As we approach the end of another unbelievable school year here at Byron Center Charter, it is time to look ahead to the next school year. Next school year will be the twentieth in the proud history of our school, and will be the perfect time to introduce some exciting changes that will only make our school better. As we continue to expand and grow we need to make some necessary changes to what we are doing in order to continue the top tier education that everyone has come to expect from us. As always, comments are welcomed as we continue the planning stages of what we are looking to do in the future.
Parking Lot at Dismissal: In order to have an orderly, and safe, dismissal we are going to initiate a new number system for student pick up. Each family will be assigned a four-digit number which will be associated with the last four digits of a phone number listed in Power School. Using the Charter App, we will coordinate student pickup by notifying the students, who remain safely in the classrooms, when their parent has arrived and where they are located outside. The software works by parents hanging a number in their vehicle window with a number on it that we call a "Family ID”; a school staff member enters the family ID into a mobile device (iPhone, Ipod Touch, iPad, or other web enabled device). The teachers in the classroom will be logged into the classroom view of Driveline. After the family ID has been entered outside, the children associated with that family will have their names show up in their classroom indicating where the parent is outside. This will help the flow of traffic on and off of Burlingame Ave, as well as ensure the safety of your students. The family ID cards will be passed out during our Open House on August 30.
Update on Potential New Property: Many of you were aware that we have been exploring the option of purchasing land to build a new high school. This time a year ago, we were working on a piece of land at 92nd and Clyde Park. When the cost of construction exceeded our means, we decided to move on from that site. When we have new information to pass along, I will be sure to do so.
Character Education: To improve upon our Character Education we will be employing the assistance of our School Counselor, Michelle Harper, to expand this program in our Elementary classrooms. For one hour a month, she will spend time in each K-5 classroom working on the Character Traits of the month. The students who best demonstrate these traits throughout the school year will be recognized at each assembly on Friday.
Changes to Friday Morning Live: Due to the amount of time we have taken away from 1st hour in our Mid/High, we are going to change the schedule for our all-school assembly. We will only have 1 assembly per month, and it will be for the entire school. It will alternate from morning to afternoons every other month. Morning assemblies will start at 8:15am, and afternoon assemblies will begin at 2:00pm. Here are the dates for 16-17: September 6 (welcome back-AM), October 7 (AM), November 4 (Walk-a-Thon Celebration-PM), December 2 (AM), January 13 (PM), February 3 (AM), March 3 (PM), April 14 (AM), May 19 (Senior Celebration-AM), and June 2 (PM). We will also be rolling out a new name for our all-school assemblies in the Fall since they will no longer be held exclusively on Friday mornings.
New School Slogan: In the past, we have used a slogan (Class Size, Focus, Technology) on our website to capture our Mission Statement in one small sentence. Beginning in the Fall, we will have a new slogan that captures the essence of what we do. The new slogan is: Every Student by Name and Need.
Logo Contest: We will be having a contest among all students next year for a 20th Anniversary logo that will be featured on school letterheads, our website, social media, and apparel. Our art teacher, Mrs Kingsley, will help with this in the Fall. The winner will be announced prior to our October 21 Walk-a-Thon event.
This are just a few of the new things for 2016-2017. Stay tuned for some other exciting things we have planned in the future!
Tom Berriman
Principal
Parking Lot at Dismissal: In order to have an orderly, and safe, dismissal we are going to initiate a new number system for student pick up. Each family will be assigned a four-digit number which will be associated with the last four digits of a phone number listed in Power School. Using the Charter App, we will coordinate student pickup by notifying the students, who remain safely in the classrooms, when their parent has arrived and where they are located outside. The software works by parents hanging a number in their vehicle window with a number on it that we call a "Family ID”; a school staff member enters the family ID into a mobile device (iPhone, Ipod Touch, iPad, or other web enabled device). The teachers in the classroom will be logged into the classroom view of Driveline. After the family ID has been entered outside, the children associated with that family will have their names show up in their classroom indicating where the parent is outside. This will help the flow of traffic on and off of Burlingame Ave, as well as ensure the safety of your students. The family ID cards will be passed out during our Open House on August 30.
Update on Potential New Property: Many of you were aware that we have been exploring the option of purchasing land to build a new high school. This time a year ago, we were working on a piece of land at 92nd and Clyde Park. When the cost of construction exceeded our means, we decided to move on from that site. When we have new information to pass along, I will be sure to do so.
Character Education: To improve upon our Character Education we will be employing the assistance of our School Counselor, Michelle Harper, to expand this program in our Elementary classrooms. For one hour a month, she will spend time in each K-5 classroom working on the Character Traits of the month. The students who best demonstrate these traits throughout the school year will be recognized at each assembly on Friday.
Changes to Friday Morning Live: Due to the amount of time we have taken away from 1st hour in our Mid/High, we are going to change the schedule for our all-school assembly. We will only have 1 assembly per month, and it will be for the entire school. It will alternate from morning to afternoons every other month. Morning assemblies will start at 8:15am, and afternoon assemblies will begin at 2:00pm. Here are the dates for 16-17: September 6 (welcome back-AM), October 7 (AM), November 4 (Walk-a-Thon Celebration-PM), December 2 (AM), January 13 (PM), February 3 (AM), March 3 (PM), April 14 (AM), May 19 (Senior Celebration-AM), and June 2 (PM). We will also be rolling out a new name for our all-school assemblies in the Fall since they will no longer be held exclusively on Friday mornings.
New School Slogan: In the past, we have used a slogan (Class Size, Focus, Technology) on our website to capture our Mission Statement in one small sentence. Beginning in the Fall, we will have a new slogan that captures the essence of what we do. The new slogan is: Every Student by Name and Need.
Logo Contest: We will be having a contest among all students next year for a 20th Anniversary logo that will be featured on school letterheads, our website, social media, and apparel. Our art teacher, Mrs Kingsley, will help with this in the Fall. The winner will be announced prior to our October 21 Walk-a-Thon event.
This are just a few of the new things for 2016-2017. Stay tuned for some other exciting things we have planned in the future!
Tom Berriman
Principal