Week 3/21/2022
.... It's a GREAT place to be!
Birmingham Covington Schools (BCS)
Office Hours: 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Website: https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/bcs
Location: 1525 Covington Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, USA
Phone: 248-203-4444
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Birmingham-Covington-School-257853467700898/
Twitter: @bcs_cobras
3/21/22 - Week's Events
*denotes more information provided below
Monday, 3/21
Tuesday, 3/22
- BCS Pride Meeting 4:15-5:00 p.m. in Mr. Emmi's Room
Wednesday, 3/23
- Half Day for Students, Dismissal at 11:30
- Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thursday, 3/24
- Half Day for Students, Dismissal at 11:30
- Parent/Teacher Conferences
Friday, 3/25
Upcoming Dates:
- Spring Break 3/28-4/1, School Resumes on 4/4
- Half Day for Students on 4/8, End of 3rd Quarter/Records Day
- 5/6 Dance on 4/8
- No School on 4/15
All School News
Greetings, BCS Families!
We have so much happening next week as we wrap up before Spring Break with our Book Fair & Parent-Teacher Conferences on the horizon. While checking out the Book Fair, you may run into a wonderful new member of our team - Mrs. Lynne Rivera - our new BCS Media Specialist for the remainder of the school year. In addition to being a proud BCS parent, Mrs. Rivera is thrilled to be back in school again. Mrs. Rivera has her teaching degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with an elementary and K-8 ELA teaching certification. Her passion for teaching and working with our students are palpable, and we feel fortunate to have secured such a wonderful candidate given our unique circumstances. Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Rivera to our BCS team!
As we continue to engage in work around identifying our core values, we would like your feedback as we continue this work in its next iteration. Our staff, students, and parents have submitted initial feedback that has been analyzed and is now ready for the next step in the decision-making process. To do so, we are requesting your participation in the next iteration of the BCS Core Values survey. Your responses are critically important in ensuring our vision, mission, and core values align so that we can continue to maintain the strong partnership and coherence in our school's mission, vision, and core values. We appreciate your ongoing support, partnership, and investment in BCS!
Yours in BCS solidarity,
Dr. Hakim & Mr. Hill
BCS Happenings
Unicef Ukraine Fundraiser
The 8th grade NJHS will be selling candy in front of the media center the entire week. All of the profits gained will benefit Ukraine, by the Unicef Ukraine fund. To learn more about this charity and what the money goes to, you can click the provided link. Prices are $1 for 2 pieces of candy, and $1 for Fun Dip. If you are interested in helping out Ukraine or just want to make your kid's week special, have them bring in money to buy some candy.
Spirit Week
BPS Outdoor Art Event
May 7th from 1-4 at Beverly Park, all of the art departments in the district will be hosting an out-door, hands on art making event in lieu of the normal district wide art show held at the EAC every year. Our hope as a department is this event gives us an opportunity to engage with our community. Every school will be offering a different art experience. BCS will be gathering materials for a large outdoor textile weaving. We are also offering staff, students, and families to participate in a large collaborative mural. If you would like to be a part of the BCS mural you will need to turn in a finished plastic container (see example below) by April 22, 2022.
We appreciate you participation and are excited to see what creative artwork you all make.
Amanda Husband
Art Teacher
BCS
Battle of the Books 2022
Registration for Battle of the Books 2022 is now open! The form can be found at the BPS Battle website: https://www.baldwinlib.org/battle-of-the-books/. Each team should submit only one registration. There is also a form on the website in case you need to make changes to your registration. If you need help finding a team, there will also be a form for that, which will open on Monday, February 21. Keep reading…the Battle is only a month away! :-)
Please return BCS Open House Yard signs!
BCS Choice Hour
Important Reminders
- Choice Hour runs daily from 3:20-4:10pm
- Busses come AFTER Choice Hour
Choice Hour Schedules
Schedules are available online listed by Student ID number HERE.
Updated class lists will also be given to the teachers weekly while we process choice hour changes. The master schedule is also posted on the Choice Hour Board in the main hall. Our teachers do a great job of acclimating our students to Choice Hour the first few weeks!
