WAG March 8-12

From Hal...


March 7, 2010

Dear Parents,

Things at BCS are in the midst of the March cycle, which means the event that signifies that Spring is near...drum roll .....The BLAST! That is right this yearly event is just a few short weeks away. As you know, The Blast is our biggest fundraiser of the year, which helps to support and supplement many of the things we do for the students at BCS.

Many of the things that we do curriculum-wise at BCS center upon building the “21st Century Skills”. There is constant mention of these skills in the world of education, but often there isn’t an clear explanation of what makes up the 21st Century Skills. I will provide the 21st Century Skills along with a brief explanation along with a link that has a more in-depth explanation of them in this week’s WAG!


1. Digital Age Literacy—Today’s Basics
• Basic, Scientific, and Technological Literacies
• Visual and Information Literacy
• Cultural Literacy and Global Awareness

2. Inventive Thinking—Intellectual Capital
• Adaptability/Managing Complexity and Self-Direction
• Curiosity, Creativity and Risk-taking
• Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning

3. Interactive Communication—Social and Personal Skills
• Teaming and Collaboration
• Personal and Social Responsibility
• Interactive Communication

4. Quality, State-of-the-Art Results
• Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results
• Effective Use of Real-World Tools
• High Quality Results with Real-World Application

The following links is for a more detailed explanation of 21st Century Skills:

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

www.metiri.com/21st%20Century%20Skills/PDFtwentyfirst%20century%20skills.pdf

Have a GREAT WEEK!

Hal










WEEK AT A GLANCE – MARCH 8 – MARCH 12, 2010
(Disclaimer: Please check all your calendars and bcsonline.info in case we missed something)

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

Monday, March 8
• Choice Hour Selection Sheets for 4th quarter to students today and are due on Friday. You can view the class descriptions on the web – see comment below.
• 6:45-8:00AM –8th grade Girls Volleyball practice
• 9:15AM – 3/4 Room Parents Meeting
• 3:15-5:00PM - Boys swim team practice
• 4:00PM DEADLINE – Instrument selection sheets due for 4th grade students who want to take band or orchestra in 5th grade
• 4:15-5:30PM–7th grade Girls Volleyball practice

Tuesday, March 9
• 6:35 – 8:00AM –Boys swim team practice
• 7-8AM – Proud Dads Volleyball for 6th Grade Girls
• 8-8:20AM – Bagel sale in front of the media center by the 8th grade celebration committee
• 3:15-4:00PM – School store is open in the main hallway during choice hour
• 4:00PM –Girl’s Volleyball game @ Berkshire Middle School. 7th grade game begins at 4:00PM and 8th grade game immediately follows.
• 6:30-8:00PM – Proud Dad’s CO-ED Basketball – 3rd-6th grades
• 7:00PM- BLAST committee meeting in the media center

Wednesday, March 10
• 6:45-8:00AM –8th grade Girls Volleyball practice
• Popcorn Day – freshly popped popcorn is sold during choice hour for $1 in the main hallway
• 2:25-3:10PM – Parkin & Wallington classes in Jump Rope For Heart
• 4:15 – 5:30 PM – 7th grade Girls Volleyball practice
• 4:15 PM–Boys swim team meet @ home vs East Hills Middle School
• 7:00PM – 7/8 Winter Band Concert in the Cafeteria

Thursday, March 11
• 6:35 – 8:00AM –Boys swim team practice-7/8 grades only
• 7-8AM – Proud Dads Volleyball for 6th Grade Girls
• 8AM-2PM – Religious Diversity Journey to St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church for 8 students in 7/8 grade level
• 12:30PM - Lunch with the Principal in Staff Development I (located down 600 Hall). Bring your lunch for this informal time with the principal to ask questions and learn his perspectives.
• 1:35 – 2:20pm – Frishman & Butzin classes in Jump Rope For Heart
• 2:25-3:10PM – Burns & Harvath classes in Jump Rope For Heart
• 3:20-4:05PM ––7th & 8th grade Girls Volleyball practice during choice hour.
• 6:30-8:00PM – Proud Dad’s CO-ED Basketball – 3rd-6th grades
• 7:00 PM – PTSA Clearinghouse Meeting in the Media Center-All are invited to learn about the operations of the PTSA at BCS.

Friday, March 12
• Deadline: Choice Hour Selection sheets for 4th quarter due by 4:00PM today.
• Deadline: Current Instrumental Students - Acknowledgment form is due for next year’s continuation in band or orchestra.
• Deadline: Articles for E-Bugle due today kyraeg@wowway.com
• 6:35 – 8:00AM –Boys swim team practice-7/8 grades only
• 6:45-8:00AM –8th grade Girls Volleyball practice
• 7 – 8:00 AM–7th grade Girls Volleyball practice
• 1:35 – 2:20pm – Davis & Seley classes in Jump Rope For Heart
• 6:30 – 8:00PM – Most Valuable Male Night – cafeteria & gym. Enjoy movies, pizza, salad, wings and lots more. Cost is $5.50 per person. Email your RSVP to dawnanderic@sbcglobal.net now and pay at the door.

