Blue Hills News
June 6, 2024
Dear Blue Hills Families
A short newsletter this week with some key reminders below. Enjoy the Fall weather and the beautiful weekend ahead! There are some changes below to some of the informational sections such as Boosters, so please read to the end!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Please see important information here: https://www.bluehills.org/about/school-news/parent-teacher-conference.
Invoices:
Student fee invoices were sent via email yesterday for annual student fees. If you have not yet received yours, please check your "spam" or junk folder for an email from "Myschoolbucks." Fees and bills can be paid through myschoolbucks on the Blue Hills wesb
From SkillsUSA:
Come join us for a family-friendly Touch-a-Truck event on Saturday, October 19 from 10 -2. We will have dozens of construction, fire, police, sanitation, tow vehicles and army trucks. $5.00 per person to get in, or $20 per car load. There will be games for the children and face painting. This event raises funds for our students participating in SkillsUSA. Hope to see you there.
Girls in Trade Conference
The Annual Conference and Career Fair will be held November 13th. Seniors and Juniors in the construction trades will be given first priority. Permission slips can be picked up in Ms. Poliseno's office. There is limited space, so students who are seniors and juniors who have not been before will get first priority. Permission slips must be returned by October 30th.
Coat Drive: Norfolk County Sheriff's Office
With the chill in the air, we are all digging through closets for that perfect coat to keep us warm. As you find yourself searching, would you please consider donating any children’s or adult winter coats you no longer need? Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott and The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office are teaming up with Coats for Kids & Families to collect winter coats of all sizes for those in need. We are looking for warm winter coats that are new or gently used, good quality, and all sizes. The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office is proud to be a collection partner in this effort. We will have collections bins in the lobbies of our Correctional Facility in Dedham and our Civil Process office in Quincy, starting this Friday. Drop-offs at the Dedham facility will be accepted 7 days a week from Friday, October 11th through Friday, November 8th between 7:00 am - 8:00 pm. The Dedham facility is located at 200 West Street, Dedham, MA. Drop-offs at the Quincy office will be accepted Monday-Friday from Friday, October 11th through Friday, November 8th between 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. The Quincy Office is located at 1255 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA. The coats will then be professionally cleaned by Anton’s Cleaner and given to local nonprofits, social service agencies, and schools for distribution in Norfolk County and beyond. Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity!
School Nurse's Office
As of May 3, 2024, the Department of Public Health has released new guidance for COVID-19. BHR follows the current recommendations, found here under "School and Childcare Settings." Details can be found at this link: Staying home to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses | Mass.gov.
Please obtain a letter from the pediatrician to cover the days your student misses from school due to illness. You may share that letter with the attendance manager, Christine Connolly at: attendance@bluehills.org.
Your student is responsible for communicating missed work with teachers and/or checking work online to stay on track, if they are well enough. They may return to school and resume normal activities with precautions as long as they have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications, and their symptoms are improving.
For at least the first 5 days after resuming normal activities, extra precautions are recommended, but not required. These include:
Avoid crowded indoor spaces.
Wear a mask indoors around other people.
Wash your hands often
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Service Academy Day - Braintree
Vision of a Graduate
This year, we are rolling out our "Vision of a Graduate." Each month, there will be a theme that we'll focus on around the building. Our students of the month will be selected using the theme as one of the criteria. The Vision of a Graduate is a great tool to help focus the entire school community on our ultimate outcome - producing graduates that are equipped and ready for their future.
Vision of a Graduate - October's Theme is....
October's "Vision of a Graduate" theme is Professionalism. We believe that students need professional skills in order to be successful in their careers and future studies. Professionalism is not one of the five key indicators in the Vision of a Graduate (see below), but it is embedded across all areas of focus for the school's vision. Traits like problem-solving, respectful, communication, and collaborative all speak to the goal of helping students becoming young professionals. As we teach and model professional behavior, skills, and knowledge, we expect students to mature into professional young adults, ready for "college and career."
Blue Hills Boosters Club
2024-2025 Remaining Meeting Schedule
~ Wednesday 11/13
~ Tuesday 12/17 (**CHANGE**)
~ Wednesday 1/8
~ Tuesday 2/11
~ Wednesday 3/12
~ Tuesday 4/8
~ Wednesday 5/14
~ Tuesday 6/10
- Meetings are held at 7 p.m. in the Chateau de Bleu (School Restaurant)
- Dates subject to change; changes will be posted to the Blue Hills Boosters Facebook Page
October Lunch Menu
Visit the cafeteria's page for more information!
https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1708116494561
Prior Information
(September 12, 2024)
- Headphones and ear buds are not allowed in hallways or classes, unless a teacher grants specific permission to use them. They are only allowed in the cafeteria during breakfast or lunch. Students will receive detention hours if they are not complying with this rule.
- Hoods are not allowed during the school day (7:48 to 2:20)
- Bus arrival times at bus stops are approximate. Students should arrive 15-20 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Traffic patterns greatly impact how fast bus routes are completed.
- ONLY students who are eating breakfast should get off the bus upon arrival. All students not eating breakfast should remain on the bus until released at 7:40.
- Attendance has been outstanding to start the year for most students. Please review the attendance policy at the bottom of the newsletter - tardies, dismissals, and absences all contribute to the total absences a student has during the year. Be here and be on time!
(September 5, 2024)
- PowerSchool is our student information system. Login here: PowerSchool Parent Login. Parents who wish to see grades during the term or final term grades need to have access to PowerSchool. Access remains the same for all returning families; new grade 9 parents were sent login information by the Admissions Department.
- See below for Health Office updates
- Please review attendance requirements. Students will face summer school if absences exceed the policy limit!
- Grade 9 Students and Families: Check out the Exploratory Program Guide for help in managing exploratory this year!
- Drop-off and Pick-up are always busy. Please use the entrance closest to Massasoit and exit through the "main" entrance/exit. Pull all the way up. Do not block buses. We will have staff to help direct folks for the first few weeks.
- Make sure your student arrives at the bus stop early. Bus pickup times are approximate!
- Phones are not allowed during any instructional time, except with the express permission of the teacher. "Earbuds" and head phones follow the same rules, and may not be worn during the day.
- Dress Code: We expect students to be in shop uniform during vocational weeks, and dressed professionally during their academic weeks. Per the handbook, tops and bottoms must provide "sufficient coverage" to be allowed, and hoods are not allowed in the building. Clothing must also be appropriate; offensive language or logos are prohibited.
- All juniors and seniors are required to register their vehicle in order to park on campus. A $25 fee is required for the entire school year. Students, and it must be the student, should fill out the parking form in the form section of their PowerSchool account. Once completed, a message will go to Ms. Fama in the Main Office, and she will send a bill to the student's parents through myschoolbucks.com. Once the payment is received, Ms Fama will issue the parking pass within a few weeks of the start of school.
Bus App Instructions - FirstView
Please use this First Student provided app to track your bus route. It updates frequently, and is a tool to help provide real-time (or close to it) information.
2024-2025 School Calendar
Upcoming Events
October 24: Parent-Teacher Conferences, Early Dismissal 10:50 am.
October 30: Parent-Teacher Conferences, Early Dismissal 10:50 a.m.
November 5: Election Day, school is in session
November 6: Open House, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for prospective students, Early Dismissal 10:50 a.m.
Attendance Reminder/Policy
The student attendance guidelines are contained within the Parent-Student Handbook. Please be advised:
A student will be required to attend summer school upon the accumulation of sixteen (16) absences in order to fulfill BHR attendance requirements. An additional course will be required for every five (5) absences accumulated after (16). All such courses must be taken at the Blue Hills Regional Summer School. All course subjects must be approved by the (ARB) Academic Review Board. If a student is absent on consecutive days it will be counted as one day’s absence if accompanied by a doctor’s note. Notes must be provided within one week of the student’s return to school. All notes must be originals with an authorized signature and date(s) on the doctor’s office stationary. The student’s home phone number and homeroom must be on all doctors’ notes. Absences on special days, assemblies, etc. will be counted as a full day’s absence. A student must be in attendance for at least half the school day to be counted present. Half the school day means being in school from 7:47 am to 11:00 am or 11:00 am to 2:20 pm.
All out-of-school suspensions will be counted day for day towards a student’s maximum number of absences.
If you are not in class or homeroom by 7:48 AM, you are considered absent from school. You must sign in at Student Affairs Office and receive an admittance pass in order to attend class. If you arrive late for school, you are considered tardy and you must report to the Main Office prior to admission.
On the 4th tardy per term and every 4 tardies thereafter, you will be subject to Saturday detention. You and your parent/guardian may be required to meet with the Principal. Parking privileges may be suspended or revoked. Continued tardies may result in more severe penalties being assigned.
Blue Hills Regional Technical School’s mission is to continue its history of academic achievement, technical training and character development through a curriculum which emphasizes the integration of cutting-edge technical programs and challenging academic courses, enabling its students to become competent, caring and productive people in a diverse and changing world.
Core Values:
Community, Opportunity, Relevance, Employability
Website: www.bluehills.org
Location: 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781 828 5800
BHR on:
The Blue Hills Regional Technical School District is an equal opportunity educational institution. All programs, courses of study and activities are open to all students without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability. The School District is in full compliance with Massachusetts Law, Chapter 622 of the Acts of 1971, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (U.S. Code), and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Individuals may make inquiries relative to Chapter 622 and Title IX from the coordinator, at the school address or by phoning 781-828-5800.