Thank you so much for trusting us with the care of your students. We know that this is an extremely challenging time for all Birmingham stakeholders and are grateful for the partnership we have.

I'm grateful for having our students back on campus and appreciate your support in helping us comply with COVID-19 guidelines.

At Birmingham, we're committed to helping students develop habits of mind that support their continued development and success in a competitive, post-secondary world. With this in mind, and after giving our students a month to adjust to school, we are implementing tardy sweeps and an accountability system for bringing Chromebooks.

Please help remind your student the importance of showing up on time to each class and remembering to bring their charged Chromebook every day. We will start to track the number of tardies and the number of times a student has forgotten to charge or bring their Chromebook to school beginning September 15th. Consequences will include detention or student service.

Again, thank you for the trust you've shown us in partnering to educate your student.

Sincerely,

Ari Bennett, BCCHS Principal

Dear BCCHS Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! We recognize that the past few months have been incredibly challenging for our families and we are committed to ensuring that all students remain healthy, safe and engaged in their learning now that we are back on campus.

As an A-G Attendance Counselor here at BCCHS, I collaborate with families, counselors and teachers to prevent and find solutions to the barriers that interfere with student engagement.

BCCHS Parents/Guardians/Families play a vital role in their child’s life both in and outside of school and we can’t stress enough the importance of student engagement. Your child(ren)’s participation in their learning is critical to their academic success. Studies have shown that students who are more engaged have higher grades, less depression and less social problems. Student engagement is integral to being on track to graduate from high school.

How you can help establish positive educational habits:

● Follow all COVID protocols and stay healthy

● Remember school attendance matters

● Schedule non-emergency medical and dental appointments afterschool

● Plan family vacations for non-school days only.

● Monitor your child(ren)’s academic progress

● Make us aware of any problems that may be causing your child to miss school.

I look forward to partnering with you to make sure that your child is successful this school year. If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact me by phone or email at the following.

Sincerely,

Nancy Rocha (hablo español)

818-758-4476

n.rocha@birminghamcharter.com

We would like to take a moment to introduce you to the 9th Grade Level Academy. Since Birmingham is quite a large school, we feel it is important for us to provide extra efforts to create a warm and supportive environment for our students and families. The purpose of the 9th GLA is to offer not only academic, but also social emotional support for our students in order to help them become the best versions of themselves. Our intent is to meet the high ​expectations of high school with high levels of support. We believe that if each student realizes his/her true potential, our community will be a happier, healthier, and more productive place.

Please feel free to reach out to any of us on the 9th Grade Team with any questions or concerns. We are here -- and happy -- to help you:

Jose Luis Navarro - j.navarro@birminghamcharter.com
9th Grade Lead Administrative Director

Michele Wydra - m.wydra@birminghamcharter.com

9th Grade Coordinator

Sami Brown - s.brown@birminghamcharter.com

9th Grade Counselor (A-F)

Veronica Perez - v.perez@birminghamcharter.com

9th Grade Counselor (G-N)

Ana Palacios - a.palacios@birminghamcharter.com

9th Grade Counselor (O-Z)

Yvonne Castillo Urbina - y.castillourbina@birminghamcharter.com

Psychiatric Social Worker

Joe Granish - j.granish@birminghamcharter.com

9th Grade Dean

News and Updates:

Your children have been at Birmingham for nearly a month now, and we are so proud of the way they have transitioned to high school -- especially after having been distance learning for the past year-and-a-half. Continue to encourage them to get to their classes on time, participate in lessons and discussions, and make the most out of the many opportunities for social engagement that we have here.

Last Friday, September 3rd, was our Welcome Back Football Game. All students wearing Birmingham gear were offered free admission and free dinner from Los Tres Hermanos. While we may have lost the game, students and their families had a wonderful time watching football, seeing and listening to performances, and interacting with one another. The following 9th grade students were recognized by their teachers for their exemplary work and/or behavior both inside and outside of the classroom:

• Tyler Crumpton
• Eder Garcia
• Christian Godina
• Da'Haven Holly
• Emily Landaverde
• Emma Leon-Mazariegos

Next Monday, September 13th, is our first 9th Grade Council Meeting, which will be held at lunch in Room B-76. We hope your child will take advantage of this leadership opportunity and help us plan future events for the Class of 2025.

