The Weekly Update #4

Dear Birmingham Families,

February is an exciting month on campus. We celebrate Black History Month as a time to celebrate African Americans' achievements and contributions throughout history.

Through discussion and action, let's shine a light on the multiple facets of Black resistance and perseverance against all odds. There is so much to uncover, amplify, question, and correct, and while we continue to take action every day, we share with you the following words of wisdom:

"Turn your wounds into wisdom" - Oprah Winfrey

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress" - Frederick Douglass

"If you prioritize yourself, you are going to save yourself." - Gabrielle Union

The highlight of our celebration is called a "Taste of Soul" and will take place during lunch on February 20th in a collaboration between BSU and ASB. A big thank you to Margie Curtis for facilitating and coordinating the activities. The run of show is as follows:

1. Live Band Performance (1500 Sound Academy) – 20 minutes (throughout celebration)
2. Spoken Word – 2.5 minutes
3. African Dance Drum Team Performance – 10 minutes
4. Black National Anthem – 2.5 minutes

We also look forward to Valentine's Day (February 14th) and Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17th). As we all work to create a kinder world, we can start with ourselves and our community. We invite you to celebrate by spreading kindness.

There is no limit on the amount of goodness we can put into the world. Every ounce of kindness matters and inspires kindness in others. Ready to participate in the Kindness Challenge? Here are ideas to get started:

Join the #MakeKindnessTheNorm challenge and share your acts of kindness on social media.
Practice kindness and self-compassion with these guided practices and exercises: Self Compassion Practices
Some of us are already taking steps to find professional help with our well-being and perhaps you or a loved one should too. If you or a family member would like help finding a mental health care provider, use Care Solace, a complimentary and confidential coordination service provided by Birmingham Community Charter High School:
Call 888-515-0595. Support is available 24/7/365 in any language.
Visit caresolace.com/bcchs and either search on your own OR click “Need Help” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

Spreading kindness improves our well-being and fosters a caring community. What will you do to spread kindness this week?

Key Dates & Events:

Valentine’s Day Reminders – While we love celebrating friendship and kindness, please remind your student to be mindful that any gift giving or other Valentine's Day related activities should not disrupt classroom instruction or prevent students from getting to class on time. Let’s keep the day fun and respectful for everyone!

Presidents' Day – No School (Monday, February 16) – Please remember that school will be closed in observance of Presidents’ Day. Enjoy the long weekend!

Parent-Teacher Conferences/Open House – will be held on Thursday March 19, 2026 This is a great opportunity to check in with your student’s teachers about their progress. Details on scheduling will be sent next month. Please note that the following day, March 20, will be a minimum day.

Course Selection for Next Year – Counselors will begin meeting with students this month to discuss course options for the 2026-27 school year. Encourage your student to think about their academic and career goals as they make their selections.

Winter Sports & Playoffs – Our winter sports teams are beginning their respective playoff runs. Keep an eye on our website for playoff schedules.

Boys' and Girls' Wrestling Teams won the Dual Meet City Championship. The City-wide meet will take place this weekend at Roybal.
Cheer won another city title, earned second in state and competed at the National Championship event in Orlando!
Boys' Basketball is seeded 3rd in the Open Division and will host Fairfax at Birmingham at 7 pm on Wednesday.
The Boys' Soccer Teams is seeded 3rd in the Open Division and will play Marquez at Birmingham on Thursday at 3 pm in the quarterfinals.
The Girls' Basketball Team is seeded 2nd in the Open Division and will host Palisades at Birmingham at 7 pm on Thursday.
The Girls' Soccer Team is seeded 1st in Division 1 and will play this Friday a team to be determined.
Girls' Water Polo is scheduled to play Granada Hills Charter in the City Championship at Valley College on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 pm.

Senior Activities & Graduation Updates – Seniors should be finalizing their graduation plans with their counselors to make sure they remain on track with graduation and university requirements. If they haven't done so already, they should complete their FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) as soon as possible to be eligible for grants and financial aid. Also, please keep an eye out for announcements about prom, senior trips, and other upcoming events.

As always, thank you for your continued engagement and support. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Best regards,

Principal Bennett

Seniors!

Five months until Graduation! Cap, Gowns and tassel units must be purchased by February 19th! For student convenience Jostens will be on campus on February 19th during lunchtime on the Quad for Seniors to place their cap and gown order, as well as any other Class of 2026 memorabilia using Zelle, Venmo or cash. Don’t miss this last opportunity to speak to our school's representative from Jostens. Any ordering questions and/or concerns pertaining to graduation ordering can be clarified at this time.

Seniors who are not currently on track to Graduate, had 10 or more absences (including period by period absences), received 50% or more U’s, 8 or more tardies during periods 1 or 5 in the Fall Semester of 2025 were given the opportunity to appeal in order to attend Prom. Students were notified via their school email, sent through the US postal service to their mailing address on file and were also hand delivered to them through their regularly scheduled class periods in early January 2026. At which point students needed to follow the detailed instructions that were provided to them and returned no later than Friday, February 6th to Ms. Franco in H68A by 3:00pm. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS ALLOWED.

