BCS Archery Program in the News!

This spring, over 20 students competed in the California National Archery in the Schools Program tournament (CANASP) tournament both individually and as a team, and were competing against schools who have been doing archery for many years.  As a team, BCS did an amazing job for the first tournament in the first year of our archery program.

Individually, 8th grader Skyler Rosenberg scored high enough to be the #1 middle school archer in California for the year.  He came in 3rd place overall in the tournament coming in behind two veteran high school students.  

After the tournament, Skyler’s mom Kate had this to say about the unique opportunity to pursue a sport like archery at BCS: 

"Skyler is learning the exhilaration of following his heart... of jumping in and trying something new simply because it feels joyful, without worrying about succeeding.  It is powerful to take risks and explore activities in a low pressure and fun way. Archery requires a uniquely calm and singular focus which balances other demands of being a middle school student in Silicon Valley."

We also had two more students with impressive finishes in their first tournament: Anderson Wang placed 7th for the middle school boys division and Alisha Xiong placed 3rd for the 6th grade girls division. 

All of the archers did an amazing job representing BCS during the tournament.  Congratulations Mr. Stark and the entire archery team for this tremendous accomplishment!

You can read more about our archery program in this article from the Los Altos Town Crier.

BCS archery instruction hits target

Published on Wednesday, 13 May 2015 01:03

Written by Traci Newell - Staff Writer/tracin@latc.com

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Megan V. WInslow/Town Crier 
Archery, a new physical education offering at Bullis Charter School, has piqued the interest of many students, including Skyler Rosenberg, above, who placed third overall at a regional competition. 

When Athletic Director Joseph Stark introduced his love of archery to students at Bullis Charter School this year, he hit the bull’s-eye.

“It was a passion of mine,” said Stark, who joined the staff in the fall. “It is something I learned and love, and I know it is accessible to a lot of students, so I thought I should bring it to Bullis.”

Stark taught archery during regular physical education classes, then began to offer it as an afterschool sport.

“Our afterschool athletics program is built around the community interest at our school,” he said. “Archery has been at the top of that list for a long time.”

Participation has been solid, according to Stark, with approximately 60 students enrolled in the afterschool program and 20 regularly attending.

The charter school designed its archery program with National Archery in the Schools (NASP) standards in mind, emphasizing safety and proper technique.

“It’s the second-safest sport behind pingpong,” Stark said. “It may not seem like it, because you are using bows and arrows, but we emphasize safety and steps to succeed.”

Stark trained students to participate in the NASP California Archery Tournament, which requires them to shoot 15 arrows from a distance of 10 meters and 15 from 15 meters. More than 20 students competed in the tournament, individually and as a team. Bullis Charter School eighth-grader Skyler Rosenberg placed third overall with a score of 281.

Archery became one of Skyler’s passions after Stark launched the sport at school. Skyler enrolled in the afterschool program and pursues it outside of class as well.

“I think archery is special because it is one of the sports that is really accessible to everyone,” Stark said. “You are not really held back by any disability – you don’t have to be the most athletically gifted in the world. A lot of it is about patience, focus and concentration.”

Skills learned through archery can be used in everyday life, he added.

“You go out every day and try to better yourself,” Stark said. “There are a lot of kids who understand that. They set their own goals and you see the excitement when they actually reach one.”

Stark said he is fortunate to work at a school that allows him to share his interests with the students.

“You can really see how my passion is reflected in the students’ growth throughout the year – I am lucky to have that,” he said.

Have You Googled Tom Hanks Lately?

If so, then you would see all the coverage from when a few BCS students sold Girl Scout cookies to him in downtown Los Altos last week!

Check out the all the stories that have been published this week, and see the original post on our Facebook page!

Los Altos Town Crier
CNN
Time Magazine
People
Huffington Post
Today.com

Spooky Writing Contest Entries and Winners at BCS!

Congratulations to our many students who entered into the Los Altos Town Crier’s Halloween Story Contest - including all 21 first graders from Mrs. Lucero’s class!

And congratulations to fourth graders Kelly and Noah who had their stories published in the paper!

