BFHS Bluejay Beat
OCTOBER 2023
BONDURANT-FARRAR HIGH SCHOOL CORE VALUES
- Communicate and Collaborate Effectively
- Solve Problems
- Persevere
- Be Culturally and Socially Respectful
MESSAGE FROM MR. GARNASS
Fall is in the air and the first month of school is in the books! It's hard to believe we are soon embarking on the halfway point of semester one.
Homecoming 2023 has come to a close. Our student body and staff enjoyed celebrating Homecoming with Bluejay spirit.
Looking Ahead...
Parent/Teacher conferences are on Monday, October 30th and Thursday, November 2nd from 3:00-7:00 p.m. We hope that you will take the time to stop by and visit with your student's teachers. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about what your student has been learning and/or to visit with them about any concerns you may have. We will be sending out additional information soon with the process for securing time slots to visit with your child's teacher. There will be an in-person and virtual option once again. Remdinder there is NO school for students on Friday, November 3rd.
I hope everyone continues to have an outstanding rest of October!
Please enjoy October's edition of the Bluejay Beat!
Respectfully,
Erik Garnass
@erikgarnass
Follow us...
Facebook: BondurantFarrarHS
Twitter: @BF_HighSchool & @BlueJayNation
Website: bfschools.org
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT BFHS?
September Students of the Month
- Art: Deja Wilson (12)
- CTE: Keaton Mitchell (11) - Industrial Tech
- Lang Arts: Sadie Carpenter (9)
- Math: Zoey Heathcote (9)
- Music: Cesar Espino (10)
- PE/Health: Chase Rial (9)
- Science: Addison Weber (12)
- Social Studies: Bryce Baker (12)
- World Language: Hunter Bailey (11)
September Bus Riders of the Month
Isaiah Sawhill (10) - Isaiah has been respectful and following bus rules. (Not pictured)
Nicolas Aguayo (10) - Nicolas is very polite and uses good manners.
The RANT
National Merit Scholar Semifinalist
Congratulations to Ms. Vasey!
Ms. Vasey was recently named the recipient for the IHSSA Richard Riggleman New Speech Coach Award! Stacey Hansen from the IHSSA was here to surprise her on Wednesday afternoon and share the news during one of her Speech classes. Some members of the speech team were in attendance. Ms. Vasey was officially awarded the scholarship at the 2023 IHSSA Convention in Ames at the Gateway Hotel on Saturday, October 14th.
The Richard Riggleman Young Speech Coach Award was established by Richard Riggleman of Deloit, Iowa to reward a second or third year IHSSA speech coach and teacher. Mr. Riggleman was an active IHSSA coach for over 30 years and still remains very active with the IHSSA– with a special love for debate. Richard Riggleman was inducted into the IHSSA Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1995, Mr. Riggleman gifted an endowment fund of $56,000 to honor a new speech coach and teacher.
This award consists of $1,000 per year, renewable for two consecutive years, for a total of $3,000. The Riggleman Award is the first of its kind that has been established with the IHSSA. The profile of the recipient reflects: a commitment and demonstration of excellence in coaching speech, large group events, individual events, and/or debate; and inclusion and past experience in high school or college speech activities.
ACTIVITY PASSES
NFHS Crisis Text Line
SAFE2DRIVE
Here's an exciting opportunity for your school to offer Driver Education to your students online. Safe2Drive’s Iowa Parent-Taught Driver Education course allows parents to teach their teens Driver Education in order to qualify for their driver’s license. The course consists of online coursework and an instruction manual for parents to teach the behind-the-wheel component of Driver Education to their teen. As of July 1st, the Parent-Taught Driver Education online course is no longer exclusive for families of homeschooled children but is available to any student who would otherwise qualify and who is currently attending a public school or accredited nonpublic school, or who is receiving homeschool education under chapter 299A.
If you’d like to offer your students Safe2Drive’s online course, we can provide you with a promo code for your students to get a discount on the course price, or we can pay you an affiliate fee for each student you refer—it’s up to you! This is a great way to provide a low-cost and convenient option for your students to fulfill their Driver Education requirement and get their driver’s license. Your school can even earn money while doing it!
So, what are you waiting for? Promo code: BFHS10
We look forward to working together to provide Iowa’s teens with the education they need to be safe on the road.
Sincerely,
Penny Beaty, Marketing Manager
Check out the Bondurant-Farrar Activities homepage for the most up to date information:
Suggestion Box
Please fill out the fields below to outline the issue you want to address and a solution you think would be helpful. While not all suggestions may not be implemented, all will be reviewed and considered.
You can submit your suggestion and remain anonymous if you like.
