BHS Senior News

Dear Parents and Students of the class of 2020:

I am sending this communication to you in hopes to shed some light on the plans that administrators, teachers and class officers have been working on to commemorate your milestone of completing high school. Although we understand that many of you were looking forward to the traditional events, we have made the decision to keep our graduation date, and plan for an alternative to tradition so that every senior will be able to participate in their graduation. We don't know when the stay at home order will be lifted, or if it will be lifted with restrictions and many of our seniors have future plans that would prohibit them from a attending at a later date. Please understand that we have been working tirelessly to provide you with a unique experience that you will be able to share with your children when the time comes.

Below are some of the highlights from those discussions as well as some clarification on senior grades. I hope you are able to keep an open mind and stay positive in this unprecedented time.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay positive and stay BUCKSTRONG!

Mrs. DeMaio

There has been some confusion about senior grading that we need to clarify.

Any senior who was PASSING with a 60% or higher at the time of closure does not have to complete any work (with the exception of Mrs. Neal's Research Paper). Grades will be given based on the grade earned as of March 11. If a senior would like to IMPROVE that grade, they are encouraged to complete missing work, tests, and quizzes to do so.

Any senior who was FAILING with a 59% or lower at the time of closure must complete a final project (as well as Mrs. Neal's Research Paper). Seniors who were failing and wish to improve their grade are still encouraged to complete missing assignments, tests and quizzes but must also complete the final project.

Any senior who was taking an online class (ELab) or a college class must still complete the full semester requirements for those courses. CTE students must complete their certification testing and requirements.

• All students will receive a printed copy of the Honors Night program which outlines every student and what he/she has won/earned. Students will receive certificates, chords, scholarships, and their 8th grade letter prior to graduation.
• Top 10 students will receive notification in person at their home (from a safe distance) to receive their cords. Val and Sal medals will be delivered at this time. These notifications will be recorded.

• Seniors who have been approved to give a speech will record them from home, digital versions will be sent to the school.

• Senior Home parade route

• It might be possible to parade by every senior home and pick up a new senior car to join the “snake” for a parade through town. We are working on this with transportation, but is a possibility.

• Parade route will drive by all district school buildings.

• We ask that seniors decorate their cars instead of their caps (and have their names on their cars too!)

• We will use the gazebo downtown as the staging area for receiving diplomas

• Students will be dropped off individually at the Front Street side of the Gazebo to pick up their diploma and get photographed, then walk off toward the Oak Street side to be picked up.

• McDonald Studios will do the photography :)

• This will all be recorded on video

We hope to have all aspects of the graduation compiled into one video and given to seniors as a keepsake. We hope to include all of the following aspects:

• Video from Top 10 notifications

• Video of the “senior parade”

• Recording of Mr. Pruett certifying graduates

• Recording of class president telling seniors to turn their tassels

• Compilations of seniors turning their tassels

• Recording of Mrs. DeMaio “dismissing class of 2020”

• Pomp & Circumstance playing in video

• Video snapshots of all seniors getting their diplomas and turning the tassels

• Senior video

• Scrolling “credits” of the Honors Convocation Program

• Posted on YouTube to be shared with family and friends around the country

Although we will not be planning a Senior Dinner, we would like to encourage parents to step in and plan a Senior picnic or BBQ in its place. The school will be more than happy and willing to help invite all seniors and spread the word. If you are interested in hosting this event when it is socially responsibly to do so, please send me an email and I can connect the parents that are willing to either help provide food or location.

Students can continue scholarship applications. An Instant Alert was sent out last week to have students pick up applications, if you still are in need of an application, please call the school to request a paper copy be sent to you. Students can scan/email applications to your counselor, or drop them off at the high school. We have a secure drop off filing cabinet under the awning in the front of the building on Chicago Street near the east side of the gym. Please put your applications in an envelope and label it "scholarship application".

Application deadlines vary so please pay close attention to those dates.

Scholarship Page: http://guidance.buchananschools.com/bhs-currently-available-scholarships.html

If you need access to the Internet to complete any of your coursework, our Tech Team has installed access points in the parking lot of our building. Students should park in the high school student parking lot and your district provided device will automatically connect to the High School hotspot. If you are using your own device, you may connect to the BCS_GUEST network at any of our four campuses. The free guest network is available to everyone and does not require a username or password. The Internet provided through this service is filtered the same as it would be if the student using were using a computer inside the building. If anyone should experience problems connecting, they may contact the Help Desk through email at helpdesk@buchananschools.com or phone at 269-695-8428.

Yearbook sales close at the end of April and it will be a historic book this year! You will want to share this edition with your kids and grand kids!

Students were asked to participate in the all school survey that emailed. These are due on April 17th. Don't forget to email Mr. Philip (rphilip@buchananschools.com) pictures of what you are doing to stay busy during the closure. We have already had a great response so far.

Seniors were emailed for senior superlatives. That survey is also due on April 17th.