June 14-18 WAG

June 13, 2010

Dear BCS Families,

I am writing the WAG for the last time this year and wish all of you a great summer! I would like to thank everyone for embracing my leadership and making me feel welcomed here at BCS. I am excited about what the 2010-2011 school year will bring and look forward to working with all of you to provide the quality education BCS is known for.
Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to address the incoming 3rd grade parents at our move up day program. That same day, I helped send our 8th grade students off to high school at the end of the year ceremony. What an amazing day!
I was able to see firsthand how BCS allows a child to grow both educationally and socially for six years under the same roof. This rare opportunity allows our students to build relationships with one another, and the teaching staff, that may not occur in a traditional setting. Those relationships begin on move up day, when the third graders visit their homeroom teachers, and are fostered throughout the six years our students are here. Thursday night it was evident that the six years spent together were meaningful and fruitful for our students. It was nice to see how the move up day experience eventually leads to an 8th grade graduation!
Speaking at the 8th grade graduation was an opportunity for me to talk about a topic that we all have known in some way or another, Transitions.
Transition is defined as the passage from one state, subject, or place to another. It is a word that is often associated with change and change is many times connected to feelings of anxiousness or concern. The message I gave to the 8th graders and the message I would like to end with this year’s WAG is this…
Whether you are going through a transition that is natural (losing a loved one or moving from one grade to another), forced (losing a job and having to start a new career), or chosen (taking on a new position or transferring from a college), make sure to embrace the change and learn from it. This will make you stronger and will benefit everyone around you more than you know!
BCS has had its share of transitions, and we will continue to embrace the changes that are natural, forced, and chosen!
Have a great summer!
Adam
WEEK AT A GLANCE – JUNE 14 – JUNE 18, 2010
(Disclaimer: Please check all your calendars and bcsonline.info in case we missed something)

Monday, June 14
• 8:00-8:15AM – Yearbook orders taken in front of the Media Center, cost is $35. Yearbooks will be distributed in homeroom on Wednesday.
• E-bugle published today!
• 9:15AM – 3/4 Room Parents Meeting

Tuesday, June 15
• 8:00-8:15AM – Yearbook orders taken in front of the Media Center, cost is $35. Yearbooks will be distributed in homeroom on Wednesday.
• 3/4 Eng. Tech. Ambulance Project Presentation and Distribution in the Media Center
o 1:35-2:20 Davis & Seley
o 2:25-3:10 Parkin & Wallington
• 6:30 – 8:00PM Technology Committee Meeting - Media Center
• 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, June 16
• 8:00-8:15AM – Yearbook orders taken in front of the Media Center, cost is $35.
• Yearbooks are distributed in homeroom
• LOCKER CLEAN-OUT DAY – Please send in a sturdy garbage bag with your student to carry locker items home. All items left in lockers after today will be disposed of
• GYM LOCKERS – all gym lockers should be cleaned out today. All remaining locks will be cut-off on Thursday and contents will be disposed of
• 3/4 Eng. Tech. Ambulance Project Presentation and Distribution in the Media Center
o 1:35-2:20 Butzin & Frishman
o 2:25-3:10 Burns & Harvath
• There is no popcorn sold today
• Choice Hour- annual student vs staff volleyball game in the gym

Thursday, June 17
• 7:00AM – Busses leave for 7/8 end of the year trip to Cedar Point. Please arrive at 8:30PM to pick up your child.
• 5/6 end of year party to Skateworld & Thunderbird Lanes
• 3/4 end of year party at BCS

Friday, June 18 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
• HALF DAY OF SCHOOL – Dismissal is now at 11:20PM. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DISMISSAL TIME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 11:20. Busses are provided at the early dismissal time.
• There is NO lunch service today.

Friday, June 25
• Report Cards mailed home today

Hot Entrée menu for the week: (subject to change, if necessary)
- Available everyday: Salad Bar, Hamburgers, Chicken Patties, Pizza & Cheese Breadsticks

Monday –Baked chicken sticks, diced potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday –Baked popcorn chicken, rice
Wednesday – Grilled chicken pitas, chips
Thursday – End-of year celebrations – no cafeteria lunch provided
Friday – Half day of school, no cafeteria lunch provided

TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Congratulations to Sara Wilkie and Pauline Roberts who were both honored as nominees for the Birmingham Education Association's 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year Award at the annual BEA Awards Ceremony on Thursday June 3. Sara is an !gnite program facilitator and 3/4 Educational Technology teacher and Pauline is a 5/6 Math and Science teacher and Green School Coordinator. Both Sara and Pauline have worked in many different capacities this year with students, staff, and parents. Congratulations to Sara and Pauline on their recognition!

