Week of 12/5/22
.... It's a GREAT place to be!
Birmingham Covington Schools (BCS)
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
12/5/22 - Upcoming Dates
Upcoming Dates
Sunday, December 4: Open House 1-3 p.m.
Monday, December 5: Girls Swim vs. Cranbrook (Away) 4:15 p.m., Boys Basketball vs. Derby (Away) 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 7: Boys Basketball vs. Detroit Country Day (Away) 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 8: 7-8 PM Orchestra Concert, Seaholm High School Auditorium
Friday, December 9: Half Day, Dismissal at 11:30 a.m., Staff Professional Development in PM
Winter Recess: December 22-January 2, School Resumes January 3, 2023
Greetings BCS Families!
As a reminder, our community open house is on Sunday, December 4. Below is the communication that went to all district 2-7th grade families. Please consider sharing this publicly with families you may know considering BCS and who live in the Birmingham district boundaries, including families who may currently attend a private school and may be interested in BCS. It’s a great place to be!
Greetings BPS Families:
All interested families are cordially invited to join Birmingham Covington School (BCS) for its annual Open House on Sunday, Dec. 4 from 1-3 p.m. As a lottery school, BCS is open for students in grades 3-8 who reside within the attendance zone of Birmingham Public Schools. Lottery registration, which must be completed through our online form, for the 2023-24 academic year opens Dec. 4 and closes Jan. 6.
BCS is designed to offer a choice educational structure and philosophy to children seeking a rigorous academic challenge with an emphasis on engineering, math, science and technology. Students are part of a two-year academic cycle – 3rd & 4th grades, 5th & 6th grades, 7th & 8th grades – that allows for continuity of instruction and familiarity with personal learning styles. BCS also provides extensive enrichment opportunities school wide, along with a full complement of athletic activities.
- Take a virtual tour of Birmingham Covington School.
- Learn more about the enrollment process for the lottery.
- School Address: 1525 Covington Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
For additional information, please visit our school website at birmingham.k12.mi.us/BCS.
Thank you for your consideration,
Dr. Omar Hakim
BCS, Principal
Mr. Jason Hill
BCS, Assistant Principal
All School News
BCS Open House is Sunday, December 3rd!
Parent Volunteers Needed for This Sunday's Open House!
Please consider volunteering to help at our annual Open House on Sunday, December 4. There are two time slots available. If your student is an ambassador, we encourage you to stay and volunteer! We are also looking for some parents to help with preparation on Friday, December 2. See the sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AADA923A4FEC34-2022
Spread the Word about the BCS Open House
Help promote BCS by spreading the word about our great school to your neighbors and friends! The Open House is this Sunday, December 4 from 1-3pm.PTA Reflections Art Contest School Winners!
The following BCS student artists who participated in the PTA Reflections Art Contest “Show Your Voice!” have been selected as school winners. These students’ artwork will now advance to the district level for judging:
Dance Choreography:
Intermediate: Alina D.
Literature:
Intermediate: London M, Emilia H.
Middle School: Henry V., Simreen P.
Music Composition:
Intermediate: Myles L.
Middle School: Areeya P.
Photography:
Intermediate: Rachain P.
Visual Arts:
Intermediate: Alex R., Rachain P.
Middle School: Gillian V., Henley G.
We are excited to have BCS represented at the district level of competition! What an accomplishment for all of the artists. Congratulations!
PTA Update
1. Save the date!! We are excited to offer a BCS night on Thursday, February 9th to watch the Red Wings take on the Calgary Flames. We will have a link to order tickets within the coming weeks.
2. We are finalizing details for the Winter Activities, room parents will be contacting you soon with details.
3. We are excited to bring back GiftCrowd this year. This allows you to send some holiday cheer to any staff member at BCS, including the office staff and custodians. Create a custom note to each staff member and give any amount you wish. https://app.giftcrowd.com/join-event/VviXeE5OTF
4. We have extra directories. If you are interested, order it through MembershipToolkit. We will deliver them to the students at school.
