Counseling Newsletter

We want to give a big and warm welcome to the counseling team Ms. Easley who has joined the 11th grade counseling team! She has jumped right into the hustle and bustle of school counseling business without skipping a beat and we are so excited to have her! Gwen comes to us with several years of counseling experience and has been meeting with her juniors last names G-N. Ms. Rocha has now joined the 10th grade team and has the sophomores with the last names O-Z. She has also been eagerly meeting with her students! So proud of both of these ladies! Go team!

The first semester is quickly coming to an end. We have 4 weeks of school left. Finals week begin December 10th- 13th. Please make sure your student is at school during finals week. Attendance directly impacts the final grade.

Congrats to all students who are passing all your classes! We are proud of your efforts and encourage you to keep up your hard work. An email was sent to students and their parents if they are in danger of failing one or more classes. Remember that tutoring is available Monday-Friday mornings and after school in B71. Counselors will be meeting one on one with at risk students. There’s still time to make progress and finish the semester strong!

Mrs. Martinez (A-F)

Ms. Marquez (G-N)

Mrs. Mutia (O-Z)

Happy Holidays! Families and students should have received an email letting you know if you are passing ALL of your classes or if you have 1 or more D/F grades. We have 5 weeks left of school so be sure to finish strong! Remember tutoring is available before and after school. Final Exams will take place the week of December 10 - 13. Reminder, if you are short on credits and failing multiple classes, we will discuss transfers to an alternative school.

Mrs. Gazarian (A-F)

Ms. Galvez (G-N)

Ms. Rocha (O-Z)

Congratulations to our juniors for the efforts we see you putting forward! This year you are applying your organizational skills, time management skills and study skills to lock in your junior year! Keep using your growth mindset when you come across any challenge or obstacle. Another big congratulations goes out to the 96 Juniors that applied and have been selected to attend our November 16-18th College Trip! These students have a 2.5 and higher, no D's or F's in their current classes as well as have great attendance and exemplary behavior! Our students will be visiting 7 colleges: UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Cruz (UCSC), Stanford University, San Francisco State, UC Berkeley, and UC Merced. In addition, we had a record number of our juniors take the PSAT this October. We are so proud of how our juniors are taking advantage of all the opportunities they are being presented with!!

Mrs. Riusech (A-F)

Ms. Easley (G-N)

Ms. Vasquez (O-Z)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to express gratitude for all of our amazing seniors. We see you working hard to pass your classes with Cs or better, so that you are on track for Graduation and A-G eligibility. If you are struggling and need help in any class, please remember that we have tutoring available in B71 every morning and after school (except Fridays). Please see the flyer below. Please use the Thanksgiving break to get caught up with anything that might be missing that teachers will allow you to still turn in. Finals are approaching quickly and will be December 10-13. Seniors, please do not forget that your attendance is important. This is a reminder that the Senior Contract that you signed requires that you are here every day and on time to be able to participate in Senior events like Prom and Graduation (see screenshot of the attendance requirement below).

Mrs. Brown (A-F)

Mrs. Perez (G-N)

Mrs. Palacios (O-Z)

Excluding COVID related absences including contraction, exposure, and/or symptomatic individuals:

• Seniors who accumulate 10 or more full day absences in the Fall will be ineligible to attend Prom.
• Seniors who accumulate 10 or more full day absences in the Spring will be ineligible to participate in the Graduation Ceremony. PLEASE NOTE: Any 4 accumulated period by period absences throughout the semester will be considered a full day absence.

• Students who are thirty (30) or more minutes late are considered “absent” to that period. The BCCHS School Attendance Policy defines an absence as missing 30 or more minutes of class.

• School related absences (i.e., period activity, field trip etc.) not previously cleared with the teacher(s) where the absence occurred will be counted as part of the 10 absences.

• New and transferring students must meet Birmingham Community Charter High School attendance/tardy requirements to participate in Senior Prom and the Graduation Ceremony.

• Seniors have 10 school days to clear any absence. Absences not cleared within 10 school days will be marked unexcused. Notes after 10 days will NOT be accepted. Clearing an absence must be done in writing. Parent phone calls excusing absences will NOT be accepted.

The clearance process involves the review of credits, attendance, tardies, cooperation marks, financial debts, and discipline obligations.

Failure to serve assigned detention will result in immediate placement on the “NO GO” list until the detention(s) are served.

*IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ABSENCES*

All absences must be cleared with a parent excuse note within 2 weeks of an absence or will be marked truant. Medical appointments and illnesses still count towards total absences, even if they are cleared with a parent’s note.

Thank you to all the students who participated in our October lunch events! We kicked off the month by celebrating World Mental Health Day on October 10th! World Mental Health Day is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues, promoting education, and advocating for better mental health care worldwide.

We also celebrated Unity Day: Anti-Bullying Campaign on October 21st. Unity Day is a nationwide campaign that encourages individuals to wear orange and take a stand against bullying, promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in schools and communities.

We ended the month on a beautiful note, honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual campaign aimed at educating the public about breast cancer, promoting early detection, and supporting those affected by the disease through advocacy and fundraising efforts.

The week of October 23rd-31st is Red Ribbon Week! Birmingham will be observing this week in November. Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign to raise awareness about drug prevention and the importance of making healthy choices. It encourages schools and communities to promote a drug-free lifestyle through various educational activities and events. In collaboration with our Community Schools Coordinator, PSW will be tabling during lunch to spread awareness! Stay tuned for more information.

Wednesday, November 13 is Kindness Day! Kindness Day is a celebration dedicated to promoting and practicing acts of kindness, encouraging individuals to spread positivity and compassion in their communities. It serves as a reminder of the power of simple gestures to make a difference in people's lives.

Make sure to follow us on instagram to stay updated with our monthly campaigns! PSW @bcchs_psw & H.O.P.E. Club @ bcchshopecblub

College Applications are OPEN:

• UC Application opened August 1

• Apply: universityofcalifornia.edu/apply

• Common App opened August 1

• Apply: commonapp.org

• CSU Application will open October 1

• Community College application for Summer/Fall 2026 will open in late Fall

*FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM FOR SCHOLARSHIP AND COLLEGE INFO!

9th Grade Scholarships: http://bit.ly/scholar9

10th Grade Scholarships: http://bit.ly/scholar10

11th Grade Scholarships: http://bit.ly/scholar11

12th Grade Scholarships: http://bit.ly/12scholar

Schedule an appointment using the links below.

Wendy Quiñonez

College Counselor (Last Names A-L)

w.quinonez@birminghamcharter.com

Schedule Meeting:

calendly.com/wq1

Erika Lopez

College Counselor (Last Names M-Z)

er.lopez@birminghamcharter.com

Schedule Meeting:

calendly.com/er-lopez

Angela Zook

Career Counselor

a.zook@birminghamcharter.com

Schedule Meeting:

calendly.com/a-zook

STEP 1:

Student must have and maintain a 2.0 GPA (All grades of C or higher) to qualify for work permit.

STEP 2:

Download B1-1 Work Permit Application

*Click B1-1 Application link and download a copy at home or come to the Blue & Gold Center to pick one up.

STEP 3:

Fill out the B1-1 Work Permit Application and have your parent and employer sign it.

*No digital signatures/scanning permitted*

STEP 4:

Return the B1-1 Work Permit Application filled out and signed back to school. Drop-in, no appointment necessary.

• To: Mrs. Margie Curtis
• Where: Blue & Gold Center
• When: Monday - Friday
• Time: Between 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

STEP 5:

Either Mrs. Curtis or Mrs. Zook will print your work permit.

*Student must be present to sign the work permit

See Below for more information!