BHS November Parent Newsletter
-From the Counseling Department
Dear parents,
One of our focuses at BHS is to provide a safe haven for learning. I have been at many different high schools, and BHS is the most supportive and accepting and inclusive of any I’ve been in. Our students are really amazing kids! And I credit that to their parents.
However, recently, we had some student incidents, which appeared to be related to national events. We immediately handled situations as they came to us. We do not tolerate bullying or harassment or acts of hate for any reason, and we have high expectations that students act in a caring, supportive, and inclusive manner while at school. Please let us know if your child has any concerns. We will address them immediately.
We will continue to uphold the values that we hold dear at Blackman, and we appreciate your support at home as you talk to your students about treating each other with the respect everyone deserves.
Go Blaze!
-Dr. Leisa Justus
Counseling Updates
Continue to check the counseling 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
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.
The Blackman Experience
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
Governor's School
Some Governor’s Schools award college credit for courses completed during the program, while others do not. The number of college credits offered by specific Governor’s Schools will vary. Please refer to the descriptions of each program within the application packet for information regarding whether a specific Governor’s School will offer college credit. All students who complete the program will be awarded a certificate of merit signed by the governor. Governor's School is a way to graduate with distinction if you maintain a 3.0 GPA!
Contact Ms. Villarreal for more information.
LaunchMyCareerTN.org
ACT Dates
December 10th
February 11th
April 8th
June 10th
Register online at actstudent.org. The Blackman High School code is 431636.
Saturday ACT Prep Session on Nov. 19th
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
Attendance matters!
Senior Parent's Section
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 1st, 2016. Apply at tnpromise.gov. The first mandatory meeting was held on Oct. 12th during Prime Time.
Students 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 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.
Scholarships
A Message From MTSU Regarding Scholarship Deadlines
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Chancellor: 30 ACT (1320 SAT), 3.5 GPA, $5,000 a year
Presidential: 28 ACT or (1240 SAT), 3.5 GPA, $4,000 a year
True Blue: 26 ACT (1170 SAT), 3.5 GPA, $3,000 a year
Provost: 25 ACT (1130 SAT), 3.5 GPA, $2,000 a year
Middle Tennessee State University awards an array of guaranteed academic merit scholarship opportunities to first-time, incoming freshmen based on ACT scores and GPA. To be considered for a Freshman Guaranteed Scholarships, students must be a first-time incoming freshman who plans to enroll at MTSU in the Summer or Fall semester. And, we can’t stress this enough: You must have ALL of the following on file with the Admissions Office by Dec. 1 to be considered for a scholarship:
- Admission application to MTSU
- Application fee paid
- Qualifying official ACT and/or SAT test score (without the writing subscore / only ACT/SAT scores through the December test date are considered)
- Qualifying official sixth-semester high school transcript with cumulative GPA requirement
- Must be U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
- No separate scholarship application is required for guaranteed academic scholarships. Student will receive notification of the scholarship award offer by February.
If you apply and submit materials Dec. 1 and meet the appropriate academic criteria of one of our awards (see above chart), you will get a scholarship. If you don’t, you likely will not get one of these scholarships – no matter how great your credentials might be.
“It’s heartbreaking for us when we have terrific students with amazing credentials, who can’t get a scholarship at MTSU because they didn’t file by the Dec. 1 deadline,” said Andrew Oppmann, MTSU’s vice president for marketing and communications. “Whether MTSU is your destination university, or we are one of many options you are considering, we urge all qualified applicants to apply by Dec. 1,” Oppmann said. “Simply put, it’s money on the table and keeps your options open.” Oppmann said students who qualify must accept the scholarship by May 1.
The fine print:
- GPA and test scores on file with the Admissions Office at the time of the scholarship review will be used for awarding purposes. Typically, the 6th-semester cumulative GPA and ACT/SAT scores (without writing sub-scores) through the December test date will be used for scholarship considerations. Students taking a December test should include MTSU as a score recipient to ensure that scores arrive in time for scholarship consideration.
- We are happy to accept a weighted GPA if one is provided by the high school, but are unable to calculate a GPA other than what is provided on the official transcript. We will consider your highest test score (without writing sub-scores) on a single national or state test date.
- Unless noted, scholarships are granted for a maximum of 8 semesters. Scholarships are not available during the summer term.
- Recipients must meet GPA, enrollment, service (where applicable), and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to maintain continuing eligibility. In general, students receiving most MTSU Academic Merit Scholarships must earn a 3.0 cumulative MTSU GPA as measured at the end of each fall/spring semester.
- In the event that MTSU offers multiple scholarships to a student, only one scholarship from the MTSU Financial Aid & Scholarship Office (including the Buchanan Fellowship) can be accepted. A student may receive a university scholarship in addition to a Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship.
- A student's total aid including scholarships cannot exceed his or her budgeted Cost of Attendance. For more information, email our MT One Stop at MTOneStop@mtsu.edu.