Principal Update - BHS Families

• Upcoming Events
• National Honor Society's Senior Survivor Charity Applications - **Applications Due TODAY (12/15)

• After School Make-Up Testing (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday in Media Center)

• Snow Day Communications

• Parking Lot Reminders

• Operation Christmas Wishes Update
• 2nd Quarter Progress Report Grades (Visible Now) - Looking Ahead to 1st Semester Grades
• 2025/26 Group Scheduling Meetings
• 2025/26 Scheduling Presentation
• Course/Curriculum Videos
• Signing Day - Senior Schedule/Bus Information Included for 12/17
• Classes for Next Year Requiring Applications
• Message from the BHS PTO
• Pack of Dogs Blankets - Ordering Information
• Senior Specific Information - *Includes December Senior Bulletin from Mrs. Richards and Information on Senior All Night Party Ticket and Yard Sign Purchasing
• Yearbook Information
• Opportunities to Meet with BHS Administration
• BHS Counseling Department - *Includes New December Counseling Newsletter
• Brighton Area Schools Student Wellness Information
• Weekly Wellness Lesson
• Mental Strength Training Workshop
• Previous Resources - Links Included

• Sunday, December 15th - Senior Survivor Charity Applications Due (More Information Below)
• Tuesday, December 17th - Signing Day at BHS (More Information Below)
• Tuesday, December 17th through Thursday, December 19th - Make Up Testing in Media Center @ 2:30 pm
• Wednesday, December 18th - Classes for 2025/26 School Year Entered into Student Connect and Scheduling Sheets Turned in to English Teachers
• Wednesday, December 18th - Orchestra Concert at 7 pm in BCPA
• Thursday, December 19th - All Council Meeting in Media Center @ 7 am
• Friday, December 20th - Holiday Assembly in BCPA During 4th Hour
• Saturday, December 21st through Sunday, January 5th - Winter Break
• Monday, January 6th - Make Up Holocaust Museum Field Trip (Make Up from 12/12)

The National Honor Society's Senior Survivor Committee is looking for charities to be the beneficiary of this year's Senior Survivor Fundraiser. If you know of any charities that may want to apply, please feel free to forward the flyer with them. All interested applicants must also fill out the Google Form to submit their interest in being selected as this year's charity.

Important information for any interested charities:

• Applications are due by December 15th, 2024.
• Charities will be evaluated by Brighton Area Schools Administration in a timely manner.
• All charities will be asked to submit a short, two-minute video highlighting their charity.
• Charities need to email their video, or a link to their video, to nhs@brightonk12.com
• Videos will be due by January 5th.
• National Honor Society Members will view videos and participate in blind voting.

There will be NO Advisory this week due to adjusted schedules on Tuesday for Signing Day and Friday for the annual Holiday Assembly. However, we do want students to have the ability to make up any missing assessments they may have and head into Winter Break all caught up.

As a result, we will have make-up testing taking place in the Media Center after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week starting at 2:30. If your student is planning to take advantage of this opportunity, they should let their teacher know so that they can make sure to have any assessments ready to go at the scheduled time.

The district has a new system in place for sending out mass announcements via phone call and/or text message. On each of the most recents snow days this year, we have found that not all of you are receiving the communications via the mass messaging system. While we do the best we can to send out our own BHS communications via email, it is still important that you receive any messages sent out by the district.

*If you did NOT receive the messages Thursday from the district communication system via phone call, text, and/or email, please let me know and I can look into why you did not get the message. If you received the message from some, but not all of the means listed, please include that information in the message that you send to me.

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.

We are so appreciative for all of the support we received for Operation Christmas Wishes this year! Many of you have made donations to the cause, donated items for the bake sale, tape and wrapping paper for gift wrapping, or whipped cream/candy for hot chocolate and candy grams. We couldn't do it without you!

Our Leadership Class traveled to Perry Early Learning Center in Ypsilanti on Friday with gifts, hats, gloves, and other necessities for over 400 students. I am so glad to be able to share that with your support, they met their $18,500 goal! Thank you again to our BHS families and the Brighton community for the neverending support in helping make it happen. We will be sure to share this year's video with you once it has been completed, but until then, there are a few pictures we'd like to share from Friday's trip.

Operation Christmas Wishes 1

Operation Christmas Wishes 2

Operation Christmas Wishes 3

The 2nd Quarter Progress Reports are now visible to parents in ParentConnect and students in StudentConnect. While the 2nd Quarter doesn't end until January 24th, the 2nd Quarter Progress Report grades are an excellent indication of how things are going and which classes may need more attention than others. We are encouraging students to do whatever they can if any catching up is needed prior to the start of Winter Break at the end of the month.

*As a reminder, overall credit for a class is awarded based on earning a passing grade for the 1st Semester Grade. The 1st Semester Grade is made up of 3 components (1st Quarter Grade, 2nd Quarter Grade, and the average of the 2 Common Quarterly Exam scores). The breakdown of the 1st Semester Grade is as follows:

• 1st Quarter Grade - 40%
• 2nd Quarter Grade - 40%
• Average of the 2 Common Quarterly Exam scores - 20%

*Eligibility for athletics is also based on 1st Semester Grades.

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!

Now that grade-level group scheduling meetings have been completed, we are shifting the focus to prepare for Signing Day on Tuesday of this week. In order to do this:

• Students will watch the CORE class curriculum videos over the next week or so (need to see them BEFORE Signing Day on 12/17). They should also be talking with their core class teachers to determine what class would be most appropriate for them to take next year.
• During Advisory on Wednesday (12/11), teachers showed the Electives Curriculum Video to determine what classes they may be interested in visiting on Signing Day or taking next year.

These videos and conversations with teachers and counselors will help students prepare for Signing Day on Tuesday. Students will be filling out their scheduling sheets by Tuesday, 12/17 and will also be entering their selections into Student Connect. The scheduling sheets will be due to their English teachers on Wednesday, 12/18.

As you know, Signing Day will be taking place on Tuesday, December 17th this year. There will be an alternate schedule on this day. A few reminders as it relates to Signing Day:

• Students will have the opportunity to visit 4 different classes for 10 minutes each to learn more about some of the classes we offer at BHS. This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about specific programs and what they can provide for the students. Please encourage your student(s) to visit classes that they may be interested in or that align with a potential future career path as opposed to selecting classes to visit based on where their friends are headed.
• Please have your student review the room locations for classes for Signing Day to make sure they know where they are headed on the 18th.
• The instructional portion of the day will begin with 1st Hour at 8:55 am. Seniors will not be required to be in the building until that point in time.
• Seniors, if you attend CTE classes or other off-campus classes, you should plan on attending your regular classes that morning. Otherwise, our 1st hour will begin at 8:55 am, so make sure you are here and in your seats by then. IF you ride the bus, students please fill out THIS FORM. You will arrive at your regular time, and report to the Media Center. We will have a space for you in one of the conference rooms until 1st hour begins.

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.

Next PTO Meeting: January 14th @ 7:30 am in Main Office Conference Room

Please see the message below from the BHS PTO:

We will be celebrating our BHS Staff this December with a Holiday Gift Card Giveaway and Woot Woot Treat Train. If you would like to help make this effort a success, please see the signup.

We have provided some slots for local businesses. You can drop these gift cards to the main office, attn: PTO.

We have also made an Amazon wish list for easy shipping directly to us.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/26Z8Q0HF7DYG1?ref_=wl_share

We typically give gift cards ranging from $5-$25, in order to get enough for everyone.

Please have all items turned in by Friday 12/13.

Thank you for donating!

Your BHS PTO

Please see the message below from the leaders of the BAS Pack of Dogs:

Is there someone on your shopping list that loves the BAS Pack of Dogs? We have the perfect gift! A Pack of Dogs sherpa blanket. Not only is it a great gift, but a portion of every blanket sale will be donated back to the BAs Pack of Dogs! If you want it before Christmas, be sure to order now! Ordering information can be found here.

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 this month:

1. Complete your FAFSA, regardless of what your plans are next year. FAFSA Night is Thursday, December 12th at 6 pm in the BHS Media Center. Click on this form to sign up by 12/10!
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:

• FAFSA is now open!
• Upcoming College Fairs
• Michigan Achievement Scholarship Update & Additional Scholarship Opportunities
• Upcoming Lunch N Learns (12/11 - International Sales - see below for more info)
• 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

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"

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