Tuesday, October 31, 2017

This Week at BMHS - October 30 - November 6, 2017


BMHS Open House

This Thursday, November 2, BMHS will be sponsoring our annual Open House. The evening is open to 7th and 8th grade parents and students. The evening will begin in the Auditorium at 6:00 p.m. and run through 8:00 p.m. Information about academic, athletics, and other co-curriculars will be available. If you have any questions, please contact the Guidance Department at 978-528-8760.


BPS Parent Engagement Forum


On Wednesday, November 15 the Billerica Public School District will be hosting a forum focused on improving the connection between families and schools. The event will take place at the Ditson School in the LGI Room.










Billerica Unified Week 1

This Wednesday, November 1, we will be hosting our first Unified Basketball game vs. Tewksbury Memorial High School. The game will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Ed James Gymnasium. Everyone is welcome!

This link provides a recap of the opening week's festivities.

https://www.specialolympicsma.org/uncategorized/mvc-unified-basketball-week-one-recap/






2017 MIAA Tournament


Volleyball - Thursday, November 2, 6 p.m. Round 1 vs.Woburn at Woburn Memorial High School
Football - Friday, November 3, 7 p.m. Round 2 vs. #1 Lynn Classical at Manning Bowl in Lynn





No School


All schools will be closed on November 7, 2017. Teachers will be participating in professional development during the school day. Schools will also be closed on November 10, 2017 in honor of Veterans' Day.

Monday, October 23, 2017

This Week at BMHS - October 23-30, 2017


School Pictures

Lifetouch will be on campus on October 23 for school picture retakes. Please follow this link for additional information https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/











Middle School Tours

Both the Locke and Marshall 8th Grade students will be visiting BMHS this week. The Marshall Middle will be joining us on Tuesday, October 24 and the Locke Middle will be visiting on Wednesday, October 25. They will be arriving between 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. and beginning their day in our Auditorium. The incoming freshmen class will matriculate in our current building for only one year. Brian Spangler from Perkins + Will, the architectural firm designing the new BMHS, will be on hand to share the project's progress and how our future home will benefit student learning. The students will then tour the current building, visit classrooms and meet some teachers and students, before having lunch in our cafeteria from 11:15 - 11:45 a.m. before returning to their schools.

9:15 (approx):   Arrival and settle into the Auditorium
9:15-9:30:          Welcome and introduction, outline of the day, building project information 
9:30-10:45:       Tour the building with Peer Leaders
10:45-11:15:       Return to the auditorium, hear about the experiences/activities of the peer leaders, Q & A
                            Cafeteria for Lunch, provided by Ms. Laskey
11:45                   Board the busses, travel back to the middle schools

BMHS Open House - Save the Date

We will once again be opening our doors for parents and students to learn more about BMHS on Thursday, November 2, 2017 from 6 - 8 p.m. The evening will begin in the Auditorium promptly at 6 before transitioning on tours throughout the building. The following departments will be present to demonstrate what happens in their classes as well as answer any questions about the various pathways students can take to explore their interests prior to graduation - Business, English, Family & Consumer Science, Guidance, Math, Science, Social Studies, Special Education, Wellness, and World Language. We will also be having a presentation from the Athletic Department as well.


Halloween Concert

The BMHS Orchestra and Choir will be performing their annual Halloween Concert on Thursday, October 26 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the BMHS Auditorium.










Halloween at BMHS

Every year we allow the students to wear appropriate costumes to commemorate Halloween. We typically identify a theme for the students and staff to follow. This year's theme is groups/partnerships. Some examples are The Wizard of Oz, Minions, Smurfs, Superheroes, Disney characters, Lego, Peanuts, Star Trek, etc. We are fortunate that we have the pre-school program, Project Support, at BMHS and, when possible, we help them celebrate this day. We do not allow costumes that would scare our younger students, or are otherwise inappropriate. Over the last four years we have had great success and a lot of fun with the costumes and themes. We are anticipating another great year.

