BCS Students Shine in Regional Competitions!

We are very proud to have our students participate in a plethora of activities outside of the regular school day in the areas of academics, athletics, visual and performing arts, and technology under the guidance of our teachers. Here are several of the highlights from recent weeks: Tech Challenge More than 40 students from BCS (Grades 4-6) participated in the Tech Museum of San Jose’s Tech Challenge to design a building that could withstand an earthquake.  Over 2,000 local students joined the competition, and one of our 4th grade teams won Best Overall, Third Place for their design in response to the challenge to build an earthquake safe structure that will pass 3 simulated earthquake shake tests. See a video of their design IN ACTION at Saturday’s Challenge here. Please join us in congratulating the “Kung Fu Penguin” team for their dedication and creativity on this project that they began working on in August! 40th Annual Mandarin Speech Contest Nineteen BCS students (Grades 1-8) recently competed in the 40th Annual Mandarin Speech Contest organized by the Chinese Language Teachers Association of California.  Congratulations to the three sutdents who received second place in their groups;  as well as the three students who received Honorable Mentions in their grade level groups.  The Mandarin teachers are pleased by the growth all students have shown throughout the speech preparation process and want to commend every student who participated for their hard work and willingness to take risks! Dare 2B Digital BCS 8th graders Ananya, Meghna, and Claire are the winners of the 2015 Dare 2B Digital Contest in which participants were challenged to develop a creative solution to a global problem using technology.   The competition, designed to increase digital fluency among girls ages 12-17 globally, had participants choose a problem from one of four categories - Cyber-Security, Environment, Health & Nutrition and Transportation and then create a video to describe the solution.   Ananya, Meghna, and Claire created an innovative solution for saving water - check out their winning video entry here! National Current Events League (NCEL) Winners Since the beginning of the year, our 6th-8th graders have been participating in the National Current Events League (NCEL), The NCEL, which is a national news competition for students in Grades 4-12, consists of (4) meets, or exam days, in which all students take an exam. Each meet (exam day) consists of 30 multiple choice questions and each student who participates receives his/her own test which has questions that are selected from the following areas: General News, Arts & Entertainment, Science & Health, Business & Finance, Sports.   The top ten scores are then determined and the sum of these scores is the school's team score, which is ranked against others in the state and the nation.  Congratulations to the BCS 6th grade class which placed 2nd overall in the nation AND to 6th grader Madhav, who was the top individual scorer in the nation. Additionally, kudos to the BCS 7th grade class for placing 3rd overall in the nation. BCS Chess Team National Tournament Last weekend, over 30 BCS students in grades 1-7 competed in the CalChess Scholastic Super State Championship tournament.  Over 900 students from across the country competed in this tournament, and for many of our younger students, it was their first time competing in chess.  BCS teams placed in the top 5 in every category ranging from Rookie (Grades K-3) to Champs (Grades K-8). Congratulations to all of our chess team members, and a special thank you to Lynn Reed who continues to coach our players year round! 2015 Saratoga Rotary Art Show Ten BCS students had the honor of having their artwork displayed at the recent Saratoga Rotary Art Show last weekend.  Please join us in congratulating these young artists for their great work! 2015 Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest Congratulations to third grader Krithi for earning first place in the historical essay contest sponsored by the Los Altos Historical Commission - read all about the event in this week’s Los Altos Town Crier. Genius Kids Math Kangaroo Contest Third grader Ryan placed first at both the state and national levels in the Genius Kids Math Kangaroo Contest held in March! Ryan has been working hard in math class this year, and we are proud to share this tremendous achievement with the school community!   Keep up the great work, Ryan! Holy Names University Choral Festival Our Sonore Choir (Grades 4-5) participated in the Holy Names University Choral Festival last weekend, where our students had the opportunity to perform and participate in workshops with other local students and experts.   Another great opportunity for our singers who have had several performances and adjudications in the last month!

Middle School Clubs Day at BCI

BCS Middle School students shared 

the amazing work they have done this year on the clubs they initiated at the Clubs Fair this week.  

Students in grades 6-8 collaborated to design and develop club programs based on their interests - this year's clubs included Girls Learn International, Woodworking, Web/App Design, Parody, Cooking Around the World, and several others.

