
Patriot News
BCCHS Parent and Family Newsletter | April 2020
Message from the Principal
Dear BCCHS Parents and Guardians:
I hope this communication finds you and your family safe and in good health. Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s press conference earlier this week, it appears very likely that the campus will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. We will inform of a final decision after we return from spring break on April 13th.
Distance Learning
To be clear, the 2019-20 school year is not over. However, the delivery of instruction has dramatically changed from in-classroom to distance learning. Our teachers and staff have been working exceptionally hard to provide our students with continuity of learning experiences through Google Classroom. Teachers have been collaborating together on shared lessons and meet at least once weekly to share best practices to maximize teaching and learning.
We want to remind you that distance learning is not a minute-for-minute replacement of the school day. Rather, it is an alternative learning model that reflects the realities of the shelter in place order, while still allowing us to provide viable grades and credits for our students. Please know that we are listening to the feedback of all stakeholders regarding how much online time and independent work time per day or per week is appropriate. We will continue to adjust length of assignments and hours of screen time to align with the in-home realities of our families. Please encourage your students to keep up with assigned work and login to Google Classroom daily for class instructions or announcements from teachers. Students should email teachers when they have questions or need help with an assignment.
Technology Access
We have continued to provide technology support to students and will do so throughout the semester. Students can get assistance with devices or with internet coverage by contacting the BCCHS Help Desk by phone at 818-758-4469 Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00-1:00 or by email Monday through Friday between 8:00-3:00 IT@birminghamcharter.com.
Breakfast/Lunch Program
Our Nutrition Program now serves about 1,000 meals per day Monday through Friday from 10:00 – 1:00 adjacent to the campus entrance on the Victory Blvd. side of campus. This service will continue through Spring Break and is aligned to our academic online schedule.
UC/CSU Admissions Requirement Adjustments
Yesterday, the UC Office of the President and CSU announced measures to relax undergraduate admissions requirements to “mitigate some of the extraordinary challenges students and their families face.”
University of California (UC)
- Suspending the letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter/spring/summer 2020 for all students.
- Suspending the standardized test requirement for students applying for fall 2021 freshman admission.
- Will honor transferable credit of AP courses based on 3, 4, 5 passing scores for online exams taken in spring 2020.
California State University (CSU)
- Will accept grades of “Credit” or “Pass” to satisfy A-G requirements completed during winter, spring, or summer 2020.
- Grades of credit or pass will not be used to calculate high school GPA.
- Will honor transferable credit of AP courses based on 3, 4, 5 passing scores for online exams taken in spring 2020.
Senior Activities
One of the most difficult aspects of the closure is the disruption to traditional senior activities for our students including prom, senior awards, and graduation. Over the coming days and weeks, our administration team will be collaborating with senior council students and senior sponsor Ms. Henneman to explore alternative ways to celebrate the end of the year and ways to recognize our students for their accomplishments.
Unanswered Questions
I can assure you that The BCCHS Board Members and I will continue to heed guidance from state and local health agencies, while collaborating with all stakeholders to make decisions in the best interests of our students and staff. Please stay up to date with the latest information on our website. Click on the COVID-19 Response Link in the upper right hand side of our website birminghamcharter.com for resources and the latest information and be on the lookout for Weekly Updates and Blackboard Connect emails or text messages.
We are grateful for our partnership with parents and guardians through these challenging times and look forward to the ongoing collaboration centered on the best outcomes for BCCHS students.
Sincerely,
Ari Bennett
Principal, Birmingham Community Charter High School
Hi Patriots.
I know we have entered some uncharted territory in the world. This is a disaster for EVERYONE. The news continues to put out information daily about COVID-19, statistics for each country, state, and local communities and it is a little overwhelming. Here are a few tips on how to take care of yourself and your loved ones while we are SAFER AT HOME.
Below Practical TIPS, I have put some useful resources for parents and students.
Practical TIPS
- Create a routine. Daily routines will help get through this.
- Have one meal a day TOGETHER. Mealtime is a great way to maintain routine, while checking in with each other.
- Limit Media and the News. Some much news and information, try once a day, instead of ALL Day. Let your kids take a brain break and you take a Social Media break. Journal or color instead.
- Stay active. There are several apps for physical fitness, if not put on some music and dance.
- Reach out. Connect with someone.
- TAKE A BREAK. Tension is rising and stress is upon us. Take care of YOU!! Breathe, meditate, or just close your closes eye for a few minutes to collect your thoughts. If we are not good, neither are our children.
Remember you are not alone in this.
RESOURCES:
Psychology Today: It's Okay to Not Be Okay Right Now
Updated - https://lachamber.com/resources/covid-19-coronavirus-resource-guide/
Be well and Be Safe at Home.
Sincerely, Ms. Holden
Pupil Services and Attendance Counselor
747-300-5558/m.holden@birminghamcharter.com
50 Ways to Take a Break
Class of 2020:
Dear Class of 2020 Families,
Certainly, this is not the way any of us expected the final months of high school to unfold for our seniors. While we work to figure out how to properly honor our seniors' hard work over the past four years, please know that we understand how you all must be feeling right now. We are right there with you.
In the meantime, we offer our support, sincere well wishes, and some advice:
- Don't be afraid to reach out to teachers if you are feeling overwhelmed. Our teachers are new to this form of instruction, and your feedback is welcomed.
- Take some time to care for your emotional and mental well-being by talking to family and friends, exercising, journaling, meditating, etc. Also, feel free to reach out to your counselors and Psychiatric Social Workers (PSWs) for additional support.
- You will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time in front of a screen over the next couple of months. Remember to take breaks from screens. Consider a family game night, crafting, playing an instrument or dancing, and/or taking regular walks outside, if allowed,
- Try your best to eat well and sleep well, and to eat and sleep at regular times to maintain your circadian rhythms.
- Create a schedule for each week, and stick to it.
Stay healthy and stay safe.
The Class of 2020 Faculty and Staff
Class of 2021:
Junior Class Council has been posting motivating and inspiring quotes three times a week to keep our Birmingham spirit alive during this difficult time away from school and friends. On Friday April 3, Juniors hosted their first class Pop Culture Kahoot game! There will be more Kahoot games throughout the rest of the semester, so stay tuned and follow us on Instagram bcchs21.
Remember to check google classroom on a daily basis for updates and course work. Manage work load wisely so that you don’t fall behind! Teachers, Counselors and Academy Leads are here to help you! Don’t hesitate to reach out to any or all of us.
We know that there is a buildup of fear and confusion during this time, but we want to reassure you that you are not alone. We are all going through this together & though it is super difficult to stay home, it’s for our own health benefit. We want us all to be safe from this virus so please stay strong! I encourage you to FaceTime your friends and family members who don’t live with you, take a short walk around your neighborhood as you follow the 6 feet social distance rule, journal and write down your daily thoughts as a way to vent out your frustrations, but always ending with what you are grateful for. Staying positive (though challenging at times) is important. Check in on your friends and loved ones often and be that positive voice when they need it. Remember that we are all in this together & that your teachers & the rest of your Birmingham family are here for you when you need us.
Let’s stay Birmingham Strong!
BE SAFE AND STAY HEALTHY!
Jenina Franco & Bertie Navarro
Class of 2021 Academy Leads
Sami Brown & Ana Palacios
Junior Counselors
Missindy Wilkins
Assistant Principal
Class of 2023:
Freshmen parents,
We hope that everyone is doing their best to stay safe and healthy during the quarantine. Some suggestions for managing the changeover to distance learning:
1. Students should attempt to keep a routine that is similar to what they had while they attended classes (do schoolwork, eat, exercise, relax at similar times)
2. Use the attached digital planner to keep track of assignments and due dates: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12qtz1QoFyegF37lFIQMwp_dljXeM9rUuCJbq4kLz0Mo/edit?usp=sharing
3. Check Google Classroom in the AM and work on assignments during the day. Email your teacher whenever there is a question on the assignment or with the instructions
4. Reach out to other students in the same class to collaborate when possible
5. Check the BCCHS Website daily for updates on school business: https://www.birminghamcharter.com/
6. Laugh whenever you can throughout the day, every day.
Vito Saracino and Dino Dinielli
Class of 2023 Academy Leads
SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Special Education Department
● The Special Education Department at Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) is committed to continuing to provide support and access for our students with disabilities during this challenging time. Though the school site is closed, educational opportunities continue to be available.
