I hope you have enjoyed the first 6 weeks of the school year as much as we have. I was so excited to see the amount of student engagement at activities like the Pep Rally, Freshman Tailgate, Club Rush, Folklorico performance, Glow Dance, and Honors Pin Ceremonies.

This week, we hope to see you join us for "Back to School Night" on Thursday, September 22 from 5:30-8:00 pm. Those that arrive by 5:30 pm will have an opportunity to enjoy student performances before meeting with teachers at 6:00 pm.

One of our goals for ongoing school improvement is to enhance both student and parent engagement. Please make sure to provide feedback regarding Back to School Night and any other activities that would bring you to campus. It's important that we meet the needs of our students and families, so your input is extremely valuable.

I'm proud to share that we recently received two school awards as acknowledgement of the work that we're doing to increase student achievement. Birmingham was named a 2022 California Pivotal Practice School. LAUSD has acknowledged the accomplishment with a congratulations note and is sending us a $2,500 check to paint a mural recognizing this achievement. We're also thrilled about being named a 2022 National Education Equity Lab School of Excellence. This unique program provides virtual access to courses at some of the most prestigious universities in the country like Stanford and Yale. Student success in this program proves that if the opportunity is provided, Birmingham students can compete at the highest levels of academia.

Finally, please check in with your student about their experience in the new Academy Period class. We've implemented this once-a-week class as a Pilot Program to focus on three core elements: community building to foster inclusiveness and belonging, mindfulness strategies to build resilience and perseverance, and skill development to foster the habits of mind of highly effective people. For this program to endure, we will need feedback from both students and parents about its impact on student success.

Thank you for all you do to engage with us in the four-year partnership to support student success! If you haven't had a chance already, please visit our new school website. We're extremely proud of it. It was designed with our families in mind to both be a user-friendly resource and to better reflect the heart of Birmingham Community Charter High School.

Sincerely,

Ari Bennett, BCCHS Principal

Working with your children these past couple of months has been exciting, heart-warming, and inspiring. They have been quite busy getting to know each other, our staff, and our campus, all while acclimating to high school life.

In late July, 9th grade students participated in our Summer Orientation and Bridge Program, designed to help facilitate a seamless transition to high school. Students were given the opportunity to form connections with their peers as well as with 11th and 12th grade mentor students, while learning about our campus and being introduced to the various support systems available to them at Birmingham.

Club Rush occurred Thursday, September 15th, and students had the opportunity to gain more information on and sign up for the many clubs offered at Birmingham. Please encourage your children to attend club meetings. They are a great way to stay connected to the school, meet new people, and boost their college applications.

One of our amazing clubs, Student Senate, meets every Thursday at lunch in room F34 to plan events for the 9th grade class. All freshmen are welcome to join us.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. And, again, welcome to Birmingham!

Mrs. Wydra

9th Grade Coordinator

m.wydra@birminghamcharter.com

We were very excited to see all of our Sophomores return this new school year!

I am excited to announce that we had our first Class of 2025 Student Senate meeting on Thursday September 8th during lunch. We have a lot to plan, discuss, design and simply have FUN! All Sophomores are welcome to join! We meet every Thursday in F-39 at 11:40 am, please see attached Flyer.

On August 19th we had our first home football game and although we lost, our school spirit showed all the way through! Our stands were filled with prideful BCCHS students who cheered our team on till the end. Our next home game is on September 30th versus Taft, it is Hispanic Heritage theme. Please come out and support our team!! You can buy tickets online from our website.

We had our first Sophomore Honor Roll Recognition Ceremony on August 29th for Silver, Gold and Platinum during school at the quad. Students were given a Certificate and a Pin designating their level achieved - Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Recognition was for students whose total Freshman GPA was from 3.0-above. The first student progress this school year has been submitted on September 14th, progress reports will be mailed on September 16th.

Club Rush was on September 15th in the Quad, Class of 2025 Student Senate promoted sophomore council.

Back to school night will be held on Thursday September 22nd from 5-8 p.m., please stop by our Sophomore booth to meet our sophomore grade level team. Our team includes Sophomore Administrator, Grade level coordinator, Counselors, PSW. and Dean. We will have a minimum day on Friday September 23rd.

Some things to look forward to for October, it is an exciting month! October we will be having our Homecoming Spirit week 10/10-10/14, along with our homecoming game on 10/14 theme is Blue and Gold. We as a class of 2025 will have our own float for the halftime show. Please come out to see the Fireworks show at Halftime! Then on 10/15 is our Homecoming Dance the theme was announced it will be Tropical Rainforest tickets out on sale in the student store.

More to come next month. Have a wonderful September month.

Amanda Fitzpatrick

10th Grade Coordinator and Student Council Advisor

Birmingham Community Charter High School

Welcome to a new school year! We are so excited to continue working with you this year! This is a very important, but exciting year for you!

Back to School Night is September 22. Please come see us in the Quad! You can meet the 11th grade staff and get information about programs available to your students. Also, September 23 will be a minimum day. Student dismissal is at 1:10 PM.

