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Billerica Memorial High School |
Preparation, Compassion, and Commitment: The Pathway to the fastest, safest, and sustained return to school.
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Aerial photograph courtesy of Michael Moore |
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Phone Numbers
COVID19 Hotline (After school hours 2 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.)
978-528-8705
Absence Line
978-528-8710
Main Office
Attendance Secretary - 978-528-8709
Administration
Principal - 978.528.8711
Grades 8 & 9
Assistant Principal - 978.528.8730
Assistant Principal - 978.528.8720
Grades 10-12
Assistant Principal - 978.528.8740
Assistant Principal - 978.528.8750
Coordinators
978.528.7925 - Guidance - Melinda Cripps
Nurse's Office
978-528-8754 - Ms. Greenlaw
978-528-8757 - Ms. Moore
978-528-8758 - Ms. Venezia
School Information
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Academic Assistance (Tutoring) |
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This weekend we launched a new Google Calendar to support students in need of academic assistance. The "Honor Society Tutoring" calendar is prepopulated with available appointments for students to register and receive help in a myriad of subjects. The time slots range from right after school to early evening. All students received directions on Friday through their school email address. If parents have questions regarding accessibility, please contact your child's school counselor for assistance.
The calendar features students that can support Math, Science, Social Studies, English, Spanish, and Writing.
The Honor Society Tutoring Calendar can be accessed through this link
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Members of the Billerica Public Schools Community:
As students and staff return to school after February break, I would like to share an update on where we are regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our schools.
All of us - School Committee, administration, teachers, support staff, parents, and students - share a desire to return students to school more fully. At the same time, we know that we must also balance that desire with the primary need to keep students and staff - and their families - safe. We are encouraged by declining case numbers and test positivity rates both statewide and locally, while we are also concerned about the potential
impact of new variants of the virus where case counts are on the rise.
As a district, we have talked about two key components that would be necessary to return students to school more fully this year - regular surveillance testing of students and staff, and vaccinations of staff. On the testing front, we are excited to be a district that is participating in pooled testing; however, we are extremely discouraged by the state’s vaccination rollout which has de-prioritized educational staff, and has taken control
of vaccination procedures away from local municipalities. We had developed a plan in conjunction with the Town Manager’s office, the Billerica Board of Health, and Shawsheen Tech to vaccinate all educational staff in a coordinated, rapid effort, once vaccines were distributed to the Town. However, an announcement last week by the Governor’s office has shut off the supply of any new vaccines to Billerica starting March 1.
This unfortunate development makes it even more critical to engage in surveillance testing if there is any ability to expand opportunities for in-person learning for students this school year. Thanks to support from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), we will be beginning implementation of weekly “pooled testing” for students and staff. This testing is designed for asymptomatic individuals, and involves combining multiple test samples in one vial (“pool”) and testing them using a PCR test. If a pool comes back negative, it is presumed that all individuals are negative; if a pool comes back positive, each individual in that pool is tested again using a rapid antigen test.
Participation in pooled testing is voluntary, but highly encouraged for all students and staff. Electronic consent forms will be emailed to families tomorrow, Tuesday, February 23. We anticipate doing a small pilot of pooled testing in each school the week of March 1, with full implementation the week of March 8.
If you have specific questions about pooled testing, please contact Mr. Bernie McCann, Director of Health Services and Wellness at bmccann@billericak12.com.
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February Elks of the Month |
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The Elks recipients for the month of February are Jordan Murch and Ankeet Patel. Jordan is a bright, hardworking, and involved student who makes a positive impact on her school and community. She is involved in a number of extracurricular activities, including National Honors Society, French Club, and is a valued member of our school’s varsity softball team. Jordan volunteers at the Billerica Public Library, provides peer tutoring services for students who need extra support in math, and has helped the Billerica Youth Softball program in a number of ways. Jordan shows leadership qualities as a youth softball pitching instructor, helping the next generation of athletes learn the skill. She is a multiple High Honor Roll recipient and spends her free time drawing and painting. Jordan plans on pursuing a degree in Biology with the eventual goal of attending medical school. |
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Ankeet is a talented, highly motivated, and well rounded student who makes a difference inside and outside of the classroom. He is a member of the National Honors Society and Spanish National Honors Society, is part of our math team, and a valued, four year member of our varsity basketball team earning all conference accolades last year. Ankeet has volunteer experience through Winchester Hospital, where he helped transport and discharge patients. He has maintained a part time job at a local retail store, gaining real world skills and taking on additional responsibilities while maintaining a rigorous academic course load. Ankeet plans on pursuing a degree in pharmacy and is drawn towards the research side of medicine. |
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Please join us in congratulating Jordan Murch and Ankeet Patel as January's Elks Students of the Month. |
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Auditions for this year's SPAC Show begin this week. If you have any questions, or would like to be involved, please email one of our senior Directors.
