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Student-Family Update

1/29 – Student/Family Update

Published January 30, 2023 by Scill Chan

Dear BCS Students/Families, we had a great week of LG Intensives and UG GPBAT panels!  Congrats to all for your persistence and responsibility in completing semester one!!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mon 1/30 is No School for Students

  • Staff Professional Development

Tues 1/31 – LG Ice Skating

  • All LG students are going ice skating on Tues 
  • Students do not need to bring backpacks unless that’s where they are carrying their lunch (students should bring lunch, there is a small cafe at the ice skating rink if students wish to purchase refreshments)
  • Students should wear long socks, comfortable walking shoes, a coat, bring gloves or mittens, and a hat
  • All students must return to BCS for dismissal, unless a parent wishes to pick up their child from the rink and must notify the crew leader

Tues 1/31 – UG College Trips (Grades 9-11)

  • All crews in Grades 9, 10, 11 visit a myriad of institutions stretching from Vermont to Washington, DC (see permission slip), as students explore the learning & social environment of college and walk the landscape of the campus they will be visiting.  These experiences are important factors as students begin the process of envisioning a Balanced College Application List and making informed decisions about their post-secondary options, which is right around the corner!
  • Each crew has been assigned a campus.  Students may not choose their own trip.  Please note the specific arrival time for your crew’s trip.  You will need to get to school early to make the trip.  If you are late, you will NOT be permitted to join another crew trip so make sure you arrive on time for your crew trip.  Please also note the specific return time for your crew’s trip.  This may be even later, depending on traffic.
  • Lunch will be provided at no cost to students as part of the campus visit experience.  Through extensive planning and with resources from the BCS budget, we will be providing lunch either in the campus dining hall, with catered lunch boxes at a location on the hosting campus, or with catered lunch boxes to eat on the charter bus.
  • Please return your permission slip to your crew leader right away.  Please take a COVID test on Mon 1/30 before you arrive to school for your Tues 1/31 trip.

Upcoming Dates to note in your calendar

  • Mon 1/30 – No School for Students – Staff Professional Development 
  • Wed 2/1 – First day of second semester classes
  • Mon 2/20 – Fri 2/24 – No School (Midwinter Recess)

Grades, Schedules

  • Transcripts were mailed home with January final grades
  • Students and families should check JumpRope for their Spring Schedules, especially for HS students who may have class changes
  • UG students will receive hard copies of their schedules in Wed crew
  • LG Students will receive hard copy schedules on Wed morning in their 1st period class

MS Soccer Team with YWCA Afterschool

  • Enroll in the BCS MS Soccer Team (all students Grades 6-8 welcome).  Must be part of our YWCA afterschool program to participate – join afterschool now if not already enrolled!  Get an application in Office 405 from Ashley@bcs448.org or Jaada@bcs448.org

HS Afterschool Program with Inspiring Minds

  • Enroll in our HS Afterschool Program – free programs in SAT Prep, Cosmetology, Boxing, Film, Cooking and much more!
  • Email Fox@bcs448.org for more information – join us!

Black History Month Showcase On Friday, February 10

  • Bring your families and celebrate with us
  • Doors open at 4pm in cafeteria
  • Potluck – food provided, bring food/drinks to share

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

$$ Summer Job – Mohawk Day Camp in White Plains – ages 16+

  • Mohawk Day Camp has summer job openings for students 16 years or older – no experience required! In addition to earning valuable work experience and improving leadership and communication skills, Mohawk Day Camp staff can earn 3 undergraduate college credits while working at camp this year!  See the general counselor flyer and aquatics flyer – any questions, email staff@campmohawk.com.

Paid apprenticeship program for 10th and 11th grade

  • The Gowanus Green Team is a paid apprenticeship program held from Saturday, 5/6 – Saturday, 8/13, for 10th and 11th graders. Young people will engage in environmental stewardship, urban conservation and community work, and learn about green infrastructure, garden design, and more through hands-on experiences. Learn more and apply!

Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest for Grade 2-12 students

  • The NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s 37th Annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest has begun! 2nd through 12th-grade students are invited to create original art and poetry that reflects an appreciation for our shared water resources. The deadline to submit is Friday, 3/3. For questions, contact artandpoetry@dep .nyc.gov.

Jazz House at Trinity Afterschool Program for ages 9-18

  • The new Youth After School program at JAZZ HOUSE @ TRINITY (NYC), located in Trinity Commons, will expand access to FREE musical training and jazz education in small and large group ensembles; improvisation; novice programs for beginners (which will include use of a new instrument), jazz vocals, and African drumming. Learn more here. 

Writopia Lab’s 2023 Worldwide Plays Festival – open to all playwrights ages 6-18

  • Writopia Lab is now accepting submissions for our 2023 Worldwide Plays Festival! Playwrights should write a play – 8 minutes maximum – of any genre or style. The only guideline is that they must incorporate at least 1 prop or costume found in our photo on our competition page. Submissions for the Worldwide Play Festival are open to all playwrights between the ages of 6 and 18. Submissions for the 2023 festival is open until February 15th, 2023. Go here to learn more and to submit your play!

The New York Times Annual STEM Writing Contest for students ages 13-19

  • Students age 13-19 are invited to choose an issue or question in science, technology, engineering, math or health, then write an engaging 500-word explanation. Contest Dates: Jan. 18 – Feb. 15, 2023. Learn more here.

Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for students ages 9-17

  • Students age 9-17 are invited to submit MYSTERY stories written in English. No prior experience needed. Prizes will be awarded. Submissions are due February 1, 2023 Get all the details here. 

Bluefire Young Authors Contest for Grades 6-12

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

  • The 2023 EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students to write a piece that shows how female and/or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements. Submissions due February 1st. Learn about the contest here.

