BFHS BlueJay Beat
OCTOBER 2019
BONDURANT-FARRAR HIGH SCHOOL CORE VALUES
- Communicate and Collaborate Effectively
- Solve Problems
- Persevere
- Be Culturally and Socially Respectful
MESSAGE FROM MR. GARNASS
The first month of school is in the books and Homecoming has come and gone! It's hard to believe we are soon embarking on the halfway point of semester one.
Parent/Teacher conferences are on Monday, October 14th and Thursday, October 17th from 3:00-7:00 p.m. We hope that you will take the time to stop by and visit with your student's teachers. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about what your student has been learning and/or to visit with them about any concerns you may have.
For a list of where staff members will be located, click on the link below.
Have a GREAT rest of October!
Respectfully,
Erik Garnass
@erikgarnass
Follow us on twitter @BFHS_News & @BlueJayNation
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT BFHS??
October 17 - Parent/Teacher Conferences from 3-7 p.m.
October 18 - No School - Staff PD Day
October 29 - Picture Retake/Makeup Day
HOMECOMING 2019
NATIONAL COUNCIL on YOUTH LEADERSHIP (NCYL)...
Two-hundred-thirty-five high school seniors from 23 area high schools were selected by their schools to attend the National Council on Youth Leadership’s 27th annual Youth Salute on September 9, 2019, at Drake University.
Participants heard from speakers on student leadership in high school and beyond.
JJ Kapur delivered a keynote address titled “Stand Out and Speak Up.” JJ is currently a
sophomore at Stanford University. He attended the 2017 NCYL conference. JJ’s work
advocating for Sikh civil rights has earned him the Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student
Award, ACLU Youth Advocacy Award, and West Des Moines Emerging Citizen of
2018.
NCYL is dedicated to recognizing, encouraging and developing the leadership skills of
youth. The mission of NCYL is to create public awareness of the importance and power
of youth leadership, provide information to help build advanced leadership skills, and
encourage community involvement in recognition and support our youth. The Greater
Des Moines chapter is facilitated by the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake
University, which offers a variety of public awareness activities and programming,
including CHARACTER COUNTS!, a widely used character education program.
Bondurant-Farrar HS recipients include:
Lacey Beck
Cara Figenshaw
Lydia Johnson
Kaylee Seitzer
Olivia Wendt
Congratulations to these individuals!
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Art: Autumn Murray (10)
CTE: Jace Derickson (12)
Lang Arts: Julia Bell (12)
Math: Amber Murphy (9)
Music: Josi Engle (11)
PE/Health: Mia Miller (10)
Science: Jackson Hill (11)
Social Studies: Gabe Romero (10)
World Language: Megan Murphy (12)
LANGUAGE ARTS UPDATE
Sports Literature
Students in Sports Literature have been reading the novel Gym Candy by Carl Deuker. The students recently finished the novel and are now writing a literary analysis essay over it. The concept of the literary analysis is to take apart the writing in a way that supports what the student believes the theme to be of the novel. The young people in this class have also been journaling, blogging, and expanding their vocabulary in addition to reading a novel.
English 9
The foundations for English learning throughout high school has begun! Students have started with learning the backbone of a paragraph. These paragraphs, called "Claim-Transition-Evidence-Analysis paragraphs," will be used not only in English class but in any course that requires writing. This format allows our young writers to dig deeper into the literature we're reviewing by looking at character motivations, conflicts, and themes.
Students have also flexed their creative writing muscles in this class; they've recently completed a short story that shows plot progression, complex conflict, character development, and a relatable theme. This week-long writing process is merely a taste of what's to come for our English 9 students -- we have many more opportunities for students to learn and foster their writing skills.
SPEECH I AND II
Do you suffer from “glossophobia?” If so, then you are filled with fear and anxiety when faced with the prospect of speaking to an audience. It is estimated that as high as 75% of people have a fear of public speaking. This year, students in Mrs. Sandoval’s Speech I and Speech II classes will learn to conquer their fears and deliver an effective speech.
Speech I and Speech II are elective language arts courses for students in grades 10-12. Students in speech class will be exposed to a variety of speaking situations and will gain confidence when speaking to an audience of any size. Excellent life-long communication skills are emphasized. In Speech I, students write and deliver a variety of speeches for a specific purpose by completing units in the foundations of public speaking, effective nonverbal communication, effective verbal communication, speaking to inform, speaking to persuade, group discussion and radio broadcasting. Building on Speech I, Speech II students will complete units in acting, film, improvisation, and storytelling. In both courses, students are given performance assessments and learn the importance of not only what you say, but how you say it.
