Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.  Couple words said every year at this time as casually as “How are you?” and “Good morning”.   Some of our neighbors and friends have no trouble identifying both tangible and intangible rewards in their lives that make them appreciative.  Things like a happy and safe family, the birth of a new child, a promotion at work, a warm house, or a shiny car.  However, there are those among us who struggle more to find such largess in their own lives and deal with circumstances less able to draw from them the gratitude that success and comfort bring. 

Regardless of which category one might fall, I like to think that we can all find some place in our lives where at least the opportunity for thankfulness resides.  Perhaps it is not the complete success or windfall where we cannot help but accept our good fortune, but instead it is found among those smaller incidents in life that augur upswing or a chance for improvement.  A job interview you didn’t think you would get, a chance meeting with an old friend, a better diagnosis than the one we were imagining, a subtle  but growing confidence in our abilities, or even a yellow-light as we are rush somewhere late.  Those opportunities for a positive moment, sometimes in the face of difficult times, hopefully can lead to some small triumph on which we can build.  If I look at my life as a whole, I have been given much.  At our school, we are fortunate to have a wonderful staff of teachers working with a group of motivated young men and women who represent this community with pride.  However, at some point, all of us confront the defeats and tribulations that life apportions frequently and dispassionately.  It is in those moments that I hope we all find the strength to seek the seemingly inconsequential gifts  that remind us of our potential happiness and contentment.  To give thanks for only the “opportunity” of our success is to recognize the inherent difficulties of our lives while refusing not to acknowledge that we have been given the chance to pursue our happiness each and every day.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Congrats Dance Team!

Congratulations to the Varsity Dance Team as they were crowned MSSAA 2013 Fall State Dance Champions last night in Hingham!


It was a great performance and an entire team effort. 

Report Cards

Good afternoon BHS parents,

We are writing to make you aware that all students received Term 1 report cards in homeroom this afternoon. Please make sure to look these over with your child this evening.  A reminder that Term 2 has now begun, and teachers will continue to make grades available via the Aspen X2 grading portal, which can be accessed at the following web address: https://ma-braintree.myfollett.com/.

Term 2 progress grades will be posted and up to date no later than December 9th.  

Financial Aid Night

This is a reminder to senior parents that the Guidance Department will be hosting our annual Financial Aid Night on Thursday November 14^th at 7:00 PM, in the auditorium.  Parents of students who will be applying for financial aid are strongly encouraged to attend.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me before Thursday.

Thank you,

Anthony Garofalo

Director of Guidance

Braintree Public Schools

(781)848-4000, Ext. 2277

Parent Teacher Conferences

Our parent-teacher conference sign up is now available on our website at http://www.gpvillage.com/bhs/home. Through this link, you can select a conference time with individual teachers on either Nov. 21^st @ 6:30-9:00pm or Nov. 25^th @ 4:00-6:30pm.

As always, you can access your child's current performance in individual classes through the Aspen portal. Grades close this Thursday and report cards will be issued shortly afterwards.  Conferences this year are not being done by alphabet, and parents are free to sign up for the date which works better for their schedules.

Thank you,
Jim Lee
Headmaster

Flu Vaccine

Dear Parents/Guardians,

The Nursing Department in collaboration with the Braintree Board of Health will again be offering free Seasonal Influenza (Flu) vaccination to students in grades 6-12.  The High School Seasonal Influenza Vaccination clinic will be held during school on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Only students with written parental permission will be allowed to receive the vaccine.  If you are interested in having your child participate in the School Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program, please complete the consent form and have your child return it their homeroom teacher by Friday, October 18, 2013.   If you have any questions please contact Rosemary Donoghue RN or Frances Barron RN at 781-848-4000 x 2256 or 2286.

The consent form and vaccine information sheet will be available in the school nursing office and on the Braintree High School website if you experience any difficulty while downloading the forms-  http://www.gpvillage.com/bhs  

 

Sincerely,

Paula Dowd RN, BSN, M.Ed.

