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Final Exams
First Semester Final Exams will be held Dec. 16 - 21. Final Exams are weighted as 10% of a students final average for the semester.

HISD high schools are able to utilize a state waiver in order to release early these four days. HISD school buses will run early as well. Students that do not ride the bus should arrange early pick-up. Lunch will be available for all students to pick up at 1:00 pm each day.
Refuel Between Finals with a Snack!
The PTO will be selling Chick-fil-a chicken biscuits as a snack to refuel between finals Monday and Tuesday next week. Students are encouraged to pre-order their snack as only a limited amount will be available for purchase on a first come first serve basis. To order for Monday, please place your order here by 11:55 pm Tonight. (Friday, Dec. 16). To place your order for Tuesday, please place your order here by 11:55pm, Sunday, December 18th.
Study Tips and Advice
If you need tips on getting organized or studying for your exams, we have resources for you to look through. Check out the resources here. Creating a study schedule can really help too.

It's not too late to use some of these tips to help you this weekend!
ID Badges - Required to Enter Building Beginning January 9th
Students need to have their ID badge on, out, and visible while on campus. Monday, January 9th. students without an ID will have to visit a temporary ID station upon entering the building. We will verify that the individual is a current BHS student. The student will need to purchase a temporary ID for $1. An ID will be printed for the student to wear for that day.

If a student can't find their ID, they must request a new one. To order a new ID, there is a $5 replacement fee. The fee can be paid either through SchoolPay or with cash. Cash payments can be submitted to Ms. Littlejohn, our financial clerk in the Main Office. The replacement ID can be ordered on our website under the Student tab or by submitting a request here. A copy of the receipt for payment must be submitted at the time a student requests a new ID.
 
Recently enrolled students should submit a request for a student ID here. There is no charge for a student's first ID badge.
Canvas Parent Accounts
Observer roles are now available to parents in CANVAS our Learning Management System. With an observer account parents and guardians can monitor students’ Canvas courses, calendars, and announcements. Observers can view the course content but cannot participate in the course. Observers can access their account on a browser, or the Canvas Parent app using iOS or Android devices. More info here.
Yearbooks Orders
Buy a yearbook for $85 at bellaireyearbook.com ! Prices increase to $100 on January 13th. Make sure you take advantage of the lower price!
Seniors!
Purchase a senior ad at bellaireyearbook.com before January 10th.
Prospective Students - Magnet Tours
Magnet information sessions and tours kickoff November. 17th. Prospective students and families can attend to learn more about the World Languages program at Bellaire HS. Visitors should park in the visitor's parking lot located at the corner of S. Rice and Maple Street. Magnet sessions will begin in the auditorium.

Prospective families should sign up for a day to tour here!
IB Information Session
Prospective families that are interested in learning more about Bellaire's IB program are invited to an informational meeting on January 10th to learn more about the diploma program and the application process.

Prospective families can park in the lot located at Maple and S. Rice and enter through the Main Entrance.
Support the Class of 2023
The Class of 2023 has had very few opportunities to raise funds for their After Prom. Prom at Bellaire is held at the Museum of Natural Science and the Grand Hall is transformed into a fantastic party with games, prizes and foods. The After Prom is free for all seniors to attend. Please donate to help us fund this event for our seniors. Click here to make a donation! #CardinalProud #ClassOf2023
Library Update
We, the library staff, are so excited about the current success of the library. Students have been coming in & exploring while also taking advantage of our different spaces. Through our new sign in system, we are able to track how many students come in each day and what their reasons are throughout the day. 
Currently, we haven't been accepting many students out of classes so that we could train all off campus students, and see how many students took advantage of the library during cardinal hour. This week alone, we have had 1,123 student sign-ins. This averages to about 187 students visiting the library each day. Our busiest time of the day is cardinal hour and before school. 
In the makerspace, we have started using the button makers, legos, paper crafts, and board games during cardinal hour. We also had the opportunity to add to our library collection with books from the English Dept that are virtually brand new, never touched. We have been able to add over 200 books to nearly every section of the library. This includes 15 series added in full (this is great being able to add all 3 of a trilogy at the same time.) 
We have also started doing Library deliveries for students who put books on hold. In January, we plan to continue this with our student library workers in the Spring semester as part of our Library Ambassador program. 
Support Over the Holidays and Beyond
As Winter Break approaches and the year comes to an end, it’s time for a much-deserved break. Whether it’s catching up on your favorite shows, enjoying time with family and friends, or planning for the next year, take a moment over the break to relax and recharge.
 
The Social and Emotional Learning Department provides resources and support to students year round. While the holiday time can be stressful, there are ways to manage those “holiday blues”. Check out the SEL department page on the HISD website here for additional resources and strategies.
 
 
College Center Update
Upcoming Dates
Sunday, January 1st- Major deadline for various colleges and universities (Early Action/Decision & Regular Decision)
Friday, January 6th- Last day to register for the Feb. 11th ACT
Wednesday, January 11th- 12th Grade Financial Aid Meeting via English 4 in Auditorium
Sunday, January 15th- Deadline for FAFSA/TASFA
Sunday, January 15th- Major deadline for various colleges and universities (Early Action/Decision & Regular Decision)
Sunday, January 15th- Lamar University Scholarship Deadline
                                               Angelo State University Scholarship Deadline
                                               Tarleton State University Scholarship Deadline
                                               Texas A&M University- San Antonio Scholarship Deadline
  
Similar to Bellaire High School, colleges will be closed Dec. 19-Jan 6. You can try to email, but you may not get a response until the first week we get back. Please have patience.
Reminders:
Just because you press submit does not mean you are done. Make sure you think FAST
  • F- Fee/Fee Waiver- Did you pay the application fee? Did you submit your college application fee waiver to the university? If you need a waiver, visit the College & Career Center
  • Application- Review that all information is correct and press submit.
  • S- Supplemental Items- Don’t forget to submit any essays, letters of recommendation, resumes, test scores, or any other items needed for you to apply. Do the research to make sure you don’t miss anything for your specific major/deadline/college. If you forget, the university will send automated emails until the deadline.
  • T- Transcripts- All official transcript request must go through Naviance 10 days before the deadline. Bellaire will send the transcripts to the university.
 
Admissions:
  • Do not apply for financial aid before you do admissions. This will complicate your application.
  • Just because you press submit, does not mean you are done. Make sure you think FAST
  • F- Fee/Fee Waiver- Did you pay the application fee? Did you submit your college application fee waiver to the university? Common App fee waivers are electronic; Apply Texas is email/mail/upload.
  • A- Application- Review and press submit before the deadline.
  • S- Supplemental Items- Don’t forget to submit any essays, letters of recommendation, resumes, test scores, or any other items needed for you to apply. Do the research to make sure you don’t miss anything for your specific major/deadline/college.
  • T- Transcripts- All official transcript request must go through Naviance 10 days before the deadline. Bellaire will send the transcripts to the university. (Watch this video) If the school wants you to self-report or complete the SRAR, use your unofficial transcript in your HISD email.
  • Texas A&M University must have all supporting documents by Thursday, December 15th. 
  • As you all are receiving your university ID numbers, usernames, and passwords, please write this information down in a secure place for future reference. You will do this for EVERY school.
  • Please check your university portals for any missing documents and to check the status of your admissions decision.
  • We are currently in a high intensity deadline period meaning colleges and universities are receiving partial documents from all across the US to make completed application files for each student. Please be patient and allow up to TWO WEEKS before you see updates in your portal.
  • Concerned about the status of your docs? Check with the College Center, then check with the university.
  • My school is asking for mid-year grades; what do I do? 1. If they are asking for mid-year grades or your fall semester grades, they will not be ready until mid-February. This is across HISD. Please communicate that this is out of your control to your college. If they are okay with a copy of your report card, communicate this to the College Center in January.
  • Congratulations to those who have received acceptance letters!
  • Please upload all acceptance letters to tinyurl.com/accept23. This includes colleges that you will not attend. We must see your name, the university’s name, and the fact that you were accepted. This is a part of the end of the school year checkout process for seniors.
  • Up next? Housing! Scholarships! Financial Aid!
Multi-Lingual Programs Department - Launch Your Dream
The Multilingual Programs Department is hosting the Launch Your Dream: A World of Opportunities for Diverse Learners district-wide onsite parent leadership conference on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at Austin High School from 5 pm to 8 pm (see attached flyer).  The conference offers our district’s parents, families, and communities an opportunity to learn from educational experts’ view of a variety of opportunities that the district provides for Emergent Bilingual Learners and how they could support their child utilizing the resources provided. Families will also learn about HISD choice schools and the programs the district offer:  Fine Arts, Foreign Language, Montessori, S.T.E.M. & S.T.E.A.M., Single-Gender College Preparatory, and Vanguard. Additionally, district has other choice school options to learn about, including Boundary Option, Career/Technology Education (CTE), Dual Language, International Baccalaureate (IB), Prekindergarten (pre-K), and more. During the event, campus and district representatives will support parents with the school choice application process.
Support BHS When You Shop Minted and AmazonSmile
We are partnering with Minted this holiday season!  Make your holiday card & gift purchases count this year by shopping at Minted using our unique code FUNDRAISEBELLAIRE at checkout. You’ll get a 20% discount and Minted will donate 15% of every purchase made using our code back to BHS PTO at the end of the year.  Spread the word and happy shopping!  https://www.minted.com/

Register with AmazonSmile and every time you make an eligible purchase, Amazon will donate 0.5% to BHS PTO.  All donations generated through AmazonSmile support the programs at BHS directly.  Choose "Bellaire High School Parent Teacher Organization" as your charity and bookmark the link.  Email the link to family, friends and neighbors and have them register too!  Please remember to use AmazonSmile every time you shop!  

Join the Bellaire PTO
Everyone is welcome to join and participate in the Bellaire High School PTO. Joining is quick and easy online. A list of meeting dates and other information can be found on the PTO website. Click here to learn more.
It Takes A Village...
"Bellaire Share" is new this year. Please help us collect important information and get student and staff accomplishments out to our school community. Share with us Bellaire HS activities and student achievements. You can upload your pictures of any event easily. Together we can accomplish a lot. You can submit information anytime on the homepage on the right side of the page or bookmark this link.
Thank you to the Bellaire PTO Corporate Sponsors for 2022-2023
Remind Messaging App
All parents and students are encouraged to join their BHS Class Remind Group. Remind is a communication tool that will deliver important communications through text message or email. You can download Remind for IOS here and Android here. Once you download the app, simply text the class code you belong to above to the number 81010.

Remind can also be accessed by clicking on the links below to join a group.






In addition to the class codes above, students will have the opportunity to receive communication and correspond with their teachers through the Remind App.