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Overview

WELCOME TO BILA

The Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts is an ideal school for students who want the best academic foundation to prepare them for college. We have challenging interactive classes, and the opportunity for students to succeed in a supportive, friendly, energetic community. Student voice is encouraged and celebrated; students are mentored or mentor others; student leaders are developed. Monthly trips are part of a curriculum that allows students to see, learn about and truly participate in this ever-changing world. Students with a love for technology will flourish in this Mac-based iZone school with a variety of electives to suit individual student choice.

BILA'S MISSION

At the Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts, we educate and nurture each child to develop his or her fullest potential. Our inquiry-based approach to a rigorous, standards-based liberal arts curriculum and our collaborative approach to our learning environment ensure that our students have the academic knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college and in their future careers. At the Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts, we “Believe, Inquire, Learn and Achieve” together so that our students can fully immerse themselves in 21st century life challenges and successes.

BILA'S VISION

We envision students who actively participate in their learning by questioning their scholarship and the world in which they live, are reflective about their roles in the world, and who, through their endeavors, demonstrate their eagerness to move to the next level of learning; parents who support their children’s learning by asking questions about their rights and roles in their children’s education and are active members of the Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts community; teachers who make learning rigorous, creative, and relevant by taking risks with their teaching, are always learning new ways to facilitate learning, and are validating the accomplishments of their students; and a leader whose practice demonstrates her commitment to building a safe, nurturing environment for all.

BILA HIGH SCHOOL

FAMILY COMMUNICATION

December 2023

Important Dates

 

11.07 :NO SCHOOL (Election Day)

11.16:Parent Teacher Association Meeting (PTA) - Thanksgiving Dinner – ALL FAMILIES ARE WELCOME

11.23-11.24:NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving Break)

12.14 :Parent Teacher Association Meeting (PTA) – Christmas Edition – ALL FAMILIES ARE WELCOME

12.25-01.01:NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)

 

Important Announcements

DAILY REMINDERS:Uniform Policy:Students are required to wear their Grade color t-shirts and black school pants.YOU MUST BE IN SCHOOL UNIFORM DAILY. No leggings/spandex, no mini/short skirts, shorts, distressed jeans, sweat suits, basketball shorts, hats, hoodies, slippers, bonnets, crocs, etc. areNOTallowed.

DAILY ATTENDANCE EXPECTATION:Attending school punctually and regularly is very important in Hight School. At BILA we have a zero tolerance for lateness and unexcused absences. If you miss one class or one day, it can be difficult to keep up(think about it like your favorite TV Show😊).It doesn’t only help with your academic life but it goes with you during your career.

With that being said, all students must be in school by8:00AMand attend daily. Please be on time, doors open between 7:30AM to 8:00AM and breakfast is served during this time.At 8:01AM you will be marked tardy.

All absents and lateness must be reported to the main office, (please call 718-221-1097) and accompanied by a doctor/parent note. Please ask forMs. Drew.

PTA: Parent / Guardians involvement is the backbone of any school because parents and guardians have the power to implement, address concerns, build their child’s school community stronger and advocate for other families.

During the last two meetings, we have seen an increase in parents and guardians attendance. We notice some students exhibiting more confidence in their school work and overall performance.

BILA staff is very concern about the whole child and we are here to support families by all means necessary. Our goal is to have a supportive community – ‘each one, help one’

PTA meetings benefit everyone and most importantly the children.

OnThursday, November 16thwe will host our Thanksgiving Dinner from 6:00PM – 8:00PM. There will also be interactive workshops for our parents on social media issues and resources on immigration. Our community is pretty diverse with families from all over the world especially the Caribbean. With the right guidance and support we can share resources, speak on sensitive topics surrounding immigration, free educational programs, etc. We want to hear from you. Reach out to thePTA Teamfor more information.

 

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AFTERSCHOOL:Afterschool is offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Home-Work Help:Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:30PM-4:15PM.

After School Clubs:Wednesdays- Crafts & Community, Sisters in Service, Music Club

Thursdays– Fitness, Art Club, Student Council, Chess, Dance

Fridays– GSA and Step

Email us for more information on Afterschool Clubs or Home Work Help,click here.

Include your child’s full name, their advisor and best number to contact you.

 

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT:On October 17th the Superintendent M. Prayor had a Principals Meeting on the Moral Compass of Kindness which entails the four pillars i.e. Compassion, Integrity, Forgiveness and Responsibility. Our very own 11th Grader – Katelyn M. was invited to deliver her perspective on the four pillars. Katelyn set the bar extremely high, not to mention, she was also the first student invited to a Principals’ meeting and now she has set a precedent for other High Schools to follow.

“Katelyn you blew everyone away and we are so #BILAproud of you.”Attached is snip of Katelyn’s Presentation on the Moral Compass of Kindness from the book As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner.”

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TRANSPORTATION:All grades received their MetroCard, if your child haven’t received a MetroCard or needs a replacement, please reach out toMs. D. Thomas. Students can also visit her office in Rm C-119 to request a MetroCard.

 

JUPITER: Jupiter is one of BILA primary form of communicating with parents, to monitor your child’s grades in real-time and to receive important information and updates from all school staff. Clickherefor instructions on using Jupiter. If you need instructions for registering for an account or password reset, kindly reach out toMs. Mohammed.Include your child’s full name and best number to reach you.

 

DOE TECHNOLOGY: BILA students are provided with iPads / Tablets / Chromebooks or Macbooks in order to successfully complete their class and home-work assignments. We want to give you an overview of our school’s expectation while they are in possession of the school’s technology. Students are responsible to bring their devices each day to school fully charged. If there is an issue with the device, they must report it to an Assist Principal immediately. Students must take care of their devices and ensure no drink or food spills on it. They must use this device to complete all their class and homework assignments ONLY. Any inappropriate contents will be reported.

CELLPHONE / SMARTWATCH POLICY:We agree that communication is very vital but a classroom with zero distractions and 100% class participation is more paramount. BILA staff collects cellphone and smartwatches when students enters the building and it is returned at dismissal. If a child needs to speak with their parent / guardian, it will be approved by the Assistant Principals or Principal and they will be able to call you from the main office. We ask parents to please resolve all after school family plans with your child before they attend school. This mitigates any and all classroom disruption.

We have provided individually labeled bags for ALL students for their cell phones. Going forward, we are no longer able to supply Ziploc bags for students, and we will not accept phones that are not in Ziploc bags which are clearly LEGIBLY labeled with the students' FULL name and block. If students arrive to school without a bag, they have a number of options: they may go to the store to purchase their own bag and marker and label their bag. Or they may return home to drop their phone off. Or they may go to the corner store and leave their phone for the day, which some corner stores allow students to do. We are unable to provide Ziploc bags to students and we will not accept any phone that is not in a bag that is LEGIBLY labeled with the students' FULL name and block."

SCHOOL SAFETY:Kindly note that all students will be scanned daily by security upon arrival. All weapons, vapes, any type of cigarettes, lighters, etc will be confiscated and we will be reaching out to parents. Parents please have a discussion with your child with regards to school safety.

 

Parent’s Resources

EBT:Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization who advocates for parents that haven’t received or spent their P-EBT funds. According to state data, more than 90,000 studentshaven’t spent funds allocated for themas pandemic food benefits. The funds, known as the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, or P-EBT, are intended to help cover meal costs for families whose students usually receive free meals at school. Because New York City’s public schools have universal meals, all families are eligible regardless of household income.

Advocates expressed concern to our reporter that families might not be using the benefits because they don’t know about them. But there’s still time for them to spend these funds before they expire..

There storyincludes answers to some key questions families might have, like what they can use P-EBT for and when the benefits expire.

HELP FILL CCEC VACANCIES:There areCurrently Available Council Seats (nyc.gov). Click on link for more information.

LEGAL SERVICES:The City of New York offers New Yorkers free, safe immigration legal help in a network of trusted community-based organizations at community sites, public health facilities, public schools, and libraries. Services are provided in your language. Your immigration status does not matter.

You can call the City-funded, free and safe Immigration Legal Hotline at 800-354-0365, or call 311 and say "ActionNYC," between 9AM to 6PM, Monday to Friday, to get:

·Answers to immigration-related questions

·Information on immigration policy

·Connections to City-funded, free and safe immigration legal help including comprehensive immigration legal screenings and legal representation

·Referrals to other community-based resources and support services

GROCERIES TO GO: NYC Healthy partnered with Groceries to Go, which provides eligible New Yorkers with monthly credits to purchase groceries for delivery or pickup. To enroll, you must be an NYC resident, a member ofhttps://www.nyccare.nyc/, and meet other eligibility criteria:http://on.nyc.gov/groceriestogo.

Home | NYC Care

Unlock your right to healthcare with dignity. NYC Care is part of the largest and most comprehensive initiative in the nation to guarantee health care for every New Yorker. Click to learn more about the program.

www.nyccare.nyc

 

Groceries to Go provides eligible New Yorkers with monthly credits to purchase groceries for delivery or pickup. Credits can be used to purchase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible foods and beverages through an online platform that links to hundreds of grocery stores across New York City. The credits can also be used to pay for service fees, tips and delivery.

Groceries to Go participants also receive a 50% discount on purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables using their credits. Participants can save up to $30 per month with this discount.

NYC CARE:

NYC Careis a health care access program that guarantees low-cost and no-cost services offered byNYC Health + Hospitalsto New Yorkers who do not qualify for or cannot afford health insurance based on federal guidelines.NYC Careis the nation’s largest and most comprehensive initiative to guarantee health care for New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.

New Yorkers who are eligible for health insurance will be directed to the city’s public choice health planMetroPlus.

 

Member Services

WithNYC Care, you can:

·Get a unique membership card to access health care atNYC Health + Hospitalspatient care locations across the city

·Choose your own primary care provider

·Receive preventive care like vaccinations, routine screenings and mammograms to stay healthy

·Get mental health support and substance abuse services

·Get your first appointment in two weeks or less

·Talk to customer service representatives who speak your language and can help you day or night

·Get access to low-cost prescription medications day or night

·Get support from a primary care team that also includes nurses, medical assistants, social workers, pharmacists, and nutritionists

·Afford quality health care. There are no membership fees, monthly fees, or premiums. Your cost to receive health care is based on your family size and income

Eligibility

·You must live in the five boroughs of New York City

·Must not qualify for any health insurance plan available in New York State

·Not be able to afford health insurance based on government guidelines

If you do not qualify forNYC Careor any health insurance plan, you may be eligible to receive services under theNYC Health + HospitalsOptions program.

Membership Card

As aNYC Caremember, you will receive a membership card in the mail. Your card is unique to you and shows your fees for health care services.

Carry your membership card when:

·Visiting your primary care provider

·Getting health care services at anyNYC Health + Hospitalspatient care location

NYC Careis designed to make health care affordable. There are no membership fees, monthly fees, or premiums. You will pay for the services you receive based on reduced rates determined by your family size and income.

 

GET THE GOOD STUFF PROGRAM:

New Yorkers who participate in theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/EBT)can get free fruits, vegetables and beans at certain NYC supermarkets through Get the Good Stuff, a NYC Health Department program. For every dollar you spend using SNAP/EBT on eligible fruits, vegetables and beans, you get a matching dollar (up to $10 per day) that can be used for the next purchase of eligible foods.

Eligible foods include:

·Fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs

·Frozen fruits, vegetables and beans without added sugar, salt or fat

·Canned and jarred fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils without added sugar, salt or fat

·Dried beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables without added sugar, salt or fat

Locations and Sign-up

To start getting free fruits, vegetables and beans at the participating supermarkets below, visit their customer service desk to sign up.

Bronx

·Cherry Valley Supermarket
2870 Webster Avenue, Bronx

·Food Universe
675 Morris Avenue, Bronx

·Super Fresh Supermarket
459 East 149th Street, Bronx

·Fine Fare
3550 White Plains Road, Bronx

·Key Food Fresh
656 Castle Hill Avenue, Bronx

Brooklyn

·3 Guys From Brooklyn
6502 Fort Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn

·Sea Town Fish and Meat Market
328 Linden Street, Brooklyn

Manhattan

·Shop Fair
3871 Broadway, Manhattan

·Shop Fair
1331 St Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan

Queens

·Fine Fare Supermarket
8945 163rd Street, Jamaica

·Sea Town Fish and Farmers Market
3924 104th Street, Corona

More locations will begin participating soon, so check back on this page for updates.

For more information, email[email protected]

 

 

Guidance Corner

 

Princeton Week:Students from Princeton university spent the week mentoring our 12thgraders. The mentors shared their college experiences with our students and provided assistance with the college process. This included crafting college essays, applying for scholarships and completing college applications.

College Seminar:Seniors have a Senior Seminar class twice a week where they receive assistance from the guidance counselors to create and execute a plan for after they graduate high school. The students choose if they would like to pursue a college education, attend trade school, join in the military or gain employment. The counselors provide support and guidance to make their plan become a reality.

For more info clickhere.Include your child’s full name and best number to contact you.

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Tee-Cha Corner(Teach.Educate.Empower – Create.Honor.Achieve)

 

Most recently we hosted a successful Parent Teacher Conference night. Teachers were able to provide updates on grades, areas of improvement/encouragement, student’s overall classroom participation, performance and behavior.

Parents and guardians who did not have the opportunity to schedule an appointment to speak with your child’s teachers or if you missed the call, please reach out to their advisors / teachers on Jupiter or clickhereto request a conference call.Include your child’s full name, their advisor/teacher you wish to speak with and best number to contact you.

 

Parents’ Networking and Talent Corner

We are building a parent network. If you have a business, please email your informationhere.

 

Parent’s Talent: Calling all parents / guardians, if you can sing, dance, write poems/spoken words, rap, comedian, craft, braid, anything – please email what you can dohere.

 

Family Inquiries

Please click on inquiry to send an email. All emails should include first name, last name, date of birth, current grade and best contact number.

 

Helpful links below

 

Books Referral

 

  • As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

 

INTERESTED IN ATTENDING BILA?

Fill out this survey to receive more information.

Check out our Admissions page for more information, and upcoming Virtual Orientation Events.