This Week at BMHS September 18 - 25, 2017

Student Dismissal (Nurse's Office)

All students being dismissed from school due to illness MUST be excused through the Nurse's Office. If you (parent) receive a call, or text from your child informing you that they are not feeling well, please instruct them to go to the nurse's office for an evaluation. We have had parents arrive at the main office to dismiss their child due to illness that have not been evaluated by the nurse. Dismissals through the nurse's office can be excused, but dismissals due to illness absent the nurse's consent are not. This procedure ensures our nurses are aware of any potential issues in the building and informs their preparedness to support all members of our community. Please feel free to reach out to our nurses at 978-528-8757 or 8758 to ask questions, or seek support. We are fortunate to have a team so dedicated to the wellness of our entire school community.

Smile

A reminder that this Tuesday, September 19 is Picture Day. Our Picture Day school
ID is: RI177425Q1








Early Release Day

This Tuesday, September 19 is also an early release day for all students. Dismissal will occur at 11:50 a.m. after lunch.










Global Leadership Summit

For more details, on the Global Leadership Summit in Berlin, Germany attend our information meeting with your parents, Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. in the BMHS library, or contact Ms. Bynoe in 3305 or at tbynoe@billericak12.com

Clothing Drive
 

The World Language Department will be holding a used clothing drive to raise money for the Spanish exchange trip in February of 2018. Bring in your gently used clothes, accessories, and shoes for a tax refundable donation.  Also accepted are gently used towels, blankets, curtains, and bed linens.   Bring in any donations in a trash bag and deliver them to Mrs. Piwowar’s room, Room 3209.  Donations will be accepted until Monday, October 16th.

BMHS GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

SENIOR COLLEGE NIGHT

The BMHS Guidance Department will host our Senior College Night on Thursday, September 21 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium at BMHS. Parents and students are highly encouraged to attend this important event!  Guidance counselors will be on hand to address the following topics:

*The college search process
*Types of applications
*What's in an application?
*Standardized testing
*Naviance
*Selectivity and admission requirements
*Factors to consider when choosing a college
*Timelines and deadlines of the college application process

*There will be an informative slideshow presentation and coordinating handouts. 

Please note that seniors also received a college presentation in their English class on September 18 which covered timelines, deadlines, and the application process.  Also, guidance counselors will be meeting with all seniors individually in order to discuss post-secondary planning.

MEFA COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID NIGHT

Parents and students are invited to attend a free seminar on paying for college, which will be held on Tuesday, September 26 at 6:30 PM in the BMHS Lecture Hall. This seminar is offered through MEFA, the Commonwealth’s authority on planning, saving, and paying for college. An experienced MEFA representative will provide an overview of the college financing process, including types of financial aid, how to apply, and financing options for your family. Before the seminar, be sure to visit MEFA’s website — mefa.org — to download a copy of the seminar presentation and explore other tools and resources to assist you in the college planning process.

Billerica Blast

The Billerica Blast is an evening designed to give our graduating seniors a night of entertainment without the pressures of risky behaviors. The night features, music, magic, hypnotists, Texas Hold'em, Jeopardy, Karaoke, Bingo, inflatable obstacle courses, raffles, and food.  The Billerica Blast Committee works diligently all year long to raise funds, coordinate talent, and collect prizes for our students. Comedy Night is their first event. Please consider attending, or volunteer to help! This group creates a terrific and safe "Last Night" for our students.











Picture(s) of the Week

 Happy (Green) Friday!

Ms. Ford, Mr. Landry, Mr. Gubelman, Mrs. Piwowar, Ms. MacInnis

Class of 1967 50th Reunion Tour

Welcome Back

As we begin just our first full week of school, the number of activities that have already begun, or will occur this week reminds me why I love the fall. Our boys' and girls' teams have already begun the fall season adjusting to new venues for games and practices. We have a new student parking lot and a new traffic pattern for drop off and pick up.  We made some adjustments to the freshmen schedule to help get them acclimated to the changes one experiences transitioning from the middle school to the high school lunchroom. This Wednesday, September 13, our staff and students will be discussing our summer reading selections. These small discussion groups promote great conversation, allowing each of the participants a glimpse into each member's perspective of key elements in the book.


The Athletic Department Goes Mobile

How often have you wondered if a practice has been cancelled, or a game time/field moved? This year, the Athletic Department has gone mobile. The mobile app (available for both IOS and Android) allows you to follow BMHS Athletics with automatic updates for schedules and scores. Please check out this link for more information http://rschooltoday.com/page/2855 or download rSchoolToday from either app store.






Picture Day is Tuesday, September 19

PICTURE DAY IS ONLY 9 DAYS AWAY

Picture Day: Tuesday, September 19

Picture Day ID: RI177425Q1

Art Teacher wins 3rd Place in Summer Exhibit at Montserrat College

Sometimes, students wonder "what do my teacher's do during the summer?", for BMHS Visual Art teacher Sandra Davidson that answer was creating 2 ceramic pieces for Montserrat College of Art's "Inspired Views" Art Exhibit this summer.  This is an annual art exhibit that is open to all art educators throughout New England, and Mrs. Davidson's pieces titled "Courage" and "Beauty" earned Third Place in Show.  Congrats!! #TalentedTeachers

More Information about the event can be found here: https://www.montserrat.edu/portfolio-item/inspired-views-2017/

"Beauty & Courage"

Yankee Doodle Weekend

Don't forget Yankee Doodle Weekend this Saturday, September 16 and 17. The town will be celebrating our history while embracing our present and future. Team 4909, the Billerica Bionics, will be participating in the annual parade and sharing information about their past success and upcoming competition season.

The Class of 1967 will be touring the Memorial Building in preparation of their 50th High School Reunion. Local Legends Gary Bishop, Gayle Musgrave, and Neville Rivett will be attendance.

We will also be hosting a steel signing opportunity for members of the community and past and present members of BMHS. There will be upcoming information about the location for the signing. The steel beam(s) will be part of the new BMHS.

Billerica Blast 2018

The Billerica Blast is an evening designed to give our graduating seniors a night of entertainment without the pressures of risky behaviors. The night features, music, magic, hypnotists, Texas Hold'em, Jeopardy, Karaoke, Bingo, inflatable obstacle courses, raffles, and food.  The Billerica Blast Committee works diligently all year long to raise funds, coordinate talent, and collect prizes for our students. Comedy Night is their first event. Please consider attending, or volunteer to help! This group creates a terrific and safe "Last Night" for our students.







Alumni Celebration

Members of the class of 2004 gathered to celebrate the marriage of Ashley MacDonald and Derick Tsoukalas. Along with many members of their class they brought along one other important part of their union.

Scott Wiggins, Jillian (Marone) Ravidis, Dan Pope, Lauren Powers,
Eva Spencer, Ashley (MacDonald) Tsoukalas, Derick Tsoukalas, William Mannetta,
Alana Roach, Alison (Jenkins) Simolaris, Steve Simolaris, Katie Sinclair,
Erica Rancatore, Andrea Murphy, Sara Swift

BMHS Teacher Visits Haiti

This past July, Ms. Bujnowski went to Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, to volunteer with the "Be Like Brit Foundation." Brittany Gengel was a college student who lost her life in the 2010 Haitian earthquake. Close to 400,000 people still live in tents and temporary shelters. Brittany's parents have continued her mission by building an orphanage in her name.

During her morning time at the orphanage, Ms. Bujnowski and her team built a house, consisting of wood and metal, for a family in need within the surrounding community. She worked side-by-side with Haitian counterparts to teach them the skills necessary to hone their techniques. The house was blessed and celebrated at the end of the week.

 

In the afternoons, Ms. Bujnowski and her group spent time with the children at the orphanage participating in field trips, soccer games, dominos and learning activities. Additionally, her group visited the local market near the end of the week and purchased food items to give to the family for whom Ms. Bujnowski and her group built the house.  We also had the opportunity to purchase additional items the family might need such as a goat, pots and pans, dishes, clothing, and mattresses.

If you'd like  more information about "Be Like Brit," please visit belikebrit.org.

GUIDANCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Senior College Night for parents/families and students will be held at BMHS on Thursday, 9/21 from 6:30-8:30 PM.  More info to follow.

Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) Financial Aid Night will be held on Tuesday, 9/26 at 6:30 PM.  More info to follow.

Please log into Naviance to view a list of colleges that are visiting BMHS this fall, and visits begin tomorrow!  You will need to register for these visits in Naviance, and you will want to check back often as we add college visits on a regular basis.  *Please note that students are responsible for making up work that they have missed during class time.  If your child has forgotten his/her Naviance login information and cannot access it, please have your child email their guidance counselor for assistance.

On Monday, 9/18 guidance counselors will present a seminar to senior English classes entitled, "The College Application Process".  Individual meetings to discuss post-secondary planning will follow in the weeks ahead and guidance counselors will proactively schedule these meeting.

This Week at BMHS June 8 - 21, 2017

Final Exam Schedule

Final Exams will take place on Thursday, June 15th , Friday, June 16th , Monday June 19th , and Tuesday, June 20th,  Wednesday, June 21st is the last day of school and an early release day. Students will be dismissed from school at 10:20 am.  This day provides the opportunity for teachers to review the final exams with students before the summer break. 

Busses will run on their normal morning schedule.  If a student does not have an exam during the first exam block they will be allowed in the cafeteria or the library.  The Food Services Department will be offering breakfast during the exam days in the cafeteria. Buses will not run in between exams.  Buses will depart from BMHS after the second exam at approximately 11:32 am.

If school is closed for any reason, the exams will be pushed ahead a day.  For example, if school is closed on Friday, Friday’s exam will be on Monday.  In the case of a two hour delay, morning exams will begin at 9:35am and the afternoon exams will begin at 12:00 pm.

Students are expected to be in attendance for each exam.  In the event a student is absent from an exam you will need to call the student absentee line (978-528-8710) by 7:15 am.  Students are responsible for scheduling the make-up exam with their teacher. There is a make-up block on each exam day from 12:00 pm – 1:45 pm.  There are no buses at the end of the make-up exam period.

Final Exams will be counted as 20% of the second semester grade; Term 3 is 40%, Term 4 is 40%.  First and Second semester grades will be averaged for the Final grade.

Hopefully, this letter will help your family adequately prepare for any changes to your schedule and enable you to make the necessary accommodations for a successful end of the year.  If you have any questions, please call 978-528-8709.

BMHS Building Update

• Temporary water service is installed into the site off of River Street.
• Temporary gas service is nearing completion by National Grid and Shawmut, including abandoning the existing gas service that runs under sectors C and D of the new building. This work, and associated water service work, will result in Alumni Field being closed from June 6 through June 21.
•  Temporary electrical services are anticipated to be brought to the site in June by National Grid, after which electrical ductbank routing for the new building will commence.
• All temporary stormwater facilities are in place and functioning.
• Concrete foundations are underway throughout the building, and sectors A and B are nearing completion.
• Waterproofing and back-filling of soils against new foundation walls is underway as foundation become complete.
• Earthwork remains underway to support foundation and first floor slab on grade installations and to process excess topsoil and rock for export and re-use on site.
• Both structural steel and laminated wood structures are in the fabrication process in Canada. Steel is expected onsite during the last week of June.
• In the first few weeks of July a second crane is anticipated to join the steel erection sequencing to keep pace with daily steel deliveries through fall 2017.