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Mission/Purpose StatementBCS is a dynamic and collaborative learning community. We cultivate an engaging environment that embraces all students and empowers them to pose questions, integrate resources, synthesize, evaluate and apply their knowledge to positively influence our diverse and ever-changing world.WEEK AT A GLANCE – Week of April 27 - May 3*Following the state directive, BPS schools will be closed for the duration of the 2019-20 school year. Learn more about online learning and the health crisis at birmingham.k12.mi.us/covid19.*We will begin our Weeks-at-a-Glance with important dates this week followed by Mr. Morawski’s letter and BCS News and Announcements. To submit an item for next week’s “WAG”, email cbassett@birmingham.k12.mi.us?SPIRIT WEEK “AT HOME EDITION” - This week, choose a day and wear all of the BCS gear you have. Take a picture of you, dressed in your BCS gear, excited to start Q4!Monday, April 27Ramadan began at sunset on Thursday, April 23 and ends at sunset on May 23? (dates subject to slightly change - based on Lunar calendar)Chartwells offering Free Breakfast and Lunch for students in need (see flyer for details)Tuesday, April 28Wednesday, April 29Chartwells offering Free Breakfast and Lunch for students in need (see flyer for details)Thursday, April 30Friday, May 1May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage MonthChartwells offering Free Breakfast and Lunch for students in need (see flyer for details)4PM Scheduling Input Due (see Scheduling Letter)Saturday, May 2Forensics Online Tournament - Good luck, Cobras!?Sunday, May 3Click on the link to the full BCS Calendar: District Calendar - AT A GLANCE – Week of April 27 - May 3*Following the state directive, BPS schools will be closed for the duration of the 2019-20 school year. Learn more about online learning and the health crisis at birmingham.k12.mi.us/covid19.*We will begin our Weeks-at-a-Glance with important dates this week followed by Mr. Morawski’s letter and BCS News and Announcements. To submit an item for next week’s “WAG”, email cbassett@birmingham.k12.mi.us?SPIRIT WEEK “AT HOME EDITION” - This week, choose a day and wear all of the BCS gear you have. Take a picture of you, dressed in your BCS gear, excited to start Q4!Monday, April 27Ramadan began at sunset on Thursday, April 23 and ends at sunset on May 23? (dates subject to slightly change - based on Lunar calendar)Chartwells offering Free Breakfast and Lunch for students in need (see flyer for details)Tuesday, April 28Wednesday, April 29Chartwells offering Free Breakfast and Lunch for students in need (see flyer for details)Thursday, April 30Friday, May 1May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage MonthChartwells offering Free Breakfast and Lunch for students in need (see flyer for details)4PM Scheduling Input Due (see Scheduling Letter)Saturday, May 2Forensics Online Tournament - Good luck, Cobras!?Sunday, May 3Click on the link to the full BCS Calendar: District Calendar - 26, 2020Hello BCS!As we completed the first full week of our Continuity of Learning plan from a distance, I want to continue to thank our community (parents, students, teachers and staff) for everyone’s efforts, positivity, grace and support of each other as we all navigate and grow through this global health crisis. As I mentioned last week, teachers continue to partner with each other, students and families to make adjustments and enhancements improving the distance learning experience for all. We will be sending out a survey to elicit student and parent feedback on our distance learning plan. The district is finalizing that survey and hopes to have that sent out to all parents, students and staff by the end of this week. Also, hot-off-the-press, we reveal this year’s 8th grade Celebration Theme – details later in in the ALL BCS NEWS section with the not-to-be-missed video reveal!Just a reminder that the 2020-21 Scheduling Letter and Parent Input Form went out via eNews on Monday, April 20. Please be sure to review the letter as it includes important information about scheduling for next year as well as a link to an input form. Should you want to submit input, please do so by 4PM on Friday, May 1, 2020. Also, be sure to participate in this week’s spirit day coordinated by our BCS Spirit Committee with details in the ALL BCS NEWS section. Pick a day and post a picture wearing your BCS gear or school colors – black and yellow. Thank you!Most importantly, I hope you and your families are safe, healthy, and finding gratitude achieving happiness daily! To that end, I titled the post in my blog this week, “If All Else Fails, Laugh Hysterically!” where I share an article that provides tips on creating a realistic home working and home learning plan for you family. Feel free to check it out at . Thank you in advance for reading!Finally, I wish each member of our BCS community health, happiness and unyielding gratitude. And for all of us, may we share joy (and laughter) in what we have gained together as families strengthening the bonds of unconditional love with those most dear to us during this extraordinary time.Thank you for reading,Mark Morawskimmorawski@birmingham.k12.mi.us Twitter: @mark_morawski #BCSLearnsCheck out my blog: Character Education Word of the week: COLLABORATION/TEAMWORKInfuse this word into your conversations and share these quotes with your children as a character education focus. There will be a new word every two weeks.