religious grounds or on the basis of a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief. In either situation, written documentation must be provided to the School Nurse no later than June 30th of the year of enrollment. Students whose parents/guardians fail to provide the appropriate exemption documentation to the School Nurse no later than June 30th of the year of enrollment will not be guaranteed admission and will lose any preference in enrollment.

Pennsylvania law requires that all students entering kindergarten and sixth grade have a physical examination. Student entering kindergarten, third grade and seventh grade require dental examination. Parents must provide the appropriate documentation to the School Nurse prior to the first day of school. The appropriate forms are included. Copies of the following forms are also available on the school’s web site for parents/guardians to print and provide to their child’s primary care physician and dentist:

Private or School Physical Examination of School Age Student
Private Dentist Report of Dental Examination of a Pupil of School Age

Workshop Schedule

Upon arriving, you will be greeted in the School Commons. Incoming students will meet independently with classroom teachers and our guidance counselor for screening assessment, while parents will then be directed to the gymnasium where you will visit three stations:

Registration: Review all completed paperwork for accuracy, answer questions regarding transportation, discuss special accommodations & modifications (IEP), etc. You will also be asked to provide your child's original or certified copy of their birth certificate and proof of residency (original document).
School Nurse: To review immunization records and any student health concerns.
Notary: To sign and notarize a Parental Registration Statement regarding previous school discipline for drugs, alcohol, weapons or violence and to certify residency information provided for admission, in the form of a legal affidavit.

After visiting each of the three stations, parents will be directed to the Dining Hall to participate in a brief conversation regarding school expectations and other important topics, and will also hear from representatives of the PTO regarding parental involvement. Parents will then be reunited with students, concluding their appointment.

Bear Creek Community Charter School is an equal opportunity educational institution.

Kindergarten Readiness