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BCS News & Notes
A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community |
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P.O. Box 10007
Birmingham, Alabama 35202
(205) 231-4610
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Career academies in BCS high schools
The Birmingham City School System has been making tremendous progress in the implementation of career academies in our high schools. The academies, or school-within-a-school programs, will link our academic and career and technical education programs to provide our students with a quality experience as they enter careers or college.
The initial listing of academies include the Academy of Health Sciences at Carver and Jackson Olin, Academy of Engineering at Carver, Academy of Urban Educators at Parker, Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Wenonah, Academy of Business and Finance at Woodlawn and Academy of Architecture and Design and Huffman.
We also want announce that additional academies will be coming online in 2013.
Very soon, additional information will be sent to students and parents in our high schools so that they are able make more informed decisions about the transformations that are occurring in high schools across the district. Our goal is to ensure that all of our students are prepared for the future! Sincerely, Craig Witherspoon Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools |
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Pre-school application lottery planned
Parents must fill out form between Feb. 13 and March 2
Parents who want to get their children into the Birmingham City Schools' pre-kindergarten program for the 2012-2013 school year have the opportunity to sign them up for a lottery Monday, Feb. 13, to Friday, March 2.
Parents must go to the school of their choice and fill out a form during that period. School district officials will pull names from a bin at each school the week of March 13 to fill the pre-K classes and form waiting lists. Parents will be notified that week of their children's acceptance or placement on a waiting list.
The schools with pre-K programs are: - Avondale Elementary School
- Bush Hills Academy
- Hill Elementary School
- Hudson K-8 School
- Huffman Academy
- Lewis Elementary School
- Phillips Academy
- South Hampton Elementary School
- Sun Valley Elementary School
- West End Academy
- Wylam K-8 School
For more information, call Carnella Jarmon, 841-2413. |
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Grant will help district save utility costs at two schools
Barrett and Smith are focus of $25,000 allocation
Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded a $25,000 grant to help cut utility costs at two schools in the Birmingham City School System.
The grant will be used to make lighting upgrades at Barrett Elementary School and Smith Middle School.
"Improving the energy efficiency of our school buildings is a wise investment," Bentley said. "Cutting energy expenditures will stretch taxpayer dollars and allow the school system to focus more resources on the classroom."
"This project is part of a multifaceted energy management program that we are undertaking," said Superintendent Craig Witherspoon. "The money we save by reducing utility costs can be spent in other areas such as teacher salaries."
The project includes the installation of timers to shut off lights on nights and weekends at both schools. Sensors also will be installed to automatically turn lights off when classrooms or other areas are unoccupied during the day.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Energy.
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Barbara McQueen receives award
JO teacher earns Outstanding Business Educator Award
Barbara G. McQueen, a business/marketing education teacher at Jackson-Olin High  School has been named Outstanding Business Educator by the Alabama Business Education Association.
Ms. McQueen received the award at an event at Auburn University Jan. 29. |
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Athletes shine at state indoor track meet
Parker and Wenonah competitors win their events
Athletes from the seven high schools in the Birmingham City School System showed their stuff at the state indoor track meet held Feb. 3 and 4 at the Birmingham Crossplex. Winners included: - Iris Robinson of Parker High School won the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.95.
- Barry Johnson of Wenonah High School took gold in the 60-meter hurdles. He set a new state record in Class 5A with a time of 8:36.
- Ramsay High School's boys came in second place in the 4 x 400 relay.
- The Parker girls 4 x 400 relay team took bronze.
- As a team, the Parker girls came in fourth overall in field of more than 60 teams.
- The Wenonah boys placed sixth overall.
- The Ramsay boys team came in eighth overall.
- The Ramsay girls placed 11th overall.
- The Wenonah girls placed 16th overall.
- The Parker boys placed 16th overall.
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Glen Iris donates money, supplies to Center Point
Children, staff show generosity to children of demolished school
Soon after Center Point Elementary School in the Jefferson County Schools was demolished by a tornado in January, students and staff at Glen Iris Elementary School started bringing donations to school.
Thursday, Feb. 9, the results of their generosity -- $1,200 and 15 boxes of school supplies for students -- were delivered to the Jefferson County Schools offices for distribution to Center Point.
"Our Glen Iris family has always been responsive to the needs of others, and this is just another example of the community spirit that we stress with the students on a daily basis," said Principal Michael Wilson.
For information on how to make a donation, click here.
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Huffman Middle students learn about earthquakes
School participates in ShakeOut event
What should you do if an earthquake occurs? The students at Huffman Middle School can tell you.
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Huffman Middle School students and staff participate in an earthquake drill |
The school participated in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut event on Feb. 7. The students joined more than a million people who participated in earthquake drills at 10:15 a.m. They learned about Drop, Cover and Hold On, the protocol for personal protective action when an earthquake strikes.
The Central United States Earthquake Consortium and nine states including Alabama participated.
Feb. 7 was the 200th anniversary of the last of the 1811-1812 earthquakes that destroyed the town of New Madrid, Mo., and created Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee.
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Phillips girls, Mitchell boys win city championships
Christian girls, Phillips boys take second
The Birmingham City Schools middle school basketball championship games were played before a capacity crowd at Daniel Payne Middle School Feb. 4. The Phillips Academy girls won their second championship by defeating the W.J. Christian
K-8 School girls. The Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School boys beat the Phillips Academy boys to win their third championship. |
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Magnet programs taking applications through Feb. 29
Epic, Princeton, Christian, Phillips accepting applications
Four schools with magnet programs are accepting applications for admission for the 2012-2013 school year through Feb. 29. |
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Parent Camp scheduled March 8
Workshop covers a variety of topics
Parents, it's that time again. The Family Involvement Program will present its 10th annual Parent Camp from 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at the Lincoln Center, 901 Ninth Ave. North. The free event for parents of students in the Birmingham City Schools will cover a variety of topics of interest to parents, including preparing for emergencies, physical fitness, financial literacy and discovering your creativity in music and the arts. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Parents are asked to dress comfortably for a fun day. For more information, call Mechelle Rice-Fields, 231-7965. |
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Sun Valley students study frogs' life cycle
Science experiment has legs
Patricia Kimber's second grade class at Sun Valley Elementary School has been studying the life cycle of the frog. The lessons have gone a lot further than just what students could read in a science book.
 | | Denondre Jones and Destiny Taylor at the live table |
This study coincided with their reading selection for the week, "Frog." In addition, the students did a variety of science projects about the frog's life cycle, and everyone who walks down the hall near Mrs. Kimber's classroom has been enjoying the science project displays outside the classroom. There is also a live table, which has a live frog in an aquarium with a light. It is fed daily with crickets, caught by a parent of a student in the class. In addition, there is an aquarium with tadpoles, and one of them actually has grown legs, to the students' delight. Science is exciting and fun at Sun Valley! |
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Correction
The names of two Woodlawn High School football players who signed with universities on National Signing Day were misspelled in the Feb. 3 edition because incorrect information was provided to BCS News & Notes.
Cassanova McKinzy signed with Auburn University.
Roderick McKinney signed with UAB.
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Coming events
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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