BHS January Parent Newsletter
-From the Counseling Department
Happy New Year!
Continue to check our website at http://blackmancounselor.wix.com/counselorspage and follow the Counseling Department on Twitter @BlazeCounseling for important updates. Also, text @blackman to 81010 to get reminders and updates from the counseling department about scholarships, college, career, registration, deadlines, and more!
Counselors:
A-D, Mrs. DeGeorge degeorgea@rcschools.net
E-K, Ms. Bryan bryanc@rcschools.net
L-R, Mrs. Van Winkle vanwinkles@rcschools.net
S-Z, Mrs. Clawson clawsons@rcschools.net
Counseling Secretary, Mrs. Sadler sadlerm@rcschools.net
Sign up for Remind with Dr. Justus
For the Class of 2017:
To receive messages via text, text @drjustus17 to 81010. Trouble using 81010? Try texting @drjustus17 to (615) 913-5624 instead. Or to receive messages via email, send an email to drjustus17@mail.remind.com.
For the Class of 2018:
To receive messages via text, text @drjustus18 to 81010. Trouble using 81010? Try texting @drjustus18 to (615) 913-5624 instead. Or to receive messages via email, send an email to drjustus18@mail.remind.com.
For the Class of 2019:
To receive messages via text, text @drjustus19 to 81010. Trouble using 81010? Try texting @drjustus19 to (615) 913-5624 instead. Or to receive messages via email, send an email to drjustus19@mail.remind.com.
For the Class of 2020:
To receive messages via text, text @drjustu to 81010. Trouble using 81010? Try texting @drjustu to (615) 913-5624 instead. Or to receive messages via email, send an email to drjustu@mail.remind.com.
Graduation Requirements
English = 4 credits
Math = 4 credits
Science = 3 credits
Social Studies = 3 credits
Fine Art = 1 credit
Personal Finance = ½ credit
Wellness = 1 ½ credit
Foreign Language = 2 credits
Elective focus (pathway) = 3 credits
Elective = 1 credit
*A total of 23 credits are needed for graduation.
Graduating with Honors and Distinction
To graduate with honors students must meet the following ACT benchmarks:
English: 18
Math: 22
Reading: 22
Science: 23
Distinction
To graduate with distinction students must attain a 3.0 GPA and meet one of the following criteria:
- Participate in at least one Governor’s School
- Participate in one of the TN’s all State musical organizations
- Be selected as a National Merit Finalist or Semi-Finalist
- Attain a composite score of 31 or higher on the ACT
- Attain a score of 3 or higher on at least 2 Advanced Placement Exams
- Earn 12 or more semester hours of transcripted postsecondary credit
- Earn a nationally recognized industry certification
*Seniors must let their counselor know by December if they are graduating with distinction.
BCA Senior Capstone Project Gallery Walk
Monday, Jan 23, 2017, 06:00 PM
BHS Cafeteria
BCA Application Timeline for 17-18
- Thursday, December 1st - Applications available
- Friday, January 13th - Application Deadline
- Thursday, January 19th - February 2nd - Interviews/Writing Sample after school
- Wednesday, February 15th - Letters mailed home
Click here to apply. This is for new BCA applicants only.
Registration Timeline for the 2017-2018 School Year
January 30th - February 22nd
Counselors will meet with students individually during their English class to discuss their classes for next school year. We will begin with rising seniors and finish with rising sophomores.
January 30th - February 26th
INOW online registration open. Students will register at home using the registration form and instructions given to them during the discussion with their counselor. If students don't have internet access at home, they can register during Prime Time in the library by getting a Prime Time pass.
March 6th
Verification forms will be sent home. A parent override form is required to take a course beyond the teacher recommended level and must be signed in person at BHS. The deadline for parent overrides is March 10th.
March 10th
Signed verification forms with any changes are due to the counseling office. No changes will be made past this date.
Save the Date: Hiring Fair in April
The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Murfreesboro American Job Center will host a hiring event on April 6 at Blackman High School for Blackman and Holloway High School Seniors.
“Each spring we have employers call asking how they can get in front of students before they graduate,” said Beth Duffield, Senior Vice President for Education & Workforce Development at the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. “We know that not all graduates have college plans, and those who attend college locally often work part time. This is a great way to bring those looking for a job into immediate contact with employers who are hiring.”
In mid-March, seniors will have the opportunity to create a resume with help from American Job Center staff. A list of participating employers will be available in late March.
Rutherford Works High School Internship Program Applications Available Jan. 11th
The Rutherford Works High School Internship Program is a partnership with employers who offer students productive and meaningful work assignments with a learning component ideally related to their area of interest. The Internship Program will provide 60 rising seniors who reside in Rutherford County the opportunity to gain paid work experience with a Rutherford County employer.
Students will learn about and begin to develop 21st Century skills and competencies needed for success in the workplace. The duration of internship is 4 weeks or 64 working hours. In addition to gaining work experience, students will also receive 4 hours of pre-employment training and 16 hours of work based learning.
Applications will be available Jan. 11th at 8 a.m. and positions will be first-come, first-served. The deadline for submitting applications is Feb. 1st at 4:30 p.m. Click here for additional information.
