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Student Family Update

BCS Student/Family Update – 9/14

Published September 14, 2025 by Scill Chan

9/14 – Dear BCS Students and Families,

We had a great launch to the year!  We are so happy to have students back in school!  Please expect an email from us every weekend with news about the school!  You will also receive weekly updates from your child’s academic team leader with information about classes.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BCS PTA Meeting – Tues 9/16 at 6:30pm
Dear Brooklyn Collaborative Families,This is a friendly reminder that our first General PTA Meeting will be held on:​????​ Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025​????​ Time: 6:30 – 7:30 PM​????​ Location: Virtual via ZoomJoin Zoom MeetingClick here to joinMeeting ID: 884 5677 6627Passcode: BCSPTAFor review and approval during the meeting, please see the minutes from our last session:​????​ June 2025 Meeting MinutesThis is our first meeting of the year, and we have some great information to share with everyone.We hope you can join us to stay updated and engaged with our school community. Your participation makes a big difference!Warmly,The BCS PTA Executive Board

Save the Date – BCS Curriculum Night (Virtual in Zoom) – Thurs 9/25

  • Zoom links will be emailed out the day before
  • 5:45-6:15pm Afterschool Programming – YWCA (MS) and Inspiring Minds (HS)
  • 6:15-7:00pm Academic Teams presentations
  • 7:00-7:30pm Grade-Specific Workshop (important topics for each grade)
  • 7:30-7:50pm Crew Team presentations
  • Meet your child’s teachers and other important staff!

Upcoming Dates (No School – Fall Semester)

  • Sept 23-24 – No School – Rosh Hashanah
  • Oct 2 – No School – Yom Kippur
  • Oct 13 – No School – Italian Heritage Day / Indigenous People’s Day
  • Oct 20 – No School – Diwali
  • Nov 4 – No School for Students – Election Day
  • Nov 11 – No School – Veterans Day
  • Nov 27-28 – No School – Thanksgiving Recess
  • Dec 24- Jan 2 – No School – Winter Recess
  • Jan 19 – No School – Dr. MLK Jr Day
  • Jan 26 – No School – Professional Development Day for Staff

Electric bikes and electric scooters are not permitted in building

  • They must be locked up outside the building and cannot be brought inside

Regular scooters

  • Students who bring regular scooters to school must put them in an office for the whole day, they cannot be carried from room to room

HS PSAL Girls Volleyball and HS PSAL Boys Soccer

  • If you are still interested, there is still time.  We will hold an additional week of tryouts!
  • Download and submit your required forms and you can tryout.  Ask Brandi in Gym if you have questions:
  • Parental Consent Form
  • PSAL Medical Form

HS – Phone Reminders for all HS Students

  • The Yondr pouches have been going smoothly – thank you!
  • Your name/photo must remain in the clear slot – do not take it out
  • Do not power off your phone – staff at entry will check your phone is on, then ask you to put it into airplane mode before locking the pouch – this ensures that students do not place decoy/broken phones in the pouch.  Earbuds and smartwatches go into the pouch.
  • Damaged or lost pouches cost $20 for replacement.  All HS students must bring their pouch daily as part of NYS “Distraction-Free Schools” Policy.
  • Parents can ask any questions at Curriculum Night with their child’s teachers.

MS – Phone Reminders for all MS Students

  • Phones are collected Pd 1 and stored in lock box until Pd 8
  • There is no phone use at all in the building, including before school, at lunch and recess, crew or classes or on field trips

Unity Fest

  • Sat Oct 18 – BCS/BNS Unity Fest (in-person) 11am-3pm – bring your families!
  • Food, fun, clothing swap, and more!  Great for all ages!

MS dismissal – moved to middle of Henry St (by cafeteria exit)

  • We have shifted middle school dismissal location to the Cafeteria exit onto Henry St, instead of the current Main Entrance.  This will help alleviate congestion at the Main Entrance.  (High school students still exit out the Main Entrance.)
  • MS families who pick up students – please go towards the middle of Henry Street to wait outside for your child.  The exit is located near the middle of the school building, instead of at the end.
  • Thank you for your cooperation as we monitor traffic and congestion and ensure a safe dismissal!