Reporting a Choice Hour Absence
Email BCSChoicehour@birmingham.k12.mi.us or leave a message at 248.203.4625
Questions? Contact Courtney Bassett at BCSChoicehour@birmingham.k12.mi.us
BCS Pride
Attention all students! Want to be part of a fun club dedicated to making B C S a safe space for everyone?
Join BCS Pride! We meet every Tuesday 4:15-5pm in Room 600B. Email Mr. Joe for more information: rjoseph@bps-schools.com
PTA Update
8th Grade Graduation: "Then/Now" Photos due March 25th
Each year, a video is prepared for the BCS 8th Grade Graduating Class to be shown at the graduation ceremony in June. The video includes “Then and Now” pictures of each graduating student. It is a great remembrance video as they embark on the journey to High School. Check out the 2021 Then and Now video as an example of what we will create for our 2022 graduates.
Details for your child to be included in the video:
Two photographs needed
o one as a baby/toddler (the younger, the better)
o one recent picture
Photo requirements
o Solo shots please
o No digital pictures will be accepted this year, only actual photos printed on PHOTO PAPER
o Minimum size of 4x6 is preferred
o Although your graduate can help, please have the parents approve
1. Student name as you would like it to appear in the video and all graduation materials (first and last name):
2. Parent/Guardian Name, Email and Cell
DEADLINE IS March 25th! We will do our best to return all photos, but please do not send anything that is irreplaceable.
5/6 Dance - Save the Date!
Parent volunteers are needed to make this event a success: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4DADA922A4FA7-56neon
2022 BCS Blast Auction - Call for Volunteers
Please help us make the 2022 Blast Auction a huge success! Did you know that PTA fundraising is the primary source of financial support for BCS's unique curriculum? Our annual Blast Auction is the largest PTA fundraiser and supports the purchase of technology, books, supplies and programming not covered by public funds. Last year's Auction raised over $28,000 in funds to support BCS - we need your help to do this again!
Check out the positions we could use YOUR help with and volunteer! Please sign up by February 10th.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4FA8AD2AAAF85-bcsauction
Disability Awareness Workshop - Volunteers Needed
BCS Parents,
The Disability Awareness Workshop will be presented to all BCS 5/6 grade students on Thursday, May 26th and Friday, May 27th. This program is a hands-on; activity based workshop whose main emphasis is to help student’s understand how difficult and complex daily living can be for individuals with disabilities. The program includes activities centered on an empathetic understanding of physical, speech, hearing, vision and learning impairments. The students participate in a wheelchair obstacle course wear glasses that give them momentary vision impairments, experience speaking with an electric larynx and experience several reading disabilities. The goal is for the students to learn through this hands-on experience that people should be resected no matter how they may look, act, walk or talk.
We welcome ALL parent volunteers, please consider volunteering for a full day or half day assignment. To make this workshop a success we need a minimum of 18 volunteers per day.
SIGN UP TODAY https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C49A9AD2FA5F58-disability
Questions, please feel free to contact DAW parent coordinator, Amy Slosar at 248-506-0060 or email amyslosar@gmail.com.
Celebrate BCS!
BEF "Stars of Tomorrow"
BCS PTA Reflections 2021-2022 State Winners
The results from the State level of the Reflections Art Contest have been announced! The following students’ artwork has been recognized for awards at the State level in their specific categories and age groups:
Outstanding Interpretation:
Grace Y – Middle School Dance Choreography
Joseph R – Special Artist Photography
Award of Excellence:
Simreen P – Intermediate Literature
Areeya P – Middle School Photography
Award of Merit:
Charlisa P – Middle School Film Production
The student artwork that was given the award of Outstanding Interpretation now advances to the National level of judging!
Congratulations to all of our BCS winners! We are so proud of your accomplishments!
BPS Community News
Friends Meeting
Join FRIENDS virtually on April 7th at 7PM to learn from guest speaker, Kevin Roberts, on the topic of Neurological Nexus: Screen Addiction. Roberts is a local author, speaker, tutor and coach who helps clients unlock their inherent potential to change the world. Please see attached flyer for details.
