Good morning Bengals-

I hope you're all enjoying a restful weekend.  As we head into October, it is crucial that we support all students to meet our expectations around school rules.  Every member of this community is critical, and the more consistency we can find in our messaging, the more we'll accomplish for our students. Consistency is crucial, and your voice can help to shape who we are as a school community.   

• This week the BHS School Site Council will meet for the first time this year on Thursday, October 1 from 4:30-5:30 in the Library.   

What is the School Site Council?

The School Site Council is the governing/advisory body at each school. The School Site Council is comprised of parents and staff. Parents on the School Site Council are accountable to the School Parent Council and are elected by the School Parent Council of the school.

What does the School Site Council do?

The School Site Council reviews and approves school policy, including such initiatives as parent engagement, hiring, reviewing the Whole School Improvement Plan and reporting back to the School Parent Council and the larger parent body on a regular basis.

What do the School Site Council Representatives do?

The School Site Council Representatives review and approve school policy, fully participate in School Site Council meetings, represent the School Parent Council and report back to the School Parent Council executive committee.  We are actively seeking parents to serve on our SSC.  Please attend this Thursday's meeting for more information.

• Please continue to encourage students to bring in their one-time $5 Student Activity fee, which enables then to participate fully in extracurricular offerings such as field trips, Six Flags and school dances as well as athletics.

BHS Pic of the Week:

Our own Dan Cuddy recruited about 20 awesome BHS student activists to volunteer at the Brighton Congregational Church last Wednesday to unload food donations for their community pantry.  Thank you to Mr. Cuddy and all our volunteers for your generosity of spirit and your commitment to community!

With Gratitude-

Emily

Good afternoon BHS Community-

Thank you all for another outstanding week of powerful teaching and learning at BHS!  We welcomed all students back in grade level assemblies where students met a variety of powerful partners.  Students learned about athletic, academic and social opportunities unique to their grade level and what they can expect from the upcoming school year.  This week promises to be just as busy with the start of Advisory and our first Early Release of the year.  Here's what's happening this week:

Advisory begins this Tuesday, September 22! Every Tuesday throughout the school year, all student will attend Advisory as part of their normal schedule. Advisory is an abbreviated period every Tuesday during which students connect and engage with one another, build relationships and establish a network of support.

Wednesday is our first Early Release schedule of the year! Dismissal for students is at 12:53.

With Gratitude-

Emily Bozeman

Interim Headmaster

Brighton High School

Good afternoon BHS Community-
Our first week back was an incredible success!  We overcame the heat to start the new year, and with the arrival of our students, the school truly came alive.  Classrooms were abuzz with activity and new ideas and our school-wide commitment to Rigor, Respect and Inclusivity was evident all around the school.  

First some Thanks You's:

- Thank you for ensuring your student is here on time everyday!  We had a very successful start to the school year with many students coming on time from the very first day ready to engage in powerful learning this school year.  Please continue to support your student's consistent attendance and punctuality to school each day as we work to instill habits of mind that will serve our students well beyond their graduation from BHS.  

- Thank you for checking in with your student regarding his or her new schedule, classes, and school experience.  Our goal is 100% satisfaction, and your partnership helps us to ensure it.  Questions or concerns regarding student schedules are important.  Please reach out to the school with scheduling questions.  Your call will be routed to the appropriate school administrator or Guidance counselor.

This week:

- With the return of more moderate climates, we will be enforcing the dress code for students.   Some reminders: Bare midriffs, short-shorts, short skirts, excessive cleavage, undergarments, sleepwear, and clothing that is visually or verbally offensive is inappropriate for school.  Leggings are permitted so long as the student's top reaches the student’s fingertips when their arms are extended out straight by their sides.  Students who arrive to school in inappropriate dress will be asked to change their clothing or, upon notification of their family, return home. Our goal is to have all students in school everyday.  Please continue to encourage students to dress appropriately for school.

- Homerooms teachers will begin collecting a $5 Student Activity Fee tomorrow during first period.  This money is critical as it is used throughout the year to support activities, initiatives and resources for our students.  Please enthusiastically encourage your student to contribute their $5.  

- Our new tardiness policy, passed by the School Site Council last year, will go into effect tomorrow.  Students arriving to school after 9am will not be allowed to enter.  Please continue to support all students' timely arrival to school and class everyday.

- Students who have not yet reported to school by this Thursday, September 17 will be dropped from our roster.  District policy states: Students who have 8 days of absences will be DNRd (did not report) and discharged automatically from the school.  Please encourage your student to report to BHS as soon as possible to prevent this automatic action.

- Grade level assemblies for students will take place on the following schedule this week:
  
  Grade 10: Thursday, September 17- 8:30-9:30am
  Grade 11: Friday, September 18- 11am-12 noon
  Grade 12: Friday, September 18- 1pm- dismissal

Students will meet the new Headmaster, be introduced to school wide expectations and policies, and learn about grade-specific opportunities in store for this school year.



I can hardly believe the first week is over.  Please let me know how we can work together to make this week even better.  Welcome back.

In Partnership-

Emily Bozeman
Interim Headmaster
Brighton High School

Welcome to BHS 2015-2016

August 28, 2015

Dear Brighton High School Community,

I could not be more excited to welcome you to Brighton High School for the 2015-2016 academic year.  My name is Emily Bozeman, and after teaching for a decade at Brighton, I am thrilled to re-introduce myself as Interim Headmaster for the upcoming school year.  It is my great honor to lead what I consider to be the most dynamic and supportive school in Boston.

Teaching at Brighton is a collaborative effort.  We work together to ensure an engaging and connected educational experience for all of our students.  Respect, inclusivity and rigor are more than words here.  They are the beliefs to which we aspire and seek to ingrain in our students everyday.  Each year presents new opportunities and challenges, but the heart of Brighton remains. Many of the procedures and processes of last year are still in place.  We will maintain our high expectations around student attendance and punctuality. We will continue to work in partnership with your family and to create unique learning opportunities for our students.  We will innovate in order to prepare our students for their post-secondary choices, whatever they may be.  

I would like to send a very special welcome to our incoming freshmen and families of the Class of 2019!  Ninth grade orientation, which is an important part of the transition to high school, is about removing the mystery and shaping our partnership. We would like to invite you and your child to this important event.  9^th Grade Orientation will take place on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at 5pm at Brighton High School.  During your visit, you will have the opportunity to tour the building, learn about our expectations for all students, and meet members of our exceptional 9^th grade team.  You will also learn about the curriculum, as well as after school, athletic and club opportunities for your new high school student.  Light refreshments will be served and there will be staff available to answer your questions at and after orientation.  

I look forward to our partnership during the upcoming school year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I also ask that you stay updated on BHS happenings.  Please continue to visit us here at http://www.brightonhighbengals.blogspot.com and enter your email address to receive the weekly message.  

I hope that you savor the last few days of summer with your student. Tuesday September 8, 2015 is the first day of the 2015-16 school year.  Classes begin promptly at 7:30am.  Please note that students may ride the “T” free of charge September 8^th.  After that, they will need a pass.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the main office at 617.635.9873.  Welcome back to a wonderful new year!

Best,

Emily Bozeman

Interim Headmaster
Brighton High School

Happy Friday!

Dear Community,

 Well, we're really starting to wind down now.   The lockers are cleaned out, books returned, and we are engaging the final preparation for final exams which began today for students in grades 10 and 11.     Yesterday, we held our year's end awards ceremony. One new feature of this event was the election for representatives on the student leadership team. Student leadership team is a representative group of young scholars who work with school leadership to create change.   As much as I enjoy recognizing our students for improvement, demonstration of citizenship, and top performance, as we did during the awards, I thoroughly enjoyed the speeches and the election process.   Of course, I already know that students care deeply about their educational experience. I just hadn't seen it demonstrated in such an articulate and powerful way as I did during the ceremony.   What a special occasion!

 As we prepare to wrap up, guidance counselors are identifying students who did not earn a passing score and core classes.   They will be reaching out to students and you to discuss summer school options.   It is extremely important that students register for and take summer school courses in cases where they did not pass.  In some cases, a student's promotion to the next grade is hinged on completion of a summer school course.   If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your students guidance counselor at 617-635-9873.

That's all for now. Make sure that you're young scholar is studying this weekend, but also taking breaks and enjoying themselves at the same time. Sounds like a tall order but it can be done – it has to be done.

Happy Father's Day to the dads in the audience.

Best,
Dr. T

Brown Bag Series - Supporting LGBT Bengals - Thursday!

Dominic J. Bruno Library

Presents

The Brown Bag Talks 2014-2015

Supporting LGBT Bengals

Special Guests from GLSEN and HGBC, along with our Bengal Community

Tips on coming out as LGBT or as an ally, and a discussion of how to make Brighton a proactively supportive place for ALL of our BHS Bengal family

Join us during all three lunches(10:30am - 12pm)

Thursday, June 18^th

Feel free to join us for any portion of the talk.

Bring your own your lunch.

All are welcome!

Happy Friday!

Dear Community,

The countdown is on! On Wednesday we officially wrapped up our final MCAS administration of the year.   This time it was science. Our ninth graders did us proud.   They showed up in impressive numbers and worked diligently. I'm expecting good outcomes on this one.

As I mentioned last week, students should really be focused on preparing to finish strong. This includes checking in with teachers about missing assignments or assessments  as well as preparing for final exams.   Next Friday, June 19th, is  the first day of final exams for students in grades 10 and 11.  It is a review day for students in grade 9.   All students will be released at noon. Lunch will be served.  Please follow this link for the full final exam schedule.

Lastly, you're young scholar will be bringing home a letter from the superintendent today.   The letter identifies a very strong and passionate educator, Emily Bozeman, to replace me on an interim basis as headmaster next year.  News on these things travels fast, but if you did not know, I accepted a position as Deputy Superintendent in the City of Lynn.

This was a tough decision! The Brighton High School community has been extremely good to me. In a short time, I have developed strong relationships with my students, their families and staff alike. In many ways, Brighton is home - and it is hard to leave home. That said, the opportunity in Lynn allows me to continue to push hard for deserving students and families, but on a broader scale. This particular decision, albeit untimely, reflects the right challenge in the right place.

No matter what, know that your student is in very good hands with a capable and committed faculty and staff along with the skillful leadership of Ms. Bozeman.   BHS will march on!

Best,
Dr. T

P.S.  A reminder:  School IS in session on June 17th.

Happy Friday!

Dear Community,

Alas, it's beginning to look like spring again. This makes me happy.   Other things that make me happy:

1. Graduation!   Yesterday evening we celebrated the accomplishments of the 182 students  comprising the class of 2015.   They will be sorely missed! Two things set them apart from previous classes:
1. They are so tight-knit.   This class seems to be together in a way that we have not seen in recent years.
2.  College-bound: the class of 2015   has more college-bound members than in recent memory.
2. The BHS Drama club's adaptation of Shakespeare's  A Midsummer's Night Dream.  Our  budding actors/actresses created a cozy performance space and delivered beautifully. I'm so proud. Pictures below.
3. The BHS  faculty. They seem to come up with the most wonderful and beneficial ideas. One of which  is to host a Junior Parent Coffee. This is happening next Friday, June 12 at 8:00am at BHS.   Please come and learn more about preparing for senior year and the college application process.

There are more things that make me happy, but these are fresh on my mind.   Looking ahead to next week, in addition to the junior parent coffee, our 9th graders will take on the science MCAS on Monday and Tuesday (6/8 and6/9).   They've been working hard and we have been working hard with them. They're ready! How can you help?   Please have your 9th grader go to bed at a reasonable hour wake early and arrive to school on time.  We'll take care of the rest.  

Lastly, as we round the final corner of the school year, students should be checking in with teachers to make sure that they are up-to-date on assignments and ready for final exams.   The final exam schedule is on the calendar on the school website.

That's all for now.

Have a great weekend!

Best,

Pat

Happy Friday!

Dear community,

What a week! It was short, yes, but packed full of activity. Here's a brief rundown:

• Monday, the BHS softball team fought a good fight vs Boston Latin Academy for the city championship. We are proud of our runner-up status. Onto the state tournament!
• Our seniors officially signed out on Tuesday. I must say, they did us proud. This was an extraordinarily smooth and uneventful process.
• Wednesday, we were visited by the new superintendent, Dr.Tommy Chang. He was joined by the members of his transition team.  this is part visiting schools and getting a sense of what's happening across the district.   Later that afternoon, our outdoor girls track team was busy taking home the conference championship title (did I mention that they did the same during the winter track season?)
• Prom was last night. The amount of energy our young scholars display never ceases to amaze me. The prom goers went strong until midnight (and probably beyond). Needless to say, I am a little bit weary today.
• Lastly, this afternoon, our drama club experts will be putting on and adapt a shin of Shakespeare's a Mid Summer Nights Dream.

As I said, it was a busy week. Next week is more of the same. We shall celebrate the accomplishments of our senior leaders their scholarship awards at the senior awards ceremony. That is Tuesday at 5:30pm in the BHS auditorium. Thursday, we will wish our seniors farewell at the 2015 graduation ceremony. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. at Conte Forum, Boston College.

I will leave you with that for now. More next week. Have a great weekend!

Best,
Dr. T

A view from inside the BHS Prom

Happy Memorial Day!

Dear Community,

Happy Friday!  I hope this message finds you in good spirits as we prepare for a relaxing holiday weekend.  I think we could all stand to take a deep breath and relax a bit.  The classes of 2017 and 2016 certainly deserve a moment or two of reprieve.  They did us proud this week with the MCAS Math exam and PARCC respectively. Many thanks to you for getting them here on time and in the right frame of mind to strut their mathematical stuff.  Today also marked the last for seniors! In short, week was quite busy, but great nonetheless.

Parents of seniors,  Please note that all seniors are due on campus by 8AM on Tuesday for the sign-up process. A letter was mailed home outlining the details.   Seniors must  satisfy all obligations and properly sign out in order to walk at graduation.   Sign out on Tuesday,  dance party (prom) on Thursday. Good things to come!

 Progress reports for the fourth and final quarter of the school year will be on their way home or accessible on SIS on Tuesday.   A number of students need to perform well this quarter in order to successfully pass courses. Please take a look and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or guidance counselor (617-635-9873).

Lastly, for planning purposes, the last day of school is June 29th.  School will be in session on June 17th.

My best to you all for a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!


Best,
Dr. T

2015 City Softball Championship*- The Fens (Clemente/Cobe Field)

Saturday, May 23, 2015 (spectator parking at Latin School)

Semifinal #1: East Boston (North Champion) v. Brighton (Wildcard #1), 11:00am

BHS Volunteers at the Massachusetts Special Olympics Dinner Dance