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Mrs. Chiarella’s chemistry class (as well as the other chemistry classes at BMHS) conducted laboratory investigations in conjunction with their unit on chemical reactivity. The lab investigated how certain elements (calcium, magnesium and aluminum) react with water and hydrochloric acid. Students used their knowledge of periodic trends of reactivity to determine how each would react. Students check each reaction for a change in pH, temperature, production of a gas and combustibility of the gas if it was produced. It was very refreshing to see students conducting investigations in science class this year. Due to COVID-19 restrictions with respect to sharing materials and student proximity, it has made our regular laboratory exercises almost impossible to perform. The chemistry teachers did a commendable job to modify this lab to be conducted by individual students.
It should be noted that this laboratory investigation was made possible by a grant from ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program extended to BMHS through Alltown Billerica. With the grant, we were able to purchase disposable well plates and pipettes and enough consumable and durable materials for each student to have their own set-up.
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To Students Taking The SAT On March 3:
I wanted to provide a quick update and let you know that BREAKFAST will be served on March 3, just prior to students taking the SAT. Students will be able to enter the building at 6:45 AM-7:10 AM to obtain breakfast, but food/beverage must be consumed in the cafeteria. You won't be able to eat breakfast in the testing rooms, and you won't be able to go to your testing room until 7:10 AM.
Please note that lunch will not be served.
A big thanks to Ms. April Laskey, Director of School Nutrition, and her staff for ensuring that all of our students eat a good breakfast before testing!
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Student Scheduling 2021-2022 |
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BMHS Scheduling Portal For Students' Course Selections Will Open on Saturday, March 6, 2021
The scheduling portal will open on Saturday, March 6, 2021 for students in grades 8-11 to select their courses for the 2021-2022 school year, and will close on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 11:59 PM. The steps for students & parents to access the portal will be sent closer to March 6. For now, please go through the BMHS Program of Studies (attached to this email), and select the courses you are interested in taking next year. Note that you are making a "wish list" of your classes; while we attempt to fit all of your desired courses into your schedule, sometimes it isn't possible to do so, particularly with electives. Therefore, we ask that you plan to select at least three electives and three alternate (back-up) electives.
Please note that the timing of when you complete your course selections has no bearing on the scheduling process. Therefore, a student who registers on March 6 will not have an advantage over a student who registers on March 14. This is important to know so that you can take your time and make thoughtful course selections over the week.
Teachers are currently making course recommendations for students' core classes for next year. If you have questions or concerns about these recommendations, please contact your child's teacher directly via email.
School counselors will review students' selections after March 14, and will discuss any thoughts, questions, or concerns with students or parents, as appropriate. Additionally, they will ensure that students are on track for graduation. If you have any questions about the overall scheduling process, graduation requirements, or course selection, please contact your child's school counselor directly.
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Cohort Change Request Upcoming Deadline |
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Requests Submitted Transition Date
January 16 – February 15 March 1
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In an effort to ensure the safest and most responsive environment possible, we have established a COVID19 hotline for after school hours. If your child tests positive for COVID19 and you learn about the results during school hours, please contact our Nurses' Office at 978-528-8754. If you need to report a positive test to the school after school hours, please use our COVID19 hotline 978-528-8705, leave a message with a good number to reach you and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.
If your child tests positive, please make sure you email, or call our nursing staff as soon as possible.
Nurse's Office
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The BMHS Chemistry Club is running a winter clothing drive in association with the Bundle Up New England campaign. If anyone has winter clothing such as jackets, hats, gloves, or mittens that you no longer need, and are in good condition, we encourage you to donate them to our drive. The drive will run from February 22nd to March 16th. All you have to do is bring your donations to the main lobby and place them in the Bundle Up New England bin. If you prefer to purchase new clothing instead, please follow this link. Or scan the QR code shown below. Thank you!
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The following BMHS students/projects have been approved to compete in the Region IV Science Fair March 4, 5, & 6. Additional information can be found here.
