This Week at BMHS - October 3 - 10, 2017

Challenge Days

We will hosting our first of two Challenge Days on Tuesday, October 3 followed by Wednesday, October 4. Approximately 200 students and 50 staff members will take part in this program. Our goal is to continue to foster a climate of support, compassion, and empathy. We see many examples of this on a regular basis, but our hope is that this program will further reinforce our pillars.

Kicking Childhood Cancer

Mrs. Rivera has promoted Childhood Cancer Awareness at the beginning of each school year. This year she and her students came up with the "Kick" campaign. They asked if I would be willing to be pied if they reached their goal of $500. When it became evident they would reach that goal by Friday, Mr. Bottari, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Lordan, and Mr. Magliozzi agreed to join in the fun if they exceeded $600. The student body responded by raising over $2,700 in less than 5 days.

The Before...

...And After

Bus Evacuation Drill

On Thursday, October 5, we will be conducting our annual bus evacuation drill. When buses arrive on the morning of the 5th, each bus will be met by an administrator and directions will be provided on the proper bus evacuation technique in the event an emergency situation may arise. The students will be required to evacuate the bus from the rear door after taking a seated position. The length of the drill for each bus is less that 5 minutes.

Early Release Day

Friday, October 6 is an early release day for the entire district. Students at the high school will be dismissed at 10:30 a.m. Teachers will be working on professional development until the end of the school day (2:02 p.m. for the high school).

College & Career Readiness Day

On Wednesday, October 11, BMHS will be running our annual College and Career Readiness Day. The sophomore and junior classes will be taking the PSAT assessments and the freshmen will have i-Ready assessments. Our seniors are strongly encouraged to use this day to schedule college visits and experience what colleges are like while they are in session.

This Week's Upcoming College Visits

Please see Naviance for the full schedule of college tours and to sign up to attend a college visit at BMHS.  Students must sign up through Naviance to attend.  Click here to access the Naviance website.  You will want to check back often, as we update this list frequently.  If you've forgotten your password to Naviance, please contact your child's guidance counselor or call the Guidance office at 978-528-8760 and we will be happy to assist you. 

10/2  Stonehill College

10/3  University of Southern Maine

10/4  Eastern Connecticut State Universtiy

10/4  Keene State College

10/5  UMASS Dartmouth

10/5  Pace University

10/6  Westfield State University

10/6  Suffolk University

Guidance Department:  Important Links For Seniors And Families

• Click here for a copy of the slides from our recent MEFA financial aid presentation. This includes all of the important websites, facts, and points from the program.  
• Click here for additional information from MEFA that you may find helpful.  This includes some key terms and explanations. 
• Click here for FAFSA.GOV
• Click here to create a FSAID
• Click here to apply for CSS Profile. Click here for a list of participating colleges.
• Click here for FAFSA Day info.  Click here for FAFSA Day locations. There will be a FAFSA day at UMASS Lowell and Burlington.
• Click here for Naviance.  Log in, and click on the colleges top tab, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and then click on scholarship list.  Here you will see the list of current scholarships.  Check back often, as these are updated weekly from now until the springtime.  If your child has forgotten his/her password, please let us know and we will assist you.
• Click here for Billerica Dollars For Scholars.  Your student can click here to create a DFS profile at this time, and can complete much of the demographic information, resume/awards information, etc.  You can also complete much of the parent information.  In the winter, there will be a Dollars For Scholars night (date TBA), and you will receive notification via email as always.  The DFS night will discuss the DFS program, how students select the scholarships in DFS that they want to apply to, and how the DFS process works. 
• Click here for Fastweb, a popular scholarship engine. It is one of many out there.

The rule of thumb is this:  Don't ever pay money to get scholarship money.  If there's a fee to apply for a scholarship, chances are that it is a scam.  

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Guidance department.  You can contact your child's guidance counselor directly, or call 978-528-8760.

  Billerica Substance Abuse Prevention Committee Presents

The BSAPC will be hosting Kevin Brooks and his Driving to Save Lives Tour on October 18 at the Marshall Middle Auditorium. BMHS will be hosting Mr. Brooks earlier in the day to address these same issues with our juniors and seniors.

Parent Teacher Conferences

This fall's parent teacher conference will be held on October 19 from 6-8 p.m. We have made the decision to move the conference earlier to provide, if necessary, an opportunity for parents to support their child in different ways prior to the end of the term1 marking period. This is a one year trial period to determine if an earlier conference can have an impact on student success in quarter 1.

Billerica Blast Committee

Thank you to everyone for coming out to Comedy Night and supporting the Class of 2018's post Graduation celebration.

Burritos for BMHSAA

Visit the 199 Boston Road Chipotle Mexican Grill on October 4, from 4 - 8 p.m. Please show this flyer, or tell the cashier you are supporting the BMHSAA and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to support athletics at BMHS.