Saturday, March 13
• 8:00AM – 6:00PM – Middle School Regional Science Olympiad Competition – Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI

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 Quesadillas-Brown rice or green beans
Tuesday –Baked Fish Sticks-Potato wedges, vegetables
Wednesday –Soup and Salad Bar with Cheese Breadstick
Thursday – Roasted Turkey and gravy-Mashed potatoes, corn
Friday –Cheese Lasagna- Breadsticks or green beans


3rd and 4th GRADE PARENTS
There is no swimming this week. All 3/4 students will be in gym class during their physical education time due to the Jump Rope For Heart .


POWERSCHOOL – STUDENT IDs and PASSWORDS CHANGES for grades 5-8
A system error has caused all student PowerSchool passwords and IDs to change. Parent/Guardian IDs and passwords remain unchanged. The District Technology Services office regrets this error. Your student was issued a new PowerSchool ID and password the last week in February.


STUDENTS ASKING FOR PARENT FEEDBACK - Thank you for your participation!!
A few students in Mrs.Roberts class need your help! They have entered an environmental contest called the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The team includes Hannah Balicki, Julia Kiehle, and Dylan Walton. Their topic is about people needlessly cutting down trees. The students feel it may be a problem in our community. To complete the contest they need your help getting data.

If you could take some time to answer the question below, it would be great and help these students out a lot.
Question: "Do you know any homeowner or business that has cut down trees for the benefit of better looking landscapes or any other purely aesthetic reason?"

Please email your answer to Julia Kiehle at 2jk01bcs@birmingham.k12.mi.us and put Siemens Challenge in the subject line. Here is an example: Yes- John Doe"


IMPORTANT SURVEY – Please visit the site and respond.
To keep municipal and school board meetings and programs being shown on cable tv, it is important for the cable board that services Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Birmingham and Franklin to hear from viewers. Please take the survey at this link so that feedback can be given about programming.
http://www.birminghamcableboard.org/


CHOICE HOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS
Choice Hour Selection sheets will be distributed in homerooms on Monday March 8th. Please be looking for them!! Choice Hour selections with payment, if applicable, are due to BCS by 4:00 PM on Friday March 12th. You can visit www.bcsonline.info to view the QIV Choice Hour selections.

If your child will not be attending Choice Hour, then you need to have a waiver form signed by Mr. Hartley. A waiver form is available online.
Your student will also receive a BCS Now News audition form (this class is offered Monday through Friday but students can select the day that works best for them.) This form is due back to BCS by 4:00 PM on Friday March 12th.

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


CONGRATULATIONS TO BCS REFLECTION WINNERS
Once again BCS has done a wonderful job in the National Reflections Contest. We have 2 winners this year:
Jack Gamble received Statewide Merit Recognition for his Visual Arts piece titled "Inner Beauty".
Tess Helfrich received an Award of Excellence and is one of three Birmingham students whose work is moving onto State Level Competition! She played the piano and sang an original composition titled "Beauty Is..."
Thank you to everyone who participated in this great contest. BCS had many, many excellent entries this year and gave all of us yet another reason to be proud members of the BCS community!


THE BCS BLAST - Parents, please see new changes on the Blast tab at BCSOnline.info
Attention all BCS Families: the BLAST is right around the corner and we are excited to offer these wonderful opportunities to our community:
• Corporate Sponsors - donations with a value of $250 - $499 will receive advertisement on the Corporate Sponsor banner to be displayed in the cafeteria during the Blast. Corporate sponsors will be mentioned on the www.bcsonline.info website and is listed in the 2010 auction booklet and on the Blast T-shirt.
*Donations with a value of $500 or more will receive advertisement on the Platinum Corporate Sponsor banner to be prominently displayed in the cafeteria during the Blast and in the school for the remainder of the school year. Platinum Corporate Sponsor receives a one year advertisement on the www.bcsonline.info home page and is listed in the 2010 auction booklet and on the Blast T-shirt.
• Family Patron - $100 gets you valet parking, priority auction checkout, and a t-shirt.
• We are also looking for donations to our auction:
1) Tickets to sporting events you, or your company, or vendor(s), have access to always work well at the auction.
2) Your company’s product or service.
3) Golf or hunting outings are very popular
4) Sports memorabilia.
5) Access to Houses / Condominiums / Timeshares in resort areas are a huge auction cash generator!

Please email Laura Meso at laurameso@comcast.net or Therese Fortney at therese521@comcast.net with any item you would like to donate to the 2010 Blast auction. Download donation forms at www.bcsonline.com/blast . Thank you all for your continued support to BCS and your children! You’re the best! From your Blast co-chairs, Karen Best & Ken Gilbert.



Football Opportunity at Seaholm
8th graders who are interested in playing football at Seaholm for the Fall 2010 season are invited to attend the Seaholm Football Kick Off Meeting on Sunday, March 28 at 1:00 pm in the Seaholm Cafeteria. For more information, send an email to seaholmFB2010@aol.com or call Booster President Craig Frye at 248.790.0049.