BUGS Announces Third Year of Alumni Scholarships to Support Transition to College

Thanks to a generous alumni family, Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS) is able to offer a third year of our college scholarship program. Students who graduated from BUGS in 2018 and are enrolling in college in the fall of 2022 are invited to apply. The deadline to submit scholarship applications is Friday. July 15, 2022. The application is available HERE and should be submitted to susan.bakst@BUGSbrooklyn.org.

The scholarship was launched by the BUGS community to provide a financial award to a student or students who embody our C.A.R.E,S, values and have taken the seeds sown at BUGS to continue to explore and fight for a sustainable future. Our many thanks to Ann James for funding this year’s program and board member Jamal Deek for his leadership.

“We are so proud of the Class of 2018 and look forward to hearing  how the values and commitment to sustainability that they learned at BUGS has remained central to who they are and what they want to achieve. I am so honored and grateful that we have the opportunity to support these thoughtful, caring, and compassionate BUGS alumni.” -- Susan Tenner, Executive Director, Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School. 

Click HERE for the application. For more information, please contact Susan Bakst, Director of Marketing and Outreach, at susan.bakst@BUGSbrooklyn.org.

BUGS Celebrates the Official Opening of Our Hydroponics Classroom System

Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS) was thrilled to celebrate the official opening of our beautiful hydroponic classrooms with our funder Sun Club, the charitable arm of renewable energy provider Green Mountain Energy, our partner NY Sun Works, and BUGS students, friends, and families on April 27. Click here to see news about the ribbon cutting on Yahoo Finance.

The celebration was made even more special with the arrival of Sun Club Program Manager Johnny Richardson from Green Mountain Energy’s Houston headquarters. Also joining us were Manuela Zamora, Executive Director, and Megan Nordgrén, Director of Program Development, of NY Sun Works, policy advisor Evan Burr from the Office of the Mayor, James Neimeister, Communications & Organizing Manager for District 38 Council Member Alexa Avilés, and Lorena Kourousias, Executive Director, Mixteca.

We were so proud of our student-guides who provided information about our hydroponics systems, demonstrated how the systems work, and shared what gets them excited about growing food in the classroom and sustainability learning at BUGS. They also prepared fresh, delicious salads with produce from our indoor classroom garden as well as providing bags of lettuce and bok choy (cut right from the hydroponic units!) for guests to take home.

“BUGS is incredibly grateful for our three hydroponic labs donated by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, This is really a dream come true for our school because it has allowed us to fulfill our mission not just to have students going out into NYC as a living classroom but to also bring elements of the outside world in," explained Susan Tenner, Executive Director of BUGS. "The labs set up in collaboration with NY Sun Works have enabled kids to have hands-on exposure to cutting edge technology and to using sound scientific methods to try to tackle the climate challenges of our time. We appreciate Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, NY Sun Works, the BUGS staff who have helped launch the program, and our students who will take this to the next level.”

Click here or below to enjoy scenes from the event! Thank you to BUGS parent Anne Joyce for the photos.

BUGS Mask Policy Update

Masks will be optional at school starting Monday March 7 / CONFIRMADO: Las mascarillas serán opcionales en el colegio

Message from Cay Tolson, BUGS COVID Safety Officer on Saturday, March 5, 2022

Para español, vea hacia abajo.

 Dear BUGS,

I am happy to confirm that NYC has indeed made face coverings optional on school grounds for students and staff, effective Monday March 7. Please (click here) to read my email from earlier today for more thoughts on how we can make this a smooth transition in our community. 

Effective March 7, face coverings will be optional, indoors and outdoors, on NYC public school grounds and on school buses, for all students and staff with a few exceptions. Again, while wearing a mask will no longer be required, anyone who chooses to wear one may continue to do so; masks will continue to be available at BUGS.

Face coverings are required: 

Face coverings after return from 5-day isolation: Anyone returning on Day 6 after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis or after having COVID-19 symptoms without testing is still required to wear a well-fitting mask at all times on school property through Day 10. 

