BRONCO BLAST

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• 12/8: Atrium Ribbon Cutting 5:30 p.m.**
  
• 12/8-9: Winter Wonderfest
  
• 12/13: FASFA Completion Workshop
  
• 12/21: Semester Exams
  
• 12/22: Semester Exams
  
• 12/25: Winter Break Begins - end of Semester 1
• 01/08: In-Service Day - staff only
• 01/09: School resumes
• 01/09: Life After BHS Student Panel**
• 01/15: MLK Day No School**
• 01/17: FASFA Completion Workshop**
• 01/22: PTO Meeting**
  

** Denotes newly added events to the calendar

Please see the guidelines for medications at school below. Thank you for your cooperation with this policy.

Students should not take medication during school hours or during school-related activities unless it is necessary for a student's health and well-being. When a student's licensed healthcare provider and parent/guardian believe that it is necessary for the student to take medication during school hours or school related activities, the parent/guardian must request that the school dispense the medication to the child and otherwise follow the District's procedures on dispensing medication.

"It is the policy of the State of IL that the administration of medication to students during regular school hours and during school-related activities should be discouraged unless absolutely necessary for the critical health and well being of the student." 105 ILCS 5/10-22.21b

1. Receipt of a completed District School Medication Authorization Form or the Specific Medication Authorization Form (For asthma Inhaler, epinephrine injector, diabetes or seizure medication only).

2. Students with asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes and/or seizure disorder may self-carry only, self administer only, or possess and self-administer their medication as indicated under a Qualifying Plan reviewed with the school nurse.

3. Students may self-administer (but not possess on their person) other medication required under a qualifying plan.

4. At the Middle Schools and High School only, Tylenol/acetaminophen and Advil/ibuprofen may be given to students with parent/guardian permission. Standing orders have been approved by a licensed prescriber, under supervision of the nurse, for up to 2 doses per month.

The BHS Activities Office will be sponsoring a Winter Wonderfest Spirit Day on Friday, December 8th. Students are encouraged to wear holiday sweaters, festive hats, and any other winter / holiday attire! BHS musical groups will be performing winter / holiday themed music before school and free hot cocoa will be available while supplies last. The BHS Activities Office will also be running a "best dressed" competition to add to the fun! Interested students should stop by the BHS Activities Office during their open or lunch hour to enter.

The BHS counseling department will soon begin supporting students through the 2024-25 school year course request process. Detailed communication about the ‘24-’25 course request process was emailed to families on Monday, November 20th.

Using the BHS Course Guide, we encourage all students to request courses based on their own interests, goals, and post-secondary plans. Before requesting courses, please have conversations with your student to discuss interests, goals, and secondary plans and how those connect to course requests and future plans. The Infinite Campus course request portal will open for students on Monday, November 20th through Sunday, December 3rd at 11:59 pm.

After the Infinite Campus course request portal closes, students will begin meeting with counselors during the months of December and January to finalize course requests/make any necessary changes.

• Freshman - Dec. 11 & 12. Counselors meet individually with freshmen in their PE class to review course selections

• Sophomore - Dec. 6 & 7. Counselors meet individually with sophomores in their PE/Health classes to review course selections

• Junior - Counselors will hold individual meetings with juniors starting after Winter Break to review course selections

BSN Sports has created a new "Sideline Store" for Barrington High School apparel! The site features a wide variety of BHS apparel and accessories and includes items branded specifically for BHS sports, clubs, activities, alumni, and more! Use the coupon code SPIRIT until December 26th to enjoy 25% as part of the grand opening celebration. You can access the new BHS Sideline Store here.

The district will kick off Winter Wonderfest this year with a dedication ceremony to celebrate the completion of all major Build 220 projects at BHS, including the new front atrium addition! Construction is now in the final stages of this project. Please join us on Friday, Dec. 8 at 5:30pm to check out this new state-of-the-art addition. Click here to view a video of the progress!

