Burlington High School Principal's Blog

Congratulations to Toula Papadopoulos 2012 Collab Art Contest Winner

2012-01-27T15:18:00.000-05:00

From the BHS Collab Blog:
Congratulations to Toula Papadopoulos for winning our 2012 Art Contest with her entry titled “Miakoda”. For the second straight year, we had over 100 entries, and the decision was once again very difficult. Ms. Papadopoulos should also be commended for her consistency, as she earned second place in 2010 and an honorable mention last year. Congratulations, Toula! Her work will be featured on the cover of our 2012 magazine. Stay tuned for further announcements of art contest winners.

Miakoda by Toula Papadopoulos

Collab's 2012 Final Thoughts Contest

2012-01-27T15:02:00.000-05:00

From the BHS English Dept. Blog:

Collab is running its annual Final Thoughts Contest, which is given to the top poem, short story, or essay written by a BHS senior. The winner receives a $30 gas card at Hess, while the two top runners-up receive discounts off of their prom ticket or yearbook. The contest will remain open until February 1st. Bring your submissions to Mr. Lally, or drop them in the box outside the Collab room. Multiple submissions are encouraged, and there are no restrictions on the entries. Good luck!

FAFSA Day Massachusetts at Burlington High School Sunday at 2 p.m.

2012-01-27T04:49:00.000-05:00

From the BHS Guidance Blog:

Senior Parents are reminded and highly encouraged to attend FAFSA Day this Sunday (1/29) at Burlington High School. FAFSA Day Massachusetts is a non-profit program that provides free information and assistance to Massachusetts families applying for financial assistance for higher education using the FAFSA form. The event starts promptly at 2:00 PM in the BHS auditorium. Parents are also reminded that you must enter the high school through the Cafeteria entrance and park behind BHS (faculty parking lot). The main entrance doors near the rotary will not be open. Parents MUST register on line BEFORE Sunday (1/29) at http://www.fafsaday.org/registration.php. This event is sponsored by MEFA.

Deans of College Admissions Discuss Class Rank

2012-01-25T10:04:00.001-05:00

We continued our discussion of doing away with class rank at the Burlington School Committee Meeting last night. One of the big concerns many have is in regards to college admissions and whether or not the lack of class rank will negatively impact students. The short clip above, which was done by the Wall Street Journal for a series called "Inside the Admissions Office," shows responses from the Deans of Admissions from Bryn Mawr and Grinnell College in answering the question "How much does class rank matter?"

As you can hear from the responses of the Deans of these two prestigious colleges, class rank is not a significant factor in their admissions process.

BHS Collab Announces Art Contest Winners

2012-01-25T08:00:00.005-05:00

From the BHS Collab Blog:
For the first time this year, as a part of the Collab Art Contest, we’ve decided that the top entry from a junior will be the image we use on the cover of our British Literature textbook, and the best sophomore entry will be the cover art for our American Literature text. The votes have been cast and the winners are:

BEST JUNIOR ENTRY

Black & White New York by Marissa Coté

BEST SOPHOMORE ENTRY

Untitled by Courtney Koffink

Congrats to our two winners!

BHS Help Desk: Season 2

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

From The BHS EdTech Blog: Written by Andy Marcinek

The BHS Student Help Desk is entering its second season and I wanted to share our course outline, pathways, and some of the opportunities we’ll be creating for Burlington high school faculty and staff. Our student help desk is available six out of the seven periods a day and consists of students who have interest in educational technology. The technology competencies vary for each class and set of students, so students have opportunities to pursue a variety of pathways in this course.

Course Description

The Student Technology Integration course is a hands on study of technology integration in an educational context. Students will be required to assess problem sets throughout the day and define the best approach to addressing or solving the problem. In addition to solving problems for students and teachers, students will be required to complete and maintain several running projects that address problems or solutions in educational technology integration. The course also asks students to have a prior understanding of Apple OS, Microsoft Windows OS, and the iPad iOS.

Welcome to BHS Help Desk. This course will examine various problems and needs throughout Burlington High School. This semester, we will not be waiting around for problems to come to us, we will be finding them and addressing them. This is not to say we will not encounter problems here in the help desk room, but we will be more aggressive in seeking out the problems and needs of our faculty and students.

This semester we will not only be helping, but creating, curating, and organizing information and content for the faculty and students. This may come in the form of a blog that you manage for a department. It may be building an iBook resource companion for one of your teachers. It may be building a set of instructional videos and books for the school to use. In short, we will have plenty of work to do throughout the course of this semester. Whatever you heard about help desk during season one will not surface during season two. Help Desk has changed and in order to maintain a good grade in this class, you will need to preform. This course will elicit and require skills that are relevant to most professions.