MIAA Football Playoffs 


The MIAA football playoffs begin this Friday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. at Arlington. The #5 seeded Indians will take on the #4 seeded Spy Ponders. Ticket information will be coming out early in the week. Please follow BMHS Athletics on Twitter @BMHS_Athletics









Unified Basketball

Our Unified Basketball team took the court for the first time last Thursday, October 19 for their 1st Merrimack Valley Conference Jamboree. The competition featured teams from Billerica, Methuen, and Tewksbury. The Indians finished the jamboree with a 3-1 record.

From the Guidance Department


A Reminder About Sending Transcripts to Colleges
When applying to college, please keep in mind that the Guidance Department requests 2 weeks notice for mailing out transcripts. This means that if you are planning to apply for a November 15th deadline, you should request your transcript no later than November 1.  Requesting transcripts is a two-step process:  (1) request transcripts online through Naviance.  (2) pay for transcripts in the guidance office.  Transcripts are $2 per college.  Please note that payment for your transcript must be received before we can send out your transcript.  


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. 


Wentworth Institute of TechnologyMon October 23, 20177:15 AM
Assumption CollegeMon October 23, 20179:05 AM
Iona CollegeMon October 23, 201711:45 AM
Saint Joseph's College-MEMon October 23, 201712:35 PM
Wesleyan UniversityMon October 23, 20171:30 PM
Anna Maria CollegeTue October 24, 201710:00 AM
Colby CollegeTue October 24, 20171:15 PM
Montserrat College of ArtWed October 25, 20177:45 AM
University of ConnecticutWed October 25, 20179:15 AM
University of New EnglandWed October 25, 201712:45 PM
Merrimack CollegeThu October 26, 20177:15 AM
Vermont Technical CollegeThu October 26, 20178:15 AM
Bryant UniversityThu October 26, 20179:00 AM
North Shore Community CollegeThu October 26, 20171:00 PM
New England CollegeFri October 27, 20178:30 AM

Monday, October 16, 2017

This Week at BMHS - October 16-23, 2017

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. We will once again be using PTC Wizard. Information regarding PTC Wizard was emailed separately last week. PTC Wizard will be available until 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, if you need to make any changes to your appointments, or to look for some availability.

Two Heroes in Two Years

Mr. Burns has been teaching First Aid/CPR in his Introduction to Human Anatomy classes for the past three years. For the second time in two years, one of his students has been called upon to use these life-saving skills. Junior Erik Hood was confronted with a colleague choking while at work and immediately responded with the Heimlich manuever and dislodged the obstruction. 

BMHS Unified


BMHS' Unified Basketball Team will be participating in their first jamboree of the season this Thursday, October 19 from 4 - 6 p.m. at Tewksbury Memorial High School. They will be playing against other teams from the Merrimack Valley Conference. Everyone is welcome as we begin the new season with our newest team.







BMHS Marching Band Field Show

Start time is 4 p.m. Tickets $8 for students $10 Adults




















BMHS Visits Lowell District Court


All four sections of American Legal I spent a day last week at Lowell District Court- this court serves Billerica and is one of the busiest in Massachusetts. Many students taking this elective are the future lawyers, judges, law enforcement officers, and psychologists of the Commonwealth, so this trip provided them a great real-life interaction with the justice system.
Our students on Wednesday got to see many of the following arraignments as the result of several Lowell drug sweeps the day before:

The students observed first session where they got to see arraignments (various examples of charges included assault and battery, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering, malicious destruction of property, resisting arrest, larceny over $250, fraudulent checks, operating under the influence, narcotics-distribution), bail arguments, defaults, probation violations, restraining orders, motor vehicle appeals, section 35 hearings re: commitment of alcoholics or substance abusers, etc.

At the end of our time in court, the students had a question/answer session with the presiding judge and court officers. One of the judges was so impressed with our students, she volunteered to come to BMHS to hear them present motions to suppress on various search and seizure cases

Twitter Chats

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be hosting a series of Twitter Chats about the revised Math, ELA, and STE standards. The hashtag is #SBLchatMA




The dates for the chat are as follows:
  • ELA: 10/18 from 8-9pm EST
  • STE: 11/11 from 8-9pm EST
  • Math: 12/20 from 8-9pm EST

If you’re unfamiliar with Twitter Chats, here are a few basic steps/tips:

  •  Use the #SBLchatMA hashtag in the twitter search bar to keep track of comments. If you’re using your phone, make sure you read the tweets under the “latest” column rather than “top.” (You can actually go do this right now and see every tweet that uses this hashtag.)
  • A lot of people like using www.tweetdeck.com on their computers. If you’re more of a computer based person than a phone based person, this might be a better option. If you’re going this way, I’d recommend getting it set up in advance of the chat.
  • We’ll share the questions out in advance of the chat. It all happens kind of fast and furious, so you may want to draft some responses in advance. (I find this is especially useful to do for the first couple of questions at least.)
  • If you have questions or concerns about the content of your responses, I would recommend checking out previous twitter chats. A good regular one is #satchat (where educators connect on Saturday mornings); #txeduchat is another that I’ve enjoyed in the past. Last year, #MApactac members participated in #edchatma a few times, as well.
  • A good rule of thumb for twitter (and life in general?) -- keep it positive, keep it light. If you’re looking to share deeper content, I’d recommend finding links, images, etc. It’s hard to express much in 140 characters!

Class of 2019 Fundraiser

The Class of 2019 is hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle in the Treble Cove Plaza on Monday, October 23 from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Chipotle will donate 50% of the funds from this evening to the Class in support of various activities.

Parents of Senior Students: The BMHS Guidance Department Invites You To Attend A College Connection Workshop

Join us for insights, tips, and helpful websites needed for the college application process.  Please sign up by clicking HERE and filling out the registration form.  You must register in order to attend, and the program is limited to 20 attendees per day. 

DateOctober 18 OR October 20 (pick one day only)
Time:  7:30 AM-8:30 AM (please note that this event will be held in the morning)
Place:  BMHS Guidance Office

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. 

10/16 Bentley University
10/17 Fitchburg State University
10/18 Framingham State University
10/18 Fisher College
10/18 Becker College
10/18 Stony Brook University
10/19 Roger Williams University
10/19 Emmanuel College
10/19 University of Maine
10/20 Massachusetts College of Art and Design
10/20 Southern New Hampshire University


BMHSAA Membership Orientation
Current, new, and prospective members are invited to the BMHSAA Membership Orientation on October 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Lecture Hall at the high school. Officers and members will be on hand to answer your questions. You will learn about BMHSAA activities and our mission of supporting academic and athletic excellence. 

This event qualifies for the one meeting requirement to be a member in good standing!!

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

This Week at BMHS - October 9-15, 2017

Welcoming our Spanish Exchange Students


BMHS will once again welcome our exchange students from Spain. The students arrived on October 6 and will be with their host families until October 25. They will attend classes and visit historic sites around the Commonwealth. Our Spanish Club will be hosting a welcome party for our guests on Tuesday, October 10 after school.





College & Career Readiness Day


This Wednesday, October 11, our sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSATs. The assessment will begin at 7:15 a.m. so it is important that all students arrive on time. Also, a healthy breakfast will benefit them for the day. The PSATs are scheduled to be concluded around 11:50 a.m. at which time the students will be dismissed. Students are not permitted, per the College Board, to be dismissed early from the exam. Early departure from an exam would disqualify the exam and no score would be earned. Our freshmen will be taking iReady assessments on English Language Arts and Mathematics. These computerized assessments provide our teachers additional insight into strengths and areas of concern for our entire freshmen class. This information is used to target and support students' skills in each respective area.

 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. We will once again be using PTC Wizard. Information regarding PTC Wizard will be emailed separately this week. You create a registration at any time, but the conferences will not be live until October 12 at 3:00 p.m.

Community Committment


Junior Corban Walsh of Troop 55 recently completed his Eagle Scout Project at Manning State Forest. If you have ever been exploring the trails and got caught up in a storm you will appreciate Corban's work. https://eagleprojects.boyslife.org/pavilion-at-manning-state-forest/








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. 

10/10  Salem State University
10/12 UMASS Boston
10/12  Franklin Pierce University
10/12  University of Vermont
10/12  Salve Regina University
10/13  Western New England 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.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

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.












Closing the Chapter on 2017-2018

Finals Week Final Exams will take place on Monday, June 18th , Tuesday, June 19th , Wednesday June 20th , and Thursday, June 21st. Fri...