Cardinal E-News Dec. 2

Final Exams

First Semester Final Exams will be held January 11-14. 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.

Study Tips and Advice

Finals are next week and if you need tips on getting organized or how to study for your exams, we have resources curated for you to look through. Check out the resources here. Creating a study schedule can really help too.

Mobility and Building Entrance/Exit Information

The first week has gone smoothly with students entering and exiting the building at the specified locations. As a whole, arrival and departure got a bit better as each day passed. We appreciate everyone's efforts and will continue to implement and refine arrival and dismissal procedures.

There will be three entry and exit doors for students.

Main Office at the front of the school on S. Rice Ave.
“Main Street” doors. These are located in the center of the school area known as “Main Street” and they are the doors students would use if they are entering from the parking garage.
Bus entry doors. These are the same doors that bus riders have been using.

NOTE: Students walking to school or being dropped off should no longer use the bus entry doors. They should use the doors at the Main Office or on “Main Street”. Students will no longer enter nor exit through the doors on the back bus lane and loading dock lane.

Drop-Offs and Pick-Ups

The student drop off and pick up lanes are on S. Rice Ave. at the front of the school and Maple St. by the parking garage, just like before. For safety reasons, students are not to walk onto the bus lane starting on Monday, November 21st. They should use the doors at the Main Office or on “Main Street” only.

Bus Lane

Only school buses should enter the bus lane, which is a one-way road that enters on Maple St.

Visitors

All visitors will park in the outside parking lot at the front of the school on S. Rice Ave. In order to alleviate traffic issues, visitor parking lot hours are 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. All visitors must enter the building through the new main office doors on S. Rice.

This is going to take a community effort in order to make the changes as smooth as possible. It’s nothing too major, but there are some tweaks nonetheless so thank you in advance to everyone for their part in making traffic and student entry and dismissal as smooth as possible. Please review the changes with your student(s).

ID Badges - Mandatory

Please begin spreading the word now All students need to have IDs on and visible while on campus. Students will need to have their ID badge on, out, and visible starting Monday, January 9^th.

If students can't find their ID and needs to request a new one, they will need to pay a $5 ID replacement fee on SchoolPay or see Ms. Littlejohn with cash and submit a request for a new ID online here.

Students who have recently enrolled should submit a request for a student ID here.

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.

Club Meetings This Week - Get Involved

Check out the clubs that are meeting this week during Cardinal Hour. We strongly encourage all students to join a club. Joining a club can allow you to spend time learning about something that you are interested in, meet new friends, and give back to the community through participating in a service project. Check out the different clubs on campus here. This is a new page on our website, and it is being updated.

Piano Recital - December 6

Everyone is invited to the Piano Recital in the auditorium. This free event begins at 6:30 pm. Guests should park in the parking lot located on S. Rice at Ferris and enter the building through the main entrance. Over flow parking will be available in the parking garage.

Choir and Orchestra Joint Concert - Dec. 9

Come early next Friday night to get a good seat at this popular concert! The Bellaire High School Choir and Orchestra preform their winter concert together. The program begins in the auditorium at 6:30 pm. Guests should park in the parking lot located on S. Rice at Ferris and enter the building through the main entrance. Over flow parking will be available in the parking garage.

STAAR Retesting - Next Week

December STAAR retesting is right around the corner. Students that were absent during Spring testing or who did not have success on one of the STAAR exams will be retesting in December. This will be the last opportunity that students have to take the STAAR 1.0 exam. All students will take the newly redesigned STAAR 2.0 team beginning in the Spring of 2023. Students will receive testing notifications in their HISD email accounts. If you have questions about testing please email our testing coordinator, Laura Perez.

Saturday English 1 and English II

December 3rd!

Wanted: All students that are retesting in English I and II! English teachers are hosting two fantastic Saturday sessions to review and help students be successful on the STAAR exams in December.

All students that are taking the English I and/or II STAAR tests in December please come to the Saturday session tomorrow! Meet us at the Main Street entrance at 8:30am.

The State is changing the STAAR test in the Spring of 2023. December will be the last opportunity that students have to take the STAAR 1.0 version. Scan the QR code and sign up to attend today!

We will have snacks for all students that attend too!

STAAR Tutorials - Ongoing

All students retesting in Algebra 1, Biology, English I or II, and US History should be attending a tutorial session during Cardinal Hour each week and a tutorial before or after school. All students received retesting notifications through content area teachers and via email. To sign up for a tutorial session before or after school, please see your English, Math, Social Studies or Science teacher. Questions about tutorials, please email Ms. Campbell.

A reminder to all students and families, December is the last time that students will have the opportunity to take and pass the STAAR 1.0 exams. Beginning in the spring of 2023 all students will be required to take and pass the STAAR 2.0 version of the exam.

Virtual Tutoring Available

HISD has Math Tutoring available to students every Tuesday after school. Log in from the comfort of your home and work with a master teacher. This is a great opportunity to receive additional support and work on skills that will boost your PSAT, SAT, ACT or TSIA 2 exams.

Winter Scene Showcase

Red Bird Productions Presents: The Winter Scene Showcase. Come check out the final scenes performed by the Intermediate Production Class.

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!

Library Update

The library will be open for all students and staff starting December 5th. This period between December 5th and December 21st (before winter break) will be considered a "soft opening" where we will be implementing our new sign in system and procedures for keeping the library safe and welcoming.

The library will not be welcoming in classes for orientation or collaborating for these 2 weeks, but will start scheduling orientations and collaborations in January to fully introduce students to all the library has to offer.

Currently, the library is still waiting on a few pieces of furniture from the bond that will be delivered in January - so please understand that we will have limited seating and will probably need to limit the amount of students who come in at a time until the rest of the furniture is in place. Have a great week Cardinals!

Special Project Funded

Principles of Technology students will get to build towers and bridges using balsa wood and other super cool materials thanks to grant funded through Donors Choose. Generous donors donated $ and were matched today by various companies. #givingtuesday A big shout-out to Ms. Schulz for leading the campaign for Bellaire!

Boys Golf

The boys golf team took 3rd place in the Deer Park Classic at Battleground Golf Course. Bradley Lavinier took first place with a score of 75 and Lucas Dolibois got a hole in one on the 13th hole. The team members who took 3rd place were Cooper Bayne, Bradley Lavinier, Connor Feng, Jared Goldberger and Jake Melamed

Volunteering - Getting Involved

December 5^th is International Volunteer Day. It’s a day that recognizes the efforts of volunteers in transforming societies, economies, and the environment. On this day, individuals focus on issues of concern in their communities. The goal is not just to get others to volunteer for one day, but to change the mindsets and attitudes of others so they become agents of change and work as partners to build a better world.

Take an active role in volunteering in your community. Feel free to share pictures or videos of your efforts online and encourage others to get involved. Here are a few ways to volunteer locally:

Check out the calendar of events on https://volunteerhouston.org/
Get involved with the City of Houston and the Mayor’s Office of Education https://www.houstontx.gov/education/
Apply to become a Student Election Worker https://www.harrisvotes.com/Election-Workers
Join one of the many clubs and organizations at Bellaire High School beginning in January https://www.houstonisd.org/domain/25813
Find more information about International Volunteer Day at https://www.un.org/en/observances/volunteer-day

Coffee & Conversations Virtual Parent Meeting

The Counseling and Student Services Department invites you to join our Coffee & Conversations meetings where we share valuable information and resources to help your child and family navigate this school year as well as increase emotional wellness and academic success. Join us Wednesday, December 7^th from 9:00-10:00 am virtually on Microsoft Teams. The topic for December is “Be Nice: Recognizing signs and symptoms of Depression and Anxiety.”

College Center Update

Upcoming Dates

Sunday, December 4^th- Last day to request transcripts for January 1^st deadlines

Wednesday, December 7^th- HCC Programs Showcase

Saturday, December 10^th- HISD DREAM Summit (Bus from Bellaire provided)

Houston Community College Programs Showcase- December 7^th from 1:30 to 4 PM

HCC will be at Bellaire to showcase some of their amazing programs that they offer 9-month certificates, 2-year degrees, and transfer hours for. This is a great time to learn about a new career path, ask more questions, and hands on demonstrations. Attending programs include digital graphics/design, auto mechanics, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and health sciences. To RSVP for this event, please click HERE.

HISD DREAM Summit for Immigrant Families- December 10^th from 9 AM to 1 PM

All HISD DREAMers, DACA recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees along with their parents are cordially invited to attend The DREAM Summit on Saturday, December 10^th. Learn how to successfully complete their college applications, apply for financial aid, learn about your rights in Texas & the US, and how to make the most of their college experience. To RSVP for this event, please click HERE. Bellaire will provide a bus to this event.

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.

After you press submit: In 24-72 business hours after pressing submit, you should receive an email with your login credentials for your university portal. Please write store this information in a safe place, as you will get one for each university you apply to.

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.
As you start to receive your acceptance offers, please 1. Make the change your admission decision in Naviance and 2. Upload a pdf/screenshot/picture of the acceptance to tinyurl.com/accept23. We need to be able to see the student’s name, the universities name, and the fact that you’ve been accepted.
Apply for Admissions BEFORE Financial Aid, the deadline to submit the FAFSA is January 15^th.
Free Application Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)- This is the FREE federal application open to US citizens, permanent residents, refugee, and asylum seekers to apply for federal grants, federal work study, and federal loans. Click HERE for the FAFSA Checklist
Texas Application for Student Financial Aid (TASFA)- This is the FREE state application open to students who are undocumented looking for state funding to attend a college in the state of Texas. Click HERE for the TASFA Checklist
CSS Profile- The CSS Profile is a very in-depth online application that collects financial information used by nearly 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award money directly from the institution. This application is $25 for the initial college. Additional reports are $16 per university. Fee waivers are provided in the CSS Profile, based on the information that you input. Click HERE for the CSS Profile Checklist
What Can I Do First? - Create your FSA ID. This is a username and password that, the student, will create. Additionally, at least one parent at home (with a social security number) will need to create an FSA ID too. If neither parent has a SS number, then that is okay, you the student will need to create yours.
Looking for scholarships? Visit Cash4Cards, this is a one-stop shop for all the scholarships that come through the College Center. This is a living document, so please ensure that you are checking it regularly. If you search through all the active scholarships and you don’t find anything for you, let me know and I can provide you search engines for independent research.

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.