We have also added new features to the help desk this year so that we concentrate our talent in the right areas of need.

Help Desk Opportunities for Faculty and Staff

1. Help Desk Tutorials

During the second semester teachers can schedule time during their free periods and come down to help desk for a one-on-one tutorial of your choice. This can be on a specific application that you want to learn more about or just an overview of the iPad or your computer. We will match you with a help desk student and you will have as much time as needed during that period. You can sign up for help desk tutorials here. This feature is also open to students. If you would like your class to learn how to use an application before starting a project, we can assist with this as well.

2. Share and Connect (Primarily for the teachers, but you may be asked to help with organizing and teaching this platform)I want to start highlighting the amazing work you and your students have been doing over the past semester on our bpsedtech.org blog. If you have a lesson that you designed that you are proud of along with student work that came out of that project, please share a short write up of the lesson and links to any student work. Here is an example of what Ms.Boyle created with her Calculus students.

3. In class assistance

If you would like help desk students to help with a lesson or setup equipment for a lesson you are conducting in class you can sign up for that time here. This student will be scheduled to meet with you during your period for as long as you need him or her.

4.Help Desk on Twitter

If you are using the Twitter you can now access help desk by using the hashtag #bhshelpdesk This will give us a quick method of responding to your issue immediately.

5. The BHS Resource Wiki (Primarily for the teachers, but you may be asked to help with organizing and teaching this platform)

I mentioned this wikispace at the beginning of the year and want to have departments take over the space and add resources to it as they populate. You can join the wikispace by following the link to this address and I will approve you. Once approved, you can add a page or create a page for sharing resources for your entire department to use throughout the year. Think of it as a digital, communal file cabinet. Also, as we move towards creating more ePubs, it will be good to have this space to glean resources from when they are needed. If you have any questions about the wiki please contact me.

Help Desk Pathways

Bloggers

Bloggers will be responsible for authoring and maintaining a blog for departments, teachers, and help desk. We will be creating a comprehensive student help desk blog that must be updated daily. Each day there should be new content populating on the site, therefore you will need to find and create information to post. This can come in the form of a weekly podcast, interviews, original posts, reaction posts to current events regarding technology, or short documentaries that you create on specific subjects. Regardless of the subject, this site should be flourishing with new content each day.

Genius Bar trainers

The Genius Bar Trainers will be responsible for deconstructing daily problems with the technology at the school. This job will require an expertise in a variety of applications or the willingness to learn new application. Also, this path of the course will require competency in Apple iLife and iWork programs (iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, Numbers, etc.). Participants will be giving one-on-one tutorials to teachers, staff and students. Also, you may be required to enter a classroom and present an overview of an application before the teacher uses it with his or her class. When you are not training, you will be putting together tutorial videos, scripts, and iBooks.

App Developer Course

The App Developer course will be the most challenging section of the course, but potentially, the most rewarding. Participants will be taking the Stanford University iPad and iPhone App developer course via their iPad and iTunesU. This course will be very challenging and time consuming. Plus, you should already have an understanding of some programming but it is not required.

Choose your own adventure

You also have the opportunity to propose a pathway for second semester. In your proposal you must define your goals, objectives, resources needed, and hurdles you may encounter along the way. I would also like you to detail the impact you expect your pathway to have on Burlington High School.

Tasks and Assignments

Help Desk Journal

Regardless of the course path you choose, you will document your productivity each day via a Google Doc journal. At the end of each class or each night you will post your progress for the day. Note, that I will view the timestamp for each daily post, so this is not something you should cram together Friday afternoon. Also, this is not simply busy work, but a running dialogue of your help desk progress. On occasion, I will not be in class and helping with a problem so you must maintain productivity and transparency.

Each post should include what you accomplished for the day, who you helped, or what you learned. Depending on which path you take and what you accomplish for the day your post may come in the form of a link, video, or a brief blurb. It could also come in the form of a problem you are having and your attempt to reconcile that problem. Also, there may be a point in the course where you feel that you have to do some work or study quickly for a test. This is fine on occasion, but do not turn help desk into a study hall. If you abuse this opportunity, your grade will suffer.

Help Desk Meetings

We will conduct Monday and Friday meetings to check in on how things are going. Most of the time you will be working independently throughout this course so this will be our time to check in with each other and address any questions.

