BCIT MEDFORD NEWSLETTER
August 2017
Principal's Message
Parents & Students:
As we approach the opening of school on September 6th, the BCIT staff and administration want to make sure that you have all the information that you need for a successful start of the school year. This month’s newsletter will provide you additional information regarding important items such as school lunches, dress code regulations, and the back to school letter from Dr. Nagy, the Superintendent of Schools.
For all our new families to BCIT, transportation information will be forwarded to you from your home school district in the very near future. BCIT does not determine pick-up times or locations, as all transportation information is provided by your home district. Please direct all questions and concerns to your home district’s transportation department. Contact information can be found on your home district’s webpage.
Also, parents that drop-off their children at BCIT in the morning, the building will be open for students promptly at 7:40am. Students are to be dropped off in front of the building by the flagpole and enter through the doors by the Medford sign. DO NOT ENTER THROUGH THE MAIN OFFICE. There will be a staff member at the student entrance door to allow the students to enter.
Enjoy the last few weeks of the summer and please feel free to contact BCIT if you have any questions as you prepare for the upcoming school year.
Thank you,
Mike Parker
Principal BCIT Medford
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nagy: Back to School Letter
August 2017
Dear BCIT Families:
Summer vacation is more than halfway over, and back-to-school time is quickly approaching. Staff and administrators have been working diligently to ensure that when our children return to school, resources are in place to support teaching and learning. To support workforce development and student opportunities, a School of Construction Technology has been launched. Please see my blog or our website for more information. We are proud of our upgrades to various programs in both buildings, namely Cosmetology, Pre-Engineering, Welding and Information Technology. We are continuing to improve the integration of technology into classroom instruction while maintaining and improving facilities and security. To this end, our administrative team has been trained on the use of social media to keep our parents and public informed. Last, I am proud of our student achievement results for this past year, which reflect our identified strategic interventions. Congratulations.
The first day of school for students is Wednesday, September 6, 2017. Important information may be found on our district website, www.bcit.cc, including:
· The district calendar
· The BCIT Parent/Student Handbook
· Information regarding emergency school closings and delays is in the student handbook
· Information regarding school lunches on each campus website
· Information regarding the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act for students.
We wish everyone a pleasant remainder of the summer and hope you join in our enthusiasm for another great year of learning. Through the ongoing support of the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Board of Education, we look forward to continuing to pursue our shared mission to prepare adolescents and adults of Burlington County to enter the labor market, serve our country in the military, and/or continue their education.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher Nagy
Superintendent of Schools
District Canine Search Information
September 2017
Dear Students and Families:
This letter is to advise you that the Burlington County Special Services School District (BCSSSD) and Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) will engage in random searches utilizing drug-detection canines. As a key component of our district's’ continuing efforts to maintain a safe, orderly, and drug-free learning environment, the BCSSSD/BCIT Board of Education has an express policy that permits searches of student lockers and other areas of the school by drug-detection canines.
Board policy authorizes drug-scent dogs to conduct suspicionless inspections on school property. Inspections will be conducted by handlers and dogs trained and licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the State of New Jersey. In addition to lockers, the drug-detection dogs may inspect classrooms, vehicles parked on school property, desks, handbags/purses, backpacks, portable containers and outer clothing removed from students.
Such searches will not be announced in advance. The school district conducts such searches with advanced approval by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s office. All efforts shall be made by the canine drug detection teams to avoid direct contact with students.
Please review the attached Board of Education Policy regarding the use of Drug-Detection Canines. If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact your building principal.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher Nagy,
Superintendent of SchoolsSchool Lunch Information
Click the button below to go to the School Lunch Web Page
We need your input!!!
Please complete this short four question survey.
GENESIS PARENT PORTAL INFORMATION
Incoming students and parents will receive an e-mail with their account information.
E-mails will come from genesis@bcit.cc. Please add this address to your safe sender list. The email will be sent to the email address provided during the admissions process.
Back-to-School forms are open in the Parent Portal along with student schedules.
Parent Portal - How to Read and Submit Forms
Transportation Information
Your sending district will provide your family transportation information mid-August. BCIT does not coordinate transportation for our students. Any issues that you may have with times and locations for pick-up and drop-off need to be discussed with your district transportation departments.
Click here to view the contact information for all the sending districts.
