Important Dates |
- 02/09 10th Grade Parent Meeting
- 02/12 No School, Lunar New Year
- 02/15-2/19 No School, Feb. Break
- 02/22 Early Release
- 02/23 11th Grade Parent Meeting
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FROM THE BHS HEAD OF SCHOOL
02.07.21
Dear Brookline High Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers,
Did you know that the Super Bowl was named after the Super Ball, a toy not many of you know in ways that people our age know it? The owner of the Kansas City Chiefs responded to his daughter playing with her Super Ball by suggesting the name Super Bowl to then commission Pete Rozelle? See it here.
This is just one example of the trivial knowledge we can provide here at Brookline High School. We prefer deep and abiding learning and skill development, but now and again a little trivia might come in handy.
Weekly Schedule: 2/8-11
Mr. Mason has cooked up another weekly schedule for this week as Friday we have no school due to Lunar New Year. Part of students' responsibilities involves previewing the weekly schedule to note changes and be prepared for the week.
Lunar New Year as a Category One Holiday
Lunar New Year is celebrated by many of our Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian heritage. You should know that it becoming a Category One Holiday and spurring no school is due to the hard work of Brookline High School students. Last year, our School Committee voted to elevate Lunar New Year to Category One status. This would not have happened without the smart, strong advocacy of BHS students, many affiliated with our Asian Pacific American Club (APAC). Thank you, student leaders.
Yearbook
It’s school picture time! After much consideration, it was decided that a traditional school picture day was not possible this year. Instead, The Yearbook Staff is asking all BHS students, faculty and staff to take their own portraits and submit them online. It’s important that all members of the BHS community are represented in the yearbook so it’s crucial that everyone contributes. If students do not submit pictures, their most recent ID photo will be used in the yearbook. Hopefully, that is a strong motivation to participate!
As part of this event, students are also encouraged to make contributions to candid and student life sections of the yearbook. Please help the yearbook staff create a great book and capture our experiences in this unprecedented year!
Advisory on Thursday February 11th will be dedicated to school pictures. Students will be given instructions for shooting and submitting their photos. You can find all requirements and links for submissions here.
Attendance Reminders
Please be reminded of the following hybrid attendance procedures at BHS :
If your student is going to be remote for the day or for a class, the parent/caregiver must let the dean’s secretary know (see contact info below) AND the student must email their teachers to let them know, preferably with as much advance notice as possible.
Given Covid, it is very important that a reason is given for the absence so our busy nurses do not have to follow up with parents/caregivers with unnecessary phone calls.
If a parent/caregiver wants to switch the cohort of their student, you must contact Hal Mason at hal_mason@psbma.org
Excusing Absences:
Parents/caregivers must call (or email) the appropriate secretary, as they would if we were in school in-person, to excuse an absence:
Grade 9 → Call or email Mona Saltalamacchia at 617-713-5494, Mona_Saltalamacchia@psbma.org
Grade 11 → Call or email Sharon Fagan at 617-713-5035, Sharon_Fagan@psbma.org
Grades 10 & 12 → Call or email Sabrina McIntosh at 617-713-5190, Sabrina_McIntosh@psbma.org
ACE & SWS → Call or email Christine Carruthers (ACE) at 617-713-5252, (SWS) at 617-713-5400, Christine_Carruthers@psbma.org
Hybrid and In-person Learning
In response to COVID, we at BHS have offered a flexible approach to learning in 2020-21. Many families have selected the remote model for the year, and others opt to remain remote despite being enrolled in the hybrid model that calls for two days in-person and two days remote each week. These latter decisions make it difficult for teachers to plan for, support, and make cohesive the in-person and remote experiences.
We want to remind you all of the benefits of being in-person. We have seen no evidence of in-school transmission and generally have strong health and safety protocols and practices - thanks largely to our awesome nurses and clinic. We also have a beautiful building and campus. More importantly, there are loads of staff who appreciate seeing and interacting with you. Those little moments in a classroom - conversations here, a shared laugh there - are hard to replicate on Zoom.
Over the next several weeks, you will hear some more spirited pitches from us about coming into BHS in-person. This likely will include some improvements to our in-person program. As always, these are decisions and conversations to have with the student and their parents, guardians, and caregivers. Most of all, let us support students to continue to practice health and safety in and outside of school. COVID has made manifest our interconnectedness across society and certainly within a school community like ours.
Thanks and take care,
Anthony
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10th GRADE PARENT MEETING
There will be a 10th grade parent parent meeting with deans on Tues. Feb. 9 from 7:00-8:15 on Zoom. In March, students will request courses for next year at BHS. At this meeting, you will hear BHS curriculum coordinators discuss the course offerings that are available junior year. You will also hear from our program coordinators for ACE and SWS, as these programs are also available to your students.
You can attend the meeting on Zoom with this link or by phone: 646 876 9923, using webinar id: 970 5632 3590, passcode: 451959.
This meeting will be recorded and posted on the BHS website the following afternoon.
