Dear Birmingham Families,

Spring is here, and I can share we have both a lot to be grateful for and a lot to look forward to. The fact that we now have the option to go maskless and see each other smile cannot be understated. So much of what is great about being on a school site both as students and staff members is that we are together. It's the connection and relationships that make the high school experience so special to all of us.

Winter quarter was exciting as we had our first dance on campus in three years attended by about 1000 students. To ensure we limited obstacles to attend the event, we lowered the price and allowed students to submit positive behavior support "REACH" cards to purchase tickets. In addition to celebrating together at the dance, we celebrated and cheered on our athletic teams.

Wrestling won both Girls and Boys City Championships. Girls' Basketball won our first ever Open Division City Championship, Boys' Basketball went to the Open Division City Semi-Finals and won a game in the state playoffs, while' Boys Soccer earned another birth in the top division City Championship and another state playoff game victory. Girls' Water Polo also had a city runner up finish and a victory in the state playoffs.

The weeks and months ahead also look bright. We have prom and graduation to look forward to and I'm confident we will see continued athletic success from our sports teams. A big congratulations to the Birmingham Cheer Team which won the CIF LA Cheer Regional Competition earlier this week which makes them the favorite to win their 4th city championship in a row. Baseball is a co-favorite for the city title too!

Of course, none of this matters if our students aren't also performing in the classroom. We recently had a very successful College and Career Fair that was embedded during 1st Gen College Week. Our students are continuing to receive their college admission acceptances, so I will share more details when the data is finalized next month.

Please continue to encourage your student to work hard and finish the semester with focus and determination. This effort will also help shine a light on the school's academics as many of our students begin taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment, English Learner Proficiency Assessment, California Science Test, and College Board Advanced Placement exams.

Take this time during spring break to help your student enjoy the week off, recharge and return with energy and enthusiasm to finish what has been a school year for the history books!

All the best!

Ari Bennett,

BCCHS Principal

It is hard to believe that it is already April, and our 9th graders are wrapping up their first year of high school! Please continue to encourage your children to arrive to all their classes on time and prepared, and to make up any missing assignments they may have.

Many wonderful things have been happening for our 9th graders over the past couple of months. For one, our teachers continue to place a strong emphasis on social emotional learning to help our students develop both a sense of self-worth and self-advocacy. In Mr. Bray and Mr. Holder’s class, for example, students participate regularly in community-building circles. The following photo was taken from a circle designed to build students up by using their accomplishments – both big and small – as evidence for feeling good about themselves. One of the accomplishments the students were celebrating was completing their 100th journal in their English class.

Some of our 9th graders also had the opportunity to attend a college visitation field trip. The schools visited were UCLA and CSUN, and our tour guides were our very own Birmingham alumni! Students were able to tour the campuses, have lunch, peruse the gift shops, and gain a sense of what being a college student is really like. We hope that our students came away inspired and motivated to achieve their goals. We have another field trip planned for the end of April to UC Santa Barbara, and we are working on additional college field trips in May.

Finally, a few 9th grade classes have been involved in a study focusing on cell phone addiction. These classes were each given a lesson explaining how and why cell phones are addicting. Following the lesson, students were required to store their cell phones in a pocket chart for the remainder of that class period and the duration of future class periods. We are in the process of collecting data on the effectiveness of this activity, namely its effect on student productivity in the classroom, and we look forward to sharing our findings with you.

Wishing you all a restful and rejuvenating Spring Break!

The 9th Grade Team

• Jose Luis Navarro

Lead Administrative Director

• Michele Wydra

9th Grade Coordinator

• Sami Brown, Ana Palacios, and Veronica Perez

9th Grade Counselors

• Yvonne Castillo Urbina

9th Grade Psychiatric Social Worker

• Joe Granish

9th Grade Dean

• Anne Mirzakhanian

9th Grade Clerk

After being unable to visit colleges for so long, we took a group of Sophomores on a campus tour to CSUN on March 17th. There, an undergraduate student ambassador showed us around the campus facilities, followed by lunch in the student union, where we were joined by some Birmingham alumni. We are so fortunate to have this wonderful 4-year college in our backyard. Did you know that, as our local Cal State, graduating Seniors with a GPA of over 2.5 have priority admission to CSUN, should they apply? Being so close, it offers the option for students to study while still living at home, and with relatively low tuition and strong financial aid, it offers the most cost-effective way to earn a degree. There will be a second campus tour to CSUN on April 28th, for which seats are still available. Students can pick up a trip slip form from Mr. Turner (F37 on blue days / G53 on gold days). The trip slip requires a parent signature, and must be turned in by April 22nd.

