Blue Hills News
September 21, 2023
Dear Blue Hills Families
Lots of updates this week - happy reading!
Progress Reports
Progress Reports will be available tomorrow, October 6. The Academic office will be sending a call home with an email on how to access your student's progress. "Progress Reports" are comprised of teacher comments, which have been entered into PowerSchool.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher conferences will be held on October 18 (Grades 9 and 11) and October 26 (Grades 10 and 12). A letter was sent by the Academic office and can be found here. Afternoon conferences are virtual and signups are required. Evening conferences are in-person, and are first-come, first-served.
MySchoolBucks - Activity Fees
You should have received an invoice this week for the annual student activity fee. Fees should be paid through MySchoolBucks. Thank you for your attention to this.
Uniforms (Grades 10, 11, and 12 - Important!)
For students in grades 10, 11 and 12 - The uniform ordering window has been extended to Wednesday, October 11 for students in programs who order from store.bluehills.org. Please be sure to check with your student's teachers before ordering. Students are reminded that uniforms are mandatory in all vocational programs. The next ordering window will be in February.
Want a second (or third) lunch? Snacks?
Be sure to add money to MySchoolBucks in order to purchase these extras.
PSAT Registration
The PSAT will be administered on Tuesday, October 24th to those Juniors that have registered.
To register for the test, please click on the link below. This will take you to the registration form in Family ID and provides additional information.
Family ID Link: PSAT Family ID Registration & Information Class of 2025
**There is an $18.00 fee to take the test, which needs to be paid in advance of the test using the Student’s My School Bucks Account.
The Family ID permission form and the test fee need to be complete in order for the student to take the test. The last day to return the permission slip and test fee is October 17th.
Please call the Guidance Office with any questions. 781-828-5800 x2260
Monday, October 2 was National Custodian Day. We have an amazing team at BHR, working behind the scenes to maintain and create a clean and welcoming environment here at Blue Hills. They are "unsung heroes" of our school! Thank you!
Student Council & Homecoming
Student Council and Homecoming : Message from Ms. Connolly
Greetings,
I am the advisor to the General Student Council here at Blue Hills, as well as the senior class advisor. I work alongside Mrs. Fiascone (9th grade advisor), Mrs. Dailey (10th grade advisor) and Ms. DiMeo (11th grade advisor). You will hear from us throughout the year to give you important information and updates.
Student Council coordinates events and activities for the student body at Blue Hills. We cannot do what we do without fundraising. Today at lunch, your student received a fundraising packet. The packet includes some home and food items. Our goal is for all students and their families to sell at least 3 items in our fall fundraiser. See the attached flyer for instructions to access the fundraiser and to sell to family, friends, neighbors and coworkers near or far. The fundraiser ends on 10/24. Everything is done online and can be shipped directly to the purchaser.
Another thing to note is that next week is Homecoming Week at Blue Hills. There are dress themes for each day. These will be advertised throughout the school. Weather permitting, our Pep Rally will be on Thursday October, 12th and the football homecoming game is that night. Also, that week is the Homecoming Dance on Friday, October 13th, here at Blue Hills from 7 to 10pm. Students can purchase tickets at lunches everyday leading up to the dance starting today. Tickets are $10 CASH ONLY (exact change preferred). There will not no tickets sold at the door, and this year we are NOT permitting outside guests.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. My email is jconnolly@bluehills.org.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Jaclyn Connolly
Health Authorization Form
Thank you to the many of you that have completed this already on PowerSchool. In order to provide any medications (even over the counter) to your student, we must have parental authorization. Log into PowerSchool and complete the Health Authorization Form.
Girls Soccer - Teacher Appreciation Game
Every year the seniors on the girls soccer team are asked to choose a teacher to honor at our annual Teacher Appreciation Game. Rose Ferguson chose Mrs. Ginthwain, Braylin Lynch chose Mr. Doherty, Brielle Doolin chose Ms. Flynn, Emily Hietala chose Ms. Grant, and Sam Tucker chose Mrs. Stewart. Before the game there was a short ceremony to honor the teachers and the impact they have had on the lives of the five senior players. Below is what each girl had to say about their teacher of choice:
Sam chose Mrs. Stewart for always motivating her and pushing her to be the best version of herself not only in the classroom but also in the outside world. Sam will be forever grateful to Mrs. Stewart for her amazing advice and guidance that have helped with making her plans for the future.