National High School Poetry Contest for HS students

  • High school students are invited to submit poems in rhyme, free verse, Haiku, or other accepted poetry forms and of any length, up to a maximum of 40 lines. Winners receiving a monetary award! Deadline: February 1, 2023. More information here.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

  • While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest? Deadline Feb. 19, 2023. More information here. 

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society Middle & High School Writing Contest

  • Middle and high school students are invited to submit a story or a poem on any aspect of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s work. Submissions are due 3/1. More information here. 

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

  • The 12th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate. Deadline June 13. More information here.

2023 Princeton Prize in Race Relations (PPRR)

  • The PPRR recognizes and rewards high school students who, through their volunteer activities, have undertaken significant efforts to advance racial equity and understanding in their schools or communities. Applications are due January 31, 2023. More information here.

Generation NYC Youth Leadership Councils (YLCs)

  • NYC YLCs are the place to make real change happen in your school, neighborhood, or community. Students ages 14-21 currently enrolled in high school or an equivalency program can join a YLC to partner with peer leaders and adult allies and take action on the issues that matter to you most. Apply here for up to three different YLCs.

BRIC Youth Curatorial Exhibition: Open Call for Teen Artists. 

  • BRIC is looking for artwork from high school-age artists to feature in BRIC Youth Curatorial Exhibition: The World, Reflected In Your Eyes. The exhibition is planned, promoted, designed, and judged entirely by media-savvy high school students as part of the BRIC Youth Curatorial Fellowship Program. Applications due Tue, Jan. 31. Learn more here

STEM Saturdays @ The Cooper Union for Grades 9-11

  • The Cooper Union offers design and engineering classes for students in grades 9-11. STEM Saturdays Spring 2023 students will work on World-building using VR. Classes meet in person at 41 Cooper Square from 3/25-4/29. Priority is given to students with no design or engineering experience. Learn more and create an account on the Cooper Union website to apply for this opportunity. Deadline: February 8, 2023

National High School Design Competition

  • The 2023 National High School Design Competition challenges high school students around the country to use design and data to support their community. The data can come from an official source, or you can collect information by talking to people or observing the world around you. Be ambitious, innovative, and bold! Create a sketch of your idea and describe how your design addresses the challenge. Review how to enter  and use these resources to start thinking like a designer. Learn more about this opportunity and register to compete on the Cooper Hewitt webpage. Deadline: February 13, 2023

Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship

  • The Sotomayor Program encourages diverse and underrepresented high school students from communities throughout New York City to pursue careers in the law. Students will intern with a state or federal judge located in one of the five boroughs. Internship hours will likely be from 9am-4pm from July 3 through July 28, subject to the assigned judge’s discretion, from Monday through Thursday for four weeks. Students will also attend educational and professional development workshops on Fridays, likely from 10am-2pm. Students must honor the above time commitments, whether in-person or virtual, to participate in and successfully complete the program. Learn more and apply by completing the 2023 Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program Form. Deadline: February 1, 2023

Free Financial Literacy Opportunity for 9th-12th grade female students! 

  • We’re looking for committed young women in 9th-12th grade who want to financially plan for their future & get a chance to win a scholarship worth $250 this Midwinter Break! Use this link to register for our FREE Accelerated Financial Literacy Online Workshops!

Free Summer Camp Fair at the Brooklyn Public Library

Free STEM Enrichment Programs Throughout Spring Recess – Grades K–8

Receive Free Music Instruction through the Salute to Music Program

  • For students in grades 4–8 with at least one year of prior orchestral or choral instruction; Music program takes place on Saturdays, students must audition in person or virtually – Registration deadline: March 1, 2023 – The Salute to Music Program provides opportunities for NYC public school students to receive FREE Saturday morning musical instruction along with peers within their boroughs.

Brooklyn Museum is hosting a winter camp 

  • During the week of February’s vacation week (2/21-2/24). Our camp is for ages 8-10 and 11-13 and is the perfect way for artistic children to grow their creativity during the break. Campers will learn mixed-media and photography techniques while exploring our special exhibition Thierry Mugler: Couturissime.
  • With generous support, we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. For families not in need of scholarships, we are also happy to extend a discount of 5% for members of your community. Simply use the code SCHPART23 at checkout. 

Summer Science Program

  • SSP immerses students in collaborative research in either: Astrophysics at Univ. of Colorado Boulder, UNC Chapel Hill or New Mexico State Univ., Biochemistry at Purdue Univ., Genomics at Purdue or Indiana Univ. – Free to apply. The deadline is March 3rd (Feb 3rd for international applicants). Admission is competitive but holistic. Generous grants meet 100% of need, so SSP is free for lower-income families – learn more at SummerScience.org.  Questions? admissions@ssp.org

First Tech Fund Fellowship

  • 2023 Tech Fund Fellowship Program Application is now open to eligible NYC high school students! The Fund will be recruiting 110 new fellows to join their 4th cohort of students. Interested students can learn more about the program and apply here or print the application and mail it in. The application is due April 1st at 7 pm, with no late applications accepted.”  Please share with your networks!  The program is a year-long fellowship that puts low-income NYC students on a trajectory for success in college and careers, provides them with free access to technology, and creates a community of support.  Participants are eligible to receive free technology—laptop and/or WiFi hotspot— based on their individual needs.  Workshops cover various topics including navigating the college admissions process, resume writing, financial literacy, brand building, and more.  The program runs from September to June via weekly evening workshops that are virtual.  During these workshops, students receive digital skills training, personalized mentorship, career exploration and networking opportunities to build social capital. Through career panel events, fellows gain insight into a broad range of fields including law, medicine, finance, business, technology, and more.

Published in BCS News