Last month we had a recognition for the Spring 2022 Honor Roll. All students have received a certificate and pin to wear on their stole at graduation. We are so proud of the work they have done! Please find the Platinum, Gold, and Silver Honor Roll students pictures attached.

Over the next few months the Juniors will be invited to several college field trips. If your student is interested, please watch out for announcements. Spaces are limited to 50 students at each school so it is important students get their paperwork in early!

If you are considering attending a 4 year college, start looking right now. Birmingham uses Naviance to support your college and career searches. The directions to log-in can be found here:

https://www.birminghamcharter.com/academics/college-career/college-center

There are lots of resources available at BCCHS to help you plan the future!

Planning for a career (or getting a job right now):

• Angela Zook at (818) 245-5297 or at a.zook@birminghamcharter.com.

Planning for college:

• Erika Lopez (818)253-9556 or e.lopez@birminghamcharter.com
• Wendy Quinonez (818)233-0193 w.quinonez@birminghamcharter.com

Thank you,

Laura Young

11th Grade Coordinator

Class of 2024

We had our first Class of 2023 Student Senate meeting on Thursday, August 25th during lunch. We have a lot to plan, discuss, design and simply enjoy all that it entails this final high school year! ALL Seniors are welcome to join! We are currently working on our first Senior event, SENIOR SUNRISE, which will take place on Friday, September 23rd from 5:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. This is a yearly traditional event in which Seniors come together before school to enjoy their class festivities as the sun rises. On the day of the event, students may come in their pajamas to enjoy a hot breakfast with beverage, yoga session, selfie photo booth, giant outdoor games, inflatable lounge area all while listening to their favorite music at our Football Stadium.

The first student progress report this school year will be submitted on Wednesday, September 14th. Our Back to School Night will be from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 22nd with a minimum day dismissal on Friday, September 23rd.

Schedule of Back-to-School Night Activities:

4:30-7:00 p.m. Birmingham Clubs Food Sale for Your Dining Convenience

5:30-5:50 p.m. Student Performances and Information Tables in the Quad

5:55– 6:00 p.m. Welcome Announcements

6:00 -8:00 p.m. Classroom Visits

Independent Study classes and Senior College Seminar started Monday, August 15th. College Seminar will run until November and they meet twice a week. This is a great opportunity for Seniors to receive valuable information pertaining to financial aid, grants, scholarships, college requirements, community college, trade/vocational school, armed forces and answers to any of their other pending questions.

Something to look forward to in the next month is Homecoming! Homecoming Spirit Week is set for October 10th - 15th. Our Homecoming game will be Friday, October 14th and the Homecoming dance will be Saturday, October 15th. Tickets will go on sale starting on Monday, September 12th at the Student Store before or after school or during lunch. Prices are $40 without an ASB card, $30 with an ASB card.

More to come next month...Have a wonderful September month!

The 12th Grade Team

Mr. Elmore - Administrative Director

Mrs. Franco - 12th Grade Coordinator

Mr. Halic - 12th Grade Dean

Ms. Scherrer - Counselor (A-F)

Ms. Galvez - Counselor (G-N)

Mrs. Gazarian - Counselor (O-Z)

Ms. Montoya - Psychiatric Social Worker

Mrs. Constanza - 12th Grade Clerk

Students are learning about the human body and systems and common medical terms used in the healthcare. We are planning to learn First Aid/CPR in November and December. The Patient Care Pathway offers CPR/First Aid Certification and internship opportunities for all BCCHS students.

We had over 50 students that signed up at Club Rush to participate in Cal-HOSA (Future Health Professionals) Club. We now have over 100 students that are interested in learning more about health care, CPR, volunteer and job opportunities within a health care setting. Ms. Epstein is the Advisor for Cal-HOSA and Ms. Montoya (PSW) will be mentoring students. Meetings for the Club will take place on Tuesdays at lunch in Ms. Epstein's class.

A student by the name of Oscar Herrera was given a scholarship by an industry professional in the amount of $5,500 for his education towards being a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant). He completed the course over the summer and received his certification. He is now working in a Senior Care facility in Thousand Oaks. We are very excited that he is embarking on a wonderful health care career that offers higher than average wages while he gains some experience working with the elderly.

Birmingham Parent Center supports, educates, and inspires families and the community to build bright futures for youth and adults. We partner with families to provide accessible education, counseling, and guidance in supporting our students. Birmingham believes that caring adults are essential to developing resilience in children so they thrive now and as they grow.

• We share knowledge and skills to create meaningful opportunities and plan for a secure future.
• We value diversity and endeavor to reflect the community we serve; we envision a world where children of all abilities are valued, respected, and included.
• We want families to be filled with hope and optimism about their child.

Don't forget to check our website to find resources and stay updated!

https://www.birminghamcharter.com/our-community/parent-center

Feel free to

• email us at parentcenter@birminghamcharter.com

• call us at (818) 758-5281 or (818) 758-4479

We are always happy to help!

#bcchspatriots | #bcchslive | #bcchspatriots