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9/12 – BCS Student/Family Update

To receive our student/family updates in other languages, please go to our website (www.bcs448.org) and click “Translations”!
Para recibir nuestras actualizaciones para estudiantes / familias en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web (www.bcs448.org) y haga clic en “Traducciones”.
لتلقي آخر التطورات المتعلقة بعائلاتنا /طلابنا مترجمة إلى لغتكم، يرجى الذهاب إلى موقعنا (www.bcs448.org) والضغط على كلمة “ترجماتTranslation في أعلى الصفحة. 

Dear BCS Students and Families,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

First Day of School Info – We’re Ready!

Main entrance to the school is by Henry/Cole St

  • See updated DOE visitor policy – all visitors/parents to the building must complete the health screening and show proof of vaccination

Get Regular Testing to keep COVID out of the school

  • While the DOE is not requiring that students undergo regular testing, we strongly recommend weekly testing!  
  • You can text “COVID TEST” to 855-48 to find free testing sites near you.
  • All families should fill out the Testing Consent in their NYCSA account or on paper here.  (Last year’s forms have expired.) 
    • Consent forms can be emailed to scill@bcs448.org or sent in with your child
    • If you need a NYCSA account creation code, email scill@bcs448.org

Get Vaccinated at the school – free with parent consent in Room 108

  • While the DOE is not requiring that each child be vaccinated, we strongly recommend it!  You can get vaccinated right here at school next week (9/13, 9/14, 9/15, 9/17) from 12pm-5pm in Room 108 – the DOH is offering a pop-up vaccination site here at BCS.
  • All students under age 18 need a consent form.  (The vaccine is free – you can leave the insurance section blank.). All adults can walk in, no appointment necessary.

Students – Upload Proof of Vaccination in the DOE Portal

  • While vaccinations are not yet mandatory, families and students are encouraged to upload proof of vaccination status into the NYCDOE COVID-19 Vaccination Portal: https://vaccine.schools.nyc/
  • The Portal links to the public DOE Student account info page, to understand how to access/reset passwords if you don’t have your DOE Student Account information.

Virtual PTA Meetings for the Year

  • Please mark your calendars and join our PTA each month!
    • Tuesdays 9/14/21, 10/12/21, 11/9/21, 12/14/21, 1/11/22, 2/15/22, 3/8/22, 4/12/22, 5/10/22, 6/14/22. The meetings are from 6:30-7:30pm in Zoom.

Update on Lockers

  • We do not have enough lockers for each student to have their own (we have always shared lockers) 
  • Also, lockers are not regularly cleaned as part of daily custodial maintenance
  • For health and safety, to reduce sharing, and to avoid hall clustering, we will not be using lockers for the time being – we will revisit our policy in a few months
  • Students can leave book bags/coats, etc. in their crew rooms and should not bring valuable items to school

Metrocards distributed first week

  • Students who are eligible for metrocards will receive them during the first week of school 
  • In the meantime, subway clerks are aware that students are returning to school, that you have not received a new card yet, and they should let you in this week 
  • Thank you for your patience

School Supplies

  • There are no specific supply lists beyond a book bag, writing utensils (pens and pencils), masks and refillable water bottle.  We will provide other supplies.

Upper Grades Schedules (Grades 9-12)

  • Schedules will be available Fri 9/17 and will be given to students in crew
  • Pupilpath will be updated as soon as possible but is not currently updated
  • Review your transcript with your crew leader
  • Reconcile your schedule with your credit needs – are you taking the courses you need (consider NXs) and not retaking core courses you have already passed?
  • There is no choice in PE/specials (students are assigned what is available)
  • Students are required to take PE every semester, even if you have met the grad requirements in PE
  • All students need to take a full course load (there are no free periods or early dismissal)
  • Students who are undercredited should talk to their counselor about a path-to-graduation including YABC courses afterschool or transfer schools

Lower Grades Schedules (Grades 6-8)

  • Schedules will be available Fri 9/17 and will be given to students in crew
  • Pupilpath will be updated as soon as possible but is not currently updated
  • Students will be in temporary schedules for the first 1-2 weeks while academic teachers make more permanent groupings (this is not your final cohort/final schedule yet) – this helps us to know students more before we make class groupings
  • Students/parents cannot request to be in a cohort with friends
  • Note that if we update PupilPath, it will NOT be the student’s final schedule – the PupilPath schedule is a placeholder until 9/30

No School Thurs 9/16

  • There is no school on Thurs 9/16 in observance of Yom Kippur

Apply to YWCA Afterschool (Grades 6-8)

  • See the welcome letter from our YWCA Directors
  • BCS offers a free in-person afterschool program for all students in Grades 6-8 in partnership with the YWCA (Mon-Fri 2:20pm-5:20pm).
  • Parents who are interested in registering their child for afterschool must complete the application online here: https://discoverdycd.dycdconnect.nyc/program-public (search: Brooklyn Collaborative Studies) – Families must create an account in order to apply.
  • Any questions, please contact the BCS Afterschool Staff:
    • Director Ashley Armand <aarmand@ywcanyc.org>
    • Associate Director Olivia Doggett <odoggett@ywcanyc.org>

Grade 6 Robotics

  • On Tues 9/14, crew leaders will ask advisees if they are interested in taking Robotics as a Special (we have limited seats in Robotics due to space and materials).  Students will be selected randomly from this list; if students do not get a spot in Robotics this semester, they will have another chance next semester.
  • Robotics is semester-long like other Specials. Students would come out of their Art or Music class to attend Robotics; they would stay in PE/AIS.