Important Dates |
- No School, Friday April 4th
- April Vacation, April 17 - 21st
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Dear BHS Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers,
I am keeping this message short so I can spend this beautiful Sunday with my family. I am including the message I sent students earlier today. I share it to let you know I am trying to be transparent about my need to scale back my Sunday work load and being around family more today. Kids sometimes, maybe often, need to know when we are course correcting as individuals and institutions so they understand and learn that it's okay to hit pause, and take care of yourself.
I will write a longer BlackBoard message this week to offer updates on the following and likely more:
- 2023-24 course selection process and updates;
- a recent spate of vandalism and how we respond to such incidents;
- some challenges with the ninth grade building and cohort and how we are trying to address them.
For now, I share with you the message I sent to students earlier this afternoon. I look forward to being back on the Unified BHS Campus tomorrow morning. I hope you can catch some quality time with your young people today and in general.
Sincerely,
Anthony
Sent via Aspen/X2 Sunday 3/12, 1pm
Dear Students,
I am keeping this week’s message relatively short and pushing it out early. We lose an hour today to our shift to Daylight Savings Time, our clocks springing forward as we (hopefully) slept. Let today’s time sacrifice benefit you in increased sun and day. Sunny days. Sundays. All are ahead.
Sunday is today, and tomorrow we spring back into action at olde Brookline High School. (BHS is/We are 180 years old, People.)
Vandalism
We continue to experience an uptick in vandalism, particularly of the second floor STEM wing boys bathroom. Our security staff will increase supervision of that area. We document and share evidence with the Brookline Police. And some of this is on you students. Deans, program coordinators, security, and all staff welcome information about who would damage our shared facilities and, worse, use hate language in doing so.
Performing Arts
We have some great performing arts events this week, with the all-town orchestra concert on Monday (3/13) evening and the spring play, Holes, from Wednesday (3/15) through Saturday (3/18). You can find concert and show details on the previously linked Friends of Performing Arts (FOPA) web-site. Here’s a blurb about Holes from Drama Society leader Ian Hansen.
“Stanley Yelnats is the unluckiest kid ever. After being falsely accused of theft, Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake, a correctional boot camp in Texas. There, each kid is required to dig a five-foot-deep hole every day. Throughout his time at camp, Stanley makes friends and enemies, all while exploring the history of the area around him. As it turns out, all actions have consequences, especially those of several characters in the past, greatly affecting Stanley’s own life in the present.”
Setting an Intention: Less Work, More Family
I am sure there is more to shout out, share, and think with you about as we enter the middle of the seventh month of school. And I also know that I am trying to focus a little more on home and family today than I have on recent Sundays. That will mean shutting it down on the work front early, having Sunday dinner with family, and looking to go to sleep early, knowing tomorrow’s wake-up will feel an hour early. Daylight Savings Time entails short term sacrifices.
Please try to get a good night’s rest and spend some time in the company of people you care about and who care about you.
Take care,
Mr. Meyer
Anthony Meyer
Head of School
Brookline High School
Pronouns: He/Him/His
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FOPA (Friends of Performing Arts)
All-Town Orchestra Concert
March 13, 7:00pm
Roberts/Dubbs Auditorium
For more information on shows and tickets please visit our website at www.brooklinefopa.org
Also this week, Brookline High School Friends of Performing Arts Presents:
A Forum on Performing Arts Education at BHS
March 14, 7pm to 8pm on Zoom (link below).
Come hear from students, teachers and parents about the many course options and the benefits of enrolling in a music, drama and/or dance class at BHS regardless of prior experience. We will answer any questions you have and speak to the project based learning, social emotional development, skill acquisition and many ways Performing Arts classes benefit students in and beyond school. Open to parents, guardians, caregivers and students in grades 8 through 11.
Zoom link: https://psbma-org.zoom.us/j/92911647100
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MESSAGE FROM B-PEN (Brookline Parent Education Network)
Do you know about social host laws?
A “social host” is anyone (adult or minor) in control of the premises and furnishes or allows alcohol to be served. And if it is served to anyone under the age of 21, it is illegal. In Massachusetts, the penalty is a fine up to $2000, imprisonment for up to a year, or both. And it opens up the host to other kinds of consequences – legal and emotional -- as well. It’s important for parents as well as teens to know the facts. Check out these helpful resources.
