March 28, 2011
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Now that we have concluded our 12th season of Enrichment Clusters, we all share a renewed sense of what makes our school so special. BCHMCPS is a special school and we are thankful that our children are receiving a top notch education within a public school setting. We have all made the choice to be a member of the BCHMCPS family and we have a shared responsibility in making our school the best that it can be so that our children are the best students and citizens that they can be.
In addition to Enrichment Clusters, listed below are some other programs unique to our charter school:
1. Accelerated Schools Plus Programs (ASP): Through the adoption of the ASP program in our classrooms, our teachers utilize gifted and talented teaching techniques and apply these techniques to all students;
2. Pull-Out enrichment programs for those students who require more challenge in reading, writing and/or math than is offered in the regular classroom curriculum;
3. Powerful Learning Environment: Together through ASP and Enrichment, our school creates a powerful learning environment that engages our children by building upon their natural curiosities, encouraging them to challenge themselves, and invites them to explore the connections between what is learned in the classroom and how those lessons translate to their everyday lives within their communities.
Funding these programs requires approximately $150,000.00/year and because they are unique to our charter school, they are not funded by our yearly allotment from the Town of Barnstable. The start-up funds that we received when we were awarded the charter in 2004 have been exhausted. As a result, these programs are in jeopardy of being scaled back or eliminated all together due to lack of funding. Last year, Ken Keenan asked me to create the Friends of BCHMCPS Foundation to raise money to help fund these programs. With the assistance of my amazingly talented and resourceful board members and you, our school community, we are on our way to addressing these budget challenges.
Our largest fundraising event, the Silent Auction, is scheduled for May 19 at The Paddock in Hyannis. Donations (listed on the back of this letter)are pouring in and this event is shaping up to surpass last years’ goal. Please consider being a sponsor of our auction by making a cash donation. You will be personally recognized at the event and your donation helps to offset the costs associated with hosting this type of event. Sponsorships of $500.00 or more receive two (2) complimentary tickets to the auction (a $50.00 value). Mark your calendars and don’t miss out on this special evening.
In the coming weeks, you will receive lots of information about the auction and the many opportunities to get involved. “Class Baskets” were a huge hit last year and the details will be sent home soon. Those of you who attended the auction last year will remember the “Balloon Pops.” Hopefully you were fortunate enough to get a few! We plan to have over 65 this year as they sold out very quickly and created quite a stir. We are also fortunate to have FlipChix this year creating personal flip books to commemorate the event. Lastly, please consider entering your child’s art work for our contest (notes went home on March 18th explaining this contest). The winners’ submissions will be showcased on the auction booklet and on our Spring 2011 Auction Edition note cards. We use these cards to send thank you notes of all of our donors as well as offering them for sale to our community. We will be expanding this program by selling these cards, along with the produce from the BCHMCPS Garden at the Farmers’ Market at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center. What a great opportunity for your child to feel like an accomplished artist!
As I mentioned, lots of information will be going home shortly about all of the auction programs. Please consider donating items for the class baskets, the auction, and the balloon pops (we need several $10.00-$25.00 gift cards from anywhere). Your participation is appreciated and necessary to make this event a success! Please send any donations to the school in an envelope marked “Friends of BCHMCPS.” We have a mail box in the front office. Send me an e-mail at any time with questions: kjconway@comcast.net. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jodi Conway
President, Friends of BCHMCPS
