This Week at BMHS March 21 - 28, 2017

From The Desk Of The Guidance Department

Scholarship Information:

~The Billerica Dollars For Scholars application website will close on March 26, 2017.  Click here to access the DFS website.

~Regarding Naviance scholarships:  check back often throughout the duration of the late winter/spring.  The deadlines for scholarships in Naviance vary.  This list will be updated regularly, and you won’t want to miss an opportunity!  Click here to access the Naviance website.

~When searching for scholarships, the most important rule is this:  Don’t pay money to get money!  It typically is a scam.  If you’re not sure it is a scam, please contact your child’s guidance counselor to discuss.

Scheduling Portal For Course Selection Opens Tuesday

The scheduling portal will open on Tuesday afternoon for students in grades 9-11 to select their courses for the 2017-2018 school year.  You will know when it has opened because Melinda Cripps will send out an email to alert you. The steps to access the portal are listed below.

            STUDENT ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Review the Program of Studies to learn more about the courses you can choose.  Click here for the link to the 2017-2018 Program of Studies.

2.     Go to the ASPEN website.  Click here for the Aspen website.

3.     Enter your ASPEN login and password. If you do not know your login and password, please email portalhelp@billericak12.com

4.     Click on the MY INFO top tab.

5.     Click on the REQUESTS side tab.

6.     On the top of your screen, you will see a message that gives an overview of the 2017-2018 course selection process.  Below this, you will see “Primary Requests”.  Click the select buttons to choose the courses you are interested in taking.  In this area, you will also see which courses your teachers have recommended for you.

7.     Below the “Primary Requests” is a section called “Alternate Requests”.  Click on the select button and choose your alternate requests.  These are your back-up courses, in case you are unable to get into a primary requested class.  You must choose alternates.

8.     Below “Alternate Requests” is an area for you to write a note to your counselor.  Some people may choose to use this function, and others may not feel the need to.

9.     MAKE SURE TO POST once you have completed your course selections.  This is SUPER IMPORTANT, since this is how your course selections are saved in the computer.

            PARENT ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS

 Review the Program of Studies to learn more about the courses you can choose. Click here for the link to the 2017-2018 Program of Studies.

 Go to the ASPEN website.  Click here for the Aspen website.

Enter your ASPEN login and password. If you do not know your login and password, please email portalhelp@billericak12.com

Click on the FAMILY top tab.

Select your child.  If you have more than one child, select the child for whom you will be working with.

Click on the SCHEDULE side tab.

Then, click on the REQUESTS side tab.

On the top of your screen, you will see a message that gives an overview of the 2017-2018 course selection process.  Below this, you will see “Primary Requests”.  Click the select buttons to choose the courses you are interested in taking.  In this area, you will also see which courses your teachers have recommended for you.

Below the “Primary Requests” is a section called “Alternate Requests”.  Click on the select button and choose your alternate requests.  These are your back-up courses, in case you are unable to get into a primary requested class.  You must choose alternates.

Below “Alternate Requests” is an area for you to write a note to your counselor.  Some people may choose to use this function, and others may not feel the need to.

MAKE SURE TO POST once you have completed your course selections.  This is SUPER IMPORTANT, since this is how your course selections are saved in the computer.

The portal will remain open until Sunday, March 26th at 11:59 p.m.  It will close promptly at that time.

Guidance counselors will meet with each student individually over the three weeks following course selection.  This brief meeting will be to review students’ course selections for progress towards graduation, alignment with college aspirations, and career exploration goals.  Juniors will be brought to Guidance by their Physics teacher, during the week of March 27-March 31.  Sophomores will meet with guidance during their Chemistry class, during the week of April 3-April 7.  Freshmen will meet with guidance during their English class, during the week of April 10-April 13.  Teachers will bring their students to guidance during an assigned day/time to meet with their counselor. If your Junior student isn't in Physics, or if your Sophomore student isn't in Chemistry, please know that Guidance will reach out to these students individually to arrange a meeting.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s course selection process please feel free to reach out to his/her guidance counselor directly.  The number for the guidance office is:  978-528-8760.  We look forward to working with both you and your child.

