What is the story with BCC High School?

[Anonymous]

I had always been under the impression that BCC was considered a great school, but I feel as if I have been duped. The after school and club activities seem to be focused almost entirely on sports, then theatre/arts. There don't seem to be any bonafide debate teams, science clubs or even a decent newspaper.

Do any of the other schools in MC offer these programs - Churchill, Wooten, Whitman or WJ?

[Anonymous]

They are there, geat ones. They did a great fall production this year.

How were you duped, it is a public school -

[Anonymous]

Isnt there a school paper? Whitman has a really well done school paper but it is quite competitive to get on the staff and you have to take the journalism classes first. There is also a really good speech and debate team - i think there are something like 100 kids who do that. There is a very active SGA too. I suspect BCC has all these things too.

[Anonymous]

You have been duped. By whom, I'm not sure. Is it your child telling you that nothing is going on at BCC? Maybe he/she doesn't want to participate or is having trouble making friends.

BCC offers zillions of sports, music, theater, after school clubs, etc.

Check this link for current activities at BCC -- http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/bcchs/activities/ It is the activities tab on the main web school web page.

If you click on publications you will see that there is a yearbook, literary magazine and newspaper. The newspaper -- The Tattler -- is the oldest in the country, and has won awards from Columbia/Journalism, but you may have to sign up for Journalism class to fully participate. The online Tattler Extra is here -- http://tattlerextra.org/ -- and appears to have a number of current stories.

The literary magazine, Silver Chips, has also won many prestigious awards. I know that many BCC alum who are now professional writers credit the old sponsor, Ms. Lambrakopoulos, and the Silver Chips experience with helping their writing. (See the section on Chevalier in http://themomtourage.com/images/press/Bethesdamag.pdf)

On the clubs page you will see every club under the sun including debate, math teams, language and honors clubs, etc. It's clear from the list and the info. that if you don't find the club you want, you can create it. I don't know what it means that the clubs list still has the heading 2009-2010, but it's hard for me to imagine that all these clubs have simply disappeared in 1 year unless there's some kind of budget issue.

There are also many theater and music opportunities.

Anyway, if you can't find it at BCC, why don't you start it? One of the great things about attending a large school -- you will find at least a small group of people who are interested in the same things you are. If science club doesn't exist and your child wants to have one, no one will tell him/her it's not allowed. Find a faculty or parent sponsor, put up some posters and I'm sure a few kids will crawl out of the woodwork, or should it come to it, that a faculty member would work solo with a student with a particular interest.

[Anonymous]

I do not know about B-CC today, but I graduated in 1999. I think it was a great school. There were so many different after school programs, great teachers, and all of the academic support that I needed. There was a great school paper when I went. This was the year before the renovation. I would think that things would be even better now, no? Sidebar, there was a really great debate team, and we were always placing well on It's Academic.

[Anonymous]

I am a parent at BCC but I don't know much about what is or isn't available at school. The problem is that we don't have an effective method of communication. The listserv is dominated by those who advertize their services, discuss off topics, etc. Most of those people are no longer parents at BCC. There are hundreds of such unrelated messages a day. I missed school related deadlines and events. Some argue we would keep the status quo because it is a community builder. It is not a school community builder, that's for sure, because it keeps so many of us, parents, in the dark and isolated.

[Anonymous]

PP I feel the same way. Hopefully things will change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent at BCC but I don't know much about what is or isn't available at school. The problem is that we don't have an effective method of communication. The listserv is dominated by those who advertize their services, discuss off topics, etc. Most of those people are no longer parents at BCC. There are hundreds of such unrelated messages a day. I missed school related deadlines and events. Some argue we would keep the status quo because it is a community builder. It is not a school community builder, that's for sure, because it keeps so many of us, parents, in the dark and isolated.

+1

Not to mention, my 9th grader has felt completely lost in the sauce all year. She was engaged in several activities at Westland, but none at BCC. She barely knows her guidance counselor and feels isolated from her teachers. We are moving her after this year. I think the environment is just too big and overwhelming for her to thrive. I had this precise fear when we attended the open house in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent at BCC but I don't know much about what is or isn't available at school. The problem is that we don't have an effective method of communication. The listserv is dominated by those who advertize their services, discuss off topics, etc. Most of those people are no longer parents at BCC. There are hundreds of such unrelated messages a day. I missed school related deadlines and events. Some argue we would keep the status quo because it is a community builder. It is not a school community builder, that's for sure, because it keeps so many of us, parents, in the dark and isolated.

+1

Not to mention, my 9th grader has felt completely lost in the sauce all year. She was engaged in several activities at Westland, but none at BCC. She barely knows her guidance counselor and feels isolated from her teachers. We are moving her after this year. I think the environment is just too big and overwhelming for her to thrive. I had this precise fear when we attended the open house in the fall.

Many freshmen have the same problem. They have gone from being big fish in the little Westland pond to the small fish in the BCC lake. Most likely she feels intimidated by older kids like she was when she was in sixth grade at Westland. It all works out in the end.

[Anonymous]

At Whitman we have 2 lists - one for school related messages and one for "commercial" messages. The first one is only open to current parents. Both seem to be used quite effectively. Perhaps someone could suggest a similar model at BCC. We also have a club/activity night in the fall where kids can see the range of activity options. Many kids do attend this.

We have had a very good experience at Whitman, and we did not come in from the feeder middle school so it was an adjustment all around. I have been pleasantly surprised that my child does not seem to be a number but instead knows teachers well and vice versa.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand re the listserv--last year Bcc.net went all official school announcements. It's the bcccommunity listserv that has for sale ads. If you don't like for sale ads, you can still get BCC news without hindrance through bcc.net.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent at BCC but I don't know much about what is or isn't available at school. The problem is that we don't have an effective method of communication. The listserv is dominated by those who advertize their services, discuss off topics, etc. Most of those people are no longer parents at BCC. There are hundreds of such unrelated messages a day. I missed school related deadlines and events. Some argue we would keep the status quo because it is a community builder. It is not a school community builder, that's for sure, because it keeps so many of us, parents, in the dark and isolated.

+1

Not to mention, my 9th grader has felt completely lost in the sauce all year. She was engaged in several activities at Westland, but none at BCC. She barely knows her guidance counselor and feels isolated from her teachers. We are moving her after this year. I think the environment is just too big and overwhelming for her to thrive. I had this precise fear when we attended the open house in the fall.

Many freshmen have the same problem. They have gone from being big fish in the little Westland pond to the small fish in the BCC lake. Most likely she feels intimidated by older kids like she was when she was in sixth grade at Westland. It all works out in the end.

She arrived at Westland from NCC, so this is certainly very new for us. She is not shy by any means, and was very outgoing at NCC and Westland. My impression is that the teachers and administrators took more of an interest in her at NCC and Westland. They knew her by name and Mr. Costa, in particular, was very involved in her success at Westland. At BCC, she feels more like a lone fish in a big lake.

[Anonymous]

15:00, here. To clarify the pp, NCC went to 6th grade so she matriculated to Westland in the 7th.