STUDENT MEDICATION
All student medication must be picked up by a parent no later than 3PM, JUNE 21. Non-emergency medications can be picked up any day during the last week of school. Student medication or forms do NOT carry over into the next school year. ALL medications not picked up will be discarded on Tuesday, June 22

5/6 PARENTS
Could you please remind your children that Monday June 14th is the last day to return student reference books, calculators, geotemplates, and textboooks. Fine slips will be issued after this date.

BOOK FINES
Many students have outstanding book fines that need to be paid before the end of the school year. In some cases, students will be asked to pay fines before departing on the end of the year field trip. Please check with your student to see if any of their teachers have issued a book fine.

3/4 END OF YEAR PARTY, JUNE 17TH
The 3/4 EOY Party is June 17th from 10am to 2pm. This full day of fun will include swimming, games, crafts, lunch, ice cream, and a performance by Animal Magic. Children should wear sneakers and bring their pool gear. Little Caesars cheese pizza will be served (if preferred, children may bring their own bag lunch). See you there!

OFFICE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
Volunteers in the office are vital as they assume the position of receptionist at BCS. The office is the center of much activity and, as a volunteer, you will have the privilege to assist students, parents, staff and visitors. Current volunteers have indicated that working in the office has provided the best opportunity to really get to know how things work at BCS. If you have time available on a weekly basis, bi-weekly basis, or other basis, please contact Cindy Balicki at cbalicki@aol.com or 248.644.5062. Also, Office volunteer sheets can be downloaded from the BCS website.

BACK TO SCHOOL REGISTRATION – AUGUST 18 & 25, 9-12AM & 5-7
As this school year winds down, we are looking ahead to the next school year!!! Please mark your calendars for the Back-To-School registration dates….and remember, every student should be registered before school starts next year! We need lots of volunteers to ensure our registration is successful and the office starts the next school year well prepared for your children. Would you please look at the dates below and sign-up to help as often as your schedule allows? We really do need you. BCS 7th and 8th graders or high school students that are BCS alums are welcome to volunteer for community service hours credit, IF they are scheduled in advance.

If you can help during any of these times, please contact Linda Weitzel (248-865-7279, jeffnlinda@hotmail.com). Please put BCS Registration on the subject line.
August 3rd (Tuesday) - 10 am to 2 pm
August 16th (Monday) - 10 am to 2 pm
August 18th (Wednesday) - 9 am to noon or 5 pm to 7 pm
August 19th (Thursday) - 9 am to noon
August 25th (Wednesday) - 9 am to noon or 5 pm to 7 pm
August 26th (Thursday) - 9 am to noon

GOLF SCRAMBLE- BIRMINGHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Come out for the 14th annual Birmingham Education Foundation Golf Scramble on June 22, 2010 at the lovely Wabeek Country Club. We are starting earlier this year with registration at 9:00 a.m. and a shotgun start at 10:00 a.m. To learn more about the event visit http://www.supportbef.org/golf-scramble.html . A registration form is also attached to this email. We really appreciate all your help in the past, and we hope to have another successful fundraiser this year. The proceeds from the outing will go directly back into the classroom to support our staff and students.

OPPORTUNITY FOR 8th GRADERS
Summer Birmingham United JV Hockey!!! Keep your skills and skates sharp this Summer!!! When: Starting June 21, 2010. Where: Orchard Lake St. Marys. Who: Any returning BU JV Players and any Groves and Seaholm players that are interested. This includes incoming freshman. We can have between 20-30 Players. Coach: JV Coach John Chateau. Teams: We will be in a Summer League with at least six teams. Games: 8-10 Games only, no practice. Cost: $200.00 per player. Please email Wally Haley whaley@haleylawfirm.com or call 810 423-0911 by June 16 if you are interested.

SEAHOLM BOY’S TENNIS TEAM PRACTICE AND TRYOUT INFORMATION:
Boys Tennis Team Tryouts begin on August 11, 2010. Tryouts are mandatory. During the summer, there will be “Captain’s Practices”. Captain’s practices are not mandatory but encouraged. If you are interested in more information regarding Seaholm’s Boy’s Tennis, please contact Graham Gettel (gfgettel@comcast.net) or Brad White (gogreengowhite14@yahoo.com).