WAG MAY 24-28

May 23, 2010

Dear BCS Community,

At the beginning of the year, the BCS staff and I talked about how we need to look at his year as a marathon and not a sprint. BCS has endured many changes over the past few years. Anytime there is a change in leadership, there will be times of concern, times of excitement, and times of reflection. Change is never easy. This is why I asked the staff to take this year and approach it as you would a marathon. We have trained, we have encouraged each other, and now….we must finish strong!
I have never run in a marathon but I know many of our staff members and parents have. My brother has run in a few and has told me that it took him a couple of races to understand what it takes to pace yourself and to mentally prepare for the 26 plus miles. He told me that no matter what happens the first 25 miles, it is the last mile that you will remember.
We are in that last mile of the year and we have to decide how we will finish.
We have three choices:

1. Our muscles hurt, we are physically and mentally exhausted, and we do not know if we can make it- so we give up.

2. We continue the pace we have been running and finish the race slower than when we started- not because we have given up but because we are satisfied with our efforts-after all we just ran 25 miles!

3. We Finish Strong! We take this last mile and start pumping our legs the same way we did the first mile. We remember all of the training we participated in, we recall the people that told us we couldn’t do it, and we dig deep down to finish a long race with the same energy in which we started.

BCS will finish strong!

We will do this by encouraging each other, reminding ourselves and one another why we are here, and by making it our priority over the next four weeks. BCS students and staff will participate in town hall meetings next week that will kick off our quest to finish strong! I firmly believe that by finishing strong, it will make us even stronger for the next race!

In the spirit of finishing strong, BCS parents can encourage students to continue to participate in Trash Free Fridays, check your child’s teacher blogs and planner nightly, and volunteer for end of the year activities. Students can continue to live up to the BCS behavior and academic expectations, revisit their goals made at the beginning of the year, and give 110% in everything they do. The BCS staff will keep their eyes on the finish line by keeping high expectations, working as a team, and planning lessons that are engaging and meaningful. Finishing strong is essential to what the 2010-2011 school year will bring- We should all be excited for our next race, but let’s remember, this one is not over!

Finish Strong,

Adam
Visit http://adamhartleybcs.blogspot.com/


WEEK AT A GLANCE – MAY 24 – MAY 28, 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, May 24
• 3/4 Classrooms - Onsite presentation by the Naturalist Endeavors (in-the-school field trip)
• 4:00PM – Track meet BCS vs. Berkshire & Derby @ Groves High School
• 4:00PM – Girls soccer games vs. Berkshire Middle School @ HOME

Tuesday, May 25
• 7:30-8:00AM - BCS Diversity Committee meeting in Room 505 – All are welcome
• 8-8:20AM – Bagel sale in front of the media center by the 8th grade celebration committee
• 12:35-1:15 – 8th grade students turn in their “loose change” collection bags and receive class T-shirt
• 3:15-4:00PM – School store is open in the main hallway during choice hour
• 4:10 – 5:15PM – Track Practice

Wednesday, May 26
• Popcorn Day – freshly popped popcorn is sold during choice hour for $1 in the main hallway.
• 12:35-1:15 – 8th grade students turn in their “loose change” collection bags and receive class T-shirt
• 3: 20 – 4:05PM – Track Practice during choice hour
• 5:30-6:30PM – Proud Dads Golf for 3rd – 8th grade- Royal Oak Driving Range at 13 Mile Rd & Coolidge
• 6:30 – 8:30PM – Seaholm Student Activities Night – for 8th grade students attending Seaholm and their parents – includes sign-up for extra-curricular activities

Thursday, May 27
• DUE: School Kidz order forms for next year’s 3-6 graders should be turned into the office by today to pre-order school supply kits.
• 8-9:30AM – VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BREAKFAST – Media Center – If you have volunteered in any capacity at BCS during this school year, you are celebrated at this special breakfast put together by BCS staff members to thank you for your time and talents. Homemade dishes will be featured! Please come and hang around for awhile to mingle with other volunteers and staff. No sign-ups are allowed!
• 12:35-1:15 – 8th grade students turn in their “loose change” collection bags and receive class T-shirt
• Market Day internet orders due by midnight. If you are unable to complete your order online, please contact Lori Croad at 248-348-4390.
• 4:10 – 5:15PM – Track Practice

Friday, May 28
• It’s a GREAT DAY AT BCS. –enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend with your families

Hot Entrée menu for the week: (subject to change, if necessary)
- Available everyday: Salad Bar, Hamburgers, Chicken Patties, Pizza & Cheese Breadsticks
Monday –Pizza bagels, small salad, hot veggies
Tuesday –Cheese ravoli, garlic toast, mixed vegetables, jello
Wednesday –Turkey corn dogs, diced potatoes, steamed broccoli
Thursday – Hot turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, garden peas
Friday – Corned beef on bun with swiss cheese or grilled chicken sub


A VERY LATE BUT VERY SINCERE THANK YOU
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. The BCS staff is overwhelmed. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the gifts of appreciation at the beginning of May from BCS families and the PTSA Room Parents. On Tuesday, beautiful bouquets of flowers were delivered to all staff. It is truly amazing to see the hundreds of flowers being arranged by parent volunteers and then delivered to every room in the building. So many staff members commented on how beautiful and cheerful their room felt because of the bouquets. On Wednesday, we enjoyed a fabulous luncheon in our staff lounge, complete with table flowers and a festive spring feeling. Every little detail was cared for. On Thursday, we were treated to freshly baked sweet bread, wrapped in cellophane with a special note on each tag. The cinnamon aroma from the mailbox area drifted throughout the office all day long cheering up everyone who walked in!! All day long people exclaimed, ”What’s that wonderful smell?” BCS is truly a great place to be because of the thoughtfulness and generosity of our BCS families.


3RD AND 4TH GRADE PARENTS
Starting Monday, May 24 through Friday June 18: The following classrooms will be attending Swim as their PE: Butzin, Harvath, Seley and Wallington. Please be sure to send in a swimsuit and towel with your child.


BCS BAND SPRING BAND CONCERTS REMINDER
The 5th & 6th grade bands will perform their spring concert on Wednesday evening, June 2nd in the BCS cafeteria. The performance will begin at 7:00pm. The 7th & 8th grade bands will perform their spring concert on Wednesday, June 9 in the BCS cafeteria. The starting time for the 7th & 8th grade band performance is 7:00pm. The 8th grade band members will also be making a guest appearance with the BCS orchestra on Thursday, June 3 at 7:30 pm. Specific details for the 8th grade performance with the orchestra have been sent home with the 8th grade band members.


MOVE UP DAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Can you believe it's already time to be thinking about Move Up Day? On June 10th, the incoming 3rd graders will be visiting BCS and meeting their new teachers and classmates. In order to make this a great experience, the BCS Community Connections Committee is looking for your help. We need eight volunteers to assist with check-in, the scavenger hunt, and dismissal from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 10th. To volunteer, please contact Becky Bachand at dbachand@comcast.net or 248.593.8234. Thanks!


STUDENT SIGN-OUT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
During this time of year, the office experiences a large volume of early student sign-out and other activity. Please arrive at the office a few minutes early so that the parent volunteers or office staff can call your child out of their classroom to meet you. It is not necessary to call the school to let us know you will be signing your child out early. For a student to be released during the school day, a signature is REQUIRED in the sign-out book in the front office. Only a parent, guardian or other person authorized on the EMERGENCY CARD can sign a student out. Authorization is checked at sign-out so please remember to bring your identification. The BCS office thanks you for your understanding at this very busy time of year.


For BCS 8th graders: SEAHOLM CHEERLEADING TRY-OUTS – MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Tryouts for next year’s football cheer team will be held on Tuesday, June 8th from 6-7 PM at Seaholm High School. If you’ve never cheered before or want to sharpen your skills before tryouts, please attend one or both of the pre-tryout instructional days listed below:
Tuesday, June 1st – 5:00-6:30 PM OR Wednesday, June 2nd – 6:00-7:30 PM
For more information about the cheer team and tryouts, please contact Coach Szura at js44bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us . Go Maples!


FOR PARENTS OF BCS 8TH GRADERS
There is a Parent Meeting for Groves Volleyball on Thursday, May 27 at 6:30-7:30 PM in Room G-1. Please contact Peter Lau, Varsity Head Coach, with questions at 248-219-8639.


AUDITIONS FOR NEXT YEAR’S FORENSICS TEAM
The 2010-2011 Forensics Team auditions will be Friday, June 4th. Students must have taken at least one marking period of the Forensics I choice hour to audition.

Students auditioning may choose to audition in either of the following categories: Prose, Poetry, Storytelling, D.I., Sales, Oratory, and Informative. Sales, Informative, and Oratory must be original pieces written by the students, all other categories may NOT be written by the student. Those auditioning with Sales or Informative may use visual aids.

ALL PIECES MUST BE BETWEEN 3-5 MINUTES AND MUST BE MEMORIZED. Individual preparation and memorization are big components of being on the team and will be a factor in deciding who makes the team.

Students will sign up the week of June 4th outside Mrs. Schultz’s room (Room 407) for an audition time. Audition times will begin at 3:30 (however, times from 3:30-4:00 are reserved for those students who are currently in the Forensics I Choice Hour). Please arrive on time for your audition. Students will wait in Room 407 and be able to practice in there until it is their time to audition, in which case they will then be ushered into the Media Center by a helper. Auditions will be closed, meaning that only the team coach (Liz Schultz) and a guest judge will be watching. The guest judge has no affiliation with BCS, thereby being totally neutral and judging on performance criteria. The guest judge has toured nationally in shows, went to college in New York for performance, and has Forensic experience…he is very qualified. Once students are done with their audition they are to leave BCS…they are done for the evening.

The new members of the team will be posted outside classroom 407 on Mon, June 7th before school begins.

Students may be nervous, but please try to calm their fears as much as possible. There are a limited number of spots on the team, however everyone has a fair chance and I am excited to see all auditions! If you have any questions, please email me (Liz Schultz) at es02bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us . Thank you.



2010 PROUD DADS AND MOMS ANNUAL GOLF OUTING
BCS families, please join in the fun at this 9-Hole event sponsored by Proud Dads. The event will take place in conjunction with the Proud Dads Golf Clinic, taught by award-winning golf coach and BCS teacher, Mr. Leon Braisted. The date/time is June 9th at 6:00pm at the Hamptons Golf Course. Parents of children participating in the Proud Dads golf clinic will receive priority. The event is limited to the first 20 respondents. The cost is $20 per person, cart is additional $6. Burgers/Hot Dogs/Drinks after the round of golf. Please respond by May 27th with the number of participants to Joe Neal at joe@tandyengineering.com . Please contact Joe if you have additional questions.

Congratulations to the JoBerts 6th graders on their success in the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a national competition. The Carpooling Cats team of Maria Graham, Rachel Herster and Claire Foxworth were recognized for their work at BCS with encouraging people to carpool and ride their bikes to school. The Super Tree Savers team of Dylan Walton, Julia Kiehle and Hannah Balicki were recognized for their work with encouraging people to avoid needlessly cutting down trees and to plant more. The students’ have earned $4,000 dollars in Discovery Education programs for BCS. Congratulations, 6th graders! see the link below for their honorable mention and more information:

http://siemens.discoveryeducation.com/community/about-challenge/winners/2010/#michigan