Family & Student Weekly News
October 15, 2018
Dear Brooklyn Collaborative Families,
Smartphones, tablets, and computers are everywhere in schools. The amount of time students spend on digital devices and the content that captures their attention raise questions about managing screen time and teaching students about digital etiquette. Parents, teachers, and school leaders have acknowledged the opportunities that the digital age has made possible but simultaneously lament the challenges that students face as a result of the ubiquity of twenty-first century technology in their lives.
Brooklyn Collaborative will be celebrating Digital Citizenship Week, October 15 - 19.
All crew leaders will be selecting an age-appropriate lesson of their choice to do in crew that week. By talking about digital citizenship, we support our students in applying the core values to ensure a kind and responsible online presence.
During Digital Citizenship Week, Common Sense Education and the DOE asks schools to celebrate, renew, or activate your school's commitment to digital citizenship: Digital citizens think critically about what they see online and learn to make their own smart choices online and in life. That means understanding the benefits and risks of sharing information, knowing the difference between a credible news source and a sponsored ad, and balancing screen time with other activities. Cultivating these skills is essential for anyone to thrive in today's increasingly tech-driven world. But digital citizens aren't born -- they're taught by parents like you and educators like us!
Here are some resources for parents:
- What should I talk with my children about when they are getting new digital devices?http://mediasmarts.ca/parents/digital-citizenship-guide-parents - The Digital Citizenship Guide for Parents is designed to prepare parents and guardians for the conversations they should have with their children when they first start usingdigital devices. This is great for students getting their first phones or for adding features to a current phone.
- How do I set up parental controls on the electronic devices my children use?https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-parental-controls - Parental controls can support you in your efforts to keep your kids' Internet experiences safe, fun, and productive. But they work best when used openly and honestly in partnership with your kids -- not as a stealth spying method.
- How do I decide whether a game or app is appropriate for my child? Visit https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ and enter your child's age to personalize Common Sense Media for your child.
In partnership,
Scill, Amanda, Imani (BCS School Leaders)
Tracey (BCS Parent Coordinator)
UPCOMING DATES
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
- 10/18 - Lower Grades ET
- 10/25 - Upper Grades ET (Science)
- 10/27 - BCS/BNS Apple Fest
- 11/1 - Lower Grades ET
- 11/2 - Family Breakfast Series (8:15 - 9:00 a.m.)
- 11/8 - Upper Grades ET (ELA)
- 11/6 - No school for students (Election Day/Chancellor's Conference Day for Staff Development
- 11/12 - No school (Veterans Day)
- 11/13 - SLT Meeting (4:30 - 6:00 p.m.)
- 11/13 - PTA Executive Board Meeting (6:00 - 6:30 p.m.)
- 11/13 - PTA General Meeting (6:30 - 8:00 p.m.)
- 11/15 - Lower Grades ET
- 11/16 - BCS Potluck Community Feast: A Circle of Thanks
- 11/22 -11/23 - No school (Thanksgiving Recess)
- 11/29 - Student Led Conferences (evening)
- 11/30 - Student Led Conferences (afternoon)
Check this link for weekly highlights: https://www.bcs448.org/2018/10/14/10-9-12-highlights-of-the-week/ of what's going at the school, in the classroom, in after school clubs, an at sports events.
Check this link for important dates: http://www.bcs448.org/monthly-calendar/
Contact Information: To sign up for our parent mailing list, please email scill@bcs448.org with your name, your child’s name and grade level. Note: if you are receiving this email, you are already on our parent mailing list.
If you have any additional questions, please email imani@bcs448.org and tracey@bcs448.org
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Face Painters Needed for the 2018 BCS/BNS Apple Fest
ARE YOU A TALENTED ARTIST? A CREATIVE SPIRIT?
- If so, come and serve the BCS Community at Apple Fest at the Face Painting Table on October 27th! The Face Painting is a very popular table and one of our BIGGEST money makers during Apple Fest.
- MORE VOLUNTEER painters = SHORTER WAIT TIMES in line!!
- If you're interested, please click on the SIGN UP link below and sign up for a slot: http://signup.com/go/RkwiHai
Raising Resilient Girls Seminar: Tuesday, October 23rd @ 6:30 p.m. at BCS/BNS Auditorium
- WHAT: Raising Resilient Girls---a seminar by Simone Marean of Girls Leadership that discusses the pressures that are unique to being a girl today and how you can help girls navigate these challenges with confidence using practical, actionable advice that you can use at home. https://girlsleadership.org/
- WHEN:Tuesday, October 23rd
- TIME: 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- WHERE: BCS/BNS Auditorium.
Seminar Sign Up:
- Childcare sign up: Childcare can be provided from 6pm-8:00p,m.
Pizza will be served; please sign up ASAP so we have enough
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y4xZp-qunL7eZ4g4UVOqdQ0ayrPUcOLBmoIbpx-t_Rg/edit?usp=sharing
Childcare sign up ASAP:
CLASSROOM, COLLABORATION, & CURRICULUM SPOTLIGHT
Congratulations to Eddie and our Robosharks Team and our Makerspace!
- Congrats to Eddie and our Robosharks Team and our Makerspace!
- We won for a $225,000 grant to support our programming.
- Looking forward to the amazing action coming out of the Makerspace!!!
- Eddie and Tracey went to a press conference today with the Brooklyn Borough President and Chancellor Carranza to pick up the award.