Check out the photos below to see some of the great work students produced in their clubs this year!

Young Artists Showcase at SCCOE

For the second year in a row, BCS has two students whose work were selected by the Santa Clara County Office of Education to be displayed as a part of their permanent collection at their offices in Santa Clara!

Please join me in congratulating kindergarten students Alyssa and Aaron on this great achievement!  Alyssa and Aaron are two of only 30 students countywide whose pieces will join the largest collection of adjudicated student artwork in California.  

Aaron’s artwork, titled “Get the Bad Guys” shows a police car rushing to arrest some bank robbers.  When asked about his inspiration for this piece, he said, “I like police officers, and I love cars.  I would like to catch bad guys such as robbers and thieves.”

Alyssa wanted everyone to see a smiling panda in her winning piece titled, “Playing Panda” that she painted because she and her sister both like pandas. Alyssa added feet to her panda to make him look like he is walking. She is most proud of the mouth she drew on the panda.

Middle School Pops Concert at BCS!

Last week, we had a standing room only crowd during the first annual BCS Middle School Pops Concert - it was one of the most fun musical events we have hosted at BCS!  Mr. Belles put together this short montage from the performances - definitely a must watch!

BCS Middle School Choir Pops Concert - February 2015 from Bullis Charter School on Vimeo.

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

Wanny's Words: Global Innovation Summit

By Wanny Hersey
Superintendent/Principal at Bullis Charter School

In February, I was invited to serve on a panel at the Global Innovation Summit in Silicon Valley, where I joined leaders from around the world who were also committed to building ecosystems where entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation can thrive.

During the panel discussion I was asked how BCS is able to create ecosystems within the public education model that foster creative confidence and inspire students.  

I have always believed that the secret to our success is in hiring great teachers and continually providing the necessary support systems so that they can model the very skills we hope to instill in our students.

Therefore, at BCS I ensure that our teachers also inhabit an environment in which to model and inspire students by providing them dedicated time to collaborate and innovate.  

Unlike school systems where teachers only meet with those within their own departments, BCS teachers are encouraged to work with their peers across disciplines to create units that integrate all subject areas.  

In addition to providing the time and the opportunity to collaborate, I shared the extensive training all staff members receive before the school year begins as well as the professional learning communities that they are a part of throughout the year with mentors, boot camps, and extra support in areas they seek to improve on individually and within grade level teams.

A graphic representation from the panel discussion
"Educated Insight: The Reinvention of Learning" at the 

Global Innovation Summit in Silicon Valley, February 2015

BCS Receives Digital Citizenship Recognition

From Jessica Lura, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships: I am pleased to announce that BCS has been recognized by Common Sense, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of digital media and technology, as a Common Sense Digital Citizenship: Certified School for educating our students to be safe, smart, and ethical digital citizens.   BCS is one of only three schools in the state to meet all the criteria for the recognition. At BCS, we strive to empower all students to become digital citizens; students who think critically, behave safely and ethically, and participate responsibility in the digital world.  We’re excited to be recognized by Common Sense for our on-going commitment to educate our staff, students, and families about the importance of digital citizenship in every grade, K-8.   You can read more about the certification here, as well as on the Common Sense website.

David Belles and BCS Choir at CMEA Bay Section Winter Conference

Last weekend, BCS choir director David Belles conducted a workshop at the CMEA Bay Section Winter Conference, an event for music educators from throughout the Bay Area.  

Mr. Belles shared teaching strategies and highlighted important key elements essential for teaching elementary choral music.  

G-Clef and Sonore, the BCS 4th-5th grade choirs, had a very special opportunity to demonstrate how these techniques can be successfully implemented.  

Mr. Belles said that both his presentation and the choirs' performances were well received by all in attendance. 

We're so proud of our students as they helped show what is possible for singers at such a young age! 

Digital Citizenship at BCS

By Jessica Lura

Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at BCS

At BCS, we strive to empower students to become digital citizens; students who think critically, behave safely and ethically, and participate responsibility in the digital world. This means giving students opportunities to use technology in a variety of ways as well as teaching explicitly about certain topics. 

