The Bulldog Bulletin

Studies show that 1 in 5 adults and children experience some sort of mental illness. Coping with a mental health condition can be difficult, but journaling may be a way to help individuals cope.

Journaling can help you deal with stress, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Additionally, you can use your journal to help you improve your habits and behaviors. Here at BCMAR we encourage journaling during homeroom time. With summer vacation approaching, it can also be a good practice for your scholar at home. It may help them deal with stress and anxiety.

Here are some tips to begin a journal log. First, pick a convenient time to write every day and challenge yourself to write whatever comes to your mind for 20 minutes. Use your journal to process your feelings or work on your self-improvement goals.

For information on the benefits of journaling for mental health, click the link for a message from our partner at Baylor College of Medicine, President, Dr. Paul Klotman https://www.facebook.com/BaylorCollegeOfMedicine/videos/dr-klotmans-message-week-73/560160728750666/

The marvelous month of May is here, the weather is getting warmer and the flowers are blooming! It is also time for the annual celebration of Cinco de Mayo!

What most people forget is that Cinco de Mayo isn't the same as Mexico's Independence Day that is celebrated on September 16.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862.

For more information on Cinco de Mayo, click the following link: https://www.si.edu/stories/real-history-cinco-de-mayo

Hello BCMAR family, STAAR season has ended and summer is just around the corner. Students will be enjoying some time off from school. But come fall, many students will be several weeks behind where they were when this school year ends.

Kids can experience summer learning loss or 'learning slide' if they aren't engaging in educational activities during the summer months. This can be especially detrimental to low-income students. A Johns Hopkins study found low-income kids may lose up to two months of reading skills over the summer, while their higher-income peers make slight gains.

The district offers a variety of summer enrichment opportunities to keep scholars academically engaged. This enables a smooth transition to the next academic levels in the new school year.

If you are interested, you can follow this link at https://www.houstonisd.org/summer for summer learning offerings made available by the district.

For specifics to our campus please refer to our website for additional summer opportunities at https://www.houstonisd.org/academyatryan.

If you are looking for an alternative, click https://www.budget101.com/frugal-living/6269-4-tips-to-prevent-your-kids-from-falling-behind-over-the-summer/ for tips and ways to prevent summer learning loss.🎓

For the STEM+M message about summer learning:

Add: Refer to our website for additional summer opportunities, https://www.houstonisd.org/academyatryan.

Here at BCMAR, we focus on Health Science, not to create future doctors, but leaders of a technology-fueled world that enhances the field of Health Science.

Our instructors work diligently to center on a cultural shift around STEM in their teaching with a variety of powerful and engaging STEM lessons coupled with technology and our partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS).

Our scholars are able to gain valuable critical thinking skills that will aid. them in evaluating real-world experiences.

Our teachers enjoy facilitating instruction that inspires scholars to activate their inner discoverers.

We feel our integration of health science in all content propels scholars academically with guaranteed success in college, careers, and beyond.

Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about our curriculum and to see what we have to offer your scholars. Click the following link: https://www.houstonisd.org/schoolchoice or the image in the upper right hand corner of this section for information on applying to our campus or to acquire information of selecting an instructional program for your scholar(s).

For national nutrition month in April, our Healthy Bulldogs learned about healthy diets and made a pledge to take the bulldog challenge for healthy eating. We are grateful to our University of Houston Nursing students for teaching and helping our bulldogs! Many have completed their challenge and have called the school to take the challenge for May, Mental Health month. Even though the brain needs the sugar glucose, we know that too much sugar from processed foods and simple carbohydrates can interrupt brain function, making a person feel more distracted, and negatively affecting their mood. To read more, check out the following useful resource: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/diet-and-mental-health. We also know that many of our adolescents suffer from body image issues. In this challenge, we focus on eating healthy, not for our body size or image, but for our brain function and health. Encourage your student to take the challenge, submit it, and be entered for raffle prizes! Students will need your help because they need witness signatures. To help your student and even to join in and learn more about healthy eating and requirements for your specific body type, see https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan.

The link to the pledge for this challenge is in a pdf fillable form and below this column. Here's to Healthy Bulldogs!

As spring springs into action, allergies in Houston, Texas bring misery and discomfort to city residents all year long. With temperatures peaking anywhere in the 90°F, it's a recipe for hot and humid days, meaning miserable allergies for everyone.

So if you've been feeling stuffed up, often tired, and dying for some relief, these are signs of seasonal allergies.

In many areas of the United States, spring allergies begin in February and last until the early summer. Tree pollination begins earliest in the year followed by grass pollination later in the spring and summer and ragweed in the late summer and fall.

Grass pollen is one of the most common allergies in the world! Grasses pollinate during the hotter months of March through July but tend to die down once we reach September. With there being more than 1,000 types of grass, it is most likely the culprit of your seasonal allergies.

Follow this link https://www.aspireallergy.com/blog/how-to-treat-your-allergies-houston-tx for information that will educate you on seasonal allergies along with helpful tips to find that much needed relief.

Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses.

National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting.

As we celebrate nurses everywhere throughout National Nurses Week from May 6-12, BCMAR would like to say "Thank You" and "We Appreciate You" Nurse Alyssa Oliver-Block. Your dedication to our students and staff says so much of your passion for the profession. You carry out your role with nurture, patience, and a great advocacy for our students and healthcare. Our campus is a safer and healthier place in your care. Happiest of School Nurse Day to You!

Here at BCMAR we instill in our scholars that being a model student shows great integrity. Our scholars are reminded that it is important to always do the right thing when no one is watching by showing integrity.

Integrity simply means being honest and having strong moral principles. A person with integrity behaves ethically and does the right thing, even behind closed doors.

Each morning in homeroom, our scholars have the opportunity to journal and discuss their thoughts on 'integrity'.

At the link below, you can download of copy of May's Character Ed calendar on integrity for daily tips on how to be represent a person of integrity in all aspects of life.

The entire staff here at BCMAR feel it is an important component of character building.

This will help build morally-conscious citizens, that will positively impact society.

STAAR test is here and our scholars are ready to tackle it head on! Please read the 'important dates' section of this newsletter.

Mrs. Dupree and her team put together an amazing segment of strategies our scholars can deploy. To close it out, the day before the STAAR Reading, we had a pep rally where our scholars committed to 'showing the STAAR test up!' and they meant that! No Cap! 😉

BCMAR bulldog cheerleaders put on a show to entertain our scholars and get them pumped up. Although the mood was serious, everyone had an amazing time. Great job BCMAR family! 👏👏👏👏

We have been planning a newly transformed library for our students to enjoy. The anticipation of the arrival of our new inventory of books brought about great excitement. The entire library now has are age-appropriate books for middle school students that will meet all educational purposes. Our scholars responded to a survey on the types of books that interest them and HISD's Library Media Services Department went to work with our vendor Follett Corporation to deliver over 4,000 books designed for our scholars and most importantly with input from our scholars. Stay tuned to more exciting transformations to the "Bulldog Library"

Great job to our amazing and artistic scholars in Mr. Figueroa's art class with their heart art car that rode in the Houston Art Car Parade in Downtown Houston.

Our scholars are academically and artistically gifted. Two of our amazing scholars won first and second place in our Campus Magnet Art Contest. George Eruka's (picture second from right) artwork made it to the Magnet School of America Nationals and received first place at the National level. We are extremely proud of their hard work and how well they represent our campus. 👍👏👏👏

Our NJHS ceremony for newly inducted members presented our amazing scholars in style. It is much appreciated the support our campus receives from the community. We are so proud of all our members.

Our BCMAR Project Explore scholars this past month had the opportunity to seize an amazing experience!

They were able to take flight 🚀and learned how to fly drones with Lone Star Flight Museum!

