I hope today’s Cardinal e-News finds everyone doing well. We have completed three weeks of school already! Teachers have been delivering instruction since day one and classes are moving along strongly. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Bellaire HS Open House on Wednesday, September 20^th, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. I will start off with a general session in the auditorium at 5:00 p.m., and then parents will be able to follow their child’s schedule to visit teachers the rest of the evening. Also, on Thursday, September 21^st, the PTO is holding its first meeting of the year at 6:00 p.m. If you would like to attend, enter the building through the main office. Thank you for choosing Bellaire High School. We are excited for a great school year!

Michael Niggli, Principal

Bellaire High School

Open House this Week!

Open House is on September 20th. We will start at 5:00 pm in the auditorium with Mr. Niggli and then parents will have the opportunity to follow their son or daughter's schedule. Click here to download a schedule template to complete for your student. We also have a basic map for you to download and print to help you navigate our campus. Click here to download the map.

NWEA MAP Growth Assessment

Next week, students in English I, English II, Algebra 1, and Biology will be taking the NWEA Map assessment. Attendance is very important this week!

The MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Test is a computer-adaptive evaluation designed to accurately measure your student's skills in Mathematics, Reading, and Language Usage. Unlike traditional tests that compare students to each other, the MAP Test identifies your child's unique learning level, helping educators tailor instruction for optimal learning. It's administered multiple times a year, offering real-time, actionable data that can be used to set goals and track academic growth. Understanding your child's MAP scores can give you valuable insights into their academic needs and strengths, aiding in more focused and effective learning.

Students will need charged laptops with them in all of these classes to be able to take the assessment.

Yearbooks are on sale!

The Bellaire Carillon Yearbook is currently on sale! The first 50 yearbooks sold this year will go for $70. Make sure to buy your yearbook now!

Progress Reports

Progress Reports will be sent home with students on Friday, September 22nd.

Students are encouraged to attend tutorial sessions and reach out to teachers for student conferences and retakes during Cardinal Hour. Any student who is failing a class must attend tutorials during Cardinal Hour. Students, remember there is a bell that rings between the Red and White blocks to help you manage your time.

Information from our Counseling Team

Level Changes:

 The level change window for students begins on Monday, September 18-Friday, September 29, 2023 (Example- A student wants to drop HADV World Geography and add Academic World Geography.) Students should think about the pacing of their current classes and grades earned so far and decide if staying in the current level for the remainder of this semester is the best choice for them. If a student wants to do a level change, they will need to have a conversation with their parent and teacher. If a decision is made to do a level change, bring the signed level change form linked here to their Counselor. Copies of the level change form are also located in the Counselors’ offices. To be considered for a level change after September 29th, it must be reviewed and approved by a committee consisting of the Counselor, AP or Dean, parent, and teacher.

Building Your School Support System at Bellaire:

With the new school year underway, have you thought about who here at Bellaire can support you on your academic and personal journey to success? Having a support system on campus is essential to academic and personal growth. A support system is a network of people and organizations that provide emotional and physical support. Outside of Bellaire, your support system may consist of your parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, family friends, and your friends. Building a support system at Bellaire may be a little bit more difficult. You will first want to reflect on your values, interests, and passions. Next, start noticing the strengths of others and how their attributes can help you on your academic and personal journey. This will help you to be able to identify individuals who can offer you the support you need. Some examples of people you may want to include in your school support system are teachers, coaches, counselors, social workers, wraparound services, assistant principals, the principal, clerks, club sponsors, and your peers. Each one of these examples will have a specific set of characteristics that will be able to help you on your journey to academic and personal success. For example, you may need help with your college applications and personal essays. For your college applications, you could go to the College Center for assistance. The College Center can also assist with your personal essay, but you may prefer for a teacher or a peer to read over it for edits and notes on how the essay can be improved. Having a school support system will be able to help lift you up when you are feeling down, and you will be able to turn to them for help or advice. Most importantly, a school support system will reduce stress, reduce depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and will boost your confidence. It will also give you a sense of belonging and security to better cope with difficulties you are facing. The most important thing to remember is to ask for help when you are in need!

Submitting a SAF (Student Assistance Form):

Do you have concerns for a student’s social or emotional health or academics, or does your student need resources for school? Anyone can submit a SAF for a student for non-emergency concerns. Submitting a SAF connects students to their Counselor, our School Social Worker, Ms. Lasprilla, or our Wraparound Specialists. Here is the updated SAF link for the 2023-2024 school year.

Sandy Hook Promise Week

Next week, September 18-22, is Sandy Hook Promise Say Hello Week 2023, which promotes the values of inclusivity and compassion on school campuses. 

Monday is Meet and Greet Monday, encouraging students to meet someone new and use their own personalized “Hello Style. Tuesday is Upstander Tuesday to show appreciation to the Upstanders in our school community. Wednesday is Wear Green Wednesday. Students are encouraged to wear green as a symbol of unity and solidarity with Sandy Hook Promise. Thursday is Trusted Adult Thursday, where students are to thank a trusted adult with a note of gratitude. Friday is Moving Forward Fri-Yay. Students are to make a start with hello promise pledge to keep the start with help spirit daily!

