WAG Oct. 5-9

BCS Parents,

The WAG this week is from Hal...He makes a great point!
I am actually in Salt Lake City on a flight delay posting this week's WAG! Technology has truly changed how we can communicate and most importantly...how we can learn!
Enjoy the week!

WAG Oct 5-9

Dear Parents,

The world is forever changing, literally. I am on the Internet typing the WAG at a cruising altitude of 40,000 feet in the air, as I fly back to Michigan from watching my alma mater win the homecoming game 61 to 6! How amazing, the football victory and this new implementation of technology high in the sky are fascinating. Now if I could only get the autopilot feature installed in my car the world would be perfect!

The world of education has undergone a tremendous amount of change since we sat in the seats that our children sit in today. Much of that change has come through the implementation of technology in the classroom. With the all of technology changing and evolving at the speed of light, it takes time to adjust and truly figure out its value and usefulness. Mark Prensky, who often writes on technology and education, wrote an article for Edutopia talking about the typical process of technology adoption in classrooms:

Dabbling with technology- use of a particular piece of technology because it happens to be in the room.

Doing Old things in Old Ways- only replacing the way we have always done things with something that might be faster, easier, and more accurate. In the end however, they are still the same old things we have been doing for years in education.

Doing Old things in New Ways- allows students to learn from people they never would have been able to without it.

Doing New things in New Ways- for the digital age, we need new curricula, new organization, new architecture, varied teaching pedagogy, new student assessments, new parental connections, new administration procedures, and many other elements.

At BCS, we as a learning community are committed to creating new and different learning experiences for our students through the use of technology with

Engage Classes
Technology within our Physical Education classes
Engineering Technology
Hands-on Projects in Art
Foreign Language (Spanish)
Educational Technology
Through our new Promethean Boards (Thanks Parents and BEF!)
Choice Hour program
The hard work of our entire staff each and everyday!
And you our supportive parent community!
Have a GREAT Week!!

Hal


WEEK AT A GLANCE – OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 9, 2009
(Disclaimer: Please check all your calendars and bcsonline.info in case we missed something)

Monday, October 5
6:45AM – 7th & 8th grade girls basketball practice
8:00AM – Cook/Fitzgerald/Bishop/Maliszewski homerooms to Camp Copneconic in Fenton for a day long team building field trip. Field trip busses are loading at 8:00AM SHARP!
9:15AM – 5/6 Room Parent Meeting – media center
4 PM – Boys soccer game vs. West Hills Middle School at home
6-7PM – Proud Dads Co-ed Tennis at Pine Lake Country Club, indoor courts

Tuesday, October 6
7-8AM – Proud Dads 5th & 6th grade girls basketball
7:30-8:00AM - BCS Diversity Committee meeting in Room 505 – All are welcome
8:00AM – Brown/Burdick/Joseph/Roberts homerooms to Camp Copneconic in Fenton for a day long team building field trip. Field trip busses are loading at 8:00AM SHARP!
4PM – 7th grade girls basketball game at Bloomfield Hills Middle School; 8th grade immediately following. Please visit highschoolsports.net for directions or pick-up a “Maps to Away Athletic Contests” packet in the office.
4:05 – 5:35PM – Boys soccer practice
7:00PM - BPS Board of Education meeting at the BPS Administration building, 550 West Merrill Street, Birmingham. Watch it live on Comcast channel 17.

Wednesday, October 7
DUE: Journalism Day permission slips due (7th & 8th grade PUBLICATIONS students only)
Progress reports released
6:45AM – 7th & 8th grade girls basketball practice
9:15AM – 5/6 Room Parent Meeting – media center
Popcorn Day – freshly popped popcorn is sold during choice hour for $1 in the main hallway.
4 PM – Boys soccer game @ Bloomfield Hills Middle School. Maps to away games can be found at www.bcsonline.info (athletics link, sports schedule) or pickup a packet in the office.
7-8:00PM – Parent Meeting for Forensics Team members – room 407

Thursday, October 8
6:45AM – 7th & 8th grade girls basketball practice
7-8AM – Proud Dads 5th & 6th grade girls basketball
4:05 – 5:35PM – Boys soccer practice
5-6:30PM – Proud Dads Co-ed Flag Football for 3rd – 8th graders
7PM - Friends of Different Learners Meeting in BCS Media Center- “What’s Happening in Special Education?” –see write-up below

Friday, October 9
Due: Prepayment orders for Tuesday bagel s for the entire school year
6:45AM – 7th & 8th grade girls basketball practice
· 2-3PM - Training session for parent volunteers for 5/6 Rouge River field trip- Science Lab 600C or 600D
4 PM – Boys soccer game vs. East Hills Middle School at home
· 6:30-8PM – Coney Bingo Night for 3/4 students and families in the BCS cafeteria


Hot Entrée menu for the week: (subject to change, if necessary)
- Available everyday: Salad Bar, Hamburgers, Chicken Patties, Pizza & Cheese Breadsticks
Monday –Chicken or cheese quesadilla, steamed rice & corn
Tuesday –Roast turkey, mix veggies or chicken noodle soup w/cheese breadstick
Wednesday –Turkey corn dogs, roasted potatoes & green beans
Thursday –Spaghetti, peas & garlic bread or fresh fruit w/yogurt & whole grain muffin
Friday –Baked fish patty w/diced potatoes, steamed broccoli & whole wheat roll

To submit an item for next week’s “WAG”, email nb01bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us by FRIDAY 7AM

NOTES
The PTSA needs YOU!!
The BCS PTSA has two positions that are open – please consider utilizing your time and talents to help us out.
· If you don't mind working with numbers and would like a position you can do mostly from home, please consider the Income Treasurer position.
· If you are creative and love working with the kids on a short term project, we need a Reflections Program leader. This requires some in-school time, but is limited in duration.
Please email Susan Davis at SEP@H2Law.com if you can help with either position. Thank you!


CONEY BINGO NIGHT for 3/4 Grades
Join in the fun for an evening of bingo and a coney dog dinner. This is one of the popular social events for 3rd and 4th graders and their families and it’s a great way to meet new friends. Advance sign-up in much appreciated…just return a flyer with payment to the office as soon as possible. Flyers can be downloaded on www.bcsonline.info .


TUESDAY MORNING BAGELS
Hip Hip Hooray Tuesday Morning Bagel Sales Are On Their Way. The PTSA 8th grade Celebration Committee will begin selling bagels on Tuesday, October 13th. Bagels can be purchased each week for $1.00 (cream cheese .25 cents) or can be pre-purchased for the year for $30. To pre-purchase, please download a form at www.bcsonline.info and turn it into the office by this Friday – Oct. 9.


SEASONAL FLU CLINIC
BCS Community Ed, in collaboration with the Oakland Visiting Nurses Association, is sponsoring a seasonal flu clinic in our cafeteria on Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. Flu shots are $25, Flu mist for healthy people between 2 and 49 years is $30 and Pneumonia shots are $50. No appointments needed.

FRIENDS OF DIFFERENT LEARNERS invites you to join them for an informal gathering where we can share ideas, strategies, and successes with each other. Maria Power, Special Education Liaison, will discuss her new role at BPS. There will be an opportunity for questions. 7:00PM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009 at Birmingham Covington School . www.friendsofdifferentlearners.org



As a service to your district and your parents our sister company Safe Cleaners has developed an informational website on head lice. Below is a link to the site, please share it with your staff and parents.

http://www.headlicehelper.com/