[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Important Message to Universal 9th Grade Families - SLC Lottery and Course Requests

[BHS Etree]

PLEASE do not reply to this email, contact Juan Raygoza, Vice Principal, at juanraygoza at berkeley.net<mailto:juanraygoza at berkeley.net> or your 9th grade Academic Counselor - Linh Le for Hives 1, 2, and 3 or Norma Lopez for Hives 4, 5, 6, and 7 - if you have any questions.

I would like to inform all families of BHS 9th grade students of important upcoming dates and events regarding your student's entry into the Small Learning Community (SLC) Lottery for the 10th grade as well as subsequent course selection. Over the next few weeks and months your student will participate in the following activities in order to become more familiar with our SLCs and make an informed decision in the upcoming SLC Lottery:

Small Learning Community Assembly
On Thursday, January 31st, your student will be going with their Freshman Seminar class to the Little Theatre, for one period, to learn about our five Small Learning Communities - Academic Choice (AC), Academy of Medicine and Public Service (AMPS), Arts and Humanities Academy (AHA), Berkeley International High School (BIHS), and Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS). Staff and student representatives from each SLC will discuss the offerings and experiences in their communities. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A.

BHS Course Catalog 2019-20 Scavenger Hunt Activity
During the week of February 4th - 8th, your student will participate in a "scavenger hunt" activity in their Freshman Seminar class. The Universal 9th grade teachers will be working collaboratively to develop an activity that guides students through the new Course Catalog, paying close attention to the requirements within each SLC.

For this activity, your student will receive their own hard copy of the Course Catalog. The Catalog will also be posted on the BHS website for your convenience during this week.

Open House
On Thursday, February 7th, both you and your student are invited to attend Open House. Traditionally, families that attend Open House have an opportunity to visit each of their student's teachers as the new semester begins. This year, you are strongly encouraged to attend a Small Learning Community Assembly starting at 6:00 pm in the Community Theatre to learn about our five SLCs. You will witness a presentation similar to what your child saw a week prior, but geared for families. At the end of the assembly, although you are welcome to visit your student's current classes, we invite you to instead visit our "Showcase" locations around campus where teachers from each SLC will be displaying student work from their communities and welcoming all of your questions.

You can expect a separate Open House message providing further details.

Small Learning Community Lottery
During the week of February 11th - 15th, your student's Academic Counselor will visit one of their Universal 9th grade classes to conduct the SLC Lottery entry process. The Academic Counselors will follow the schedule below:

February 11th - Hive 1 and 4
February 12th - Hive 2 and 5
February 13th - Hive 3 and 6
February 14th - Hive 7
Make-Ups: Throughout the week, the Academic Counselors will be summonsing students that were not in attendance during the Hive visits

Small Learning Community Lottery Guidelines
During this visit, your student will enter the SLC Lottery. As the Academic Counselor will carefully explain then, your student will rank the SLCs that they desire to be placed in for the duration of 10th-12th grade. The ranking rules are as follow:

  *   Your student will rank their top choice as #1, second choice as #2, etc.

  *   Your student MUST rank both AC and BIHS - our two largest SLCs
  *   Your student MAY also rank the three smaller SLCs - AHA, AMPS, and CAS - IN ADDITION to ranking both AC and BIHS

     *   Since our three smaller SLCs have limited seats, which means that not every student that desires a small SLC will get in, your student must include AC and BIHS in their ranking
     *   If your student decides to rank AHA, AMPS, and/or CAS, they DO NOT have to rank all three of these SLCs, only the one(s) that they desire to be placed in

See below for example rankings to avoid common mistakes:

AC            #2
AHA
AMPS
BIHS         #1
CAS
Correct Example

AC             #2
AHA          #1
AMPS
BIHS         #3
CAS
Correct Example

AC              #5
AHA            #3
AMPS         #2
BIHS           #4
CAS            #1
Correct Example

AC
AHA                  #3
AMPS               #1
BIHS
CAS                  #2
Incorrect Example
(Must also rank both AC and BIHS)

AC                #4
AHA              #3
AMPS           #2
BIHS
CAS              #1
Incorrect Example
(Must also rank BIHS)

AC
AHA
AMPS
BIHS            #1
CAS
Incorrect Example
(Must also rank AC)


If your student has a sibling that is currently in the SLC that will be their #1 choice in the lottery, and that sibling will still be in the community next year, your student is given priority in the lottery for that SLC. If this situation applies to your student, they must enter the full legal name of their sibling while entering the lottery with their Academic Counselor. Your student can only enter actual siblings, not cousins, play siblings, etc. and that sibling must currently be in 10th or 11th grade in your student's #1 choice for SLC next year. All sibling entries and SLC assignments will be verified.

In late-February, after your student has entered the lottery, you will be mailed, at your address of residence as shown on Illuminate, an SLC Lottery Report detailing your student's ranking. You will have the opportunity to edit the ranking and return it to BHS.

The goal of the computerized lottery assignment system is to provide a fair and equitable method for school assignments while prioritizing individual choice and ensuring student diversity across the enrollment of all of Berkeley High School's Small Learning Communities

In early-March, you will be mailed the SLC Lottery result with your student's placement in one of our five SLCs. The lottery result is final.

Course Requests
On Tuesday, March 19th, after your student has been lotteried into and notified of their SLC assignment, our Academic Counselors will summon them from one of their Universal 9th grade classes to make their course requests for the 10th grade, including requesting electives as appropriate within their new SLC.

In late-March through early-April, after your student has made course requests, you will be mailed a Course Requests Report detailing your student's requests. You will have the opportunity to edit the requests, following the requirements from your student's new SLC, and return them to BHS.

Your child will receive their schedule of classes during Registration just prior to the start of next school year.

Thank you.

Juan Manuel Raygoza
Vice Principal

_____________________________
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