ELA MCAS This Week

This week, sophomore students will take ELA MCAS.  Last week, we informed students that MCAS rooms are posted in the hallway across from the Guidance Office.  If students haven't yet checked to see where they are testing, they can check early tomorrow morning.  Here is the testing schedule:

Tuesday: ELA Composition Sessions A & B

Wednesday:  ELA Composition Sessions 1 & 2

Thursday: ELA Composition Session 3

Students should get a good night's rest, eat a good breakfast, and wear comfortable layered clothing in order to help them perform their best.  

What's Happening behind BMHS

Check out the view from our time lapse camera from March 6-15, 2017.

This Week at BMHS March 13 - 20, 2017

Prevention Resources and Education for Parents

The Billerica Substance Abuse Prevention Committee will be hosting a pre-prom event, PREP, on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. in the BMHS Auditorium. This event will follow a school presentation during the day for our juniors and seniors. The Junior Prom is on Friday, May 12 at Tewksbury Country Club and the Senior Prom is on Friday, May 19 at Danversport Yacht Club.

Transition Resources Fair

Billerica Memorial High School special education staff have worked with their counter-parts at Lowell High School to put together a Transitional Resources Fair March 28th at Lowell High School.  This event is an opportunity for students with disabilities and their families to learn about supports, services and programs that may be available to help them navigate adulthood when they leave high school or other public school programs behind.  There will be over 20 agencies, support programs and other vendors  present to provide information and answer questions.   Please see the attached flyer for details.  

BMHS Winter Guard and Percussion Performance

The BMHS Winter Guard and Percussion "Friends and Family Night" is scheduled for this Friday, March 17 at the Marshall Middle School Gym beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students & seniors, $8 for adults and $20 for a family. Please see flyer for additional information.








Team 4909

FIRST Team 4909 - Bionics will be competing at the North Shore District Competition at Reading Memorial High School on Sat/Sun this weekend. This is their first event and they hope to get enough ranking points to qualify for the New England District Competition. The event is 8:00am - 6:00pm on both days and open to the public with FREE admission. Come on down and support BMHS as they take on the challenges of SteamWorks, the new FIRST Robotics challenge for 2017. Visit www.team4909.org to learn more.

College Fair

The BMHS College Fair that was scheduled for March 14 has been moved to April. The exact date will be announced next week.

DECA

This past weekend @BMHS_DECA traveled to Boston to participate in the annual Massachusetts State DECA Conference with the hopes of sending members of the team to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Anaheim, California. The good news began with Joe Hodgkins election as a new State Officer and was quickly followed up by freshmen Julia MacEachern earning Billerica's first ticket to Anaheim for Principles of Business Management. 


The following students will be representing BMHS at the ICDC in Anaheim:

Vanessa Mattar, Dominique Hughes, and Hailee Jenkins (Creative Marketing Project)

Sean Climo, Rachelle Mejia, and Matt Marini (Creative Marketing Project)

Colleen Callahan (Advertising Campaign Event)

Nicholas Scuccimara (Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling)

Ciara Lydon (Professional Selling Event)

Shaun McAvoy and Aidan McCarthy (Sports and Entertainment Operations Research)

Natalie Nardone and Morgan Bauman (Sports and Entertainment Operations Research)

Camryn Brothers, Aiden Cliff, and Tanvi Patel (Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research)

Clare Conway and Kayleigh O'Mahoney (Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research)

Tyler Morris, William Brunetto, and Nick Hulsoor (Buying and Merchandising Operations Research)

Joe Hodgkins and Isabel Doonan (International Business Plan)

Catherine LoGuidice, Olivia Raney, and Alannah Biancuzzo (Independent Business Plan)

