It was so nice to see so many of you at the Parent Symposium on Saturday, January 21st. I hope this was just the beginning in our effort to provide more opportunities for learning and two-way engagement with you.

Now that we're in the second semester, I'd like to remind families about the ways we can maximize our partnership.

• First, help your student develop a schedule that includes a bedtime, wake up time, and designated homework and study time.
• If at all possible, find a place in your home where your student can study or do homework without distraction.
• Register for and login to Aeries, Parent Square, and (optionally) Google Classroom, so you can monitor your student's progress including grades, missing assignment, attendance, and tardies.
• Finally, when your student is struggling with a class for any reason, your first step should be to reach out directly to the teacher. A strong relationship between parent and teacher can be the turning point toward greater academic success for students.
• If your problem or issue is not resolved, the next step would be to reach out to the supervisor of the teacher. Supervisors for teachers are organized by subject:
• Math/Science: Mr. Alatorre
• English/Social Studies:/Ms. Wilkins
• PE/Athletics: Mr. Navarro
• Special Education: Ms. Walker
• World Languages/English as a Second Language: Mr. Climaco
• Career Technical Education: Mr. Elmore
• If your problem hasn't been resolved after speaking with the teacher and supervising administrator, I'd be happy to get involved and work collectively to address the issue.

On another note, for your planning purposes, please don't forget that March 6th is an instructional make up day for October 10th. Our bell schedule on this day will be a unique early out day to accommodate faculty meetings to begin our preparation for school accreditation which will take place in March 2024.

March 6, 2023 will be a Blue Day. See schedule below. Dismissal will be at 1:45.

• Period 1 8:30 – 9:33 am 63 minutes
• Period 2 9:43 – 10:46 am 63 minutes
• Lunch 10:46 – 11:19 am 33 minutes
• Period 3 11:29 – 12:32 pm 63 minutes
• Period 4 12:42 – 1:45 pm 63 minutes

Another important date in March is March 16th, Open House. As a result of the late-night Open House, the following school day (March 17) will be a minimum day with dismissal at 1:10.

In a fast-paced world with that often causes the need for us to make adjustments and to be flexible, thank you for your patience and flexibility. And thank you for selecting Birmingham Community Charter High School!

Ari Bennett, BCCHS Principal

We hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday.

It has been great to be back working with your children, and we have some exciting upcoming events to share with you.

On Monday, February 6th, students who earned a place on the Honor Roll will be recognized during an awards ceremony. They will also receive a certificate during their Academy Period on Wednesday, February 1st. Be sure to ask your child about this special award given to students with at least a 3.0 GPA.

On Wednesday, February 8th, at lunch, Club Rush will take place. This will provide students with the opportunity to learn about various clubs offered on campus. Please encourage your child to join at least one club. It is a great way for students to meet and connect, and it also enhances their college applications.

Please note that our first Progress Report will be issued mid-February. The grading period opens on February 8th, and it is important that all of our students are up to date on their assignments by that time. Please remind your child to make up ALL missing assignments by Wednesday, February 8th.

As always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or need support.

Thank you,

The 9th Grade Team

1. The Honor Roll Ceremony will be on February 7th during the last 20 minutes of the period. We are so excited to HONOR our Sophomores this Semester!

Silver - 161 students = 3.0- 3.59 GPA

Gold -106 students = 3.6-3.99 GPA

Platinum- 90 students = 4.0-above GPA

Pictures to follow in next month's newsletter.

2. Kindness week 2/13-2/17 : All week on campus ASB will be having events & activities.

Congratulations to the 440+ Juniors who were on Honor Roll for Fall Semester! We are so proud of the work you have put towards your future this year!!! There will be a celebration for the Platinum, Gold, and Silver students on February 9th, and all students will also receive an Honor Roll certificate in their Academy Period.

As a reminder, tardy sweeps have started back up. Attendance is very important, so please do your best to support your child’s education by ensuring they make it to school on time consistently.

