WAG September 14-18, 2009

September 14-18, 2009

Dear BCS Parents,

The first week of school was a wonderful start for the BCS community! First impressions are important and the impression I got was there is no other place like BCS! I again had an opportunity to meet many of you whether it was in the hallways or at the 7th and 8th grade curriculum night. Thank you for introducing yourself to me and I promise to learn every name by…well, I will leave that open!

Friday was a day that many people reflected on the events that took place in 2001 when many of us were surprised and devastated about what happened in New York City. Driving in to work on Friday, I listened to a survivor of the attacks talk about how he now lives every day to its fullest. Many of us have had moments where we feel this same way. Whether it is a close friend or family member passing away, a car crash we experienced, or another event that shook us up, it makes us think about how we take life for granted. While listening to this man’s story I thought about the tone that is set within schools and how it can become very “routine” for staff and students. Like life, education can be taken for granted and we can choose to simply go through each school year not embracing each and every day. We owe it to ourselves to take each day here at BCS and make it the very best!

This first week was busy! It flew by, just as the 2009-2010 school year will. The BCS team is committed to make every minute count. We look forward to doing this by working closely with each one of you to provide an atmosphere that doesn’t get bogged down by the same old routine. Our world is changing rapidly, and so should we! (click here to watch a 6 minute video regarding the changing world of education)

Hope all of you have a great week!

Sincerely,

Adam and Hal



Sports Physicals

Berkshire Middle School, in partnership with Beaumont Hospitals, is pleased to announce an opportunity for your district middle school or high school child to have their pre-participation sports physical on September 15, 2009. Beaumont doctors will conduct the physicals here at Berkshire in our athletic wing. Please read the details below. Please note: Students must have the front of the Birmingham Public Schools Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form filled out with a parent signature prior to being seen by the doctors.
See Letter Below
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Dear Parents,

It is time for school sports physicals again, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to care for your children. This year the date is Tuesday, September 15, 2009. The cost will be $25.00. Please make checks payable to William Beaumont Hospital. We ask that you assist us with the following details in order to make the physicals run smoothly, as well as to provide the best care for your children.

If your child has any chronic medical problems, it would be in his/her best interest to have a physical by his/her pediatrician, as we will NOT be able to give medical clearance for sports.

Example: Poorly controlled asthma
Seizure disorder/ recent seizure (in the last 6 months)
Multiple concussions
Chest pain, dizziness, or fainting with exercise

Please have your child wear his/her glasses or contacts. We will be checking vision. If your child fails the vision screening, we will NOT be able to complete the physical.

Please sit down with your child and fill out the front of the physical form. It is very important that your child is aware of his/her past medical history, as well as ensuring that the form is filled out accurately. This includes an updated list of medications.

Please refer to the following time schedule:
Berkshire Middle School students: Arrive at 3:30 pm
Derby and BCS students Arrive at 4:30 pm
High School Students Arrive at 5:15 pm
Doors Locked 6:15 pm

Please remember that this is a physical for sports participation only! This does NOT replace an annual medical physical with your child’s pediatrician.

Thank you for your participation.

Frank Martilotti, MD Julie Secrest, MD Stacey Shubeck, MD Rita Patel, MD
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Pediatrics Pediatrics



WEEK AT A GLANCE – September 14 - 18, 2009
(Disclaimer: Please check all your calendars and bcsonline.info just in case we missed something)

Monday, September 14
6:30-8:30AM – 7th and 8th grade Girls basketball tryout practice
9:15-10:15AM – 3/4 Room Parent Meeting in the Media Center
4:05-5:45PM – 7th and 8th grade Boys soccer tryout practice
6-7PM – Proud Dads Tennis for 3rd-6th grade –indoor courts at Pine Lake Country Club
DUE: Proud Dads Sports registration forms for Girls Basketball (5th & 6th grade) AND Flag Football (3rd-8th grade). Download forms at www.bcsonline.info…….scroll down to the Proud Dads Intramural Sports link.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
6:30-8:30AM – 7th and 8th grade Girls basketball tryout practice
· Fire Drill
4:05-5:45PM – 7th and 8th grade Boys soccer tryout practice
· 6:30PM-Technology Committee Meeting –Media Center-see comments below
· 7:00PM –BPS Board of Education Meeting at the Administration Building, 550 West Merrill Street, Birmingham. Watch it live on Comcast Channel 17.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009
6:30-8:30AM – 7th and 8th grade Girls basketball tryout practice
· Popcorn Day – freshly popped popcorn is sold during choice hour for $1 in the main hallway
4:05-5:45PM – 7th and 8th grade Boys soccer tryout practice

Thursday, September 17, 2009
6:30-8:30AM – 7th and 8th grade Girls basketball tryout practice
· Constitution Day
· 12:30PM – Lunch with the Principal in Staff Development II (located down the 600 Hall). Bring your lunch for this informal time with the principal to ask questions and learn his perspectives.
· 1:15PM – PTSA Clearinghouse Meeting in Staff Development II-All are invited to learn about the operations of the PTSA at BCS. Bring a friend or meet new friends.
· 3/4 Back To School Night for parents of 3rd and 4th grade students
6-6:30PM Refreshments provided by the PTSA room parents in or near your child’s classroom
6:30PM Teacher presentations in your child’s classroom
5-6:30PM – Proud Dads Flag Football for 3-8th grades-BCS fields

Friday, September 18, 2009
· 6:30-8:30AM – 7th and 8th grade Girls basketball tryout practice
DUE: Please turn in Sally Foster order forms to the office by the end of the day today. Online orders can be placed all year long!!
DEADLINE: Choice Hour Class change requests for Quarter I are due by 4:00PM today. Forms are located in the front office. Refunds are issued for classes that are dropped by September 18.
· Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown


Hot Entrée menu for the week: (subject to change, if necessary)
Monday- Salad Bar OR Steak sandwiches, diced potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday – Salad Bar OR baked chicken tenders, buttered noodles, peas
Wednesday – Salad Bar OR Sloppy Joes, chicken soup
Thursday – Salad Bar OR Pasta primavera with or without chicken
Friday - Salad Bar OR Grilled cheese, tomato soup, carrots & celery


CHOICE HOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS
1st Quarter Choice Hour classes are up and running. Choice Hour student selections are posted on the Choice Hour board in the main hallway and in each homeroom.

The deadline for requesting a Choice Hour class change is Friday September 18th by 4:00 PM. Choice Hour class change request forms are available in the main office. Classes with openings are listed on the back of the Choice Hour class change request form. Please read the change form very carefully! Students requesting a change must attend their originally assigned classes for the first 2 weeks of this quarter. ALL Choice Hour changes that are approved will go into effect on Monday September 21st. 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 Friday September 18th. No refunds will be processed after the Friday September 18th deadline.

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 in the front office.

Questions regarding the Choice Hour program should be directed to Linda Stone at 248-203-4625 or ls06bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us. Questions regarding Choice Hour scheduling should be directed to Donna Feldmaier at 248-203-4522 or df02bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us .

Thank you for supporting the Choice Hour program!


TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
BCS has always embraced technology. The Technology Committee is "Think Tank" of parents and staff working together to promote technology at school. We help connect teachers, parents, students, technology and the community. Past projects of the committee have included: online registration forms, " How to Facebook", Engineering week, Weatherbug station, Engage curriculum ideas including PicoCricket and Future city, and tech choice hours. We are currently working on a web site redesign and a wind turbine. This committee meets once a month on a Tuesday evening. Meetings are informal and full of lively discussion. Please join us!

Committee chairs are Pam Graham, Ross Kaplan and Jon Rivard. Send an email to tech@bcsparent.com and you'll contact all 3 of us!
BCS BACK-TO-SCHOOL REGISTRATION
We now have every BCS student registered for school! A huge THANK YOU to all parents, students, and BCS alumni who volunteered to help with registration!!! So many of you were very generous with your time! Do you know we had 50+ volunteers who spent over 500+ hours processing 6,480 forms?! Volunteers helped with packet preparation and stuffing, working registration tables, sorting and alphabetizing forms, and popping popcorn so we all had something to snack on. With less office staff this year, everyone's help was especially appreciated! This is a wonderful example of the BCS community modeling this year’s theme for our students - Me2We: This I Believe. This coming week, the registration popcorn drawing will be conducted and two lucky families will win popcorn for the year!

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

THE WEB AND PARENTS- Are You Tech Savvy? - SEPTEMBER 30, 2009, 7:00 PM
Join Judy Hauser for a brief introduction to Web 2.0, including podcasts, forums, graphic generators, photo storage, wikis and more. Parents will get a sense of how each tool or resource works, how they might use them in their personal or work life, and the role each plays in current K-12 education and in the lives of school-age children. With this crash course on today's Internet, the Web becomes a place where families come together, not drift apart. Presentation is in the BCS Staff Development Rooms. Please contact kf05bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us with questions.