Ryan Cahill, Kylie Hopkins, Katelyn Gallagher (Independent Business Plan)

Brendan Maloney & Melissa Johnson (Franchise Business Plan)

Roshni Bhat (Principles of Finance)

The following students finished in the Top 10 in Massachusetts:

Tyler Bradanese, Duncan McGarry & Max May (Public Relations Project)

Brittni Maniscalco, Julia Lemelin & Libby Hawkins (Learn and Earn Project)

Nick Recupero, Vanessa Attaya & Julia McCarthy (Creative Marketing Project)

Sophia Dinsmore and Kaitlyn Brouillette (Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan)

Nick Cote and Sreyas Yenampelli (Professional Selling Event)

Olivia Smith (Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling)

Dylan Coppinger, Emily Todd, Kasey Williams (Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research)

Mackenzie LeLievre, Abby Acone, Molly Fraser (Buying and Merchandising Operations Research)

Nick Arpino & Dan Trask (Business Services Operations Research)

Benjamin Gately, Mike O'Connell, Akash Rana (Business Services Operations Research)

Collin Robson, DJ Fantasia, Zach Russo (Business Services Operations Research)

Ethan Hadley & Ryan Jackson (Independent Business Plan)

Kristen Laquidara & Emily Cote (Independent Business Plan)

Brandon Murphy (Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan)

From the desk of Mr. Lezenski

Our Cheerleaders enter the weekend vying for the MSSAA State Championship at Wachusett Regional High School on Sunday, March 12 at approximately 10:15am.  The team has have a spectacular season placing 1^st in the Central Catholic Invitational, Grand Champion/1^st Place in the Wilmington Invitational and 1^st Place in the MVC Conference Championship. 

The Girls Varsity Basketball team had another exciting season making it all the way to the MIAA Division 1 North Semi Finals.  The girls played a spirited contest in the semifinal against Andover going nip and tuck all the way until the final basket in a truly exciting game.  We know that there will be many wins next season for the Indians.

Finally, the BMHS Wrestling team had a great season, finishing in 2^nd place in the MIAA State Wrestling Championships.  Henri Behaeghel and Ryan Higgins were MIAA All State Champions.  A tremendous accomplishment!!!

The Winter Season Athletic Awards Night will be March 21 at 6:30pm in the BMHS Auditorium.

This Week at BMHS - March 6 - 13, 2017

AMC Math Competition

Sophomore Alex Yeh participated in the AMC 10 exam last week and qualified to move onto the AIME exam this Tuesday. The average score on the AMC 10 exam was a 72. Alex scored a remarkable 120. We are wishing him the best as he tackles the next level, more complex math problems, and advanced competition.

New Language Offering at BMHS

BMHS is pleased to announce we will offer students Mandarin Chinese beginning in the 2017-2018 school year as one of the options for meeting the two-year graduation requirement, in addition to Spanish, Italian, and French. A close review of survey data from teachers, parents, and students supports this fourth language option. While the program is just getting started, any student currently in grades 8 - 11 may sign up for Mandarin Chinese I for next year, whether to start the first year of the language requirement or add a second language to his/her program of study. Mandarin Chinese offers a unique way to expand students' understanding of the world and other cultures. We anticipate offering Mandarin I - IV, as we do other languages at the high school, as students progress through the curriculum. Also, while no plans have yet been made, travel to China is likely to become part of this program, similar to the robust exchange relatinships we currently have with France, Italy, and Spain.