FALL 2 SPORTS REGISTRATION
BHS Athletics will be opening Fall 2 Sports registration on FamilyID early this coming week. Fall 2 sports include Cheerleading (Sideline only), Football (Outdoors only), Girls and Boys "Indoor" Track (Outdoors mainly) and Girls Volleyball.
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CHEERLEADING INFO SESSION
There will be a Cheerleading Info Session about the upcoming Fall 2 season on Wed. Feb 10th at 6pm at this Zoom link. Our season is still contingent on Dr. Jett's approval, but we will host an info session to share an update for anyone interested in cheer and do a Q&A. Potential student-athletes and caregivers are encouraged to attend the info session to learn more about the BHS Cheerleading program and modifications specific to this season. All students are welcome to join cheer- no prior experience is needed! Email Coach Cells at Meaghan_Cells@psbma.org with any questions or stop by room 368 at the 115 Campus! Go Warriors!
TEST PREP THURSDAYS FOR JUNIORS
The BHS Library is hosting a free test prep program for Juniors on Thursday's from 3 to 4 pm, beginning Feb. 11th. Students will sign-up for a free account with Learning Express. This is a self-paced course complete with time graded pre-tests, learning modules, and post tests. We will meet with students weekly to work together, indecently. Register here
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THE INSIDE SCOOP ON THE JUNIOR EXPERIENCE
A Class of 2022 Parent Meeting will be held on Tues. Feb. 23 at 7pm on this Zoom link.
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. These powerful letters also offer concrete tips on how parents can strengthen communication and support for their teens to maintain a healthy perspective during these final years of high school.
STEPS TO SUCCESS ANNUAL "STEP UP CELEBRATION"
Our 19th annual Step Up Celebration will be virtual again this year, kicking off on April 14 and running through May 12. Save the dates! For details, go here.
COVID-SAFE BAKE SALE FOR BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Purchase homemade baked goods and lindt truffles for yourself or your loved ones and support Boston Children’s Hospital! You can order your delicious treats here. You can select to pick up your items from 115 Greenough on Friday the 12th or Monday the 15th, or request delivery on Friday the 12th or Saturday the 13th.
All proceeds stay local to fund critical treatments, healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care at Boston Children's Hospital. The BHS Dance Marathon Club fundraises for Boston Children’s Hospital through the Dance Marathon Miracle Network.
BHS INNOVATION FUND UPDATE
For information on how the Innovation Fund supports our students, go here.
COVID FRIENDLY BAKE SALE TO SUPPORT BROOKLINE THRIVES
BHS freshman Tina Li is holding a COVID friendly bake sale to raise money for Brookline Thrives, a program funded through donations to Brookline Food Pantry. 100% of the proceeds will be helping to offer free weekend meals to any Brookline students and families in need. Please order your deliciousness now through this link. Everything is making using gloves and lots of love. For more information, please follow her on Instagram @cookieaganisthunger or email her tina202525@gmail.com.
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Between pandemic-driven economic hardship and deaths, the intensification of racial reckoning, major environmental disasters, and violent political chaos, families are faced every day with a lot of bad news. B-PEN offers some tips for how to talk to our adolescents about all this in a way that acknowledges the trauma without feeding the flames, offering perspective, guidance, and reassurance.
SWS ADMISSIONS PROCESS IS OPEN
SWS Admissions Info Packet
School Within a School, located on the fourth floor of BHS, is an alternative, democratic community for a diverse group of approximately 120 sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Goals for students include taking as much responsibility for their education as possible, sharing decision-making in running SWS, and contributing to building a caring community. For 50 years, SWS has provided students with the opportunity to participate actively as leaders in their own educations and develop meaningful relationships with teachers based on mutual respect. Admission to SWS is based on a lottery, the criteria of which are determined by the SWS Town Meeting. In addition to Town Meeting, SWS students take at least two classes in the program, including English. They take the rest of their classes in the mainstream of BHS. There is a mandatory meeting on Feb. 9 for interested students. More information about the program, and the admissions process, can be found at swsbrookline.org.
GUIDANCE INFORMATION
For information from guidance, go here. Individual student information can be viewed on the Aspen Portal. Quarter 2 ended on Jan. 25; Report cards were on posted on the Aspen Portal on Feb. 8.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
The Brookline School Committee will meet Thurs. Feb. 11th at 6 pm. Agenda and Zoom link will be here.
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH AUTHOR EVENT
Join us for an evening with two outstanding YA authors, Desmond Hall (a Driscoll Dad!) and Christina Hammonds Reed, to discuss their writing process, Black history, working on historical fiction, and the world of YA. The Brookline Public Library is delighted to partner with 826 Boston for this event. The conversation will be led by 826 Boston student leaders.
This event will be held live through Zoom on Tues. Feb. 23 at 7 PM. A recording will also be available post-event on the Public Library of Brookline’s YouTube channel. Attendees will need to register to attend, and the link is on our calendar listing linked below. Full details are here.
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Sports and Extracurricular Events
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| WINTER SPORTS have returned! Schedules can be found 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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