BCA September Newsletter
2018
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.
2018 BCA Kickoff!
The BCA Kickoff was outstanding! Thank you to everyone for donating school supplies and canned goods for the Boys and Girls Club. Thank you to everyone who helped and volunteered their time! These students have the best support!
College Planning Night for Juniors and Seniors
Thursday, Sep 6, 2018, 06:00 PM
BHS Auditorium
Senior BCA Field Trip
Field trip packets will be given out during capstone. Sessions fill up quickly and it is first come first served. All forms must be turned in to Mrs. Breiner (counseling office) by September 5th. Field trips are mandatory.
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2018, 08:15 AM
MTSU
BCA Pinning Ceremony
Please dress as follows: Boys/Men wear dress pants, a dress shirt and a tie (suit jacket preferred but not mandatory). Girls/Women should wear modest dress pants/shirt or skirt/dress (no more than 3 inches above the knee). Parents are welcome to attend as well. Please email Mrs. Dabney at dabneyh@rcschools.net with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, Sep 24, 2018, 06:30 PM
BHS Auditorium
BCA Scholarship Opportunities!
Class of 2019 BCA students will have the opportunity to apply for two scholarships:
- BHS will award one $500 scholarship to an outstanding BCA student.
- MTSU will award one $500 scholarship to an outstanding BCA student enrolling in MTSU.
- Applications and deadlines: to be announced.
MTSU Student ID
All BCA and DE students should have received their MTSU ID last week. Below are just a few advantages our students are granted with their new ID!
- Access to all campus events (performances, free admission to athletic events)
- Access to the MTSU Campus Recreation Center
- Access to the James E. Walker Library
- Discounts at various locations in Murfreesboro/Rutherford County
- Orientation for students taking courses on campus
- MTSU tutoring at http://www.mtsu.edu/studentsuccess/tutoring.php.
- Access to the MTSU Writing Center
- Access to The Albert Gore Sr. Research Center collections
BCA T-Shirt!
Congratulations to Brennan Reed for submitting the winning design for the BCA 2018-2019 T-Shirt! If you have not yet picked up your shirt, please see Mr. Reed.
A message from the BCA Parent Corner...
- Our last meeting was August 13. Mr. Reed thanked the Parent Organization for the donations and help they provided at the Kick-off event. He also shared about the scholarships being offered by MTSU and BHS in the amount of $500.
- The BCA Parent Organization would like to have a booth at Homecoming in October as a way of raising funds. Please bring ideas!
- Other fundraising ideas are also needed. Please email Kristie Farrington at farringtonk@rcschools.net with any ideas!
- Our next meeting will be Sept. 10th at 6:30 PM in the Media Center. All BCA parents are invited!
"A Conversation With..." Speaker Series
Confirmed guests include:
Jill Savage--GLAM Nashville
David Price--Blackman High alum and Boston Red Sox pitcher
Lynda Williams--former Secret Service agent and current MTSU Criminal Justice professor
David Cicotello--Climber who survived 6 days
Jill Savage
David Price
Lynda Williams
Former Secret Service agent and current MTSU Criminal Justice professor
PSAT: Oct. 24th
The PSAT will be given on Wednesday, Oct. 24th to freshmen, sophomores and juniors who sign up. Taking the PSAT as a junior is the only way to qualify to be a National Merit Finalist or Semi-finalist. The cost is $17. Payment can be made to Mrs. Sadler in the Counseling office starting Sept. 24th through October 17th (check or exact cash). Checks can be made out to Blackman High School. There are a limited number of PSAT testing slots available on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to make your payment as soon as possible.
Students can pick up study materials from Mrs. Sadler when they sign up and submit payment. A prep course will be offered before and/or after school before the test. Stay tuned for more details. All students who are taking the test are invited.
OCTOBER 16!!!
Sophomores/Juniors- will be taking a practice ACT. Feedback will be provided.
Freshman - will be taking a Career Interest/Aptitude Test. Feedback will be provided.
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018, 08:15 AM
Blackman High School, Blaze Drive, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
ACT Dates
September 8, 2018
October 27, 2018
December 8, 2018
February 9, 2019
April 13, 2019
June 8, 2019
July 13, 2019
Register online at actstudent.org. The Blackman High School code is 431636.
FAFSA Frenzy at BHS!
- Eric Farmer from Tennessee Student Assistance will be at Blackman Tuesday, January 15 from 9-1pm and 5-7pm to help our senior students and parents of seniors complete their FAFSA. The library computer lab has been reserved.
- FAFSA opens October 1, 2018 and closes February 1, 2019
Life Experience
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. If you have already completed one of these classes in school please circle it on the form and write what year you took it.
· Blaze Bank
· Sketch it Up
· Blaze Bookstore
· The greenhouse
· IT Clinical classes
· Film/TV station work
· Supervised Agriculture Experience
· Culinary Café
· Health Sciences clinical
· Pre-school work
· Work based learning
· School fine arts performances
· Yearbook
· Newspaper
· ROTC
Students can come by Mrs. Noffsinger's room in D-1 to get a form or print one off of the BCA website. Forms should be turned in to Mrs. Noffsinger in D-1 or put in her mailbox.
Report Extra-Curricular Activity Hours Online
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 Algebra II or Advanced Honors Geometry, and Honors Chemistry (must be enrolled in at least 2)
- Juniors: AP English III, AP U.S. History or Dual Enrollment U.S. History, and Speech or Critical Thinking (These are recommendations but not required. Speech and critical thinking are highly recommended junior year before capstone.)
- Seniors: Speech or Critical Thinking (if not already taken) and Capstone
Blackman Collegiate Academy Standards
Blackman Collegiate Academy Academic Standards
All Collegiate Academy students are expected to lead the BHS student body in academics. Any student whose grade falls below a C or whose GPA falls below a 3.0 will be placed on Academic Watch for a semester. During this time, students are expected to raise their grades accordingly. If students do not follow through with the academic expectations, the student will be placed on Academic Probation. At the end of the probationary semester, your membership will be reassessed. If the reason for the probation has been corrected, you will be reinstated as a member in good standing. If the reason for the probation has not been corrected, you will be dismissed from the Collegiate Academy. If you are on probation more than once or in more than one area (academics, extra-curricular, discipline) then you will be dismissed from the Collegiate Academy.
Blackman Collegiate Academy Behavior Standards
Students in the Collegiate Academy are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with Blackman High School’s Student Code of Conduct. Violations of the Code of Conduct, in which disciplinary action is taken by BHS administration, will result in a minimum of one semester of Disciplinary Probation. This includes violations of dress code and cell phone use which receive ISS. At the end of the probationary semester, your membership will be reassessed by the faculty Discipline Council. If there have not been any additional violations of the Student Code of Conduct resulting in disciplinary action, you will be reinstated as a member in good standing. If additional violations of the Student Code of Conduct resulting in disciplinary action have occurred, you will be dismissed from the Collegiate Academy.
Blackman Collegiate Academy Extra Curricular Standards
Students in the Collegiate Academy are expected to complete 20 extra-curricular hours each year. These can be acquired through clubs, athletics, and/or community service here at Blackman High School. Five out of the twenty required hours may be obtained from off-campus sources (church, volunteer organizations, non-profits, etc.) with approval from Mr. Green. If a student fails to meet the extra-curricular expectations, he or she will be placed on one semester of Probation. At the end of the probationary semester, your membership will be reassessed. If there have not been any additional violations and the extra-curricular requirements have been satisfied, you will be reinstated as a member in good standing. If the extra-curricular requirements have not been met, you will be dismissed from the Collegiate Academy. Seniors should have their hours completed, reported and inserted into their Capstone Portfolio by the due date of the last portfolio check (Fall Semester).
Blackman Collegiate Academy Events Attendance Standards
Students in the Collegiate Academy are expected to attend the following:
- 4 Speaker Series per year. These are held during Impact once a month.
- BCA Day at MTSU – These are throughout the school year. Dates for each grade level will be posted in the BCA Newsletter.
- Attend 2 of the following events-
- BCA Kickoff Cookout which is held one week before school resumes.
- BCA Pinning Ceremony is held in the fall and mandatory for Seniors and Sophomores.
- BCA Capstone Symposium – showcase of Senior BCA projects. Mandatory for Seniors and Juniors.
If a student fails to meet the events attendance expectations, he or she will be placed on one semester of probation. At the end of the probationary semester, your membership will be reassessed. If there have not been any additional violations and the events requirements have been satisfied, you will be reinstated as a member in good standing. If the events requirements have not been met, you will be dismissed from the Collegiate Academy.
Any student placed on probation will receive a written notice of probation, and parents will be notified. If the probation is caused by a disciplinary infraction, the student will have a disciplinary hearing to assess the infraction and the appropriate consequence.
Fire Safety Announcement!
Parent Cluster Meeting!
First Town Hall meeting for parents set for Stewarts Creek cluster on Aug. 27
Director of Schools Bill Spurlock will host a Town Hall meeting for parents in the Stewarts Creek cluster on Monday, Aug. 27, at 5:30 p.m. at Stewarts Creek High School.
The meeting is intended for those parents with children in Stewarts Creek High School, Stewarts Creek Middle School, Stewarts Creek Elementary School, Rocky Fork Middle School or David Youree Elementary.
Director Spurlock will address several topics about education initiatives and needs in Rutherford County and gather feedback from parents.
Director Spurlock is planning similar meetings for all school clusters this year. A full schedule will be released soon for parents.
Do You Have News?
Do you have BCA questions? Here’s who to contact:
- Extra Curricular - Mr. Green: greenk@rcschools.net
- Life-Experience - Mrs. Noffsinger: noffsingerj@rcschools.net
- Research - Mrs. Jones: jonesre@rcschools.net
- Speaker Series - Mr. Seadorf: seadorfb@rcschools.net
- Academics - Mrs. Waite waitej@rcschools.net
- Communications - Mrs. Clawson: clawsons@rcschools.net
- Events/recognition - Mrs. Dabney: dabneyh@rcschools.net
- Capstone - Mrs. Baumann - baumannk@rcschools.net
- Dual Enrollment - Mrs. Barber - barbers@rcschools.net
- Admissions- Ms. Bryan - bryanc@rcschools.net
- Parent Organization - Kristie Farrington - farringtonk@rcschools.net
- General information - Mr. Reed: reedk@rcschools.net