Team 4909's Big Reveal

The Billerica Bionics, Team 4909, will be unveiling their design for this year's FIRST Robotics STEAMWORKS competition on Wednesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. in our robotics shop, room 3129.  They open up the season on March 17 at Reading Memorial High School. For additional information please visit their website at http://www.team4909.org/


Parent Conferences

The late winter/early spring conferences will take place on Thursday, March 9 from 6 - 8 p.m. We will once again be using the PTC Wizard platform. If you created an account for the fall conference you do not need to re-create an account for this session. The window for scheduling conferences is open and will remain open until March 9. If you cannot make it that night, or are unable to schedule a time with a teacher, please feel free to reach our prior to conferences via email, or phone. Please follow this link to create, or review your account at PTC Wizard. http://billerica.ptcwizard.com/authenticate/?redirect=none

Navigating the Cyber World

Geared for parents, this workshop reviews the challenges and dangerous situations that may arise through use of the Internet, social media and smart phones. It is important for parents to be aware of the popular apps, social media sites and programs used by youth online.   This workshop explains the issues and possible consequences from cyber bullying, sexting and revealing identifying information to strangers.







Winding Down the Winter Season

Congratulations to our wrestlers that earned a trip to the New England Championships. Senior Chris Derosa finished 3rd in NE at 120 pounds, while Senior Henri Behaeghal finished 6th at 195 pounds. Junior Ryan Higgins (heavyweight) and Sophomore James Best (113) contributed to Billerica's 14th place finish out of 145 teams.

Our Girls' Basketball team will be taking on Andover this Wednesday, March 8 at 5:30 at Whittier Regional Technical High School in Haverhill.

Our Varsity Cheerleaders will be competing for a State Championship this Sunday, March 12 at Wachusett Regional High School, 1401 Main Street, Holden, MA 01532


Athletic Association Fundraiser

The Billerica Memorial High School Athletic Association is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Cornhole Classic on April 23 at the Billerica Elks beginning at 11 a.m. The entry fee is $70 per team (2 person teams) and all participants must be aged 18 or over. First Prize is $400, Second Prize is $300, Third Prize is $200 and Fourth Prize is $100. Please fill out the attached flyer and mail to BMHSAA 35 River Street, Billerica, MA.

2017-2018 Program of Studies

From The Desk of the BMHS Guidance Department

Good Afternoon,

The 2017-2018 BMHS Program of Studies is now available, and is attached to this email. Current students in grades 9-11 will select their classes on Aspen during the following window of time:  March 21-March 26.  Please note that prior to student course selection, your child’s current teachers will make recommendations for his/her classes next year.  You will be able to see these recommendations in Aspen when the student registration window opens on March 21.  As we approach March 21, additional information will be shared with you regarding the process of how to select courses in the computer.  In addition, all students will meet individually with their guidance counselor in late March and early April to review course selections, ensure proper sequencing towards graduation requirements, and discuss how each student’s course selection pertains to their post-secondary goals.

At this time, it is recommended that students and parents/guardians review the Program of Studies, discuss potential course selections, and consider how the courses your child wishes to select will aid them in their exploration of various interests and potential career paths.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact your child’s guidance counselor via email or phone.  The guidance department’s phone number is: 978-528-8761.

Sincerely,

Mindy Cripps, Director of Guidance

This Week at BMHS - February 27 - March 5, 2017

OECD/PISA Testing

Every three years more than 500,000 15-year olds in more than 70 countries are assessed through the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA. This assessment creates a list that details how each country's students compare to the rest of the world, but it does not provide any actionable data for schools to evaluate their students compared to their global peers. The Alliance for Education Excellence and Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy have created the OECD assessment to create school-level data based on an assessment derived from the PISA. BMHS will be participating in the OECD testing this March, creating actionable data at the school level to better inform us how we are doing in preparing our students to excel beyond high school. The academic portions of the OECD Test for Schools reflect PISA’s test and question design, and as such, they differ from most standardized assessments in the United States. "Rather than provide a series of disconnected questions, PISA and the OECD Test for Schools cluster them into units that revolve around a complex theme and build upon one another."

