The Quill 10-16-20
Creating Opportunities Together
A Thought or Two From Mr. Nieslanik
In twenty-eight years of public education I have never said this in mid-October, "We are over half done with the first semester." With this said, there are several key pieces of information around grades and scheduling that are important to share:
- Please check ParentVue to see how your child is doing in class academically. If you have any questions about your child's grade first ask them, if after you ask them feel free to reach out to the teacher.
- The end of the first semester is on November 12th. The beginning of quarter/semester 2 is Monday, November 16th.
- If you need academic supports as we move into the next several weeks before the end of this grading period, reach out to your child's counselor via email.
- Quarter/Semester Two schedules are in studentvue, but please know that we have to balance classes and cohorts so student schedules may change as we move closer to the beginning of the next grading period.
As Always, take care and be well.
College Corner and Information
Check out the list of colleges virtually visiting BSD high schools! This list is impressive. If you would like your child to attend one of these virtual college visits, complete this form!
Our Counselors will be visiting all senior advisories the week of October 21 presenting a general overview of post-high school options and sharing some pointers on what actions need to be taken when. Then on October 28 and November 4 our counseling team will be holding break-out information sessions on:
- Scholarships
- Applying for the community college and the Oregon Promise
- Completing the Common Application
- How to complete a college search and narrowing down certificates and degrees available
- A Q&A session in Spanish on post-high school options
October 26-October 29 is BSD Senior College Information Week! Check out these information sessions available to you and your senior!
Suicide and Mental Health Awareness Week
IB Test Registration and Information
IB Test Registration is OPEN for all Juniors and Seniors. All juniors and seniors who are in an IB Class are encouraged to complete the assessments necessary to possibly receive college credit for the class. The registration form is available HERE and is due by October 30th. A couple points to consider:
1. My own daughter, who graduated in 2016, received enough credits from her IB classes that she was able to graduate one term early. She was not an IB Diploma candidate.
2. Oregon universities offer credit for a 4 or higher on Summative Exam scores.
3. If your child is on Free/Reduced Lunch the cost of the exam is paid for. You do have to provide proof of Free/Reduced Lunch status by presenting your letter received from BSD Nutrition Services.
This video will help you navigate the importance of taking IB exams and the how to complete the registration process.
October Parent Information Night--Canvas and Technology Support
Join Mr. Nieslanik and our Library Instructional and Technology Teacher Wayne Grimm on Thursday 10/22 from 6:30-7:30pm for a brief overview of Canvas and how to best navigate Canvas as a parent.
A secure Zoom Link will be sent to all parents on Thursday 10/22 via School Messenger.
Important Attendance Information
We highly encourage students to attend the synchronous instructional periods during the school day, but we do understand if periodically students need to access the instruction asynchronously via Canvas.
If students cannot attend class, it is important that PARENTS or GUARDIANS excuse them from class. Students may not excuse themselves from class. The attendance line is 503-356-2891. An email to the teacher also does not suffice as either present or absent. Thank you for understanding.
Hawk Support Time is Expanding!
Junior and Senior Parents: It's TIme to Begin Thinking About Grad Night!
Wave Learning Festival
Wave Learning Festival offers free educational online programming for students of all ages. They offer free tutoring sessions from college students on all subjects, speaker events from influencers like Ruta Sepetys and organizations like MEDLIFE, and career & college apps workshops.
Wave Learning Festival opens the doors of education to all passionate learners, eliminating price from the equation. Some of our initiatives include:
Registration for Tide 2 opens on 10/15. Tutoring, college application help, and special events are all open for drop-in and rolling registration. To see the current offerings or to register, go to https://www.wavelf.org/