SPORTS CORNER
BCS Girls & Boys Varsity Basketball Tryouts (High School Students)
- WHAT: Girls & Boys Varsity Basketball Tryouts
- WHO: Grades 9 - 12
- WHEN: Girls Varsity on Friday, October 19th from 3:15 - 5:15 p.m. & Saturday, October 20th from 12:15 to 2:00 p.m.
- WHEN: Boys Varsity on Friday October 19th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. & Saturday October 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- REQUIREMENTS: To try out, students must have a completely signed and initialed permission slip. The student's medical form must also be completely filled out with an official doctor's stamp. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- LINKS TO FORMS: http://www.psal.org/PDF/Official/2012_PSAL%20Interscholastic%20Athletics%20Parental%20Consent%20Form%200812.pdf
- http://www.psal.org/PDF/Miscellaneous/2018_Interscholastic%20Sports%20Examination%20form%20changed%209-25-2018%20without%20watermark.pdf
CLUB CORNER: LUNCH TIME & AFTER SCHOOL
Join the BCS Middle School RoboSharks Robotics Team
- WHAT: Are you a 7th or 8th grade student who is interested in designing, building, programming, and operating robots to play a floor game in an alliance format? Join BCS Middle School RoboShark Robotics team and participant in US FIRST® Tech Challenge ROVER RUCKUS!
- WHEN: Every Wednesday & Thursday
- TIME: 3:15PM to 4:30PM
- WHERE: Room 423
- ATTEND ORIENTATION: Wednesday, October 17th
- FOR MORE INFORMATION: See Thomas D. or email him at thomas@bcs448.org
AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES
YWCA @ BCS After School Program: Grades 6 - 8
- This week the YWCA at BCS prepared spaghetti with chicken cutlets with our After-school Group Leader Mercedes! Our students enjoyed making this simple dish as they learned how to food prep, measure ingredients and the importance of knife safety skills in the kitchen.
- We are pleased to announce that over 70% of our after-school students complete a minimum of two homework assignments during our academic enrichment hour.
- We extended this time to ensure that students are completing as much work as possible.
- Our students use this time to study, complete homework and/or read.
- For more information on our after-school program, please contact our Program Director (Janet Cooper) at Jcooper@ywcanyc.org.
STUDENT CORNER: RESOURCES, EVENTS, & OPPORTUNITIES
Panels, Book Fair, and College Essay Review Station For Teen Writers 13-19 yrs
- WHAT: Teen Writers’ Summit is a diverse platform for teens to assess and advocate for their writing by engaging with literary landscapes. The Summit will include panel discussions, a college/book fair, and a college essay review station. Writopia teen leaders curated hour-long panel discussions featuring Scholastic Art & Writing representatives, PEN America representatives, directors of undergraduate creative writing programs, literary magazine and book editors, literary agents, and established authors, journalists, playwrights, and comedians
- WHO: Teen writers ages 13 to 19 and their families from the New York metropolitan area!
- WHEN: Sunday, November 4th, 2018
- TIME: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- WHERE: TBA (Manhattan)
New York University Tisch School's Future Artists Program
- WHAT: Future Artists Program a FREE, intensive 14-week program in a variety of disciplines to high school students living in the Tri-State Area. Calling all Dancers, Dramatic Writers, Film Scholars, Filmmakers, Game Designers , Imagemakers (Photography & Imaging), Music Moguls (Recorded Music), & Theatre Artists (Drama)
- WHERE: New York University Tisch School of the Arts
- OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, Oct. 20 from 9:30 - 11am: 721 Broadway, Lower Level
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 13, 2018
Teen Apprenticeships at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- WHAT: 2019 Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. GAP is a great way for teens to learn about urban agriculture, science, and the environment while working in one of the most exciting public gardens in the world! Apprentices can work their way up the four-tier program, potentially earning a paid position as a Tier 4 Apprentice. BBG Garden Apprentices: Work with children, behind the scenes with staff, and with Garden visitors; learn about botany and environmentalism; grow, harvest, and cook their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the Children’s Garden; and explore Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s plant collections and greenhousesDevelop job skills, including teamwork, communication, and responsibility.
- WHO: Grades 8–11
- FOR MORE INFORMATION & APPLICATION: Contact Eric Au and Ruth Ballenzweig at 718-623-7328. Visit bbg.org/gap for applications, photos, and frequently asked questions or attend the Info Session on Saturday, November 3rd at 2:00 p.m.
- RESERVE SPOT @ INFO SESSION: Email gap@bbg.org, call 718-623-7252, or visit Facebook page/RSVP for the Info Session
- APPLICATIONS: Due Wednesday, November 28th.
LIBRARY CORNER
8th Graders Go To Library for Inspiration!
- 8th graders descended upon the library on Friday and began exploring titles for their upcoming scary stories unit.
- Our manga readers suggested new titles for the library!
FUNDRAISING CORNER
Brooklyn Collaborative Wish List Brooklyn Collaborative Wish List
- We greatly appreciate you taking a look at our wish list and supporting us in whatever ways you can.
- Link: http://a.co/bb5yXoj
Box Tops for Education Box Tops for Education
- BCS participates in the Box Tops for Education program. This program provides schools with a way to raise funds by turning in cut-out box tops from specially marked General Mills products.
- Each collected box top can be redeemed for ten cents.
- Please collect your box tops and submit them to Tracey in Rm 41