2015 PISA Mean Science Scores

A random sample of students aged 15 years 3 months to 16 years two months will be chosen to take the assessment.  There are over 280 students eligible, but the testing center will generate a list of 85 students. If your child is selected, they will bring home a permission slip allowing participation in the assessment. The assessment is computer-based and will be completed in a single day, lasting approximately 3 hours, which includes set up, directions, and breaks). Our first test session is scheduled for March 6 and the last session will conclude by March 20.

Parent Conferences

The late winter/early spring conferences will take place on Thursday, March 9 from 6 - 8 p.m. We will once again be using the PTC Wizard platform. If you created an account for the fall conference you do not need to re-create an account for this session. The window for scheduling conferences will open on March 2 at 3 p.m. EST. If you cannot make it that night, or are unable to schedule a time with a teacher, please feel free to reach our prior to conferences via email, or phone. Please follow this link to create, or review your account at PTC Wizard. http://billerica.ptcwizard.com/authenticate/?redirect=none

Program of Studies 2017-2018

We are working on the final revisions to the 2017-2018 Program of Studies. The Program should be available before the end of the week. We will be emailing the finished copy to every student and their family for review and selection of courses for the upcoming school year. Our goal is for students to receive their completed schedules before the end of the current school year, mitigating significant changes in the fall.

Billerica Bionics

Team 4909 wrapped up the "build season" this past Tuesday evening. One of the major challenges of the build season for teams in the northeast is our New England weather. The official end of the build phase is the same for all schools, but not every school is subject to our inconsistent forecast. The 70 degree days are always welcome, but when school is cancelled, the team is not afforded extra time to complete their project, creating additional stressors and pressure. In spite of this, the team has put together a terrific design and will open the season on March 17 - 19 at the North Shore District Competition at Reading Memorial High School.




Class of 2019 Fundraiser

Please join the Class of 2019 for a night out at the 99 Restaurant on Middlesex Turnpike, March 7 from 4 - 10 p.m. The 99 will donate 15% of your check to the Class of 2019. Bring a copy of the attached voucher and hand it to your server that evening.

On to the playoffs

Head Coach Bob Belanger, Chris Derosa, Henri Behaeghal,
Ryan Higgins, James Best, Asst. Coach Ray Derosa

As we close out the winter regular season many of our teams our busy preparing for the post season. Our wrestling team just closed out their season at the All-State Wrestling Meet this weekend in Reading. BMHS finished in 2nd place overall behind the outstanding performances of Henri Behaghel's State Title, Chris Derosa and Ryan Higgins second place finishes, and James Best' seventh place finish. 

The Varsity and JV Cheerleaders won their respective MVC Championship this past Sunday at Central Catholic. These young ladies have continued their program's success establishing themselves as one of the elite programs in the state of Massachusetts. They will be competing in the Regionals next weekend.

Billerica was well represented at the 32nd Annual MIAA Indoor Track & Field All-State Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track this past weekend. Senior Alyssa Harris (55m Dash), Sophomore Sam Maffeo (600 M), Freshmen Nicole Anderson (1000 M), Senior Amanda Hawkes (2 Mile), Junior Vanessa Attaya (Shot Put), and Junior Thomas Baltayan (Shot Put) qualified to compete against the best in the Commonwealth.

The Girls Basketball Team will be hosting Lowell tonight at 7 p.m. at the Ed James Gym. The Boys' Basketball team will be traveling to Everett on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game against the Crimson Tide.

Athletic Association Fundraiser

The Billerica Memorial High School Athletic Association is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Cornhole Classic on April 23 at the Billerica Elks beginning at 11 a.m. The entry fee is $70 per team (2 person teams) and all participants must be aged 18 or over. First Prize is $400, Second Prize is $300, Third Prize is $200 and Fourth Prize is $100. Please fill out the attached flyer and mail to BMHSAA 35 River Street, Billerica, MA.