PTO Meeting this Week

The first PTO meeting of the 2023-2024 academic year is to be held next Thursday, September 21st, 6pm, at Bellaire High School. Come and learn what the Bellaire PTO is all about!

Cardinals Take Flight, Bellaire's Study Abroad Group, is traveling to Spain over Spring Break '24 and South Korea over Spring Break '25!

The Bellaire High School community is invited to participate in our Spring Break adventures across the world!

In 2024, we will be traveling to Spain, where we will begin in Madrid and finish in Barcelona. Along the way, we'll see flamenco, taste tapas, visit museums, and dip our toes in the water of the stunning Spanish beaches.

In 2025, we will be returning to Asia with our first trip to South Korea. We will explore all aspects of the culture, from ancient temples to contemporary K-Pop, with an emphasis on active learning through taekwondo classes, market visits, and local exchanges.

Parents are welcome to come too! Fill out this form ( https://bit.ly/3YG6cjP ) to receive more information or to attend our virtual interest meeting on Thursday, September 28.

Join a Club - Get Involved

Club Meeting Schedule

Bellaire has over 100 clubs registered for this year! You can check out what they are doing and get information about their activities and meetings by following them on Instagram or joining their Reminds. Click here to see a full list of clubs.

Students can also find a club to join by looking at the meeting schedule for the rest of Cycle 1 Click here to view the schedule!

Please see Ms. Chapman in room 2712 or email her at echapman@houstonisd.org with any questions about getting involved with clubs!

Fall Senior Survey

All seniors are required to complete the Fall Senior Survey. You can find this survey by logging into your Schoolinks account via Clever and looking under the “To Do List” tab. It will be labeled “Fall Senior Survey.” This is a requirement for graduation!

9th -11th Grade Students

School Day Digital PSAT/NMSQT - October 10-11th

To prepare for the test, students are encouraged to access their Khan Academy account through Clever. Here, they will receive a personalized learning plan. Additionally, we recommend downloading the Blue Book app.

The Digital SAT offers numerous advantages for students who score well, including:

• Avoid Remedial Classes
• Expanded College Options
• Enhanced Scholarship Opportunities

9th Grade will take the PSAT on Tuesday, October 10th.

10th-11th will take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 11th.

*Any 12th grade student that has not taken the SAT will take it on October. 11th.

Meet and Greet Class of 2027 Parents

This is a Meet & Greet for the Bellaire High School Class of 2027 Parents. Wednesday, October 4th, from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at the '401, 6700 Ferris Street. We will meet on the side patio.

COME JOIN US!

HEAR MORE ABOUT THE

C/O 2027 FUNDRAISING

INITIATIVE AND MEET

MEMBERS OF THE PTO

Enjoy light bites. Drinks and

other food can be purchased.

Hosted By:

Lauren Blackburn, Melinda Cooper, Hope Canon/Digital Delight, Lauren Garrow, Julie Goldberger, Jennifer Heemer, Mindy Kaplan, Meric Pinkerton, Margaret Pinkston, Courtney Tardy, Mindy Vondenstein

Special Thanks to:

Kristi Coffey/The '401

Schoolinks Replaces Naviance

Students now have access to Schoolinks. They can access it via their Clever account. Parents and students can gain more information on Schoolinks via this link. To get a head start, students can set up their Schoolinks profile and explore the platform and what it has to offer.

For any questions about Schoolinks, please contact Bellaire HS College Advisor Jelicia Hunt at jelicia.hunt@houstonisd.org

Shout-out to Coffee Fellows in Bellaire

The BHS PTO would like to recognize Coffee Fellows for their generous donation of coffee, tea, and delicious snacks to the Coffee with the Principal held on Aug. 31. #ThankYou https://www.coffeefellows.com/

Website Announcements

Cardinals, be sure and scroll through the announcement board located on the homepage of our website! We encourage everyone to find a club or organization to connect with! #GetInvolved

Families are encouraged to check the website often for updates and information!

Bellaire Library Update

We have had a busy 3rd week of school. In this week alone we have hit quite a few benchmarks! We have 396 books checked out this week, and 1,732 students have signed in so far this week. We put up our new Hispanic Heritage Month Display- Hispanic Heritage Month starts September 15th through October 15th each year. The library also included information for the Cardinals Take Flight Club, @bhstravels, for their upcoming interest meeting on Sept 28th for those interested in traveling to Spain during Spring Break of this year! 

The library is now ramping up our class visits as well- with 8 class visits over the past week which means around 221 students got instruction and academic help from their school librarian. Many people forget that the School librarian is a certified teacher who collaborates with all content areas to add enrichment, remediation, and extension to our teachers already amazing content. Ms. Carpenter taught for five years as an English teacher before becoming a librarian, and in her 5 years as a librarian, she has loved the opportunity to teach nearly every content area! 

Volunteer Information: 

If you are interested in donating or volunteering with the Bellaire High School Library- please check out our Support the Library Page on the Bellaire HS Library website. This gives you access to see what is going on and what the current needs are on campus. Currently, we have a Donor's choose for small items to celebrate our reading initiative: Cardinals Read and a new SignUP Genius for Parent Volunteers to help us in the library during Cardinal Hour. 

Kaitlyn Carpenter

Bellaire HS Librarian

Thank you to the Bellaire PTO Corporate Sponsors for 2023-2024