Mary Harutyunyan & Lily Harutyunyan: Debris to Dwelling: This project proposal explores the use of waste as building materials. First, to determine weight bearing ability and then feasibility based on climate.
Ogechukwu Iwuchukwu: Intergenerational Impact of Parental Stress using Drosophila melanogaster: This project proposal explores the impact of parental trauma on subsequent generations using Drosophila melanogaster.
Saketh Mynampati: Early Detection of Sepsis: The aim of this engineering project is to create a model that can diagnose sepsis earlier than traditional clinical diagnoses in order to improve sepsis patient outcomes.
Christian So and Karan Rana: Blizzard Monitoring System: This engineering project proposal is to design a device that will report measured snow load values to a single central monitoring system that is also capable of sending out the same information to the end-user’s smart iOS or Android app.
Anish Srinivasan: How Do Different Cations Affect the Rate of Water Discharge in an Alginate Water Capsule? This project proposal explores which alginate cation combination provides the best irrigation method for mustard plants.
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2021 BMHS Virtual Career Fair |
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The BMHS School Counseling Department is pleased to announce that the annual BMHS Career Fair is going virtual this year! We have over 40 individuals from different professions speaking about their career experience! You’ll get to hear from nurses, teachers, librarians, salespeople, marketing professionals, and technology experts, just to name a few! There are so many possible careers, how can you ever figure out what you want to do?? Watching these videos is a great first step. All of these individuals would be more than happy to answer questions from students. Please email Ms. Coia (tcoia@billericak12.com) or Mr. Caples (ecaples@billericak12.com) for contact information.
Check it out at the link below!
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Starting the Conversation: College and
Your Mental Health
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Presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Central Middlesex
Monday, March 8, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Attendees must register in advance for this webinar at namicentralmiddlesex and students, parents, and guardians are welcome. This webinar will feature college administrators and a recent college graduate who experienced mental health challenges while in college. Families with students heading to college are encouraged to start conversations about mental health before students leave home. It is prudent to understand privacy laws, and to know that colleges differ in supports. This information will be presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Central Middlesex, and is co-sponsored by the Acton-Boxborough United Way and the Mystic Valley Behavioral Health Coalition.
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Hi All! The Spanish National Honor Society is holding a food drive and is looking for donations. All of the donations go to the Billerica Food pantry. The Food Pantry is mainly looking for mayonnaise, Hamburger Helper, and cereal but all cans and non-perishable items are very helpful and much appreciated. During hard times like these, your donations will go a long way. Donation boxes are located outside of the main office and outside of the auditorium.
The food drive will be occurring from February 5th to March 5th.
Please donate if you are able to!!
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Senior Caps and Gowns
Caps and gowns can be ordered from Jostens using the link below. There are several packages; the Mini package is needed for graduation. Information can also be found in each student's email and Class of 2021 Google Classroom.
Class of 2022 Class Rings
Starting this week, we will be distributing informational packets from Jostens during lunches Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. All of the information you need is included to order directly from the company, and a ring sizer device is in the packet to gauge your accurate size.
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Virtual Book Club & Author Meet |
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Mr. Landry is organizing a "virtual book club and author meet" these next two months for both students and teachers. The book, The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites is one of his new favorites. In it, the author tells the true story of two friends on a winter hike of NH's Franconia Ridge that goes awry.
Mr. Landry has been in touch with the author, and students will have access to autographed copies for $10, teachers for $15. He will be ordering the books Monday, March 1st, so all money needs to be collected by Friday, February 26th.
In addition, he will have two Wednesday blocks (3/17, 24) scheduled for any students/teachers who would like to meet virtually to discuss, and on Wednesday, 3/31 will host a two-block virtual field trip to meet with Ty Gagne, the author, and maybe James Osborne, the lone survivor. The conversation would revolve around decision-making, risk, compounding errors, resilience, and moving on from tragedy–all perfectly relevant topics for our students (and teachers, as well).
He would really love to have a good group of students and teachers, so please spread the word and be in touch if you have any questions.
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Community Pass is open for you to pay for your AP exams. Please log into your Community Pass account for more information regarding Advanced Placement test dates, cost, and payment. This is a blanket message to all AP students and their families; if you have already paid, THANK YOU!
