Blue Hills News
Dear Blue Hills Families,
March is here, if you can believe it - but I'm not sure that Spring is in the air quite yet. A lot is going on at BHR, as usual - please take a minute to look at the updates in this week's newsletter.
MIAA Tournament - Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Basketball teams for each qualifying for the MIAA tournament. The Boys won an incredible double overtime game vs. Blackstone Valley Tech on March 1, 60-58, and will take on Burke High at Madison Park HS on Friday at 7:15 p.m. The Girls qualified and will be playing Manchester-Essex (away) on Friday at 5:00 p.m. Best of luck to both teams!
Post-Secondary Planning Night - Please join us Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 6:00 PM for an informational presentation on applying to four year and two year colleges. Counselors will be presenting on the college admissions process for juniors and their families. Snacks and light refreshments will be provided. Please fill out the following Google Form to RSVP: https://forms.gle/onu2NuwnsoUN4osi7.
MCAS - Grade 10 MCAS exams begin this month. Please review communication from the Academic Director's Office.
Boosters Club Announcements
- BHR Boosters is hosting an LCR Tournament/Fundraiser on March 31 at the Randolph Elks. Doors open at 7 p.m., with raffles and prizes and more. For more information, go to the BHR Boosters page on Facebook.
- The Boosters next Bingo night in Dedham is on March 16 - they are looking for 6 more people for the 5:30 slot and 2 more people for the 7:30 time slot.
- The Quilting Show is March 18 and 19 - the Boosters will be selling snacks at this event and are looking for volunteers. You can sign up through the Facebook page signup genius, or contact Elisete@verizon.net.
Mental Health Care
We are pleased this week to introduce a new partnership between Blue Hills and Care Solace to provide an additional layer of care and support for our students and communities.
There is an introductory letter attached below that I hope you'll read. This service is available to all students, faculty, staff, and student families at no charge. They will connect you with mental health providers accepting all medical insurances - information entered on the Care Solace platform is completely confidential.
We know that mental health challenges have been on the increase over the past few years, and we hope that by providing this service, we can help to support our entire BHR community in a positive way.
Public Education Initiative on 9-1-1
Recently, the state issued information in an effort to educate the public on some key features of the 911 system.
- The first is “Text-to-911”, which allows a person that is unable to speak or hear to communicate via text with a 9-1-1 dispatcher.
- The second is the “Silent Call Procedure”, which allows a person that is unable to speak to call 9-1-1 and when the call is answered by the dispatcher to press the following digits on their phone - 1 for police, 2 for fire, 3 for an ambulance - so that the dispatcher can immediately send help.
These two features of the 9-1-1 system are valuable and can provide the ability to save a life when used.
Upcoming Events
March 3 - SKILLS USA District Competition
March 8 - Post-Secondary Planning Night, 6 p.m.
March 9 - In-Service, Late Arrival at 10:40 a.m.
March 10 - Term 3 Progress Reports
March 14 - Faculty Meeting (no 3:10 buses)
March 23 - Acceptance Reception Night, 6 p.m.
March 24 - Professional Development Day, NO SCHOOL
March 28 & 29 - ELA MCAS, Grade 10
**Previous Information**
**Past Information**
Spring Sports - Believe it or not, spring athletics are right around the corner! Sign up is open on Family ID. You must register on Family ID to participate or try out. Physical exams must be up to date. There are no exceptions! Register early and take care of any issues with your paperwork well in advance of the spring season!
A reminder from the Academic Office:
Please note the dates for this year's MCAS, below.
It is imperative that all grade 10 students are present for these state-required evaluations. The state only allows medical excuses for absences during testing dates. If you need any clarification on this year's MCAS administration, please do not hesitate to reach-out to the Academic Office at your earliest convenience (pbavuso@bluehills.org).
English Language Arts: March 28 and March 29
Mathematics: May 16 and May 17
Biology: June 6 and June 7
Attendance
Just a gentle reminder about our attendance policy. Students who accumulate 16 absences for the year are required to attend summer school. We do not excuse single days. We do "reduce" consecutive days to count as one absence when a doctor's note is provided. We also fully excuse all covid related illnesses, so please report these to the nurse. Family trips, weddings, graduations are not excused days. If you have questions, please contact your child's guidance counselor who can review your child's attendance with you.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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:
The Blue Hills Regional Technical School District is an equal opportunity educational institution. All programs, courses of study and activities are open to all students without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability. The School District is in full compliance with Massachusetts Law, Chapter 622 of the Acts of 1971, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (U.S. Code), and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Individuals may make inquiries relative to Chapter 622 and Title IX from the coordinator, at the school address or by phoning 781-828-5800.