World Sabbath Day
World Sabbath 2022, an interfaith celebration, will take place on March 27 at 4pm over Zoom. Registration is at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_0RgY9JFRQP6wQ2AqbJakZw It is free and open to the public.
Established in Metro Detroit in 2000, the mission of World Sabbath is to teach our diverse population in Metro Detroit that the work of building a community of justice, equity, respect and peace is a calling that everyone shares – all of us, no matter what our faith tradition may be.
The World Sabbath will be followed by a live interactive panel discussion featuring Azar Alizadeh and Paula Drewek (Baha’i), Gail Katz (Judaism), Raman Singh (Sikh), Imam Arif Huskic (Islam), Narayanaswamy Sankagiri (Hinduism), Rev. Dr. Charles Packer, Rev. Dr. Jimmie Wafer and Dr. Jaqueline Nelson (Christianity). It will be moderated by Rick Joseph, World Sabbath Chairperson.
World Sabbath 2022 offers an experience that radiates peace and hope to inspire all people.
MiSelf in Books
The Birmingham Public Schools Library Media Department is pleased to invite our community on a journey into the world of story. We hope to share with our community some of the diverse content in our libraries and how it impacts the way we walk in this world. We are inviting you to listen to a read-aloud and participate in a discussion of a selection of books chosen from the MISelf in Books list. This event occurs weekly on Thursdays 7-7:30pm, excepting school scheduled holidays.
For more information and to register for this event, visit https://www.smore.com/skn6a.
Announcements from Chartwells
BCS is going cashless:
If students would like to continue to make a cash payments, the student can find Mr. Allen in the cafeteria during breakfast.
Other Helpful Resources...
Student Medication
If the BCS Clinic needs to house medication for your student, please drop it off in the Front Office. Be sure you have an updated Permission to Administer form and Action Plan. These forms need to have a physician's signature. Contact Joni Say Gan at JSaygan@birmingham.k12.mi.us with any questions.
Early Dismissal Procedures
Please review these procedures to help keep your students and school safe.
Parents
- Buzz the front door
- Enter building and sign out student
- Show ID
- Student will be called to office
Students
- Will be released after the office staff calls the teacher
- Student will be sent to the office
- Student will be released to the parent
STUDENT IS NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE CLASS UNTIL PARENT IS HERE. STUDENTS MUST BE SIGNED OUT IN THE OFFICE. STUDENTS CANNOT EXIT THROUGH ANY OTHER DOOR.
No Early Dismissal after 3:00 p.m
Counseling Corner
We are here to help support your child academically, socially and emotionally during this time. If you would like to request a counseling appointment for your son or daughter, just email his or her counselor using the contact information below. Your counselor will then respond in order to set up an appointment.
Please keep us updated if we can be of any help at this time.
Your BCS Counselors,
Karen Kohler - Last Names A-K (kkohler@birmingham.k12.mi.us) and
Jenny Wagner - Last Names L-Z (jwagner2@birmingham.k12.mi.us)
Schoology Help
If students are having trouble logging in to Schoology or if they found that upon entering, there were no classes, please contact the Help Desk at HelpDesk@birmingham.k12.mi.us or at (248) 203-3123.
Schoology Parent Introduction:
You should have received more information about Schoology, our learning management system. Please review the attached district resources for additional Schoology information.
Note: Your child's teachers will provide class-specific guidance to students/families as they begin to integrate Schoology's features in their courses.
Parent & Student Schoology Reference Page
Check out the Student Schoology Reference page! This document will provide students and parents with instructions on setting up their Schoology account, navigating Schoology, and performing everyday tasks in courses. This reference sheet may provide helpful resources for you to use to help your students become proficient with Schoology.
Emotional Health & Wellness Resources
Cobra Crew
On Thursdays during 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8 lunch-recesses, we will be hosting Cobra Crew, an opportunity for peer engagement through games and conversation for any interested students.
A limited number of passes will be available each Thursday for those who would like to join. The purpose of Cobra Crew is to promote kindness, empathy and community at BCS.
If you are interested in opting your child out of this opportunity, please email your child’s counselor.