IF YOU STILL NEED TO REGISTER
Back in July 2020, you received information regarding Community Pass, an online program through which you can register your child for BMHS athletics. Register with Community Pass, and you will be able to pay for your AP exams through the Community Pass portal. Credit cards are accepted. Be sure to select which AP exam(s) your child is taking this year. Please note that AP exam testing is not optional at BMHS; if you are taking an AP course, you must take the AP exam, and the student/family is responsible for the exam fee(s). **Students may only register for AP exams which are associated with the AP courses they are currently enrolled in. If you are not enrolled in an AP class, you may not take the exam.
Register no later than March 1, 2021 at 11:59 PM. Payment must be received by this date/time.
If you have any questions about AP exam testing, please contact: Mindy Cripps, Director of School Counseling and the AP Coordinator at: mcripps@billericak12.com
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The Department of Education sent out an advisory earlier this week providing an update to school districts regarding the MCAS Graduation requirement as well as changes to grades 3-8. The following bulleted items highlight the changes for the remainder of the school year.
- MCAS will not be a graduation requirement for Grade 12 students that haven't passed MCAS yet, however they will need to pass local ELA and math courses to demonstrate competency.
- The MCAS testing time will be shortened in Grades 3-8 by doing a "session sampling" approach, in which each student takes part of an MCAS. Parents/guardians will still receive individual reports for their children, and there will also be diagnostic reports for schools, districts, and the state.
- There has not been an update regarding Grade 11 students and the ELA/Math MCAS requirement
- Current Grade 10 and 11 students will not have to take/pass the MCAS Science assessment
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P-EBT benefits are automatically added to EBT cards. These funds are per child, $58.60 hybrid learners and $117.20 remote learners.
Children are enrolled for EBT through the state or have qualified for free/reduced priced meals. Children will only qualify for free/reduced meals by: Direct Certification from the state or through the Household Application process, in both of these scenarios they would receive notification from us.
However, because all children receive free meals from School Nutrition programs during SY21, this does NOT mean that all children will receive P-EBT. Most calls we have received result in a family needing to submit a household application or realizing they are not eligible.
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The BMHS Literary Magazine is hosting a Winter Writing Contest! Submit your winter themed works of fiction or poetry by email to Ms. Camasso or Mr. Ciccarelli by February 26th. The first place winner will receive a Dunkins gift card and will be published in the literary magazine. Other submissions may be chosen for publication as well. Any questions, email Ms. Camasso or Mr. Ciccarelli. |
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Looking for a Part-Time Job? |
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BMHS Juniors and Seniors,
Are you looking for a part-time job, but aren't sure how to promote yourself as the best candidate for the position? MassHire can help! BMHS has partnered with MassHire, a Massachusetts workforce development agency that supports people who are entering the workforce. The branch that we have partnered with focuses on ensuring that high school students have the skills needed in order to be successful in the workplace, and to that end, they are offering support to BMHS students who are seeking a part-time job or an internship in the coming school year. Best of all, this service is FREE to our students.
MassHire is available to meet (virtually) one-on-one with students to assist in finding a new job, creating an effective resume, writing a strong cover letter, and interviewing etiquette. These workshops are for students who are self-reliant, self-driven, and motivated. If you are a junior or senior and are interested in strengthening your skills for an internship or a part-time job, please log onto the following website to book a 30-minute appointment time: https://jaygreen.youcanbook.me
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Cohort Change Request Process |
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The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently updated their guidance around the time to transition students between models upon request. The DESE has stated that districts can use up to 4-6 weeks to make this transition between full remote and hybrid models.
As we move further into the school year, transitions for students can be more disruptive to their learning as they change not only classes, but curricular programs as well. For students moving from full remote to hybrid, building administrators need to determine where space is available, making adjustments if needed, in order to accommodate additional students in classrooms while maintaining physical distancing. These factors require time to make these transitions. While we recognize that families are anxious to transition students once they decide that a different model is better for their child, staff needs to take the time to ensure the transitions happen as smoothly as possible.
For this reason, we are establishing a more structured timeframe for making these transitions. Transitions will now take place on the Monday of the 1st week of each month. any requests that are submitted prior to the 15th of the month will take place on the 1st of the following month.
No requests accepted after April 15
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Requests Submitted
February 16 – March 15
March 16 – April 15
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Transition Date
March 29
May 3
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Big Future Days
The College Board would like to invite students to the first-ever BigFuture Days, a regional series of virtual college fairs for high school sophomores and juniors to help connect them with hundreds of colleges, admissions officers, and current college students.
