Congrats to NEW 12th Grade Counselor!
We want to give a huge welcome to Mrs. Sabrina Marquez, who served as a Health teacher at Birmingham for the past 10 years. She has now transitioned to a credentialed counselor on the 12th grade team! We are so excited to welcome her to the team. We are happy to report she has hit the ground running!
Congrats to NEW BVA Counselor!
We want to also congratulate our very own Dr. Sandra Harwin, who has been a counselor on the team for19 years and has now transitioned to the role of BVA Counselor. We are so proud of you Dr. Harwin for helping our Birmingham Virtual Academy serve our students that need an online program due to medical or health reasons.
9th Grade
Freshman counselors and support counselors are preparing for a freshman presentation the week of Sept 18 in the MPR through English classes. Topics discussed include graduation requirements, A-G requirements, attendance requirements, college information presented by the CPC's, and career pathway information.
When progress reports are finalized, we will meet with parents and students for those that have 5 or more fails and work our way down.
10th Grade
Sophomore counselors will be presenting in classrooms in September will be going into the History classes: World History and AP European History. Counselors will be reviewing students status for graduation and college eligibility. College & Career Counselors as well as PSW and PSA will be joining the fun to discuss more supports and things to be on the look out with our sophomores! Seminar 10 is underway supporting 2 classes of students that need some extra support! Students are working hard with the help of Mr. Powell and Ms. Cruzalegui to get on track! Attendance will be the focus this year for our 10th graders, so make sure that your students miss school for an excusable reason and bring documentation the following day!
11th Grade
Junior academy counselors will have conversations with students regarding graduation and A-G status through their English classes. We will be reviewing the importance of passing all classes with a grade of C or better, and discussing credit recovery options for students who have Ds or Fs. It is important to start thinking about post high school plans, so we will discuss how students can prepare themselves so they are A-G eligible to apply to 4 year universities next Fall. We want to remind students that the 10th-12th grade point average (GPA) is directly tied to financial aid for college, so we encourage all of our juniors to work hard to maximize their grade point averages. We are also focusing on attendance this year, encouraging students to come to school every day and on time. We want to remind our students that this year is about finding a way to pass all their classes even when things get hard!
12th Grade
Senior counselors will be meeting with students in October during their history periods to discuss their graduation status. Counselors will be discussing any missing classes for graduation and 4-year college eligibility, as well as important information for senior year. Attendance and good grades are an important focus for seniors. Students must maintain good attendance and grades in order to participate in senior activities such as senior sunrise/sunset, prom, and the graduation ceremony. Students with 10 or more absences (excused and unexcused) will be ineligible to participate in senior activities. All seniors were required to sign the senior contract with this information. It is important for all seniors to stay on top of their assignments as many teachers DO NOT accept late work. We ask seniors to work on their time management and organizational skills in order to have a successful year! Counselors will be meeting with seniors with 3 or more Ds or Fs at the 6-week grading period to help support them and get back on track.
Birmingham Attendance Goals
The goal for all Birmingham students is maintaining an “Excellent” attendance rate (between 96% - 100%), which means no more than 7 days of absences throughout the entire school year. Achieving “Excellent” attendance is directly tied to student achievement. Every 25 days we will be celebrating students who achieve 96% or higher attendance.
This year Attendance is a priority. We have developed attendance tiers of supports that include the GLA Leads, Counselors and Attendance Counselor. Additionally, we have an Attendance campaign that celebrates students who maintain 96% or higher attendance. Every 25 days we will be celebrating students who maintain excellent attendance. In addition, Ms. Graciela Aparacio, our Attendance Counselor has begun to have parent meetings for students that are chronically absent.
COLLEGE CORNER
College Rep Visits: Students can sign-up to speak with a College Rep through their Naviance account. Below are the colleges visiting BCCHS in the month of September:
UCSB - Sept. 8
LaVerne - Sept. 8
Boston University - Sept. 11
Hawaii Pacific University - Sept. 13
Cornish College of the Arts - Sept. 14
University of the Pacific - Sept. 14
University of Redlands - Sept. 19
College & Career Seminar: All Seniors are receiving assistance with after high school plans through their Academy class on College & Career Seminar days. Lessons are led by the College & Career Counselors on Zoom. Students self-selected what pathway they wanted based on their after high school plans. To see a list of topics covered in College & Career Seminar, please click HERE.
College Deadlines for Seniors: Please click HERE for a list of important college deadlines.
SCHOLARSHIPS
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
*FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM FOR SCHOLARSHIP AND COLLEGE INFO!
HOW TO GET A WORK PERMIT
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