The Junior Counselors will be meeting with students through their US History classes between February 24-March 3. They will be going over each student's transcript, graduation status, A-G eligibility status, and programming for senior year. If there are any classes you would like to take your last year here, now is the chance to talk to your counselor about it!

This semester is going to go by very quickly! There are a lot of important tests happening (SBAC, ELPAC) and it can seem like a lot. Please be sure to reach out to your counselors and teachers for support!

Thank you,

The 11th Grade Team

• Grad Nite tickets are now on Sale in the Parent Center - Please see Mrs. Ponce for further information

• FEBRUARY 10, 2023- FALL SEMESTER HONOR ROLL PIN CEREMONY (Periods 1, 2 & 3)

• FEBRUARY 24, 2023- DEADLINE TO APPEAL FOR PROM @3:00 P.M. - H68A (Students were informed the 2nd week of January).
• FEBRUARY 27, 2023- LAST DAY! Senior Class sweatshirts ($25) and t-shirts ($15) can be purchased in H68A - Please see Ms. Franco.

• FEBRUARY 28, 2023- JOSTENS ON CAMPUS – (SENIOR CLASS RING, Graduation Announcements, etc.) AT LUNCH ON QUAD STAGE

Kindness Week is just around the corner, and it's tailored to all your love languages! The sole purpose of this week is to focus on the positivity that surrounds us every day. It's a week to learn, teach, and share our kindness with others. We invite you to join us in this movement, on and off campus! See our flyer to find out how to get involved.

Students who are interested in pursuing a career in a particular field should consider enrolling in a CTE pathway class. CTE is one of the best ways for students to prepare for future careers and college. Birmingham pathway programs include the following industry sectors:

Arts Media and Entertainment

· Animation

· Acting – a new pathway in the 2023-2024 school year!

· Filmmaking

· Graphic Design

· Technical Theater

Business and Finance

· Business Management

Health Science and Medical Technology

· Patient Care

Information, Communications and Technology

· Software and Systems Development

Engineering and Architecture

· Engineering Technology

Hospitality and Tourism

· Food Service and Hospitality

CTE programs allow students to earn industry certifications, participate in work-based learning and internships, network with professionals and build their professional skills. In most programs, students can also earn college credit when they meet minimum grade requirements in their high school CTE classes.

We are so proud of our CTE pathway students who have already earned industry certifications in Adobe software, Microsoft Office, Red Cross CPR and First Aid, and Food Handlers Safety!

This spring, our students are preparing for upcoming competitions to showcase their skills as well as participating in mock interview workshops with Ms. Angela Zook, our Career Counselor, and our partner organization, UniteLA in preparation for the spring college and career fair next month.

Interested students must sign up for an interview skills workshop on Wednesday March 8th or Thursday, March 9th prior to participating in the mock interview with UniteLA on March 17th.

We are also excited to announce the relaunch of our Student Internship Program. CTE students who would like to experience a real work situation and learn technical and professional skills may apply for an internship with some of our industry partners. The time commitment is 40 hours over ten weeks, so any students applying must commit to working up to 4 hours a week at a partner business. Internship experiences include local business offices, healthcare facilities, and technology companies. Participating CTE Capstone students who complete all 40 hours of service through an internship will earn special graduation recognition.

Interested students can complete an internship application at this link:

https://forms.gle/znTkWBYp7t94snpJA

If you have any questions or want more information about CTE programs at Birmingham, please contact Lindsey Surendranath at L.surendranath@birminghamcharter.com or Angela Zook at A.Zook@birminghamcharter.com

We greatly appreciate having had the opportunity to connect with many of you during our Partnership Symposium on Saturday, January 21st. We would like to continue to offer you the space and time to join us on campus. Please save the date for Open House, on Thursday, March 16th! More details coming soon.

Families, Parents, Guardians please visit our Attendance Page to learn more about why Attendance matters and how to report and clear your student(s) absence: https://www.birminghamcharter.com/families-link/report-an-absence