BFHS BlueJay Beat
NOVEMBER 2019
BONDURANT-FARRAR HIGH SCHOOL CORE VALUES
- Communicate and Collaborate Effectively
- Solve Problems
- Persevere
- Be Culturally and Socially Respectful
MESSAGE FROM MR. GARNASS
Wow! We have entered the home stretch of the first semester and are quickly approaching the holiday seasons.
We have many things to be thankful for...
As we approach the Thanksgiving break, we are asking all students to have their items cleared out of the locker rooms by Tuesday, November 26th. Custodial staff will be doing a thorough deep cleaning on November 27th. We appreciate your assistance in reminding your child to have items cleared out in advance. This information will be shared with students via email and having signs posted.
* ISASP Data from spring 2019 was released on Monday, Nov. 4th. The embargo was in place through Nov. 11th. We handed student data to teachers this past Monday to review. Students district wide will be receiving their individual student reports on Monday, November 18th. The results will be sent home with your child.
* The next grade post for progress monitoring is on Wednesday, Dec. 4th. All work will need to be turned in by the end of the day on Monday, Dec. 2nd.
* Our first PAC (Parent Advisory Committee) meeting for this year will be on Thursday, Nov. 14th in the HS media center. We welcome anyone to attend. I will be sharing updates on student data, building specific items, etc.
Have a GREAT rest of November!
Respectfully,
Erik Garnass
@erikgarnass
Follow us on twitter @BFHS_News & @BlueJayNation
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT BFHS??
VETERANS DAY 2019
Thank you for your service, Mr. Bailey!
BFCSD staff recognized on Veterans Day 2019!
CLASS SNAPSHOTS
November 11 - Veteran's Day
November 22 - Career Fair
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to the following students for being recognized as the OCTOBER Student of the Month in respective departments:
Art: Ethan Bartamus (11)
CTE: Lydia Johnson (12)
Lang Arts: Brianna Bruere (11)
Math: Kwaku Gyan (12)
Music: Koby Nelson (11)
PE/Health: Jacob Havener (11)
Science: Ajene Scott (10)
Social Studies: Everett White (9)
World Lang: Abbie Rinehart (9)
Science Department Update
Sophmore Biology
The sophomores have been manipulating the environment around plant cells in biology class. The students now know why you should not drink pure water or saltwater. They created different concentrations of salt water and then monitored their effects on the size of the cell membrane. “Why does the cell membrane in a plant shrink, but not the cell wall when it is exposed to saltwater?” If you see a 10th-grade student ask if they can answer that question. The lab has been a great change of pace. Take a look at the cells change…
World Language Update
A lot has been happening in our Foreign Language class! Over the past two months, our Chinese students celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival in September. Students learned about the cultural background of this holiday and made a craft in class. C-Fresh Market in Des Moines donated Chinese snacks and mooncakes, which is an unusual dessert eaten during this holiday.
Two students from China came to join us for three days in October. They were hosted by two families of our Chinese language students. It was an excellent opportunity for our students to interact with students from China and be able to practice their language. The students from China were able to experience Iowa by visiting a corn maze and a farm with their host families. The visiting students told me they felt welcome and enjoyed their experience at BFHS. Thank you for welcoming them and giving them your best.
FALL CHOIR CONCERT
RRC HONOR CHOIR
Check out the official athletics site of Bondurant-Farrar HS for recent updates and news:
BFHS School Counseling Department
The end of the semester is in only a few short weeks away (Jan 11). It’s essential to finish the semester strong. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions regarding their progress in any class. Our next grade check will be December 4, 2019.
DMACC Discovery Days
We continue to take sophomores to DMACC Discovery Days. Sophomores have the opportunity to learn about college and career readiness by discovering professions and career paths. These days allow students to explore career pathways through hands-on activity sessions, visiting a business, and learning about educational opportunities from instructors at DMACC.
We visited Dmacc for Engineering technology day for those interested in exploring future educational and career options in the following areas: Applied Engineering (Wind & Electro-mechanical), Electronics & Robotics, Civil Engineering, Tool & Die/Advanced Manufacturing, Welding and CAD Technology. Students had the opportunity to attend activity sessions related to each program and got a first-hand look at careers in these areas by touring a local business
We attended the Polk County Criminal Court Building and had the opportunity to view a civil trial in session. Students also had the opportunity to visit the Juvenile Justice Center and hear from professionals in a variety of legal fields including District Court Judge, Judicial Specialists – Court Room Support, Court Specialists – Case Coordinators, Law Clerks and the Supervisor and Clerk from the Polk County Clerk’s Office. This was a great day for those interested in Court Reporting, Paralegal, Public Administration, Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement or Pre-law/Law School. We learned that to be a lawyer and eventually a judge, it is most helpful to have excellent English skills as they do a lot of reading and writing.
Seniors had the opportunity to attend a senior luncheon where we practiced table manners in a formal setting and enjoyed conversing with each other face to face. A representative from Dmacc spoke about the Last Dollar Scholarship and going to school for free. They also spoke about how easy the transition is from DMACC to a 4-year university.
Seniors, it’s time to complete FAFSA!
Click here for a quick video and priority dates from ICAN.
Looking ahead
Thursday, November 14 - AP REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR AP TESTS IN MAY
Friday, November 15 - Last day to sign up for DMACC spring classes
December 14 - ACT Testing Date
Tammy Kaufman
Important Numbers/Websites
Suicide Prevention LIfeline 1-800-273-8255
Casey McMurray
Mrs. McMurray is the counselor for the Classes of 2021 & 2023. Her email is mcmurrayc@bfschools.org
ACT Registration Info
RESOURCES WHEN IN NEED
Attention Seniors: CPR REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION
The Healthy Kids Act (Senate File 2425) requires all students by the end of grade twelve shall complete a certification course for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CPR can be taken with the nurse during flex your senior year, or you can take the Red Cross on line CPR course at aeak12online.org Sign in using your school Google account. Select one of two CPR courses (Adult only or Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED). Once you complete the course, print off the certificate and bring it to the nurse.
ATTENTION 11th GRADE PARENTS/GUARDIANS
Please be aware that the Iowa Department of Public Health has made changes to the Iowa Immunization law regarding the Meningococcal vaccine starting the 2017/18 school year. All students entering 12th grade must have proof of having two meningococcal vaccines before school starts their senior year. There is NO grace period for the implementation of this requirement. In order for your student to attend the first day of school in August, written proof of these two vaccines must be received in the High School Health Office.
Please make arrangements now to receive these vaccines and provide written proof to your school nurse as soon as possible. Thank you for your attention to this new requirement.
Health & Academics
The academic success of America’s youth is strongly linked with their health and is one way to predict adult health outcomes. Healthy students are better learners. Health-risk behaviors such as early sexual initiation, violence, and substance use are consistently linked to poor grades and test scores and lower educational attainment.1-5 In turn, academic success is an excellent indicator for the overall well-being of youth and a primary predictor and determinant of adult health outcomes.6-8 Leading national education organizations recognize the close relationship between health and education, as well as the need to foster health and well-being within the educational environment for all students.9-12
Schools are the Right Place for a Healthy Start
Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. Research shows that school health programs reduce the prevalence of health risk behaviors among youth and have a positive effect on academic performance.13 CDC analyzes research findings to develop strategies for schools to address health risk behaviors among students and creates tools to help schools implement these strategies.
Health & Academics: What the Research Says
Compared to students who received mostly As, those who reported receiving mostly Ds and Fs were:
More than 11 times more likely to have injected illegal drugs
More than 4 times more likely to have had four or more sexual partners
5 times more likely to miss school because of safety concerns
2 times more likely to feel sad or hopeless
Source: CDC. Health-Related Behaviors and Academic Achievement Among High School Students — United States, 2015. MMWR 2017;66:921–927.
FROM THE DESK OF MR. SADLER (SRO)
HARASSMENT
What is harassment?
A person commits harassment when, with intent to intimidate, annoy, or alarm another person.
Bullying: Bullying may be characterized as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behavior, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.
Examples of bullying could be:
- abuse of power or authority
- verbal, written and/or physical intimidation e.g. threats, mocking
- persistent unjustified criticism
- public humiliation
Cyberbullying: The use of the internet, cell phone, email, instant messaging, chat rooms, or social networks to harass, demean, embarrass, or intimidate someone.
Stalking: The act of pursuing game, prey, or a person by stealth; the act of harassing an individual in an aggressive, threatening, or illegal manner.
What is sexual harassment?
Harassment is uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature.
Examples of sexual harassment are:
- Sexual Jokes
- Touching in an inappropriate way
- Rubbing up against someone in a provocative way
- Inappropriate gestures
- Drawing sexually explicit pictures and passing them around
- Spreading rumors about another person’s sexual behavior
- Calling other students names in a sexual context
What should I do if I am being harassed/sexually harassed?
1. Don’t blame yourself. The person who is harassing you is the one doing something wrong and you haven’t done anything to cause the harassment, even if you flirted with this person or liked him/her.
2. Say “No” Clearly. Tell the person who is harassing you that his/her behavior offends you. They may not realize how hurtful their behavior is and may need a clear message from you to stop.
3. Write down what happened. When someone harasses you or makes you feel uncomfortable, document it. Document in a notebook, or in your phone what happened, the date it happened, where it happened, and who else may have seen or heard the harassment. Also document what you did in response, and how the harassment made you feel. Save any notes, e-mails, text messages, or pictures the harasser sent or posted about you. It is a good idea to keep these records somewhere besides school, such as in your home or another safe place. If the harassment takes place online, take steps to save and store the harassing content in case it gets removed or deleted later.
4. Report the Harassment. It is very important that you tell your parents or another adult, like a teacher, counselor, school resource officer, assistant principal or principal about the harassment. If you want the school to do something about the harassment.
· If the incident happened outside of school, inform your parents/guardian and make the determination if you should report it to law enforcement.
How to respond to harassment/sexual harassment:
- Be firm. Look them in the eye and denounce their behavior with a strong, clear voice. Many people prefer to name the behavior. For example, you can say “Do not [what they’re doing], that’s harassment.” You can also simply say “that is not okay” or “don’t speak to me like that.”
- Don’t engage. Harassers may try to argue with you or dismiss you through further conversation or by making fun of you. As tempting as it may be get into a verbal war with them, it is not recommended. The attention may further feed their abusive behavior.
- Keep moving. Once you’ve said your piece, keep it moving. Harassers don’t deserve the pleasure of your company.
708.7 Harassment
- Harassment in the first degree is an aggravated misdemeanor.
- Harassment in the second degree is a serious misdemeanor.
- Harassment in the third degree is a simple misdemeanor.
Resources:
https://www.stopbullying.gov/kids/what-you-can-do/index.html
https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/research/education-law/harassment-at-school.html
https://www.equalrights.org/legal-help/know-your-rights/sexual-harassment-at-school/
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/sexual-harassment.cfmBondurant-Farrar High School
Email: garnasse@bfschools.org
Website: bfschools.org
Location: 1000 Grant Street North, Bondurant, IA, United States
Phone: (515) 957-8191
Twitter: @BFHS_News
It is the policy of the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator; Chad Carlson, Director of Administrative Services, 300 Garfield St SW, Bondurant, IA 50035, 515-967-7819, carlsonc@bfschools.org. -OR- Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661-7204, Telephone: (312) 730-1560, Facsimile: (312) 730-1576, Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov