Family & Student Weekly News
September 23, 2019
Dear Brooklyn Collaborative Families,
Curriculum Night is days away on Thursday, September 26th from 5:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. We look forward to seeing you. Bring your energy, enthusiasm, and questions. Take the opportunity to meet with your child's teachers and crew leaders, learn about the curriculum, and attend the workshops.
Be sure to attend on Curriculum Night an abbreviated general PTA meeting to discuss its budgetary priorities and to finalize the budget. All parents are welcome!! Please help us support the school and our children!
As part of our Pledge 4 Family Engagement Campaign, make your attendance at Curriculum Night one of your four or more school events that you plan to volunteer and/or participate in over the course of the school year.
The next couple of weeks offers a menu of opportunities to get involved in the life of the Brooklyn Collaborative community.
We hope to see you at one or all of the following upcoming events: BCS New Families Fun Fall Potluck, Friday, October 4th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., School Leadership Team Meeting (SLT), Tuesday, October 15th from 4:30 -6:00 pm., PTA General Meeting, Tuesday, October 15th from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Parent Equity Workshop, Tuesday, October 22nd from 6:00 -7:30 p.m.
Become a familiar face at BCS. We value your support and involvement at BCS and count on your active presence and participation.
See you this Thursday at Curriculum Night!
In partnership,
Scill and Imani (BCS School Leaders)
Tracey Pinkard (Parent Coordinator)
UPCOMING DATES
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
- 9/26- Curriculum Night (5:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.)
- 9/30 & 10/1 - No School (Rosh Hashanah)
- 10/3 - Lower Grades Expeditionary Thursday (ET)
- 10/4 - New Families Fall Potluck
- 10/8 - PTA Executive Board Meeting (6:00 - 6:30 p.m.)
- 10/8 - PTA General Meeting (6:30 - 8:00 p.m.)
- 10/9 - No School (Yom Kippur)
- 10/10 - Upper Grades Expeditionary Thursday (ET)
- 10/11: BCS Family Night: Movie Under the Stars/Film Shorts Under the Stars (5:30 -7:30 p.m.)
- 10/14 - No School (Columbus Day)
- 10/15 - SLT Meeting (4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
- 10/17 - Lower Grades Expeditionary Thursday (ET)
- 10/19 - BCS/BNS Apple Fest
- 10/24 - Upper Grades Expeditionary Thursday (ET)
Check this link for weekly highlights: https://www.bcs448.org/2019/09/22/9-16-20-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.
STUDENT & FAMILY ACTIVISM
Climate Action Everywhere
- Proud of our students and families for their activism at the climate action event in Foley Square in Mahattan.
BCS/BNS UNITY
BCS/BNS Apple Fest: Saturday, Oct. 19th from 11:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
- WHAT: AppleFest is a GIANT BLOCK PARTY held at the school. A joint BCS + BNS Fall Festival Fundraised/Community Builder with great food for sale, arts + crafts, a flea market, basketball tournament, Zombie fashion show, apple pressing, games, music, and so much more! Plan on an afternoon of fun! Bring family and friends.
- WHY: All the proceeds will benefit BCS & BNS students. Be sure to wear your BCS shirts to show our presence in full force. Look forward to seeing you at Apple Fest.
- WHEN: Saturday, October 19th
- TIME: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENTS
Become a Grade Level Parent Leader: Orientation on Thursday, Sept. 26th from 4:30 -5:00 p.m. in Auditorium
Grade Level Parents play a critical role to help families feel connected to our community. They support and help build community within the grades and provide an additional level of communication between home and school.
If you would like to be a Grade Level Parent, please reply directly imani@bcs448.org
What are the duties and responsibilities of a Grade Level Parent Leader?
- Communicate with families about grade requests.
Communicate as needed with families about school-wide and PTA events, including requests for volunteers as needed.
Represent BCS at various school events (e.g. admissions tours, family fun events, curriculum/SLCs, etc.)
Your energy, enthusiasm, creativity, talent, and time are an invaluable service to our community.
We will have a Grade Level Parent Leader Orientation on Thursday, September 26th during Curriculum Night from 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. in the Auditorium.
BCS New Families Fall Potluck: Friday, October 4th @ 5:30 p.m.
- WHAT: New Families Fall Potluck--a fun and festive way to settle into the new school year! Bring a favorite main dish, side dish or salad, and/or a delicious dessert that tickles your appetite! Bring enough to share with at least 5-6 people. Paper goods and plastic ware will be provided.
- WHY: A wonderful informal opportunity to meet other new families and build a community over the coming years in middle and high school! The Fall Potluck is for all families with a new student entering Brooklyn Collaborative AND any current BCS families who wish to welcome our new families.
- WHEN: Friday, October 4th
- TIME: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- WHERE: BCS/BNS Cafeteria
- PLEASE RSVP OR FOR MORE INFORMATION: Imani at imani@bcs448.org or Tracey at tracey@bcs448.org
Join us for our Parent Equity Workshop Series - Third Tuesday of the month
- WHAT: We invite you to our Parent Equity Series---a continuation from last year's initial equity conversations,
- WHEN:Third Tuesdays of each month - 10/22; 11/19; 12/17; 1/21; 2/25; 3/24; 4/21; 5/19; 6/16
- TIME: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the
- WHERE: BCS/BNS library
- WHO: All parents are welcome - the more diverse, the better! Come to one, or come to all!
