Week of 12/6/2021
.... It's a GREAT place to be!
Birmingham Covington Schools (BCS)
BCS inspires students to lead in the global community through a passion for learning, innovating, inquiry and design.
Office Hours: 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
12/6/21 - Week's Events
*denotes more information provided below
Sunday, 12/5
- BCS Open House: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Monday, 12/6
Tuesday, 12/7- BCS Pride Meeting 4:15-5:00 p.m. in Mr. Emmi's room
Wednesday, 12/8
- Half day - Students report in A.M., Professional Development in P.M.
Thursday, 12/9
Friday, 12/10
Upcoming Dates:
Greetings, BCS Families!
We thank you for partnership and support during a difficult week in light of recent tragic events in our neighboring community. We are going to the include the content from the letter we sent on 12/2/21 in case you may have missed it for our most recent updates. With regard to our Open House tomorrow from 1-3 PM, we still plan to host this event live and in-person. We know many of our student ambassadors will be at the event leading tours, and our plan is to continue as planned. We want to thank Mrs. Courtney Bassett, our Community Education Coordinator, for all her work planning and supporting BCS to our broader community.
Below is the e-mail sent to all families on 12/2/2021 from Dr. Hakim
I sincerely apologize in advance for the late e-mail. On the heels of a long day, I was attending a panel earlier this evening with my BPS colleagues hosted by Friends of Different Learners. It was titled "How to Communicate with Our Children After the Oxford Tragedy". They hosted a variety of BPS administrators and school counseling professionals in a panel addressing parent questions around this topic. They did record this session, and I encourage you to view it if you would like some guidance on what you may want to consider when communicating during this time with your children. More Information Here
Our staff gathered yesterday to review training related to ALICE protocols used in Birmingham Schools. Please review the linked resources to consult a variety of videos and presentation documents we use to train students, staff, and our community. Just to be clear, we had no confirmed or verified, credible threats of violence today at BCS. \Please know we are deeply committed to the physical and social-emotional safety of our students. To date this year at BCS, we have conducted two ALICE lockdown perimeter drills, in addition to fire and weather-related safety drills. We want to thank the Bloomfield Hills Police Department for their added presence at BCS during arrival and dismissal today. Our police were present as an added precaution to help our community feel safer.
This tragedy, while unfortunately not new in our country, has a whole new level of emotional impact when it hits us so close to home. We observe and witnessed that firsthand. And it makes the magnitude and scope of it unlike something we have experienced before. We know it is wearing on you, as parents, as it has many of our students and staff. This is tough. It is important to acknowledge that to move forward constructively and in the best interest of the safety and development of our students. Please partner with us in this work by speaking to your children in age-appropriate ways tomorrow and over the weekend, urging them to reach out to school officials directly or through the State of Michigan’s Okay2Say tip line 8-555-OK2SAY or OKAY2SAY@mi.gov if they hear of any potentially dangerous situations. Remind them how serious it is to make threats and the potential repercussions of such actions. Additionally, let them know they have many trusted and trained adults at BCS who are available to offer social-emotional support for students who are struggling emotionally.
We will continue to communicate and update you with any new or relevant information as we move forward. In addition to our school-related eNews, please refer to our BPS district e-mails for additional information and links to resources. In the meantime and in the heartbreak of it all, we hope you reserve some quality time over the weekend to enjoy your families & loved ones and check-in on those you think need it most. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your trust and partnership.
Yours in BCS solidarity,
Dr. Hakim & Mr. Hill
BCS Open House
The BCS Open House is Sunday, December 5th from 1-3 p.m. The BCS Lottery Registration Link will be open December 5th - January 7th. The BCS Lottery for the 2022-2023 school year will take place on Wednesday, January 12th. Go Cobras!
December Service Learning Activity
As we shared with our community, our word of the month for December is kindness, and in response to the recent tragedy, we take solace and comfort in the overwhelming kindness, support, and collaboration of others who help us restore our faith in the overwhelming goodness of humanity. We encourage you to reinforce the power of kindness as you may have difficult conversations with your own children about recent events. In the spirit of community kindness, we invite our whole community to contribute to the BCS December Toy Drive! Throughout the month of December we will be collecting new toys to support two local charities.
- Our 3-4 students will be collecting toys in their classrooms for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan through December 8th.
- Our 5-8 students will be collecting toys for Ronald McDonald House from December 6th-December 17th.
We appreciate your participation and encourage students to be involved in this process as they learn about community kindness in action. All of our district schools will be participating in a variety of service learning activities in the month of December as part of the
#BPSGives initiative. Collection bins for the Ronald McDonald House will be located in front of the main office where students can drop off their contributions. Please find a list of requested items below:
Media Center Notes - Battle of the Books
Attention Parents of 4th and 5th graders!
On Monday, December 6, we will launch the 2021-22 Battle of the Books program with all BCS 4th and 5th grade classes.
The Battle is a program sponsored by Baldwin Public Library and supported by BPS Media Specialists to encourage and foster students’ enjoyment of reading. Fourth and fifth grade students form teams with an adult coach, read from a selected list of six books, and then participate in a district-wide contest where they will compete with other teams by answering questions based on the books.
Titles and more detailed information on team registration and requirements can be found online at https://www.baldwinlib.org/battle-of-the-books/.
Lost and Found
BCS accumulated a large amount of items in the lost and found. After school the week of 12/6-12/10, we will have all items set out in front of the school. Please take this week to retrieve your items. All items left at the end of the week will be donated.
Thank you to all who donated BCS Spirit Wear. We are still collecting Spirit Wear Donations in the front office vestibule.
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!
Choice Hour Changes
- The Drop/Add/Change form will be available online starting Monday, November 8. It will close on Thursday, November 11 at 4pm. Changes will be made on a rolling basis and families will be notified by email if a change is made and when the new start date is.
- There are no adds or changes accepted after 11/4. Any drops made after 11/4 will not be refunded.
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
Girls Swim Announcement
We raised our record to 2-1 with a 47-39 victory over Berkley Middle School. Berkley, in their first year in the Central Oakland Middle School Athletic Conference (COMSAC), is a combined middle school team of more than 60 girls. Sadie K. won our only 2 individual events and swam with Lauren G., Sylvia D., Maya S. and Brooke T. on our two victorious relay teams. Our depth, which resulted in a 1-2 finish in the 100 Free (Sadie and Lauren) and several 2nd and 3rd places was the difference in the meet. Lyla S., Ari L., Zoe H., Ro B., and Samantha K. stood out from several girls that swam their best meets of the year. Please join us as we continue our season with our first away meet at Berkshire next Wednesday the 8th. Note, Wednesday is a half day for students, but the meet will still be at 4:15. We are asking the girls to be on deck at Berkshire at 3:30.
SOS Annual Season of Giving
Schools Offer Support is working to make this season special for 21 BPS families and you can help. Local families from our schools have put together wish lists. You can shop for these items from the SignUpGenius through Friday, December 17th. SOS will deliver the gifts to the families on December 21st. Get all the details in the SignUpGenius link. Thank you so much for supporting families and students in our BPS community!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044eaeab2ba31-schools1
Schools Offers Support (SOS) serves members of our community through outreach efforts, financial support, and volunteer activities. SOS is committed to helping those in need and teaching students that community matters
Visit schoolsoffersupport.org to learn more and to sign up for updates.
Follow SOS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schoolsoffersupport/
Support the BEF Annual Fund
Please support the Birmingham Education Foundation in their Annual Fund Campaign by making a donation TODAY!
The mission of the BEF is to create exceptional education experiences by connecting innovative teachers with community support. Each year the BEF provides teacher grants for activities that directly impact your children.
Visit supportBEF.org to learn more and to donate.
Seaholm vs. Groves Girls Basketball Night at LCA
On Sunday, December 19th the Seaholm and Groves Girls Basketball team will meet on the court at Little Caesars Arena. They will play after the Pistons game, start time approx. 8:45pm. After the Pistons game is over, all fans can move closer to the court to watch the high school game. Even though it's a school night, we hope to see some BCS families support Mr. Manchester and Mr. Mixon, coaches of the Seaholm team, and some of our BCS alumni!
Library Cards from Baldwin Public Library
A Baldwin Library card is the ultimate passport to wonderful works of literature, music, movies and more. It also allows you to enjoy our digital media, like our growing selection of eBooks, online music and magazines, and premium research resources.. If you’re a resident, a property owner, a K-12 student, or are employed in our service area of Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms or the ... www.baldwinlib.org
Parents: Did you know that your child qualifies for a free Baldwin Library card? Please use this link to get your child his/her own card. This will allow us to connect all students to a vast library of ebooks and audio books.
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:
With
Send Money to School, families can add money to their children's meal accounts from home or work. You can eliminate the risk of lost checks, lost cash or playground thievery. Conveniently deposit money, check balances, see what your children are eating, and more.
SendMoneyToSchool.com even allows you to transfer funds, set parental controls such as spending limits, pay fees, pay fines, and buy school merchandise quickly and easily. With your help, we can make the BCS lunch line a smooth, fast and sanitary process.
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.
PTA Clearinghouse
Save the Date: BCS Pistons Night! Sunday, January 30
