National Board Certified Teachers at BCS

Two of our teachers - David Belles (Music Specialist) and Sarah Lau (Middle School Math Teacher) just received confirmation that they are Nationally Board certified teachers!  Over 10% of our teachers at BCS are Nationally Board Certified, compared to less than 3% of all teachers in California.  

Ms. Lau and Mr. Belles recently became
National Board Certified Teachers!

National Board Certified Teachers (NBPTS) are an elite group of educators who must pass a rigorous certification process that includes in depth lesson planning and analysis, several tests based on pedagogy and content, videos of lessons, and student work samples that demonstrate growth and achievement.  

The entire process is tied to student learning and advancement in all aspects of the teaching profession, not just a single lesson or unit of study.

The National Board mission aligns so closely with our school’s vision that our staff has committed to making this distinguished certification an expected part of the role of a BCS educator.  Every staff member who is eligible to begin the process (teaching for 3 or more years) is supported with mentors, time, and equipment needed to succeed and become Board certified.

Congratulations to David, Sarah, and all of our teachers at BCS on their commitment to excellence in education!

BCS Choir Students Perform at CSU East Bay

Our seventh grade baritones had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Buddy James at the California State University East Bay Men’s Chorus Festival this week as part of a special opportunity for the BCS choirs.   Mr. Belles and the group of students participated in workshops with other middle and high school students from around the Bay Area, before a joint performance in the afternoon - you can see more photos here!   Keep up the great work Mr. Belles and our choir students!

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!

Intersessions are Underway at BCI!

Seventh and eighth graders started their first round of intersessions, and the excitement from the students is palpable on the BCI campus!  

Intersessions are a unique tenant of the middle school program at BCS -  regular instruction (with the exception of math) is suspended for three weeks, allowing students and staff to take a deep dive into a particular area of study.  

Students participate in three 3-week intersessions during the year, designed to engage students and maximize their learning in a real world environment.

Students plant bamboo at Panda Valley

Here’s a look at what the two grade levels are engaged in these next few weeks:

Seventh Grade: Engineering and Design Challenge

• Students are tasked with solving a real world problems ranging from how to stop the crows from digging through trash cans near the lunch tables at BCI to designing a landing pod and lunar buggy for space exploration

• Seventh graders are using the FabLab@BCS and guidance from our FabLab Director David Malpica and FabLab Assistant Nafiisah Renshaw to design, prototype, test and finalize their models

Click here to see what one student made in woodworking!

 

Seventh Grade: Cooking/Woodworking/Sewing

• Students rotate through three workshop style classes in cooking, woodworking, and sewing,  throughout the day. These classes are led by experts in their respective fields

• All students complete a finished product by the end of the intersession in each class, and students use these skills again at the end of the year when they put on a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which students are responsible for creating everything including the set design (woodworking) and costumes (sewing), and and refreshments (cooking)

Eighth Grade: Civic Responsibility, Animal Enrichment, Organic Gardening

• Students began by participating in a design thinking challenge to create animal enrichment devices for moon bears - an endangered species in China that are often inhumanely treated and hunted for their body parts

• Students traveling to China will take these designs to Animals Asia moon bear sanctuary and work with Animals Asia staff to implement them. Students will record the results and use their experiences to increase awareness about moon bears upon their return. They will work collaboratively with the students who studied animal enrichment at Happy Hollow Zoo in San Jose.

• Students also engaged in learning about organic gardening and sustainable agriculture practices by meeting with various groups in the community, and also taught BCS second graders about organic gardening

• Students will regenerate the BCI garden with donations from Orchard Supply Hardware to be able to grow organic food to donate to Mountain View CSA

Eighth graders teach BCS second graders about organic gardening

Gaga Ball Pit at BCI!

6th graders learn the rules of Gaga Ball during
Physical Education class at BCI

Our middle school students have jumped right in and already love playing in our newly installed Gaga Ball Pit at the BCI campus.

Many of our middle schoolers had a chance to play Gaga during the class field trip to Walker Creek Outdoor Education camp - and because so many of them came back talking about how much they enjoyed it it, we thought it would be a great addition to our space at BCI.

The game has its roots in dodgeball, though the rules and strategy are quite a bit different.

The Gaga Ball Pit is a great way for our students to get some extra physical activity during the day and recharge during breaks and at lunchtime.

Mr. Stark has taught the rules to all of the students in his Physical Education classes, and he advises a team of middle schoolers who take on leadership roles as student referees to help keep the game safe and fun for everyone.  

BCS Receives Prestigious National Award for Educational Excellence

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. 

This is a tremendous honor for our school that validates the strength of our programs, the dedication of our educators, and the tireless support of our parent community.  We are immensely proud of our teachers and students for this recognition of their hard work and love of learning — together, these bright young minds are helping set a new standard of academic excellence in public education.

BCS students and staff celebrate the National Blue Ribbon award
with a "Blue" Spirit Day!