STUDENT ADDRESS/INFORMATION CHANGE FORM
Any address change must be submitted to the Guidance department in writing. This is the only way to ensure proper busing information is submitted to transportation. Updating the Emergency Card your child will receive in homeroom will not change your address in Genesis. The Student Address/Telephone/Information Change form is available via the BCIT Medford Campus homepage under Site Shortcuts.
STUDENT PICK UP DURING SCHOOL HOURS:
The safety of our students is our main priority. Guardians and authorized emergency contacts may pick up a student during school hours in the Main Office. When arriving in the Main Office, a driver’s license or state/federal issued I.D. must be presented. Students will not be released to anyone who does not provide proper identification.
Guardians must send written authorization in the form of an email in order to authorize someone who is NOT listed in Genesis to pick up their student. The email should be sent to mainoffice@bcit.cc from the email address listed in Genesis and include the following information:
Date
Student’s name and grade level
Name of the person picking up the student
Time and reason of departure
Your name and relationship to student
Your phone number (phone number must match what is listed in Genesis)
The person being designated to pick up their student must present a driver’s license or state/federal issued I.D. when arriving at the Main Office. Once the email is received, the student will be released.
Please review the contact information in Genesis for your student to ensure that the most current information has been provided. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Main Office at 609-654-0200 ext. 8411.
Medford Campus Summer Assignment
School ID's
All students are required to have a school I.D. on them at all times when in the building. This card is to be worn and visible when you are on school property. If you are asked for it by any staff member you are required to hand it to the person making the request. If you lose your I.D. card, a new one must be purchased. Students can visit the main office to have a new ID printed. Homeroom teachers will also conduct an ID check and a list of those students names without an I.D. will be sent to the Main Office. A new I.D. is then printed and delivered to the students that morning. An obligation will automatically be issued to the student for $5.00. Parents can view fines through the parent portal. Obligations can be paid to the main office or through MY-SCHOOL BUCKS from the Medford homepage. If a student has an open obligation, the Parent Portal will have limited access until the obligation is closed. An “$” sign indicates that a student has an open fine.
School IDs will be provided on the first day of school. As part of the New Student Orientation, students will have their pictures taken in preparation of the opening of school. Students that are not able to attend the orientation will have their picture taken during the first week of school.
Dress Code Update
The purpose of this dress code is to prepare students for expectations of the world of work and to promote the image of the school district. The standards are (1) Workplace Preparation, (2) Safety, and (3) Professionalism. Students are urged to emulate the dress code of successful adults in the occupation for which they are preparing. All students are required to dress in a manner that reflects good taste, modesty, and appropriateness. Choice of attire should be made according to the health, safety, and welfare of all students.
Major Changes:
- Solid Collared shirts of any color are approved
- BCIT apparel, including BCIT Hoodies (excluding T-Shirts and Sports Uniforms) are approved.
Visit BCIT on Facebook...
Student Parking Information
Student Driver's are required to have the following information in order to obtain a parking permit at BCIT-Medford:
1. Driver’s license
2. Registration card
3. Insurance card
4. License plate #
5. Signed and dated BCIT Parking Lot Rules and Regulations Form
When you are ready to register your vehicle please see Mrs. Chamberlain in the Main Office
Juniors...Online Financial Literacy Program
Steps for Setting your account:
Go to www.bcit.cc and Click on Choose a School (choose Medford Campus).
Under Important Links click on Financial Literacy and click on Student Login.
Enter your username and password (Student ID for both). Your home page has a list of the modules for your course of study.
The first time you login you will be given a benchmark quiz which will measure
your existing financial literacy level. The results will NOT be considered a part of
your grade. You must complete this preliminary quiz before starting on Module 1.
Complete the modules in the order presented by clicking launch next to the
module. Each module will take you about 20 to 40 minutes to complete.
Closed lock indicates that the module cannot be accessed or completed.
Open lock indicates that the module can be accessed.
Retake indicates that your instructor has approved a retake of the module
After a new concept has been introduced, you will be quizzed using a question to
test your understanding of the material. The correct answer will be displayed
along with an explanation of why the answer is correct. Once you have answered
a question and the correct answer has been displayed you will not be able to
return to that question again unless retake for module indicated.
You can read the content on the screen or listen to them over the speakers of your computer or both. The audio can be muted by clicking the button in the audio box. Font size can be adjusted by clicking on the magnifying glass under module list. A post-test is to be taken after all modules are completed. An electronic system will keep track of your score on each module and will provide you with the percent that you got correct. The points on each question accumulate to your total score for each module, so please take your time and read each question carefully before you answer.
