Blue Hills News
Dear Blue Hills Families,
It is Homecoming Week @ BHR! The traditional Homecoming football game is set for Friday, October 14, @ 5:30 p.m. The Homecoming Dance will take place from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. in the gym and cafeteria at BHR on Friday as well. Students have been dressing up for "spirit days" - these continue into next week. Other night games this week include:
Volleyball vs. Bristol County - Monday, October 17, 4:30 p.m.
Girls Soccer vs. Holbrook - Tuesday, October 18, 6 p.m.
Boys Soccer vs. Tri-County - Wednesday, October 19, 6 p.m.
For all BHR athletic schedules, click here.
Buses: There have been some issues this year with buses being on time to bus stops, and sometimes being very late. Our contracted bus company, First Student, has been responsive to our concerns and is trying to make sure buses are on time and running smoothly. Of course, with illnesses, mechanical issues, and traffic, sometimes problems are unavoidable - thank you for your patience.
To try to ease some of the confusion when there are problems, and to make bus riding just a little easier, we will be contacting everyone who has registered for the bus in the coming weeks with information on the First View app offered by First Student. With the access code we provide, you will be able to track your child's bus and stay informed of any issues or breakdowns. First Student provides app support, and we will be providing this information when we roll it out. Thanks again for your patience and we look forward to making this improved communication tool available to you.
If you have not made plans yet for Parent-Teacher Conferences, now is the time!
- Parent-Teacher Conferences will be a mix of virtual (afternoon) and in-person (evening). To sign up for a virtual appointment, please go to this link: https://bluehills.youcanbook.me/. Please note that conferences on October 20 are for grades 9 and 11; conferences on October 26 are for grades 10 and 12. Please see the letter from Dr. Bavuso, our Academic Director, for more information.
Congratulations to the Girls Soccer Team under Coach Flynn for qualifying for the MIAA state tournament. The girls are currently undefeated at 8-0-2 - well done! Also, Coach Flynn recently won her 100th game as varsity coach. Congratulations!
Grade 9 Students: Mini-Exploratory #2 has been moved to October 28. Please make sure you are in school on this day - you will be seeing the programs you did not see the first week of school, and making your selection for your last five exploratories.
Winter Sports
Lastly this week - winter athletic sign ups! Registration is now open for winter athletics. This is required for all students wishing to participate in winter sports, regardless of past participation in a fall sport. Please register your child through Family ID, and be sure that physical exams are up to date. Without full medical clearance, no student is eligible to try out. Registration closes on November 15 and practices start November 28! Don't wait - register now!
Also a reminder that students must be academically eligible to participate. Students may not fail their vocational program or more than one core academic class. Eligibility determinations are made at the publishing of the first term report card.
Sincerely,
Mr. Zini
Girls Soccer
The BHR Girls Soccer Team at halftime of a 2-1 victory over Diman Regional to maintain their undefeated season! Congratulations to the girls and to Coach Flynn for her 100th victory last week as a varsity soccer coach!
BHR Cheerleaders!
The Blue Hills Cheerleaders kicked off the "Cheer for the Cure" month by wearing their pink gear. They will be wearing their pink gear for the month of October.
Health Screenings at BHR
Massachusetts General Law, chapter 71, section 57 with related regulations 105 CMR 200.000 mandates that school nurses do periodic screenings of vision, hearing, growth (height and weight), and posture. Bill H. 4056, section 97 requires schools to conduct annual verbal screenings (SBIRT) for substance use. Pursuant to these regulations, BHR nurses screen students according to the following schedule:
Vision/Hearing/Posture: Grade 9
Growth (Height and Weight/BMI): Grade 10
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) *more information linked here*: Grade 10
Parents/guardians will be notified if a vision, hearing, or postural screening requires further evaluation. Included in this notification will be a request for a report from your healthcare provider of their findings so that the nurses are aware of any problems which may interfere with learning and can accommodate any needs that are identified.
Parents may choose not to have their child(ren) participate in any or all screenings.
Please notify the school nurses in writing by Dec 16, 2022 if you wish for your student to opt-out of a screening (letheart@bluehills.org). This must be done annually.
If your student is receiving treatment for a vision, hearing, or postural concern, please provide the nurses with current medical documentation of their condition.
Professional Development - Be Au Sm
On Thursday, October 13, we welcomed Joshua Peach, founder of BeAuSm, and son of one of our esteemed faculty members, Ms. Peach (Spanish). Josh spoke with faculty and staff about the importance of gratitude - and was able to show some special gratitude to mom!
Booster Club - Needs YOU!
The BHR Booster Club is looking for volunteers and parents who are willing to help out in support of BHR students.
The Booster Club is also looking for Snack Shack volunteers, specifically for October 18, October 19, and November 23. Please contact Ms. Lisa Adams if you are interested in helping!
Spirit Weeks!
Students of the Month
Congratulations to our first two students of the month for September 2022! Sarah and Vincent are great examples of hard-working and passionate BHR students!
#WinAtSocial - The Social Institute
Dear Families,
We are excited to announce that Blue Hills Regional Technical School has launched a partnership with The Social Institute (TSI), a national leader in curriculum designed to equip students to navigate the complex intersection of well-being, social media, and technology.
