Dear BCS Students and Families, welcome to February!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parent/Guardian 2024 DOE Learning Environment Survey
- Please check your child’s backpack for the Parent/Guardian 2024 DOE Learning Environment Survey. They were mostly distributed in crew last week.
- Every year, the DOE asks all families, teachers, and staff in grades 3-K through 12, and students in grades 6-12 to take the NYC School Survey. The information collected by the survey is designed to support a dialogue among all members of the school community about how to make the school a better place to learn.
- There is a pre postage stamped envelope included for mailing, along with instructions to complete the survey online.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) – 2024 Applications are Open!
- DYCD’s SYEP application site is now live for NYC youth interested in applying for a summer opportunity HERE. All students must apply by March 1, 2024.
- If you need working papers, see here – https://www.bcs448.org/working-papers/
Please join our clubs – all students Grades 6-12 welcome
- BCS Art Club with Jill – 3:05pm Mon and Tues in Room 514
- BCS Music Club with Christine – 3:05pm Tues in Room 213
DOE Respect For All Week
- This year’s Respect for All (RFA) Week will take place from February 12–16. During RFA Week, we celebrate, highlight, and build upon ongoing programs that promote respect for diversity and engage students in meaningful lessons and/or other activities that focus on preventing bias-based harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying – which are all topics covered in our crews and through our habits of a graduate and core values work.
- Please see our BCS letter about Respect for All Week here
Student Circle Opportunity on Wed Feb 7 – All students welcome
- Have you been impacted by the war in the Middle East?
- Are you feeling anxious or overwhelmed by the conflicts around the world?
- Would you like a space to talk and process?
- We will be having a talking circle Wednesday FEB 7th during 5th and 6th period. Please come to 510 and speak to Deb, Todd or Nella if you want to participate or have any questions; OR let your crew leader know you are interested!
Upcoming Calendar Dates
- Tues Feb 13 – PTA meeting in Zoom
- Wed Feb 14 – Picture Retake Day (email Tracey@bcs448.org with questions)
- Mon Feb 19 – Fri Feb 23 – Mid-Winter Recess – No School
- Mon Feb 26 – School resumes
- Thurs Feb 29 – Black History Month Showcase – 3:30pm in Cafeteria
March Half Days Fridays
- BCS is a Progressive Redesign Opportunity Schools for Excellence (PROSE) school where our staff engage in innovative practices that are approved by the DOE and allow for adaptations of the school year calendar and UFT contract in service of progressive practices
- Annually, as a PROSE school, we have half days in Friday to give our staff essential professional development time together
- This year, the PROSE March half days will be Fridays 3/1, 3/8, 3/15 (3/22 is already a half day citywide for MS/HS when we will have Student-Led Conferences)
- Schedule for students – dismissal after Pd 3 at 11:12am:
- Fri 3/1 and Fri 3/15 – Periods 1, 2, 3
- Fri 3/8 and Fri 3/22 – Periods 4, 7, 8
- Fri 3/22 is the Student Led Conferences half day
DOE – Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (P-EBT)
- The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (P-EBT) is a federal program to provide food benefits to children who miss the opportunity to receive school meals due to pandemic-related school closures. These benefits take the form of funds on electronic benefit transfer (EBT cards), which can be used in the same manner as SNAP (food stamp) cards. All children who were enrolled in DOE schools during the 2021–22 school year, Summer 2022 or during Summer 2023 school programming are eligible for this benefit.
- At this time, many parents/guardians have not yet utilized these benefits, with millions of dollars currently unspent. These dollars can still be spent on food, and some of these benefits may be expiring soon. To ensure parents are made aware of this benefit, please read this letter attached to families.
- Please note that this is NOT a DOE program so school staff cannot assist with troubleshooting. All questions from families about the program should be directed to the ODTA site here: NYS Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Food Benefits site. For questions about this program, parent coordinators can direct families to email otda.sm.eisp.PEBT@otda.ny.gov or call 833-452-0096.
NY State Accountability Status Update – LSI (best accountability status available)
- BCS has been designated for Local Support and Improvement (LSI) by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) for the 2023-24 school year based on the performance of our students on New York State assessments in school year 2022-23. LSI is the best accountability status currently available. The school’s designation is part of the state’s accountability system consistent with federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requirements.
- The designation “Local Support and Improvement (LSI),” recognizes that all schools, even higher performing schools like ours, are in a continuous improvement mode and can benefit from local support from their districts to meet students’ differentiated needs. Our entire school staff is committed to ensuring a high-quality educational experience for our students and school community.