Dual Enrollment
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Dual Enrollment program, students must:
1. be a junior or senior in high school;
2. have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA; or
3. have a minimum composite of 22 ACT (SAT composite of 1020); or equivalent ACT Plan test score
**Admission to MTSU and the Dual Enrollment program does not guarantee eligibility for all courses. Some courses require prerequisites and/or certain test subscores, including Math and English courses.**
Cost
The tuition cost of a Dual Enrollment class is $166.00 per credit hour. This cost can be offset by the Dual Enrollment Grant, if the student applies and is ruled eligible. Students must maintain a 2.75 GPA for dual enrollment courses taken to stay eligible for the grant. The student should be prepared to pay the tuition cost in advance and then be reimbursed. Other anticipated costs include textbooks, $25 application fee, online course fees, and any applicable lab fees.
Dual Enrollment Grant
The Dual Enrollment Grant is a reimbursement grant administered by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. Criteria concerning the grant can be found at www.tn.gov/collegepays/article/dual-enrollment-grant.
During the student's high school career, Dual Enrollment Grant funding is as follows:
• $500 – First Dual Enrollment course;
• $500 – Second Dual Enrollment course;
• $200 – Third Dual Enrollment course;
• No grant funding for fourth course
Interested in taking AP Psychology next year? Stop by and see Ms. Walker is D-9!
Free Online Course About How To Apply To College
The Penn Admissions office and Steppingstone Scholars, a Philadelphia-based academic enrichment program that helps underrepresented students, partnered to create a new online course: “How to Apply to College.”
The course, which will be offered for free on Penn’s online platform Coursera, will be released in February 2017. Students who complete the 10 weeks of modules will learn how to research, apply to and make the transition to colleges. Click here for more information.
Parent Teacher Conferences
INow
Homework Hotline
- Free tutoring is available by phone
- Monday - Thursday from 4 - 8 p.m.
- Call 615-298-6636 or 1-888-868-5777
Tutoring
LaunchMyCareerTN.org
ACT Dates
February 11th
April 8th
June 10th
Register online at actstudent.org. The Blackman High School code is 431636.
I L.E.A.D. ACT Prep
This 5 week program will encompass a review of prior diagnostic results from students’ previous ACT test scores which provides an actual picture of skill deficiencies by subject to assist students in developing a strategic approach to focusing on their main areas of needs. If the student has not tested, benchmark testing will be conducted on the first Saturday.
- Location: Blackman High School
- Hours of Operation: Saturdays on 2/18, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11 & 3/18 from 7:30 - 11:30
- Sign in/Breakfast: 7:30 - 7:45
- Begin Class: 8:00
- Break: 9:30 - 9:45
- Dismissal: 11:30
Click here to register. For more information, please contact Erin Abernathy, Program Director at 615-653-6458.
ACT Prep with Shmoop
Thanks to Rutherford County Schools, you now have access to Shmoop's premium resources. HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED:
- Go to http://schools.shmoop.com/login/rutherford-county/
- Log in OR Create New Student Account
- Enter Magic Word: NAVIGATE (all caps)
- Choose either ACT Exam Prep (under the Test Prep section) or ACT Crash Course (under the Courses section)
Need help? Contact Holly Hunter hunterh@rcschools.net.
Parent Resources
Anxiety and depression are prevalent issues among teenagers. Below are two articles you might find helpful in talking with your child.
http://www.gozen.com/49-phrases-to-calm-an-anxious-child/
TNReady Resources
Senior Parent's Section
Tennessee Promise: FILE FAFSA BY JAN. 17th!!!
The state of Tennessee is offering two years of tuition-free community or technical college through the TN Promise. If your student applied by Nov. 1st, they must file their FAFSA by Jan. 17th, attend a second mandatory meeting on March 21st, and complete 8 hours of community service for each semester they receive TN Promise funding.
FAFSA: NOW AVAILABLE!!
Civics Test Requirement
On January 1, 2017, Tennessee House Bill 10 with amendment 1 will go into effect. “House Bill 10 with amendment 1 requires a student, during the student's high school career, to take a United States civics test prepared by the Local Educational Association consisting of between 25 and 50 questions, taken from the civics test administered by the United States citizenship and immigration services. In contrast to the original bill, this amendment does not make passage of the test a requirement for graduation.
A student may take the test as many times as necessary to pass the test. A student who has an individualized education program under which the civics test is determined to be an inappropriate requirement for the student does not have to take the test. In order to pass the test, a student must answer 70 percent of the questions correctly, instead of 60 percent in the bill. If all students in a senior class required to take the test and receiving a regular diploma pass the test, the school will be recognized on the department of education's web site as a "United States civics all-star school" for that school year.
Rutherford County Schools have created a Civics test consisting of 30 questions, 25 multiple choice questions and 5 fill-in-the-blank questions, to meet the requirements of House Bill 10. This test was created by a group of 12 educators representing each of the high schools within the Rutherford County School district.
Each individual high school within the Rutherford County School district will determine the testing date for all graduating seniors in order to meet the new graduation requirements for Tennessee.
Information regarding the new graduation requirements along with answers to frequently asked questions has been added to both the student and parent page of the RCS website. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the graduation requirements or the test, please contact Lana Bellar at bellarl@rcschools.net or Dr. Andrea Anthony at Anthonya@rcschools.net.
Senior Newsletters
Transcript Requests
Colleges and universities will ask that your child send an official transcript when they apply. This is the process they should follow:
- Go to the counseling office and fill out a Transcript Request Form located beside Mrs. Sadler’s desk.
- Pay $2.
- It will be ready to pick up in 3 days or Mrs. Sadler can mail it for you.
College Day
NCAA
If your student is planning to play sports at an NCAA Division I or II college, he/she must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. NCAA requires 16 core courses. Make sure your student has met those requirements by talking with their coach or counselor.