
PATRIOT NEWS
Parent & Family Newsletter | March 2021
Dear Birmingham Families,
The beginning of 2021 seems like it was just yesterday, yet here we are in March with spring fast approaching. In early January Los Angeles was averaging over 15,000 new COVID cases each day and now we average about 1000.
We all share the hope and optimism that comes with these new developments in the fight against COVID-19, but I'm requesting continued patience through the rest of this school year. March 1st was the first day that educators have been eligible to receive the first dose of the COVID vaccine. We've made it a long way together through the pandemic, and I feel obligated to ensure we don't trip before the finish line in a rush to return to campus.
For this reason, our strategy to get everyone to the finish line is as follows:
- Agressively pursue vaccine access for all BCCHS staff members:
- Identify priority staff to access charter vaccine allocation from LAUSD including special education, English learner, and intervention cohort teachers in addition to all staff that have been working on campus.
- Volunteer Birmingham as a vaccine distribution site (we are waiting to find out if we will be accepted)
- Provide flexibility for staff to use illness time for soonest possible vaccine appointments.
- Implement COVID surveillance testing on campus to provide easy access for students and staff that will be on campus on a regular basis.
With the strategies listed above, we plan to greatly expand on campus services and social interaction opportunities for students with a priority going to our high need subgroups, intervention cohorts, and seniors.
Although we will have increased opportunities for students on campus, I'm hopeful that you can understand that opening campus for schoolwide on-site classroom instruction before all staff members can be vaccinated is a risk that we're not willing to take now that we appear to be getting close to the other side of this horrific pandemic.
In order to more closely align our services with the needs and wants of our families, please take this 3-question feedback survey about opportunities for your student to come to campus for support services or extra-curricular activities. We want to prioritize opportunities for students whose families are comfortable with their on campus participation in academic or extra-curricular activities.
English: https://forms.gle/7bzVTz1GLwFU47fc8
Spanish: https://forms.gle/xYFt4716LKFYusgQ7
In order to better support our students and mitigate the impact of the pandemic, we are in the midst of planning two successive sessions of credit recovery summer school. We hope that at least one of the sessions will be on campus. Additionally, we are planning for the 2021-2022 school year to be a transition year back to campus in which support services are emphasized and the bell schedule incorporates community building and intervention periods.
Finally, please be aware of upcoming senior events. As previously mentioned in a Parent Square Update, we are optimistic about the prospects of having an on-campus graduation. Thanks to our graduation planning team, we have been able to eliminate June 2nd as a possible date and are planning to divide the graduating class into 4 groups for ceremonies on June 3rd and 4th with am and pm ceremonies each day. We will do our best to allow students to select the ceremony date and time, but the logistics are still being planned. If conditions continue to improve and we are able to hold a traditional single ceremony for all students, we will do this. However, we will follow county guidance in determining what type of ceremony we will have on campus.
In addition to the exciting prospect of a graduation ceremony on campus, please don't forget about Senior Sunset on March 18th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. We are excited to see our seniors during this drive through celebration in which t-shirts and lawn signs will be passed out. Please also be on the lookout for other senior activities that our team is planning and will announce in the upcoming weeks.
On behalf of all BCCHS employees and the BCCHS Board, thank you for taking the time to read the March Newsletter and for selecting Birmingham Community Charter High School on your student's 4-year education journey to college and beyond!
Ari Bennett,
BCCHS Principal
Are you comfortable allowing your student to participate in academic support services or extra-curricular activities on campus (while continuing to wear a mask, social distancing, and following all other COVID-19 safety measures on campus)?
English Survey:
Spanish Survey:
Wellness Week | March 1-March 5
Birmingham is committed to the wellness of all our stakeholders. On Monday, March 1, we will begin a Wellness Week initiative to encourage school staff, students, and families to participate in the "Eat the Rainbow" Challenge. There is also a daily recommended physical activity to try. For the entire week, our food program will include a fruit or vegetable every day that matches the daily food color for the "Eat the Rainbow" Challenge.
Service Hours for the Meal Program are Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm in the East Victory parking lot. If you have any questions about the meal program, please contact Evelyn Garcia at 818-758-6523.
Wellness Committee
Did you know that Birmingham has a Wellness Policy and a Wellness Committee?
Our school Wellness Policy is assessed and updated annually. If you want to be more actively involved in this process, you are encouraged to participate in the school's Wellness Committee meetings. The committee is seeking more participation from families and students. The schedule of meetings for the 20-21 school year are listed below. All meetings will be conducted virtually using ZOOM. The ZOOM link will be sent out a few days before the meetings through ParentSquare.
Birmingham is seeking parents and students to join our Wellness Committee!
If you are interested in being a parent/community or student representative on this committee, please contact Ms. Wendy Bader, State and Federal Programs Coordinator at 818-452-5236 or w.bader@birminghamcharter.com.
20-21 Meeting Schedule:
Thursday, September 24, 2020 · 2:00 pm
Monday, October 26, 2020 · 2:00 pm
Monday, December 7, 2020 · 2:00 pm
Monday, February 1, 2021 · 2:00 pm
Monday, April 5, 2021 · 2:00 pm
Monday, May 10, 2021 · 2:00 pm
Dear Class of 2021 Families,
We look forward to celebrating with you at our Class of 2021 Senior Sunset Drive-Thru on March 18, from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM.
To ensure the safety of our BCCHS students, families, and staff members, please take a moment to review the following guidelines:
Only vehicles will be permitted to participate in the parade. Participants will not be allowed to enter on foot. We sincerely apologize to those families who do not have a vehicle to use for the event, but we must abide by this rule to protect the safety of all individuals in attendance.
Only one vehicle will be allowed per Class of 2021 family.
Senior(s) in the vehicle must have their BCCHS student id with them at check in. If they do not have their id, they can write their name and id number on a piece of paper and place it on the window of their vehicle.
Vehicles may only enter the Senior Sunset Drive-Thru once. We will be applying a washable window marker once the vehicle has gone through check in.
All individuals in attendance must wear face masks.
Individuals will not be permitted to exit their vehicles at any point during the parade.
You will be entering the parade through the Victory gate only.
You may decorate your vehicle if you wish, but it is certainly not required.
We can’t wait to see you!
The BCCHS Faculty & Staff
March 22- March 26
Virtual Spirit Week
P-EBT Update:
The next round of 2020−21 P-EBT benefits are anticipated to be distributed beginning mid-March 2021 through mid-June 2021. The benefits are for October 2020- June 2021 and will also include any missed August and September 2020 benefits that were not received.
Families that require assistance with existing P-EBT cards can call the P-EBT Customer Service Center at 877-328-9677.
If your address has changed please make sure to update it with your grade level office.
For further questions, please contact Evelyn Garcia at (818) 305- 6411.
Parent University:
Virtual Coffee with the Principal | 6:00 pm
**Coffee with the Principal with Spanish translation from 9:00 am-10:00am**