Building Project

Back Teacher Parking Lot

While the inside of our building was relatively quiet over vacation, Shawmut Construction was busy working to prepare for an "official" late March groundbreaking. The site enclosure fence work was completed early last week in preparation of the retention work along the western boundary. On Friday, Shawmut removed the former teacher parking lot in the back of the building. The unseasonable warm temperatures last week allowed Shawmut to move in some equipment and be in position to start moving some earth by the end of the upcoming week. Assistant Project Manager, James McKenna, joined the Billerica project full-time this past Friday. He arrives from the Hunking School Project in Haverhill. This is another marker towards shovels in the ground in our near future.

This is also a time to remind everyone that Shawmut has officially taken over the construction site. Safety is a paramount concern on any construction site, especially a site as large and active as ours will be. Therefore, access to the site is limited to Shawmut workers and people that have their permission to be on site. We will be diligent sending out pictures and updates on the project's progress.

This Week at BMHS - February 6 - 13, 2017

Career Fair and Social Media Presentation

On Wednesday, February 8th, BMHS will host our annual Career Exploration Day from 8:30 am-10:30 am.  Please see the schedule below. This year, we have arranged for every student to visit the Career Fair, while at the same time ensuring that every B-Day class block will meet.  We currently have forty presenters who will highlight careers in various disciplines, and teachers have volunteered to man tables at the fair to promote their classes. If you wish to promote your classes at the Career Fair, please email me and we will add you to our list.

Each grade will be allotted 1 hour at the fair and 1 hour at a presentation on cyber safety, given by social media expert Detective Jennifer Frank of the Windsor, Vermont police department.  Detective Frank will present on how to be safe in the age of Facebook and other similar sites, which gather information that can be easily obtained and put to illicit or dangerous use.  Detective Frank presented here several years ago, and her dynamic style of delivery captivated the audience!

Block 1B: 7:15-8:25

Career Fair & Presentation

Session 1: 8:30 – 9:30: grades 9 & 10 in the Auditorium (Presentation)

Session 1: 8:30 – 9:30: grades 11 & 12 in the Gym (Career Fair)

Session 2: 9:30 – 10:30: grades 9 & 10 in the Gym (Career Fair)

Session 2: 9:30 – 10:30: grades 11 & 12 in the Auditorium (Presentation)

Block 2B: 10:35-11:24

Block 3B*: 11:29-12:55

        A Lunch 11:29-11:52

        Class 11:56-12:55

        Class 11:29-12:28

        C Lunch 12:32-12:55

Block 4B: 1:00-2:02

Understanding Teen Depression Workshop

The Billerica Public Schools in conjunction with the Billerica Police Department, Lowell General Hospital, Families for Depression Awareness, and CircleHealth are offering a workshop on Teen Depression. The workshop will take place at the Paul Cox Auditorium at the Marshall Middle School. The presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free.

Student Spotlight

Massachusetts DECA's January Member of the Month is one our own - sophomore Victoria Bones. Victoria is currently the Class of 2019 President and student representative to the School Committee. She was the inaugural guest on the Superintendent's new monthly BATV show providing context to the impact students can have on their education and community.

Alumni in the News

Sachin Gupta, a member of the Class of 2000, was an exceptional math student and member of our cross country and track teams. He always wanted to find a way to leverage his love of math and athletics. Upon graduating from BMHS, Sachin earned his BA from M.I.T before joining the rank of new employees at ESPN. For anyone that enjoys the world of fantasy sports leagues, finding the right application to evaluate talent and gain an edge on your competition is never easy. Sachin created the ESPN Trade Machine, which was quickly heralded by fantasy team owners as well as NBA General Managers. His software success and passion for sports found him working for the Houston Rockets and later as the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76'ers. There is a nice article detailing Sachin's success that is attached below. Aside from being a wonderful young man, Sachin found a way to bring his two loves - math and sports - together to create an impact in the NBA. Maybe someday soon he will come home and help the other Green and White team in Boston bring home Banner #18.

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/01/31/sachin-gupta-trades-sam-hinkie/