Friendship Bracelet Choice Hour - donations needed
Donations needed! Friendship Bracelet Choice Hour is collecting new boxes of character band-aids to donate to The Beaumont Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic. These band-aids bring smiles to the children at the end of their appointments. We will have a box in the office for donations throughout November. Thank you for spreading hope, courage, and happiness for these young patients!
8th Grade Families
We look forward to helping your student make a successful transition to high school! We have created a page to house all of the information families will need in one place. Please save this link and continue to check back for updates as new details are added.
5/6 Camp Medication
Paraprofessionals Needed
If you think you have what it takes and would like to be a part of the BPS Community, please check out the job listing.
OCHD Issues Warning in RSV Cases
Oakland County Health Division urges those experiencing cold symptoms to limit their interaction with children at high risk for serve respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) illness, as Oakland County has experienced a sharp increase in RSV within the last month. Children at high risk include premature infants, children younger than 2 years old who have chronic lung or heart conditions and children with weakened immune systems. To learn how to prevent the spread of RSV, along with the signs and symptoms of severe RSV infection in infants, please reference OCHD New Release here.
BPS Community News
Birmingham United Game on December 3
Your Birmingham Unified Kings varsity hockey team is back on home ice this Saturday, December 3 at 7 pm when they take on M-1 United (Royal Oak, Berkley, Ferndale). Admission is FREE for all Groves, Seaholm, and International Academy students with valid ID. Don't miss a minute of the action. Bring the noise and help pack The Kingdom!
"Art as Therapy" on December 14
Please join the National Art Honor Society and Be Up Be Down Club Members, as well as the Art and Counseling Departments at Groves High School for our “Art as Therapy” event. All participants will start the event by experiencing a mindfulness moment with Mr. Cognetto and then follow each instructor into the space where you will be creating your work of Art. We will also be in the great company of calm and loving therapy dogs!
The event will start promptly in the cafeteria on Wednesday, December 14th @ 6pm. Please park in the student parking lot near the football stadium and enter the building through the side doors.
Participants will need to register for their specific session, spots are limited. Please sign up individually for each participant in order to ensure there is enough materials for the Art as Therapy activity you and/or your family members will be participating in. Follow this link to find out more about the sessions we are offering & be sure to sign up à Art Therapy Groves: Art as Therapy @ Groves (signupgenius.com)
Junior Kindergarten coming to BPS in 2023-2024!
BEF Annual Campaign
Please help our students to "Shine Brighter...Dream Bigger...Climb Higher" by donating to the BEF Annual Fund Campaign today. Visit https://www.supportbef.org/make-a-gift.html to make your donation or simply use the QR code.
Saturday School begins October 15
In partnership with the Birmingham African American Family Network, BPS Saturday School is back and in person within the newly renovated media center at Berkshire Middle School. BPS Saturday School Coordinators work together with NHS students from Groves and Seaholm, as well as student teachers from Oakland University, to provide tutoring to any K-12 BPS student who needs help in any grade level, and in any academic area. Saturday School takes place every Saturday (excluding holidays and breaks) throughout the school year. There is no sign up, but we do ask for a $3 donation to help us provide snacks for the students.
Each session begins with a motivational speaker and/or a welcoming activity led by the Saturday School coordinators. From 9:15-10:55, students are paired with tutors. At 10:55, we bring the group back together to discuss what students learned that day. This year’s sessions begin on October 15th, and can be found on the Saturday School website. For more information about BPS Saturday School, please contact Jason Clinkscale at jclinkscale@birmingham.k12.mi.us or Michael Babcock mbabcock@birmingham.k12.mi.us.
BCS Reminders
Early Dismissal Procedures
Please review these procedures to help keep your students and school safe. No Early Dismissal after 3:00 p.m
- Buzz the front door
- Be prepared to show identification if asked
- Sign student out on the sign in/out sheet
- Students will be released after the office staff calls the teacher
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.
We are missing Chromebook chargers!
Parents, please check your homes for Chromebook chargers! We are missing over 70 chargers. Please return the chargers to the main office.
1:1 Laptop Technology Update
We are thrilled to announce that all students will have computer devices at BCS as our district officially becomes a 1:1 district!
For 3-4 students, students will receive Google Chromebooks as they have the past few years. Chromebooks will be distributed to incoming third graders during the first or second week of school.
All 5-8 students will receive a laptop during the first week of school. For all you need to know about 5-8 laptops, please review the linked 5-8 BCS 1:1 Laptop Information & Forms
Parents must review, print, and sign the linked agreement before receiving a laptop.
Insurance for your device can be purchased through eFunds.
For technology support, students should write an e-mail directly to support@birmingham.k12.mi.us. Sending a message to this address will automatically create a ticket for students.
Get a Baldwin Public Library Card!
All BPS K-12 students and staff are eligible for a Baldwin Library card! Use it to check out print books and access most online databases. For example, our Community Read, “The Boy at the Back of the Class” is available as an audiobook on Hoopla. Plus, curbside pickup is available! Go to https://www.baldwinlib.org/get-library-card/ for details, or watch this video for detailed instructions on how to sign up.
No Cell Phones/Smart Watches During School Day
Students will have access to their school-issued 1:1 device- either a Chromebook or Dell Laptop. This is the appropriate tool for all classroom related technology.
We believe this to be the safest and most productive approach we can use to keep students safe and keep them focused on their instructional and educational goals.
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 Terri Grantling at tgrantling@birmingham.k12.mi.us with any questions.
Other Helpful Resource Links...
BCS Connect with Us!
All Students, Parents, Staff Can Report Safety Threats Using OK2Say
Not all heroes wear a cape and tights. A real hero speaks up for what's right. Be a real hero. If you see or hear something that threatens student or school safety, submit a confidential tip to OK2SAY.
Safety & Security - School Resource Officer, Kelly McGraw
BCS works in partnership with the Bloomfield Township Police Department given our location in Bloomfield Hills. For the 2022-2023 school year, BCS has been assigned Officer Kelly McGraw, as our School Resource Officer. Her contact information is included for your reference: Office Phone: (248) 433-7772. E-mail: kmcgraw@bloomfieldtwp.org.
BPS & BCS Calendar for 2022-2023 School Year
On our BCS website, you will find the linked BCS 22-23 School Calendar organized by month. There are links for importing this calendar to your devices. If you notice an event missing or not included, please e-mail Joni Saygan, our building secretary, at JSaygan@birmingham.k12.mi.us.
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.
Parent/Guardian Schoology Access (this is separate from PowerSchool access which is the site parents should continue to use to check student grades). Schoology is where assignments are housed. Linked are directions to create your parent account:
Emotional Health & Wellness Resources
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)
BCS Overnight Trip Update
BCS is excited to offer some great, optional trips to our students this year and in the future!
7/8 Trips
BCS will be offering one 7/8 grade trip this year and one music trip this year. Next year, 7/8 hopes to offer a social studies/art themed trip. This trip will be shorter than the Florida trip. More information coming in the spring.
Optional Science Themed Trip to Florida
- Registration is open NOW and closes November 18, 2022.
- Dates: April 14-18, 2023
- Sign Up Information: Trip ID 206583, worldstrides.com/register
- Information Packet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gqxelbpOyY0xcoewwECk5Fw6MKbNFkgW/view?usp=sharing
- Contact Courtney Bassett at cbassett@birmingham.k12.mi.us with questions.
Optional Band/Orchestra Trip to Gatlinburg - more information coming soon!
- Save the dates: April 28-30, 2023
- Contact Olivia Zang ozang@birmingham.k12.mi.us with questions.
5/6 Trips
The 5/6 trip offering this year was camp. Next year, BCS will offer a 5/6 overnight trip. Details and locations TBD and will be released in the spring!