Principal Update - BHS Families

• Upcoming Events
• Brighton Orchestra Boosters DIne to Donate
• 2025/26 Individual Scheduling Meetings
• 2025/26 Scheduling Presentation
• Classes for Next Year Requiring Applications - *Available now
• DEEP Program Informational Meeting
• BHS PTO Meeting Information
• End of 1st Semester Information
• Upcoming Non-School Days
• Senior Specific Information
• Yearbook Information
• Opportunities to Meet with BHS Administration
• BHS Counseling Department
• Brighton Area Schools Student Wellness Information
• Weekly Wellness Lesson
• Parking Lot Reminders
• What’s Your SAT Score Worth?
• Mental Strength Training Workshop
• Previous Resources - Links Included

• Monday, January 6th - Applications for Application Courses Made Available in Counseling Office
• Monday, January 6th - Make Up Holocaust Museum Field Trip (Make Up from 12/12)
• Monday, January 6th through Friday, February 28th - Individual Scheduling Meetings with Counselors (Students pulled from English classes)
• Wednesday, January 8th - DECA Districts Competition
• Friday, January 10th - Brighton Acapella Night @ 7 pm in BCPA
• Monday, January 13th - Holocaust Survivor Assembly (All Freshmen) from 12 - 1:30 pm in BCPA
• Monday, January 13th - Mental Strength Training Workshop (BAS Alumni Association) from 6:30 - 7:30 pm in Steam Center (More information included below)
• Tuesday, January 14th - PTO Meeting @ 7:30 am in Main Office Conference Room
• Tuesday, January 14th - DEEP Program Informational Meeting @ 6 pm in BHS Media Center
• Wednesday, January 15th - Lunch and Learn During Advisory (Finance/Banking/Mortgages)
• Friday, January 24th - End of 1st Semester

Come support the Brighton Area Schools Orchestra Program! On Wednesday, January 8th from 4 - 8 pm the Panera Bread located at 8365 West Grand River in Brighton will be donating 25% of their sales to support the Brighton Orchestra Boosters and BAS Orchestra students. See the flyer for more details on how to make sure your purchase is credited for a donation. You can also bring a hard copy or digital copy of the flyer for any in-store purchases.

Counselors will be meeting with students individually starting Monday, January 6th. These meetings will continue through Friday, February 28th. Students will be pulled from their English classes to meet one on one with their counselor as discuss their class selections for next year. This is a great opportunity for them to talk with their counselor about any other scheduling options that may be available to them that they could be interested in pursuing (i.e. consortium CTE classes, the DEEP program, dual enrollment, personal curriculums, AP course offerings, etc.). We have already let students know, but please encourage them to be patient if they are worried that their counselor has not met with them yet. There is no preferential advantage for being one of the first students counselors meet with or one of the last.

Both students and parents should have received the scheduling presentation via e-mail that was shared with students on December 4th. If you did not receive it for any reason, a copy of the presentation can be found here.

We would encourage you to check in with your student(s) about what they would like to do with their schedule next year. If they/you have any questions after reviewing the presentation or the links included within it, please don't hesitate to reach out to their grade-level counselor or grade-level principal. We are here to help and oftentimes, there is much more flexibility than students realize in what they can do with their schedule while still meeting graduation requirements to earn their diploma!

Certain classes at BHS require an application to be completed and reviewed to determine if a student is able to enroll in a class or not. If your student is specifically interested in taking one of these classes next year, please remind them about the application expectation. Applications can be picked up from the Counseling Office starting January 6th when we return from Winter Break. If a course has an alternate location or process for applications, it will be shared in the Daily Announcements. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's grade level principal.

Brighton High School will be offering an informational meeting for anyone interested in participating in the DEEP program at any point while in high school. These programs include business/economics, pre-engineering, general studies, and medical sciences. The informational meeting will be held in the BHS Media Center on Tuesday, January 14th at 6 pm. The deadline to apply for the DEEP program is February 28th.

The Livingston County School districts (Brighton, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell, and Pinckney) are partnering with the University of Michigan-Flint to offer the Dual Enrollment Educational Partnerships (DEEP). The DEEP initiative allows motivated students to earn college credit by taking accredited courses taught by UM-Flint faculty. Livingston County is currently offering four DEEP programs. More information on the DEEP programs offered to Brighton High School students can be found here.

The next PTO Meeting will be on January 14th @ 7:30 am in Main Office Conference Room. All are welcome!

BHS PTO is an active part of our students' overall high school experience. In addition to others, the BHS PTO proudly supports the following activities throughout the school year: educational student assemblies, Academic Letter and Academic Letter Lunches, the Academic Wall, Freshmen class activities, staff appreciation events, financial support for student-run after school clubs and organizations, and the Senior Picnic.

The end of the 1st Semester will be here before we know it, with the last day of the semester taking place on Friday, January 24th! The semester will end with exams. As a reminder, the semester grades are the ones that go on a student's transcript an factor into their overall grade point average.

Semester grades are calculated in the following manner:

Quarter 1 Grade - 40% of Semester Grade

Quarter 2 Grade - 40% of Semester Grade

Exam Grade (Average of 1st and 2nd Quarter Exam Grades) - 20% of Semester Grade

*Remember, regardless of how either quarter has gone so far, they still have a chance to pass the semester. Between the above 3 items (Quarter 1 Grade, Quarter 2 Grade, and Exam Grade), as long as they earn a passing grade (59.5% or better) in at least 2 of the 3 items, they will earn credit for the semester. If they need any help, I would encourage them to reach out to their teacher, counselor, or grade level principal for support.

As a reminder for planning purposes, there are 2 days in the month of January that will be non-school days for students. They are listed below for your reference:

• Monday, January 20th - No School for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Monday, January 27th - No School for Students (Records Day)

*Remember, if you signed up for the Winter Course Test Out opportunity, it will take place on Monday, January 20th at 10 am. An email reminder will be sent to students with additional details as the date gets closer.

A link to the entire District Calendar can be found here. In the same location you can find the Common County Calendar that includes Winter Break and Spring Break information for future years.

Here are some important dates included below that you may want to put on your calendar now and your student may want to participate in.

Friday, January 15th - Senior Recognition Ads Due

Wednesday, January 15th - Lunch N Learn (Finance/Banking/Mortgages)

Monday, January 27th - Baby Pictures Due

Wednesday, January 29th - Lunch N Learn (Pharmaceutical Sales)

Wednesday, February 5th - Lunch N Learn (Nursing)

Wednesday, February 5th - Junior vs. Senior Volleyball Game in the BHS Fieldhouse @ 7:30 pm

Wednesday, February 12th - Lunch N Learn (Engineering)

Wednesday, March TBD - Lunch N Learn (Law Enforcement)

Wednesday, March 5th - Senior Class Council 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

Wednesday, March 12th - Lunch N Learn (Fire Authority)

Tuesday, April 1st - Senior Photos/Videos due for the Senior Video

Wednesday, April 16th - Mandatory Spring Senior Meeting during Advisory

Tuesday, April 22nd - Graduation Speech Tryouts 7 am and 2:30 pm in D47

Tuesday, April 22nd - Staff vs. Student Basketball Game

Wednesday, April 23rd - Lunch N Learn (Construction Trades)

Tuesday, April 29th - Graduation Song Tryouts 2:30 pm in LGI (Old Choir Room)

Friday, April 25th - BHS Lip Dub

Wednesday, May 7th - Lunch N Learn (International Business)

Wednesday, May 15th - Lunch N Learn (Clinical & Pediatric Psychology)

Monday, May 19th to Friday, May 23rd - National Honor Society's Senior Survivor Week

Tuesday, May 27th - Seniors' Last Full Day

Wednesday, May 28th to Friday, May 30th - Senior Exams

Thursday, May 29th - Senior Sunset in the BHS Stadium starting @ 8 pm

Friday, May 30th - Cap and Gown Pick Up starting @ 8 am

Friday, May 30th - Senior Walk at BHS starting @ 9:45 am (family and friends encouraged to attend)

Friday, May 30th - Senior Picnic in the BHS Stadium following the Senior Walk @ approx. 10:30 am

Friday, May 30th - Senior Elementary Walk (more information to come) @ approx. 11:30 am

Wednesday, June 4th - Summa Cum Laude Breakfast (invite only) in the BHS Cafeteria @ 8 am (parents invited)

Wednesday, June 4th - MANDATORY Graduation Practice in the BHS Fieldhouse @ 10 am

Friday, June 6th - Brighton High School Commencement Ceremony in the BHS Stadium @ 7 pm (rain date is Saturday, June 7th @ 7pm)

Saturday, June 7th - Senior All-Night Party at BHS from 10 pm - 4 am

Hi Seniors!

The 2nd quarter is cruising right along! I know that many of you have heard back from some colleges, college coaches, and recruiting offices already. I'd love to hear about your exciting news, whether you are going to college, into the military, a trade school, traveling, have an internship or going right into the workforce! Send me an email, stop by the main office, or stop by our table at lunch and share the excitement!

I have a few goals for you as you finish out the semester:

1. Complete your FAFSA, regardless of what your plans are next year.
2. Start filling out some scholarship applications. You'll be amazed at how much it can help pay for your future!
3. Stay on top of your academics. For many of you, "Senioritis" is kicking in, but now is not the time to let your grades slip. Stay engaged, you've got this!

In this December bulletin: (The January Senior Bulletin will be coming out this week.)

• FAFSA is now open!
• Upcoming College Fairs
• Michigan Achievement Scholarship Update & Additional Scholarship Opportunities
• Upcoming Lunch N Learns
• Senior All Night Party Info & Volunteers for Planning

I've also included repeat information at the bottom so that it's all in one place for you. Families can refer to Mr. Evans weekly communications as well, so there is some overlap of information. We are trying to be as proactive as possible to help you have a successful year. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!!

~Mrs. Richards

A few items that you still have the option to complete include:

Senior Class Video Submissions - see slides 15-17 of Senior Meeting Presentation

• Click on this link to submit images & video

Baby Picture Submissions - see slides 18-19 of Senior Meeting Presentation

• Click on this link to submit baby pictures

Please see the following message from the Chair of the Senior All Night Party Committee:

ALL PARENTS!!! It's that time of year where we start recruiting parents that want to be a part of the planning committee for the Senior All Night Party (SANP). We have a few openings due to last year's members' kids graduating.

What has made the party so successful is having underclassmen parents be a part of the planning - so just because you don't have a Senior does not mean you cannot help. WE NEED underclassmen committee members to ease some of the burden on Senior parents and to help with consistency year to year.

If you are interested in being on the planning committee, please either reach out to me (Michelle Letendre) via messenger or email at michelleletendre@gmail.com

Additional Info:

To order your senior's SANP ticket, click on THIS LINK.

To order the yard sign, click on THIS LINK. (*note - this yard sign is different from the one that you will receive as part of your senior fee. The senior fee yard sign will have their senior picture on it. This yard sign is a general "Class of 2025" yard sign, and is a fundraiser for the Senior All Night Party.)

NOTE - this is only recruiting people that want to be a part of the planning - not volunteer just the night of. That request will come out after Spring Break.

Hello Senior Families,

Financial Aid season is right around the corner! This means it's time to get ready to complete the 25-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as it is NOW OPEN. Regardless of what the plan for after high school is, we encourage every Senior family to fill out the FAFSA. This email includes many financial aid resources for your convenience.

Here's what you can start doing NOW in terms of financial aid:

• Each Senior and a parent should aim to create their FSA IDs prior to December 1st. (They take time to verify)

• Use this tool or this resource to find out which parent(s) needs to be part of the FAFSA process.

• Attend a financial aid webinar or watch this recorded webinar.

• Learn about the Community College Guarantee and Michigan Achievement Scholarship. Informational webinars can be found here.

• Look into scholarships offered at the schools you are applying to. Local scholarships are updated here throughout the year. National scholarships can be found at websites such as Going Merry, Fastweb, CollegeBoard Big Futures, and many more.

• Review Federal Student Aid video resources

• Reach out if you have questions. I am here to help students and families with anything college-related, including financial aid! (farinac@brightonk12.com)
  

Why should I fill out the FAFSA?

• Everybody is eligible for some amount of financial aid. You won't know what you qualify for unless you fill out the FAFSA.

• It is the only way to qualify for the Community College Guarantee, and is necessary to be considered for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.

• You are planning to attend college OR a career training program after high school.

• It allows schools to consider you for more scholarships, grants, and other aid.

• It's FREE and you do NOT have to accept any of the aid that is offered to you.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Best,

Clarice Farina

Brighton High School

College Adviser - Advise MI

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & every other Monday

Click here to schedule a meeting with me

View the BHS college/career planning calendar here

It's not too late to honor your Senior with a recognition ad in the yearbook! Publish their first baby picture, an extra senior portrait, or a photo highlighting their athletic achievements, hobbies, or unique personalities--the choice is yours! Jostens' Ad Designer makes it easy to create your ad: click the link and follow the steps. The final deadline for recognition ads is January 15. Don't miss out!

Have you ordered your yearbook yet? You can save $10 on your book by entering YRBK10, but this promo code will only work on the next 95 orders! Would you like to gift your child a yearbook for the holidays? Email christk@brightonk12.com to order; we will email you a gift certificate you can wrap up and present to them! You can also order online through this link.

If you need to meet with your student's Grade Level Principal for any reason, please don't hesitate to reach out. If your student has a 504 and returned to BHS this fall, you should have received an additional communication offering you the opportunity to have your student's support plan continue as written, or the chance to meet to address any necessary changes. If your student has a 504 and is a Freshman, you have received an additional communication asking you to set up a time to meet to discuss the plan in greater detail, in order to help facilitate a smooth transition to a new environment this year. To contact your student's Grade Level Principal, please see the information below:

Mr. Matt Evans (10th grade)

Phone: (810) 299 - 4101 (office)

(810) 852 - 9905 (evening)

Email: evansm@brightonk12.com

Schedule an Appointment Directly

Mrs. Tracie Richards (12th grade)

Phone: (810) 299 - 4114

Email: richardst@brightonk12.com

Schedule an Appointment Directly

Mr. Nate Grabowski (11th grade)

Phone: (810) 299 - 4103

Email: grabown@brightonk12.com

Schedule an Appointment Directly

Mrs. Jennifer Napuli (9th grade)

Phone: (810) 299 - 4112

Email: napulij@brightonk12.com

Schedule an Appointment Directly

The December Edition of the BHS Counseling Newsletter can be found here.

As a reminder, if you would like to meet with your student's counselor for any reason, you can reach the Counseling Office at (810) 299-4150. You can also schedule an appointment with their counselor using the following links below:

9th Grader: Mrs. Petit - https://bit.ly/MrsPetit

10th Grader: Mrs. Caverly - https://bit.ly/MrsCaverly

11th Grader: Mr. Miner - https://bit.ly/MrMiner

12th Grader: Mrs. Grossfeld - https://bit.ly/MrsGrossfeld

As a part of the BAS Strategic Plan, we are always trying to find ways to maximize and support student growth. One of many ways we do this is through the Brighton Area Schools App. This app can be downloaded for free on iTunes and Google Play. It is loaded with resources for students and parents. In addition, consider using the "Your Best, Your Growth, Your Future" part of the app to submit a goal and receive 1:1 support and feedback to help you achieve it! The app will also allow you to receive notifications on what is happening throughout BAS and be updated on future events and information.

As a district, we are increasing our efforts to support the mental health and wellness of our students, families, and the community by focusing on relationships, student wellness, and increasing a mindset for learning and growth. Additional resources and information can be found on our BAS Wellness & Mental Health website.

Each week, we will be sharing out a weekly tip/resource with our families. This week's tip:

"Pay It Forward"

As the weather gets bad and the parking lots begin to fill up, it is even more important that everyone is on the same page with regard to the parking lots and pick up/drop off to keep things moving safely and smoothly. Also, please make sure your student has a valid parking pass, and that their hang tag is up and visible whenever they are parking at BHS.

Parents———PLEASE use the drop-off loop off Seventh Street. Do not use the side streets to drop-off your student to walk across Seventh Street towards the school, or drop-off in other lots/entrances to BHS.

#1—— It is posted NO stopping, standing or parking during drop-off and pick-up times.

#2—— It is safer to get closer to the building. It is staying darker later, which means it will be harder to see students as they cross the street.

PLEASE NOTE—— For the traffic on Seventh Street and those trying to turn left from Washington St. onto Seventh Street, PLEASE try to alternate. Unless, of course, there are cars leaving the school preventing vehicles waiting to turn left from Washington onto Seventh Street. Although there is no stop sign on Seventh Street at Washington, the traffic on Seventh usually stops to let someone in. This keeps things from backing up too much on any one street at any point in time.

Please do NOT use the rear of the school or the BCPA Lot to drop-off —— This area will be blocked off with cones preventing cars from entering the drop-off line. Also, there is NOT a turnaround option in this lot. There are so many students and staff coming into and leaving the lot it creates an added hazard to all. The goal is to maintain ONE direction traffic into these lots as much as possible in an attempt to avoid any traffic collisions.

If you are looking to avoid the congestion, here are a few things to look at:

#1—— Pull all the way up to the end of the sidewalk in front of BHS. This will maximize the amount of cars that can drop-off at one time (especially since all three doors on the front side of BHS are open for student entry each morning).

#2—— Plan to get to the high school before 7:10 am. If you get your student up and are arriving at BHS before 7:10 am, you can usually just drop-off and continue on your way without getting caught in a long line up.

For Pick-Up——— Make sure when you are lining up waiting to ONLY utilize the lane CLOSEST to BHS. The LEFT lane MUST be left OPEN for drive -thru traffic! Also, as the pick-up gets longer out to the road and down Seventh Street, you can park in the front parking lot and wait for your student there as well.

As we get closer to upcoming standardized testing in April (SAT/WorkKeys/M-Step for Juniors, PSAT for 9th and 10th graders), there are different things students can do to prepare themselves for success and to keep as many postsecondary options available for themselves as possible.

• Some classes will be increasing the amount of SAT prep they will be doing in their classes. We would encourage students to take this prep seriously, as the benefits of a higher score, even if it seems minimal, makes a difference. More tangible information on a few these benefits can be found here.
• Students should have a College Board Account in place that also links up with Khan Academy. If your student has previously taken the PSAT, their results are visible in their College Board Account and it will also have detailed information for them about areas for growth, as well as tutorials for additional prep related to their growth areas. Students can also take full length SAT tests if they would like to do so in order to assist with their prep.

This year, the Brighton Area Schools Alumni Association is again offering a Mental Strength Training Workshop for students in grades 5-12.

The Workshop is offered on Monday, January 13th from 6:30 - 7:30 pm in the BHS STEAM Center

Their goal is to prepare students to examine strategies and techniques concerning self-talk. They want to help students see how thoughts impact our overall well-being and to learn coping strategies for overthinking/ruminating and criticism.

The sessions are taught by:

Kelsey Gustafson, owner of Kelsey Gustafson Coaching LLC, who earned a MS in Sport & Human Performance from Adler University and a BS in Psychology & Communication Studies from Albion College. Kelsey has a competitive figure skating background and competed in volleyball, basketball, and track and field.

See the informational flyer for more information.

Early registration is a $35 donation to BAS Alumni Association Scholarships, while

a $50 at-the-door registration donation is requested for those that register on the same day as the workshop.

More information and online registration available at www.BrightonMIAlumni.com/Events

Each student receives a handout of content covered along with additional resources. This is an active session with hands-on exercises and student interaction.

• 2024/25 Brighton High School Tutoring List
• BHS National Honor Society Tutoring
• Updated Lunch and Learn Schedule
• Order a Yearbook
• Student Scholarship Directory
• BHS Career and College Event Calendar
• Upcoming College Fairs
• Fentanyl Fathers Presentation to BHS Seniors
• McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act Information
• County-Wide Mental Health Network Resources
• County-Wide Mental Health Network Newsletter

Matt Evans, Lead Principal, Grade Level Principal Class of 2027

Website: https://www.brightonk12.com/Domain/465
Location: Brighton High School, Brighton Road, Brighton, MI, USA
Phone: (810)299-4100
Twitter: @BrightonHS