Some of our activities include:
- collaborate on our schoolwide equity principles - what does equity mean at Brooklyn Collaborative?
- explore videos from organizations working with diversity issues across the country and engage in meaningful dialogue with each other
- participate in workshops using Dr. Edward Fergus' text Solving Disproportionality and Achieving Equity (aligned to what staff are doing in our own professional development in support of your children)
- and more!
BCS Packet of Forms: Return to Your Child’s Crew Leader ASAP
- All students received a packet of forms about school detailing expectations and important policies.
- Please review carefully and make sure you have completed the entire packet of forms and returned to your child's crew leader as soon as possible.
- For more information: Contact Tracey at Tracey@bcs448.org or 718-923-4700 X4102
We Need You: Please Fill Out Your Lunch Form ASAP & Support Student Programs
- WE NEED ALL FAMILIES TO FILL OUT YOUR SCHOOL LUNCH FORM ONLINE (https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application)using our school name (Brooklyn Collaborative Studies 15K448).
- Breakfast and lunch are free to every student every day, regardless of income. Even if your child does not eat school lunch, please complete the school lunch form. Your income information is confidential.
- Your school lunch form helps our school to qualify for Title I funding. Last year, we received almost $500,000 in Title I funding to support student programs, teacher salaries, afterschool programs, and much more.
- If you have any questions or need assistance filling out the form, please contact Parent Coordinator Tracey Pinkard (tracey@bcs448.org )or 718-923-4700 x4103). Thank you very much for your support!
STUDENT CORNER: RESOURCES, EVENTS, & OPPORTUNITIES
BCS Kicks off Club Tuesdays with a Club Expo
- Last Tuesday, BCS kicked off its monthly Club Tuesdays with a club expo. Students visited classrooms where staff showcased the clubs they offered, including Robotics, Chorus, Akwaaba Association, Arabic Calligraphy, Reel Works Filmmaking, LGBTQ & BLM, Debate, Chess, Real Talk, Real Life Creative Writing, Fabric Arts, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Art, Walk-for-Change, Street Photography, BCS School Newspaper, Green Earth, Global Voices, Fiber Arts, Piano, Pickup Soccer, Math, Logic, and Origami, book club, Manga, Anime, film club, and so much more!!
READER'S CORNER
As cities gentrify and schools diversify, PTOs grapple to ensure all parent voices are heard
SCHOOL POLICY REMINDERS
BCS Cellphone & Electronics Policy
- During instructional time, students must put cell phones and headphones in bookbags or lockers everyday, including on fieldwork.
- During lunch, students may use cell phones to play a game on their device quietly, read an electronic book or listen to music with headphones.
- .We expect families to message that electronics are to be invisible at school. Families should not contact their children during school and expect a response. If a student is not responsible with their device during school hours, we encourage parents to contract with their child, confiscate the device, turn off particular apps/features on their child’s device, and/or work with the cellular carrier to limit internet/data access during school hours
Out-to-Lunch Pass Contract
6th-8th Grade Out to Lunch Pass Contract
- Lower Grade students will have to earn an out to lunch pass based on their overall attendance in their classes and their positive expression of our core values.They cannot go out to lunch until after their first semester grades.
- Here is the Lower Grades: Out to Lunch Pass Contract
9th Grade Out to Lunch Pass Contract
9th graders will have to earn an out to lunch pass based on their 7th period lateness and their first quarter grades. They cannot go out to lunch until after first quarter grades.
Here is the Grade 9: Out to Lunch Pass Contract
DOE POLICY REMINDER
Attendance Matters: DOE Attendance Policy
- The DOE identifies students who are absent two (2) days a month to be "chronically absent," even if the absence is excused. This means they have less than 90% attendance.
- Please make sure your child is present and on time every day and avoid scheduling appointments and vacations during the school year.
- Any absence that your child has needs to be accompanied by an excuse note from the parent and/or doctor. Lower Grades students (Grades 6-8) should give their notes to their crew leader, and Upper Grades students (Grades 9-12) should show their notes to their teachers each period and then submit the note to Office 507.
- Statistically, students who are identified as "chronically absent" are less likely to have grade-level academic performance and to be on pace for promotion and on-time graduation
SPORTS CORNER
Basketball Tryouts for Boys and Girls Teams
Saturday 10/12/19
- Boys: 9am to 12pm
- Girls: 12pm to 3pm
Monday 10/14/19 (Columbus Day)
- Boys: 9am to 12pm
- Girls: 12pm to 3pm
Tuesday 10/15/19
- Boys: 4:30pm to 5:45pm
- Girls: 3:15pm to 4:30pm
- Please make sure you have the NEW completed PSAL medical form as well as a signed and initialed parental consent form.
- You will not be allowed to tryout without the correct paperwork.
- Links to all paperwork are below.
- http://www.psal.org/PDF/Miscellaneous/2019_New%20New%20New%20Medical%20FY%2020.pdf
- http://www.psal.org/PDF/Official/2012_PSAL%20Interscholastic%20Athletics%20Parental%20Consent%20Form%200812.pdf
FUNDRAISING CORNER
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