WAG April 25-29

Dear BCS,

What a beautiful day out yesterday! I hope that you had some time to get out and enjoy the 70-degree sunshine. This week is not predicted to be so nice, but if the saying is true, let’s hope April showers bring May flowers.

This past week both the district and Adam sent out emails asking that you send letters to your local and state legislators regarding the proposed budget cuts for education. If you have not done this, I urge you to please do so. A sample letter and contacts can be found at http://tinyurl.com/4uxcrtu. Birmingham has reduced its expenses by $28 million since 2002 and we cannot continue to make such cuts without impacting our instructional services. In addition to writing a letter, I ask you to take time to attend the legislative forum at Seaholm Auditorium on Monday (4/25) at 7:00 PM to talk with your local legislators. Education has taken quite a hit financially already and your voice can make a difference!

Have a great Sunday and have a G.E.E.K.ed Week,
Patricia

WEEK AT A GLANCE – April 25-29, 2011
(Disclaimer: Please check all your calendars and bcsonline.info in case we missed something)
Ø To submit an item for next week’s “WAG”, email mz07bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us MIDNIGHT THURSDAY
Monday, April 25
· 6:45-8:00AM – 6th – 8th Boys and Girls Track Practice
· 10:30-12:00pm 7/8 team- anti-bullying speaker, Gabrielle Ford-Media Center
· 1:00-2:30pm 5/6 team anti-bullying speaker, Gabrielle Ford-Media Center
· 3:15-5:00PM – 7th-8th Grade Girls Soccer Practice.
· Deadline to apply for the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
· Legislative Forum on School Funding at 7:00pm at Seaholm High School.
· 7:00-9:00 p.m. Family presentation at the Community House BULLY, BULLIED, OR BYSTANDER?
Tuesday, April 26
· 8-8:20AM – Bagel sale in front of the media center by the 8th grade celebration committee
· 12:20-5/6 Team Field Trip-departing after lunch at 12:20 and returning before Choice Hour.
· 4:05-6:00PM – 7th-8th Grade Girls Soccer Practice.
· 4:15PM – 6th – 8th Boys and Girls Track @ Andover – Covington v BHMS
· 7:00PM BBFA @ the Gary M. Doyle Center, “Transitioning from Middle School to High School”
Wednesday, April 27
· 8:30 – 10:45 – Bishop/Cook Rouge water testing –please make sure your child is
dressed appropriately-change of clothes and rubber boots suggested
· 9:30AM BBFA @ the Gary M. Doyle Center, “Creating a Balance”
· 10:10 AM Evacuation/Fire Drill-PLEASE BE AWARE WHEN PICKING UP/DROPPING OFF YOUR CHILD
· Choice Hour – 6th – 8th Boys and Girls Track Practice-TEAM APPAREL ORDER DUE
· 4:15PM – 7th-8th Grade Girls Soccer Covington @ Berkshire
· 7:30PM Instrument Night for 4th graders and parents – Seaholm
· POPCORN Day – freshly popped popcorn is sold during choice hour for $1 in the main hallway
Thursday, April 28
· 6:45-8:00AM – 6th – 8th Boys and Girls Track Practice
· 8:30 - 11:00/11:30 Joberts water testing –please make sure your child is dressed appropriately-
change of clothes and rubber boots suggested
· 4:05-6:00PM – 7th-8th Grade Girls Soccer Practice.
· Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day-If you are planning on having your child participate make sure to let the attendance office know. bcsattendance@birmingham.k12.mi.us.
· Market Day Orders Due
Friday, April 29
· 4:05-6:00PM – 7th-8th Grade Girls Soccer Practice.
· Trash Free Friday
Hot Entrée menu for the week: (subject to change, if necessary)
Ø Available everyday: Pizza, Hamburger & Cheeseburger, Chicken Sandwiches, Nachos, Beef Soft Shell Tacos, Freshly Made Salads & Sandwiches, Garden Fresh Salad Bar
Monday –Sloppy Joe Sandwich, Baked Potato Rounds, Steamed Broccoli, Mexican Pizza
Tuesday –Grilled Turkey or Corned Beef Reuben, Sweet Potato Fries, Steamed Mixed Vegetables, Cheese Quesadilla
Wednesday –Make your own Taco Bar! Supreme Pizza
Thursday – Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Steamed Cauliflower, Fresh Fruit Cup, Zesty Beef Burrito
Friday –Baked Chicken Rings, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Buttered Corn, Meat Lover’s Pizza
CAFETERIA NEWS

Starting Monday, the cafeteria will be making fresh sandwiches for our students. Examples include: ham & cheese or turkey & cheese on a fresh baked Kaiser roll, and chicken roll ups!



IMPORTANT REMINDER

Please ensure that your student has and USES a lock on their GYM locker and that all valuables are secured there. Some students have lost valuable items. Locking them is the best protection for everyone.



DRESS CODE REMINDER

As the weather gets warmer, we ask that our parents please help us to remind our students of what clothing items are appropriate to wear to school per the dress code. If you need to review the dress code, please check the student planner “Clothing Guidelines” section on page 11.



**ATTENTION**BCS Families - If there is anyone in your family that is missing a Black Northface Fleece, please come and see Mrs. Best in the office.



**ATTENTION**BCS FAMILIES - If you are planning on having your child participate in “Take Your Child To Work Day” on April 28th,please make sure to let the attendance office know. bcsattendance@birmingham.k12.mi.us. Thanks so much.



PE NEWS

Thanks to all that helped with JUMP ROPE FOR HEART. The collection envelope final due date is Thursday, the 28th.

HOOPS FOR HEART…3 on 3 tournament will be during 5/6 and 7/8 lunches…please remember to bring your collection envelopes in order to play.

On Monday, April 25….Davis, Harvath, Butzin, and Parkin will start swimmin’. Seley, Burns, Frishman, and Wallington will be gymmin’.



ATHLETIC UPDATES

The girls soccer team starts their season with their first game against Berkshire on Wednesday. Good luck Lady Cobras!!

The track team began their season this last week with their first home meet! Our student athletes had a great showing against WHMS and cross-town rivals Berkshire. We will take on BHMS next week. Just run Cobras!

STAFF vs. STUDENT BASKETBALL GAME

Our 8th grade girls and boys basketball teams took on the staff this last Thursday and showed fantastic efforts! Our athletes played a hard game against the staff but came up short in a 44-17 loss to the teachers.



STUDENT RECOGNITION

BCS had four very deserving students earn the 2011 Birmingham Youth Assistance/Optimists Youth in Service Award for their volunteer work with the community: Audrey B, Chloe C, Lena J, and Gabrielle K. These students give of themselves through many activities including such things as giving their time to various charities and local libraries, creating food or clothing drives to benefit those less fortunate, raising money for cancer research, helping the elderly, and collecting toys for children’s charities. These four young ladies are constantly thinking of others and it shows not only through their volunteer work, but in their daily behaviors as positive role models within the building. Please be sure to congratulate them when you see them!



STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK IS COMING! MAY 2-6

Please join the PTSA the week of May 2-6 in recognizing and thanking our teachers and staff for all they do.
Tuesday, May 3 - Plant Day
Wednesday, May 4 - Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Thursday, May 5 - Sweet Treats Day (all students are asked to bring in a small bag of their favorite individually wrapped candy on Wednesday, May 4th for distribution on Thursday)


NEWS FROM THE GREEN TEAM

April is Earth Month and to symbolize our commitment to global conservation efforts we would like to adopt a species through the World Wildlife Fund. Students in the Thinking Green Choice Hour have been researching endangered species this year, inspired by our visit from Animal Planet’s Dave Salmoni in October. They have created a webpage on our Thinking Green Wiki and invite you to be a part of the decision on what species to adopt. Please visit their webpage as a family, read about their research and take the survey at the bottom of the page to help us make our decision. Voting closes on April 30th.

http://thinkinggreen.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Endangered+Species

We are ready to start the next phase of our bottle cap mural and are looking for paint donations. If you have any cans of left over latex paint that you would like to donate please send them into school , there will be a collection bin next to our recycle bins in the main entrance.

To celebrate Earth month we would like to remind you to try packing a Trash Free lunch for your children , and engage in conversations about how this helps the planet. When entering the building over the next few weeks take a minute to read the poster on the disabled Access button to learn how we can save energy. Please continue to send in Frito lay chip packets and Capri Sun juice packets as the money we raise from this recycling helps us to further our Green efforts.



CHOICE HOUR INFORMATION:

4th Quarter Choice Hour classes began on Monday April 18th- selections are posted on the Choice Hour board in the main hallway and in each homeroom.