On Monday, September 20th, and Tuesday, September 21st, students will be pulled out of their P.E. classes for informative presentations on graduation and college requirements, led by their wonderful counselors.

Thursday, September 23rd, is Back-to-School Night, which will be held virtually. While we would love nothing more than to meet you in person, we will be Zooming in order to keep our Birmingham community safe.

We wish you all a productive, happy, and healthy September! Please reach out to us if there is anything we can do to help further support your child.

Warmly,

The 9th Grade Team

Firstly, we would like to introduce the 10th grade support team this year: Ms. Walker (DIS Office) is the 10th grade administrator and Mr. Turner (F37 blue days /G53 gold days) serves as the lead teacher. Ms. Gazarian, Dr. Harwin and Ms. Mutia will continue to be the students’ counselors, Ms. Reisbord will continue to be your Dean, and Ms. Ibarra (T410) will continue to be your Psychiatric Social Worker (PSW). The 10th Grade Counseling Team wants all students to know they are here to support them. Their focus is the "whole child", and they are here for students academically, socially, and emotionally.

In September, the Counseling Team is working on Grad Checks. They will be calling all students in to make them aware of where they stand regarding credits towards graduation in 2024, and A-G completion (towards university application). Once grad checks are complete at the end of the month, they will be mailed home for review by parents/guardians.

After the challenge of distance learning in 2020-21, it has been so wonderful to see our students back on campus face-to-face. Regardless of how students did academically last year, we wish to encourage all to get off to a strong start to this school year. To support that, the first progress report will be mailed home on September 24th.

We look forward to a great year!

Welcome to an exciting year! Your Junior year is going to be very busy, but we are so excited to see you back on campus!

Virtual Back to School Night: September 23 please come meet the 11th Grade team and ask questions from 5-6 PM. The Zoom link will be available closer to the date. You will also have the chance to meet your students' teachers and ask questions about the course.

Minimum Day: September 24 will be a minimum day. Students will be released at

PSAT: The PSAT will be held October 13, 2021. There are multiple scholarships available based on your Junior year score, so be sure to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and be at school on time.

Tutoring: Tutoring is available M-F before school and M-Th after school. Please encourage your student to attend whenever possible! Junior year is a very important year for college entrance requirements, do not wait until it is too late to make up grades!

Vaccine Pop Up Clinic: Vaccines will be available September 22 and October 13 from 4-7. There will be Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines available.

College Search: If you are considering attending a 4 year college, start looking right now. Here is a site you can use to start the search: https://collegematch.prephero.com/.

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

11th Grade Team

Seniors are off to a great start this new school year!

We had our first home football game last Friday and although we lost, our school spirit showed all the way through! Our stands were filled with prideful Birmingham students who were enjoying the company of their peers, free food, raspados, and the suspenseful but exciting game! It was an amazing turn out! Our next home game is this Friday, September 10th against Westlake.

College Classes (for all grade level students) began August 30th. Independent Study classes and Senior College Seminar started Wednesday September 8th. 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.

I am excited to announce that we will have our first Class of 2022 Student Council meeting on Monday, September 13th during lunch. We have a lot to plan, discuss, design and simply have FUN! ALL Seniors are welcome to join! See the attached flyers for further details about upcoming important dates.

The first student progress report this school year will be submitted on Wednesday, September 22nd. Our Virtual Back to School Night will be from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 23rd with a minimum day dismissal on Friday, September 24th.

Something to look forward to in the next month is our Homecoming Festival set for Thursday, October 7th and our Homecoming game will be Friday, October 8th! Our Homecoming theme will be Euphoria!

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

Jenina Franco

12th Grade Coordinator and Student Council Advisor

The theme for this year is “Supportive Transitions: Reenter, Reconnect, and Rebuild.” Transitions can be conceptualized as an event or series of events that cause fundamental changes in the fabric of daily life – what people do, where they do it, and with whom. Major life changes have long been understood to be environmental risk factors for suicide. Positive coping skills, resilience, and connectedness to family, friends, and our community can act as protective factors to help us navigate transitions. Remember, all of us can play a role in suicide prevention.

Did You Know?

Research shows that asking if someone is thinking about suicide does not put the idea into their head. Your question could be the first step to getting help.

During Suicide Prevention Awareness month in September and beyond everyone can play a role to help save lives. Suicide is complicated and tragic but it is often preventable. Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can help save lives.