“It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” – Charles Darwin“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” – Henry Ford“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen KellerALL BCS NEWSBE SURE AND VISIT US on twitter (@bcs_cobras) and LIKE “Birmingham Covington School” on FACEBOOKChartwells - BPS Food Service -Parents/Lunch Menu?THE BIG REVEAL - 8th GRADE CELEBRATION THEMEYou may recall back before the school closure, the 8th graders voted for this year’s theme for their celebration from the top three they created.? Well, now is the time to announce the theme revealed by your teachers and principals!? Much like the ceremony will be, this year’s reveal will be video-based.? To stay connected with all things 8th grade celebration, visit the 8th Grade Celebration Page on our BCS website.? And now (drum roll please), click on the following video link for the big reveal: LEARNING PLANDistrict Information: Learn more about our BPS Online Learning, including an Online Family Guide, at birmingham.k12.mi.us/virtuallearning.?During this challenging time, BPS seeks to provide the community with an avenue to have their questions answered in hopes of providing transparent, informative details. See the FAQ for answers to questions already asked and submit new questions to our ASK A QUESTION link. BPS administrators will work to answer your questions as quickly as possible and to the best of our ability.?BCS Communications: Information that has been emailed out to families regarding virtual learning will be posted here: BCS Remote Learning LaunchBPS Online Guide for Families?COUNSELING CORNERWe 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.? If you are looking for a resource to help inform your child about the Coronavirus and answer questions they may have, you may want to check out NBC “Nightly News” Kids Edition.? A youngster from Beverly Hills is actually featured in a recent episode! take care of yourselves, try to keep smiling, and we will see you next week!Your BCS Counselors,Karen Kohler - Last Names A-K? ( HYPERLINK "mailto:kkohler@birmingham.k12.mi.us" kkohler@birmingham.k12.mi.us) and Jenny Wagner - Last Names L-Z? (jwagner2@birmingham.k12.mi.us)??BCS SPIRIT COMMITTEE GOES VIRTUALIn conjunction with our Virtual Choice Hour offerings, our BCS Spirit Committee headed up by Mrs. D’Orazio wants to encourage us to showcase our school spirit from home! Each week will have a different spirit focus!?Week of 4/27This week, choose a day and wear all of the BCS gear you have.Take a picture of you, dressed in your BCS gear, excited to start Q4!All Choice Hour Learning and Spirit Week pictures can be submitted to be shared through our BCS Choice Hour Seesaw. Learn more and how to share by reading the Choice Hour Seesaw Info Page.?VIRTUAL CHOICE HOUR - CHECK IT OUT IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!?Enrichment, the BCS way, continues!? We are excited to offer our great Quarter IV Choice Hours in an adapted online format. We hope that students will take advantage of this opportunity and sample some of our Choice Hour's with the various 20-30 minute enrichment activities offered. You will find the start of some great extensions for your student's academics and interests in these offerings. Learn more and get started by visiting the Virtual Choice Hour Document.?Students do not need to enroll or “opt in” for virtual choice hours. All classes that are listed on the above doc can be enjoyed by all students! Simply click on the title and browse the curriculum/content offerings for that class! Choice Hour Teacher contact information is also available on the corresponding course doc in case students need to reach out to the instructor!?Some course offerings include:Sports - stay in shape and get some extra workout/exercise ideas by visiting these courses!?Coed SportsDodgeballBasketball SkillsTrack TeamYogaRec SwimAcademics - find some great academic enrichments by checking out the options below!?Destination DI? - interested in joining the team next year? Check it out!?Intro to Forensics - interested in joining the team next year? Check it out!?Rubik's Style PuzzlesStudy Hall - includes study tips and ideas to help you learn from home!?Community - pick an interest area or work on finding a new hobby!?BCS Backgammon - LIVE meetings availableCobra Intern'l Club - LIVE meetings availableGardening for BeesIntern'l Foods - LIVE meetings availableMinecraft Mania - LIVE meetings availableThe Stock MarketIntro to Sign LanguageArts - get in touch with your creative side by checking out the various art offerings!?Cake DecoratingCraftingPhoto Stories - LIVE meetings availableVocal MusicQuestions? Contact Courtney Bassett cbassett@birmingham.k12.mi.us?3rd and 4th Quarter Reports CardsWith the first week of the fourth quarter we wanted to remind families that, due to the unexpected closure with three weeks left in quarter 3 and as outlined by our district in BPS Online: A Family Guide to Temporary Online Learning (pages 13-16), BCS students in grades 5-8 received a “G” grade in PowerSchool, due to our priority on balancing learning and well-being during the prolonged closure.? For quarter 4, BCS students in grades 5-8 are expected to engage in learning online, complete and submit assignments as expected, and participate in assigned virtual meetings and exchanges as assigned by our teachers. Students are expected to participate and perform in continued online learning to prepare themselves appropriately for next school year. Teachers will monitor student participation through the submission of completed assignments and will provide meaningful feedback to help students understand how well they are progressing. These assignments can include formative assessments, problem solving, written papers, responses to readings, or other assignments and activities but they will not be given letter grades. As our district shared, students will receive a “G” grade, due to our priority on balancing learning and well-being during the prolonged closure. Their ongoing work will be monitored so students are prepared to move to the next level of learning in the fall.? To further clarify, there is no report card at the 3/4 level for the third quarter, which is typical.? For the fourth quarter, the components of the BCS 3/4 continuity of learning plan fit the needs of our BCS 3/4 students and the needs of unique programming at BCS.? Thus, students are to participate, and teachers will be balancing student academic development with a keen focus on social-emotional well-being during this period of time.? Similar to grades 5-8, teachers will monitor student participation through the submission of completed assignments and will provide meaningful feedback to help students understand how well they are progressing. These assignments can include formative assessments, problem solving, written papers, responses to readings, or other engaging activities. While students will not receive standards-based report cards in June, their ongoing work will be monitored to be sure students are prepared for the next level of learning.??FOOD SERVICESBREAKFAST AND LUNCH WILL BE CONTINUED DURING THE BREAK. Meals are served Monday for Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday for Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This plan of action provides less contact for families receiving lunch and our staff. Linked to this communication is a flyer with information regarding breakfast and lunch services.?DISTRICT FACILITIESAll BPS District facilities are closed to the public through the end of the school year. This includes playgrounds, fields and tracks. This is being done as we adhere to the Stay Home, Stay Safe directive from our state and requests from local municipalities.?8TH GRADE CELEBRATION INFORMATIONApril Update: Hello fellow BCS Families of 8th Graders!? We wanted to let you know that we have been in communication with Mr. Morawski and Mr Hill and, together, are working on a plan for a virtual 8th Grade Graduation Celebration along with student keepsakes.? Please stay tuned for details!!?Thank you for your understanding,Amy Youn and Sylvie Lombardo, 8th Grade Graduation Co-ChairsLink to 8th Grade Celebration webpage.COVID-19 BPS UPDATESYou can find all BPS COVID-19 related updates online here: Birmingham Public Schools will be closed beginning Friday, March 13 and will remain closed through the end of the school yearSocial Distancing and Hygiene Practices?We want to stress the seriousness of this situation. There are things we can do as a community to limit the spread of COVID-19 and help keep those most vulnerable safer. If you think you are sick or someone you care for is sick, visit the CDC website for directions on diagnosis and care. You can also visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website for details around COVID-19, including information on Community Mitigation Strategies. Practice social distancing when you can, and review and exercise the prevention methods below and in the linked PDF.The best prevention for COVID-19, and any other virus, such as the cold or flu, is to:Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.Avoid handshakesAvoid contact with people who are sick.Remain 6 feet from your peers.?If you are sick, please stay home and avoid contact with others.?Additionally, families and individuals at home can:Learn about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.If you have respiratory symptoms, STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK. Call your health care provider’s office in advance of your visit.Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones, and light municate and reinforce best practices for washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.Be prepared if there is COVID-19 in your household or a disruption of daily activities in your community. For example, maintain a supply of medications, food, and other essentials in your house. Consider alternative shopping options such as curbside pickups or online deliveries.Access services as much as possible online or by phone.Addressing Childhood AnxietyWhile we want to make sure that our families are informed and prepared, we know that this has affected our students in varying ways. Here are some steps you can take at home to address their concerns:Correct misinformation for them.Focus on what kids can do to keep themselves healthy.Manage your own catastrophic thinking.?Don't dismiss their fears. Acknowledge that fear is healthy, and help them manage it appropriately.?Preview changes or disruptions that may happen, like school closures.Resources for families:?Talking to Children about COVID-19 - Parent Resource from NASP?Coronavirus Resources - ASCA?Talking to Teens and Tweens About CoronaVirus - NYTimes?Talking to Kids About The Corona Virus - ChildMind?Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus - NPRPBS offers videos and resourcesHelping children cope with stress – World Health Organization???Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19?Additional websites and resourcesThe Oakland County Health Division has provided the attached fact sheet to help address concerns. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) What You Need to Know. Additionally, the CDC provides a situation summary that is updated daily as needed: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Summary, as does MDHHS: Communicable & Chronic Diseases. The CDC will continue to prepare for the potential spread of COVID-19 and will provide guidance to communities. Learn more at CDC Protects and Prepares Communities.?Oakland County Health Division contact?We encourage anyone with concerns or questions to contact the Oakland County Health Division at (248) 858-1280 or health@ or visit , we are asking that all students that are arriving home after traveling to foreign countries with a CDC Level 3 status follow any CDC travel guidelines. The CDC recommends that those returning from travel to Level 3 advisory areas self-quarantine for a period of 14 days and see a health care provider immediately if they begin to see symptoms. To view the latest travel advisories, visit . For more information about COVID-19 and symptoms, visit . For the latest data, visit .?Building AccessDue to the accelerating reach of COVID-19, all buildings are closed to only essential personnel. Additionally, we have canceled all building rentals in our District until further notice and will make additional determinations later this month.?BPS Facilities UpdateAll BPS facilities are closed to the public. This includes fields and playgrounds. Following the directive from Gov. Whitmer and local municipalities’ directives, no members of the public should congregate on BPS MUNITY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOLLOWS…VIRTUAL SUMMER FORENSICS CAMPNew and returning forensics students - or students interested in a cool virtual summer opportunity that promotes performing, research, public speaking, and civic inquiry - should check out this camp! Details can be found here: ED VIRTUAL CLASS OFFERINGS“Home Island - STEAM Careers”Register with Birmingham Community Education at Search for class ID #15552 (class title = “Home Island – STEAM Careers”)?Cost: $60 for 6 classes?Schedule: Wednesdays 5/6–6/10 2:30-3:30pm (5/6, 5/13, 5/20, 5/27, 6/3, 6/10)?See the Home Island FlyerINCOMING SEAHOLM BOYS INTERESTED IN PLAYING SOCCERNew Players/Families:Our New Player Information night was canceled.? If you know of incoming? freshmen or new players interested in Seaholm Soccer, please direct them to and the New Player Information page.? And please encourage them to register and follow our FB page - Seaholm High School Men’s Soccer.??For additional District and Event News, Athletics Community Sports Groups Information click BPS District eNews?Review the annual FERPA updates and guidelines:FERPA Directory NoticeFERPA Annual Notification of RightsReview the District's Non-Discrimination PolicyAsk questions, submit comments or share stories anytime, anywhere through Let’s Talk! ................
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