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.