MS – Tuesday Afterschool Clubs for Middle School

  • MS staff offer clubs afterschool on Tuesdays.  We welcome all students to stay afterschool on Tuesdays for a variety of clubs with their teachers.  Clubs are a great way to meet new friends and build relationships with new teachers.
  • This year’s clubs

Free Homework Help Resources

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES – click here for the ongoing list for the year

Free Fall Filmmaking Workshops (HS Students)

  • Apply Now! Reel Works’ free filmmaking labs give New York City youth the skills, mentors, and tools to create festival-worthy films and launch careers in media. Students receive hands-on training, work with professional filmmakers, and use industry-standard equipment — all at no cost.  Applications are now open for our Fall 2025 programs.
  • Documentary Lab – Our introductory filmmaking program for high school students. Learn how to tell powerful personal stories through film while gaining skills in planning, shooting, editing, and screening your work. Application deadline: Sunday, September 28 https://form.typeform.com/to/Nviodz8g
  • Narrative Lab – Designed for young filmmakers ready to bring their ideas to life as short fiction films. Gain experience in screenwriting, directing, lighting, casting, producing, and post-production with support from professional mentors.
    Application deadline: Monday, November 3 https://form.typeform.com/to/UD5b27nG

Design Hive Program (HS Students – Grades 11 and 12)

  • Design Hive program – Design Hive is a paid, youth-led initiative at Cooper Hewitt. High school juniors and seniors dive deep into design objects and processes to develop their own collaborative projects. Along the way, they learn how designers move from an initial idea to final design!  Learn more here.
  • This year, Design Hive will focus on the connection between design and sound. Here’s a hint about why. We are looking for aspiring designers who are excited to explore how design shapes the way we experience music, from eye-catching concert posters to the look and feel of speakers, headphones, and music spaces. You don’t need to be a musician to apply–just creative and curious!
    • When: Weekly Tuesdays from December to May, 4:30–6:30 p.m. There will be an accepted student orientation on Tuesday, November 18th.
    • Where: At Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Applicants must be available for all the sessions and to meet at Cooper Hewitt (2 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128). 
    • Who: You must be a high school junior or senior in the New York City area.  
    • Compensation: Participants will receive $2,000 total, split into two payments of $1,000 during the program. 
    • Interested? Sign up for our virtual Q + A session on Tuesday, September 16th!
  • How to apply:
    • Log into Smithsonian SOLAA
    • Search the program name: Design Hive
    • Select “Apply Now”
    • This application contains three short answer questions, an essay, and requires two references.
      • Essay Question:  From concert venues to headphones and band t-shirts, design shapes the way we experience music. Design an object, system, or space inspired by favorite song or music genre.
        • Please upload your response in a Word document or .PDF. You may write, draw, or render your idea, but please include at least 1 paragraph explaining your idea.
      • 2 References: References can be a teacher, mentor, or another adult who is not related to you, who can speak to your strengths as a student and a designer.
      • Tips:
        • You can save the application at any time and return to it when you are ready.
        • You’ll see a number of optional questions asking about demographic information such as disability and citizenship status. These questions are not tied to your application, and you can leave them blank if you’d like.
  • Application Timeline:

New Victory Theater is hiring for HS Ushers $$$ (Grade 11 students)

  • The New Victory Theater is the preeminent family theater in New York City, located in the heart of Times Square. Our High School program offers paid opportunities for students to work as Front of House Ushers at our theaters.The Ushers handle ticketing, seating, crowd control, wayfinding and all operational procedures inside the theater.  In this program, we also offer personal and professional development workshops, trainings, mentorship and helpful resources to the young people who work with us! 
  • We’re currently in the process of recruiting more Ushers for our 2025-2026 season.
  • For those who are interested, they can apply here.
  • All New Victory Usher applicants must:
    • Be enrolled as a junior in high school or the equivalent in an HSE/GED program.
    • Be able to work a three-shift minimum each week (between shifts in the theater and workshops), including day, evening, and weekend shifts.
    • Be able to attend select mandatory weekday after-school workshops.
  • A reminder that candidates do not need prior Front of House or theater experience to apply. The deadline for the application is Monday September 16th!
IMPORTANT LINKS Calendar for NYC Public SchoolsCalendar on our school website (specific to BCS)Instagram — upcoming events and fun recapsCONTACTS Important Staff Contacts – Brooklyn Collaborative

Published in BCS News