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BCS News & Notes

A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community

April 12, 2013
 
In This Issue
Grizzle in "Sweet 16"
2013-2014 calendar amended
Summer programs offered
Students to stage play
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P.O. Box 10007
Birmingham, Alabama 35202
(205) 231-4610
Students show they know their stuff

It's spring, it's prom season, it's baseball season and, in Birmingham City Schools, it's also academic competition season.

It has been a busy week for our elementary and K-8 schools. Teams of fourth- and fifth-graders spent two days in Academic Bowl competition at the Southern Museum of Flight. Then top math students in the third, fourth and fifth grades competed in three days of Math Derby events at the Lincoln Professional Development Center.

And that is just the beginning of academic face offs that will continue through early May.

BCS has traditionally held three separate Academic Bowl competitions divided into elementary, middle and high school events. We are doing it differently this year to lend more importance to the competition and the winning teams.

Each grade level division is having preliminary competitions to select the teams that will compete in the finals. Grades six through eight will compete April 16 and 17, followed by high schools April 24.

The top teams then will advance to final rounds at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at the McWane Science Center. An awards ceremony will begin at 6:45 p.m., followed by a reception.

Meanwhile, students in middle grades and high schools are preparing for Math Derby events. High school students will compete April 23, and middle-schoolers will compete April 25.

It is exciting to see our students -- bright, eager and focused -- battle each other in the academic arena. We have so many students with wonderful ability, and it is heartening to see them realizing their potential.
  
Sincerely,
  
Craig Witherspoon

Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools

Dr. Alison Grizzle makes it to the state's "Sweet 16 
She is one of 8 secondary and 8 elementary teachers in competition

Dr. Alison Grizzle has made it to the "Sweet 16" in the competition for the 2013-2014 Alabama Teacher of the Year.
Dr. Alison Grizzle is in the running for State Teacher of the Year
Dr. Grizzle, who teaches math at Jackson-Olin High School, is the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Alabama State Board of Education District IV.
  
One elementary and one secondary teacher from each of the board districts were announced as finalists April 9. Each district in the state nominated teachers in March, with a panel selecting finalists.
  
The field now will be narrowed to the "Final Four," and the Teacher of Year being announced at a ceremony May 8 in Montgomery.
  
"We are very proud of Dr. Grizzle," said Superintendent Craig Witherspoon. "She is a great teacher who exhibits the knowledge, skills and dedication that our students need."
  
"The educators nominated for this prestigious award nurture the character, intellect and talent of Alabama's students," said State Superintendent Tommy Bice. "The exemplify teaching at its best, and we are proud to have them teaching in our state."
 
  

Board approves amended 2013-2014 calendar

Revision changes spring break week
 

The Birmingham Board of Education has approved an amended calendar for the 2013-2014 school year. The only change is to move spring break to March 24 to March 28, which aligns with other area school districts.
  
Click here to view the new calendar.  
  

Wide variety of summer programs available
Programs offered for students in pre-K through high school 

 

With summer quickly approaching, parents are seeking programs for their children to attend during their break. The Birmingham City School System offers a wide variety of programs for students in pre-kindergarten through high schools.
  
For more information and applications for the programs, click here.  
  
W.J. Christian team makes finals in Academic Bowl
Second contender still to be determined
Members of the W.J. Christian K-8 Academic Bowl elementary team work on an answer at the preliminary rounds this week. They will be in the May 2 finals. The second team will be determined next week.


  
Students to perform "Once Upon A Time"
Carver, Ramsay, Wilkerson and Phillips to participate
 

The Birmingham City Schools Arts Education Department will present "Once Upon a Time" at 9 a.m.Thursday, April 18, and Friday, April 19, in the Carver High School auditorium.

 

The show will feature acts from "The Wizard of Oz," "The Lion King," "Three Little Pigs" and other childhood favorites. Students from Carver, Ramsay High School, Wilkerson Middle School and Phillips Academy will perform, with each school presenting a different story.

 

The performances will be open to the public. Admission is $4, and tickets may be purchased at Carver.

 

Call Gaybrielle Jones, 231-3520 or 492-5940, for more information.

  

Martha Gaskins students clean park

Service project teaches lessons about environment, social issues

More than 30 students at Martha Gaskins Middle School learned a lot recently when they participated in a service project.

 

Members of the National Junior Honor Society, Student Government Association and the SWEET Mentoring Group, which include student leaders and top academic achievers, worked to clean the outside of their school and Roebuck Park.

 

The community is responsible for keeping the park clean, and the students took the lead this spring. They gathered more than a dozen bags of trash just from the park.


While cleaning the park, the students discussed the environment and social issues and developed a more sensitive approach to why it is important to aid in keeping the environment clean as a productive citizen.

 

Faculty sponsors for the cleanup wereToyal McLain, Cindy Bell, Ashley Adams and Felicia Woods.

 

Elementary students participate in Math Derby
Third-, fourth- and fifth-graders earn awards

Students in third, fourth and fifth grades across the district competed in the Math Derby April 10, 11 and 12.

 

Winners are:

 

Third grade

         First place - DeAndre Cargill, Huffman Academy

         Second place - Kenny Waweru, Epic Elementary

         Third place - Autymn Anderson, Minor Elementary

         Fourth place - Josiah Brook, W.J. Christian K-8

         Fifth place - Konetta McLaurin, Bush Hills Academy

 

Fourth grade

         First place -- Jeremiah Mixon, Central Park Elementary

         Second place -- Ashanti Whittaker, West End Academy

         Third place -- Javier Garcia, North Roebuck Elementary

         Fourth place -- Jeremiah Williams, Princeton Elementary

         Fifth place -- Cartier Allen, Minor Elementary

 

Fifth grade

         First place -- Kristian Davis, W.J. Christian K-8

         Second place -- Chasen Threatt, North Roebuck Elementary

         Third place -- Christopher Samuel, Princeton Elementary

         Fourth place -- Arthur Cox Jr., Phillips Academy

         Fifth place -- Isaiah Gardner, Hemphill Elementary 

  
Coming events 
  
The Birmingham Board of Education will have a special called board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the auditorium of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place. A regularly scheduled work session will begin immediately after the called meeting.  
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