This Week at BMHS - October 16-23, 2017

Parent Teacher Conferences

This fall's parent teacher conference will be held on October 19 from 6-8 p.m. We have made the decision to move the conference earlier to provide, if necessary, an opportunity for parents to support their child in different ways prior to the end of the term1 marking period. This is a one year trial period to determine if an earlier conference can have an impact on student success in quarter 1. We will once again be using PTC Wizard. Information regarding PTC Wizard was emailed separately last week. PTC Wizard will be available until 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, if you need to make any changes to your appointments, or to look for some availability.

Two Heroes in Two Years

Mr. Burns has been teaching First Aid/CPR in his Introduction to Human Anatomy classes for the past three years. For the second time in two years, one of his students has been called upon to use these life-saving skills. Junior Erik Hood was confronted with a colleague choking while at work and immediately responded with the Heimlich manuever and dislodged the obstruction. 

BMHS Unified

BMHS' Unified Basketball Team will be participating in their first jamboree of the season this Thursday, October 19 from 4 - 6 p.m. at Tewksbury Memorial High School. They will be playing against other teams from the Merrimack Valley Conference. Everyone is welcome as we begin the new season with our newest team.

BMHS Marching Band Field Show

Start time is 4 p.m. Tickets $8 for students $10 Adults

BMHS Visits Lowell District Court

All four sections of American Legal I spent a day last week at Lowell District Court- this court serves Billerica and is one of the busiest in Massachusetts. Many students taking this elective are the future lawyers, judges, law enforcement officers, and psychologists of the Commonwealth, so this trip provided them a great real-life interaction with the justice system.

Our students on Wednesday got to see many of the following arraignments as the result of several Lowell drug sweeps the day before:

http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_31371892/lowell-police-arrest-21-drug-sweeps

The students observed first session where they got to see arraignments (various examples of charges included assault and battery, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering, malicious destruction of property, resisting arrest, larceny over $250, fraudulent checks, operating under the influence, narcotics-distribution), bail arguments, defaults, probation violations, restraining orders, motor vehicle appeals, section 35 hearings re: commitment of alcoholics or substance abusers, etc.

At the end of our time in court, the students had a question/answer session with the presiding judge and court officers. One of the judges was so impressed with our students, she volunteered to come to BMHS to hear them present motions to suppress on various search and seizure cases

Twitter Chats

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be hosting a series of Twitter Chats about the revised Math, ELA, and STE standards. The hashtag is #SBLchatMA

The dates for the chat are as follows:

• ELA: 10/18 from 8-9pm EST
• STE: 11/11 from 8-9pm EST
• Math: 12/20 from 8-9pm EST

If you’re unfamiliar with Twitter Chats, here are a few basic steps/tips:

•  Use the #SBLchatMA hashtag in the twitter search bar to keep track of comments. If you’re using your phone, make sure you read the tweets under the “latest” column rather than “top.” (You can actually go do this right now and see every tweet that uses this hashtag.)
• A lot of people like using www.tweetdeck.com on their computers. If you’re more of a computer based person than a phone based person, this might be a better option. If you’re going this way, I’d recommend getting it set up in advance of the chat.
• We’ll share the questions out in advance of the chat. It all happens kind of fast and furious, so you may want to draft some responses in advance. (I find this is especially useful to do for the first couple of questions at least.)
• If you have questions or concerns about the content of your responses, I would recommend checking out previous twitter chats. A good regular one is #satchat (where educators connect on Saturday mornings); #txeduchat is another that I’ve enjoyed in the past. Last year, #MApactac members participated in #edchatma a few times, as well.
• A good rule of thumb for twitter (and life in general?) -- keep it positive, keep it light. If you’re looking to share deeper content, I’d recommend finding links, images, etc. It’s hard to express much in 140 characters!

Class of 2019 Fundraiser

The Class of 2019 is hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle in the Treble Cove Plaza on Monday, October 23 from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Chipotle will donate 50% of the funds from this evening to the Class in support of various activities.

Parents of Senior Students: The BMHS Guidance Department Invites You To Attend A College Connection Workshop

Join us for insights, tips, and helpful websites needed for the college application process.  Please sign up by clicking HERE and filling out the registration form.  You must register in order to attend, and the program is limited to 20 attendees per day. 

Date: October 18 OR October 20 (pick one day only)

Time:  7:30 AM-8:30 AM (please note that this event will be held in the morning)

Place:  BMHS Guidance Office

This Week's Upcoming College Visits

Please see Naviance for the full schedule of college tours and to sign up to attend a college visit at BMHS.  Students must sign up through Naviance to attend.  Click here to access the Naviance website.  You will want to check back often, as we update this list frequently.  If you've forgotten your password to Naviance, please contact your child's guidance counselor or call the Guidance office at 978-528-8760 and we will be happy to assist you. 