● Your child will have the opportunity to access virtual support during this time. Case carriers and service providers will be in contact with students and families during the closure.
● If you are unsure who your child’s case carrier is, or speak Spanish and need support communicating with school staff, please feel free to contact the Special Education Office at SPEDOffice@birminghamcharter.com or at 818 758 6532 for support.
● We have also started to hold IEP meetings remotely via phone. We will be reaching out via telephone and email to schedule your student’s meeting.
WHAT IS CORONA VIRUS?
“Corona virus” and COVID-19 are terms abuzz in the news – but what is a corona virus? Corona viruses were discovered in the 1960’s and are named for the “crown-like”, i.e. corona, spikes that project from the virus. Several types of viruses exist causing familiar diseases such as Polio, Flu, and Varicella (chicken pox).
There is a lively debate in the science community as to whether a virus is alive. Viruses need a ‘host’ (that’s us) to replicate itself. The virus on its own, sitting on a doorknob or a droplet sneezed, cannot harm us—it has to have a way to get into our body. Commonly that way is by touching an infected surface, e.g. a doorknob, and then touching our eyes, mouth or nose.
Washing your hands before you eat or touch your face is essential to staying healthy. COVID-19 is susceptible to soap. Washing your hands for 20 seconds is the standard. Proper hand washing technique can be found on the World Health Organization website at https://www.who.int/gpsc/clean_hands_protection/en/ Many videos have also been developed to encourage young children and can be found on YouTube.
Stay healthy!
BCCHS School Nurse
PBIS at BCCHS
Hello Patriot Families!
PBIS is based on positive approaches and opportunities. We are all now learning how to navigate the online world to accomplish our daily goals under extremely difficult circumstances. We are all in this together, and we want to remind you that PBIS at Birmingham Community Charter High School wants nothing but the absolute best for our students and families. We can achieve anything together, and we will get through this challenging time. Our PBIS school wide expectations are REACH. REACH stands for Respect, Empathy, Accountability, Choice, and Honesty. We ask that you consider all of these character traits while we are away from school. Trying times can make it difficult to be the best person that we can be. Keeping REACH in mind, and doing everything that we can every day to do our best, will lead us to success. We are proud Patriots, and we all need to stay focused and continue to REACH to take care of ourselves, our families, and our goals.
Google Classroom Tip:
One helpful tip for teachers, parents and students is the use of the invite guardians feature on google classroom. A parent email is needed to do this and it has to be done manually. It will allow the parents to keep up with what their child is being assigned. It will update them on everything from due dates to scores on assignments. Please take advantage of this tip that can help both teachers and parents. Feel free to email teachers for any questions. See sample images below.
A message from our BCCHS Social Workers:
If you are in crisis and need emergency help please dial 911.
If you need additional mental health support you can also utilize the following resources: · Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Hotline (877) 727-4747 (24 hours) · Trevor Lifeline (866) 488-7386 (24 hours) . LAUSD Mental Health Hotline 213-241-3840 (6am - 6pm, Mon-Fri) Food Resources: Daily distribution from 10am - 1pm at Birmingham H.S.(you get 2 free meals for anyone under the age of 18)
· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-TALK-8255) (24 hours)
· Teen Line (800) 852-8336 (6pm-10pm daily)
UPDATE: Lottery Enrollment Information
The 2020-2021 Lottery Application period is now open. As a result of the “Stay at Home” order declared by the governor, only faxed and emailed applications will be accepted until further notice.
Lottery Information Day – Saturday, November 16, 2019 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Lottery Application Window – November 1, 2019 through April 24, 2020 (extended)
Lottery Date (Tentative) – May 1, 2020 @ 4:00 PM in the Performing Arts Center (auditorium)
Window to complete online registration (Tentative) – May 1, 2020 through June 15, 2020
To complete a Lottery Application, download and print the lottery form (click attachment), and
- Fax the form to (818)342-5877 OR
- Email the form to lottery@birminghamcharter.com with subject line: Lottery Application
STAY INFORMED PATRIOT FAMILIES:
Follow Mayor Eric Garcetti for the latest recommendations and news:
LATEST NEWS FROM GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM:
Watch messages from BCCHS teachers to our Patriots:
FREE SCHOOL MEALS during Spring Break
10:00 am- 1:00 pm
@Birmingham (Victory entrance)