Message from the Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Thank you so much for selecting Birmingham Community Charter High School for your student. I am so privileged to serve as the new principal of my alma mater. I can assure you that not only does the faculty and staff at BCCHS deeply care about your child's education, but so do the thousands of alumni that walked through the halls of the Birmingham campus over the last thirty years.
We have had an exciting start of the school year as we re-opened our football stadium with a new field, track, and scoreboard, one of the many investments our Board has approved to upgrade the facility and learning experience for our students. As you know, we've also invested in Chromebooks and now provide one for every student on campus. This investment will ensure our students are developing the technological literacy skills that will make them competitive in an increasingly on-line world.
Of course, none of these upgrades will impact our students unless instructional time is protected every day in every class. We want you and your student to know how important they are to the Birmingham family and we worry about the opportunity loss of learning that occurs when students are absent or even late to class. California defines chronic absenteeism as a student that is absent 10% of the time or more. This is equivalent to 2 absences in one month. Please be aware of the number of absences and tardies your student has and partner with us to limit their loss of instructional time. The goal is for students to have no more than 5 absences in a year.
In our effort to continuously improve our support for students and to strengthen our 9 to 12 staircase to post-secondary success, please help us make sure your student is on time every morning and avoid absences for appointments and other personal reasons whenever possible. Please also note we are in the process of revising our tardy policy and will be implementing an accountability system in the near future. Because there is so much traffic in the morning, please drop off your student closer to 8:00 than 8:30, so learning can start when the bell rings at 8:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and at 9:00 on Tuesdays.
I will be looking for ways in the future to remove obstacles from parent participation and deeply value your opinion and engagement in our school. Please be on the lookout for new ways to connect with us and provide feedback. This newsletter is one way we are trying to improve our outreach to parents, but there will be many more. I look forward to connecting with you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Ari Bennett
Principal, BCCHS
Psychiatric Social Workers
Who are the Psychiatric Social Workers (PSWs)? Don’t let the name scare you, as school social workers we are here to help students and families reach success in school and beyond. We help students with some brief individual or group counseling. We link families to necessary resources in the community (i.e. mental health services, medical services, food banks, etc.). We provide education and support to parents. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Health in the News
Health alerts have been going out across the country in regard to the danger of vaping. Over 450 people have been hospitalized and the first death related to vaping occurred in Los Angeles County this past month.
Severe pulmonary (lung) distress has occurred regardless of what is vaped. Hospitalizations have occurred after vaping nicotine, flavored oils, and THC products. No one brand or product has been identified with these hospitalizations for respiratory distress.
1 in 5 high school age students vape. The number one influence over whether a person smokes is related to whether their community, home and peers vape/smoke.
Tips for talking to your teen about vaping can be found at:
https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/vape-talk/
If you know someone who would like help quitting, please direct them to either:
https://www.nobutts.org OR 1-800-NO-BUTTS
Birmingham Community Charter High School EMERGENCY ALERTING AND NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
Dear Parents and Students,
Birmingham Community Charter High School wants parents and students to be safe and informed during emergencies in our area, both during and after school. These may include public safety threats, dangerous weather, and traffic advisories. Information is key, and we strongly encourage you to sign up to receive text message alerts directly from Birmingham Community Charter High School.
Registering for alerts is easy – simply…
9TH GRADE
On Friday, October 18th, there will be a freshmen tailgate before our team's football game. There will be food and other pregame activities to welcome our freshmen into these fun school activities. Also, additional prizes may be won if your child wears their purple class of '23 shirt.
On Wednesday, October 16, all freshmen will be taking the PSAT at Birmingham. The PSAT is a practice test that will give students the understanding of what this test will look like in the future. Please talk to your child about the opportunity and the importance of doing the best they can on this test, because it will help them prepare for this required test for future universities and private colleges.
10TH GRADE
Our sophomores have gotten off to a great start this year! Counselors are in the process of conducting graduation checks with all students. They have already met with students in their World History classes and will be scheduling individual appointments with students soon. Please look for your student’s graduation check paperwork to arrive in the mail within the next few weeks.
On Wednesday, October 16, all sophomores will take the PSAT-NMSQT test during the school day at BCCHS. The SAT is a critical part of the college admissions process and the PSAT serves as a vital measuring tool to show how well students are prepared for the SAT next year. Please discuss the importance of this test with your student. Also, please ensure that your student gets plenty of sleep the night before the test, eats a healthy breakfast and arrives to school by 8:20 am on October 16 so he/she can earn the best score possible.
We are going to be arranging several college field trips for sophomores later on this year. Be sure to keep an eye out for further information so you can encourage your student to sign up and ensure his/her attendance!
