
Patriot News
Newsletter | December 2019
Message from the Principal
Dear Birmingham Family,
I hope you were able to relax and enjoy some time with your loved ones over the Thanksgiving holiday. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is that we are reminded to appreciate all that we have. Too often in the fast-paced world of 2019, we take things for granted. I've been blessed this year with this new job of service at Birmingham, to have my brother and sister's families living in close proximity, and to have my father alive, well, and local at 83 years and going strong. I know many are not as fortunate as me but this is what inspires me to work with passion and urgency to support the success of our students and families.
I'm also thankful to our families for helping us improve attendance on the Monday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Our attendance improved by 2 percentage points. I look forward to raffling off the winning November Attendance Challenge prizes to our students who attended everyday in November. We will do this on the Monday we return from holiday, December 2nd. This provides another reminder to please make sure not to schedule family vacations during instructional days. This year winter break will start on Monday December 23rd and students will return on Tuesday, January 14th.
Finals will take place from Tuesday December 17th through Friday, December 20th. These are critical days to attend because students have this last opportunity to raise their grades. Please remember that universities only count grades of C or higher, so students should be setting goals to earn As and Bs, and even if they don't meet this mark, they will still be eligible for university by earning a C. The holidays also provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the past year and set new goals for the next one. Please consider having this conversation with your son or daughter. Dreams become our goals, and goals met become our achievements. We are deeply committed to supporting the dreams of every student at Birmingham. Our new slogan is much more than that; it's a mindset that we want every student and staff member to internalize. DREAM IT. DO IT. BIRMINGHAM!!
Please be advised of a couple of exciting changes that will be coming in the next few weeks. Our Parent Center will move on campus to the main office hall next to the conference room. We will also be expanding our class offerings for parents, and begin coffee with the principal. Details will be forthcoming.
Please know that we deeply value your participation and engagement and look forward to our continued work together to help our students' dreams come true.
Sincerely,
Ari Bennett
LOTTERY ENROLLMENT INFORMATION DAY
Thank you parents and families for joining us at our Lottery Event. We hope you enjoyed a preview of what Birmingham has to offer. We will continue to accept applications until our window closes.
Lottery Application Window: November 1, 2019 - March 27, 2020
Public Lottery Date: April 2, 2020
FACTOR PROGRAM GRADUATION
Congratulations to all parents who participated in the F.A.C.T.O.R. Program
(Families Acting Towards Results) for the last seven weeks.
Your participation was remarkable!
We looking forward to participating in the F.A.C.T.O.R Program 2 during the Spring Semester.
Parent Graduates:
Mr. Alberto Acevedo
Mrs. Blanca Aguilar
Mrs. Emelia Barajas
Mr. Raul Basurto
Mrs. Cristina Carranza
Mrs. Cecilia Cerna
Mr. Santos Chuc
Mr. William Cortes
Mrs. Osby Deleon
Mrs. Rosa Diaz
Mr. John Dominguez
Mrs. Erlin Dubon
Mrs. Beverly Duke
Mrs. Asuncion Eligio
Mr. Juan Carlos Flores
Mrs. Maria Flores
Mrs. Rosaelia Fuentes
Mr. Jose Luis Fuentes
Mrs. Janey Norma Garcia
Mrs. Monica Garcia
Mrs. Vidalia Garcia
Mrs. Claudia Itzep
Mr. Horacio Jacobo
Mr. Arnulfo Mazariego
Mr. Alfredo Mendez
Mrs. Zoila Molina
Mrs. Ana Montes
Mrs. Griselda Montor
Mrs. Miriam Orellana
Mr. Ronaldo Orellana
Mrs. Sandra Orellana
Mr. Cruz Orozco
Mrs. Maria Ponce
Mrs. Carlota Porras
Mrs. Veronica Quezada
Mrs. Martha Quintero
Mrs. Esperanza Regino
Mr. Victor Reyes
Mrs. Estela Rodriguez
Mrs. Cecilia Romero
Mr. Gregorio Romero
Mrs. Josefa Trujillo
Mr. Gerardo Tzul
Mrs. Maria Vacio
Mrs. Patricia Valdivia
Mrs. Arely Valiente
Mr. Carmelo Valiente
Mrs. Laura Villacorta
Mrs. Jenny Villatoro
Mrs. Sonia Zuniga
WELLNESS COMMITTEE
The Wellness Committee wishes all of our students and families a healthy, safe and joyous holiday season. If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources to access:
Suicide Prevention Lines (open 24 hours)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255
Suicide Prevention Crisis 1-877-727-4747
National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-784-2433
California Youth Crisis Line 1-800-843-5200
(open 24 hours, bilingual)
Teen Line 1-800-TLC-TEEN or 1-800-852-8336 or
(6pm-10pm) 1-310-855-HOPE or 1-310-855-4673
Teenlineonline.org/
LGBTQ National Hotline 1-888-843-4564
The Trevor Project 1-866-4-U-TREVOR or 1-866-488-7386
(open 24 hours, ages 13-24)
FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
Simple Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season
- Enjoy those once-a-year holiday treats – just eat less of them. It’s possible to indulge without packing on the holiday pounds. Enjoy holiday food traditions in smaller portions. Choose less, weigh less.