Rose chose Mrs. Ginthwain because her style of teaching not only made learning enjoyable but also helped Rose to retain information. Rose wants to thank Mrs. Ginthwain for always taking the time to help her out whenever she was struggling.
Emily chose Ms. Grant for always being so kind and helpful as a teacher. Emily would like to thank Ms. Grant for being there for her and always making an effort to make class interesting and fun.
Braylin chose Coach Doherty for making her become a stronger and better player on the field while also helping her to grow and learn important life skills off the field. She’d like to thank Coach Doherty for always being there for her.
Brielle chose Ms. Flynn for always pushing her to her limits and helping her excel more than she thought she could. She is thankful to Ms. Flynn for always being there for her and is very grateful to have had her as a teacher and a coach.
The team won 6-0 over Bristol Plymouth to improve to 8-0 on the season. Congratulations!
Outing Club - Overnight Camping Trip
The Outing Club had a great time in the damp conditions last weekend at Houghton's Pond! The weather cleared up and canoeing was on the itinerary - all in all, a great trip!!
Around the School
JV Football vs. West Boylston
Awesome step stool - and design - by Amari in Construction Tech exploratory - "Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses" - Kobe Bryant
Freshmen in Collision learning new skills!
Criminal Justice Exploratory - some specialized skill building!
Come support volleyball tomorrow! It is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Come cheer on the team at their Dig Pink Fundraiser game this Friday 10/6. We sell concessions. All proceeds made goes to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Concessions are sold during all the games. JV starts a 3:30 and the Varsity game starts at 5. (What an awesome picture!)
October Lunch Menu
Health Office Updates
As you know, we are not providing Covid-19 testing in school at this time. You may place an order for free At-Home Covid-19 Tests from USPS. One order per residential household includes four individual rapid antigen Covid-19 tests. Orders will ship free via USPS starting October 2, 2023.
Guidelines for Keeping Students Home from School
Children are in close contact with one another at school. If parents keep their children home at the first signs of illness, it will help us prevent the spread of that illness to other children in the classroom. The following are some guidelines to help you decide when to keep your ill child home from school. These are the guidelines and symptoms we look for at school to determine when to send children home from school.
- Fever 100.0 or higher (Children must be fever-free without the use of fever reducing medications for 24 hours before returning to school).
- Vomited in the last 24 hours
- Diarrhea in the last 24 hours
- Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) in one or both eyes, with or without yellow or green discharge in or around the eyes or lashes
- Unexplained/suspicious rash
- Signs of strep throat
- Painful earache/ear drainage
- Any infection requiring antibiotics (children must have been taking antibiotics for A FULL 24 hours before returning to school)
- Live lice are immediate exclusion from school
*When in doubt of whether to send your child to school or not, consult your family physician.
COVID Guidelines
Testing positive for COVID-19:
If a member of the BHR community tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms, that individual must isolate at home for at least five (5) days. The student can return to school on day 6, if the following conditions are met:
Fever-free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications.
Symptoms are significantly improved.
Must wear a mask at school until completion of day 10, unless you test negative for COVID on day 5 or later.
(Day “0” is the day of the positive test result or the onset of symptoms; the following day marks day 1, etc. An isolation calculator can be found here to help figure out the isolation period.)
If your student tests positive, please notify the BHR nurses at: nurse@bluehills.org. You will receive an email confirming isolation dates. Your student may notify their teachers and check online work to stay on track while not in school, if they are well enough. Please also be sure to communicate the Covid positive status with your child’s provider and submit documentation upon their return to school. (Please note: the school does not have tests available to send home with students at this time.)
On behalf of our entire community, thank you for doing your part to keep our community healthy!
Booster Club Updates
- BOO – STER BASH – A social event for BHR parents / guardians on Thursday, Oct 26th, 7 – 10 pm at Randolph Elks (21+)
- 2023 Holiday Fair – Saturday, Dec 2 @ BHR from 10 – 3
- Monthly Booster Meetings - 2nd Wednesday of the month @ 7pm in School Restaurant – Chateau
- School Store – open most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10 -1
- Volunteer Opportunities – Snack Shack (open for home Football Games), Holiday Fair, School Store (parents or guardians) more opportunities will be available as we start the school year!