Coordinator of School Nursing Services

Braintree Public Schools

128 Town Street

PTO Post

Parents and Guardians,
The annual PTO Yankee Candle Fundraiser is now in progress. If you are
interested in placing an order and have not received an order form, they
sent home with students, there are order forms at BHS or you can let me
know and I will see that you get one. The sale. ends 10/15

Thank you to all who sent in Membership donations and Stop and Shop
card #'s. We are still collecting both if you haven't sent them in.
To date we received 140 memberships and 75 Stop and Shop card #'s.

The Stop and Shop A+ program starts today. Stop and Shop, starting today
keeps track of total purchases on the registered card #'s. At the end of the
program we get a check based on the number of registered card and total
spent.
Card # can be registered any time at www.stopandshop.com/aplus
or dial 1-877-275-2758. If you prefer you can send me your #.
Thank you,
Jean McDonald

Progress Reports

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As you are aware, paper progress reports will no longer be distributed at the midway point of each marking term.  Instead, current term averages will be available through the Aspen X2 grading portal. Teachers will provide an updated average on the portal beginning Monday, October 7 through Friday, October 11.  Please select your student’s individual classes to view updated grades for each class. You may access the portal through the BHS GP Village website (http://www.gpvillage.com/bhs) or by visiting the Aspen  X2 grading portal link: https://ma-braintree.myfollett.com.  The GP Village website also has general instructions available for accessing the grading portal.

Should you have questions regarding the Aspen X2 grading portal, please e-mail bhsaspen@braintreema.govwith a brief description of your problem or your question. Should you have questions regarding your child’s grade, please e-mail the appropriate classroom teacher.  If you would like to receive a hard copy progress report, please contact your child’s house office. 

We look forward to continuing our work with you and to promoting further academic progress at BHS.

....and so it begins

On Wednesday, September 4^th, the class of 2017 will arrive at BHS to participate in freshmen orientation.  When the remaining students join them on Thursday, September 5^th, BHS will collectively begin the 2013-2014 school year.  We trust that families have had an enjoyable summer vacation and, like us, are looking forward to the excitement and challenges that wait at school.  Over the summer, BHS has welcomed a number of new staff members, and added a couple of new teaching positions due to the largesse of the town and the school committee.  We particularly thank Mayor Joseph Sullivan for the ongoing commitment and resources that he has helped secure for the education of Braintree’s students.

In terms of staffing, this year we will be joined by alumnus Stephanie O’Brien, who will teach biology in the science department.  Melissa Heller will join our foreign language team and Steve Trocki will teach in our special education program.  Courtney Wheeler from the middle school will find herself in front of much larger English pupils as she joins our staff, as will Bryan Graveling, who will teach in physical education.  Kristen Owens and Matthew Babbitt will serve in long-term substitute positions in physical education and math respectively.  We have also had some internal moves which will see Heather Tomassian working with our pre-school, Megan Peterson teaching health, and Laura Lebo transitioning into our special education department.  Finally, Lisa Murphy will be returning to the school to continue her work with the English department.  We continue to work on filling some last-minute vacancies, but feel confident we will have everyone in place for the start of the new year.

Parents will again be able to follow their child’s academic progress through the use of the parent portal, and information will be coming home to families early this year explaining how to access your child’s account.   Progress reports this year will be done through the portal, and we will be communicating with parents further as to this process.   The school’s handbook is also available through our school website at http://www.gpvillage.com/bhs/home, as we modernize our communication systems and save countless trees.  Parents without adequate access can receive a hard-copy of the handbook through their house office.   We will also be starting the New England Association of Schools & Colleges accreditation process, which will involve a survey done by Endicott College of all BHS families, focused on your experiences with Braintree High School.  The fall will also see improvements being made to our gymnasium, as new bleachers are to be installed in time for the winter sports season.