10/16 Bentley University
10/17 Fitchburg State University
10/18 Framingham State University
10/18 Fisher College
10/18 Becker College
10/18 Stony Brook University
10/19 Roger Williams University
10/19 Emmanuel College
10/19 University of Maine
10/20 Massachusetts College of Art and Design
10/20 Southern New Hampshire University

BMHSAA Membership Orientation Current, new, and prospective members are invited to the BMHSAA Membership Orientation on October 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Lecture Hall at the high school. Officers and members will be on hand to answer your questions. You will learn about BMHSAA activities and our mission of supporting academic and athletic excellence.  This event qualifies for the one meeting requirement to be a member in good standing!!

This Week at BMHS - October 9-15, 2017

Welcoming our Spanish Exchange Students

BMHS will once again welcome our exchange students from Spain. The students arrived on October 6 and will be with their host families until October 25. They will attend classes and visit historic sites around the Commonwealth. Our Spanish Club will be hosting a welcome party for our guests on Tuesday, October 10 after school.

College & Career Readiness Day

This Wednesday, October 11, our sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSATs. The assessment will begin at 7:15 a.m. so it is important that all students arrive on time. Also, a healthy breakfast will benefit them for the day. The PSATs are scheduled to be concluded around 11:50 a.m. at which time the students will be dismissed. Students are not permitted, per the College Board, to be dismissed early from the exam. Early departure from an exam would disqualify the exam and no score would be earned. Our freshmen will be taking iReady assessments on English Language Arts and Mathematics. These computerized assessments provide our teachers additional insight into strengths and areas of concern for our entire freshmen class. This information is used to target and support students' skills in each respective area.

 Billerica Substance Abuse Prevention Committee Presents

The BSAPC will be hosting Kevin Brooks and his Driving to Save Lives Tour on October 18 at the Marshall Middle Auditorium. BMHS will be hosting Mr. Brooks earlier in the day to address these same issues with our juniors and seniors.

Parent Teacher Conferences

This fall's parent teacher conference will be held on October 19 from 6-8 p.m. We have made the decision to move the conference earlier to provide, if necessary, an opportunity for parents to support their child in different ways prior to the end of the term1 marking period. This is a one year trial period to determine if an earlier conference can have an impact on student success in quarter 1. We will once again be using PTC Wizard. Information regarding PTC Wizard will be emailed separately this week. You create a registration at any time, but the conferences will not be live until October 12 at 3:00 p.m.

Community Committment

Junior Corban Walsh of Troop 55 recently completed his Eagle Scout Project at Manning State Forest. If you have ever been exploring the trails and got caught up in a storm you will appreciate Corban's work. https://eagleprojects.boyslife.org/pavilion-at-manning-state-forest/

This Week's Upcoming College Visits

Please see Naviance for the full schedule of college tours and to sign up to attend a college visit at BMHS.  Students must sign up through Naviance to attend.  Click here to access the Naviance website.  You will want to check back often, as we update this list frequently.  If you've forgotten your password to Naviance, please contact your child's guidance counselor or call the Guidance office at 978-528-8760 and we will be happy to assist you. 

10/10  Salem State University
10/12 UMASS Boston
10/12  Franklin Pierce University
10/12  University of Vermont
10/12  Salve Regina University
10/13  Western New England University

Guidance Department:  Important Links For Seniors And Families

• Click here for a copy of the slides from our recent MEFA financial aid presentation. This includes all of the important websites, facts, and points from the program.  
• Click here for additional information from MEFA that you may find helpful.  This includes some key terms and explanations. 
• Click here for FAFSA.GOV
• Click here to create a FSAID
• Click here to apply for CSS Profile. Click here for a list of participating colleges.
• Click here for FAFSA Day info.  Click here for FAFSA Day locations. There will be a FAFSA day at UMASS Lowell and Burlington.
• Click here for Naviance.  Log in, and click on the colleges top tab, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and then click on scholarship list.  Here you will see the list of current scholarships.  Check back often, as these are updated weekly from now until the springtime.  If your child has forgotten his/her password, please let us know and we will assist you.
• Click here for Billerica Dollars For Scholars.  Your student can click here to create a DFS profile at this time, and can complete much of the demographic information, resume/awards information, etc.  You can also complete much of the parent information.  In the winter, there will be a Dollars For Scholars night (date TBA), and you will receive notification via email as always.  The DFS night will discuss the DFS program, how students select the scholarships in DFS that they want to apply to, and how the DFS process works. 
• Click here for Fastweb, a popular scholarship engine. It is one of many out there.

The rule of thumb is this:  Don't ever pay money to get scholarship money.  If there's a fee to apply for a scholarship, chances are that it is a scam.  

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Guidance department.  You can contact your child's guidance counselor directly, or call 978-528-8760.

This Week at BMHS - October 3 - 10, 2017

Challenge Days

We will hosting our first of two Challenge Days on Tuesday, October 3 followed by Wednesday, October 4. Approximately 200 students and 50 staff members will take part in this program. Our goal is to continue to foster a climate of support, compassion, and empathy. We see many examples of this on a regular basis, but our hope is that this program will further reinforce our pillars.

Kicking Childhood Cancer

Mrs. Rivera has promoted Childhood Cancer Awareness at the beginning of each school year. This year she and her students came up with the "Kick" campaign. They asked if I would be willing to be pied if they reached their goal of $500. When it became evident they would reach that goal by Friday, Mr. Bottari, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Lordan, and Mr. Magliozzi agreed to join in the fun if they exceeded $600. The student body responded by raising over $2,700 in less than 5 days.

The Before...

...And After

Bus Evacuation Drill

On Thursday, October 5, we will be conducting our annual bus evacuation drill. When buses arrive on the morning of the 5th, each bus will be met by an administrator and directions will be provided on the proper bus evacuation technique in the event an emergency situation may arise. The students will be required to evacuate the bus from the rear door after taking a seated position. The length of the drill for each bus is less that 5 minutes.

Early Release Day

Friday, October 6 is an early release day for the entire district. Students at the high school will be dismissed at 10:30 a.m. Teachers will be working on professional development until the end of the school day (2:02 p.m. for the high school).

College & Career Readiness Day

On Wednesday, October 11, BMHS will be running our annual College and Career Readiness Day. The sophomore and junior classes will be taking the PSAT assessments and the freshmen will have i-Ready assessments. Our seniors are strongly encouraged to use this day to schedule college visits and experience what colleges are like while they are in session.

This Week's Upcoming College Visits

Please see Naviance for the full schedule of college tours and to sign up to attend a college visit at BMHS.  Students must sign up through Naviance to attend.  Click here to access the Naviance website.  You will want to check back often, as we update this list frequently.  If you've forgotten your password to Naviance, please contact your child's guidance counselor or call the Guidance office at 978-528-8760 and we will be happy to assist you. 

10/2  Stonehill College

10/3  University of Southern Maine

10/4  Eastern Connecticut State Universtiy

10/4  Keene State College

10/5  UMASS Dartmouth

10/5  Pace University

10/6  Westfield State University

10/6  Suffolk University

Guidance Department:  Important Links For Seniors And Families

• Click here for a copy of the slides from our recent MEFA financial aid presentation. This includes all of the important websites, facts, and points from the program.  
• Click here for additional information from MEFA that you may find helpful.  This includes some key terms and explanations. 
• Click here for FAFSA.GOV
• Click here to create a FSAID
• Click here to apply for CSS Profile. Click here for a list of participating colleges.
• Click here for FAFSA Day info.  Click here for FAFSA Day locations. There will be a FAFSA day at UMASS Lowell and Burlington.
• Click here for Naviance.  Log in, and click on the colleges top tab, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and then click on scholarship list.  Here you will see the list of current scholarships.  Check back often, as these are updated weekly from now until the springtime.  If your child has forgotten his/her password, please let us know and we will assist you.
• Click here for Billerica Dollars For Scholars.  Your student can click here to create a DFS profile at this time, and can complete much of the demographic information, resume/awards information, etc.  You can also complete much of the parent information.  In the winter, there will be a Dollars For Scholars night (date TBA), and you will receive notification via email as always.  The DFS night will discuss the DFS program, how students select the scholarships in DFS that they want to apply to, and how the DFS process works. 
• Click here for Fastweb, a popular scholarship engine. It is one of many out there.

The rule of thumb is this:  Don't ever pay money to get scholarship money.  If there's a fee to apply for a scholarship, chances are that it is a scam.  

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Guidance department.  You can contact your child's guidance counselor directly, or call 978-528-8760.

  Billerica Substance Abuse Prevention Committee Presents

The BSAPC will be hosting Kevin Brooks and his Driving to Save Lives Tour on October 18 at the Marshall Middle Auditorium. BMHS will be hosting Mr. Brooks earlier in the day to address these same issues with our juniors and seniors.

Parent Teacher Conferences

This fall's parent teacher conference will be held on October 19 from 6-8 p.m. We have made the decision to move the conference earlier to provide, if necessary, an opportunity for parents to support their child in different ways prior to the end of the term1 marking period. This is a one year trial period to determine if an earlier conference can have an impact on student success in quarter 1.

Billerica Blast Committee

Thank you to everyone for coming out to Comedy Night and supporting the Class of 2018's post Graduation celebration.

Burritos for BMHSAA

Visit the 199 Boston Road Chipotle Mexican Grill on October 4, from 4 - 8 p.m. Please show this flyer, or tell the cashier you are supporting the BMHSAA and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to support athletics at BMHS.

This Week at BMHS September 26 - October 2, 2017

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

 September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and in honor, we are declaring this week "Fill the GOLD boot and Kick Childhood Cancer Week".  All week, there will be four GOLD Boots on the stage in the cafe.  One for each class: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors.  We are asking that each class fill their boot with spare change, ones, fives, tens, etc... Friday during C Lunch, the officers of the class that has filled their GOLD boot with the most money will get to pie the officers of the class that has filled their GOLD boot with the least money in the faces.  If all of the classes raise a minimum of $500 together, the winning class officers will get to pie Mr. Murphy in the face!  The money will then be donated to the Jimmy Fund to support Childhood Cancer Research.  So, please join in and help fill your Advisory's GOLD boot all week and Kick Childhood Cancer!

Special thanks to the following students for "kicking" off this year's campaign:

Sarah Smith

Adina Marshall

Alyssa Moore

Jillian Carbone

Malerie Glasser

Victoria West

Shannon McCormack

Sreyas Yennampelli

Ashwin Chitoor

Jacquie Holden

Jenna Hill

Aiden Cliff

Dylan Walker

Brandon Mahoney

Jess Panaligan

School Building Tours 1977 and 1978

We will be welcoming home the Class of 1977 and 1978 this Saturday, September 30 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Aside from touring the building and reminiscing about their favorite moments, we will also be hosting a beam signing for the new building. The beam will be located at the entrance to the Shawmut Field Office (behind the building on 35 River Street). The beam(s) will be available until noon time on Saturday. There will also be another opportunity at the "topping off" ceremony near Thanksgiving.

BlackOut Bullying

This Wednesday, September 27 marks the district's annual BlackOut Bullying Day. The high school will be addressing these concerns in a few ways. We will be ....  On October 3rd and 4th we will be hosting our first ever Challenge Days. Challenge Day uses highly interactive and energetic activities, our programs provide teens and adults with tools to break down the walls of separation and isolation and replace them with compassion. We inspire people to live, study, and work in an environment of acceptance, love, and respect. The program will directly impact 200 members of the sophomore class and 50 adults in our building. Our hope is that this program will become an annual event for the sophomores in our building eventually impacting everyone. Continuing on the theme of inclusiveness...

United Sound & Unified Basketball

United Sound will be kicking off their second year under the direction of Dr. Carolyn Cardella. The United Sound is a school-based instrumental music club for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their typical peers. Dedicated to promoting social involvement through shared ensemble performance experience, United Sound joins students with and without disabilities to learn and perform in the band or orchestra together.

Unified Basketball

BMHS will be launching our first Unified Basketball team this fall. The first meeting for students taking part in this program is Wednesday, September 27 at 2:15 p.m. in the Ed James Gym. The meeting will last approximately 30 minutes and will outline the season and expectations for everyone involved.

The Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.

In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.

Welcoming our new Assistant Superintendent

On Friday, September 29, our new Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Jill Geiser will be spending the day at BMHS, conversing with staff and students about high school life.

Bus Evacuation Drill

On Thursday, October 5, we will be conducting our annual bus evacuation drill. When buses arrive on the morning of the 5th, each bus will be met by an administrator and directions will be provided on the proper bus evacuation technique in the event an emergency situation may arise. The students will be required to evacuate the bus from the rear door after taking a seated position. The length of the drill for each bus is less that 5 minutes.

Early Release Day

Friday, October 6 is an early release day for the entire district. Students at the high school will be dismissed at 10:30 a.m. Teachers will be working on professional development until the end of the school day (2:02 p.m. for the high school).

College & Career Readiness Day

On Wednesday, October 11, BMHS will be running our annual College and Career Readiness Day. The sophomore and junior classes will be taking the PSAT assessments, the freshmen will have i-Ready assessments and a presentation about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Our seniors are strongly encouraged to use this day to schedule college visits and experience what colleges are like while they are in session.

Billerica Blast Comedy Night

Don't forget the Comedy Show this Friday, September 29 at the Billerica Elks. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Class of 2018's Billerica Blast.

Building Committee Meeting

The next High School Building Committee will take place on Tuesday, September 26 at 6:00 p.m. in the Shawmut Field Office at the high school.

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