- Freshman Swag Package – still time to purchase a 4-year membership and Swag Package $125 my.cheddarup.com
- Interested in being a Vendor at Holiday Fair, email Bluehillsboosters@gmail.com
- Join the Blue Hills Booster Club Facebook page for news and updates!
Bus App Instructions - FirstView
Please use this First Student provided app to track your bus route. It updates frequently, and is a tool to help provide real-time (or close to it) information.
Attendance Reminder
The student attendance guidelines are contained within the Parent-Student Handbook. Please be advised:
A student will be required to attend summer school upon the accumulation of sixteen (16) absences in order to fulfill BHR attendance requirements. An additional course will be required for every five (5) absences accumulated after (16). All such courses must be taken at the Blue Hills Regional Summer School. All course subjects must be approved by the (ARB) Academic Review Board. If a student is absent on consecutive days it will be counted as one day’s absence if accompanied by a doctor’s note. Notes must be provided within one week of the student’s return to school. All notes must be originals with an authorized signature and date(s) on the doctor’s office stationary. The student’s home phone number and homeroom must be on all doctors’ notes. Absences on special days, assemblies, etc. will be counted as a full day’s absence. A student must be in attendance for at least half the school day to be counted present. Half the school day means being in school from 7:47 am to 11:00 am or 11:00 am to 2:20 pm.
All out-of-school suspensions will be counted day for day towards a student’s maximum number of absences.
If you are not in class or homeroom by 7:48 AM, you are considered absent from school. You must sign in at Student Affairs Office and receive an admittance pass in order to attend class. If you arrive late for school, you are considered tardy and you must report to the Main Office prior to admission.
On the 4th tardy per term and every 4 tardies thereafter, you will be subject to Saturday detention. You and your parent/guardian may be required to meet with the Principal. Parking privileges may be suspended or revoked. Continued tardies may result in more severe penalties being assigned.
Past Information
- Lunch is free, but students who wish to have a second lunch or snacks must still purchase these. You can add money to your child's myschoolbucks account to enable them to purchase additional meals and food in the cafeteria.
- Pickup and Dropoff - Please DO NOT use the main entrance/driveway to drop off or pick up students. This is causing a logjam at the entrance/exit to the building. Please enter through the East entrance, closest to Massasoit, and proceed toward the main entrance/exit.
- If your student is out, please email attendance@bluehills.org to report them absent. You can also call 781-828-5800 x 2250 - leave a message if it goes to voicemail.
- Athletic Schedules Available Here!
Emergency Contact Information
- Please, if you have not signed up for a parent account on PowerSchool, do so now! Please complete all required forms as soon as you can. Grade 9 students may not receive a Chromebook until permissions/agreements are completed!
- NEW - If you are calling your student in sick, please call the attendance line (781 818 5800 x 2250) OR email attendance@bluehills.org.
- Thank you for bearing with us as we work to safely navigate drop-off and pick-up times. Please enter the entrance closest to Massasoit and proceed along the front of the gymnasium to the main entrance/exit.
- Please be reminded: Earpods/headphones may not be worn during the school day except with the explicit permission of the teacher. This includes breakfast, lunch, and passing times. Earpods will be confiscated if seen, and consequences assigned.
Important Documents
Care Solace
You can always take advantage of our free to you program for connecting students and families with mental health care. See below!
Upcoming Events
September 25-29: X Days
September 28 - In-Service, Late Start for Students (10:40)
2023-2024 School Year Calendar
Blue Hills Regional Technical School’s mission is to continue its history of academic achievement, technical training and character development through a curriculum which emphasizes the integration of cutting-edge technical programs and challenging academic courses, enabling its students to become competent, caring and productive people in a diverse and changing world.
Core Values:
Community, Opportunity, Relevance, Employability
Website: www.bluehills.org
Location: 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781 828 5800
BHR on:
The Blue Hills Regional Technical School District is an equal opportunity educational institution. All programs, courses of study and activities are open to all students without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability. The School District is in full compliance with Massachusetts Law, Chapter 622 of the Acts of 1971, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (U.S. Code), and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Individuals may make inquiries relative to Chapter 622 and Title IX from the coordinator, at the school address or by phoning 781-828-5800.