Click here to see the spooky tales and a special “shout out” to our 1st graders!

How Focused Learning Goals Lead to an Alcatraz Swim

Seventh grade student Joe Gallagher is featured this week in the Los Altos Town Crier for his impressive swim from Alcatraz to the San Francisco shore - a tremendous achievement that began with a Focused Learning Goal in fourth grade at BCS.  

Every year, each student at BCS develops Focused Learning Goals (FLGs) in the core subject areas, a social/emotional/behavioral goal, and a passion goal.  Last spring, the Distinguished School Site Validation Team observed this signature practice, and were struck by “the amount of student reflection and ownership or learning in each grade level.”

For Joe, he set his passion goal in swimming and water polo for the last several years, providing him practice in goal setting and perseverance.  The ambitious one and a half mile open water swim that Joe completed in the bay - with no wet suit! - aligns with our mission to help students reach their full potential.  

Please join us in congratulating Joe on this wonderful accomplishment!

SPORTS

No suit, no sweat

Published on Wednesday, 27 August 2014 01:02

Written by Pete Borello - Staff Writer/peteb@latc.com

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Courtesy of the Gallagher Family 
Joe Gallagher – a 12-year-old from Los Altos Hills – swims from near Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore. His uncle, Joe Locke, an accomplished open-water swimmer, accompanied him.

For his recent swim from just off Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore, Joe Gallagher had little choice but to brave the chilly bay wearing only a Speedo, goggles and a swim cap.

“I don’t have a wetsuit,” the 12-year-old said.

Before it was over, Gallagher didn’t have a swim cap, either – it was lost at sea – but that didn’t stop him from completing the nearly 1.5-mile swim in 60-degree water. The Los Altos Hills resident and his uncle, Joe Locke, managed to reach the beach at Aquatic Park in 45 minutes.

“It’s always really cold,” Gallagher said of the San Francisco Bay. “I was numb for a couple of seconds, then I was better.”

This wasn’t the seventh-grader’s first foray into the bay. Inspired by his uncle – an accomplished open-water swimmer – Gallagher began swimming at Aquatic Park in fourth grade.

The first time out, he swam for 30 minutes in 55-degree water, according to his mom, Anne Marie Gallagher.

Gallagher completed a longer swim at Aquatic Park the next year and by the end of sixth grade set his sights on Alcatraz.

“That was my goal,” he said.

Gallagher prepared for a month, mostly in the pool at Fremont Hills Country Club. The Bullis Charter School student estimated that he swam 40-45 laps every day by himself.

Five days before heading to Alcatraz, Gallagher journeyed to Aquatic Park with his uncle for a test swim.

“I did a training swim that was about the same distance (as departing from Alcatraz),” he said. “That helped me.”

Then on the morning of Aug. 16, the pair returned to San Francisco for the real deal.

Riding in a small vessel with room only for his parents, Anne Marie and Fred, and the boat captain, Gallagher and Locke slipped into the bay just a few hundred feet from Alcatraz at 6:15 a.m.

The swim started smoothly, according to Gallagher, but then they hit rough waters.

“Near the middle, the current got really strong,” he said.

So strong that the boat captain – who followed them closely – grew concerned for their safety.

“I sort of got swept away, and the boat captain thought we weren’t going to make it,” Gallagher said. “Then my uncle went to the left and I followed, and we were OK.”

At least they didn’t have to contend with sharks – Gallagher said the only sea life they encountered were seals.

When the duo touched shore at 7 a.m., Anne Marie said her son had “a huge grin on his face.” Gallagher didn’t have the energy for a celebration, however.

“It was really early – we were up at 4:30 a.m. – so we didn’t really celebrate,” he said.

There’s always next time. Gallagher, a former competitive swimmer who switched to water polo a year ago, said he is contemplating doing other ocean swims.

“I’ll probably do more,” he said. “But as of now, I haven’t decided.”

If Gallagher does, it’s a good bet his uncle will be swimming alongside him.

Gallagher probably couldn’t have found a better partner for the Alcatraz swim than Locke. The 45-year-old swam the English Channel three years ago and the Catalina Channel in 2009.

Last month, the Mill Valley resident became only the second person to swim from the Farallon Islands to the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge – and he did it in record time. Locke completed the approximately 30-mile swim in 14 hours. The water temperature dipped close to 53 degrees and he didn’t wear a wetsuit.

“His toughness and perseverance inspire us all,” Anne Marie said of her brother.

As the wetsuit-free swim from Alcatraz proves, Locke’s nephew is showing some of the same attributes.

Integrating the Arts in STEAM @BCS

As BCS celebrates its 10^th year in public education, it is once again being seen as a model school for one of its marquee programs known around the country as STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.  While art and design – the “A” in STEAM – were not officially added to the national education initiative designed to boost the country’s ability to compete in the 21^st century until February of 2013, BCS has been integrating art into the sciences for years.

Until recently, schools across the country focused only on STEM (without the arts component) after several state and national programs were formed to push the emphasis on science and math in K-12 schools.

There is now a growing advocacy effort for educators to integrate art and design into the sciences.  A recent Wall Street Journal article details the movement in everything from Sesame Street to Stanford.

At BCS, we are incredibly proud to have a robust STEAM program for all of our students.  The addition of the FabLab@BCS and MakerSpace this year has allowed for us to take STEAM to the next level, as reported in this Forbes article.  The Los Altos Town Crier recently featured our science and art integration at BCS and BCI.  You can read the full article here, or continue reading below.

SCHOOLS
Full STEAM ahead: BCS program integrates art and science disciplines

Courtesy of Bullis Charter School 
Bullis Charter School integrates art with science, math and technology instruction. 

Published on Wednesday, 08 January 2014 00:02
Written by Los Altos Town Crier Staff - Town Crier Report
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Bullis Charter School’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) initiative, a staple at the 10-year-old school, integrates art into the sciences.
“Our art specialist has worked closely across grade levels and across disciplines to design integrated units of study since he began working here nine years ago,” said Superintendent/Principal Wanny Hersey.

This year, according to Hersey, the charter school has taken STEAM to a new level with the addition of the FabLab and MakerSpace, which offer all students access to the latest technologies and the opportunity to learn from experts in their fields.
On the school’s second site – the Bullis Center for Innovation – Hersey and her staff have implemented a STEAM program designed to support and enhance the traditional grade-level curriculum.

In the sixth grade, for example, students studied early man in social studies, which laid the groundwork for their first design-thinking challenge of the year – creating a topographical map that shows the ideal setting for survival in prehistoric times. After much collaboration among grade-level teachers, the art specialist and the FabLab director, students applied their historical knowledge using their newly acquired 3-D rendering software skills to create prototypes designed to scale by incorporating math standards in the planning stages.

The exploration of early man continued in art, where students studied and re-created cave paintings and stone art, with a goal to deepen their understanding of the historical period.

After completing the design challenge, students wrote a historical fiction narrative about early man.

Sixth-grade teacher Dan Gross said the results impressed him.

“I was blown away by how well the students mastered the content,” he said. “Paper and pencil learning can only go so deep, but this design challenge allowed all students to be engaged in their own learning, and they got to do that in a way that prepares them for life in the 21st century.”

BCS In the News!

We’ve had so much good news today, we couldn't help but share it with everyone!

First, our Bullis Boosters Club (BBC) launched a successful summer camp last week to inspire confidence and promote enthusiasm for learning for students who would not normally have the opportunity to attend a camp in the Los Altos and Mountain View Whisman school districts.  Read more about their innovative projects and teacher collaboration in this Town Crier article.

We also had a wonderful write-up in Forbes Magazine, just released today, about our FabLab@BCS.  This article includes an interview with Superintendent/Principal Wanny Hersey and our FabLab Director, David Malpica, detailing the benefits of our partnership with Stanford University and how our FabLab can be used to truly make a difference in children’s lives.

And our incredible staff reported back to work this week after summer break.  Here is a picture of them collaborating, ideating, and creating some amazingly innovative curriculum plans for your students next year.

Ms. Lanzot and Ms. Stone collaborate on a new project

Ms. Cheng shares her project ideas with the staff