[BHS Etree] BIHS: Back to School Message to BIHS Students and Families

[BHS Etree]

Please do not reply to this message. Questions? Contact
harrisonblatt at berkeley.net

Dear BIHS Families,

Welcome to school year 2023-24! The BIHS Staff has been hard at work
preparing to welcome students for the first day, August 16. We are excited
to welcome the incoming 10th grade class and continue supporting our 11th
and 12th grade classes.

Our focus for the first weeks of school will be building trusting
relationships among students and staff and creating classroom cultures that
validate and affirm the cultural and linguistic expressions of each
student. Creating strong communities in our classroom and program will lay
a foundation of physical and emotional safety that we will build upon to
push students to engage in challenging learning experiences.

One shift that we will be implementing in BIHS is in our approach to
smartphone use in the classroom. We believe that engaging and participating
in class fully, without distraction, is essential for us to build
community, create caring relationships, and lead students through rigorous
lessons. Smartphones are not only a distraction but are designed to grab
and hold the attention of the user and activate reward pathways in the
brain that create an addiction to the device. We want to help students
learn how to self-regulate.  This skill will be essential to their success
in school and beyond.

Each teacher will communicate and implement classroom rules and procedures
that require students to have their cell phone away unless given explicit
permission to use the phone by the teacher. Many teachers will be requiring
students to place their cell phone in a phone holder at the front of the
classroom for the duration of class. This practice is commonplace in the
Universal 9th Grade program and has resulted in increased focus,
engagement, and social interaction. Please have a conversation with your
child before the start of school about your expectation that they adhere to
all classroom cell phone policies. Your partnership is greatly appreciated
and paramount in our ability to support your child in the classroom.

We are excited for a great year in BIHS. Please don’t hesitate to reach out
at any time.

-- 

Nicole Chee, Chaghig Walker, Charlotte Le Liboux, and Shirley Hudacko are
the parent-volunteer facilitators of the E-tree; please direct any
questions about the E-tree to them at bhs-owner at lmi.net.



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BUSD 2023-2024 Calendar
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BUSD Non-Discrimination Statement / la Política de No Discriminación
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XoKaZIol254f7rDheAHhgr1FEJWfEOS2e4nU7_4LcqM/edit>

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