Like all BCS programs, digital citizenship is integrated into what we teach every day. It is a part of our character education strand, it is woven into technology use, and it is part of our core content. 

Being a digital citizen today doesn't just mean being safe online but also entails thinking critically and participating responsibly. All Bullis students, regardless of grade level, learn about online safety, how to be responsible online, and how to be creators of creators of content, not just consumers. In addition to explicit classroom lessons, there are many opportunities for students to explore what it means to be a digital citizen.

Ms. Cheng teaches best practices to her
fourth graders before they begin using
their school email accounts.

To support our digital citizenship strand, Bullis Charter School and Intel Security are hosting three online safety presentations--two for students and one for adults.  Please read the latest Bear Essentials Newsletter for dates and times.

Parent Resources & Information on Technology, Being Safe Online, and Digital Citizenship

Common Sense Media, website (We rate, educate, and advocate for kids, families, and schools)

Think Before You Link Online Tips Website, Intel Security 

Mimi Ito on Learning in Social Media Spaces, video, Big Thinker Series

Stay Safe Online, website, National Cyber Security Alliance

Articles and Books on Character & Digital Citizenship

Disconnected: Youth, New Media, and the Ethics Gap, book, by Carrie James

Teaching Respect and Responsibility — Even to Digital Natives 

Holly Korbey  (Mind/Shift May 24, 2013)

What if the Secret of Success Is Failure? By Paul Tough, September 14, 2011

“Crayon Box” Houses Activity

Every month at BCS, our K-5 students and staff meet together in their "Houses" - mixed grade level groups that participate in activities together and earn points as a team in various school wide competitions (reading points, chalk murals, relay races, etc.).  

This month, after reading the illustrated poem "The Crayon Box That Talked," students and their buddies made a "crayon box" out of self portraits during the school wide Houses activity in honor of Martin Luther King and his fight for equality and respect for all people.  

Mrs. Felder put the finishing touches on the project this week - stop by the Art Room to see it in person!  Click here to see how our students created their crayons.

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!

Mr. Malpica Wins Award for Innovation

BCS FabLab Director David Malpica was recently honored for his innovative teaching at the "Cares and Shares" awards ceremony hosted by the Los Altos Community Foundation and Los Altos Courtyard by Marriott, who are generously donating $1000 to our school!

Congratulations, Mr. Malpica!

Congratulations BCS Chess Team!

Please join us in congratulating our BCS Chess Team who won the United States Chess Federation Game 30 National Championship last weekend.  This was the first tournament for several of our players; they were joined by many “veteran” chess players from BCS and the team is lead by Lynn Reed, our MakerSpace Director.  

As a reminder, students who are interested can play chess in the MakerSpace room (Room 34) at lunch with Mrs. Reed on Tuesdays.

BCS is a National Blue Ribbon School!

By Wanny Hersey

Superintendent/Principal at Bullis Charter School

I am excited to announce that this morning, the U.S Department of Education designated Bullis Charter School a National Blue Ribbon School for the 2013-2014 school year.

For over 30 years, the NBRS Program has been recognizing exemplary schools from across the country in an ongoing effort to illuminate best practices in education. This year, BCS will be one of just 287 public schools throughout the country to receive this very prestigious award, and the only K-8 program in Los Altos to do so.

We greatly appreciate your support of our programs over the last 10 years.  I hope you will join me in celebrating our school and the wonderful community of students, teachers, staff and parents that have helped make BCS a shining example of all that is possible in public education. 

You can view US Secretary of State Arne Duncan's announcement here:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Ms. Stone's Work on LearnZillion's "Dream Team"

Our 7th Grade ELA/History teacher Lisa Stone was featured this week in the Los Altos Town Crier for her work over the summer as one of 200 teachers on LearnZillion’s “Dream Team” - a start-up designed to provide high quality Common Core resources to teachers and students across the country.  

Keep up the great work, Ms. Stone!

BCS teacher works with online lesson plan resource

Published on Wednesday, 17 September 2014 01:03

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

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Photos Courtesy of Bullis Charter School 
Bullis Charter School seventh-grade teacher Lisa Stone, right, worked on LearnZillion’s Dream Team this summer to develop online Common Core-aligned lesson plans, left. 