ATHLETICS SPRING REGISTRATION - CLOSES THIS WEEK
Registration for spring sports will close on March 15th. There is so much to choose from: Baseball , Crew (Boys & Girls), Golf (Girls), Lacrosse (Boys & Girls), Rugby (Boys & Girls), Sailing, Softball, Tennis (Boys & Girls), Outdoor Track & Field (Boys & Girls), Ultimate Disc (Boys & Girls), Volleyball (Boys).
If your student is interested in participating, please follow this link!
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BHS POETRY SLAM
The BHS Poetry Club, with support from Anna's Taqueria, the Brookline Teen Center, and the BHS PTO, is hosting a Poetry Slam on March 25th, 5-8pm at the Teen Center. Over 75 teen poets from all around Boston are expected to attend - encourage your student to come! Click HERE for more information.
WHAT JUNIOR PARENTS NEED TO KNOW...
SAVE THE DATE -- MARCH 29!
Seniors share letters about preparing for college and life after high school.
For the Class of 2024/Junior Parent PTO meeting on March 29, Peer Leaders will share a series of letters to parents designed to help them understand some of the unique stresses and pressures of junior/senior years as they begin planning for life after high school. This meeting, which past junior parents have told us is extremely powerful and insightful, will include concrete tips on how parents can strengthen communication and support for their teens to maintain a healthy perspective during these final years at BHS. Location to be announced.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - JUNIOR SEMI-FORMAL
Junior Semi for the Class of '24 will be held Friday, March 24 from 7 to 11pm at 22 Tappan. This is one of few annual events that brings the entire class together socially and we need MANY parent volunteers to make this special for the students, before, during, and after the event. Sign up to volunteer! If you are the parent of a Class of '25 or '26, this is a great way to get a sneak peak at what your child will experience as juniors! Class of '24 parents are encouraged to sign up for slots before and after the event, but not during, because, well, your kid probably doesn't want to party with you hanging around. ;) Email ptoclassreps2024@gmail.com with questions. Thank you for your help!
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BEF TRIVIA BEE
The Trivia Bee is back and in-person! Friday, March 31st at 6:30pm at 22 Tappan Street. This is the Brookline Education Foundation's only fundraiser of the year - it's a fun competition with delicious food and drink that all support professional development for Brookline educators! For more information or to register a team, please click HERE.
REHEARSAL FOR LIFE - BANNED IN BOSTON EVENT
Thursday, April 27th at 6:00pm at Roadrunner in Boston, MA
All proceeds benefit Rehearsal for Life’s creative youth development programming, serving over 3,000 Boston and Greater Boston youth in grades 4-12: Urban Improv (in its 30th year!) and Youth Unscripted, serving Boston Public School students from grades 4 through 12 free of charge, and Freelance Players, delivering after school original children’s musical theater for nearly 50 years. Get more information and tickets HERE.
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BROOKLINE.news COMING SOON
Launching this spring, Brookline.news will be a free, not-for-profit digital news outlet, with its first weekly e-newsletter scheduled to debut mid-April. Initiated by a group of Brookline residents, with deep journalism, media and communications expertise, Brookline.news plans to fill the gap left when Gannett Media Co. ceased publication of our local print newspaper, the Brookline Tab. In addition to publishing news about Brookline, the group plans to partner with students to be a laboratory for training the next generation of journalists. They also aspire to collaborate with similar nonprofit newsrooms in the region to share best practices and partner on investigative stories that hold regional interest. To learn more and sign up for the news, go to www.brookline.news
YES FOR BROOKLINE
YES FOR BROOKLINE is hosting a kick-off celebration and tours of Pierce School on Sunday, March 5th. Yes for Brookline is a group of Brookline parents, grandparents, residents, and elected officials working to approve the operating override and Pierce School debt exclusion, which will be on the ballot in the May 2 town-wide election. All are welcome at our campaign kick-off celebration this Sunday, March 5 from 12 - 1:30pm at the VFW (386 Washington St). We will also be offering tours of the Pierce School to give an overview of its current condition. Learn more and RSVP here: |
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Find more info on Winter 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 strengthens communications between school and home, supports teachers through grants, and sponsors community events throughout the year. Please get involved and thanks for your support!
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