Mission/Purpose Statement

Mission/Purpose Statement

BCS is a dynamic and collaborative learning community. We cultivate an engaging environment that embraces all students and empowers them to pose questions, integrate resources, synthesize, evaluate and apply their knowledge to positively influence our diverse and ever-changing world.

September 10, 2017

Hello BCS!

It was a great first week at BCS! Smiles, energy and a passion to learn kicked off our year. Check out a few of the pictures from the week. If you haven’t “liked” Birmingham Covington School on Facebook yet, please do so to check out some pictures from our first week. We were thrilled this week to see our 5/6 parents and guardians at Curriculum Night last Thursday, and we look forward to seeing our 3/4 parents at this Thursday’s Curriculum Night (9/14/17) with the following agenda:

· 6:00 PM – PTSA Reception, information and spirit wear for purchase in the main hallway. Come mingle with your new 3/4 community.

· 6:30 PM – Parents/guardians will go to their child’s classroom for the teachers’ presentations.

· 7:05-8:00 PM – All parents will go to the media center to meet with the principals, the Co-Curricular teachers and our PTSA co-chairs.

As we all wrapped up an exciting first week of school, you undoubtedly struck up questions about your children’s day with prompts such as “How was your day?” or “What did you do today?” Sometimes getting your kids to talk about their day can be a challenge, so try some of these question prompts from the post 50 Questions To Ask Your Kids Instead Of Asking “How Was Your Day” to promote conversation and information sharing with your children.

Tomorrow, 9/11/17, is Patriots Day across our nation, an annual observance on this day to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. We will honor this day, 9/11/2001, with a few words of remembrance of the heroic acts of police, firefighter, first-responders, and volunteers and a moment of silence during our morning announcements tomorrow. We will also appreciate the current heroics acts of these groups of people helping down in Texas and Florida.

Finally, in an effort to be sure we communicate well with you, and you stay connected and informed about all things BCS, be sure to stay connected with BCS-related information via the following resources:

· The BCS website at http://www.bcsonline.info/

· Faculty and Staff Directory Pages

· 2017-2018 School Times, Lunch Schedule, and Curriculum Nights Flyer

· BCS Student Handbook

· Like BCS on Facebook

· Sign up for important text reminders by texting @bcsf to the number 81010. If you ever want to discontinue BCS text messages, find the phone number (469) 888-8508 in your text messages, and text @LEAVE @bcsf.

BCS is a great place to be! We’re looking forward to another great week of learning together at BCS where lead with EMPATHY!

Wishing you well,

Mark Morawski

Twitter: @mark_morawski #BCSLearns

Check out my blog: https://learnleadlove.wordpress.com/

Character Connections Word of the week: KINDNESS

Infuse this word into your conversations and share these quotes with your children as a character education focus. There will be a new word every two weeks.

· “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” -Albert Schweitzer

· “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

· “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” -William Arthur Ward

2017-18 BCS Welcome Back Curriculum Nights

· 3/4 – Thursday, September 14

o PTSA Reception at 6:00 PM in the main hallway

o Program begins at 6:30 PM in classrooms

o Welcome from Mark/Jason, Co-Curricular teachers and PTSA at 7:05 PM in the media center

· 7/8 – Thursday, September 28

o Click on the letter and schedule from the 7/8 team for all the details!

o PTSA Reception at 6:00 PM in the main hallway

o Welcome from Mark/Jason, Co-Curricular teachers and PTSA at 6:30 PM in the media center

o Classroom Schedule as follows:

§ 7:05 – 7:15 PM: Academic Lab/ILD (Goal Setting Sign-ups)

§ 7:20 – 7:30 PM: 1st Hour

§ 7:35 – 7:45 PM: 2nd Hour

§ 7:50 – 8:00 PM: 3rd Hour

§ 8:05 – 8:15 PM: 4th Hour

§ 8:20 – 8:30 PM: 5th Hour

§ 8:35 – 8:45 PM: 6th Hour

WEEK AT A GLANCE – Week of September 11-September 17

To submit an item for next week’s “WAG”, email by WEDNESDAY at 5PM

Monday, September 11

· Patriots Day (check out all the activites around the community at http://www.patriotweek.org/)

· 7-8AM Cross Country Practice

· 7-8AM Girls Basketball Practice

· 3:25-5:30PM Boys Soccer Practice

Tuesday, September 12

· 7-8AM Girls Basketball Practice

· 3:20-4:10PM Cross Country Practice

· 4:15-6:10PM Boys Soccer Practice

· 6PM 7/8 Boston Trip Informational Meeting (Media Center)

Wednesday, September 13

· 7-8AM Cross Country Practice

· 7-8AM Girls Basketball Practice

· 3:25-5:30PM Boys Soccer Practice

· 5PM Boys Soccer Parent Meeting (Soccer Field)

Thursday, September 14

· 3:20-4:10PM Cross Country Practice

· 4PM Choice Hour Change Forms Due

· 4:15-6:10PM Boys Soccer Practice

· 5PM Debate Team Parent Meeting (Staff Development)

· 6PM Forensics Team Parent Meeting (Staff Development)

· 6-8PM 3/4 Curriculum Night

Friday, September 15

· 7-8AM Cross Country Practice

· 8:30AM-12:45PM 7/8 Trip to Courthouse for Constitution Day

Saturday, September 16

Sunday, September 17

ALL BCS NEWS

Chartwells- BPS Food Service-click -WEEKLY MENU

BE SURE AND VISIT http://bcsonline.info

Birthday Celebrations (no food based treats)

No need to buy those fancy cupcakes!

We want to continue to celebrate and recognize birthdays of our students as we know they are important events for children of all ages. In an effort to recognize our students’ birthdays in a healthier and more lasting way, we are asking parents/guardians not to send in food treats as part of your child’s birthday celebration at school.Therefore, in the spirit of general health with celebration, if a family wants to recognize their child’s birthday at school, they can bring a non-food based treat that can be used and shared by everyone in the classroom that day and throughout the year. Some examples of these birthday gifts for the classroom include: the media center Birthday Book Club, a favorite book for the classroom library, board games, fun pencils, erasers, decks of cards, bookmarks, stencils/rulers, rubber bracelets, pencil toppers or other classroom gift. Each teacher will continue to celebrate and recognize the students birthdays in the classroom as we have always done in the past. We appreciate your support!

BCS 3-8 CHESS CLUB IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!

We are pleased to let you know that our award winning chess club will reconvene this fall on September 27th.Encourage your child to flex their mental muscle, make new friends and compete in a safe and fun arena.Players of all talent levels are encouraged to join in the excitement.For a flyer with practice information, costs and how to sign up clickBCS 2017 Chess Club. It’s your move; spots will fill up fast so sign up today!

BCS SCHOOL PLAY – HELP NEEDED

The BCS School Play is for grades 6-8 and runs during the second quarter (November 7 – January 26). The Play is looking for an interested parent or community member to take on an advisory role this year! Responsibilities would include producing, organizing, and promotion assistance. Please contact Courtney Bassett at if interested!

YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALENOW

Purchase your 2017-18 BCS Yearbook Now! For a limited time, the purchase price of the BCS Yearbook has been reduced $10 to just $35, with a free icon!More information on ordering your yearbook may be found on theJostens Yearbook Flyer.Purchase your yearbook online by following this link toJostensYearbooks.com. 8th Grade Parents: Make sure to think about ordering an ad for your graduate! Questions? Contact Michelle D'Orazio .

CHOICE HOUR UPDATE

Students Who Don't Have Choice Hour Must be Picked-up by 3:30 p.m.

REPORTING A CHOICE HOUR ABSENCE

· Call 248-203-4625 to leave a message

· You can send a note to the office with your child

· Send an email toCourtney Bassett

· You can stop in the office to sign them out

If your child does not have a Choice Hour class on any given day but needs to stay please contact Courtney Bassett so that proper arrangements can be made. There is a $5.00 fee for this service!

If you will be picking up your child during the choice hour period, please come into the building to sign them out in the front office. You will be given a pink sheet to take to the Choice Hour desk where the 7th and 8th grade Choice Hour assistants will be happy to locate your child. Students will not be released without the pink form.

CHOICE HOUR CLASS CHANGES

Choice Hour class change request forms are now available in the main office or online. The deadline for requesting a Choice Hour class change will be Thursday, September 14 by 4:00 PM. Classes with openings will be listed on the back of the Choice Hour class change request form. Please read the change form very carefully. Changes are processed on a first come first served basis!

Students requesting a change must attend their originally assigned classes up to and including Friday, September 15. ALL Choice Hour changes that are approved will go into effect on Monday, September 18. You will receive timely notification if your Choice Hour change request is denied.

Choice Hour drop refunds will be processed for classes dropped during the Choice Hour change period which ends at 4:00 PM on Thursday, September 14. No refunds will be processed after this date.

No Choice Hour drops, adds and/or changes will be accepted over the phone or via email. All Choice Hour change requests require a parent’s signature. Please pick up the proper paperwork at the front desk or print it from the website.

CHOICE HOUR IS NOT OPTIONAL!

Students are required to attend Choice Hour three days per week. If you are requesting that your child is waived from the Choice Hour program then visit www.bcsonline.info for a waiver form. Waivers require signature approval from Mr. Morawski or Mr. Hill.

Thank you for always supporting the Choice Hour program!

ADDITIONAL SPOTS OPEN ON THE BCS DESTINATION IMAGINATION TEAM

The BCS Destination Imagination team has a limited number of spots available on the 2017-18 Team. These spots are for the Middle School Team only, grades 6-8. If your student is interested, please have them fill out a Destination Imagination Application and return it to the front office by Monday, September 11. Class Description: Where creativity meets STEM! Students work with a team to have fun, solve interesting challenges, build friendships, and unleash their imaginations. We have two teams – one for 3-5 grades and one for 6-8 grades. Students will compete at a tournament in February and may move on to a State level tournament and even the Global level. Students must fill out the application for the team. Selected students will be notified mid-June. There is a one-time “Pay to Play” fee: $75.

MEDIA CENTER UPDATE

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

The BCS Library Media Center is looking for parent volunteers. We need your help with: assisting students at library centers, checking in and checking out books, helping students locate materials, shelving & organizing, and processing new books. No experience necessary – training provided!Sign up to help at:http://tinyurl.com/bcsmcvolunteers(Sign Up Genius). Volunteer Orientation will be held on Tuesday, September 12 from 9:30-10:30am. Questions? Email the librarian, Ann Truesdell, k you!

JOIN THE BCS BIRTHDAY BOOK CLUB!

The new BCS Birthday Book club is another food-free way in which you can celebrate your child’s birthday and help our library collection continue to grow. Participation in the program involves a $15.00 donation per book (per child). The book will become part of the BCS library collection, complete with a bookplate featuring your child’s photo, name, and birthday. Check out this form for more details:https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/cms/lib/MI01908619/Centricity/Domain/1157/BCS%20Birthday%20Book%20Club.pdf

THE BCS LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER WELCOMES ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS!

Click the link to find out what students can do in the library and what the library provides for you:https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/cms/lib/MI01908619/Centricity/Domain/1157/bcsmc%20welcome%20letter%20for%20website.pdf.

ATHLETICS UPDATE

ATHLETIC PRE-PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES

Before students may try-out or participate in any practice sessions for a sport at BCS, they must have the following:

1. Physical Pre-ParticipationPhysical Evaluation formon file dated

2. Athletic Participation Fee ($135 per sport) must be paid via online registration.

3. Concussion Awareness Educational MaterialAcknowledgement Formmust be on file to participate. The Physical Evaluation and Concussion Awareness Acknowledgement forms paperwork can be picked up in the front office.

ORANGE SLIP REQUIRED TO START FALL SPORTS

Once all paperwork is complete and the fee is paid, the student will be issued a slip of eligibility, referred to as the“orange slip” through the main office.It is the responsibility of the student to give the“orange slip” to the coach at the first practice attended.The slip is essentially an admission ticket to the student’s first practice.The student will not be allowed to practice without an eligibility slip. Please allow for a 24-hour turnaround time from when you have completed online registration or turned in the physical for an "orange slip" to be provided. Orange Slips for 2017 Fall Sports will be available in the front office on the first day of school for students who have completed all sports registration steps.

BOY’S SOCCER

Coach: Josh Keilman & Mat Brown

Practice: Begins Monday, 9/11/17, 4:15pm – tryouts if necessary. Practices will be held on every non-game day. Mondays and Wednesdays practice is 3:25-5:30pm (Choice Hour replaced by soccer practice). Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday practice is 4:15-6:10pm (attend regular choice hour). Soccer Full Game Schedule.

GIRLS BASKETBALL