Just a reminder that February is Black History Month and so, we take the time to acknowledge our fierce African Americans’ roles in our U.S. history. This annual celebration recognizes the achievements of these leaders who have brought forth change, fought for rights and desegregation. “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” - Dr. Mae Jemison, first African-American female astronaut.

LET’S GIVE IT 100% - THE FINISH LINE IS IN SIGHT!

12th Grade Level Academy Team

Mr. Elmore - Administrative Director

Mrs. Franco - 12th Grade Coordinator

Ms. Piliposian - 12th Grade Dean

Mrs. Riusech - Counselor (A-F)

Ms. Aparicio - Counselor (G-N)

Ms. Vasquez - Counselor (O-Z)

Mr. Rodriguez - Psychiatric Social Worker

Ms. Sedani - 12th Grade Administrative Assistant

Mrs. Salvatierra - 12th Grade Clerk

Junior Families,

11th Grade Counselors will be visiting students’ US History classes this month to program their Senior year classes. At this time, counselors will also be reviewing A-G eligibility and graduation status. Students interested in taking an A.P. class during their Senior Year MUST fill out an A.P. Contract (links can be found in students’ school email) prior to their counselors enrolling them.

Parents, please encourage your students to challenge themselves with one of these rigorous courses. They may earn college credit and be better prepared to meet the academic demands they will surely face at a university level. Students, please advocate for yourselves and let your counselors know what you are passionate about learning in your last year of high school.

The First Progress Report will be given to students on February 27. Open House will be March 19 from 6-8. You will be able to visit your student’s teachers and see what has been happening in our classrooms.

SBAC testing will be happening April 20-23. More information will be shared to students and families as we get closer to the date. However, it is very important that your student attends school during the testing week.

**10th Grade Field Trip**

On January 30, 2026, we embarked on an inspiring field trip to Cal State Long

Beach (CSULB). We took 95 students to Cal State Long Beach on 2 buses. This

opportunity gave our sophomores a firsthand experience exploring this beautiful

Campus and their futures.

**10th Grade Honor Roll Certificate Distribution**

We celebrated this Month on February 4th, 415 remarkable Sophomores who

achieved Honor Roll status based on their Fall Semester 2025 GPAs. Each student

on the Honor Roll received a Certificate during their 6th-period class in February.

Here’s the breakdown:

- **Silver (GPA 3.00 - 3.59)

- **Gold (GPA 3.60 - 3.99)

- **Platinum (GPA 4.00 and above)

Congratulations to all our Honor Roll students for their dedication and

exceptional achievements!

Sincerely,

Amanda Fitzpatrick

10th Grade Level Coordinator

(818)758-4428

Office H-68 A

Class of 2028 Student Senate Advisor

Birmingham Community Charter High Schoo

10th GR Field Trip

Dear 9th Grade Parents and Students,

We are about halfway done with your freshman year at Birmingham!

HONOR ROLL CERTIFICATES

Freshmen who earned a GPA of a 3.0 or higher in the fall will be receiving an honor roll certificate and pin to celebrate their accomplishments.

If a student had a GPA of a 3.0-3.59 for the fall semester, then they will receive a silver honor roll certificate.

If a student had a GPA of a 3.6-3.99 for the fall semester, then they will receive a gold honor roll certificate.

If a student had a GPA of a 4.0 or higher for the fall semester, then they will receive a platinum honor roll certificate.

Please encourage your student to study hard this semester so that they can receive an honor roll certificate for the spring!

TUTORING

If your student needs assistance with any of their school work, please see the tutoring information below.

Tutoring

Before school in OA-2 : M, T, TH, F (7:30-8:20AM), W (8:30- 9:20 AM)
After school in OA-2: M, T, W, TH (3:30-4:30 PM)
Link Crew tutoring: Thursdays in room 406
**Tutoring may be available with individual teachers. Your student should ask their teachers.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Attendance is essential to academic success! Please contact Ms. Mirzakhanian to address your student's absence. It is important that we partner together to make sure our students are always at school except for valid reasons as established by the State of California Education Code and Birmingham’s Attendance Policy.

You can contact Ms. Mirzakhanian if you need to clear your child's absence at (818) 758-4484. You can also contact Ms. Aparicio (Attendance Counselor) at (818)758-4402 if you need any support with attendance issues.

Leila Haghi

9th Grade Coordinator

The 9th Grade Team

Edwin Avarca- 9th Grade Administrative Director

Leila Haghi- 9th Grade Coordinator/ Lead Teacher

Sami Brown, Ana Palacios, and Veronica Perez- 9th Grade Counselors

Taylor Ermoian -Psychiatric Social Worker

Joe Granish- 9th Grade Dean

Anne Mirzakhanian- 9th Grade Office Clerk/ Primary Parent Contact (818) 758-4484