Crew

We Are Crew… Not Passengers.

Every student at BCS participates in a daily Crew advisory period that includes individual advisement,guided independent reading, explicit teaching of study skills, organization, and time management anddevelopment of group skills. Students learn to be agents of self-change, to take responsibility for theirlearning, and to develop supportive mentoring relationships with adults and peers.

Relationships:

• Crew provides each student a one-to-one relationship  with an  adult advisor
• Crew provides a daily, consistent small-group peer community.
• Crew leaders monitor and support student progress and serve as the student’s advocate in difficult academic and social
• Crew leaders act as the primary contact point between parents and the school.
• Crew meetings are frequently used for teambuilding exercises.

Literacy:

• Crew supports the academic goal of developing life-long readers.
• Crew time is used each week for structured discussions based on high interest text.
• Crew leaders conduct reading assessments and support students in developing good habits of readers.
• Crew is used to track independent reading requirements for each term of the school year.
• Crew leaders confer with students as they read, encourage exploration of new genres, and monitor student progress in meeting the independent reading requirement.

 Service:

• Crews identify needs in the school and in outside communities and propose and develop projects to address those needs.

 Portfolios:

• Students use Crew to assemble, organize, and reflect on academic work for the year.

• Students present their work and reflect on their progress towards goals in fall and spring student-led conferences with Crew leaders and parents.

 Adventure and Fitness:

• Crew offers opportunities for adventure, exploration, and fitness (new 9th graders attend a week-long Crew orientation intense camping experience).

 School Business:

•  Administrative business (attendance, announcements, etc.) is accomplished during Crew.

 College Preparation:

• Crew leaders support and coach students in their exploration of options for higher education, PSAT and SAT preparation, application processes, and college selective.

• Crew leaders assist in exploration of a variety of post-secondary options and ensure students have specific plans upon graduation.

• Crew leaders advise students on their academic progress to ensure that students are taking competitive course loads and have strong GPAs for college admission.

 
Crew is a credit-bearing course where students receive a grade of Pass, Fail, or 95 (Exemplary) based on the following Crew learning targets:

• I am prepared for school daily.
• I come to Crew on time.
• I can participate positively in Crew activities.
• I can collaborate positively with my peers.
• I can reflect on and assess my progress in school.
• I can set realistic and effective goals.
• I can make progress toward the NYS standard of reading 25 books.