You only need to submit your contact information IF you want to receive feedback regarding your suggestion.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Many of our families have utilized our electronic form to submit COVID-related questions and comments throughout the pandemic. Because of its success, we've created a new form to electronically submit GENERAL comments, questions, and concerns. This is in an effort to increase opportunities for two-way communication with district stakeholders. The link is referenced in this communication guide and can be found anytime in the footer of our website. Visit: www.bfschools.org/contactus
High School Counseling Department
Tammy Kaufman
Mrs. Kaufman is the high school counselor for all grades, last names , A-G
Her email is kaufmant@bfschools.org
Jacob Guenther
Mr. Guenther is the high school counselor for all grades, last names, H-O
His email is guentherj@bfschools.org
Casey McMurray
Mrs. McMurray is the high school counselor for all grades, last names, P-Z
Her email is mcmurrayc@bfschools.org
COUNSELORS CORNER
College Visits: Juniors and Seniors are encouraged to take college visits to explore colleges they are thinking about attending after high school. In order for the day to count in attendance as a college visit, a parent/guardian needs to email Sara in the main office! College visits are a great way to get on campus and determine if the college would be a good fit. Some great college visit activities are to meet with admission counselors, financial aid officers, sit in on classes, take a tour, and of course have lunch! We also have a college visit checklist on our website that can be helpful as you are planning your visit and questions to ask: https://www.bfschools.org/Page/932
Senior Post-Secondary Planning
Seniors should be exploring the colleges they are interested in attending for scholarship opportunities. Any scholarships that we receive in the school counseling office will be emailed to seniors and put up on our school counseling website. The majority of our local scholarships will be available in March. We will have a few that are available before that and we will email seniors and include them on our website and in the weekly announcements. Seniors should also check with the colleges they are looking at attending to ask what institutional scholarships are available and the application process.
Life After High School: Career & College Planning
There are many post-high school options available to students through education and training programs. This program engages students and parents in a discussion of recent employment trends and industry growth outlook to provide insights into the developing a post-high school plan for both college and career.
This program covers:
Career Exploration & Assessment
Academic Preparation & Requirements
Admission Process & Requirements
College/Training Program Selection
Campus Visits
Application Process
Financial Aid Presentation For Juniors- October 30th from 6:00-7:00 P.M.
With the changes to FAFSA this year, this presentation would be beneficial for ALL Junior parents/guardians and for those who have had older students go through the FAFSA process as it has changed from previous years.
How to Pay for College: Understanding the Financial Aid Process
The financial aid process can be daunting. From completing the application to understanding award letters, developing a plan to pay for college is one of the most important steps in the college process. This program covers:
Financial Aid Process
FAFSA Application Review
Understanding the Results of the Application
Understanding Costs - College Comparisons
Aid Options
Scholarship Process
Where to Go For Help
Looking ahead
SAVE THE DATE! We are excited to host ICAN for a couple of presentations during P/T Conferences on October 30th!
Career & College Planning Presentation- For Sophomores and Juniors- October 30th from 5:00-6:00 P.M.
Saturday, October 28th- ACT Testing Date at BFHS
Project Recovery Iowa
7-12 School Social Worker
You can contact Mr. Hotek at hotekm@bfschools.org
RESOURCES WHEN IN NEED
REMINDERS
Just a reminder of a couple things at the beginning of the year.
All Juniors need a second dose of the meningococcal vaccine to be able to return to school next fall. If you completed CPR during health 1, this completes the graduation requirement.
2) All 9th graders need a dental screening.
3) All athletes need a sports physical prior to participation - this includes marching band, as well as cheerleading, dance and sports.
4) Finally, a reminder of the policy regarding medications at school as listed below (from the handbook)
FF. Administration of Medication to Students
A. Proper labeling:
Prescribed medication: All prescribed medications shall be maintained in the original prescription container and labeled with the following:
Name of student
Name of medication
Directions for use/storage
Name of physician
Name and address of pharmacy
Date of prescription
Over the counter medication: All over the counter medications shall be maintained in the original container in which they were purchased.
B. Parent/Guardian written consent on a dated statement:
A parent/guardian signature on a statement requesting and authorizing the school personnel to administer the medication must accompany the medication. BP 507.2
C. Record of administration:
Each time the medication is administered, a record shall be maintained in the nurse's office.
The record shall include the student's name, date, time, name of the medication, amount
given per electronic charting.
D. Medication reactions:
Any unusual conditions or behaviors following the administration of medication
should be reported to the school nurse, if available or to the parent/guardian
immediately. Reactions to medication should be recorded.
E. Definition of medications:
Those health products covered by the medication policy include all prescription medications and over-the-counter products, including but not limited to: pain relievers, cold remedies, cough syrups, antacids, cough drops, throat lozenges, etc.
F. Security:
No medications are to be carried during school hours by students nor stored in pockets, purses, school bags, lunch boxes, lockers, teacher desks, sports equipment bags, etc. The only exception would be with a physician’s written orders and a parent/guardian written authorization for a student to carry the medication with him/her for
self-administration as necessary (ie. inhalers, diabetic supplies, emergency medications).
ALL medications, either prescription or over-the-counter, must be brought to the school nurse by a parent or other authorized and approved adult. Absolutely no medications are to be transported to/from school by any student. Any student found with unauthorized medications will be referred to school administration.
All medications will be stored in a secure area, accessible only to those who are authorized to administer the medication.
The building principal shall designate those in each building who are
authorized to administer the medications. Those authorized will receive
instructions from the school nurse concerning administration and confidentiality
of medications.
ATTENTION 11TH GRADE PARENTS/GUARDIANS
SPORTS PHYSICALS
FROM THE DESK OF MR. SCHNUR (SRO)
Bondurant-Farrar High School
Email: garnasse@bfschools.org
Website: bfschools.org
Location: 1000 Grant Street North, Bondurant, IA, United States
Phone: (515) 957-8191
Twitter: @BFHS_News
It is the policy of the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator; Chad Carlson, Director of Administrative Services, 300 Garfield St SW, Bondurant, IA 50035, 515-967-7819, carlsonc@bfschools.org. -OR- Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661-7204, Telephone: (312) 730-1560, Facsimile: (312) 730-1576, Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov