BHS September Parent Newsletter
-From the Counseling Department
Welcome back!
Counselors:
A-D, Mrs. Borel - borelc@rcschools.net
E-K, Ms. Bryan - bryanc@rcschools.net
L-R, Mrs. Barber - barbers@rcschools.net
S-Z, Mrs. Clawson clawsons@rcschools.net
**Interim: Elaine Allen - allene@rcschools.net
Crisis/College, JoJo Breiner - breinerj@rcschools.net
Graduation Coach, Kim Garrott - garrottk@rcschools.net
Counseling Secretary, Mrs. Sadler sadlerm@rcschools.net
Follow us on Twitter!
College Planning Night for Juniors and Seniors
Thursday, Sep 6, 2018, 06:00 PM
Auditorium
Rutherford County College Night
Where: Middle Tennessee State University Student Union Ballroom
Come meet representatives from approximately 50 colleges and universities from across Tennessee and the southeastern United States. Visit mtsu.edu/rccn for more details.
Graduation Requirements
English = 4 credits
Math = 4 credits
Science = 3 credits
Social Studies = 2 credits
Government/Economics = 1 credit
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.
Parent Teacher Conferences
INow
Parent Cluster Meeting!
First Town Hall meeting for parents set for LaVergne Cluster on September 17, 2018!
- Director of Schools Bill Spurlock will host a Town Hall meeting for parents in the LaVergne Cluster on September 17th, at 5:30 p.m. in the LaVergne Middle School auditorium.
- The meeting is intended for those parents with children in LaVergne High School, LaVergne Middle School, Rock Springs Middle School, LaVergne Primary School, Roy Waldron Elementary School, LaVergne Lake Elementary School, Rock Springs Elementary School and Cedar Grove Elementary School.
- Director Spurlock will address several topics about education initiatives and needs in Rutherford County and gather feedback from parents.
- Director Spurlock is planning similar meetings for all school clusters this year. A full schedule will be released soon for parents.
PSAT: Oct. 24th
The PSAT will be given on Wednesday, Oct. 24th to freshmen, sophomores and juniors who sign up. Taking the PSAT as a junior is the only way to qualify to be a National Merit Finalist or Semi-finalist. The cost is $17. Payment can be made to Mrs. Sadler in the Counseling office starting Sept. 24th through October 17th (check or exact cash). There are a limited number of PSAT testing slots available on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to make your payment as soon as possible.
Students can pick up study materials from Mrs. Sadler when they sign up. A prep course will be offered before and/or after school before the test. Stay tuned for more details.
ILead ACT Prep Classes
Location: Oakland High School Annex Building
Time: 8:30-11:30am
Date: Saturdays from 9/15/2018 - 10/20/2018 (No class during Fall Break)
Register Online: bit.ly/2pgqSOy
Fee: $150.00
OCTOBER 16!!!
Sophomores/Juniors- will be taking a practice ACT. Feedback will be provided.
Freshman - will be taking a Career Interest/Aptitude Test. Feedback will be provided.
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018, 08:15 AM
Blackman High School, Blaze Drive, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
ACT Dates
Test Dates:
October 27th
December 8th
February 9th
April 13th
June 8th
Register online at actstudent.org. The Blackman High School code is 431636.
Attendance Matters!
First Safety Announcement!
A fire can breakout with little or no warning. The more prepared you are, the safer you will be. Have a meeting location at school and at home that everyone will gather after a fire evacuation. A meeting location will help you quickly verify that everyone made it out safely.
Senior Parent's Section
Senior Newsletters
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.
Transcript Requests
Colleges and universities will ask that your student send an official transcript when they submit an application. 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
FAFSA: Available October 1st
You can apply beginning Oct. 1, 2018 and have no later than February 1st to submit your application. You need to apply as soon as you can – the sooner the better! Schools and states use FAFSA information to award financial aide as well as scholarships. You can submit the FAFSA application at www.fafsa.gov
FAFSA FRENZY!
- Eric Farmer from Tennessee Student Assistance will be at Blackman Tuesday, January 15 from 9-1pm and 5-7pm to help our senior students and parents of seniors complete their FAFSA. The library computer lab has been reserved.
- FAFSA opens October 1, 2018 and closes February 1, 2019
Tennessee Promise
The state of Tennessee is offering two years of tuition-free community or technical college through the TN Promise. The deadline for students to apply is by November 1, 2018. Apply at tnpromise.gov.
Students must file their FAFSA by February 1st, 2019, attend two mandatory meetings held at local high schools with the partnering organization, and complete 8 hours of community service for each semester they receive TN Promise funding.
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 and counselor.