Our wonderful Project Explorer Instructor Ms. Chelsea Pitts incorporates a variety of activities to help our students connect to a current digital-era that will prepare them for adaptation into tomorrow’s workforce.

Ms. Amado does an amazing job working with our tech leaders. They are crucial to the VILS infrastructure.

Our tech scholars apply coaching and technology skills to aid students and staff in tech issues. Here Ms. Amado describes a trouble-shooting strategy for devices that may not power up correctly.

Our campus is so grateful for all the hard work Ms. Amado does with our Jr. Techies.

The VILS program on our campus has been implemented with great detail and care. Thank you!

Just a friendly reminder to charge your laptops at home each night. Any student in need of tech assistance must complete a Tech Request Form by scanning the QR code posted throughout the campus.

Device Protection:

Chromebooks should always be inside the carry case when not in use. Mrs. Harris will be on the lookout with on-the-spot prizes for scholars who are "chromebook care CHAMPS"!

Chromebook Wars:

Just a friendly reminder to all grade levels: The competition between grade levels for the least amount of device repairs or replacement will earn rewards for the entire grade level.

Sixth grades remains the Chromebook Wars Champs with the least amount of device repairs. 'Way to Go!' to our amazing sixth graders for always accelerating in innovative learning.

Ms. Glenn, our campus Wraparound Services Specialist is a great resource to assist families of students and staff that may benefit from the resources offered. Please Click the following link to submit a Student Assistance Form https://houstonisd.force.com/saf/s/?language=en_US

PTO Parent Meeting: Date to be announced

Cycle 6 Grading Period: April 17- May 31

Cycle 6 Progress Reports: Friday, May 12

Cycle 6 Report Cards go home: Wednesday, May 31

April 26: STAAR Reading (grades 6-8)

May 2: STAAR Science (grade 8)

May 3: EOC Social Studies (grade 8)

May 9: STAAR Math (grades 6-8)

May 9: EOC Algebra

May 10: National School Nurse Day

May 31: Last Day of School for students

Please ensure you student gets a good night's rest to be at their best academically during the school day.

If you student is a car rider, it is always a great idea to leave a bit earlier to anticipate traffic issues.

This month's staff highlight is on Latin teacher Mr. Bowen.

Mr. Bowen teaching experience includes teaching Language Arts at the high and middle school levels. His passion for teaching shows greatly in the joy he displays as his students attain linguistic skills in Latin.

Mr. Bowen has always been a team player and has assisted in many capacities on our campus. This includes teaching eight grade ELA classes while campus leadership worked to fill a vacant teaching position.

Along with his teaching duties, Mr. Bowen also coaches our Chess Team. He has done a fantastic job with our chess scholars as they have placed top in categories at several local tournaments.

Please join us in congratulating Mr. Stephan Bowen for being recognized as May's "Super Star Staff"

It is with great pleasure that we present May's 'Super Star Scholar', Ancy Shah.

Ancy is truly a well-rounded student. This is her first year here at BCMAR. She takes pride in her academics, shows integrity, and represents Baylor College of Medicine Academy at James D. Ryan's motto of being Brilliant, Committed, Mindful, Achieving, and Respectful with such grace and honor.

She has been chosen as a recipient for the EF Explore America Scholarship. Her essay impressed a panel of judges and she was awarded a North American tour travel scholarship.

Her professional aspirations of someday working in the medical field as an Anesthesiologist is evident in her love for science. She is also a member of HOSA and says, she enjoys all the skills she is learning in HOSA and understands how they will help her in her academic and professional endeavors.

When she is not hard at work, she is hard at play with a passion for dancing and listening to various types of music.

The entire campus is quite proud of Ancy and all her accomplishments. Please join us in congratulating her on all the achievements she has met. Great Job Ancy 👏👏👏👍

Stop by or call our campus main office for a Magnet Tour or information on all our campus has to offer to your students.

Website: https://www.houstonisd.org/Page/31699
Location: 2610 Elgin Street, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: (713) 942-1932
Twitter: @BCMAR_HISD