Electives
Electives are designed by BPLA's staff, so they can share their passions with students. It's a time to deepen relationships at BPLA. Electives begin during MP3 KMO and continue through MP4. Once a student has enrolled in an elective, they will not have the ability to change until the end of the marking period. Students should get one of their 5 choices, but they may not get their first choice. Students should choose an elective based on their personal interests and what they want to do or learn more about.
Pick Me Up (PMU) is a welcome to the week, a chance for the entire school community to assemble and share, get ideas, learn new things together, and try new activities. In short, PMUs set the tone for the school day. PMUs occur during the beginning of each week for approximately 30 minutes. The philosophy of the PMU is to expose students to a variety of careers, talents, ideas, and educational opportunities.
Kick Me Out (KMO) is an exciting way to end the school week, a chance for the entire school to assemble and share, get ideas, learn new things together, and try new activities. In short, KMOs wrap up the school week in an exciting way. KMOs occur during the end of the week on Fridays each week for approximately 30 minutes. The philosophy of the KMO is to expose students to a variety of careers, talents, ideas, and educational opportunities.
Advisory is the place where relationships between students and advisors are created and grow. During advisory, students are grouped with an advisor (15:1 goal) Advisories should be as diverse as possible. As a cohort, the students are guided through their four-year high school experience by their advisors who knows them best. In advisory, students work with their cohort on meaningful projects, discussions, activities and team building.
Independent Work Time (IWT) is a period when students work at their own pace to complete various tasks related to interest exploration, the LTI experience, the advisory, and Academic Seminar. This time period is monitored and facilitated by advisors who ensure that students are making steady progress. During Independent, Work advisors are available for 1:1 assistance for students who need further guidance.
Student-centered approaches are geared towards giving students agency in their learning. Students at BPLA participate in the LTI process (learning through interest), which allows them to gain critical work skills and experiences during high school. Students also complete projects, which are geared toward building leadership skills and giving back to their community based on their personal interests.