Blue Hills News
October 27, 2023
Dear Blue Hills Families
January marks two important milestones for the year - the end of term two, and the end of Exploratory for grade nine students! Grade nine families should have received an important email from Ms. Sylvia reminding them how students are placed into permanent vocational programs.
Exploratory and Vocational Placement: Grade 9
Hi all,
I hope you are as excited as I am about choosing your final shop placement for the rest of your time here at Blue Hills. On Thursday of this week, you will be given a form asking you to rank your top choices. Please rank your choices in the order in which you'd like to be placed. Bring the form home for a parent signature and return on Friday, January 19. Give the signed form to your Exploratory teacher. If you are going to be absent on Friday, please have your parent email Ms. Titus at stitus@bluehills.org with your choices.
When choosing your program, please consider some of the following.
Is it a program that is mostly interesting to you?
Is your personality one that will get along well with the teachers/other students?
Can you see yourself doing this for the next 3.5 years, and quite possibly as a career?
Can you see yourself working outside in all weather? Standing for long periods of time? Sitting for long periods of time? Being very active? All of our programs have very unique requirements about what is asked of you. We are preparing you for this industry.
What grade did you get in the program? Our overall average for this year's exploratory is a 92.87. Some of your grades are much better, some are much lower. Consider this when making your selections.
You cannot choose a program that you did not explore. Students are considered for their final choice based on the grade you got in the program. Please know that even if you've done everything right, there may be a chance that you don't get your top choice(s). If you are placed in your second or third choice - you will automatically be added to the waitlist for your first choice. You do not need to do anything to be added.
If you are not placed in any of your top 3, we will call you down to explain what your options may be. We will also send an email home to your parent/guardian, explaining the situation. At that point, we will provide you with a list of programs that have openings. You may choose one of those programs, and then we will follow our placement guidelines to fill those slots as well. Also, students who are not placed in any of their top three choices will be put on the waitlist FOR ALL THREE OF THEIR CHOICES. The order of the waitlist goes by the grade received in that program.
After initial placement, there is usually a lot of moving around. Students may move their programs ONLY ONCE up until October 1 of their sophomore year. Just to give you some context, there were at least 12 students who moved to a new program from the class of 2026. Others who were given the option to move decided to stay where they were because they ended up loving their 2nd or 3rd choice!
To recap:
You will be given a form to fill out on Thursday
Bring the form home - have parent/guardian sign it
Bring the form back on Friday 1/19 and give it to your exploratory teacher
Final placement will be shared via email with the class of 2027 some time next week. For the first day of shop - please come with a charged chromebook, pants, closed toed shoes and a writing utensil. Your new teacher will fill you in on the expectations of your new program.
Good luck everyone!
Respectfully,
Michelle Sylvia
Vocational Director
Senior Trip Fundraiser
Alumni of the Month
MCAS After School Program: UPDATE
Around the School
Some snowy days call for ... some snowmen! Nice work by metal fabrication students in providing some winter decoration to our peace garden courtyard.
Owen Dure and Gustavo Perez Castillo pose with their snowman creation!
Swim Team Victory
Congrats to Swim on a strong season so far! This picture was taken after defeating Greater Lowell Tech, featuring the seniors!
Chronic Absenteeism: Letter
Click the link below for a larger copy!
January Lunch Menu
Booster Club Updates
1. Next meeting will be the FIRST Wed of Feb @ 7, in the school restaurant
3. We will be setting up an online store for a trial run, more details to come.
Upcoming Events
January 26 - Term 2 Ends
February 2 - Report Cards Issued
Health Office
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.
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
PowerSchool & Attendance note:
We have had some questions from parents about attendance on PowerSchool, particularly around "class attendance." Please note: we do not track class attendance for students, and PowerSchool is not set up to keep this accurately. Therefore, particularly in vocational programs, the system may significantly overstate the number of absences your student does have. The best way to look at your student's actual attendance is to click on "Grades and Attendance" - this will show you a daily attendance list at the bottom with attendance for the year.
- 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 (781 828 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.
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.