We begin the new year with excitement and promise.  As the evenings grow noticeably brisker and the sun sets inexorably earlier, the call of the school year is unmistakable.  Welcome back to BHS to all of our families.  Enjoy the long weekend before you.

Food Services Tuesday 6/25

Food Services  will  not  provide meals on Tuesday 6/25.  Although this should not be an issue at BHS, please plan accordingly.

Locker Clean Out

This summer, a number of student lockers will be added and replaced at BHS.  As a result, some students may have a different locker assignment next school year.  In order to prepare for this, all lockers will be cleaned out over the summer and any items left behind will be thrown away.  In an effort to ensure that lockers are emptied and that students take their belongings, we will hold a locker clean out at 1:45PM on Thursday, June 20^th.  All students will be required to empty everything out of their lockers at that time.

Final Exam Information

1.      All students must be on time for all final exams.  Students arriving late will not be allowed to take an examination unless they show good cause.  They must report to their house office and see their housemaster.

2.      Students are to report directly to their exams each day.  Regardless of grade in the course, all students are required to take final exams.

3.     Early dismissals will not be honored.

4.      Students who are absent on the day of an exam must have a parent/guardian call their house office before 9:00 on that day.  In addition, any student who misses an exam because he/she was absent due to illness must bring a note from his/her parent explaining the reason for the absence.  That note must be approved and initialed by the student’s respective housemaster before he/she is permitted to take the make-up exam.  Make up exams will be administered on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 in the Media Center at 9:30 & 11:45 a.m., and on Wednesday, June 26 at 7:45 & 11:00 a.m. in the Media Center.

Final Exam Schedule

Friday, June 21
9:30-11:00 AM - Science
11:45-1:15 PM - English

Monday, June 24
9:30-11:00 AM - Social Studies
11:45-1:15 PM - Foreign Language

Tuesday, June 25
7:45- 9:15 AM - Mathematics
9:30-11:10 & 11:45-1:15 - Make up

Wednesday, June 26
7:45-11:00 AM - Make up

BUS TIMES 

Friday – bus students should be at their bus stops by 8:45 AM, return buses will

leave BHS at 1:25 PM.

Monday - bus students should be at their bus stops by 8:45 AM, return buses will

leave BHS at 11:10 AM (for those who do not take a For. Language exam) and

1:25 PM.

Tuesday - bus students should be at their bus stops by 7:00 AM, return buses will

leave BHS at 9:25 AM and 11:10 AM.  Students staying for the 11:45 AM make-up exam must provide their own transportation home.

Baseball Postponed

Monday night’s Braintree/Bridgewater-Raynham Division 1 South Sectional Quarterfinal Baseball Game has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The game will be rescheduled for Tuesday evening at 6 pm, at Braintree High School.

Admission will be charged - $ 5.00 for adults and $ 3.00 for students/sr. citizens.

Helicoptor Notice

From:    David A. Lawson, Director,

               Norfolk County Mosquito Control District

Date:  April 2, 2013

Re:     Notice of Aerial Larval Control Application

In accordance with 333 CMR 13.04 (7) (a & b), please consider this as notification of the pending aerial application targeting mosquito larvae in the wetlands in the District.

The Norfolk County Mosquito Control District will be conducting helicopter applications of the biorational larvicide Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) to control mosquito larvae.  These applications will be conducted over specific large wetlands in the Towns of:

Avon/Bellingham/Braintree/Canton/Dedham/Dover/Foxboro/Franklin/HolbrookMedfield/Medway/Millis/Milton/Needham/Norfolk/Norwood/Plainville/Quincy Randolph/Sharon/Stoughton/Walpole/Westwood/Weymouth/Wrentham.

These applications will be conducted for 2 to 3 days, anytime between April16, 2013 through April 26, 2013.  If the application cannot be completed by then, the application will continue beyond these dates. As always, the weather in the spring is unpredictable. For this reason the District cannot pin down these dates with any more accuracy. If there is a need to change these dates due to inclement weather, the District will attempt via fax or phone call to inform you of these changes.

The trade name of the granular formulations of Bti to be used is VectoBac G (EPA Reg. #73049-10). For further information contact David A. Lawson, Director at (781) 762-3681 or the Boards of Health in the towns listed above. Information is also available on line at www:  norfolkcountymosquito.org

Respectfully submitted

Be a Parent, not a Pal April 24th 7PM

Be a Parent, not a Pal April 24, 2013 7:00 P.M. BHS Auditorium Is your child’s happiness or popularity worth an $8,000,000 party? Learn more about The Social Host Law Guest Speaker Attorney Jay Campbell Attendees will automatically be put into a drawing for the following prizes: 1st Prize: $50 Visa Gift Card 2nd Prize: $30 Visa Gift Card 3rd Prize: $20 Visa Gift Card Sponsored by: Braintree Alliance for Safe and Health Youth

Cradles to Crayons

CRADLES TO CRAYONS

Partnership with Braintree Public Schools

Please join us in making a difference in the lives of thousands of children with the donation of clothing items for children (infants to age 12)

Donation Guidelines:

Clothing

 ·         Bottoms, tops, outerwear, pajamas, accessories

·         Children’s sizes 0-20 and adult clothing S,M,L (that is appropriate for children)

·         Socks and underwear must be new

Shoes

·         Sneakers, sandals and boots

·         Please attach matched pairs with rubber bands

DROP OFF SITES

South Middle School

April 1 to April 10 2013

7:30 to 3:30

Elementary Schools and East Middle School

ONE DAY ONLY

Tuesday, April 9 8:30 to 3:00

THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL DONATION

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Braintree High School is pleased to provide you with a link to our annual district and school “report cards” - http://www.braintreeschools.org/reportcards/index.htm.

If you prefer, hard copy is available upon request by contacting our main office.   

These documents include information about student enrollment and teacher qualifications, student achievement, accountability, student performance, and the progress our schools are making toward narrowing proficiency gaps for different groups of students.

I’m sure that you will agree that we have a great deal to be proud of in  Braintree.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 781-848-4000.

April is Autism Awareness Month!

April 2nd Autism Awareness Day

Let’s Light It Up Blue….

  

        The entire month of April is Autism Awareness Month, but on April 2nd, Autism Awareness Day, we are asking the Braintree community to show their support in wearing blue in order to raise awareness.

   Autism is a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in                               varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and

repetitive behaviors.

With many children in Braintree diagnosed with Autism, this awareness is to help

our community understand the difficulties these children deal with daily.

The goal is inclusion, acceptance, compassion, understanding and respect!

Let’s show our support…….

Wear BLUE on Tuesday April 2^nd and united we can put the pieces together!

Red Cross Fundraiser!

  The Braintree High School Red Cross Club is sponsoring a Five Guys restaurant fundraiser at:

FIVE GUYS

BURGERS and FRIES

Come Join Them

Thursday, March 14, 2013

10% of the proceeds will be donated towards humanitarian causes supported by the Braintree High School Red Cross Club!!

5:00-10:00PM

Five Guys Restaurant

37 Forbes Avenue

Braintree, MA 02184

Lady Wamps

Congratulations to all our winter sports teams and the very successful seasons they have all enjoyed.  The girls' basketball team is still flourishing in the MIAA tournament and is set to play Central Catholic tonight at the TD Garden at 7:45.  If you plan to attend this evening’s MIAA Division 1 State Semi-Final Girls Basketball Game, the tickets prices are as follows:

$ 10.95 if you purchase on-line, in advance – www.miaa.net
$ 15.00 at the door

Go Wamps!

300 for Basketball Coach

With the boys' basketball's win last last, another milestone was reached, as coach, Bob Crook, recorded his 300th Career Victory as the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Braintree High School. Coach Crook has become the winningest all-time coach in BHS Boys Basketball History.  Congratulations Coach Crook!

