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BCS News & Notes

A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community

Jan. 27, 2012
 
In This Issue
Board approves items
Article Headline
Article Headline
Students named to state choir
Librarian wins award
Quick Links
P.O. Box 10007
Birmingham, Alabama 35202
(205) 231-4600
 

 Technology in the classroom is growing

 

One of the major technology companies recently announced a partnership with a number of major textbook companies to produce digital textbooks for schools. Given the advances in technology and the size of multiple textbooks in students' book bags, the widespread use of electronic textbooks is something that we want to explore as a school system.

 

As we look to move in this direction, the Birmingham City School System has a number technology initiatives taking place in our schools. BCS has implemented a $22 million to $25 million technology refresh that has replaced desktops, placed interactive whiteboards in classrooms, provided laptops carts in schools and placed interactive hand-held devices in the hands of students across the district.

 

Schools have also provided iPads to enhance the teaching and learning process. Moreover, the district is also exploring ways to "connect" students who have their own Wi-Fi-enabled devices while at school.

 

I have also asked our Instructional Technology Department to create mini-grant opportunities for those teachers in the district who may want to go a step further in their classrooms. A major part of the success of technology in the classroom is the ability and comfort levels of the teacher. Likewise, a major part of students' success is the engaging experiences and opportunities that exist in classrooms. We use these technology tools to aid in the process.

  

Sincerely,

Craig Witherspoon

Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools

 

Steve Harvey serves as "Principal for a Day" at Phillips

School receives $10,000 from Box Tops for Education
 
The morning announcements at Phillips Academy were made in a very different voice Jan. 26, but the voice was very familiar to many. It was Steve Harvey -- comic, author and radio and TV personality -- who was Phillips' Principal for a Day.

Steve Harvey
Phillips won the national Principal-for-a-Day contest sponsored by the General Mills Box Tops for Education program.

Parent Angela Strozier entered the Steve Harvey Morning Show's recent Principal-for-a-Day essay contest and won.

Harvey met with Phillips Principal Mark Sullivan, shown with Harvey, and put his own name plate in place of Sullivan's. He made the morning announcements and then visited the eighth-grade classroom where Ms. Strozier's daughter was.

Then he headed to the YMCA Youth Center across the street, where all 700-plus students from Phillips had gathered. "This is one of the nicest schools I have been to in a long time," Harvey told the students. "The floors are clean and shiny. The classrooms are neat. ... The students are polite."

Harvey encouraged the students to strive to achieve their dreams. "I was once you," he said. "All I am is a dream come true. ... I don't care what your background is. ... You can be anything you want to be. The only reason you won't be is if you make some decisions that mess it up."


 
Magnet programs taking applications for 2012-2013 
Ramsay deadline is Jan. 31; others taking applications in February

 

Magnet programs in the Birmingham City School System are taking applications for the 2012-2013 school year.

 

The deadline for applying at Ramsay High School is Tuesday, Jan. 31.Click here to view and print the application. Applications also are available at the school.

 

The application period for the other programs -- Epic and Princeton elementary schools, Phillips Academy and the sixth through eighth grades at W.J. Christian School -- is Feb. 1 through Feb. 29.

 

Click here to view and print the application for Epic, Princeton, Phillips and Christian. Applications also are available at individual schools.

 

Applicants for kindergarten through fourth grade will be given a grade level readiness test, which will be administered in March. Admission to those grades will be based on test results, principal recommendation checklist, two teacher recommendation checklists adn the availability of slots.

 

Admission for fifth through eighth grades will be based on students' 2011 achievement test scores, report cards, principal recommendation checklist and the availability of slots. Parents must include a copy of students' test results and most recent report card in the application packet.

 

Applications, including all documentation, must be turned in to the school of choice by Feb. 29.

 
Middle and high school students win at science fair

More than 100 students participate in annual event

 

Students from middle, K-8 and high schools across the Birmingham City Schools competed in the annual district-wide science fair Jan. 25 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. More than 100 students were involved.

