Blue Hills News
June 6, 2024
Dear Blue Hills Families
Last night, we held our annual "Open House" for prospective 8th graders and their families. Over 1,300 people attended (not including BHR students and staff!), and enjoyed demonstrations on how we approach learning in a career and technical environment. See pictures below!
Today, faculty began a deep dive into our self-reflection process for our ten-year accreditation cycle with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). This intensive process is critical to maintaining excellence and striving for improvement. A survey was emailed to all parents/guardians today. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey, so that we can use the feedback in our self-reflection report.
Congratulations to the Girls Soccer team on a great season! They defeated Maimonides in the first round of the MIAA tournament by a score of 6-0, before falling to a strong Northridge team 4-0 in the next round.
Football also qualified for the MIAA tournament and is set to play Amesbury HS in Amesbury tomorrow night, November 8, 2024. Good luck!
Term One will come to a close tomorrow, with our second "Mini-Exploratory" also taking place for grade 9 students. Please review grades once posted and finalized next week on November 15.
Winter Athletics - signups are happening now. Any student interested in trying out for a winter sport must sign up using Arbiter/Family ID. The season begins December 2; registrations and physical exams are due by November 25, 2024. Failure to register or provide a current, valid physical exam will result in the student not being allowed to try out.
Seniors - Cap and Gown Fees have been sent through Myschoolbucks!
November's Vision of a Graduate Theme is "Communicator"
"We speak, read, write, and listen effectively. We are respectful in our words, tone, and body language. We are able to reflect on disagreement and work to resolve conflict." - BHR VoG
Girls Soccer
Girls soccer in their defeat of Maimonides school on Sunday, November 3.
Football
Varsity Football defeated Southeastern last Friday night by a score of 38-20. Good luck against Amesbury - go Warriors!
Open House 2024
Class Rings Available
Attached you will find a Flyer with all of the necessary information to purchase your
Official Class Ring. You may scan the QR Code or Click on the link provided on the
Flyer and either one will bring you right to your school’s website on Balfour.com.
Also on the Flyer is a link to the Balfour brochure so that you may look through it
beforehand to see all of the different options Balfour has to offer.
Balfour has also provided you with a Finger Sizer. Please print it out and follow the
instructions on how to size your finger. You can always stop by a local jewelry store to
get your finger- sized as well.
For a limited time, Balfour is offering $42.00 off select Celestrium Rings! Prices are
already reflected on the website.
*Also on the Balfour website, there is a lot of great merchandise: Hoodies, T-Shirts,
Sweatpants, etc. Stock up on some great Class Gear!!!
Blue Hills Boosters Club
SPECIAL EDITION Online Boosters Store - open until 11/17/24 at MIDNIGHT. Products will be printed after all orders are in on 11/17. It generally takes 2-3 weeks for printing to be completed. For a fee you can them shipped directly to you or you can have the delivered to the school store for pickup.
Slides Order Link Below!!
Class of 2025 Lawn Signs: For purchase, here: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/2025-senior-lawn-signs/items?cart
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
Alumni of the Month
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
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.
November 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
November 8: Mini-Exploratory #2 for Grade 9 & Term 1 Ends
November 11: Veterans Day, No School
November 12: Faculty Meeting, no 3:10 buses
November 15: Report Cards
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.