Grading:

Participation 50% – Daily work, G-Doc journal, feedback

Content 50% – What you produce – blog, tutorials, app, videos, podcasts

Topics Of Interest/Upcoming Events - Week of January 22, 2012

2012-01-24T09:56:00.002-05:00

Topics of Interest
Proposal to do away with class rank

Race to Nowhere Followup Discussion

Upcoming Events
Tonight - January 24
Tech Night for Parents - Organize Your Life With Google Calendar

Wednesday - January 25
Understanding PSAT Results Parent Breakfast

Saturday -January 28
Talent Show To Benefit Relay for Life

Monday - January 30
Race to Nowhere Followup Discussion

Tuesday - February 7
8th Grade Parent Orientation

Top Blog Posts From Last Week

We've Updated the ePub of our iPad Rollout

Jan 18, 2012

379 Pageviews

BHS Presence in Apple's Big Education Press Confer...

Jan 19, 2012, 1 comment

309 Pageviews

This Month's Tech Night For Parents (January 24) -...

Jan 21, 2012

243 Pageviews

Download Our 1:1 Overview As An e-Pub

Jan 5, 2012, 4 comments

234 Pageviews

Proposal To Do Away With Class Rank At BHS and oth...

Jan 16, 2012

200 Pageviews

Eighth Grade Parent Orientation Tuesday, February 7th

2012-01-24T08:18:00.001-05:00

Burlington High School will be hosting its annual orientation for the parents of eighth grade students on Tuesday, February 7, 2010, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Fogelberg Auditorium. The orientation will provide an overview of the school’s policies, procedures and curricula, as well as specific information regarding the course selection process for eighth grade students.

The Burlington High School Administration and Department Chairpersons will be available to answer questions and provide assistance to parents following the formal presentation. All parents are encouraged to attend.

Tools You Can Use – Week of January 23, 2012 – Google Forms

2012-01-23T11:21:00.002-05:00

I have started a weekly series on our school district's edtech blog called "Tools You Can Use." Here is a link to my post this week -

Tools You Can Use – Week of January 23, 2012 – Google Forms:

If you aren’t aware of Tom Barrett and his “Interesting Ways” series, then you are missing out on a tremendous resource that is actually a crowd-sourced collection of examples on how you can utilize various technology tools in your classroom.

One that I stumbled across this weekend was a collection of examples on how you can use Google Forms in your classroom.

Here are some of the examples that you can use right away in your classroom:

Exit Ticket/Check for Understanding

Grade Student Presentations

Anonymous Course Evaluations

Do Away With Scantron Sheets/Multiple Choice Assessments

Don’t forget to check out all of the “Interesting Ways” that Tom has started. And add on if you have more ways to share how to use these resources!

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

#1
Evaluate Teachers With A Single Or Multiple Measures? - Jim Stergios

This blog post from Jim Stergios' Rock the Schoolhouse column, focuses on the "new" teacher evaluation model being implemented in our state and in many states across the country. It amazes me that we continue to focus on standardized test scores to measure teacher effectiveness, especially when considering that these standardized tests do such a poor job of measuring higher levels of critical thinking on the part of students. So let's take the results of these crappy tests and use them as an important part of evaluating teachers? Who exactly does this trend satisfy? Test-makers? Bureaucrats looking for low-level data that everyone can understand?

Honestly, what if we saved our money spent on the testing of students? How much money are we spending on this stuff?

One projection is in excess of $5 billion dollars nationally. Another source cites spending on state testing from the implementation of NCLB has grown from $400 million annually to over $1 billion.

It's time to blow up this model and misguided focus and start over. Can't we find a better use for a billion dollars a year?

#2
Report: We still don’t know much about charter schools - Valerie Strauss

This article from The Washington Post's The Answer Sheet Column discusses what we know about charter schools after over a decade of pouring money into these settings which have been touted as a vehicle to save our failing model for public education. The bottom line is that we still don't know much about what has worked and what has not due to the nature of the research that has been done.

Here are a few excerpts highlighted by Strauss from a new study just out in Science Magazine:

“Which charter schools, or even types of charter schools, are more effective than others? We don’t really know.”

“Most studies simply take a snapshot of student performance at a single point in time,” the new report says. “Such studies cannot disentangle school quality from the preexisting achievement level and trajectory of students who decide to attend a given school. The potential for student self-selection into charter schools is great, which makes naïve comparison of student outcomes at charter schools and traditional public schools misleading.”

#3
Why SOPA is (was) a Bad Idea - Clay Shirky

NYU Professor Clay Shirky explains why SOPA was such a terrible idea. It is imperative that all of us understand the huge implications of laws that limit our access to the internet. As Shirky states, “The real threat to the enactment of PIPA and SOPA is our ability to share things with one another."

