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Student Family Update

1/7 – BCS Student/Family Update

Published January 7, 2024 by Scill Chan

Dear BCS Students and Families, we hope you avoided the wintry mix weather of this weekend.  Stay warm!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

January Calendar Lookahead

Mon 1/15 – No School (Dr Martin Luther King Jr Day)

Mon 1/22 – Last Day of Fall Semester (final grades due by teachers at 12pm)

Tues 1/23, Wed 1/24, Thurs 1/25, Fri 1/26 –

MS – regular school day (LG Intensives – more details to follow)

HS – no school for Grades 9/10

HS – no school for Grades 11/12 unless you are scheduled for the ELA Regents or a GPBAT panel

Mon 1/29 – No School (No Professional Development Day for Grades 6-12 Schools)

Tues 1/30 – Spring Semester Trips

MS – Ice Skating (more details to follow)

HS Grades 10/11 – College Campus Visits (more details to follow from crew leaders)

HS Grades 9/12 – Crew Trips (more details to follow from crew leaders)

Wed 1/31 – First Day of Spring Semester classes (the majority of students keep the same schedule as fall, any changes in courses will be updated in Jumprope)

Academic integrity reminder

  • Academic teachers teach into skills of anti-plagiarism, citing sources, paraphrasing, etc in our classes.
  • Students may not use ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) apps/ websites to complete their assignments because they are not the student’s original work.
  • Plagiarism, as defined by the New York City Department of Education Citywide Behavioral Expectations To Support Student Learning (Infraction B31), is the act of “appropriating another’s work and using it as one’s own for credit without the required citation and attributions.”  
  • Academic integrity is essential to our teaching and learning at BCS. Students are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of academic integrity in all of their classwork and projects. All violations of this expectation are unacceptable, diminish the learning experience, and undermine our school’s core values.  The commission of plagiarism is a violation of academic integrity and has academic consequences with the Discipline Code and with grades.

BCS December PTA General Meeting – Tues 1/9

Annual Building Safety Meeting for BCS/BNS Families

  • Discuss any building-related safety issues with the BCS/BNS Cabinet with admin, support staff, and UFT reps.  All parents/caregivers of students at 610 Henry welcome.  Our cabinet holds an annual meeting inviting all families to give an opportunity for open questions/discussion about building issues.
  • Time: Wednesday Feb 28, 2024 – 9:00 AM
  • Location: Room 103 (MakerSpace in-person) + Zoom
  • Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/91579215644?pwd=dzRJTzF5MjFvZkk3WTMrMHpOdGxnZz09
  • Meeting ID: 915 7921 5644 Passcode: 146448

BNS/BCS Parent Action Committee (PAC) 

  • Are you interested in getting involved in parent efforts to support the unique teaching and learning that happen at BNS and BCS? Join the BNS/BCS Parent Action Committee! No specific knowledge or expertise is required – the PAC is a space where we, as parents, will educate ourselves about issues and work together to inform others and take action as needed.
  • Curious about how BNS and BCS are able to be so different than other local schools and want to make sure they can continue to be? Come learn and be part of this work with us!
  • Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87977699626?pwd=eUNhZzYxTnA1SGRjSWozYzJ1bHpNdz09
  • Meeting ID: 879 7769 9626 Passcode: 465059

Helen Keller International Vision Screening at BCS – Mon 1/8, Tues 1/9, Wed 1/10

  • The New York Vision Program of Helen Keller International will be coming to BCS in January 2024 – on Mon 1/8, Tues 1/9, and Wed 1/10 – to conduct vision screening for all students and provide free eyeglasses if students need them. The New York Vision Program works within schools to provide vision services to children in targeted grades. This vision screening does not replace the need for a more comprehensive eye exam.
  • All students will be screened by the New York Vision Program (unless a parent opts out and emails Scill by 1/7).  If students need additional screening, there will be a doctor at the school to provide an additional vision assessment to determine if the child needs glasses and/or a full examination.  Students who need glasses will receive a free pair of glasses (students will choose from a variety of styles/colors at the school, and the glasses will be produced off-site and sent back to the school in 2-3 weeks for the student to pick-up).

MS Enrichment/Support Classes

  • All middle school students will receive one period of enrichment each semester, either in numeracy or literacy. Students have been placed in one of three different enrichment pathways. Placement is based on teacher recommendations and what the student scored on the MAP Growth assessment and previous spring teacher assessments. We will reassess student placemats in January and June of each year.
  • One pathway focuses on providing students with targeted literacy support and essential foundations to help students build reading confidence, stamina, and engagement, along with classroom discussion skills. We draw on the STARI, REWARDS, and Lexia reading program. 
  • One pathway focuses on providing students with targeted numeracy support and essential foundations to help students build confidence in their math skills while encouraging a love for numbers and words. We draw on the TransMath program for 7th grade and Transition to Algebra for 8th grade.
  • One pathway focuses on rotating students through cycles of literacy and numeracy. Cycle one will target literacy that fosters students’ joy of reading through a sustained silent reading (SSR) program. Cycles 2-4 students will focus on teacher-developed literacy or numeracy enrichment projects. Students will rotate teachers each cycle. 
  • If you have any questions, please contact Imani at imani@bcs448.org

Donate to our Yearbook fundraiser on Donors Choose

  • From Andrew (BCS Yearbook Advisor): As yearbook adviser, I see my students frustrated when they try to take pictures of sports games with their phones. Their phones are not fast enough and cannot zoom in enough to take high-quality action shots.
  • With this camera, students on the yearbook staff will be able to capture unforgettable moments during the schools’ sports games.  They’ll also be able to capture high-quality images that their phones just can’t produce.  Help them up their game with this versatile and powerful camera that will make it possible to create images that make the yearbook pages come alive
  • Donate here

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)

No ordering food to the school

  • Reminder – students cannot order food to be delivered to the school
  • This is a safety issue in that it brings more delivery people to the school and an electronics issue since students are using phones when they are not supposed to
  • Moreover, food deliveries can arrive late which disrupts learning in session and calls students out of classes
  • School lunch is available for free to all students or students can bring lunch to school in the morning to eat

RESOURCES

Free Tax Prep Services for all New Yorkers

  • When the IRS begins accepting returns in January, New Yorkers who earned $85,000 or less for families, or $59,000 or less as single filers in 2023 will be eligible to file for free with an IRS certified VITA/TCE volunteer preparer using NYC Free Tax Prep.
  • Since 2014, we have completed more than 1 million returns, helping New Yorkers save $160 million in fees.
  • NYC Free Tax Prep offers a variety of free tax prep options, including in-person, virtual, and drop-off options. For more information, contact 311 or visit nyc.gov/TaxPrep.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Staging Pride: Queer Youth Theater

  • National Queer Theater is currently accepting applications for Staging Pride: Queer Youth Theater! Can you help us spread the word about this program for NYC queer youth? 
  • WHAT: Staging Pride is a FREE after-school theater program for LGBT youth (ages 12-18) living in NYC. Food and Metro cards are distributed for free at each session! No previous theater experience is needed.
  • WHEN: Sessions run from January 31st-April 17th from 4:30-6:30 pm on Mondays & Wednesdays. Applications for the Spring 2024 session of Staging Pride are due Friday, January 12th.  Contact Adam Odsess-Rubin, the Founding Artistic Director, at adam@nationalqueertheater.org
  • WHERE: The Center (AKA The LGBT Center) in the West Village: 208 W 13th Street, New York, NY 10011
  • WHY: The program exists to give queer students a space to build community, explore identity and expression, and learn about queer history and culture while learning foundational theater-making and performance techniques.
https://www.nationalqueertheater.org/staging-pride

Published in BCS News