- Get moving – and not just at the gym. Park your car farther away from the store or shopping mall entrance. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Burn calories by turning your holiday cleaning into a workout.
- Decorate safely. Holidays are the time to bring out the tinsel and lights, but accidents can happen when decorations go awry. Use flame-resistant or non-combustible materials to trim a tree. When you leave your home or go to bed, be sure to turn off or unplug lights and decorations indoors and outdoors.
- Manage stress. The holidays don’t need to take a toll on your health. Be mindful about over-committing and over-spending. Balance work, home and holiday parties. Set realistic expectations for yourself and your family. Try to get enough sleep each night to stay well rested, refreshed and ready to go!
- Wash your hands. Germs can survive on door handles, railings and other surfaces you touch with your hands. Wash with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds (hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice), or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals can cause you to over-eat and consume more calories than if you had small meals throughout the day. Start your day with a healthy breakfast – a key to long-term weight loss. Pack nuts, fruit and veggies to munch on before holiday gatherings to avoid over-eating.
- Avoid foodborne illness by washing fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly, separating raw meat and poultry from other food, and using separate cutting boards, knives, and platters to prepare meats. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. When in doubt, throw it out.
- Drink up – water, that is. Did you know that there are 22 packets of sugar in a regular 20-ounce soda? You wouldn’t eat that many packs of sugar, so why would you drink them? Try fruit and herb-infused ‘spa’ water, sparkling water, or unsweetened tea for a satisfying thirst quencher that won’t pour on the pounds.
- Quit Tobacco. Don’t let holiday stress trigger your cigarette cravings. Instead, brush your teeth, drink water, take deep breaths, chew sugar-free gum, or go for a walk. Call the California Smokers’ Helpline at 1-800-NO- BUTTS (1-800-662-8887) to talk to a supportive counselor who can offer free help and a plan to quit for good.
PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKERS
December can be a stressful time for both adults and students. During the week of December 9th through the 13th your school social workers will be holding lunch time events to help students unwind and learn how to reduce stress. In addition, they will walk away with test-taking tips to use during final exams. Remember that eating, sleeping, exercising and taking breaks all go a long way to manage stress! Help your student make a plan to get at least 8 hours of sleep, have nutritious food, and take stretch breaks to move their bodies. Parents, please continue providing positive support and affirmations to your children during this stressful time of year!
CLASS UPDATES
Class of 2020
Class of 2021
Homecoming 2019 was a success! Junior Council’s Homecoming float was decorated in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch. It was a blast to be out with other Birmingham clubs on a very special night where we could all be together and celebrate our yearly homecoming game with family, friends and the rest of our Birmingham Family. Though we had a late Friday night, Juniors came out on Saturday morning in preparation for the Homecoming Dance. Junior Executives and Council members worked extremely hard in ensuring that the dance would have a great turn out for them and their peers.
Our Disney night was composed of a red carpet castle entrance leading to the Cinderella Carriage where students climbed into to take selfies. We had two talented caricatures that exaggerated the students’ characteristics and made us all laugh. The churro, popcorn and hot dog carts were satisfying snacks for our hungry students. As the night went on, the students danced away underneath the bright lights of the Mickey Ears and when they needed a break, they either took more pictures at the photo booths or enjoyed the friendly competition of air hockey, foosball or ski ball. Together, it was truly a night where dreams come true.
As the second and final progress report were sent out, earlier this month, we acknowledge the hard work all of our Juniors have been putting in by sending all Juniors recognition certificates out with a reward voucher for all that received a “C” or better. Finals are around the corner and we want to wish everyone the very BEST! Remember to begin early in prepping and studying for all exams. Get a good night sleep and eat breakfast!
WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Jenina Franco and Bertie Molinaro
Class of 2021 Academy Leads
CLASS OF 2022
The Class of 2022 will be taking field trips to Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, and Cal Poly Pomona during the Spring Semester. Students will need to sign up for these to attend. We will try to hold at least one college trip on a Saturday so that interested parents will be able to visit with their students. Please watch this space for more information in the coming months!
CLASS OF 2023
Freshmen!
Make sure to finish the semester strong by turning in all of your work, showing up every day, and studying for finals. Finals will be December 17-20. Also, make sure to sign up for the college field trips next semester after the break.
Happy Holidays
BECAUSE I LOVE YOU
Tuesday, December 3, 2019 | B80 | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 | B80 | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pmTuesday, December 17, 2019 | B80 | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
BAND CONCERT
CHOIR CONCERT
DANCE SHOW
SAT TESTING
SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL
PTSA MEETING
BOARD MEETING
SCHOOL DISMISSED AT 12:40 PM
Minimum Days: Dec 17- Dec 20
Release at 12:40 pm
FINAL EXAMS
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 | Periods 3, 4
Thursday, December 19, 2019 | Periods 5, 6
Friday, December 20, 2019 | Periods 7, 8