At a time when students spend many hours a day on digital devices, and cyberbullying and reputation-damaging posts run rampant, TSI equips students to make positive, healthy, and high-character choices that fuel their health, happiness, and future success. Our school will be adopting TSI’s comprehensive program, called #WinAtSocial, which promotes character, empathy, teamwork, and other important life skills.
Whether or not your child uses social media or a device of their own, we hope that you will consider how these free resources outlined below could be useful to your family.
To be clear, information offered through this partnership does not instruct anyone how to parent. Instead, these supplementary resources provide insight into social media, technology, and student experiences, offering family discussion prompts and informative resources that you can incorporate into family conversations as much or as little as you like.
How Your Family Can Participate:
Continue the conversation at home: As students experience #WinAtSocial each month, Family Huddles may be emailed to you as a supplement to a lesson. These are completely optional to run as a family!
Register your free account for the Parent Toolkit. Many families refer to this as the CliffsNotes of social media and technology! Go to the Toolkit, click Activate Account, and enter our school code: 16978DAFA8D154.
Click here for more information on how The Social Institute supports families.
We are excited to be able to offer this important and timely education to our community.
There are some great resources on National Hispanic Heritage Month from the National Archives. From their website: "We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988. The theme for 2022 is "Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation."
https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/hispanic-heritage-month
Update from the School Health Office:
We continue to have self-testing kits available in the main office and in the nurse's office. These are a limited supply and will only be provided if they are available and if you are symptomatic.
If you test positive for Covid-19, please email letheart@bluehills.org and include in your communication the day your symptoms started. You will receive a response back with your isolation dates and the date of return to work or school. Remember, symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
Symptoms include:
- Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- New loss of taste or smell
- Muscle aches or body aches
- Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
- Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
- Nausea, vomiting, when in combination with other symptoms
- Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
- Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
- Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies), when in combination with other symptoms
Reminder: although there is no statewide requirement for masking at school, masks are required when entering the school health office. They are available upon entry.
Covid and Flu Vaccine Clinic - Offered by Town of Canton
**Previous Information**
**Past Information**
- Vaping continues to be a major concern at Blue Hills and at schools across the country. Part of the inherent danger of vaping is that it is difficult to know what is inside a vaping device. One of the latest trends has seen vapes laced with fentanyl - a potentially lethal drug. I encourage you to read this article discussing the concerns with vapes. At Blue Hills, students are not allowed to carry or use vapes at any time, and will be subject to disciplinary measures.
- Homecoming and Spirit Weeks will take place the weeks of October 11th and October 17th.
- Seniors may be eligible to start co-op. Please email Ms. Poliseno at kpoliseno@bluehills.org for more information.
- Important Note: There is a viral social media challenge re-emerging called the "One Chip Challenge" - you can read about it here - that can cause physical harm to participants. There is no place for this at any school, and that goes for Blue Hills. Please talk with your student about the serious injury that can occur from eating these chips, and the danger of following certain social media trends. Please be advised that Blue Hills does not condone this type of dangerous activity during the school day. Students please note that there may be consequences if you are involved in this type of activity.
** Please Read** Dismissal Procedures:
Please help us by sending a note in with your student on the day that they will be dismissed. They should bring the note to the main office in the morning. This allows your student to sign out at the appointed time and meet you at your car. Otherwise, we need you to come into the building and identify yourself, at which time we have to call your student's classroom or shop to dismiss them. It is far easier and faster if you send a note in the morning. Thanks for your help with this.
Other Information:
- Aspen X2 is used by Blue Hills to record student grades, attendance, discipline, family contact information, and much more. If you need assistance logging in to Aspen X2, you may follow this link. For further assistance, you may call the Academic Office at 781-828-5800 X2670.
- Breakfast and Lunch are available for free again this year. Through the first few days of school, we have noticed many students getting off the bus, waiting in line for breakfast, and immediately throwing it out or giving it away. This is not the intention of the free breakfast program, and those students will be asked to remain on the bus instead of coming into the cafeteria.
- Please be reminded: Earpods/headphones may not be worn during the school day except with the explicit permission of the teacher. This includes breakfast, lunch, and passing times. Earpods will be confiscated if seen, and consequences assigned.
- If you have not, please complete the SY 2022-2023 Mandatory Registration & Student Emergency/Contact Information on Family ID. This is required of all students each year, and includes the Parent-Student Handbook. This helps us keep your emergency contact information up to date in our system.
- Grade 9 Parents Night Information: The presentation is available here.
Upcoming Events
October 14: Homecoming Football Game, 5:30 p.m.
October 14: Homecoming Dance, 7-10 p.m.
October 20: Parent Teacher Conferences (Grades 9 & 11) - Early Dismissal 10:50 a.m.
October 26: Parent Teacher Conferences (Grades 10 & 12) - Early Dismissal 10:50 a.m.
October 28: Mini-Exploratory #2
November 2: Open House 5:30 p.m. for prospective students - Early Dismissal 10:50 a.m.
November 3: In-Service Late Arrival - 10:40 a.m.
November 4: Term 1 Ends
2022-2023 School Year Calendar
Blue Hills Regional Technical School’s mission is to continue its history of academic achievement, technical training and character development through a curriculum which emphasizes the integration of cutting-edge technical programs and challenging academic courses, enabling its students to become competent, caring and productive people in a diverse and changing world.
Core Values:
Community, Opportunity, Relevance, Employability
Website: www.bluehills.org
Location: 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781 828 5800
BHR on: