Administration

Vacaville Unified School District
Principal: Bob Hampton
Assistant Principal:  Ms. Taryn Carter
Superintendent: John Aycock

Browse (click) on the following links for:

• Parent Letter - 2nd Semester Changes - 2005-2006 [PDF FORMAT]
• Parent Letter - 2nd Semester Changes - 2005-2006 [HTML FORMAT]
• Parent Letter - School Year Begins - 2005-2006
• School Off To A Great Start
• 2005 WASC Accreditation Report - 6 year with 3 year review

• Enrollment (Limited)

• Open Registration
• Information from BCMHS Principal, Bob Hampton - Fall 2004
• Vacaville Reporter - Voices - Solano Speaks Out - Choices 2004
• Program Handbook
• BCMHS FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
• A Message from Our Principal (Spring 2004 / Buckingham Quarterly)
• BCMHS Newsletters    -Browse Here-

(Adobe Acrobat needed to view all PDF files listed on this page)

Important Notice - Please Read!!!
New 2005-2006 2nd Semester Friday Schedule & Letter to Parents

December 22, 2005

Dear Parents / Students,

I know that many of you are aware of the recent dialogue that has taken place regarding Friday classes and new student scheduling for spring term. We have been asked to review how attendance is being calculated and how it is being reported to the state. Desiring to maximize full funding, we will be implementing a change to our spring schedule. Below are the considerations that took place in addressing these issues;

• Student work schedules
• Solano course work
• Current class schedules
• Special Education services
• Accelerated Studies impact
• 4 hour courses (Leadership, Film classes, etc…)
• Independent Projects
• Teacher Office hours
• Staff Professional Development
• Teacher workload
• Friday School
• Work Experience
• Facilities impact
• Tutorials in place
• Technology interventions on Friday
• School Transportation
• “Choice Options” within the scheduling
• Full day verses part day schedules
• Block schedules verses non block
• BASS and BCAL students

Ø Other issues were discussed, but these seemed to be the primary considerations. The four parameters that historically guide decision-making for the Charter School make up our “Action Planning Model .” This model is based on (1) is it good for students, (2) can we fiscally support it, (3) do we have the facilities to provide it, (4) and does it align with the Mission and Vision of the Charter School.

In attempting to address these elements and maintain minimal impact during the middle of a school year, primary considerations were element one and four. To provide more academic support for our students in a college preparatory program can only benefit our students. Yet, recognizing that many students enjoy the flexibility of Fridays, tempered the decision to engage them in a full day traditional schedule.

Attached, you will see the revised schedule for second semester. Trying to consider what is best for the school, best for the student, and best for staff and parents, the following minimizes the change impact and maintains the integrity of current site based schedules.

IMPACT

Student (A) currently taking scheduled Friday classes will not be affected. Their schedule will be consistent going into second semester based on the classes that they are enrolled in. All classes currently offered on Fridays will continue with the same spring schedule.

Student (B) currently attending enrichment, interventions, or labs on Fridays, will now be assigned one or two “core extension” classes based on academic need and parent/student choice.

Student (C) currently not attending any Friday classes, will be assigned into one or two “core extension” classes based on academic need or parent/student choice and course offerings.

Student “B” and “C” will be enrolled in extensions of core classes, i.e., history, math, science, English, Spanish, etc. based on standardized tests results, grades, and/or teacher recommendation. Students will be enrolled into:

• Period 8 from 10:00 – 10:45 am

• Period 9 from 10:50 – 11:35 am

• Or both Period 8 and 9 from 10:00 – 11:35 am.

• Additionally, students “B” and “C” can enroll in other classes offered to student “A.”

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have created. Please feel free to contact me Mr. Bob Hampton, our Counselor, Ellen Beckmann-Jones Ms. Beckmann-Jones, or our Assistance Principal, Ms. Taryn Carter Ms. Taryn Carter with any question or concerns. Please note the changes will take effect beginning 01/23/05.

Sincerely,

Bob Hampton
Principal

A Message from Our Principal...

Finally, our Young Image Makers Foundation (YIMF) has been established to support the Academic, Visual Media Arts and Information Technology arenas of our school. Tim Kruse, General Manager, Brenden Theaters is our Foundation President. I encourage you to read his section in the newsletter! Again- hope all of you a great school year and please don’t hesitate to ask questions.             — Bob Hampton, Principal

Dear Buckingham Community,

Hope all is going well at the start of this school year.  Open house was held in September, teacher conferences in October, and quarter grades will be coming up in November!  We presented our State of the School presentation to Vacaville Unified School District Board of Trustee’s.  The documents will be posted on our web page at BuckinghamCharterHigh.org.  If you have not had the opportunity to check it out, please feel free to do so.

We had over 20% of our student population take the PSAT’s this past month.  This was the largest turnout ever!  This is a great tool to get experience and create a baseline assessment score for your students SAT’s (college entrance testing requirement) which generally should be taken their Junior and Senior year.   College night was also a success as Ms. Ellen Beckmann-Jones met with parents to review the college application/enrollment process.  Our Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation process is running smoothly as we are in our final year of evaluation.  During April, a WASC team will be spending three days on campus to review our self-assessment based on the Focus On Learning goals that have been driving our evaluation and self-assessment.

Some other exciting news taking place - we are looking into establishing some sports clubs on campus. This could eventually lead to a Buckingham sports program. Currently, a soccer club and basketball club are in the developmental stages. Mr. Miller (Spanish) and Mr. Pennix (Math) are currently pursing these opportunities as respective club advisors. Other student clubs that have been established this year are drama with Ms. Klonowski (MVA) and EXIT with Ms. Mitchell (Math) as advisors.  We are glad to see students initiating these activities and creating positive choices for their fellow students’.  Additionally, hopefully you are aware of the student labs that are available on Friday to provide tutorial assistance for your students.  Mr. Daniels has a math lab held every Friday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Mr. Hawkins also has a Senior Studies Class from 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (1/2 hour lunch) every Friday.  This class is for seniors who either desire to accelerate or make up units for graduation.

Finally, a reminder regarding Friday School.  Friday school is held from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. and is being used as an intervention strategy to address student tardy issues.  Students assigned Friday school are required to bring school work, or reading material that will keep them focused during the two hours.  Students who are continually late for class jeopardize placement based on the attendance clause in the charter. This strategy, hopefully, will decrease the number of tardies and ensure that the attendance clause has been met. Reminder, students are required to have a 97% attendance rate while enrolled into BCMHS. Three tardies equal one unexcused absence.  If you have a question on your students attendance or number of tardies, please feel free to contact our attendance clerk at 453-7330.

As we enter into this holiday season, let us remember our troops oversees and their families.  Hope this season brings you joy and blessings!  Don’t forget to vote!

Bob Hampton/Principal

A Message from Our Principal (Spring 2004 / Buckingham Quarterly)…

Welcome back to another exciting semester! As we move into spring term, a few reminders and updates on program development and semester expectations.

STAR (State Testing and Reporting) will take place in April and information will be forthcoming. Taryn Carter, our testing coordinator, will be posting information on our web site (BuckinghamCharterHigh.org) that will include testing dates, times and resources available for you to implement at home to assist you in helping your student prepare for testing.

Our WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) team has been busy at work. Buckingham is seeking full accreditation (currently BCMHS has candidacy status) for our high school. This three year process is lengthily and intense. We are currently in our second year and doing an internal self-study. The self-study includes a review of all practices and procedures that take place within our program. Administration, teaching staff, support staff, parents and students are all involved in analyzing data, reviewing academic content standards, teaching practices, etc….  A preliminary WASC review team will be spending time at our school site this spring and will make recommendations of when our formal review will take place. This review will probably occur in the spring of 2005. We will keep you posted.

Our Media Visual Arts department will be showcasing student work at our annual Film Festival that will be held in April at the Brenden Theatres. Applicants from all over northern California will be submitting student created films for the festival. Applications are available on our web site for all young adults who wish to enter the festival. Please contact Ms. Kristin Prewitt (KristinP@vacavilleusd.org) for more information. A reminder to our parents that all staff are available via e-mail and web sites. Grades, course outlines, student assignments, resources, and help is easily accessible from these teacher web sites. They are a great tool in supporting your students both at school and at home. Also, the web sites will update you on class activities and expectations.

Finally, enclosed in this month’s newsletter is a donation envelope that will allow you to support your students and school. Buckingham’s “Young Image Makers” Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, will provide you the opportunity to donate a tax deductible gift to your school. The purpose of your support and the foundation is fourfold:

(A) Provide students the opportunity to showcase student work throughout the community
(B) To provide industry standard state-of-the-art equipment for students to access
(C) Provide facilities for students to utilize the tools that have been provided
(D) To support the mission and vision of Elise P. Buckingham Charter High School

Information on the Foundation and its Board members are located on the school web site link. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions. Any support is valued and appreciated. Let’s make our school the best it can be!

Have a great second term --- Bob Hampton/Principal

Open registration for the BCMHS 2005-2006 school year began June 2004.  Signup now before we meet full capacity, as ENROLLMENT IS LIMITED to 450 students.