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Student Family Update

12/17 – BCS Student/Family Update

Published December 16, 2023 by Scill Chan

Dear BCS Students and Families, this is the last family/student email of 2023!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Winter Break – No School 

  • There is no school from Mon 12/25 to Mon 1/1
  • School resumes on Tues 1/2/2024

BCS PTA Annual Appeal – please donate today!

  • As you consider which organizations to support this year, please remember Brooklyn Collaborative during the BCS PTA Annual Appeal. Your contribution helps cover classroom supplies, expeditionary learning projects and fieldwork, staff appreciation activities, student activities, teacher requests, and so much more. We ask that you please consider contributing an amount that is meaningful for your family. Every dollar helps and no contribution is ever too small.
  • Friends of Brooklyn Collaborative is a tax-exempt, public charity.  All contributions are tax-deductible. If you have any questions, please contact pta@bcs448.org

Monday 12/18 is BCS Ugly Sweater Day! 

  • Wear your most intentionally tacky and outrageously colorful winter season sweater!
  • Let’s see which crew shows the most BCS school spirit and have bragging rights! Take photos!

District 15 Coat Drive

Nominate a teacher for the Big Apple Teacher Awards by Jan 19

  • The Big Apple Awards recognize and celebrate New York City teachers who:
    • Inspire students to be their best selves, dream, and advocate for their future
    • Model equitable learning with high expectations for the diverse and dynamic needs of all students
    • Affirm students’ identities, unique gifts, and genius
    • Enrich their school communities by partnering with families, community members, and community-based organizations
    • By honoring these teachers, we recognize all those who go above and beyond to serve our students and families!
  • https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/vision-and-mission/big-apple-awards
  • Students, families, administrators, and community members can all nominate any public school teacher. We then initiate a rigorous selection process that includes multiple stakeholders across the system. Nominations are now open and will close on January 19, 2024. You can nominate a teacher by completing this form. 

Final Semester 1 Grades due in JumpRope on Monday 1/22 at 12PM

  • All grades will be downloaded for transcripts at this time – please be sure to attend Tues Tiers Support and communicate with your teachers about your updated competency levels
  • BCS runs on a semester system – final grades are added to official transcripts in January and June of each year

Grade 6 and 7 recess outdoors

  • Grade 6 and 7 have recess outdoors daily (unless it’s raining) – please bring down your jackets to lunch!

No ski masks

  • For safety reasons (we do not want students’ faces covered so we cannot identify them), ski masks are not permitted inside the building
  • Students can continue to wear medical/surgical masks (masks are available for all students for free in any office)

Free menstrual pads and tampons

  • Do you need menstrual pads or tampons?  Please come to the office to get what you need!
  • Periods should be shame-free, discrimination-free, and barrier-free.  Menstrual products are free in NYC Public Schools.

Free online therapy for NYC teens

  • School stress, relationships, friend drama—teen life can be a lot. So, your city is stepping up to give you mental health support. Now anyone 13-17 living in New York City has access to Talkspace at no cost. More info here: https://www.talkspace.com/coverage/nyc

Amazon Wish List – we need masks and tissues!

Core Value Shout Outs

  • Share with us a student or teacher you see consistently exemplifying one of our core values using our Core Value Shout Outs form – we’ll post regularly on Instagram

Holiday Displays – Reminder from DOE

  • Please be aware of and sensitive to the significance of seasonal observances and religious holidays as we work to foster mutual understanding and respect for our community’s diverse religious, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages. Public agencies may not endorse or promote a particular religion or belief system. Please note these DOE guidelines regarding the display of cultural and holiday symbols:
    • The primary purpose of any display should be to promote understanding and respect for the rights of all individuals regarding their beliefs, values, and customs.
    • The display of holiday symbol decorations with secular dimensions is permitted. Displays that depict images of deities, other religious figures, or religious texts are prohibited. Permitted symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, kinaras, dreidels, menorahs, and the Star and Crescent.
    • Holiday displays must not appear to promote or celebrate any single religion or holiday. Therefore, any permitted symbol or decoration must be displayed simultaneously with other symbols or decorations reflecting different beliefs or customs.
    • All holiday displays should be temporary.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

2023 Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program (TMSLIP) – HS students

  • The Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at the New York City Bar Association invites your students to apply for the 2023 Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program (TMSLIP). TMSLIP is an intensive internship program which places diverse New York City high school students with legal employers for the summer. Since 1993, this program has provided students with an experience designed to develop them as young professionals and expose them to the legal profession. We also provide students with additional programming in preparation for their summer internship and beyond. 
  • Now in our 31st year of programming, we aim to make TMSLIP 2024 bigger and better than ever before! Please direct your students to apply here for TMSLIP and read more about the program in the attached brochure. Applications and accompanying materials are due no later than Wednesday, January 31, 2024. 

Published in BCS News