Sunset Lake

Dear Parents,

We have received word that some of our students may be walking across Sunset Lake on their way home from school. Please understand that the Braintree Police Department does not consider the lake to be safe for this activity and students should not be using the lake as a travel route. We ask that you speak to your son/daughter about the inherent dangers of this practice. We will make similar announcements to students during this week.

Thank you,
Jim Lee
Headmaster
BHS

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Great news about five of our seniors!


Every year, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate the best and brightest of high school talent. This year, Scholastic honored five Braintree seniors for their excellence in the Personal Essay category. The essays are:
 “My Food Family” – Gold Key [moving onto national]
“Spilled Popcorn” – Gold Key [moving onto national]
 “Lehanmore Leprechaun” - Gold Key [moving onto national]
“The Man with the Sparkle” – Silver Key
 “Wayside” – Honorable Mention

We couldn’t be prouder of these students who represented Braintree so well in this prestigious competition; their success is a testament to their hard work and the years of exemplary education they’ve received. All five students are presently in Robert Marx’s AP English Language class. Several of them had Alex Jefferies (AP Literature, Grade 11) and Emily Rodd (Adv. Hon. English 10) earlier in their careers.

NAEP testing coming to BHS

On February 13, 2013, selected students from Braintree High School will be participating in the NAEP exam.  If your child was selected to participate, you have received a letter from the school with specific information related to the testing.  All other parents should simply be aware of Braintree's participation in this assessment and how our students will help the President, Congress, and educators make informed decisions about how to improve our educational system.

What is NAEP?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress,
or NAEP, is often called the gold standard of tests
and has been around since 1969. It’s called The
Nation’s Report Card because it tells us how
students across the country are doing. It is
different than any of the other tests your child
takes in school – including state assessments and
even the SAT and ACT – because it represents all
high school students in the United States, not just
those here in [state] or those who plan to go on to
college. As the largest national test, the results are
found in the headlines of nationalAccess the NAEP Parent Brochure at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012469

What does my child have to do?
If your child is selected to participate in the
assessment, he or she will need to be out of class
for about 90 minutes. The results are anonymous
and your child’s grades won’t be affected. We
encourage students to get a good amount of sleep
the night before and to eat breakfast that
morning. Please encourage your child to do his/
her best.

BRAINTREE HIGH SCHOOL
2013 MID-YEAR EXAM INFORMATION SHEET

SCHEDULE
Date                                   9:30 – 11:00 AM         11:45 – 1:15 PM
Wednesday, January 23     English                  Social Studies
Thursday, January 24         Mathematics         Foreign Language
Friday, January 25              Science                Make-up Exams


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BUS TIMES Bus students should be at their bus stops by 8:45 AM. Return buses will leave BHS at 1:25 PM on Wednesday, January 23. On Thursday, January 24 and Friday, January 25 buses will leave BHS at 11:15 AM and1:25pm. There will be no late bus during Mid-Year exams.
ATTENDANCE Students who are absent or arrive late will not be allowed to make-up/take an examination unless they show good cause in writing from a parent. Written approval for such a make-up must come from the student’s Housemaster. Students who are absent on the day of an exam must have a parent/guardian call their House Office before 9:00 AM on that day. Students who finish their exams early must remain in the exam location until the period ends.
EXAM LOCATIONS Will be posted throughout the school by Thursday, January 17, 2013.


MAKE-UP EXAMS Friday, January 25 – 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM in the Media Center

Monday, January 28 – 1:15 PM – 2:45 PM in the Media Center

Tuesday, January 29 – 1:15 PM – 2:45 PM in the Media Center
A late bus will be available on Monday and Tuesday at 3:20 PM


WEATHER If school is cancelled due to inclement weather on an exam day, the exams will be given on the day school resumes.
FOOD SERVICES Breakfast will be available Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Lunch will be available Wednesday and Thursday only

Mid-year exams are important in grading – 10% of grade in year courses, 20% in semester courses.