BCIT Brief
March 2015, Edition #5
Editor: Mrs. Laura Geltch, Coordinator of Program and Community
A Message from Dr. Christopher Manno, Superintendent
Dear BCIT Community,
March brings many accomplishments for our students and staff. College acceptances, career opportunities, and graduation are top-of-mind for our seniors. We are proud of each BCIT student and look forward to sharing your successes in years to come. Here are a few March highlights:
BCIT Westampton Students of the Month:
9th Grade: Sevgi Anapa
10th Grade: Justin Bartz
11th Grade: Jacob Kramer
12th Grade: William Anderson
BCIT Medford Students of the Month:
9th Grade: Jaxson Bonsall
10th Grade: Jahmar Ortiz
11th Grade: Ryan Guantt
12th Grade: Brian Jonas
Staff Honors: BCIT Medford: Staff Member of the Month-Thomas Smith &
Support Staff Member of the Month-Dorothy Donnelly
BCIT West: Staff Member of the Month: Joe Rivera
BCIT Adult Education Highlights from Dr. Nagy:
Dental Assisting students must take three national board exams during the length of the program. Our students have maintained a 100% pass rate on the national boards. Thus far, the girls have taken the Infection Control EXAM and scored well over 100 points beyond the national average for the exam. This past Saturday, the Dental Assisting class took their Radiation Health and Safety exam to obtain their x-ray license and we are proud to note that all students passed. The girls will be taking the third and final national board exam in June. We are very proud of the hard work of our students and instructors.
Within the past few weeks, more than 15 of our welding students and many of our CDL graduates have been contacted for employment. This is good news for the students, our program and for the economy. We are proud of the great work of our instructors.
Take a moment to recognize and congratulate everyday excellence. It's contagious!
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher M. Manno
Superintendent of Schools
Attorney General Address to School Administrators, re: Harassment, Intimidation, & Bullying in Schools
2014 Bullying Statistics: http://nobullying.com/bullying-statistics-2014/
What can you do? Don't be a bystander - step in and stop the behavior.
BCIT Medford Sophomore competed in the state "Poetry Out Loud" competition at Princeton University
BCIT Westampton competes in the fourth annual Mid-Atlantic Robotics District Competition.
BCIT Medford students show off their Talents!
BCIT Medford Academy Information Session Dates: April 14, 2015 & May 5, 2015 - 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
BCIT Adult Education Spring 2015 EoEJournal ad:
BCIT Westampton Accepted Student Day Assembly: May 6, 2015, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
BCIT Medford Accepted Student Day Assembly: May 18, 2015, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
CTE Spotlight: Dance By, Danielle Hartman
And up and two and three and four, and down and two and three and four. Keep you shoulders evenly squared and stop-stop-stop-stop.”
Students sway and bow, glide and bend in the modern dance class, part of the Performing Arts Academy at BCIT in Medford. Teacher Lauren Gebhart leads the class through a series of drills from fluid, full-floor routines to stilted stop-motion dance. She focuses the students on technique and performance as they shift from one maneuver to the next. It is clear from the conversation that school is only one part of the training for these athletes. For many, the day is extended through before and after-school dance classes.
Take junior Katie Baitinger, who commutes to BCIT from Camden County to take part in the full dance immersion program. For Katie, the day begins with a forty-five minute commute from her home. Upon completing classes, she participates in the school’s musical performance until five o’clock; after the drive home and a quick dinner, Katie heads out to her evening dance class from seven until nine.
Katie loves the academy at BCIT because it better prepares her for college and real-world applications than her past competition programs: “If you want to be a dancer, this gets you ready for the real world. You learn to choreograph and navigate the audition process.” Katie, a petite blond with her hair pulled high in a pony tail, shows obvious enthusiasm when she discusses her program of study. “I plan to attend Goucher College in Baltimore like Ms. Gebhart did; I want to double major in Modern Dance and Biology.” Katie’s strong work ethic will ensure that she is successful in whatever course of study she chooses.
The new academy at the Medford campus will prepare students like Katie fully for the transition to college. AP classes in composition, literature, and history allow students to complete college credits while still in high school, and classes such as Anatomy for Dancers, Advanced Composition and Production, and Pointe and Partnering will equip them for a continuous journey into an advanced degree in dance. The academy offers summer internship programs at colleges such as Syracuse University and Interlochen School of the Arts, and professionally partners with the Walnut Street Theatre and the Annenberg Center for the Arts, as well as several other dance and theatre companies. All of these options grant students at BCIT a myriad of opportunities to make the most of their high school experience; opportunities that students like Katie will use to achieve their ambitious goals.
Performing Arts Upcoming Events
BCIT Medford:
Friday, May 1 & Saturday, May 2, 7 p.m.
Pippin
Thursday, May 28 & Friday, May 29, 7 p.m.
Spring Showcase
BCIT Coach Bingo Night - A SOLD OUT SUCCESS!
Program Advisory Dinner: April 29, 2015, BCIT Westampton (by invitation only)
BCIT 2014-2015 School Calendar
Connect With Kids Newsletter - March 2015: IN THIS ISSUE: What are we teaching our kids about happiness?
BCSSSD Blood Drive
dwood@bcit.cc, (609) 267-4226, Ext. 8151
Friday, May 8, 2015, 11:30 AM
Media Center, Westampton Campus, 20 Pioneeer Drive, Westampton, NJ
BCSSSD Golf Outing
Riverton Country Club
Save the date! More information to come!Monday, Aug 10, 2015, 07:30 AM
Riverton Country Club, Highland Avenue, Riverton, NJ, United States
NEW! BCIT 2015-2016 School Calendar
New Emergency Closing/Delayed Opening Procedures:
In the event of a campus emergency or inclement weather, staff members will be contacted via email, phone message, and text message. In addition, we will post a Special Alert Message on our website.
Staff Members, Help us Contact You.
Have you moved? Have you changed your phone number or email address? Please make sure to update your information with BCSSSD Personnel. A TEST Emergency Notification Message was sent on November 19, to ensure everyone's information is up-to-date and you will receive our future notifications.
Students will be contacted using information stored in Genesis, our electronic student database. Parents should be reminded to ensure their contact information is up-to-date. Any changes should be reported to the main office of the student's school.
Message from the CDC, re: Measles
Several questions from educators, students, and their families have arisen since the initial outbreak of measles in December 2014. I am writing to share with you links to valuable information and resources produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as information, resources, and links from the Department of Education (ED) addressing related education issues. In addition to links provided in this letter, enclosed is a list of relevant resources.
As with any disease that has the potential to affect our school communities, the CDC and its public health partners will have information about the signs, symptoms, and severity of the measles, as well as the proper steps to help prevent its spread.
Additionally, since schools play a critical role in raising awareness with families and communities, there are many steps they can take including:
- printing and sending CDC information and resources home with students;
- placing the text of CDC “matte” letters, or free-for-use articles, on a district’s Web site, in e-newsletters, and in other publications;
- posting the links to CDC information on schools’ social media accounts;
- sharing CDC content on your website through its Content Syndication (featuring automatic updates); and
- collaborating with state and local public health authorities (PHAs) and reviewing the CDC’s vaccination Web pagefor state-specific information on immunization policies.
- Best practices for districts and schools include developing policies and procedures in consultation with their PHAs for protecting the school community and addressing how to:
- provide information on everyday actions to prevent the spread of disease, including effective hand washing and proper cough and sneeze etiquette;
- provide information on vaccines and access to the vaccines within the community;
- properly safeguard the exchange of individuals’ medical information in compliance with applicable federal and state privacy laws; and
- ensure that there is not discrimination on the basis of a disability and that, when identifying and treating students and staff, individuals who are unable to receive vaccines due to a disability are not discriminated against on the basis of their disability.
Day-to-day prevention and protection against infectious disease in schools is more effective when it is part of a comprehensive school emergency operations plan (EOP). An EOP can support the school system in the event of outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic and address a variety of possible diseases—viral, bacterial, and fungal. The protective measures in an EOP include a continuum of strategies for preventing the spread of germs.
Districts and schools should consider taking steps to ensure the continuity of learning outside of the classroom for students out of school for an extended period of time. For example, printed materials or online instructional tools may help students engage in meaningful learning activities to help them remain on track with their studies.
The Department’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS) manages the Readiness and Emergency Management of Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, which serves as a hub to schools in providing information and resources for addressing infectious disease and supporting the whole school community. We are providing links to some of their valuable resources on this page, and you may wish to learn more about their resources on their Web site at: http://rems.ed.gov.
I hope this information is helpful in the work you do to ensure students’ safety.