Blue Hills News
October 27, 2023
Dear Blue Hills Families
Reminder: Tomorrow, Friday December 22, we have a 10:50 a.m. dismissal. Please make sure your child has a ride if they are not taking the bus home!
John and Abigail Adams Awards Ceremony - 2023
A huge congratulations to our 58 seniors who received the 2023 John and Abigail Adams scholarship this year.
From the Office of Student Financial Assistance:
The John and Abigail Adams Scholarship is a merit-based program that provides a credit toward tuition for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. For this scholarship, merit is based on student scores on the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test.
A special thanks to Ms. Laurie Driscoll, Guidance Secretary, and the Guidance Department led by Ms. Emily Burns, who planned and coordinated the ceremony. We were thankful to be visited by a host of our state representatives and state senators: State Senators Michael Brady, Paul Feeney, and Walter Timilty, and State Representatives William Galvin and Paul McMurtry. Thank you also to our School Committee members who attended: Mr. Connolly, Mr. Driscoll, Mr. Polito, and Ms. Vazquez. Congratulations to the recipients!
Chronic Absenteeism: Letter
Click the link below for a larger copy!
Alumni of the Month
Around the School
The Outing Club took to the rock walls last week! Thanks to Ms. Joyce-Grikis and Mr. Fischer for organazing the trip!
January Lunch Menu
Health Office - Screenings
Health Screenings at BHR
BHR nurses will perform health screenings for 9th and 10th grade students beginning January 8, 2024.
Vision/Hearing/Posture: Grade 9
Growth (Height and Weight/Body Mass Index): Grade 10
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment): Grade 10
All Massachusetts school districts are required to include a substance use preventive screening as part of their annual mandated universal health-screening program. The nurses and guidance counselors, will use the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) protocol with students in grade 10. The SBIRT protocol facilitates a one-on-one conversation between each student and a school nurse or counselor in an effort to prevent or at least delay the start of using harmful substances, such as alcohol and marijuana. This program focuses on reinforcing healthy decisions and addressing concerning behaviors around substance use with the goal of improving health, safety, and success in school.
Nurses and guidance counselors will use the CRAFFT II screening interview, which is the most commonly used substance use screening tool for adolescents in Massachusetts. You can view the CRAFFT tool and other SBIRT resources on the website: www.masbirt.org/schools.
Parents/guardians will be notified if a vision, hearing, or postural screening requires further evaluation. If your student is receiving treatment for a vision, hearing, or postural concern, please provide the nurses with current medical documentation of their condition. Parents may choose not to have their child(ren) participate in any or all screenings, by notifying the nurses in writing. Students may also choose to opt-out on the day of screening.
Please notify the school nurses in writing by January 5, 2024, if you wish for your student to opt-out of a screening at: nurse@bluehills.org. This notification must be done annually. Screenings will begin January 8, 2024.
Booster Club Updates
- Monthly Booster Meetings - 2nd Wednesday of the month @ 7pm in school Restaurant – Chateau de Bleu - Next meeting is January 10th @ 7 p.m.
- School Store – open most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10-1.
- Join the Blue Hills Booster Club Facebook page for news and updates!
Upcoming Events
December 22 - Early Release, 10:50 a.m. - Holiday break begins
December 23 - January 1 - School Closed/Holiday Break
January 2 - School Reopens
January 9 - Faculty Meeting, No 3:10 buses
January 11 - In-Service Late Arrival 10:40 a.m.
January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
January 26 - Term 2 Ends
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.