English 11
The juniors in this class will be concentrating on college and career readiness. We will review grammar, usage, and mechanics, which will help with writing skills as students compose arguments, narratives, and informative papers. A significant project for the fall will be a research paper over a career of their choosing. We will also focus on vocabulary and reading, preparing for both ACT testing and college. Our spring semester will also include job-specific preparation, including a cover letter, resume, and follow-up letter.
AP English Language and Composition
Throughout this AP class, students carefully read a variety of nonfiction--essays and books, write a variety of essays, write informally just about every day, and, no matter what, always show good thinking. The heart of this class centers on students keeping the author's purpose, audience, the use of the three appeals, a plethora of quality evidence, thoughtful arrangement of supporting points, a specific tone, and the varied components of style in mind. Based on rhetoric, which means the "art of persuasion," our AP English class focuses on constructing and deconstructing arguments. Students will complete a research project. Throughout the year students are preparing themselves to take the national AP exam in May by analyzing essays and by practicing for the multiple-choice section of the exam along with writing in-class essays focused on the three free-response essays: the synthesis essay, the rhetorical analysis essay, and the argument essay. Students can earn college credit by successfully passing the AP Language and Composition test, depending on the student's overall score and his or her choice of college.
Highlights from Family Consumer Sciences:
Nutrition I - We have been making muffins and biscuits to show how using different techniques for mixing ingredients can affect the texture.
Nutrition II - The students have been studying types of produce. During our fruit lab, we tasted unusual fruit and how we can prepare them. We are just starting our vegetable lab. The class will cook and sample some different vegetables. I hope they find a variety of vegetables they can add to their diet. We discuss how many servings we need daily from MyPlate.
Nutrition III - During the school year, the Nutrition III students make desserts each month for two families who won the Party of Blue Jay Dessert of the Month. This week we made quick bread to study different ingredients and their function.
Textiles I - Students have looked at buying clothes and how design elements and principles of design come into play to get more harmony in our wardrobe.
PICTURE RETAKES/MAKEUP
Order Online: mylifetouch.com
ID#: BN109247Q1
Check out the official athletics site of Bondurant-Farrar HS for recent updates and news:
BFHS School Counseling Department
FAFSA IS OPEN$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
FAFSA Info- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form opened on October 1, and it’s time to complete the FAFSA! Students must have applied and been accepted to receive a financial aid package from the school(s) they are interested in attending. The FAFSA form will be filled out using taxes from the 2017 tax year. The FAFSA form can be filled out at https://fafsa.gov. (This is a free service, so make sure you are on the correct website!)
Financial Aid Deadlines: Post-secondary institutions do have financial aid deadlines. The FAFSA must be filled out by the financial aid deadline to be eligible for financial aid. Please check out the following link to see the deadline(s) of the school(s) that your senior is applying to www.icansucceed.org/priority
FSA ID: The FSA ID serves as a legal signature. Students and parents each need to request an FSA ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov. (Students should use a personal email that they will always have access too when requesting a PIN number.)
Need Help Filling Out the FAFSA?
Make an appointment with ICAN. Meetings are free, and our schedule fills up fast, book your appointment today - www.icansucceed.org/apt
Visit a FAFSA Ready Iowa site. Professional help and no appointment necessary - www.icansucceed.org/fafsareadyiaevents
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
It’s never to early to start looking for scholarships. Local scholarships will be available in February/March. We will put them on our school counseling website and communicate when new scholarships have been added.
Other places to look for scholarships:
-Colleges and universities that you’re applying too
-State of Iowa Scholarship Application at www.iowacollegeaid.gov
- ICAN’s website: www.icansucceed.org
College Visits:
Help! It’s time for Homework by Author: Jennifer Resetar, Ph.D. through Boystown
1. Schedule a regular time for homework
2. Identify a homework location
3. Help your child plan
4. Supervise homework
5. Establish a routine
6. Help your child set goals
7. Check your child’s work
8. Select Rewards
Looking ahead
Wednesday, October 16 - PSAT Testing Date
Saturday, October 26 - ACT Testing Date (Bondurant-Farrar HS is a testing site)
Friday, November 8 - Last Day to Sign Up for December ACT testing date
Thursday, November 14 - AP REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR AP TESTS IN MAY
December 14 - ACT Testing Date
Tammy Kaufman
Important Numbers/Websites
Suicide Prevention LIfeline 1-800-273-8255
Casey McMurray
Mrs. McMurray is the counselor for the Classes of 2021 & 2023. Her email is mcmurrayc@bfschools.org
ACT Registration Info
RESOURCES WHEN IN NEED
REMINDERS...
If you take CPR over the summer, please bring a copy of it to school so you can get that graduation requirement checked off. All incoming 9th graders need a dental screening. All athletes need a sports physical before participation - this includes marching band, as well as cheerleading, dance, and sports. Finally, a reminder of the policy regarding medications at school as listed below (from the handbook)
FF. Administration of Medication to Students
A. Proper labeling:
1. Prescribed medication: All prescribed medications shall be maintained in the
original prescription container and labeled with the following:
● Name of student
● Name of medication
● Directions for use/storage
● Name of physician
● Name and address of the pharmacy
● Date of prescription
2. Over-the-counter medications: All over the counter medications shall be
maintained in the original container in which they were purchased.
B. Parent/Guardian written consent on a dated statement:
A parent/guardian signature on a statement requesting and authorizing the school
personnel to administer the medication must accompany the medication. (BP 507.2E2)
C. Record of administration: Each time the medication is administered, a record shall be maintained in the nurse's office. The record shall include the student's name, date, time, name of the medication, the amount is given, and the signature or initials of the person who administered the medication.
D. Medication reactions: Any unusual conditions or behaviors following the administration of medication should be reported to the school nurse, if available or to the parent/guardian immediately. Reactions to medication should be recorded.
E. Definition of medications: Those health products covered by the medication policy include all prescription medications and over-the-counter products, including but not limited to pain relievers, cold remedies, cough syrups, antacids, cough drops, throat lozenges, etc.
F. Security:
1. No medications are to be carried during school hours by students nor stored in
pockets, purses, school bags, lunch boxes, lockers, teacher desks, sports equipment bags,
etc. The only exception would be with a physician’s written orders and a parent/guardian
written authorization for a student to carry the medication with him/her for self-administration as necessary (ie: inhalers, diabetic supplies, emergency medications).
2. ALL medications, either prescription or over-the-counter, must be brought to the school nurse by a parent or other authorized and approved adult. Absolutely no medications are to be transported to/from school by any student. Any student found with unauthorized medications will be referred to school administration.
3. All medications will be stored in a secure area, accessible only to those who are authorized to administer the medication.
4. The building principal shall designate those in each building who are authorized
to administer the medications. Those authorized will receive instructions from the school nurse concerning administration and confidentiality of medications.
5. At the end of the school year or the end of the dispensing time, any remaining medication must be picked up by the parent or an authorized and approved adult within two weeks of the last day of school. All medication not picked up will be disposed of in an appropriate manner in accordance with medication disposal guidelines as set forth by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration - www.fda.gov)
FROM THE DESK OF MR. SADLER (SRO)
DISTRACTED DRIVING
Iowa stats:
· In 2017 Iowa had 55,032 REPORTED traffic accidents.
· Approximately 25% of accidents were REPORTED as distracted driving with an electronic device.
· There have been 249 traffic fatalities in Iowa for this year so far (an increase of 12 more then this time last year).
Nationwide stats:
· Approximately 660,000 drivers are using their phone behind the wheel.
· Approximately 330,000 injuries from accidents occur each year due texting and driving.
· There was a total of 40,231 traffic fatalities in the U.S. in 2018.
· 11 teens die every day as a result of texting while driving.
It's any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving.
There are three main types of distractions:
What are some distracting activities?
Cell phone, eating and drinking, passengers, grooming, reading, navigation, watching videos, reaching for an object, changing the radio station, playlist, CD.
Did you know:
· Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
· 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
· Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.
· Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.
· A teen driver with only one additional passenger doubles the risk of getting into a fatal car accident. With two or more passengers, they are 5x as likely.
· Cell phone users are 5.36 times more likely to get into an accident than undistracted drivers.
But it’s only one message…
Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading A text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
Alternatives:
· Hands-free devices are safer than holding a phone, but can still be somewhat distracting
· Put the phone down while driving
· Pull off to the side of the road to make important calls
Consequences:
· Citation for $100.50
· Driver’s license suspended/revoked
· Vehicle accident/vehicle totaled
· Higher insurance premiums/SR-22 insurance
· Jail/prison time
· Living with the thought of injuring/paralyzing/killing someone or yourself
Resources:
wisha-training.lni.wa.gov/Training/presentations/DistractedDriving.ppt
https://iowadot.gov/mvd/factsandstats
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving https://www.enddd.org/the-facts-about-distracted-driving/
Bondurant-Farrar High School
Email: garnasse@bfschools.org
Website: bfschools.org
Location: 1000 Grant Street North, Bondurant, IA, United States
Phone: (515) 957-8191
Twitter: @BFHS_News
It is the policy of the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator; Chad Carlson, Director of Administrative Services, 300 Garfield St SW, Bondurant, IA 50035, 515-967-7819, carlsonc@bfschools.org. -OR- Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661-7204, Telephone: (312) 730-1560, Facsimile: (312) 730-1576, Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov