Career Exploration Fair
The BMHS Annual Career Exploration Fair will be held on Wednesday, February 7. Over 30 outside presenters are attending this year's fair! Teachers will be participating in this event to order promote their courses and help students make connections between the classes that BMHS offers and the exploration of possible careers & college majors.
Congratulations Ms. Bouhanda
It is our privilege to inform you that Rachel Bouhanda, school librarian at Billerica Memorial High School, is the recipient of the 2018 Massachusetts School Library Association Ellen Berne Pathfinder Award. This award celebrates groundbreaking developments in School Librarianship that promote student learning and is a fitting memorial to the life and work of Ellen Berne. Rachel is receiving this award for her innovative program, “Relaxation Podcast,” promoting social emotional learning.
Ms. Bouhanda will receive this award at the MSLA Awards Banquet at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. This awards dinner is a part of the MSLA Annual Conference, “Future Ready.”
Congratulations to Rachel for winning this distinct honor.
Sincere Regards,
Amy Short, Paige Rowse and Ann Perham
MSLA Awards Committee
Mandarin Calligraphy
Students in Ms. Li Xu’s Mandarin I class at BMHS learn and practice Chinese calligraphy and painting during the fall semester. This is the first year Mandarin is offered here and we hope to grow Mandarin into a full AP-level program with an exchange, on par with the other languages offered at BMHS. 
Early Release Day
This Tuesday all schools in the district will be dismissed early. BMHS will be dismissing at 11:50 a.m. Faculty will be participating in professional development until 3:45 p.m.Patriots' Tailgating Cafeteria Style
Once again the BMHS cafeteria staff has created another opportunity for our students to be active during lunch while joining in the celebration for Super Bowl LII. The Food Services Department put together a chocolate fountain with strawberries, pretzels and marshmallows. Patriots highlights were playing in the background while students played cornhole in the "pit". The winner of Super Bowl LII may be decided later tonight, but the predictions on Friday left little doubt.
Patriots 29 Philadelphia Eagles 16.
BMHS Winter Guard Benefit
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 Nig
* 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 admissi
* What goes into a college application
What can you do to prepare for scholarship season? Here are a few ideas:
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.dollarsfo
rscholars.org
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!
The Billerica Memorial High School Guidance Department will be hosting our 7th 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