The deadline for requesting a Choice Hour change is Friday April 29th by 4:00 PM. Choice Hour class change request forms are available in the main office. Open classes are listed on the form. Please read the change form very carefully.

Students requesting a change are expected to attend their originally assigned classes for the first TWO weeks of the new quarter. ALL Choice Hour changes that are approved will go into effect on Monday May 2nd. 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 official Choice Hour change period which ends at 4:00 PM on Friday April 29th. No refunds will be processed after the Friday April 29th 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 office.

CHOICE HOUR REMINDERS:

Students that do not have Choice Hour on any given day need to be picked up by 3:20 PM. Students that do not have a Choice Hour class and are not picked up by 3:30 will be charged a $5.00 fee.

If your student has Choice Hour but will not be attending their Choice Hour class please call the Choice Hour attendance line (248-203-4625) to have them excused at 3:15, email Linda Stone at ls06bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us or pick up a pink slip in the office to have them released from choice hour.

Choice Hour attendance can be a very time consuming job. The safety of your children is always our priority. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions regarding Choice Hour attendance please feel free to call

Linda Stone at 248-203-4625.

CHOICE HOUR PLANNING FOR 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR:

Choice Hour planning for the first quarter of the 2011-2012 school year has begun. Several parents have already volunteered to teach some very interesting Choice Hour classes next year that highlight their talents and interests. If you would like to share your time and talents with a small group of students during Choice Hour please contact Linda Stone at 248-203-4625 or email her at ls06bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us for more information.

Thank you for supporting the Choice Hour program!

ATTENTION 8TH GRADE FAMILIES-CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISING NEWS

USED BOOK COLLECTION –MAY 4,5,6 TO BENEFIT THE 8TH GRADE CELEBRATION

Spring cleaning on your mind?? Clean out your used books to make way for some new!

Donations of the following are welcome:

· books (any age – even for adults) DVDs,· video games, · No VHS tapes please

April 11 thru May 4th-Please drop your donations off in the bin in front of the BCS Office

8th GRADE COIN DRIVE COLLECTION
We are having our annual coin drive. This is to raise money for our kid’s 8th grade graduation celebration!
It is time to gather up all of the extra coins that they can find. Each student will be given a large tube sock
to put their coins in. Mr. Mixon will be passing the socks out the week of April 25th. We will be
collecting the socks filled with coins during lunch time on the week of May 9th. Stay tuned for further directions.
Thanks so much for your donations!
CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS! 7th and 8th Grade Students, Parents and Guardians!

We are in process of finalizing the 8th grade graduation/celebration DVD. If you have not sent your pictures in for the DVD, time is running out! Here’s what to do so that EVERYONE is included:

1. Send a baby picture (up to age 2) AND a current picture of you/your student to bcsfarewellcelebration@gmail.com. Note: We do not have access to regular school pictures, so we need the current picture FROM YOU.

2. If you have candid photos from any year (3rd grade to current) that feature the 8th graders, please put them on a CD or zip drive and leave them in the office in an envelope marked “Susan Davis”. Send an email to Susan at tomsmom@comcast.net to let her know that there is something for her to pick up. WE STILL NEED LOTS OF CANDID PHOTOS!!!

ATTENTION 8TH GRADERS! The 8th Grade Walkout will be Monday, May 2 at 8:35 am. Be sure to be on time for school that day so you don't miss this very fun BCS tradition! The rain date is May 9th.Thanks!

BULLY, BULLIED, OR BYSTANDER?

Monday, April 25, 2011 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at The Community House in downtown Birmingham. The cost is $10 per person. This event is for parents of children of all ages…An opportunity to hear latest research and clinic findings from bullying prevention experts.

KID'S HELPING KIDS 4TH ANNUAL 0NE, TWO & THREE MILE WALK

Sunday, May 1 - Dr. David Larson and his wife are the Grand Marshalls and supported by Birmingham Public Schools and Bloomfield Hills Schools. For info: www.kidshelpingkidswalk.com

LONGEST LEMONADE STAND

Want to get in to the Guinness Book of World Records? Come join many families throughout the BPS community as they attempt to build THE LONGEST LEMONADE STAND at Beverly Park hosted by Beverly Elementary School! Lemonade stands are currently on sale and can be purchased for a special early bird price of $50 through May 1st. This is a community-wide kid empowered fundraising event. We are looking for help with buying stands, obtaining sponsors, and raising awareness. Please visit www.longestlemonadestand.com for order forms and information. Spread the word!!