Often family and friends are the first to recognize the warning signs of suicide and can be the first step towards helping an at risk individual find treatment with someone who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions.

Know The Signs

Pain isn’t always obvious, but most suicidal people show some signs that they are thinking about suicide. The signs may appear in conversations, through their actions, or in social media posts. If you observe one or more of these warning signs, especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss, or change, step in or speak up.

Some signs may include but are not limited to; withdrawal, changes in sleep, reckless behavior, personality change, neglect of personal appearance, physical pain, personality change, substance abuse, loss of interest, sudden mood changes, and giving away belongings. For a full list of warning signs visit suicideispreventable.org.

Find The Words

If you believe that your child is thinking about suicide, approach the situation by asking. Asking

is the first step in saving a life and can let them know that you are here for them and will listen. Listen without judgment. Ask open-ended questions, such as: Tell me what happened? How long have you been feeling this way? Have you thought about suicide? Be prepared, have a list of crisis resources on hand (see below). Practice what you will say. To learn additional ways on how to start the conversation or what to do visit https://www.suicideispreventable.org/

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.

Reach Out

You are not alone in helping someone in crisis. There are many resources available to assess, treat and intervene. Crisis lines, counselors, intervention programs and more are available to you, as well as to the person experiencing the emotional crisis. Contact your child’s school for support from school administration, mental health personnel, or a counselor. If the situation is critical, take the person to a nearby Emergency Room or walk-in psychiatric crisis clinic or call 9-1-1.

Resources for Parents/Caregivers & Children/Adolescents

Community Hotlines

Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Hotline (877)

727-4747 (24-hour)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800)

273-TALK (8255) (24-hour)

Trevor Lifeline (866) 488-7386 (24-hour)

Teen Line (800) 852-8336 (6pm-10pm daily)

Text and Chat Resources

Crisis Text Line – Free, 24/7, confidential

Text LA to 741741

Crisis Chat (11am-11pm, daily)

http://www.crisischat.org/chat

Teen Line - text “TEEN” to 839863 (6pm10pm)

Online Resources

http://www.didihirsch.org/

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

http://teenline.org/

http://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide

suicideispreventable.org

Yesterday we sent out an email about reconnecting and creating a safe space for others as we join the efforts to broadcast the message that everyone can play a role in suicide prevention and to remember loves ones lost to suicide.

Today, we want to share about finding the words-

“Are you thinking about suicide?”. These words can be difficult to say, but when it comes to suicide prevention, none are more important. Asking someone directly about suicide can be difficult but being direct provides an opportunity for the person to open up and talk about their feelings. Asking directly about suicide will not suggest the idea to them. Listening, expressing concern, and providing reassurance will go a long way in your effort to support them.

If you think someone is thinking about suicide, listen to your instincts and take it seriously. Don’t leave them alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (TALK) at any time for assistance.

To learn more about the warning signs for suicide and tips to prepare for a conversation with someone you are concerned about visit the “Find the Words” section of the website: suicideispreventable.org.

Watch this 60-second PSA created by a California student. This film encourages the viewer to directly ask someone who shows warning signs of suicide if they are thinking of suicide. The film, called “Unrecognizable Thoughts,” explains that asking someone if they’re thinking about suicide is important and that “you may have to break a friend’s trust to help them.”

-Your PSW Team

Let’s celebrate our return to campus together! On Friday, September 10th, we are having our Patriot Luau. Students and Staff, please join us on the quad for free Kona Ice, music, games, and prizes. Let the celebration continue that evening as our varsity football team takes on Westlake at 7 PM. Don’t forget to dress in Hawaiian gear! See you then!

Hayley Rubinger

ASB Advisor

• 9th Grade Office: (818) 758-4484 | Anne Mirzakhanian
• 10th Grade Office: (818) 758-4481 | Becky Venegas
• 11th Grade Office: (818) 758-4480 | Jenny Constanza
• 12th Grade Office: (818) 758-4443 | Maria Salvatierra

• Special Education Office: (818) 758-6532 | Sabrina Sedani

• Parent Resource Center: (818) 758-5281 | Margarita Ponce
• Parent Resource Center: (818) 758-4467 | Amparo Martinez

• Health Office: (818) 758-5213
• Admissions & Records: (818) 758-5292 | Hortencia Villegas
• Admissions & Records: (818) 758-5216 | Lili Rodriguez