Bullis Charter School has a new tool in its arsenal this year as it tackles the implementation of Common Core curriculum standards.

Seventh-grade teacher Lisa Stone was one of 200 chosen from among 4,000 applicants for the “Dream Team” assembled by the educational startup LearnZillion. Stone and the other members of the Dream Team worked to create online lesson plans for teachers that are Common Core-aligned.

LearnZillion, an online resource for teachers, offers a growing set of math and English resources for grades 2-12, developed by experienced teachers and connected directly with Common Core State Standards.

Stone spent the summer collaborating with four other teachers and a coach to dissect a Close Reading lesson for seventh-graders.

Her team was given a text selection and tasked with creating a five-day lesson plan around the text that would meet Common Core standards.

“Common Core now says that you need to put text in front of students that is really too hard for them to understand,” she said.

The final product instructs teachers on how to examine a piece of literature, identify what is complex about it and explain what to focus on with the students – step-by-step and at a determined pace.

The resource is valuable for teachers because it not only provides them with the lesson, but also offers real-time professional development, Stone said.

“It really teaches how to engage in metacognition,” she said. “It models for teachers how to teach these types of habits of mind.”

The lesson plans include instructional videos that teachers can use in the classroom or as part of their lesson preparation. The videos for each lesson are free and available to teachers, students and parents.

LearnZillion’s premium service provides details on how to build a unit around the Common Core concept. The end product of The Dream Team’s work is a textbooklike resource for schools and their districts that addresses the requirements of Common Core.

Common Core spells out the benchmarks and concepts that students need to learn, but leaves how to get there up to teachers. That’s where LearnZillion steps in.

“The focus of LearnZillion is on the metacognition – what are the building blocks you need to build up to the requirements of Common Core,” Stone said.

Because Stone served on LearnZillion’s Dream Team of teachers over the summer, Bullis Charter School benefits from the website’s premium service – equipping teachers with many different Common Core lessons to select and implement this school year.

“I think it is part of my job to help teachers become the best they can be,” she said. “Part of the reason why I chose to do this was because I need to go outside of my school and scale my impact.”

For more information, visit LearnZillion.com.

New Teacher Spotlight - Emily Drew-Moyer, 4th Grade Teacher

Who or what inspired you to become a teacher?

Being a teacher is always something I was drawn to, even when I was a young child.  When I was seven years old, I remember my dad bringing home two wooden desks that came from a one-room schoolhouse nearby.  I used to set them up in the our backyard and made my younger sisters - who were only two and three years old at the time - act as my students.

I grew up in a small town, and when I left for college, everyone assumed that I was going to be a teacher!  Looking back, they were right, but at the time, it made me want to pursue something completely different.  My mom strongly encouraged me to take an education class my freshman year, which I did.  The course involved helping out in a first grade classroom, and from the first day I knew that this is what I wanted to do.  I was hooked!

What do you like most about being a teacher?

Helping students interact positively with one another is my favorite part of teaching. I believe the content we are teaching is extremely important, but helping students become confident, kind, independent learners and thinkers is the most rewarding for me. Watching students solve problems with each other and helping them to cooperate and teach each other is what makes me want to come to work every day.

How do you like to establish rapport with your students?

I like to establish rapport with students by having very clear expectations for how we treat each other in class. I have a Morning Meeting every morning, where students have time to greet one another, to listen to each other share things that are important, and to complete some kind of team building activity. I think this establishes safety and trust in the classroom and allows students to take risks and really be themselves.

When away from school, what interests and hobbies do you enjoy?

Away from school, I spend a lot of time with my dog. I like to take him to the park or on hikes. I also love going to the movies, reading books, and practicing yoga.

Houses and Kindergarten Buddies!

Tomorrow, students will have their first House meeting of the year!  

Houses are an opportunity for all of our students and staff to build community together and participate in fun activities like door decorating, relay races, and chalk murals.  All of our K-5 students are in mixed groups, so they have a chance to interact with other students and staff that they do not normally get to see during the school day.  

In preparation for tomorrow’s event, our fifth graders recently met their kindergarten buddies - you can tell from these photos just how excited they all were!

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.