BCA March Newsletter
The vision of the Collegiate Academy at Blackman High School is to create a challenging learning environment with a rigorous course of study where students can become well-rounded scholars who fulfill their potential as they transition from high school to post-secondary opportunities.
Freshmen Orientation
Tuesday, Mar 7, 2017, 06:00 PM
BHS Gym
County-Wide Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday, Mar 23, 2017, 03:30 PM
BHS
Congratulations to Mrs. Holder on being selected as the High School Teacher of the Year for Rutherford County Schools! Mrs. Holder is the BCA Grants Chair and teachers Honors Speech and Honors English II.
Registration Update: No Schedule Changes After March 20th
March 15th
Verification forms will be sent home. A parent override form is required to take a course beyond the teacher recommended level and must be signed in person at BHS. The deadline for parent overrides is March 20th.
March 20th
Signed verification forms with any changes are due to the counseling office. No changes will be made past this date.
BCA Courses
- Freshmen: Honors English I, Honors Biology, and Honors World History or AP Human Geography (must be enrolled in at least 2)
- Sophomores: Honors English II, Honors Integrated Math II or Advanced Honors Geometry, and Honors Chemistry (must be enrolled in at least 2)
- Juniors: Honors English III or AP English III, Honors U.S. History, AP U.S. History or Dual Enrollment U.S. History, and Speech or Critical Thinking (must be enrolled in BCA English III and U.S. History)
- Seniors: Speech or Critical Thinking (if not already taken) and Capstone
Dual Enrollment for Juniors and Seniors
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Dual Enrollment program, students must:
1. be a junior or senior in high school;
2. have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA; or
3. have a minimum composite of 22 ACT (SAT composite of 1020); or equivalent ACT Plan test score
**Admission to MTSU and the Dual Enrollment program does not guarantee eligibility for all courses. Some courses require prerequisites and/or certain test subscores, including Math and English courses.**
Cost
The tuition cost of a Dual Enrollment class is $166.00 per credit hour. This cost can be offset by the Dual Enrollment Grant, if the student applies and is ruled eligible. Students must maintain a 2.75 GPA for dual enrollment courses taken to stay eligible for the grant. The student should be prepared to pay the tuition cost in advance and then be reimbursed. Other anticipated costs include textbooks, $25 application fee, online course fees, and any applicable lab fees.
Dual Enrollment Grant
The Dual Enrollment Grant is a reimbursement grant administered by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. Criteria concerning the grant can be found at www.tn.gov/collegepays/article/dual-enrollment-grant.
During the student's high school career, Dual Enrollment Grant funding is as follows:
• $500 – First Dual Enrollment course;
• $500 – Second Dual Enrollment course;
• $200 – Third Dual Enrollment course;
• No grant funding for fourth course
Save the Date for Field Trips!
BCA Senior Reward Trip on March 9th
Who: BCA Seniors in good standing
What: Escape Games and Lunch
When: Thursday, March 9th from 8:30 to 12:00
Pick up field trip paperwork in Ms. Bryan's office. Cost is $10.00. Once students turn in completed field trip paperwork and pay $10, they will be able to sign up for teams of 8 to 10 people.
Junior BCA Day at MTSU on March 24th
See Ms. Bryan if you didn't get a permission form. Forms are due back Monday, March 13th.
March Speaker Series: Thursday, March 23rd
Mike Hicks, Musician: Michael Hicks is an unique blend of talent and humility which is rarely found in today’s emerging talent. As an artist, writer, and performer, Mike is revered as one of the best in the diverse Funk and Soul music scene in Nashville and beyond. His Freshman album, This Is Life, highlights the talents of his writing ability, the moral message of his music, and the production talents of both himself and James Waddell. The album is brought to life by his incredible (18 pieces at it’s fullest) funk group, Mike Hicks and the Funk Puncs. When he’s not writing and performing his own original music, Hicks is on the road touring the world with Blues icon, Keb’ Mo. International touring has lent him years of maturity that most young artists never get to experience. This interesting blend of influences and experiences have made him “the” artist to watch in Nashville.
**FIELD TRIPS AND SPEAKER SERIES ARE MANDATORY**
Save the Date: Hiring Fair in April
The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Department of Labor will host a hiring event on April 6th at Blackman High School for Blackman and Holloway High School seniors. In mid-March, seniors will have the opportunity to create a resume with help from American Job Center staff.
