This Week at BMHS - September 26 - October 2, 2016

Strike Up the Band!

Congratulations to the BMHS Marching Band and Color Guard for capturing the first NESBA Division II competition of the season in Melrose this past weekend.

Fox25 Game of the Week

Congratulations! We have chosen the Everett/Billerica game as a candidate for our FOX25 High School GameDay Game of the Week.  One of five games that are nominated will be featured as our spotlight game this Friday, September 30.

FOX25’s Butch Stearns will report live from the Game of the Week on FOX25 News at 6 and highlights from the matchup will be featured on FOX25 News at 11, the FOX25 Facebook page and FOX25Boston.com.

It’s time to vote!

Please spread the word at your school and encourage students, fans, friends and family to vote for your game.  The polls will stay open until 11pm on Wednesday, September 28 and the winner will be announced on FOX25 News at 11 that night.

You can vote at this site and spread this URL around -> fox25.com/votegameday

Good luck and thanks for your support. We may see you Friday night!

Tom Leyden

Sports Anchor

FOX25 – TV

Join us Friday, September 30, 2016 at Calabrese Stadium (Marshall Middle School) when the undefeated BMHS Indians football team takes on Everett at 7 p.m.  The 99 Restaurant in Billerica will take over concessions for the evening, cooking up mouth-watering burgers and hotdogs.  Spirit gear, 50/50 raffle, and Pluck-a-Duck for the kiddies will also be available with all proceeds benefiting the BMHS Athletic Association — a non-profit, parent-volunteer organization that provides scholarships, awards, and recognition to all student-athletes at Billerica Memorial High School.  Come on out to support the BMHSAA and cheer on your football team.  #GoGreen!

Blackout Bullying Day

On Wednesday, September 28, Billerica Memorial High School will be participating in our district's Blackout Bullying Day. This is an annual event to help students understand the impact bullying can have on their peers, ways we can prevent it from occurring, and supports in place if they become aware of someone being subjected to bullying. We will be asking our students to wear black as an outward demonstration in support of a bullying free environment.

BMHS School Profile

Each year we provide colleges and universities an overview of BMHS to help them understand the expectations and successes of our students as they prepare for the upcoming college application season. This document is available on our web site, or can be accessed with this link BMHS School Profile 2016-2017

MEFA College Financing Seminar

Parents and students are invited to attend a free seminar on paying for college, which will be held on Tuesday, September 27, at 6:30 PM in the BMHS Lecture Hall. This seminar is offered through MEFA, the Commonwealth’s authority on planning, saving, and paying for college. An experienced MEFA representative will provide an overview of the college financing process, including types of financial aid, how to apply, and financing options for your family. Before the seminar, be sure to visit MEFA’s website — mefa.org — to download a copy of the seminar presentation and explore other tools and resources to assist you in the college planning process. ***Please note that this seminar is being held much earlier than in past years.  This is because the FAFSA form for this year’s seniors will be released on October 1, 2016. You won’t want to miss this event!

Flu Shots

The Billerica Public Schools will NOT be offering a flu clinic to students this year. Please read the attached document from the Nursing Department.

Building Committee

The next Building Committee Meeting will take place this Thursday, September 29 at the Town Hall. Please note the time of the meeting has been changed and will begin at 5:00 p.m. instead of its customary 6:30 p.m. start time.

Class of 1966 50th Reunion

This Saturday, October 1 at 10:00 a.m., we will welcome back the Class of 1966 as they celebrate their 50th high school reunion. We have been fortunate to welcome back the Classes of 1964 and 1965 the past two years as they transported themselves back to their high school days, walking around the Memorial Building and sharing stories that I still have difficulty believing. Although the teachers they speak about are not in our building anymore their reputations are legendary and the contributions they made have shaped our school and its history many years beyond their retirement. 

