The Week of December 1, 2015

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

• Lions' Youth Essay Contest at 6:00 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

• Student of the Term Recognition at 8:45 a.m.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

• BMHS Math Team will be hosting regional competition at 3:00 p.m. in the BMHS cafeteria

Friday, December 4, 2015

• Pizza with Santa in the BMHS Cafeteria from 5 - 7 p.m.
• Playing Favorites - a Broadway musical review will be performed in the BMHS Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at the door.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

• Playing Favorites - a Broadway musical review will be performed in the BMHS Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at the door.

This is who WE are

Erin Stimson did the right thing this morning:

At 6:40am Wednesday, Nov 25 during my commute to school, I stopped my truck on High St to respond to an elderly man that had fallen in a driveway.  Erin Stimpson, one of our seniors, was comforting this 78 year old man that had fallen outside his house.  If it were not for Erin at his side I would not have noticed this man behind a stone wall.  He had no jacket, his slippers had fallen off, and his cane was at his side.  The man stated he was there for about an hour and is a diabetic.  Based on his color and skin temperature he had been there for a while.  He was very cold and shivering.  Erin calmly called 911 with a clear description of the location and situation of this man's condition.  We then used our jackets to keep him from further exposure to the cold. Erin stayed with this man until the police, fire, and paramedics arrived.  We then gave a statement to a police offer.  The police thanked Erin and commended her for her response and caring for this elderly man.  A police officer kindly offered Erin a ride to school as she did not have transportation at that time.  I encouraged Erin to be with us at the BMHS Rally.  Not sure if she took the ride in the cruiser to school today. 

Erin selflessly responded this morning with her heart, truly did the right thing this morning, and quite possibly saved this elderly man’s life.

Mr. Flanagan, BMHS Math Teacher

Reflections

I wanted to take a moment to share with you the number of positive comments I received from teachers and parents that were in our building on Friday. I realize that many of you do not get to see the 'Parade of the Adorables' that takes place at different times during the day, but the preschoolers always seem to love walking through the building showcasing their costumes while observing the 'bigger' kids outfits. The number of you that helped to make these future Indians and their teachers/parents feel welcomed was further affirmation of the terrific young men and women we have at BMHS.

Our Marching Band won the New England Scholastic Band Association's Division 1 Championship today! The Color Guard was awarded the top honor and Owen Kelly received the Top Drum Major Award. I realize that it is difficult to attend all the events that our students participate in, but I thought you would like to know how well you are thought off outside of Billerica.

Our Boys' Soccer team and  the Girls' Cross Country team captured the MVC title, the Girls' Soccer team missed the title by 1 point, and the Girls' Volleyball team is still in the hunt for the tournament. Senior Brian Corbett captured the MVC Golf title. The football team earned an impressive victory this past weekend defeating Waltham 44-0 and will be taking on Newton South this weekend at home. I am sure I have missed a few items, but this should illustrate the depth of successes we have had in just our first two months.

Our Theatre department is preparing for the fall production of Noises Off and we are hoping to put together an early show for the Senior Citizens in town so they can see the amazing things our students are accomplishing on a regular basis.

Every once in awhile it is important to stop and reflect on all the impressive things you have accomplished. These successes are not new to Billerica students. You are continuing a path that began a long time ago.

Remember, You are NOT successful in spite of being from Billerica, You ARE successful because you are from Billerica.

The Pride of the Green & White:

The Power & Class of BMHS
New England Scholastic Band Association's Division 1 Champions!

Deja Vu

It seems as though we tell the same story every April. The BMHS DECA students depart for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in some locale and return with a Top Three finish ("earning Glass") on the international stage. This year marks the 8th straight year a team from Billerica has earned "Glass" and brought home a national trophy. Since I am certain there may be some readers that are unfamiliar with DECA and the annual competition, I will attempt to put in perspective the success and cache that Billerica has earned on the international stage. In the world of college basketball there are many teams that qualify for the NCAA March Madness tournament. However, there are certain programs that consistently compete at a level far superior than that of their peers. UCLA under the guidance of John Wooden, is considered the gold standard of consistency and high achievement. Billerica is not UCLA. Billerica is Duke. When you watch the NCAA tournament each year, under the guidance of head coach Mike Krzyzewski, you expect them to compete for a national championship. Other college teams try to emulate the "Duke" way. Some teams are intimidated when they enter the arena and see Coach Krzyzewski preparing his team in a calm, tactful manner. When the BMHS DECA team arrives at the ICDC every year, other schools want to emulate the "Billerica" way. These schools watch as Coach Mags (with the support and assistance of Mrs. Lydon) prepares his students in a calm and tactful manner so they are prepared to perform and achieve their ultimate goal - "Glass." Coach Mags (our version of Coach K) extols the value of hard work, preparation, and confidence. The confidence our students possess comes from the knowledge that Coach Mags has been there before and knows how to succeed on that stage. Our students embrace that philosophy and put in many hours beyond the school day to prepare for success.

Casey Finestone, Nadia Soto, Amy Lynch, Alison Veilleux, Alison Donoghue  

Casey Finestone, Amy Lynch, Alison Donoghue earning a Top Ten finish

Nadia Soto, Coach Mags, Alison Veilleux holding "Glass"

Their is a pride in our school for the success our DECA students have achieved. That pride is increased exponentially when you see how other schools react and speak about our students. The respect, admiration and in some cases awe that our DECA team is viewed speaks to the quality of the people involved.

For our seniors, the final ICDC has ended. It is time to bask in the success and reflect on the journey you have shared over the last four years with your DECA teammates.

Once again you have made us proud!

Spring has finally sprung

April 14, 2015

We are closing in on April Vacation week and the weather has finally turned warmer. While there is still snow on the ground in some places, the athletic teams are finally practicing and playing on grass and not asphalt. When I was coaching at BMHS it seemed every year during softball tryouts, one girl would dive on the tar trying to stop a ground ball, momentarily forgetting that we were not on a diamond. That girl always seemed to make the team. I think it was her grit and determination that always impressed me. That same determination will be on display during the vacation - on our fields, courts, and diamonds. It will also be on display in Orlando, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri.

Our nationally renowned DECA team will be descending upon Orlando, Florida on April 26 to claim another national title and bring "Glass" home to BMHS once again. Over 50 of our students will be representing BMHS and our community in the areas of finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, hospitality and tourism. Mr. Magliozzi, Mrs. Lydon, Mrs. Barooshian, Ms. Luciano, and Mr. Nardella prepare our students on a daily basis to succeed in our classrooms and that preparation pays huge dividends on the national stage.

BMHS DECA Team preparing to depart for States

Our FIRST Robotics Team#4909, Billerica Bionics, earned an invitation to the World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri. Billerica is one of only two second year teams in New England to earn a spot in the championship. The World Championship will take place from April 22 - April 25. Additional details can be found at http://championship.usfirst.org/

Billerica Bionics preparing for a match at Reading Memorial High School

The Fine Arts Department completed another successful musical production. This year's performance of Honk! told the story of the Ugly Duckling through music and personification. The performances were outstanding! Jessica McCuish , who is a finalist to perform with the Boston Pops, was a huge hit as Ida, the mother of Ugly. However, the performance of Faith Brodowski as the Cat was purrrrfect! My daughter talked about her performance the whole way home.

Heavyweight Lacrosse Battle

This Thursday two perennial state powers will meet on the lacrosse field to establish early season bragging rights as our #5 Billerica Indians take on the #1 Duxbury Dragons. The game will take place at Alumni Field (behind BMHS) and begins at 4:00 p.m.  Parking is available at the Hallenborg Rink and senior parking lot.

What a Week!

What a Week - Our Cheerleaders won the Division 1 State Title on Sunday at Wachusett Regional High School. This is the 3rd state title for the Lady Indians, establishing themselves as one of the elite programs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

PJ Garmon (MA state 1000 meter champ and New England 1000 meter champ) is competing in the 800 meters at the National Championship in NYC on Sunday, March 15th as one of the top seeds in the nation after running one of the fastest 1000 meters ever run in the state of Massachusetts last week. His time is #4 out of over 22,000 athletes nationwide and the 3 guys in front of him are all 19-20 year olds who ran those times in professional meets!

Shannon Dinsmore competed at the state finals in the Poetry Out Loud Competition this past Sunday at the Old South Meeting House in Boston. Shannon was one of 24 state finalists out of more than 20,000 competitors that began in the competition. Shannon earned this spot in only our second year of competing in Poetry Out Loud.

Our Drama Fest cast and crew will be competing in the statewide semi-finals in Danvers on March 14 performing their production of Actor’s Nightmare. The team will be looking to make the state finals for the first time in our school’s history. They are led by all-star award winners Robbie Ringer, Julie Martin, Afrika Smith, Pat Rooney, Megan Sampson, Conner Nickerson and Klaudia Delorey.

Chris DeRosa, 113 pound Massachusetts State Champion competed at the New England Wrestling tournament this weekend at North Andover High School.

The Girls' Basketball team made it to the Division 1 North title game this past Saturday. Although the game did not end the way we would have liked, it was inspiring to see the effort that each of those young ladies exhibited until the final horn. It may take them a little while to get over the loss, they should find refuge in knowing they are the most successful girls' basketball team in BMHS history. Gillis, Caroline (captain) Senior, Leverone, Kelsey Sophomore, Baronas, Maura Junior, Napoli, Katie Junior, Mattar, Lexie Senior, Boermeester, Caitlin Sophomore, Higgins, Karolyn Senior, Thompson, Maya Sophomore, Zarro, Lauren Senior, Catania, Caitlin Junior, Scurka, Emily Sophomore, Coppinger, Lily (captain) Senior, Elmore, Brooke Senior, Jenkins, Hailee Sophomore, Watford, Mackenzie Sophomore

Six of our students  participated in the 2015 Massachusetts 6th Congressional District Art Competition held at the Montserrat College of Art, March 4 -7.  The students from left to right are:

Angela Bacon, Devin Fossey, Isabella Pesina, Mackenzie Ganier, Alyssa Pellegrino,  Angelica Un. 

Representing the best of BMHS

Last week I received an email from the Westford Academy hockey coach. He wanted to convey his experiences with one of our seniors and a member of the hockey team. It is always nice when others recognize the outstanding qualities we see in our students on a daily basis. Nick Fantasia has consistently exhibited the pillars that BMHS holds dear: perseverance, respect, individuality, community, and enrichment. Nick is an honor student that captured the individual MVC title in golf this past fall. He also coordinates with his peers to support all teams at BMHS through his Twitter feed @BillericaFans (The Tribe). Nick is one of 16 student-athletes elected to represent their, approximately 200,000, peers across the Commonwealth as a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Student Advisory Committee. In short, Nick exemplifies our beliefs, serves as a role model for his peers while welcoming the newest members of the BMHS community.

Jim

I wanted to compliment your player Nick Fantasia. As I was leaving the rink yesterday after our game, Nick was up in the stands with his teammates. Its been a tough year and I must have looked a little down. I did not see the Billerica players but I heard a "Hey, Coach". I looked up and it was Nick. He complemented my team on a great game and wished me the best of luck on Friday. It was a very classy move by a guy that has always been very respectful in my dealings with him.  I remember at the end of last years game, I said to him in line after the game that I thought he had had a great year. He stopped for a minute and then said "Coach, Thank you very much, I really appreciate that".  The Billerica - Westford games have always been hard fought, competitive games and Nick is certainly a competitor. The way he  handles himself with such poise and sincerity right after a hard fought game is very impressive and I wanted to make sure that I recognized his actions, not just yesterday but over the past few years.

Please pass along to Nick how much I appreciated his words yesterday I . Again, it was a very classy, sincere thing for him to do

Bob

Bob Carpenter

Head Hockey Coach

Westford Academy

Nick Fantasia with the MIAA Student Advisory Committee (and Rene Rancourt)