Further afield, we will also be running a campus tour to CSU Channel Islands in Ventura County on April 7th.

After the second progress report on April 1st, we are in the last stretch of what has been a long and challenging school year coming back from last year’s campus closure. Many students are doing incredibly well, and are being recognized on the Platinum (GPA > 4.0), Gold (> 3.6) and Silver (> 3.0) honor rolls (as well as students with the most-improved grades). Recalling that the only grade which ultimately counts is the one at the end of the semester, we encourage our honor roll students to keep up the hard work through finals. After Spring Break, there are only seven weeks of the school year left, and it is remarkable to think that at that point the Class of 2024 will be half way through their high school experience. For those students who have been struggling, there is still ample time left to improve grades by the end of the semester towards meeting graduation requirements and beyond - but don’t delay - the time is now. As always, we encourage parents to regularly check Aeries and Google Classroom to monitor their child’s progress - especially if there have been absences.

The 10th Grade Team

• Cindy Walker

Administrative Director

• Mark Turner

10th Grade Lead Teacher

• Lisa Gazarian, Sandy Harwin, and Hiyas Mutia

10th Grade Counselors

• Marilynn Ibarra Cardenas

10th Grade Psychiatric Social Worker

• Melissa Reisbord

10th Grade Dean

• Becky Venegas

10th Grade Clerk

As we reach the halfway point of the semester, the 11th grade teachers want to recognize the 377 students who are on Honor Roll (3.0+) for the second progress report. This takes a lot of sustained effort, and you are all doing an amazing job!

If you are not on Honor Roll yet, there is still time. With almost 2 months left until the end of the semester, reach out to your teachers and counselors for support!

11th grade students are in the middle of SBAC and CAST testing. Thank you for giving the effort the past few weeks in your classes to prepare for these important tests, and for giving your best effort when the time comes for you to take them. We know you will do your best and show what you have learned over the last 3 years at Birmingham.

Show What You Know!

11th grade counselors are currently finishing up programming for the coming school year. They are also continuing to meet with students and families to create and implement plans of support as students move towards their senior year.

As we move into May, remember to set small goals, like working for 20 minutes before taking a break, and tackle assignments one at a time. Your teachers and counselors are here to support you, please reach out when you need help!

The 11th Grade Team

• Missindy Wilkins

Administrative Director

• Laura Young

11th Grade Lead Teacher

• Stephanie Scherrer, Lilian Galvez, and Amy Mowry

11th Grade Counselors

• Monica Montoya

11th Grade Psychiatric Social Worker

• Nick Halic

11th Grade Dean

• Jenny Constanza

11th Grade Clerk

ONLY 2 months left until Graduation! Continue working hard and finish out your high school career strong! We are all here rooting for you ALL and working just as hard alongside you to ensure your success here at Birmingham has prepared you for your bright future.

On April 6th, we had our Prom Fashion Show and Prom Theme Reveal during lunch. Senior Council looked AMAZING as they showed off some beautiful Prom attire. The most thrilling part of the show was the theme reveal…Class of 2022 Prom Theme is “Starry Night”! What a perfect theme to go along with our venue. Prom will take place on Saturday, May 7th at the Los Angeles Zoo from 7pm-11pm. Prom tickets went on sale on March 29th and will end on April 26th. Don’t miss out and buy your tickets soon! Special thanks to David’s Bridal and Friar Tux for their support in letting us preview their various Prom options. Friar Tux will be giving Birmingham Students a 20% discount if they bring in the Birmingham flyer. Flyers can be picked up at the Student Store.

This Saturday, April 9th, we are having a Free Prom Boutique that will consist of gently used and new formal dresses, men suits, shoes, accessories and new make-up! In partnering up with EduCare, there will be food and beverages as well as a chance to be entered into a drawing to WIN a FREE PROM TICKET!!! ALL Seniors are welcome to attend from 12pm – 2pm in the Blue and Gold Center.

Participating in Graduation Ceremony Information:

At the beginning of the school year, each Senior was given and required to sign their Senior Contract (along with a parent/guardian signature) that acknowledged their responsibilities this year. Attendance was one of the listed items that stated that any student that accumulated 10 or more unexcused absences would have to appeal in order to participate in our Graduation Ceremony. Therefore, notification letters will be sent out via postal mail and to the students’ school email beginning tomorrow April 8, 2022, and will be due no later than Monday, May 2, 2022, to Ms. Franco in C83B.

Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful Spring Break!

The 12th Grade Team

• Tracie Bowdoin

Administrative Director

• Jenina Franco

12th Grade Coordinator

• Judith Hinojosa-Riusech and Cindy Fuentes

12th Grade Counselors

• Alex Bartholomew

12th Grade Psychiatric Social Worker

• Joe Granish, Nick Halic and Melissa Reisbord

12th Grade Deans

• Maria Salvatierra

12th Grade Clerk

Ellyn Epstein, Patient Care Pathway Teacher (CTE) and HOSA (Future Health Professional) Advisor attended the HOSA State Leadership Conference in Long Beach with fourteen of her students. HOSA's mission is to empower members to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. As a member of HOSA, students are part of a statewide group of young people that share a passion for healthcare and work towards making a positive impact in our school and in our community. This year, students entered six competitions (Medical Terminology, Job Seeking Skills, Epidemiology, Medical Law and Ethics, Behavioral Health, and Pathophysiology). Students learn about health professions, enhance teamwork skills, and develop leadership skills by showcasing their hard work in academic and health care skill demonstration, and to feel pride in their accomplishments.

Careers in the health profession is an admirable one and in great demand now more than ever. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare occupations are experiencing a higher-than-normal growth rate with competitive salaries. So, if your child is looking for a stable career, enjoys helping others, wants a good starting salary with flexibility, they should consider the Patient Care Pathway to gain experience and skills needed in the industry. Other opportunities offered in the Pre-Med Science classes include:

• Volunteer Opportunities
• Internships/Externships
• Healthcare Bootcamp
• UCLA Camp Med (Students are mentored by those in the industry and gain more hands-on skills)

And many more....

If you have any questions on the Patient Care Pathway (Pre-Med Science Classes) or HOSA (Future Health Professional), please contact Ms. Epstein at e.epstein@birminghamcharter.com. Students can also request to be placed in Pre-Med Science through their Counselor. Below, please find some pictures from the State Leadership Conference in Long Beach.

Over 900 students filled the quad on March 18th for our Enchanted Forest Spring Formal. Students enjoyed our lounge area, photo stations, arcade, food trucks, DJ and dance area throughout the night. Congratulations ASB for putting together a magical night.

Women's Choir and Chamber Singers are performing at the Worldstrides Choir Festival in Santa Ana on Friday, April 8th, 2022.

Each choir will sing three selections in front of a 3 judge panel of highly acclaimed college choral directors.

The awards ceremony will take place in Disneyland.

Chamber Singers are performing at the Los Angeles Master Chorale High School Choir Festival on Friday, April 29, 2022.

This festival celebrates choral music by having 26 Southern California school choirs coming together to perform a collaborative and exciting concert program. The "Big Sing" will feature over 600 singers performing downtown in grand park.

Thu. Apr 28th 2022, 4:00 pm

Fri. Apr 29th 2022, 7:00 pm

Sat. Apr 30th 2022, 7:00 pm

Thu. May 5th 2022, 4:00 pm

Fri. May 6th 2022, 7:00 pm

Sun. May 8th 2022, 4:00 pm