Activity	Time	Versus	Location	Location Detail
MONDAY, SEP 26, 2016
Golf: Varsity Match	3:30pm	Methuen	Merrimack Valley Country Club
Golf: JV Match	3:30pm	Methuen	Billerica Country Club
Volleyball: Girls JV Game	4:00pm	Tewksbury Memorial High School	Tewksbury Memorial High School
Volleyball: Girls Freshman Game	4:00pm	Tewksbury Memorial High School	Tewksbury Memorial High School
Volleyball: Girls Varsity Game	5:00pm	Tewksbury Memorial High School	Tewksbury Memorial High School
TUESDAY, SEP 27, 2016
Cross Country: Girls Varsity Cross Country Course Walk	TBD	TBA	winnikenni park
Cross Country: Boys Varsity Cross Country Course Walk	TBD	TBA	winnikenni park
Soccer: Boys Varsity Game	3:45pm	Dracut Senior	Dracut Senior High School
Soccer: Boys JV Game	3:45pm	Dracut Senior	Dracut Senior High School
Soccer: Girls Varsity Game	3:45pm	Dracut Senior	Billerica Memorial High School	Alumni Field
Soccer: Girls JV Game	3:45pm	Dracut Senior	Marshall Middle School	Soccer Field
WEDNESDAY, SEP 28, 2016
Golf: Varsity Match	3:30pm	Tewksbury Memorial High School	Trull Brook Golf Course
Cross Country: Girls Varsity Meet	3:30pm	Haverhill, Andover, Billerica Memorial, Dracut Senior	winnikenni park
Cross Country: Boys Varsity Meet	3:30pm	Haverhill, Andover, Billerica Memorial, Dracut Senior, Haverhill	winnikenni park
Golf: JV Match	3:30pm	Tewksbury Memorial High School	Billerica Country Club
Soccer: Girls Freshman Game	3:45pm	Andover	Andover High School
Soccer: Boys Freshman Game	3:45pm	Andover	Andover High School
Volleyball: Girls Freshman Game	4:00pm	Dracut Senior	Billerica Memorial High School	Back Gym 1
Volleyball: Girls JV Game	4:00pm	Dracut Senior	Billerica Memorial High School	James Gymnasium
Volleyball: Girls Varsity Game	5:00pm	Dracut Senior	Billerica Memorial High School	James Gymnasium
THURSDAY, SEP 29, 2016
Golf: Varsity Match	3:30pm	Chelmsford	Billerica Country Club
Soccer: Boys Varsity Game	4:00pm	Lowell	Billerica Memorial High School	Alumni Field
Soccer: Boys JV Game	4:00pm	Lowell	Marshall Middle School	Soccer Field
Soccer: Girls Varsity Game	6:00pm	Lowell	Cawley Stadium
Soccer: Girls JV Game	6:00pm	Lowell	Cavallo Field
FRIDAY, SEP 30, 2016
Swimming: Girls Varsity Meet	3:30pm	Central Catholic	Lawrence YMCA
Soccer: Girls Freshman Game	3:30pm	North Andover	Dutile Elementary School	Field
Volleyball: Girls JV Game	4:30pm	Lowell	Lowell High School
Volleyball: Girls Freshman Game	4:30pm	Lowell	Lowell High School
Soccer: Boys Freshman Game	4:45pm	North Andover	Dutile Elementary School	Field
Volleyball: Girls Varsity Game	6:00pm	Lowell	Lowell High School
Cheerleading: Varsity Game	7:00pm	Everett	Billerica Memorial High School	Calabrese Stadium
Football: Varsity Game	7:00pm	Everett	Billerica Memorial High School	Calabrese Stadium
SATURDAY, OCT 01, 2016
Cross Country: Girls Varsity Invitational	9:30am	TBA, TBA	Wrentham Dev. Center
Cross Country: Boys Varsity Invitational	9:30am	TBA, TBA	Wrentham Dev. Center
Football: Boys Freshman Game	10:00am	Everett	Everett Stadium
Football: Boys JV Game	12:00pm	Everett	Everett Stadium

This Week at BMHS - September 19 - 25, 2016

Lunches & Buses Part II - 

After many conversations with students over the past week regarding the cafeteria, we enlisted their input to create a better seating design in the cafeteria. In truth, the history of the design was for optimal sight lines for supervision and expediency in cleaning. I do not believe the notion of comfort for students was ever taken into consideration. Last year, Mrs. Dyer's psychology students created a questionnaire to identify areas of growth for BMHS. The students identified the cafeteria as one of the most challenging locations in our school. There concerns ranged from the size of the cafeteria, the ambient noise level, and not sharing the same lunch period with their friends, which made the exercise of finding a table exponentially more frightening. Although I did not experience the same level of anxiety during my lunch experience at BMHS, I can assure you that it is real and many students dread the lunch period. Mrs. Dyer's students used the information provided by the students and created a layout for seating that would address many of the concerns that students identified. We spent this past Friday afternoon mapping out these changes and relocating chairs and tables with the hope that students will feel less apprehensive about the cafeteria experience at BMHS. We created large seating options for groups of 10 or more as well as medium size options for groups of 6-10. We also created smaller group seating for 4-6 and 2-3. This pattern cascades from one side of the cafeteria to the other in a symmetrical pattern. Truthfully, the students wondered aloud if I had OCD issues (I do!). Hopefully, this adjustment will create a more welcoming environment and serve as a positive reminder that student voices are as important as any in our building.


I would like to thank everyone for their assistance and patience as we implemented a significantly different traffic pattern at BMHS. The traffic flow onto our campus has improved each day. In the morning, after all the buses arrive and all students disembark, we will open the bus lane for parent drop off. We have been completing student arrival around 7:05 a.m. each morning. In the afternoon, there is no exiting onto River Street until all buses have picked up our students. The final bus typically arrives around 2:24 p.m.and leaves our site by 2:30 p.m. At that time we would allow exiting onto River Street.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016 Early Release Day

Students will be dismissed from BMHS at 11:50. Student pickup will follow the same protocol as a regular dismissal.

Guidance Visits Senior Classes

The Guidance Department will be visiting all senior English classes this Thursday and Friday to provide an overview of all the items seniors will need help completing this year as they prepare to leave BMHS and begin the next chapter in their life. There is also a Senior/Parent Night this Thursday, September 22 at 6:30 p.m. in our Auditorium. Additional information will be sent to each student and parents' email from Guidance Director Melinda Cripps. If you have any questions, please call 978-528-8761.

This Week in Athletics

Monday, Sep 19, 2016

Time	Event	Details
3:30pm	Golf: Varsity Match   (Date Changed to 09-21-16)	vs. North Andover @ Billerica Country Club
3:30pm	Golf: JV Match	Dracut Senior @ Hickory Hill Golf Course
3:30pm	Soccer:Boys Freshman Game	Woburn @ Joyce Middle School
3:30pm	Soccer:Girls Freshman Game  (Postponed)	Woburn @ Joyce Middle School
3:45pm	Football:Boys JV Game	vs. Andover @ Billerica Memorial High School Calabrese Stadium
4:00pm	Soccer:Boys JV Game	Peabody Veterans Memorial @ Peabody Veterans Memorial High School
4:00pm	Soccer:Boys Varsity Game	Peabody Veterans Memorial @ Peabody Veterans Memorial High School
4:00pm	Volleyball:Girls Freshman Game	Newton South @ Newton South High School
4:00pm	Volleyball:Girls Varsity Game	Newton South @ Newton South High School
5:30pm	Volleyball:Girls JV Game	Newton South @ Newton South High School

Tuesday, Sep 20, 2016

Time	Event	Details
3:45pm	Soccer:Girls Varsity Game	vs. Methuen @ Billerica Memorial High School Alumni Field
3:45pm	Soccer:Girls JV Game	vs. Methuen @ Marshall Middle School Soccer Field
3:45pm	Soccer:Boys Varsity Game	Methuen @ Methuen High School
	Lower Turf
3:45pm	Soccer:Boys JV Game	Methuen @ Tenney Grammar School

Wednesday, Sep 21, 2016

Time	Event	Details
3:30pm	Cross Country:Boys Varsity Meet	Methuen @ Methuen High School
3:30pm	Cross Country:Girls Varsity Meet	Methuen @ Methuen High School
3:30pm	Golf: Varsity Match   (Date Changed from 09-19-16)	vs. North Andover @ Billerica Country Club
3:30pm	Soccer:Girls Freshman Game	vs. Central Catholic @ Dutile Elementary School Field
4:00pm	Volleyball:Girls JV Game	vs. Methuen @ Billerica Memorial High School James Gymnasium
4:00pm	Volleyball:Girls Freshman Game	vs. Methuen @ Billerica Memorial High School Back Gym 1
4:45pm	Soccer:Boys Freshman Game	vs. Central Catholic @ Dutile Elementary School Field
5:00pm	Volleyball:Girls Varsity Game	vs. Methuen @ Billerica Memorial High School James Gymnasium

Thursday, Sep 22, 2016

Time	Event	Details
3:45pm	Soccer:Boys Varsity Game	vs. Tewksbury Memorial High School @ Billerica Memorial High School Alumni Field
3:45pm	Soccer:Boys JV Game	vs. Tewksbury Memorial High School @ Marshall Middle School Soccer Field
3:45pm	Soccer:Girls Varsity Game	Tewksbury Memorial High School @ Tewksbury H.S. Turf Field
3:45pm	Soccer:Girls JV Game	Tewksbury Memorial High School @ Wynn St/ Field, Tewksbury

Friday, Sep 23, 2016

Time	Event	Details
3:30pm	Soccer:Boys Freshman Game	Methuen @ Tenney Grammar School
3:30pm	Soccer:Girls Freshman Game	Methuen @ Tenney Grammar School
3:30pm	Swimming:Girls Varsity Meet	vs. Lowell @ Billerica Memorial High School Shawsheen Tech Swimming Pool
3:45pm	Football:Boys Freshman Game	Dracut Senior @ Dracut Senior High School
4:00pm	Volleyball:Girls JV Game	vs. Burlington @ Billerica Memorial High School James Gymnasium
4:00pm	Volleyball:Girls Freshman Game	vs. Burlington @ Billerica Memorial High School Back Gym 1
5:00pm	Volleyball:Girls Varsity Game	vs. Burlington @ Billerica Memorial High School James Gymnasium
7:00pm	Cheerleading: Varsity Game	vs. Dracut Senior @ Billerica Memorial High School Calabrese Stadium
7:00pm	Football: Varsity Game	vs. Dracut Senior @ Billerica Memorial High School Calabrese Stadium

Saturday, Sep 24, 2016

Sunday, Sep 25, 2016

Time	Event	Details
4:30pm	Swimming:Girls Varsity MVC Diving	Andover @ Greater Lawrence Technical School