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.