 

The middle/K-8 winners were:

  • Biology -- Jamarcus Ellison, W.J. Christian K-8 School, first place; Lia Barnes, W.J. Christian K-8 School, second place; Jamecia Ledlow and Janaria Banks, Putnam Middle School, third place
  • Chemistry -- Allyn Richardson, Huffman Middle School. first place and Best of Show; Travlon Chapman, Center Street Middle School, second place; Kelia Horton, Huffman Middle School, third place
  • Environmental science -- Lakirra Davis-Paige, Semone Styles and Jachara Ratcliff, Putnam Middle School, first place; Mathew Woodall, Huffman Middle School, and Christopher Burrell, Huffman Middle School, second place (tie); Kiara Stollenwerck, W.J. Christian K-8 School, third place
  • Physical science -- Alexis Stokes, W.J. Christian K-8 School, first place; Linden Thomas, Huffman Middle School, second place; Taylor Brown, Huffman Middle School, third place

The high school winners were:

  • Biology -- Naomi Wallace, Wenonah High School, first place; Sydney Ervin, Huffman HIgh School, second place
  • Chemistry -- Marcus Reed and Keiyashi Clay, Ramsay High School, first place; Simone Smith and Michaiah Johnson, Ramsay High School, second place
  • Environmental science -- Steven Roscoe, Huffman High School, first place; Jamez McKenzie, Carver High School, second place
  • Physical science -- Jordan Turner, first place and Best of Show
 
Huffman students compete in Can-Structure contest

Team brings home two trophies

  

Huffman High School's Team Viking, pictured to the right, competed Jan. 21 in the Can-Structure event at the Riverchase Galleria. Teams from area high schools built structures with cans of food they had collected to donate to the United Way Food Bank.Huffman cans

 

The Huffman students built models of Legion Field and Rickwood Field out of 1,880 cans. Their entry won second place overall and first place in the People's Choice award.

 

After the competition, all of the cans collected by the schools were donated to the food bank.

Team Viking -- made up of students from the SkillsUSA organization and the school's new Academy of Architecture and Design -- brought home two trophies.

 

 

 

Community meeting set at Hudson K-8

North Birmingham area air quality study will be discussed

 

A community meeting has been set regarding the air quality study being done in the North Birmingham area at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at Hudson K-8 School, 3300 Huntsville Road North.

 

Birmingham City School System officials and representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Jefferson County Health Department will meet with community leaders and parents. The school system is delaying construction of a new school to replace North Birmingham and Lewis elementary schools until the air quality study is completed.

  
Community meeting planned at Norwood Elementary

Status of school will be discussed

 

A community meeting has been set at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in the cafeteria at Norwood Elementary School, 3136 Norwood Blvd.

 

The purpose of the meeting is to provide an update on the current status of the school and to provide a forum for community input and feedback.

 

Carver mural
Carver High School students work on the North Birmingham EcoScape Mural Jan. 25. The students were from Dr. Margie Hyatt's art classes and Lisa Anderson's ESL classes.
 
Board approves items on Jan. 24 agenda

Approval of architect and budget for Bush/Councill included

 

The Birmingham Board of Education approved all items on the agenda for its Jan. 24 meeting except for a policy on student opportunities, which was sent back to committee, and an item for construction of a television tower at Bush Hills Academy, which was withdrawn.

 

The items included approval of an architect and a budget for the new Bush/Councill K-8 School.

 

To read more, click here.

 

 

Coming events

  

The Birmingham City Schools Community School Department Citywide Advisory Council will sponsor a family literacy awareness workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Five Points West Library, 4812 Ave. W, Ensley.

The District Growth and Student Population Ad Hoc Committee of the Birmingham Board of Education will meet at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, in the board room of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.

 

The Finance Committee of the Birmingham Board of Education will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, in the board room of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.