Student Programs
BESCA plays an important role in organizing and funding a variety of enriching programs at Booksin that contribute to the growth and resilience of every student. From supporting arts to enhancing educational resources, these initiatives are made possible through the dedication of our incredible parent volunteers and the generous financial contributions from donors. Together, we create a nurturing environment where every child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Art
Booksin’s parent volunteers have developed an art curriculum to foster imagination and expose students to diverse art styles and techniques. The program, called Art@Booksin, is entirely managed and led by volunteers, with BESCA covering the cost of art materials. Each student receives a different 50 minute monthly art lesson using different materials and techniques such as clay, collage, weaving, drawing, and painting. Every spring, our art program culminates in an annual Art Show, showcasing a piece of art from every Booksin student.
Music
Research shows that music education facilitates academic achievement by improving recall and retention of verbal information, advancing math skills, and boosting reading ability. Booksin and BESCA partner with Rhythm & Moves to provide every classroom with 40 minutes of weekly music education. Lessons are based on the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards for music education.
Garden
Booksin’s school garden is a hands-on outdoor classroom where students learn about life science through monthly lessons in planting, maintaining, and harvesting. They gain gardening skills, taste what they grow, and see the rewards of their work. The program is volunteer-led and funded by BESCA. All students receive a garden lesson each month, and upper graders can volunteer as “Garden Guardians” to help lead the way.
Recess Support
Recess is an essential part of the school day, providing important unstructured time for a child's development. It can also be challenging for school staff, as conflicts and behavior issues can arise during this period. To address this, Booksin and BESCA have partnered with BGS Kids to promote character building, conflict resolution, and social interaction skills. Our goal is to help students build resiliency and create a positive school climate where they are excited to learn and play.
Project Cornerstone
Project Cornerstone is a community initiative of the YMCA of Silicon Valley that works with more than 400 schools and community partners to change the personal behavior of adults, strengthen programs that serve youth, and impact public policy. Asset Building Champions (ABC) is Project Cornerstone’s literature-based program addressing important issues like respect, tolerance, honesty, peaceful conflict resolution, taking a stand against bullying behaviors, and refusing to participate in gossip. Parent volunteers are trained in the developmental assets model for positive youth development, and meet with their class once per month where they read a specially selected children’s book and lead related activities and discussions that help teach valuable lessons related to these issues.
After School Theater
Booksin's theater program is an optional after-school enrichment opportunity for 3rd-5th grade students. The program culminates in a spring production following approximately three months of rehearsals. Entirely volunteer-led, this program is made possible by the dedication of a volunteer director and parent team. BESCA partially sponsors the theater program, covering essential costs like facility and licensing fees, while participant donations fund the remaining expenses.
Field Trips and Grade Level Funds
There's nothing more fun for our students than field trips! Each grade level receives funds from BESCA to use toward field trip and grade-level educational expenses for the year. Past field trips include visits to Ardenwood Farm, Mission San Juan Bautista, the San Jose Museum of Art, the San Jose Tech Museum, and many more! In addition, a highlight of 5th grade is spending a week at the YMCA’s Camp Campbell, an overnight outdoor science camp, in the spring. BESCA supplements the cost of science camp to ensure that it is affordable for every student to attend.
Teacher Funds
Teachers spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars of their own money to buy supplies and materials for their classrooms. BESCA provides a dedicated fund for each teacher to use to supplement their classroom materials to help them purchase what they need to successfully teach our students. We want our teachers to be free to give their best to our students without the personal financial burden.