11TH GRADE
The Junior Class Council has completed 4 fundraising events so far this year with the BIGGEST fundraising event swiftly approaching! This year’s Homecoming theme is Disney and the Juniors are well underway with the dance and float preparations. The Homecoming Float Parade will take place at on Friday, November 1st, 2019 at the football game during halftime. The Homecoming Dance will take place in the Main Gym on Saturday November 2nd from 7 pm – 11 pm. Junior Class Council is excited and eager to showcase their hard work and dedication in making Homecoming 2019 a GREAT ONE!
The PSAT will be held on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 during school hours. The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test is designed to assist our students in their preparation for the SAT. Therefore, it is extremely crucial that all students arrive on time to school. Don’t forget to set your alarms in order to avoid being late, get a good night of sleep and have a good balanced breakfast!
WISHING YOU ALL GOOD LUCK!
12th Grade
Senior year is in full swing, and we are working diligently to prepare students for life after high school. Our College Counselors have been meeting with our seniors, helping them to get started on their college and scholarship applications.
On Wednesday, October 16, all seniors will be taking the SAT at Birmingham. The SAT is required in order to be eligible for UCs, Cal States, and private universities. Please ensure that your child goes to sleep early the night before, eats a healthy breakfast, and arrives on time to school so that he/she may be successful.
We also have two college visitation trips planned. On Tuesday, October 8, select students will be attending a field trip to Occidental College and the Claremont Colleges, and on Wednesday, November 6, additional students
will be invited to visit either Moorpark College and College of the Canyons or Glendale and Pasadena Community Colleges.
Parents, thank you for continuing to support your children through their final year of high school.
SENIORS: It’s October and that means it’s College Application Season!
UC, CSU and Private College applications are all open for you to start your college applications.
Cal State Now Open: Deadline Nov. 30
UC Open since Aug. 1: Deadline Nov. 30
www.apply.universityofcalifornia.edu
Private Colleges Open: Deadlines Vary
Must Complete Recommendation Packet by Nov. 1
Financial Aid Open: Deadline March 2
www.fafsa.gov or https://dream.csac.ca.gov
Remember we are here to help.
Below are the Application Workshop Dates. These are designed to help you with applications.
- Tues. Oct. 15 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Sat. Oct. 26 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Personal Statement Workshop
- Tues. Oct.29 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Tues. Nov.12 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Sat. Nov. 16 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Personal Statement Workshop
- Tues. Nov.18 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Tues. Nov. 19 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Tues. Nov. 20 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Tues. Nov. 21 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Tues. Nov. 22 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
- Tues. Nov.26 7:45 am & 3:30 pm Applications Only
Students, please take advantage and attend these workshops for assistance.
*College Center Team*
CTE Advisory Meeting
On September 25th, the BCCHS CTE Department held their annual Kick Off CTE Advisory Board meeting. Professionals from industry and partner colleges gathered with Birmingham faculty to discuss specific trends in industry, skills gaps at the entry level, and current strategies in our educational programs to prepare students for careers and programs in higher education. The meeting launched with a soft-skills student competition to give Birmingham students the opportunity to practice communication and networking with a professional. Approximately 40 partners from various industry sectors and our partner colleges, LA Valley College, LA Pierce College and CSUN, engaged with almost 30 students who competed. Students were evaluated based on their verbal and non-verbal communication including: preparation, eye contact, vocabulary, and audience awareness. Thanks to a generous gift from the Birmingham Dad’s Club, we awarded two $25 Amazon Gift Cards to Masai Mason and Jason Camorlinga, who scored the highest in the competition. We will hold our next CTE Advisory Board meeting in December.
Student TAP Cards
Does your child commute by METRO to Birmingham?
Student Discount TAP Cards
Student TAP cards allow students to purchase a 30-Day pass for $24 and one-way ticket for $1. The card is good for all four years of high school. Students can purchase fare at Birmingham’s Student Store before and after school and during lunch or at any Metro kiosk. Note: Your child’s TAP card used during middle school has expired and cannot be used.
Call 1.213680.0054 or 1.866.TAPTOGO or visit https://www.metro.net/riding/fares/students-k-8-and-9-12/ for more information.
Metro LIFE (Low-Income Fare is Easy) Program
Qualifying low income riders can save even more on the Metro 30-Day Pass with LIFE coupons. This program provides coupons that reduce the final student 30-Day Pass fare to $14. Proof of income includes eligibility for school free-reduced lunch program. Call 1.866.TAPTOGO or visit taptogo.net/vendors to find a vendor that redeems LIFE coupons.
Metro Student Discount TAP card applications and information on Metro’s LIFE program are available in Birmingham’s Admissions & Records office, the Business Office and Room C83B. LIFE coupons cannot be obtained at Birmingham.
The nearest agency to our campus is:
New Economics for Women
6946 Van Nuys Blvd Suite 220 Van Nuys, CA 91405
818-786-4098 x 100
Hours of Operation
Mon – Wed: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, and 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
