This Week at BMHS January 21 - 28, 2018

Midterm Week is Officially Here

Midterm exams will begin on Wednesday, January 24 and conclude on Monday, January 29. 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 the Absentee Line prior to 7 a.m. on the day of the exam. The Absentee Line is 978-528-8710.

If a student is absent, they need to make arrangements for a makeup with their teacher. Each exam day has a make-up period from 12:00 - 1:45 p.m. Monday, January 29 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).

Visualizing the Schedule through the end of the Term/Semester

Mr. Yoon, one of our Math teachers, has created a visual representation of the schedule for the remainder of the semester. This graphic is intended for those that speak this particular language.

Teddy Bear Fundraiser

The Billerica Memorial High School Key Club is looking to raise money to support a local Family in their time of need. We are currently seeking donations in the form of buying Teddy Bears. Below is some information about Jonathan and his Family.

One of our Billerica Residents and Middle School students Jonathan was diagnosed with metastatic cancer, carcinoma of unknown origin. Jonathan's cancer is so rare that the doctors cannot even determine what kind it is. Jonathan continues to fight, and he and his family are trying to stay positive. The family is of limited means due to the added medical expenses. They are in immediate need of assistance. Our goal as an organization is to help the family at this most difficult time in their lives. Given the uncertainty regarding Jonathan's diagnosis and progression of his disease, and the lack of income for the family at this time, our goal is to raise money for their myriad expenses, including medical, mortgage, travel, and basic daily living costs.

Please consider donating to our cause. We can accept either Cash or Check. Please make Checks out to BMHS Key Club and write Teddy Bears in the memo.

Any questions regarding this event please email Chris Peterson, FACS Teacher at Billerica Memorial High School at CPeterson@Billericak12.com

*From The Desk Of The Billerica Memorial High School Guidance Office*

On Tuesday, February 13, BMHS Guidance will host a College Planning Night for students and their families. BMHS  While this event is geared towards Junior students and their families, all students and families are welcome to attend and learn about the college search process.  College Planning Night will take place in the BMHS Lecture Hall, beginning at 6:30 p.m.  During College Planning Night, you will learn:

* How to research colleges through our Naviance program

*  What standardized tests your child may need for college, and how the colleges use these tests

*  What colleges look at when making acceptance decisions

*  Understanding college admissions standards

*  What goes into a college application

BMHS Guidance will hold our annual Scholarship Information Night on Thursday, February 15 at 6:30 PM in the BMHS Lecture Hall.  You’ll want to make a note of this important event in your calendar!  Billerica Dollars For Scholars will discuss the process of how to apply for their scholarships, and there will be a review and discussion about searching for scholarships in Naviance and on websites such as Fastweb. 

What can you do to prepare for scholarship season?  Here are a few ideas: 

1. Log into Naviance and click the “Colleges” tab. Then, click on the “Scholarship List” link. Here you will see a list of scholarships. You can click into each scholarship to view the requirements and how to apply. This list is updated frequently, and will grow over the winter and early spring, so be sure to check back often!  
2. Search for scholarships online through search engines such as Fastweb.com, YourPlanForTheFuture.org, etc. The most important rule is this: Do not pay money to get money. It is free to apply for scholarships. If the scholarship asks you to pay money to enter your application, it is most likely a scam! Talk with your guidance counselor if you have any questions. MEFA (the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) runs the YourPlanForTheFuture.org website.  Have students log in to their YourPlanForTheFuture.org account and go to Paying for College>Search for Scholarships.  Here, students can search for scholarships that may be a fit for them by selecting specific criteria and then start building a list. Once a scholarship is added to the list, students will receive an alert when a deadline is approaching.
3. You can prepare your Billerica Dollars For Scholars profile BEFORE the seminar on 2/15/18. This is beneficial because once you’ve created your profile, you can focus on applying for scholarships when the portal opens in the late winter/early spring. If your child attended the BMHS College Boot Camp this summer, it is likely that they’ve already started their profile. If this is the case, your child will want to update the profile to include information from this school year. Your child will want to fill this profile out to the best of their ability so that the selection committee has a full picture of your child, their accomplishments, awards, etc. The Billerica Dollars For Scholars website is: http://billerica.dollarsforscholars.org 

Billerica Memorial High School’s 3rd Annual College Fair

SAVE THE DATE AND MARK YOUR CALENDAR!  The Billerica Memorial High School Guidance Department will be hosting our Third Annual College Fair on Wednesday, March 14 from 6:30-8:00 p.m., to be held in the BMHS Gymnasium.  This is a free opportunity and open to students in all grades.  We encourage students and their parents/guardians to come and explore the many opportunities available for college and post-secondary education!  Currently we have over 55 colleges and post-secondary opportunities committed to attending, and this list is growing daily.  We will share a list of attendees as we get closer to the event. In past years, this has been a tremendous event for our students and their families.  This is a night you won’t want to miss!  Also, join us for the College Panel, to be held immediately prior to the college fair. Please see details below!

^7th Annual College Panel

The Billerica Memorial High School Guidance Department will be hosting our 7^th annual College Panel on Wednesday, March 14 from 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm, immediately prior to the college fair.  This event is open to students and parents in all grades. The panelists are admissions representatives from four different colleges, and they will discuss universal tips and components needed for a successful college application, which includes:

· The importance of high school transcript

· How GPA is used in the admissions process

· The use of standardized testing (SAT, SAT subject tests, ACT)

· The importance of the college essay and letters of recommendation

· The significance of extracurricular activities

· Tips for application management