Face coverings in medical rooms/nurses’ offices: Wearing a face covering is still required in nurses’ offices. Nurses will have masks for anyone entering who needs one. 

Face coverings are strongly recommended: 

Face coverings following exposure: It is strongly recommended that masks be worn when an individual has been exposed or potentially exposed to COVID-19 (in the same room for 15 minutes or longer with a person who tested positive for COVID-19). This face covering should be well-fitting and should be worn for 10 days after the exposure.  

New Social Distancing Update: 

There are no requirements for social distancing in public spaces, including classrooms, cafeterias and auditoriums, unless the person is returning from isolation. 

Thank you and have a great weekend. I am looking forward to seeing your childrens’ faces (masked and unmasked) on Monday! 

Cay

--------------------

Estimadas Familias de BUGS,

Gracias por seguir conmigo a través de todas las noticias y un segundo correo electrónico. Me complace confirmar que NYC ha anunciado que los cubrebocas serán opcionales en los terrenos escolares para los estudiantes y el personal, a partir del lunes 7 de marzo. Lea mi correo electrónico de hoy (haga clic aqui) para obtener más ideas sobre cómo podemos hacer que esta sea una transición sin problemas en nuestra comunidad.

A partir del 7 de marzo, las máscaras faciales serán opcionales, en interiores y exteriores, en los terrenos de las escuelas públicas de la Ciudad de Nueva York y en los autobuses escolares, para todos los estudiantes y el personal, con algunas excepciones .

Tenga en cuenta que no será necesario usar una máscara, cualquier persona que elija usar una puede continuar haciéndolo; las máscaras seguirán estando disponibles en BUGS.

Se requieren cubiertas faciales:

Coberturas faciales después de regresar del aislamiento de 5 días: cualquier persona que regrese el día 6 después de un diagnóstico positivo de COVID-19 o después de tener síntomas de COVID-19 sin hacerse la prueba aún debe usar una máscara que le quede bien en todo momento en la propiedad escolar hasta el día 10 .

Coberturas faciales en salas médicas/oficinas de enfermería: Aún se requiere usar una cubierta facial en salas médicas/oficinas de enfermería. Las enfermeras tendrán máscaras a mano para cualquier persona que ingrese y necesite una. 

Se recomienda fuertemente el uso de cubiertas faciales:

Coberturas faciales después de la exposición: se recomienda fuertemente que se usen máscaras faciales cuando una persona ha estado expuesta o potencialmente expuesta a COVID-19 (en la misma habitación durante 15 minutos o más con una persona que dio positivo por COVID-19). Esta máscara facial debe ajustarse bien y debe usarse durante 10 días después de la exposición conocida.

Nueva actualización de distanciamiento social:

No existen requisitos para el distanciamiento social en espacios públicos, incluidos salones de clase, cafeterías y auditorios, a menos que la persona regrese del aislamiento.

Gracias, tengan un excelente fin de semana. ¡Tengo muchas ganas de ver las caras de sus hijos (con o sin máscara) el lunes!

Atentamente, 

Cay

8th Grade Family Information Slide Deck

Thank you for coming to our 8th Grade Family Information Session where we shared information regarding graduation, regents exams, and other end-of- year events.

As a follow up, please see below the 8th Grade Slideshow used on February 7,2022 : 

• 8th Grade Info Session Slide Deck 

BUGS Report Cards Available On TeacherEase

Please note that in order to be consistent with our mission of sustainability, we will not be sending physical copies of the report cards out to families. Report Cards can be viewed, downloaded and printed directly from TeacherEase.

Families may request a hard copy if they are unable to access a printer by emailing kevin.penaloza@bugsbrooklyn.org.

For instructions for accessing Report Cards, please click on the link below: 

• Fall 2021 Report Card Access Instructions

If you have any questions, I may be reached at kevin.penaloza@bugsbrooklyn.org.