Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School

Monday, March 8, 2021

Dear BCAM Families & Students:

Greetings.  It has just been announced this morning that DOE high schools will return to buildings for blended-learning beginning Monday, March 22^nd.  We sent you this morning the Chancellor letter of DOE guidelines related to this return.  This letter summarizes this information, and also shares specific BCAM information. 

NYC DOE Chancellor Announcements Regarding Blended-Learning Student Return

• Monday, March 22 is blended-learning reopening for high schools, YABC's and Transfer Schools.
• Only previously identified blended-learning students may return to buildings for their blended schedule.
• Previously identified remote-learning students must remain learning remote for remainder of year.
• Blended-learning students who wish to remain remote and not return to buildings must change their learning preference using this link: nycenet.edu/surveys/learning preference
• Random COVID testing will take place each week in building for blended-learning students and staff.  COVID testing consent forms must be completed by all families of blended-learning students to allow them to return to building.  Any blended-learning student who does not submit form will be moved to remote learning status.  The consent form is available via this link: mystudent.nyc . 
• All DOE staff on fully remote health considerations are able to continue working remotely from home for the remainder of the school year, unless they choose to change this status.
• Extra-curricular programming and PSAL athletics will be reinstated in some form in April.

BCAM Specifics Regarding Blended-Learning Student Return

• BCAM will continue with the same Cohort A/B and daily schedule we have had all year.
• Mon-Tues: Cohort A blended-learning students/staff in the building (Cohort B working from home).
• Thurs-Fri: Cohort B blended-learning students/staff in the building (Cohort A working from home).
• Wednesdays: asynchronous work from home for everyone; office hour support of students.
• Once BCAM blended-students return to the building and all is stable and coherent, there will consideration given to increasing the number of days in building for specific blended-learning students and small groups.  This will be to support academic and social-emotional needs of students, as identified by BCAM staff, parents and students themselves.
• BCAM extra-curricular programs will be conducted remotely until DOE provides permission.

We’d like to invite BCAM Families to join us this Wednesday. morning, 3/10, 10am-11am for BCAM Coffee & Conversations (Zoom link: http://bit.ly/BCAMcoffee ) or this Wed. evening, 3/10, 6pm-7pm (Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83711490639?pwd=UFlMa3FabEQ1V1RWdDFoTnRINjloUT09 ) for an informal Q & A regarding any of this information and the return to building for blended-learning students.

Please feel free to contact us via email or phone with any questions or uncertainties moving forward.

Best,

James O’Brien, Principal

At Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School (BCAM), we prepare our students for 21st century academic, creative, and professional success. Through an art, media, and technology-enriched academic curriculum emphasizing community collaboration, we challenge ourselves to think critically and create knowledge in pursuit of personal excellence and meaningful social change.