Important Dates |
- 11/ 8 -11/12 School ID Pictures
- 11/11 No School - Veterans Day
- 11/24 Noon Dismissal
- 11/25 & 26 Thanksgiving Break
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Dear Brookline High School Parents, Guardians, and Caretakers,
Today is the district’s Professional Development Day. Please look for a BlackBoard message from me later this afternoon with more information about the work we are doing as a BHS faculty, staff, and administration as part of our PD Day. I also will be sharing an update via BlackBoard on fall athletics and the registration for the winter season.
This week I have three important pieces to share: an event from our Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), a plug for our annual Shakespeare play, and an opportunity for parents of sophomores to learn about a unique alternative program.
SEPAC Event:
Next week our BHS SEPAC liaisons offer an important forum for parents and guardians, and I recommend you attend. On Tuesday 11/9 morning, you can join BHS special educators, specialists, social workers, counselors, team facilitators and your SEPAC liaisons for virtual coffee and conversation.
As you likely know or sense, we are fortunate to have a tremendous amount of support available for students within both general and special education. Hearing directly from BHS support staff and special educators can help you better understand our systems and structures. You also will meet some wonderful people, and that is always a good thing. Thank you, SEPAC leaders, for organizing this event. Here’s the link:
Topic: BHS Coffee and Conversation
Time: Nov 9, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84335694120?pwd=SUQ0UmY5VHM0cS9IY2d0cEFCV042dz09
Meeting ID: 843 3569 4120
Passcode: 557329
BHS Drama Society’s Macbeth: Wednesday 11/3-Saturday 11/6
Every fall, I meet with our resident Shakespeare expert, Mary Mastandrea. We discuss the BHS Drama Society’s production, and I hear what the cast and crew are crafting. This year, they take on an adaptation of Macbeth. Mary wrote the following about their upcoming production of The Underground Macbeth.
“When Ben Jonson wrote of Shakespeare, ‘He was not of an age but for all time!’ he couldn't have imagined just how malleable his good friend's plays would prove to be. This year's fall Shakespeare show takes its inspiration from Tom Stoppard's play, Cahoot's Macbeth, which takes its inspiration from the Czech censorship of the arts in the late 1970's. Our own country's raucous political events of the past several years, including the insurrection last Jan 6th, lead us to consider how Macbeth could be re-imagined and performed, with a wildly satirical twist. How and why does Macbeth become a tyrant? What role do the 'witches' play as media harbingers? Will government forces lead to censorship of the arts? Come see our production of The Underground Macbeth in the Roberts/Dubbs Auditorium to find out! BHS staff get in free."
Wednesday, Nov 3, 3:30pm
Thursday, Nov 4, 7:30pm
Friday, Nov 5, 7:30pm [with a post show Talk Back with the cast and crew]
Saturday, Nov 6, 7:30pm
Alzar School Information Session: Thursday 11/4 6:30pm
I want to acknowledge that this next piece is more from me as a parent than it is a BHS item. Last year, my own junior spent a semester in Idaho to participate in the Alzar School, an Idaho-based expeditionary and leadership program. Alzar students continue their BHS course content though taught by Alzar teachers. They live in yurts and also go on rafting, backpacking, skiing and other outdoor adventures. In non-COVID times, the program is based in Chile for six weeks and the rest of the time is in Cascade, Idaho - a beautiful little town two hours north of Boise.
My daughter spent sophomore year exploring options like and including Alzar: High Mountain Institute (HMI), Island School, Mountain School, Chewonki, and more. This Thursday 11/4, two BHS parents, Amy and Evan Lieberman, are co-hosting an informational event about Alzar. It features a couple of BHS students talking about their experiences last year as well as students from other area schools who spent a semester at Alzar. Here is a link to the Thursday event if you are interested and available: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alzar-school-evening-function-brookline-ma-tickets-197864898237
I hope a couple of 'four-day' weeks in a row have slow things down in your homes a bit. It is an intense school year, and catching a break or two can be huge in terms of energy, mood, and restfulness.
Take care,
Anthony
Anthony Meyer
Head of School
Brookline High School
Pronouns: He/Him/His
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BHS PTO ANNUAL APPEAL
The PTO annual appeal is underway. PTO relies on donations from families like yours to fund our support of programming, resources, and teacher grants with direct impact on the learning and experiences of BHS students. If you've already donated this year, thank you. If not, please take a minute to donate now at this link or by sending a check to BHS PTO, 115 Greenough Street, 02445.
CLASS OF '23 and '25 PARENT REPS NEEDED FOR PTO
The BHS PTO is seeking an additional class representative for the Class of '23 and '25. Class reps sit on the PTO executive board and serve through the graduation of the class. Each class has three reps, so duties are shared and collaborative. If you are interested in being considered or want more information, please email copresidents.bhs.pto@gmail.com with the grades and schools of your children.
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SAGAMORE SEEKS PARENT & CAREGIVER INPUT
The Sagamore, Brookline High's independent student-run newspaper, is seeking parents to interview for an article on the parent perspective on the transition back to in-person learning. If you are willing to be interviewed, please complete this form and a reporter from the Sagamore will contact you.
SCHOOL ID PICTURES - Next week
9th grade at OLS on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 8 and 9.
Grades 10-12 at 115 Greenough on Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 10 and 12.
Every student is required to get a photo taken--these photos are used for school IDs. Students will be taken for photos during class by their teachers. Families have the option to purchase school photos, if they like. To order school photos, go to this link before the picture date. You will need the Brookline High Picture Day ID: EVT4QMQZG
Again, ordering photos is optional, but having a photo taken is required. Orders placed online will be shipped directly to the student's home.
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MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE
B-PEN continues to hear that Brookline families are concerned about mental health these days, especially regarding our youth. In fact, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) have come together to declare a National State of Emergency in Children’s Mental Health, acknowledging the urgency of widespread challenges facing children and adolescents. While direct services are often limited, information and resources ARE readily available. Check out our mental health care list and Mental Health Care in Adolescents on the B-PEN webpage.
WINTER SPORTS REGISTRATION
BHS Winter Sports registration is now open at this link. Practices and tryouts for winter sports begin on Monday, November 29th. A reminder to athletes and families that physicals must be within 13 months current and the best method for expediting athlete clearance is to upload a copy of the physical exam form in the "Participant Information" section of the FamilyID registration. Payment will not be due until rosters are settled. There is no online payment option at this time.
BHS-BRANDED MERCHANDISE
Show your school spirit with BHS branded merchandise! A variety of clothing styles are available at this link. Stickers and magnets (perfect for cars!) are available at in-person PTO-sponsored events. Keep your eyes open for future announcements about additional types of BHS merch.
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FRIENDS OF PERFORMING ARTS (FoPA)
BHS Drama Society Presents: Underground Macbeth Nov 3-6
In an alternate universe very close to our own, the Offstage Left Theatre Company is attempting to perform Shakespeare’s MACBETH. But the newly formed A.R.M. (the Artistic Regulation Ministry) is alerted to this production which focuses on the danger of a tyrannical king coming to power. Who will prevail? Come see this Drama Society production to find out!
11/3 @ 3:30 pm
11/4, 5, 6 @ 7:30 pm
Adults: $10 / Students: $5 / 8th Graders and BHS Staff: Free
BHS Music Department Presents: Camerata/Advanced Chamber Orchestra Concert Nov 10 @ 7:30pm
Kicking off Brookline High School's first concert of the year, Camerata will perform a variety of music from around the world including folk songs from Spain, the Republic of Georgia, and the United States, plus an arrangement of Bill Withers’ 1970s classic, Lovely Day. The Advanced Chamber Orchestra will perform works by Mikhail Glinka and contemporary Japanese composer and musical director Joe Hisaishi.
Tickets: Adults & BHS Students: $5 / Elementary Students: Free
Ninth Grade Play Success!
Bravo to the Ninth Graders and the BHS Drama Department for staging Almost Treasure Island last week! If you enjoyed the show, please consider donating to FoPA to support the performing arts at BHS. We also welcome new volunteers, especially parents from the Class of 2025!
Buy tickets, join our new mailing list, and donate at www.brooklinefopa.org. Volunteer with FoPA: we are currently seeking photographers, media/press help, and an assistant to our Treasurer; as well as one-time box office help for the upcoming productions. Contact us to learn more: fopa.bhs.pto@gmail.com. Thank you!
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LOCAL COVID AND FLU VACCINE CLINICS
Weekly Moderna COVID Vaccine Clinic - Thursdays - Brookline Health Dept
Thursdays, 1 - 4pm (also available by appointment)
Brookline now has *weekly* Moderna COVID vaccine clinics on Thursdays, 1pm - 4pm at 11 Pierce St! Whether you still need that second shot, or still need your first shot, or aren't quite sure about getting it, this is your chance. You can also request an appointment for another day or time if you aren't free on Thursday afternoons! To schedule an appointment, call Public Health Nurse Elizabeth Bennett at 617-730-2320.
GREENZINE BROOKLINE - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
We are super excited to announce a call for submission for the next issue of GreenZine Brookline, Fall ’21. GreenZine Brookline is a space for student-published opinions, news articles and art on climate action and enviro/outdoor education across all the schools of Brookline, K-12. It's a place for young people to celebrate our green world.
We would love pictures, photography, editorials, news, interviews and more, all inspired by nature and climate concerns. Interested in writing or creating for us? Click the link below to fill out a submission form by November 5th!
GreenZine Brookline Submissions - Google Forms
Not sure what to write or create? Students (or their teachers, parents, caregivers) should contact us and our student editor will work with your student to develop a story. We are: greenzinebrookline@gmail.com
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COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN POLICE CHIEF SEARCH
Virtual Forum - Monday, November 15th, 7pm to 9pm
Community Survey - Ongoing
The Town of Brookline has partnered with Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to assist in the search for a new police chief. Residents are asked to participate in an online survey to share their priorities for the next police chief. Additionally, residents are invited to take part in a virtual forum on Monday, Nov. 15 from 7pm - 9pm. Register Here to receive the links for participation.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS
The Town of Brookline and the Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) are launching a community-wide engagement process to inform potential ways the town may use the $43 million it has received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The next virtual community engagement sessions will be held on Wednesday, November10th, 10am to 11:30am and Wednesday, November 17th, 8:30am to 10am. Click here to learn more about this initiative, including links to register for community engagement events.
DISPARITY REPORT COMMUNITY SURVEY
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations is looking for input from Brookline residents. Please consider completing this survey to ensure that our Working Group has aligned and captured the needs and perceptions of the community in our Disparity Report and Recommendations. The survey is currently available in English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, and Cantonese and responses are anonymous. In the coming weeks, we will be announcing several opportunities, both in person and remotely, to participate in community forums and provide feedback. Please email Caitlin Starr, Associate Director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations, if you would like more information about this initiative or call 617.730.2345.
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Find more info on Fall sports schedules HERE.
Find more info on the Performing Arts at BHS HERE.
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Support BHS
The Brookline High School Parent Teacher Organization is committed to supporting important communications between school and home. It sponsors a variety of events each year designed to show support of the school and to keep parents informed about how to help their children make the most of the BHS experience.
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