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BCS News & Notes

A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community

Feb. 3, 2012
 
In This Issue
Feb. 20 is makeup day
District names two Teachers of the Year
Magnet programs taking applications
Football players sign
Quick Links
P.O. Box 10007
Birmingham, Alabama 35202
(205) 231-4610
Students as stakeholders

At the beginning of this academic year, I created a number of stakeholder advisory committees, including teachers, parents, ministers and students. The discussions and conversations give us an opportunity to not only share information about the district but to gain valuable feedback and knowledge about the work that we do around or our core business -- teaching and learning.

 

I especially appreciate the information that our students provide. It is absolutely amazing to hear their comments about what we do in providing them the educational opportunities needed to be successful later in life.

 

Our students are bright and determined and are fully aware of what is happening in their respective schools and the community. They are also proud of their school communities and want them to be the best that they can be.

 

It is important as adults that we recognize and appreciate the impact of the work that we do on a daily basis. Having these conversations with students brings that home in a meaningful way.

 

Sincerely,
Craig Witherspoon

Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools

 

Schools will be open Presidents' Day
Day will be makeup for missed day on Sept. 6
 
Presidents' Day -- Monday, Feb. 20 -- will be an inclement weather makeup day for the day schools were closed Sept. 6, 2011. That means schools will be open, students will be in class and all employees will be scheduled to work.

Twelve-month employees worked Sept. 6 and do not have to make up a day. They will have Friday, April 20, off instead of Presidents' Day.
 
District names two Teachers of the Year
Dr. Beth Howard and Delilah Stitt will represent BCS on state level
The Birmingham City School System has named two Teachers of the Year.
 
Dr. Beth Howard, a Glen Iris Elementary School kindergarten teacher, is the Elementary Teacher of the Year. She is pictured with her class, Superintendent Craig Witherspoon and Principal Michael Wilson at right.
 
Delilah Stitt, who teaches English as Jackson-Olin High School, is the Secondary Teacher of the Year. She is pictured below with Assistant Principal Cassandra Fincher Fells and Superintendent Craig Witherspoon.
 
The two will represent BCS in the Alabama Teacher of the Year contest.
 
Dr. Howard and Ms. Stitt also will receive $1,000 awards, and their schools will
receive $500 apiece.

 
 
Magnet programs taking applications through Feb. 29
Epic, Princeton , Phillips and Christian seeking applicants for 2012-2013
 
Four schools in the Birmingham City School System that have magnet programs are taking applications for admission for the 2012-2013 school year through Feb. 29.

Epic and Princeton elementary schools are accepting applications for kindergarten through fifth grades.

Phillips Academy is accepting applications for kindergarten through eighth grade.

Students who will be in the sixth through eighth grades may apply for admission to W.J. Christian K-8 School.

Click here to read more. 

Football players sign with colleges
Some players have academic prowess as well
 
National Signing Day, which was Feb. 1, was a major event across the nation -- and in four Birmingham City School System high schools. Athletes from Jackson-Olin, Parker, Wenonah and Woodlawn signed with colleges and universities.
 
Several of the student athletes had choices to make, deciding which scholarship offer they were going to accept. That was true for both Nnaji Omenye and Beau Hankins of Jackson-Olin. Both are scholars off the field and had multiple offers.
 
Omenye, who is a member of the National Honor Society, selected the Air Forcel Academy.
 
Hankins -- who is in the top 1 percent of his senior class -- did not decide which offer to accept until the last minute, when he chose Georgia Tech.
 
Both Omenye and Hankins have been listed on several all city teams and have been team captains.
 
JO's Jacob Thomas signed with Savannah State University and Treyvon Henderson signed with Clark Atlanta University.
 
Woodlawn's Casonova McKenzie was seen on local television news as he signed with Auburn University. His team mate Roderick McKeavey signed with UAB.
 
At Wenonah, Bryan Barnette inked papers from the University of North Alabama, while Levon Whitt signed on with Miles College.

A trio of Parker players-- Deonte Parker, Alonzo Flethcer and Brandon Williams -- will be playing for Selma Concordia College 
 
Other Parker signees were Jarvis Williams, Stillman College, and Elijah Jenkins, Jacksonville State University.
 

Students win district spelling bees
Two elementary and one middle school students move on to county bee
 
The Birmingham City Schools held three district spelling bees Jan. 24, two for elementary students and one for middle school students.

Robinson Elementary School hosted one bee. The winner there was Evan Bell, a fifth-grader at Phillips Academy.

The second elementary bee was at Epic Elementary School. Christopher Bouyer, who is in fifth grade at Central Park Elementary School, was the winner of that contest.

Huffman Middle School was the site of the middle school bee. Gregory Ridgel Jr., an eighth-grader at Phillips Academy, won that bee.

The three winners will move on to the Jefferson County bee, and the winner of that contest will compete in the state spelling bee.

Alabama Education Association recognizes Shirley Todd
She is Assistant Principal of the Year
 

Shirley H. Todd, assistant principal of Whatley K-8 School, was honored by the Alabama Education Association in January as the AEA Assistant Principal of the Year for 2011-2012.

 

Mrs. Todd was selected from a pool of outstanding educators throughout the state. She received the award at the AEA Divisional Conference at the Sheraton Civic Center.

 

She was recognized for her leadership, encouragement, and guidance in Alabama's public schools. She has more than 25 years of service in education.

 

 

 

 
NAACP honors Johnnie Finkley
He is Principal of the Year
 
Johnnie Finkley, principal of South Hampton Elementary School, was recognized at the Metro Birmingham Brach of the NAACP's annual awards ceremony as Principal of the Year. He received the award at Jan. 21 at Lily Grove Baptist Church

.The selection committee picked Finkley for the award because of his contributions to the community after the April 27, 2011, tornado that struck Pratt City. Despite damage to his own home, Finkley worked tirelessly to assist children and families at his school. and others in the community.

BCS students part of Alys Stephens Center play
Schools will attend performance
 
Students from Ramsay High School and W.J. Christian K-8 School are in the cast of "Our Journey," a Black History Month event being presented at the Alys Stephens Center Saturday, Feb. 11.
 

The story - written and directored by students -- is guided by abolitionist and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth, and a few of the iconic characters that will be portrayed include American opera singer Grace Bumbry, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, Birmingham leader Richard Arrington, actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge and the United States' first black poet to publish her writing, Phillis Wheatley.

 

Performances will be at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Click here for ticket information.

 

A performance for schools is set for Monday, Feb. 13. More than400 children and teachers from BCS will attend the Monday performance, including groups from Woodlawn High School, Councill Elementary School, Ramsay High School and Bush Hills Academy.

 
 
Phillips Academy seeks online vote
Money would be used to build playground
 
Phillips Academy is seeking online votes in a contest to win money for the school. If Phillips wins, the money will be used to build a playground for elementary students.

Click here to read more.

 
Correction
 

The name of Matheu Woodall was misspelled in the Jan. 27 edition of BCS News & Notes. He was the second-place middle school winner in environmental science ithe district-wide science fair.

 

Coming events  

The Birmingham Board of Education Facilities and Technology Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, in the board room of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.

 

The Birmingham Board of Education will have a regularly scheduled meeting at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, in the auditorium of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.
 

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