Whether you are looking for a full-time job, summer job or part-time job during college, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to network and apply with 60+ employers in some of Rutherford County’s fastest growing industries: construction, health care, hospitality and tourism, logistics and manufacturing, just to name a few. Military recruiters will also be in attendance. STUDENTS MUST COME WITH A RESUME AND DRESSED PROFESSIONALLY. Click here for a list of participating employers.
Rutherford Works Code Camps
Rutherford Works Code Camps are educational, five day programs for middle and high school students that strive to create a fun, engaging, and immersive environment in which they are challenged to think about technology. The program teaches students to create with code. By giving students the resources needed for success, they can become leaders of the high-tech Tennessee workforce.
The week-long day camp will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. At the end of the camp, the students will host parents for a “Demo Day” where they will exhibit the skills they have learned. With over 1,000 tech jobs going unfilled in Middle Tennessee every year, your student can get a jump start toward a high wage, high demand career. Click here for more information.
- Elementary (Grades 3-5): June 12-16, Barfield Elementary
- Middle (Grades 6-8): June 12-16, Blackman High
- Middle/High (Grades 7-12): June 26-30, Stewarts Creek Middle School
- High (Grades 9-12): June 26 - 30, MTSU - KOM Building
UT Summer Engineering Program
The Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN will host a series of summer engineering programs for rising ninth to twelfth grade students during the summer of 2017. For program information, dates, and deadlines visit: http://www.engr.utk.edu/diversity/pre-college/.
Each program is a one-week residential program for rising high school students except eVOL9. All students are encouraged to apply. All eVOL10 applicants must have taken a standard test, such as the ACT Aspire, ACT Residual, ACT, PSAT, or SAT. All HITES applicants must have a minimum ACT math score: 25 (SAT math score: 590). Our mission is to provide students who show an interest in engineering studies an early exposure to and preparation for scientific study and research. All applications must be received by their deadlines listed on the website above.
Free Online Course About How To Apply To College
The Penn Admissions office and Steppingstone Scholars, a Philadelphia-based academic enrichment program that helps underrepresented students, partnered to create a new online course: “How to Apply to College.”
The course, which will be offered for free on Penn’s online platform Coursera, will be released in February 2017. Students who complete the 10 weeks of modules will learn how to research, apply to and make the transition to colleges. Click here for more information.
Life Experience Application
Students must complete 40 hours of real-life experience in the area of his/her major. The experience must be approved by the faculty board. This experience can be completed any year but must be completed by April of the senior year. The experience may or may not be a part of the student’s senior research project. The experience should be meaningful and provide insight into the field of study the student is interested in.
Report Extra-Curricular Activity Hours Online
Performance Arts Internships and Volunteer Work Available
Any student interested in the performance arts can check out available summer internships and volunteer work with Studio Tenn which is based in Franklin. Visit their website at: http://www.studiotenn.com/get-involved/.
Nissan Summer Engineering Program 2017
Homework Hotline
- Free tutoring is available by phone
- Monday - Thursday from 4 - 8 p.m.
- Call 615-298-6636 or 1-888-868-5777
Support BHS when shopping for groceries!
You can now support Blackman High School when shopping for groceries!
Kroger: Log in to krogercommunityrewards.com and link your Kroger plus card to Blackman High School.
Publix: Pick up a BHS Publix partner keychain card in the BHS front office.
ACT Prep with Shmoop
Thanks to Rutherford County Schools, you now have access to Shmoop's premium resources. HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED:
- Go to http://schools.shmoop.com/login/rutherford-county/
- Log in OR Create New Student Account
- Enter Magic Word: NAVIGATE (all caps)
- Choose either ACT Exam Prep (under the Test Prep section) or ACT Crash Course (under the Courses section)
Need help? Contact Holly Hunter hunterh@rcschools.net.
Congratulations!!!
College Acceptances
Congratulations to the following seniors on their college acceptance!
- Nathaniel Bryan – University of Tennessee, Christian Brothers University, MTSU, UTC
- Jasmyn Bunch – University of Tennessee
- Dominique Diallo – MTSU, Carson-Newman, TN Wesleyan, Austin Peay
- Marion Farrar – University of Alabama
- Madison Flannery – Savannah College of Art and Design, Full Sail University, University of Central Florida
- Evan Foulks – MTSU
- Mary Goodnight – University of Tennessee, MTSU
- Megan Grimes – Trevecca Nazarene, Belmont
- Katie Hart – University of Tennessee, UTC, Oral Roberts University
- Trey Harvie – Auburn, Mississippi State, University of Mississippi
- Haley Kyle – Carson-Newman
- Jeremy Puhr – Tennessee Tech
- Kayla Reed – Harding, University of Alabama, Freed-Hardman
- Taylin Spurlock – University of Tennessee, MTSU, University of Kentucky, Belmont, University of the South
- Colton Tincher – University of Colorado-Denver, Belmont, MTSU, University of Tennessee, West Virginia
- Tyler Trent – University of Tennessee
- Samantha Udell – University of Tennessee, Loyola, Tulane
- Megan Uhls – Lee University
- Daylia Wallace – UTC
- Cierra Williams – Western Kentucky, University of Tennessee, Tulane
- Joshua Radnoti – MTSU, ETSU
Congratulations Al Thebphakone!
Congratulations Sarah Oppmann!
The leadership academy is produced by the Andrews Institute at Lipscomb University in cooperation with the Champions4Women Committee. The Academy is a series of classes and experiences for high school girls in the Middle Tennessee area. The curriculum covers six areas: developing as a leader; the ethical leader in a multicultural society; vision and voice; technology in leadership; wellness and health; and vision into results.
L-R: Monica Fawknotson, executive director of the Metro Nashville Sports Authority; Patricia Pierce, chair of the Champions4Women committee; Sarah Oppmann; and Linda Schacht, founding director of the Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership.
Senior News
FAFSA: Now Available!!
The FAFSA opened on Oct.1st so all seniors should currently be working on their FAFSA by visiting fafsa.gov. The revised FAFSA timeline, as well as new rules allowing filers to use prior tax information, have provided an opportunity for a strong, collaborative push across Tennessee to empower as many students as possible to access funds they need to attend postsecondary institutions. The FAFSA qualifies students for the HOPE Scholarship if they have a 3.0 GPA or 21 ACT score.
Tennessee Promise: Mandatory Meeting March 21st
Civics Test Requirement
On January 1, 2017, Tennessee House Bill 10 with amendment 1 will go into effect. “House Bill 10 with amendment 1 requires a student, during the student's high school career, to take a United States civics test prepared by the Local Educational Association consisting of between 25 and 50 questions, taken from the civics test administered by the United States citizenship and immigration services. In contrast to the original bill, this amendment does not make passage of the test a requirement for graduation.
A student may take the test as many times as necessary to pass the test. A student who has an individualized education program under which the civics test is determined to be an inappropriate requirement for the student does not have to take the test. In order to pass the test, a student must answer 70 percent of the questions correctly, instead of 60 percent in the bill. If all students in a senior class required to take the test and receiving a regular diploma pass the test, the school will be recognized on the department of education's web site as a "United States Civics All-Star School" for that school year.
Rutherford County Schools have created a Civics test consisting of 30 questions, 25 multiple choice questions and 5 fill-in-the-blank questions, to meet the requirements of House Bill 10. This test was created by a group of 12 educators representing each of the high schools within the Rutherford County School district.
Each individual high school within the Rutherford County School district will determine the testing date for all graduating seniors in order to meet the new graduation requirements for Tennessee.
Information regarding the new graduation requirements along with answers to frequently asked questions has been added to both the student and parent page of the RCS website. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the graduation requirements or the test, please contact Lana Bellar at bellarl@rcschools.net or Dr. Andrea Anthony at Anthonya@rcschools.net.
Scholarships
Tell Us About Your Acceptances and Scholarship Offers!
Do You Have News?
BCA Contacts
Principal - Dr. Leisa Justus, justusl@rcschools.net, ext. 22901
Assistant Principal - Ken Reed, reedk@rcschools.net, ext. 22973
School Counselor - Christine Bryan, bryanc@rcschools.net. ext. 22906
Academics - Amber DeGeorge, degeorgea@rcschools.net, ext. 22909
Communications - Sara Lynn Clawson, clawsons@rcschools.net, ext. 22908
Grants - Andrea Holder, holdera@rcschools.net, ext. 22960
Extracurricular - Tim Pedigo, pedigot@rcschools.net, ext. 22720
Events - Hollye Dabney, dabneyh@rcschools.net, ext. 22738
Life Experience - Geneva Cook, cookg@rcschools.net, ext. 22942
Speaker Series - Brian Seadorf, seadorfb@rcschools.net, ext. 23036
Research - Rebecca Jones, jonesre@rcschools.net, ext. 22993