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10/11 – Student/Family Update

Dear BCS Students/Families,

As a helpful snapshot, we are offering this summary chart of the COVID positive cases this year so far to put our cases in perspective – 8 cases out of a community of 700 students and 100 staff.  We have also reflecting data on students who are fully vaccinated (who therefore do not have to quarantine for 10 days if they are asymptomatic after a positive exposure) to give perspective to how many students have disrupted learning in a case of positive close contact.  We encourage all community members to get vaccinated to minimize disruptions to learning.  People who are vaccinated against COVID are less likely to get the virus, less likely to get seriously ill if they get the virus, and less likely to spread the virus even if they become infected.  We are happy to report that many community members took advantage of the DOH COVID Vaccine Pop-Up Clinic that was here at school on Thursday and Friday.  We will continue to announce the pop-up clinics when we know when they are scheduled and we urge everyone to please get vaccinated!  100% of staff at BCS are fully vaccinated so that we can be consistently present for your learning.  We are crew during these challenging times.

CaseDateTypeTotal # of Close Contacts# of Close Contacts Fully Vaccinated# of Close Contacts Not Fully Vaccinated (Quarantine for 10 days)
19/19Non-Classroom431
210/1MS000
310/1MS422
410/4HS000
510/4HS23716
610/6MS1046
710/6HS16142
810/6HS1587

BCS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please join our October PTA Meeting

  • Please join us on Tuesday, October 12th at 6:30 p.m. for our monthly virtual PTA General Meeting.
  • We hope to see you to discuss all matters related Applefest, school safety, parent vote on PTA-funded classroom air filters and updates on the PTA Executive Board’s finances and other related details. 
  • Join Zoom Meeting – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88693075871?pwd=YlkxbExiZjBwZW5IRDViNStybG9Mdz09
  • Meeting ID: 886 9307 5871 Passcode: 734640
  • One tap mobile +19292056099,,88693075871#,,,,*734640# US (New York)

No school on Mon 10/11 in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Mark your calendars for BCS-BNS AppleFest (Sat Nov 6)

  • Community Building Joint School Fundraiser at 610 Henry Street
  • Sat Nov 6, 11am-4pm
  • Please survey your advisees about what activities they would like to participate in
  • We would like staff and student volunteers (cook chili, donate baked goods, staff a booth, run games with students, etc.)

Thurs 10/28 – SAT School Day for Grade 12, Asynchronous Day for Grades 9-11

  • We are administering the SAT to students in Grade 12 on Thurs 10/28 as part of the DOE’s SAT School Day
  • As such, students in Grades 9-11 will remain home and receive their instruction through work posted in Google Classroom that day – Grades 9-11 students do not report to the building
  • There is LG school like regular – all LG staff and students in attendance in-person

BCS White-Affinity Group for Parents

  • Invitation to white-identified caregivers at BCS – we recognize how challenging it may be to have conversations with our children about race (many of us were not socialized to name our whiteness and the systems maintained by whiteness). We recognize that building capacity for those conversations is essential in how we manifest our commitments to racial and social justice. 
  • The D15 Diversity Plan initiatives launched in 2016, re-positioned the necessity for intentional conversations about systemic racism. The racial affinity group for white-identified caregivers met monthly through the 2020-2021 school year and throughout the summers of 2020 and 2021. As we meet, we continue to add to a long resource list of films, books, podcasts, articles, videos, and TED Talks. 
  • We’re planning to meet virtually this year, once a month on the last Tuesday of the month for 90 minutes (6:45PM-8:15PM); we would very much like to welcome you to the conversation. Group Format: We do an opening activity/check-in, put forward content (in the form of art, writings, podcasts, films, TED talks) that prompts our collective reflection to build our capacity for critical, racial self-awareness and consciousness.  Group Meeting Dates: 10/26/21, 11/30, 12/21, 1/25/22, 2/22, 3/29, 4/26, 5/31, 6/21
  • Our work’s guiding principle comes from Critical Race Theory: To center the voices and be accountable to the massive, historically impactful work of BBIPOC (Black Brown Indigenous People of Color), while critically examining our lived experiences, investments, and commitments as white-identified caregivers in a racially constructed, U.S. society.
  • If you are interested in participating, we will be glad to send you a Zoom invite. Please let us know your interest by responding here: https://forms.gle/2f1Y11DkRLBhSQgC6

Brooklyn PTA Fun Run – please register for the BCS Team and help us raise $$$

  • Sat 10/23 in Prospect Park – run/walk/scooter/toddle
  • We are just over two weeks away from the Brooklyn PTA Fun Run on 10/23, please register here – registration information () 
  • The money raised from the Fun Run this year will be distributed amongst participating Title I schools, and those funds are almost entirely drawn from participant registration fees– so the bigger your school team, the more money we will have for these schools. Not to mention what fun it will be for school communities to come together on a (hopefully) beautiful fall morning, in the safety of the outdoors, to run/walk/scoot together through Prospect Park. Before bib distribution at 9 AM you can meet for a little pre-run school cheer, or afterwards for a slice. And it’s all in the name of helping our schools.
  • Don’t forget to invite your friends to join the BCS School Team. You can register at the following URL: https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/RaceGroup-1?raceId=118571

Emergency Broadband Benefit for All Families – get low-cost internet access

  • The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a short-term Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which provides broadband internet service for eligible New York City households, at a reduced cost, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • All families with a student enrolled in a DOE school or program are eligible for this benefit. Families can confirm their eligibility, apply for the program, and find participating broadband providers via the USAC website (https://getemergencybroadband.org/). There are two types of benefits available to eligible households:  
  • Monthly Benefit: A discount of up to $50/month for broadband service, equipment, and device rentals; or  
  • One-time Device Discount: A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of $10-$50), where available. 
  • Families can visit the FCC’s EBB webpage and view this FAQ to learn more about the EBB program. Translated materials are available via the following links: Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, Burmese, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. 
  • For questions and support, schools and families should email EBBHelp@usac.org or call (833) 511-0311.

Updated DOE Health Screener

  • The DOE has changed its Health Screener so if you have experienced any symptoms of COVID (including fever, cough, loss of taste or smell or shortness of breath in the past 10 days), you must have a negative result from a COVID-19 molecular test since the onset of symptoms AND have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of medicine in order to return to school.
  • Here is the PDF version of the DOE Health Screener:
  • https://healthscreening.schools.nyc/docs/Health%20Screening%20Questionnaire100421.pdf
  • Students and staff must complete the screener everyday to enter the building – please do not come to school if you are sick to protect our entire community

BCS Curriculum Night Recordings