BigFuture Days are designed to give students a tailored experience so that they can establish connections with colleges and act on important college planning tasks such as building a college list and identifying scholarships. Big Future Days can help ensure your students have access to connect directly and safely with colleges.
The Northeast event (representing colleges from the nine U.S. Northeast states) will be on March 7th. There are three other regional events (West/Southwest, Midwest, and Southeast) in February and March. Students and parents can attend any or all of these events.
NACAC Virtual College Fair
More than 500 colleges and universities will present more than 1,500 Zoom sessions for high school students on January 31. It's a great day to explore, ask questions, and demonstrate interest... all without leaving home.
Future NACAC fairs will be held on the following dates:
February 28, 1 pm – 7 pm ET
March 21, 1 p.m. – 7 pm ET
May 2, 1 pm – 7 pm ET
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Summer Internships For Current Freshmen and Sophomores
Internship at The MITRE Corporation in Bedford, MA: Do you want to join our over 500 interns for a summer full of learning, networking and fun? Do you want to perform applied research in computer science, engineering, and in the physical and biological sciences that will contribute to solving our nation’s most critical problems? Do you want to be mentored by engineers and scientists that are experts in their fields? The program runs for 8 weeks over the summer and interns would work on projects that would help them gain experience in various technical areas. More information can be found through our application: https://mitre.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/MITRE/job/Bedford-MA/Technical-Aide---Summer-Early-High-School--Bedford-_R101540
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The Class of 2022: Students & Parents/Guardians
As students approach the middle of their junior year, it is traditional that we begin to have serious conversations about your post-secondary plans and aspirations. While we have had these conversations throughout your high school career, the conversations become more "real" now that you are closing in on senior year and can see the light at the end of the tunnel: graduation!
This year is far from normal, and much has changed. However, there are also things that won't change. Our BMHS school counselors are ready to assist you with your college and career goals, and we look forward to providing you and your family with the same high-quality support during this time of transition, just as we have in the past. Some of our delivery may look a bit different (such as information shared virtually, as well as in-person), but the School Counseling Department is committed to supporting you each step of the way. This is one of the most exciting times for students, families, and counselors alike! While we are still finalizing dates, here's what you can expect:
- Individual student meetings with your school counselor to discuss post-secondary planning (college, career, military, etc.), which will also cover how to use Naviance for the college process.
- College Panel Presentation: several colleges of varying admission competitiveness, who will provide information on an array of topics and current trends in the field to help guide your choices. Information is not specific to these colleges, but rather, the information is applicable to a wide variety of colleges.
- Coffee with Counselors Series: Parents will learn how to navigate Naviance, become informed about how colleges will use certain portions of the application, and myriad additional topics.
- College Visits through Naviance: BMHS continues to host college visits on our campus virtually, and students should sign up for such college visits through Naviance. These visits will continue throughout the spring. Please note that the online visits do not take the place of an in-person visit, and it is always preferable to visit a college in person when able. These BMHS visits are a great way to learn more about colleges you're considering, perhaps before you step foot on the college's campus.
- College Boot Camp: In the summer of 2021, typically in August, school counselors will host our BMHS College Boot Camp for rising seniors. Students will be able to complete a large portion of their college applications, begin the Dollars For Scholars scholarship application, and learn how to request letters of recommendations and transcripts through Naviance.
We are looking forward to working with you, and we will be in touch shortly with additional information on upcoming events!
Sincerely,
Mindy Cripps
Director of School Counseling
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Billerica Public Library
Teen Programs
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Dream Colleges presented by The Princeton Review (Grades 10-12)
DIY Mars Rover (Grades 5-10)
Live Streamed Historic Mars Rover Landing Watch Party (Suitable for all elementary, MS and HS aged kids and family)
Graphic Novel Club: Wings of Fire (Grades 5-7)
DIY Blueberry Muffins in a Mug (Grades 5-12)
The Winter Reading Program has been extended until the end of February. Everything counts including books read in the classroom!
We are also running a Love Letters for the Library campaign through Mass. Board of Library Commissioners. This might be a fun outlet for all students and their families. It doesn't have to be a Valentine to the public library, it can be to the school library as well. The virtual Valentine cards can be made by downloading pictures, or just writing a few words. In as little as 5 minutes your students can shed a lot of happiness. I'd love to see what they can come up with. Below are the links and more details. Hope you and your students can participate.
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BMHS| Main 978-528-8709| Fax 978-436-9351| | Website
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