February 5, 2025 update

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Dear Boston Prep Families,

Our family newsletter has tons of important information for our families. It is our main source of communication with families for critical announcements & recent updates. Please take some time to carefully read our weekly Family Newsletter.

1. Open Enrollment for 2025-2026

2. Family Committee Meeting

3. Q2 Parent-Teacher Conferences

4. DESE Report Card

5. Schoolwide Expectations and Daily Reminders

6. Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit

7. Summer School 2025 Memo

8. Google Permission Form

9. February Break

10. Snow Closures

11. The Toast - Save the Date

12. Attendance Policy

13. School Breakfast and Lunch Menu

14. Middle School- Specific Announcements

15. High School-Specific Announcements

16. Support Services Corner

17. Athletics Corner

18. Enrichment Corner

19. Nurses Corner

20. CCO (College Counseling Office) Corner

21. Hyde Park Neighborhood Community Events

22. Family Resources

Sincerely,

Madelyn Ruizdeporras
Family Operations Manager

To apply:

• Applications must be submitted through the Boston Charter Public Schools Application System.

• We encourage families to review our website to learn more about our school, visit our student enrollment page, email enrollment@bostonprep.org with questions or call our Family Operations Manager, Ms. Ruizdeporras at 617-910-5333.

All students in Boston Public Schools —including English language learners, limited English proficient students, and students with special education are welcome to apply! There are no admissions tests or interviews, and there is no tuition fee. Boston Prep Charter School is a tuition-free, charter public schools providing an academically rigorous education to students from the Boston area. Admission is based on a random lottery.

Information for Current Students:

• Existing students do not need to reapply.

• Siblings of existing students do need to apply. Siblings receive preference, but are not automatically guaranteed a spot in our admissions lottery (cousins DO NOT receive preference).

• Please submit sibling verification to Boston Prep by February 28th, 2025. You can apply today: https://bostoncharterschools.schoolmint.net.

2025-2026 enrollment dates

2025-2026 Application Opens: Tuesday, 10/1

Application close date: Friday, 2/28

SY25-26 Application Lottery Date: Thursday, 3/6

Snow Date: Friday, 3/7

Join us tonight at our next Family Committee Meeting on Wednesday, February 5 from 6-7pm in person or zoom. In-person highly encouraged.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://bostonprep-org.zoom.us/j/99345034010

Light dinner will be served

At Boston Prep, we commit to following through. We will use quarterly family conferences to meet families and give updates on how your student is doing academically and behaviorally. We also use family conferences to build relationships; the work with our students involves families. Our partnership with families drives the success of the child.

All advisors and or teachers will be reaching out to you to schedule a conference that will be held on Wednesday, February 12 from 3:30-6:30 PM to discuss current grades, attendance, strengths, and areas for growth.

Stay tuned for additional details

To create the best learning environment for all students, we ask for your support in reinforcing the following school-wide expectations:

📵 No Outside Electronic Devices

• There has been an increase in cell phones and headphones being used during class time.

• Devices should be off and stored in student bags at all times, including during lunch.

• Failing to meet this expectation will result in a referral and family contact.

⏳ Transitions & SmartPass

• Students should arrive to class on time after transitions.

• No hall passes will be given during the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes of class.

• SmartPass: Students get one pass per day—use it wisely! Passes should not be used to grab Chromebooks or chargers; that should be done during transitions.

🥗 Lunch Expectations

• Students must stay in designated lunch areas—no hallways, classrooms, or the library.

• Clean up after yourself and swipe in when receiving your meal.

Encouraging Hard Work & Timely Assignment Submissions

We encourage all students to turn in assignments on time and stay engaged in their learning. Teachers and staff are here to provide the support needed, but students must take an active role in their education.

Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit: With the Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit, families may be eligible for $440 for each child under age 13, dependents who are age 65+ or have a disability, or a spouse who needs care. Families do not need to have earned income in 2024 or have a Social Security number to qualify. There is no income cap or limit to the number of dependents. This does not impact public benefits. FindYourFunds has outreach materials available in 11 languages to encourage families to file taxes this year.

Learn more and find free tax help at www.findyourfunds.org/dese.

We know that families are planning for their summers. We wanted to share with all families information about promotion, summer school and dates and timing to help with planning. Please see below.

• Dates for Summer School: June 30-July 24, 2025 (16 days total)

• Student Hours: 8:00 am-12:00 pm

Middle School Summer School:

Promotion: Middle school students are required to earn a 70% (C-) or above as a final grade in order to demonstrate readiness for the next grade level and earn a passing grade for a class. Students who earn below a 70% as a final grade in a course are expected to remediate the class in order to be promoted.

Eligibility: Students who failed one core class for the year must attend summer school and complete it successfully to be promoted. Students who fail two core classes are not eligible for summer school and will be retained

Completion requirements: To earn credit for a course, students must complete and earn a passing grade in their assigned summer courses. Students may not accrue more than 1 absence during summer school. Students who exceed two absences will be unenrolled.

High School Summer School:

Promotion and graduation eligibility: Boston Prep graduation requirements include earning a minimum number of academic credits. Students earn credit for a course if they earn a 70% (C-) or above as a final grade in a class. Students who earn below a 70% as a final grade in a course, earning a D (60-69.5%) or F (55-59.5%) designation, do not receive credit and are expected to remediate the class in order to earn credit for graduation.

Eligibility: Students who failed English, Science, and/or Math (and History for seniors) may enroll in summer school and recover credit for one of those core classes. Students who have not acquired enough credits for promotion are not eligible for summer school. Instead, they will be retained.

Completion requirements: To earn credit for a course, students must complete the entire summer course with at least a 70% grade. Students may not accrue more than one (1) absence during summer school. Students who exceed two absences will be unenrolled.

Google has required that parents need to give permission for Boston Prep to continue providing some of their services to students. If you do not grant permission, your student's Boston Prep Google account will have limited functionality.

If you have not completed the permission form, please open this link to read more details and to grant permission for Boston Prep to allow access to all of their services for your student(s).

Boston Prep will be closed for February Break between Monday, February 17 through Friday, February 21. All students are expected back in class on Monday, February 24, 2025.

Boston Prep snow cancellations are announced on television and on the Internet –www.boston.com or Boston Public School website. If “Boston Public Schools” is listed, that means Boston Prep is canceled. If not, that means school is open. Here is a list of reliable news sources for information on school closings, cancellations, and delays.

https://www.wcvb.com/weather/closings#mid=17993890

https://whdh.com/storm-closings-delays/

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/school-closings/

Join us for Boston Prep’s Annual Toast!

Boston Prep’s Annual Toast is a cherished tradition where the Phoenix community gathers to celebrate and support Boston Prep. Featuring student performances, inspiring keynote speakers, and a night filled with joy, laughter, and dancing, it’s a true statement to our shared commitment to education.

Take advantage of our early bird ticket price! Visit TheToast2025.givesmart.com to secure your ticket today!

Doors open for breakfast: 7:15am

Class Starts promptly at: 7:45am

Please ensure that your student in one time each day!

For any attendance related matters, please email us at: attendance@bostonprep.org

Click here to view the breakfast and lunch menus.

Keeping warm during recess: Even when it is chilly outside, we take our students outside for recess. Fresh air does us good! Please send your student to school with a coat or a jacket. Only when it is raining, extremely cold or there are other poor weather conditions will we be inside for recess. All students must bring their coats or jackets with them to recess.

• There is No recess when the temperature is at 15 degrees or below or snowing out/inclement weather.
• When there is recess, students MUST wear a coat

January is a wrap! Can you believe it! Our students are exploring new enrichment classes (6th grade- Mandarin, 8th grade- Music). We are looking forward to their discoveries this year. We also say hello to Black History Month and look forward honoring the people who have come before us to make the education we can give and receive possible. Here's what else to look forward too:

• Feb- Black History Door Decorating

• Feb 12- Homeroom Spelling Bee

• Feb 10-14- Spirit Week

• Feb 14- Friendship day (gift bag orders to send to friends/teachers due)

• Feb 26- Spelling Bee Championship

Spelling Bee: Get excited for the upcoming 8th grade BP Bee! All students will have the chance to participate in the Qualifying Round, starting this week during Advisory.

(SEPAC) Special Education Parent Advisory Committee meeting

The Second SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) Meeting will be on:

Date: Tuesday February 25

Time: 6PM-7PM via Zoom.

Topic: State Testing for Students in Support Services.

Zoom Link to join: https://bostonprep-org.zoom.us/my/vlamp

If you are interested in joining our SEPAC, please reach out to Danielle Buskey, dbuskey@bostonprep.org, or Victoria Lamp vlamp@bostonprep.org.

(ELPAC) English Learner Parent Advisory Council meeting: ELPAC is open to family members of current and former English learners. We will meet regularly to improve educational opportunities for our multilingual students.

Please contact Ms Kranick jkranick@bostonprep.org 617-391-9597 or Ms Hernandez jhernandez@bostonprep.org 617-910-5645 with any questions

Upcoming meetings for ELPAC and SEPAC will be shared soon!

As we hit peak cold and flu season, we want to remind all families of the importance of keeping students home when they are feeling unwell to help prevent the spread of illness within our school community.

If your child is exhibiting flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, or fatigue, please keep them home until they are feeling well enough to fully participate in school and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. This helps ensure that they recover properly and reduces the risk of spreading illness to others.

As a reminder, a doctor’s note is needed to excuse absences; however, students are allowed 4 unexcused absences per quarter before it begins to affect their attendance.

Updated Physical and Immunization Record: An up-to-date physical exam and immunization record for your student must be submitted to the school. It is a yearly requirement that must be completed for every student! Students will not be able to participate in a fall sport if their physical is not up-to-date.

Please submit documents to: our front office or email nurses@bostonprep.org or fax to 857-520-0836.

Beyond the practical benefits, such as boosting morale or networking, community events are important for many other reasons. Firstly, community events help to bring communities together. When people join in celebration or even just talk about common interests, it helps create bonds and foster a sense of belonging.

Keep in mind that these events are not led by Boston Prep. They are held by different organizations throughout Hyde Park and surrounding areas. We hope you enjoy!

• (none available at this time)

Have questions?

Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out with questions! You can contact your child’s advisor or utilize any of the emails/websites below.

• To check out our School Calendar click here
• To check out our Student and Family Handbook click here
• For questions about buses, MBTA passes, and transportation: transportation@bostonprep.org
• To report an absence or tardiness or any attendance related matters: attendance@bostonprep.org
• To submit a physical exam record or to discuss health-related topics: nurses@bostonprep.org
• For questions or documents related to enrollment: enrollment@bostonprep.org
• For information about resources, please familiarize yourselves with our Boston Prep resource page: https://www.bostonprep.org/resources
• For other questions: info@bostonprep.org