Happy Holidays

Dear Parents and Students,


As the calendar turns to its final page, we enter the season of giving…and, of course, receiving. Too often, it seems, we focus on the latter piece and spend inordinate time contemplating our own perceived value of gifts that come to us during the holiday season. Economist Thorstein Veblen coined the phrase “conspicuous consumption” to describe the spending habits of a population driven to show others their success through extravagant, often meaningless, purchases and possessions. This time of year always reminds me of Veblen’s perspective and how Madison Avenue marketers would seek to convince us that tidings of comfort and joy come directly through a 50” plasma TV. I try, albeit with mixed results, to focus on the true gifts of the season and what they add to our lives. Gifts such as the family and close friends on whom we can rely for support and affection. Gifts such as good health, job security, and financial stability. Gifts such as a warm home, a full refrigerator, and a life that enriches our existence.

These are large gifts, things that, I think, we can all recognize and appreciate. However, we receive smaller gifts throughout the course of our day which are tremendously important and enrich our experience. For our school this year, there have been several gifts provided to us by our students and staff. Our Theater Guild’s wonderful performance of “Anything Goes”, the success of our fall sports squads and the incredible individual performances we witnessed, the generosity of our staff and students in their Adopt a Family holiday initiative, and in the tremendous musical performances this week by our vocal and instrumental groups. As a school, we have been very blessed with these presents and so many more. As the year progresses, we will be proffered many other enhancements to our daily lives that are ripe with meaning, significance, and depth. These gifts Madison Avenue would dismiss, but we will know make our lives enjoyable. May you and your family receive all the gifts you deserve this holiday season.

Happy Holidays,
Jim Lee

Supt. Letter in Response to CT

December 16, 2012
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are all shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic and heart wrenching incident in Newtown, CT. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and all who have any association with Sandy Hook Elementary School. The school committee and administration continue to work closely with the mayor and police department to keep our students safe, both at school and in the community. We will begin the day on Monday with a moment of silence in all schools and will reassure students that they are safe. You can help your child by reinforcing this message at home.

Our principals, in conjunction with staff, have plans in place to address what happened in Newtown with students in an age appropriate manner and to provide counseling and whatever other support that may be needed. In addition, we will have increased police visibility at our schools beginning on Monday and continuing throughout the school year. The important message that we are sending is that our schools remain safe places for your children, with a heightened awareness and vigilance towards maintaining a safe environment for students and adults in our buildings.

If you have concerns about your child or questions about how to address issues with your child, please call your child’s principal, or guidance counselor. In addition,the following link to the National Association of School Psychologists website, offersresources to help you have conversations with your child. http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence.pdf
At the end of the day tomorrow you will receive an update from your principal as to
what occurred at school.

As always, thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Peter A. Kurzberg
Superintendent of Schools

Yearbook Information

Dear Parents of Seniors at BHS:

The final day to submit yearbook orders is this Friday, December 14th. The price is $95. Yearbooks would make an excellent idea for a graduation gift from a grandparent or other relatives. You can order by credit card on the publisher’s website directly (www.jostens.com), or send a check made out to “Braintree Activities Fund” with the name, address, and homeroom of your son or daughter. Place the check in an envelope addressed to the Yearbook Box in house 1. Yearbooks should be pre-ordered now in order to receive them in May. Only a few extra yearbooks are ordered by the yearbook staff. Personal Ads are also due for submission at this time. Order forms are available on the yearbook page of our school website.

Thank you.

Marsha Roos
Business Advisor
Wampatuck Yearbook
781-848-4000 x2274

Parent Grading Portal

Earlier this year, BHS teachers began making classroom grades viewable to students on the X2 Aspen Student Grading Portal. During a one-week period in late September, students were taken to computer labs to open these accounts. They were encouraged to share this information with their parents, and we hope they did so. At this time, we are ready to open the X2 Aspen Family Grading Portal. This will allow you online access to grades, attendance, and contact information for any of your children at BHS. We hope you will make use of this opportunity to stay up to date on your child’s academic progress. We also encourage you to speak with your child about this, as “partnership” is an important component of BHS PRIDE.

This year, use of the X2 Aspen Grading Portal is still a pilot program. The initial expectation for teachers is that they will post grades and publish assignments to the portal at a minimum of two times each term—on the dates progress reports and report cards are distributed. However, we hope some teachers will post grades more frequently and before these dates. Please be aware that teachers will still need ample time to grade student assignments.

A letter with detailed directions and user names to activate accounts will be mailed out on either November 26th (parents with last names A-K) or December 3rd (parents with last names L-Z).

Thank you for your patience as we work to enhance communication about your children’s academic progress here at BHS. If you have any questions about grades in individual classes, as always please encourage your child to speak with their classroom teacher. If you have any questions about the X2 Aspen Portal in general, please contact your child’s guidance counselor or housemaster

Happy Thanksgiving

Braintree High School would like to wish all the students and their families a Happy Thanksgiving. In, what has been, an exciting autumn season, it is important to pause long enough to recognize all the wonderful things for which we should be thankful. BHS is thankful for the accomplishments of our students this fall, from the successes of our sports teams to the “Anything Goes” extravaganza by the Theater Guild. The school community is thankful for having known Tony King, and for all of his wonderful contributions to the children of Braintree. We are thankful for the quality of young men and women who attend our school, and for the dedicated staff of educators who work to with them daily. Of course, there is so much more to consider as we account for those things that enrich our existence. For each of us, the gifts are different and their value to us inherent in our thoughts and feelings. May you and your family find the time over our brief four-day respite to consider your bounty and to cherish it as an elixir for the more difficult times we all confront.

Dance Team

Congratulations to the BHS Varsity Dance Team.

The Girls were crowned MSSAA State Champions yesterday at the MSSAA State Dance Championship held in Shrewsbury.

Way To Go Girls.

PTO Holiday Drive

The BHS PTO is sponsoring a Holiday Drive to collect items that would be helpful to our teachers and their students. There will be a box outside of House 1 for all donations. Most requested items are kleenex, paper towels, white board markers, and post it notes. If you prefer to send in a monetary donation all funds collected will be used to purchase items for teachers. The deadline for donations is Friday, November 30th

Thank you in advance for your support

Food Drive

On Thursday, Nov.15th the School To Work students will be collecting canned gravy, boxed stuffing, instant potatoes and large cans of soup for the Braintree Holiday Friends Food Pantry. Each year, our students fill over 200 bags with groceries to help Braintree residents who are in need during the holiday season. Please consider bringing a donation during Parent-Teacher conferences. We will have our table available in the front foyer of BHS. Please help the Braintree food pantry to provide Thanksgiving dinner for all those in need. Thank you for your generosity!

November Message

Well, with no less force and intensity than Hurricane Sandy, BHS engaged in a tremendous display of PRIDE and enthusiasm during Spirit Week. As a newcomer, it was amazing to see the level of participation and genuine excitement around the various activities and themes that our Student Council had put together for the week. From the invasion of a Viking hoard on the first day to the approximately 1,000 students dancing late into Saturday evening, each day witnessed our young men and women celebrating BHS and one another. Most impressive was the ability of our student body to participate in the various spirited activities without losing track of the classroom, their studies, and our expectations. Having experienced Spirit Weeks in other communities, I can say that I have never seen a week of such unbridled passion and attachment to all things Braintree and BHS. We thank the many students and faculty members who made it possible.

A simple reminder that next week will begin the Theater Guild's run of "Anything Goes". As cast and crew have prepared for the past eight weeks, we would love to see a full house for each evening's performance. Let's face it, you don't get to see tap dancing just anywhere, but you can at BHS. If the performing arts don't grab your interest like a solid standardized test might, recall that on November 3rd, the SAT exam will be given at BHS for all students that registered. BHS students are encouraged to prepare for the exam by getting a good night's sleep and a decent breakfast.

Finally, one final reminder for parents and students that there will be no school on Election Day, November 6, 2012. Although teachers will report to school for a full-day of professional development, students will not have school throughout the district. At BHS, there have been wonderful experiences for students to learn more about the issues and the candidates in this year's election. We encourage all families to continue the conversation at home about the values and experiences your household wishes to see in our new crop of leaders, and to learn more about your child's thoughts and opinions on this crucial civic exercise.

We hope everyone made it through Sandy safely.

Welcome to Braintree High School and the home of the Wamps! This blog is intended to keep parents and community members informed about the exciting accomplishments of the students and staff at our school. We encourage you to subscribe to the blog so that you will be updated with timely information and news surrounding Wamp Nation.