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BCS News & Notes

A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community

June 14, 2013
 
In This Issue
First Tee coming to BCS
Retirees honored at reception
New school named
Quick Links
Click here to view BCS Policy Manual
Alabama State Department of Education, www.alsde.edu

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

As we continue to the summer and the weather heats up, we are well underway with numerous summer learning opportunities in Birmingham City Schools.

  

Some of those offerings include the longstanding Camp Birmingham, a partnership between the city of Birmingham and the school system.

 

Other newer programs include Breakthrough Collaborative, another partnership between BCS and UAB.  Located in 25 cities across the nation and abroad, Breakthrough Collaborative launches motivated middle-school students on the path to college and prepares older students for careers in education.

 

Other outcomes include increasing academic opportunity for highly motivated, under-served students and put them on the trajectory of a successful college path and inspiring and developing the next generation of teachers and educational leaders.

Breakthrough is working with sixth-graders from Hayes K-8, Huffman Middle, Phillips Academy, Putnam Middle and Wilkerson Middle.

 

We appreciate all of our partnerships, as we strive to improve educational opportunities for our students and ensure a brighter future for our community.

  
Sincerely,
  
Craig Witherspoon

Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools

The First Tee coming to BCS elementary schools
Program teaches golf essentials and character lessons

Calisthenics, running laps, jumping rope and kick ball -- those are the kinds of things most people imagine when they think about elementary school physical education. Students in all Birmingham City School System elementary and K-8 schools will be adding golf to that list during the 2013-2014 school year, thanks to a program called The First Tee.
 

The First Tee, in partnership with Alabama Power, recently announced that elementary school students in 30 Birmingham City Schools will soon have access to The First Tee National School Program as part of physical education instruction.

 

Click here to read more.

  
Retirees honored at reception 
Event recognized those who retired in 2011 to 2013

 

Birmingham City Schools employees who retired since July 2011 were honored at a reception held

Culinary arts students serve refreshments at the retirement reception

June 5 in the Boutwell Auditorium Exhibition Hall.

 

Approximately 200 former employees were invited to the event, which included refreshments that were prepared and served by culinary arts students from Wenonah and Jackson-Olin High School.

 

Epic Elementary School Principal Eleanor V. Stokes performed a musical tribute.

 

Sponsors included the Birmingham Education Association and the Birmingham American Federation of Teachers.

  
Oxmoor Valley Elementary School gets official name
Board approves committee recommendation

The new school being built on Sydney Drive has had the working name of Oxmoor Valley since planning first began. A committee met recently to recommend a name for the school, which will open in August.
  
The committee recommended the name Oxmoor Valley Elementary School. The Birmingham Board of Education voted June 11 to accept the recommendation.
  
Coming events 
  
The Birmingham Board of Education will have a special called meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, in the auditorium of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.
  
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