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BCS News & Notes

A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community

Nov. 2, 2012
 
In This Issue
Middle school championship set
Band festival Sunday
Education Summit Nov. 8
Students in Youth Leadership Forum
Quick Links
Alabama State Department of Education, www.alsde.edu

P.O. Box 10007
Birmingham, Alabama 35202
(205) 231-4610

 

GATE program offers opportunities
 

The GATE, or Gifted and Talented Education, program provides additional learning opportunities for students.  On Thursday evening, a GATE parents meeting was held at Epic Elementary School. 

 

The evening gave parents and teachers a chance to discuss various aspects of the program at the elementary  and middle levels, as well as ways to encourage and support children's creativity in school and while at home or other outside activities.  

 

The guest speaker was Dr. Patty Wood of Samford University.  Dr. Wood provided information to parents about such topics as advocacy for gifted education and insights into gifted students as they move through grade levels. 

 

The GATE program in BCS gives gifted and talented students additional opportunities to be successful in diverse learning environments. It is another tool for the district as we strive for higher levels of teaching and learning.

  

Sincerely,

Craig Witherspoon

Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools

Mitchell and Green Acres to play for championship Saturday
Arrington and Smith will meet in consolation game

The Birmingham City School System middle school football championship will be decided Saturday, Nov. 3.
 
Arrington and Smith middle schools will play a consolation game at 10 a.m. at Lawson Field.
 
The championship game, scheduled for noon at Lawson Field, will feature Ossie Ware Mitchell and Green Acres middle schools.
 
Tickets are $5 at the gate.

 

All City Marching Band Festival set Sunday
All seven high school bands, auxiliary units participating 
 

Marching band fans can get their fill of fanfare at the Birmingham City Schools All City Marching Band Festival at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Carver High School stadium.
 

Bands and auxiliary units from each of the district's seven high schools will perform in the event. The bands, percussion sections, dance line, color guard units and majorettes all will be receive ratings of superior, excellent or fair.
 

Each unit that earns a superior rating will receive a trophy.
 

The band that earns the highest score will be awarded the Frank Adams Trophy.
 

The event is open to the public, Tickets are $5 at the gate.
 

New girls mentoring group begins at Daniel Payne
Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice has goal of success
The new Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice girls mentoring group met at Daniel Payne Middle School for the first time Nov. 1.

 

Daniel Payne Middle School kicked off the new Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice girls mentoring group  Nov. 1.

 

The goal of the group is to equip young ladies with all the tools for success by interacting with mentors who are productive role models in the community.

 

The speaker for the kick off meeting was Judge Tracie A. Todd, who is also product of Birmingham City Schools.

 

Monthly meetings are planned, and members will be required to participate in community service throughout the city.  The group is under the leadership of the guidance counselor, Cheryl V. Ramsey.

 
Education Summit set for Nov. 8 
Witherspoon will give State of Education Address
 
The Birmingham Education Foundation -- also known as Ed -- will host its inaugural Birmingham Education Summit from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Carver Theater.
 
Dr. Michael Froning, executive director of the foundation, will present Ed's Report Card.
 
Superintendent Craig Witherspoon will deliver the State of Education Address.
  

A Birmingham Education Foundation resource fair will begin at 4:30 p.m.

 
Students named to Youth Leadership Forum
Class of 2013 includes seven BCS students 

 

Seven Birmingham City School System students have been named as members of the Youth Leadership Forum class of 2013.

 

The students are Eric Allums, Jackson-Olin; John Cross, Woodlawn; Brittany Gibson, Jackson-Olin; Trey Hawkins, Woodlawn; Timothy Johnson, Ramsay; Lisa Muchangi, Carver, and Se'nia Robinson, Huffman.

 

Volunteers work to transform Putnam campus

Outdoor classroom, gardens and nature area included 

Community and corporate volunteers worked to transform the front of the Putnam Middle School campus into an outdoor classroom, garden and nature area Oct. 23.
Volunteers work on projects at Putnam Middle School

 

The volunteers included Team Depot from the Crestwood Home Depot, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, the Eastwood branch of Wells Fargo, St. Martin's in the Pines, the Roebuck Kangaroo Mart and the PLANT PROJECT Program.

 

For the past four years, the PLANT PROJECT Program has been providing its one-of-a-kind, internationally recognized programming at Putnam, in partnership with the assisted living facility of St Martin's in the Pines and its activities director, Claudia Reach. Senior citizens work with disabled students at the school to grow plants in raised beds on the campus.

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Coming events 
 
The Birmingham Board of Education will have a regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the auditorium of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.

All schools in the Birmingham City School System will participate in the District-Wide Open House during school hours Wednesday, Nov. 14.
 
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