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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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The work never stops at BCS
It's week into June, schools have been closed for a week and vacations may have begun.
That may be true for students and some teachers, but it certainly isn't for the Birmingham City Schools administrative staff as a whole. There's just too much happening in the summer for work to ever stop.
Sure, the pace slows down a bit when only summer programs are taking place in the schools, but we must be ready for the students when they return in August.
There will be three days of administrative retreats next week at which we will discuss topics including instructional leadership and our Professional Learning Communities effort.
In addition, administrative staff members across the district are busy planning for a successful 2012-2013 school year. We will be launching career academies at six high schools in August.
Teachers do have the summer off, but most will be involved in workshops and seminars to hone their skills and prepare for the next school year. The UAB In-Service Center offers a list of workshops, and the district Professional Development Department has a number of other learning opportunities prepared for certified staff.
Several schools will be moving into new buildings, which means there is a lot of preparation that has to be done to ensure that everything is ready the first day of school.
New math textbooks are being processed so they can be put in students' hands the first day of school.
Football coaches are preparing for summer practice and the fall season. Band directors are planning band camps and halftime shows.
It may be vacation time, but the work at BCS never stops. Sincerely, Craig Witherspoon Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools |
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Ramsay valedictorian wins national scholarship
Mark Ballard one of four to earn award Mark Ballard, who graduated as the valedictorian of Ramsay High School in May, is one of four recipients of the 2012 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarship by the Council of the Great City Schools. Students were selected for their academic performance, leadership qualities and community involvement. The scholarship program was created by former NASA astronaut Bernard Harris Jr., the first African-American to walk in space, and the ExxonMobil Foundation to help underrepresented students pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and to increase diversity in the STEM workforce. The awards are given annually to two African-American and two Hispanic seniors from high schools in the 67 urban school districts represented by CGCS. "These scholarships provide an enormous opportunity for talented urban students who have the academic promise and drive to succeed in STEM postsecondary studies and careers," said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools. "The generous support of the ExxonMobil Foundation and Dr. Harris will truly give our young men and women a boost in their pursuits." Ballard will receive $5,000 for continued education in a STEM-related field. In the fall, he will attend Auburn University to study electrical engineering. "These scholarships are one way of preparing promising youth for math and science achievement both inside and outside the classroom," said Harris. "With the help of the ExxonMobil Foundation, I am proud to support the development of innovative young minds and honor these students as they create a brighter future for themselves and our country." |
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Phillips Academy places in national competition
Academic Bowl Team goes to New Orleans
High-achieving children generally have lots of questions. The Middle School Academic Bowl Team from
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The Phillips Academy Academic Bowl Team placed in a national competition in New Orleans |
Phillips Academy has proved it is really good at answering them.
The team -- Gregory Ridgel, Talia Moore, Darian Sanders and Capri Coteat -- competed in the Questions Unlimited National Academic Championship held in New Orleans May 26 to May 28. The Phillips team placed fifth.
The team, sponsored by Amy Doll and Johnmark Edwards, qualified for the competition when it was the runner-up in the regional Deep South Academic Challenge in February.
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Christian, Phillips students part of safety effort
Team is runner-up in national competition
A team of middle school students from W.J. Christian K-8 School, Phillips Academy and Bragg Middle School in the Jefferson County Schools has placed second in a national contest that rewards youth organizations that turn adversity into action in their schools and communities. They entered the YOUTH-Turn It Around Awards program sponsored by National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS).
The students of the Birmingham City Swagg Committee addressed distracted driving as their main traffic safety concern. Distracted driving can include putting on makeup, eating or texting while driving. The Swagg Committee was runner-up in the middle school division for the awards.
The team hosted a pep rally at each of the three schools to spread awareness about the importance of safe driving. During the pep rallies, students watched videos on safe driving and made posters to create their own campaign slogans. The team then split their classmates into 10 groups and each group performed a skit to spread awareness against drinking and driving, texting while driving, putting on makeup while driving or eating while driving
In addition to the pep rallies, the Birmingham Swagg Committee worked with the youth department at a local church to host an after-mass program to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. The team also passed out teen driver safety materials from the YOUTH-Turn tool kit and other organizations that participated.
In the U.S., more than 2,000 youths ages 15 to 20 die every year as a result of motor vehicle crashes. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death and injury among teens in this country. Crashes take more lives of our youth than alcohol, drugs, violence, and suicide combined.
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Coming events
The Birmingham Board of Education will have a regularly scheduled meeting at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, in the auditorium of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place. |
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