You need to Login and Logout every time you use MoneySKILL. Remember, you
must always logout when exiting the course.
STUDENT SCHEDULING INFORMATION:
Student schedules will be available in the Genesis Parent Portal. Please contact the Guidance Department at 609.654.0200 ext. 8423 if you need access to the Genesis Parent Portal. Changes to student schedules after the start of the school year will only be considered for the following reasons:
- A data or statistical error in the schedule, i.e., two subjects in one period, no lunch, wrong grade level for English, etc.
- To meet graduation requirements or mandated program requirements.
- If student failed with scheduled teacher in the previous year and another teacher is available. Where necessary, such changes will be made at counselor discretion, and only after extensive review of the circumstances.
- Improper program/level placement, i.e., student is not in the course(s) as indicated on the course request form.
In all cases, except a clerical or data error, parental permission or parental awareness is necessary in writing before any change can be made. No course may be dropped after the first interim report is issued. Students may not transfer out of any class after four (4) weeks from the beginning of semester course and after nine (9) weeks from the beginning of a full year course.
EXPLORATORY: CAREER MAJOR
The purpose of the Career Major Exploratory Program is to expose all incoming students to a select number of career options prior to their selection of a career major course. The student, parent, guidance counselors, Child Study Team, and career major instructor will participate in the career major selection process.
PROCEDURE:
Each entering student will have four exploratory cycles in career majors during the first semester of his or her initial year at BCIT. Students will select three career majors and will be assigned to one non-traditional career major. New student exploratory programs will be scheduled in the fourth block of each day.
At the conclusion of the fourth exploratory cycle, the student will have the opportunity to select first and second career major choices, with the advice of his/her parent/guardian and career major instructor.
All students will then be ranked in each CTE area based on their academic performance. Guidance counselors will assess and match students to their career major choices dependent upon each student’s ranking, space availability in the career major program, and student/parent selections for first and second choices. It is important that students perform their best in each exploratory in an effort to get their 1st or 2nd choice of Career Major.
IMPORTANT TESTING DATES
STUDENT-ATHLETE INFORMATION:
Any senior student-athlete wishing to compete in the NCAA Division I or II must complete an application through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Log on to www.ncaaeligibilitycenter.org to register. You must complete this process to receive any type of athletic scholarship money! Student athletes are reminded to send their SAT and ACT test scores to the Eligibility Center by entering the code “9999” in the box when registering for the tests.
FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION:
Looking for national scholarships? Complete the registration at www.fastweb.com to receive email notifications of scholarship programs.
Visit www.meritaid.com to find merit-based scholarship opportunities from colleges before you apply. This website can help students with merit-based scholarships from colleges that reflect your accomplishments and interests.
Another good resource for researching scholarships is www.finaid.org .
Paper FAFSAs will no longer be delivered in bulk to high schools. Students are able to obtain a paper FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Students are encouraged to file the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov for faster processing. A PDF version of the FAFSA is also available for download at www. studentaid.ed.gov.
The US Department of Education sponsors www.studentaid.ed.gov, which provides helpful information on preparing for college, types of financial aid, determining who is eligible for financial aid, how to apply for aid with the FAFSA, and information on repaying your loans.
Attendance Policy
Every student is expected to be in school every day, all day. Should the student be absent in excess of 8 days per semester, then he/she will be placed on non-credit status. Students who reach a total of 16 or more days absent from school for the semester will not be eligible for non–credit remediation, and may be referred to the Superintendent for consideration for referral to the Board of Education for action.
Partial absences caused by lateness to school or early departure from school will be counted toward non-credit. Each partial absence will be equal to at least .25 of a day. Four (4) such partial absences shall equal one (1) day absence for the purpose of non-credit.
DROPPING OFF MEDICATION FOR STUDENTS
Parents/guardians dropping off medication for their child(ren) are required to bring a valid driver's license or state/federal issued I.D., the physician prescription, and the prescribed medication. After signing in at the Main Office, you will then meet with the school nurse who will store the medication for your child.
Medford Online Payment System...Get signed up!!!
Medford Tech is happy to announce that our online payments are currently active for General Obligation (ID’s, books, etc.) and various student activity payments (Homecoming, Activity Dues, Senior Trip, Prom, etc.). To make an online payment, please click HERE and create a MySchoolBucks account; then find your product and make a payment.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MY SCHOOL BUCKS IS NOT FOR SCHOOL LUNCH PAYMENTS!
All parents/guardians of freshmen students should create a MySchoolBucks account. Please reference the online user guide below for assistance.
Creating A Parent Account (Click link - scroll halfway down page and look for MSB link on right)
Please check out our online spirit wear store to get your Medford Tech apparel. It can be customized for any academic, career major content area, club/activity or athletic team. The items are shipped directly to your house. Please click HERE to take you directly to the online store.
Student Activities
Please take the time to visit our student-activity information during the summer. We encourage every student to get involved in at least one club/activity. Please visit both of the links below for more information.
Click here for the link to all the Medford Clubs
COLLEGE ENROLLMENT UP FOR CTE STUDENTS
CTE students have dramatically increased their postsecondary enrollment since the 1990s, according to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), particularly students earning more CTE credits.
High school graduates from the class of 2004 with some CTE but less than two credits, and high school graduates who earned 2-3 CTE credits, had enrolled in college eight years later at nearly the same rate—90 percent and 91 percent. This was a big jump for those students earning 2-3 CTE credits (i.e., CTE concentrators) since the latter 20th century. However, completion rates only increased for students who took 4-plus CTE credits. Completion decreased for all other groups—students taking CTE and those who never took CTE. This echoes data on challenges in earning credentials across the education spectrum.
To help you access CTE data, NCES has augmented its public data center for CTE with new tables on high school students’ education and career plans, their career preparation and work-based learning activities, and who influenced them in their career plans. For instance, this new data shares that 34 percent of students who started high school in 2009 had worked or volunteered in a job related to their career goals by 2012. Other new data looks at postsecondary offerings and credentials, broken down by certificates that take varying amounts of time as well as by associate and bachelor’s degrees.
Updated Shop Renovation
MEDFORD ATHLETICS
Fall sports (Boys/Girls Soccer, Boys/Girls Cross Country and Field Hockey) have begun for the season. Please contact Mr. Pappler if your son or daughter would like to join a team
All student-athletes must register online each season (fall, winter and spring) for athletics.
Click Here For Online Athletic Registration.
In addition, each student-athlete must have a valid physical and other required forms on file with the nurse’s office prior to participation in athletics. The school’s physician must approve all physicals completed by any private physician prior to final clearance.
Our school physician performs physicals at each campus twice a month. We recommend that student-athletes get a physical at school as this helps to streamline the approval process (less paperwork). If you plan on getting a physical at Medford Tech, you must call the athletic office and make an appointment prior to getting the physical.
For more information and updates about Medford’s athletics (coaches, schedules, required paperwork, etc.) please reference Mr. Jesse Pappler’s website. This can be viewed by clicking HERE.
We encourage all students to get involved in athletics. Especially as an incoming student, becoming part of a team is a great way to instantly make twenty or thirty new friends.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the specific coach or the athletic director.
Athletic Packet & Registration Information
A complete participation packet with signed consent forms must be submitted to the Athletic Department in order for a student-athlete to tryout in any sport. Packets are available on the school athletics website under the Athletic Director’s website. Please review the website for additional information regarding our programs. Please ensure to submit all required forms - click the link below for more information.
Sports Registration has moved on-line!!!
ALL Student-Athletes must register on-line to participate in any sport at B.C.I.T.
Click Here For Online Athletic Registration
A complete athletic participation packet with signed consent forms must be submitted to the Athletic Department in order for a student-athlete to tryout in any sport. Packets are available on the school athletics website under athletics on Mr. Pappler's website. Pleaser review the website for additional information regarding our programs. Please ensure to submit all required forms - click the link below for more information.
Click Here For a List of Coaches
SCHOOL TO WORK
Emergency Closing/Delayed Opening Procedures:
In the event of a campus emergency or inclement weather, staff members will be contacted via email, phone message, and text message. In addition, we will post a Special Alert Message on our website.
Staff Members, Help us Contact You.
Have you moved? Have you changed your phone number or email address? Please make sure to update your information with BCIT Personnel.
Students will be contacted using information stored in Genesis, our electronic student database. Parents should be reminded to ensure their contact information is up-to-date. Any changes should be reported to the main office of the student's school.