Over the past several years, many course teams have developed authentic summative experiences that more accurately measure student learning. The shift to authentic summative experiences has made it possible to rethink the number of days needed for traditional final exams. Given that the overall number of traditional final exams has decreased over the past few years, it is possible to reduce the number of school days dedicated to traditional final exams each semester from three to two.

Classes that have final projects, portfolios, performances, or other unique formats will not meet during final exam days. Only classes that have an 85-minute Final Exam will meet. Teachers will communicate directly with students if they are meeting on December 21 or 22 for a Final Exam. Most Math, Science, Social Studies, and AP/Dual Credit courses will have traditional final exams this Winter. Most students should have at most 4 final exams total over the two days. If a student has more than 2 exams in one day, they may choose to work with their teacher to move an exam to another day in a period where they do not have a traditional final exam.

Students and teachers have a 50-minute lunch break each day from 11:30 to 12:20. School buses will run on normal schedules.

As is past practice, December 20, 2023, is reserved and may be the first day of Final Exams if emergency closure days are forecasted for December 21st or 22nd.

Final Exams cannot be scheduled early due to family vacations or other conflicts. If a student misses their exam, they should try to make it up during the two exam days if possible or they will need to take it in the testing center or make arrangements with their teacher when school resumes in January.

In June 2023 the Barrington 220 Board of Education approved the district's new strategic plan, Framework 220, which will guide the district's work over the next few years. The plan consists of six strategic priorities. One of the priorities is Community Partnerships & Communication. Please click here to take our 3-minute external communications survey!

NEXT PTO MEETING

JOIN US, virtually or in person, for the last PTO MEETING of the year on Monday, December 11th at 9:15am. EMAIL HERE FOR THE ZOOM LINK or RSVP HERE TO PRE-REGISTER FOR IN-PERSON security check-in. Hear from Principal McWilliams and the high school counselors on the latest school news, deadlines, finals, and upcoming events.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! LIFE AFTER BHS ~ TUESDAY, JANUARY 9th, 7pm, BHS Auditorium

On the first day back from winter break, be sure to take advantage of this rare opportunity to hear recent Barrington graduates talk about their experiences right after high school.

The program is beneficial for high school students of ANY year and their parents, and a chance to hear DIRECTLY from recent graduates. Past attendees of the event have said that it was tremendously helpful to hear what fresh BHS alumni had to say about things like:

- The college application process

- How they adjusted to college, or about their decisions to pursue a career, a military path, or a gap year.

- How they went about making their choices. What worked for them? What didn’t?

- What did they do if they couldn’t pursue their first choice?

- What did they do if they they pursued their first choice, but then hated it?

- What did they wish they had done more of (or less of) earlier on in high school?

- What advice do they have for this year’s seniors?

There are so many possibilities and choices after high school; it’s eye-opening and reassuring for seniors (and their parents) to see that there’s no one “right answer.” Mark your calendar to attend one of the most helpful and informative events of the year on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bhs220pto SEARCH FOR "BHS 220 PTO”

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bhs220pto/

To RSVP for future meetings and a faster check in, sign up for PTO emails here.

For more opportunities to brighten the holiday season for members of our community and make a positive impact, we can:

- VOLUNTEER our time to make this event a success, and/or

- DONATE ITEMS: donations of new (or gently used and clean) items may be dropped off at “Red Box” locations around town or at the donation center in South Barrington Saturday mornings.

The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority and we commit to offering a safe

and secure educational environment. Barrington 220 is now partnering with an Illinois school safety helpline aimed at providing students a place to report information that might prevent bullying, suicide, and campus violence. Safe2Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It allows students to confidentially share school safety issues via a mobile app, text, email, or phone call. You will notice that the "See Something, Say Something" button on our district and school website now links directly to the Safe2Help contact page. We are asking that all students, parents, staff, and community members now use this platform to report safety concerns. In the case of an emergency, call 911.

Website: https://bhs.barrington220.org/
Location: 616 W Main St, Barrington, IL, USA
Phone: 847-381-1400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BHS220/
Twitter: @BarringtonHS220