This Week at BMHS - January 23 - 30, 2017

One Step Closer

I typically do not lead off with information regarding the building project, but the winter weather has been cooperating thus far and will allow Shawmut Construction to complete the fence enclosure for the high school project sooner than expected. The work is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 30 and should be completed that same day. This will mean access to the rear parking lot will no longer be accessible until the completion of the project (2019). For those of you unfamiliar with the high school layout, the rear parking lot can be accessed via the River Street entrance and driving around the building. The lower lot, currently used by Project Support and BEAM will remain open.

The yellow lines represent the completion of the fencing project. This will allow the doors at the rear of the building on the first floor (gym/trainer's entrance and BEAM/Project Support) to be used as emergency egress doors. We shared this information with staff on today and will be sharing the information with our students on Tuesday.


Midterm Exams

Midterm exams continue on Monday and Tuesday with blocks 3A/B and 4A/B. Wednesday will be the last day for Term 2/Semester 1 and we will be following a Monday schedule so all students have the chance to review their exams before the end of the semester. Although I do not anticipate any weather cancellations with the storm on Monday/Tuesday, if something were to change and a day of school is missed, the exam schedule follows the regular schedule on the next day of school. Example, if Monday was cancelled, then Monday's exams (3A/B) would occur on Tuesday. Remember, if your child is going to be out during an exam, please call their House Office prior to 7:15 a.m.

This Week at BMHS - January 15 - 22, 2017

Closing in on the Midpoint

Midterm exams will begin on Thursday, January 19 and conclude on Tuesday, January 24. Busses will pick up students at their regular time and bus stop in the morning. Busses will depart from BMHS after the second exam at approximately 11:30 a.m. Students need to be in school for each block they have an exam/class scheduled. If a student will be absent for an exam, please make sure you call their House Office by 7:15 a.m. These numbers can be found on our new website https://sites.google.com/a/billericak12.com/bps/schools/bmhs 
If a student is absent, they need to make arrangements for a makeup with their teacher. Each exam day has a makeup period from 12:00 - 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, January 25 is the last day of Term 2 (1st Semester) and provides an opportunity for students and teachers to review their midterm exams before beginning the next term (semester).

Standing Up for Standing Rock

Read about BMHS Senior Class President Liam Henderson's trip to Standing Rock.

http://billerica.wickedlocal.com/news/20170103/bmhs-senior-journeys-to-standing-rock-to-raise-awareness





The Billerica Blast

For those in our community that have had a child graduate from BMHS, the Billerica Blast is a well known and positive event for our students. Every year, our graduates return to BMHS after Graduation for an all-night party with food, music, magicians, karaoke, Jeopardy, hypnotist, and so much more. The parent organization that runs this event spends countless hours preparing, setting up, working, and cleaning up. Absent their commitment, we would not be able to host a safe night for our seniors. The fundraising for the Blast has already commenced and the committee is hosting a "Night Out with Jim Plunkett" on Saturday, January 28 from 7 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at the Elks. For tickets, please contact Amy Michaud at amymichaud@hotmail.com

Building Committee Update

While the outside of BMHS has been quiet since the access road and fencing project concluded before break, the committee has been diligently working with our partners to ensure construction will commence on time. The completion of the fencing project, which will close off the back parking lot, will be concluded by the end of February. Shawmut Construction has begun the process of moving into the first floor of the Memorial Building. This will serve as their headquarters through the completion of the project. The next committee meeting is on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall.

This Week at BMHS: December 12 - December 18, 2016

In Support of Others

Veterans

Please join the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the

Bedford/Billerica JROTC in making the holidays happier for our veterans at the Bedford VA Hospital.

We would like to bring some much needed and very appreciated supplies from our community.  In these times of tight budgets and the financial demands of deployed soldiers, sometimes our veterans are put on the back burner.

You can drop items off at the JROTC room- E206.  Below is a list of items that would be greatly appreciated.  Please send in these items by Monday, December 19^th.  These items are for men only as the Bedford VA is all male.     

  

Hygiene and Personal Items:

toothpaste, toothbrushes, denture cleaner, mouthwash, shaving cream, soap, deodorant, shampoo, aftershave lotion, combs, writing paper, pens, playing cards

Computer Science in the Community

On November 29, 15 BHMS computer science students traveled to Bedford to visit Aspen Tech, a software company that creates process manufacturing optimization products.  Many of their customers are in the energy field.  Our students started the day with a panel discussion where representatives from different parts of the company talked about all of the types of activities that are involved in running a software company, from engineering, quality assurance, marketing, sales, legal, customer support and others.  They also described to their audience of high school students what paths they took in college and how it got them to where they are.  The purpose of the day was to promote STEM education, so the rest our our time where was spent at various learning stations.  These included a coding station, and various science stations.  The students favorite stations included one where they looked at the materials in disposable diapers and how much water they absorb, one where they had to figure out how move water from a plate to a glass (without picking up the plate) using only a lemon, a match, a straw and a coffee cup lid, and one where they created magnetic fields with batteries and copper wires.  All along the way, our hosts were very welcoming and friendly, chatting with the students about many topics.  The day zoomed by.

Massachusetts School Library Association:

The MSLA has announced that Rachel Bouhanda has been chosen to serve as the Legislative Committee Co-Chair on the 2016-2017 Executive Board of the Massachusetts School Library Association. This year the executive board is working compiling survey data to determine the status of school library programs. Also, they will be working to prepare recommendations for school libraries' inclusion in DESE's implementation plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act.

2016 Gift Ideas – Popular Books for Teens
The titles below are a compilation from popular summer reading books at BMHS and Barnes & Noble's Books for Teens Recommendations:

•  Cinder (and Scarlet), by Marissa Meyer
•  Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell
•  Finnikin of the Rock, by Melina Marchetta
•  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by J.K Rowling
•  Just One Day, by Gayle Forman
•  Maze Runner Series, by James Dashner
•  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
•  Openly Straight, by Bill Konigsburg
•  Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
•  The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey
•  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,  by Mark Haddon
•  The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
•  The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
•  The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
•  The Queen of Kentucky, by Alecia Whitaker
•  The Sky is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson
•  Divergent Series, by Veronica Roth