I encourage you to check out the entire video.

This Month's Tech Night For Parents (January 24) - Organize Your Life With Google Calendar

2012-01-21T06:54:00.002-05:00

This month's Technology Night for Parents on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at BHS will be an overview of Google Calendar. It has never been easier to organize your life than with Google Calendar! Please join us and bring a friend! This session is open to anyone who is interested. This is a hands-on session, so please bring a web-enabled device!

Here's an overview of the top reasons to use Google Calendar from the folks at Google -

7 reasons to use Google Calendar

Organizing your schedule shouldn’t be a burden. With Google Calendar, it’s easy to keep track of life’s important events all in one place.

1. Share your schedule
Let your co-workers, family, and friends see your calendar, and view schedules that others have shared with you. When you know when everyone is free or busy, scheduling is a snap.
2. Get your calendar on the go
With two-way syncing to your mobile phone’s built-in calendar or a mobile version of Google Calendar that’s made for the small screen, you can access your calendar while you’re away from your desk.
3. Never forget another event again
Customizable reminders help you stay on schedule. You can choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent right to your mobile phone.
4. Send invitations and track RSVPs
Invite other people to events on your calendar. Guests can RSVP to your events by email or via Google Calendar.
5. Sync with your desktop applications
Access your calendar however and whenever you want by syncing events with Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal and Mozilla Sunbird.
6. Work offline
Know where you’re supposed to be even when you don’t have internet access. With offline access, you can view a read-only version of your calendar no matter where you are.
7. All this is free?
Yep.

Pratice SAT Postponed until 1/28

2012-01-20T18:50:00.000-05:00

Pratice SAT Postponed until 1/28: Due to forecasts inclement weather in the morning, the practice SAT offered by KAPLAN tomorrow (1/21) will be postponed to Saturday January 28^th at BHS beginning at 9AM.

PSAT Results Breakfast on January 25th at 8:30 A.M.

2012-01-19T22:38:00.001-05:00

From the BHS Guidance Blog:

The Guidance Department at Burlington High School and KAPLAN test Prep will be hosting an “Understanding PSAT Results Breakfast” on Wednesday January 25th, beginning at 8:30 A.M. The event will be held in the new Guidance College and Career Center (room 106). The purpose of this breakfast is to give parents of students who took the PSAT on October 12^th the opportunity to ask questions and get clarification on how to interpret, understand and use the PSAT results. Please join us for this informative event on January 25^th. All parents are required to RSVP at 781-270-1780. We look forward to seeing you there.

BHS Presence in Apple's Big Education Press Conference Today

2012-01-19T15:29:00.000-05:00

Apple made a big announcement this morning about a new resource that it has created to allow educators to create their own textbooks. While we have been working at this at BHS a little bit already by creating e-Pubs, the new iBooks Author looks like a much easier tool for us to continue this work. In addition, Apple announced the expansion of it's iTunes U to include textbooks for K-12 and not just Higher Ed.

The new video that went up on the Apple Website today to announce the new tool to create textbooks has a number of clips from BHS, including an excerpt of BHS Science Teacher Chuck Wood. You can check it out here.

You can also see some more Burlington staff members in a video that was played at the beginning of the press conference. If you do not want to watch the entire 60 minutes, you can see te BHS staff members just after the 3:45 mark.

We'll be blogging more about how this announcement will impact our work here at BHS soon!

Talent Show to Benefit Relay for Life Next Saturday at BHS

2012-01-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

Don’t miss the Dare Us To Dream Talent Show on Saturday, January 28^th at 7pm at BHS Auditorium featuring BHS students singing, dancing, acting, martial arts, comedy, band performances and our Improv Club - Idle Hands!

So much talent under one roof!

Talent Show is organized by the Relay for Life Team ~ Dare Us to Dream in support of the American Cancer Society.

Come support the fight against Cancer and be entertained by the students of Burlington.

Tickets at the door are $5.00 for Students and $10.00 for Adults.

ADVANCE Ticket Sales can be purchased for $8.00 instead of $10.00 during lunch next week. Stay tuned to find out which days!!

We've Updated the ePub of our iPad Rollout

2012-01-18T13:58:00.000-05:00

The original post regarding our iPad ePub has received so many hits that we decided to update it with a few new sections. You can get the update here or by clicking on the image above. In the update you will find sections the following new sections:

Out of the Box Training
Suggested Apps
Our App Reviews

We hope this is helpful! Please let us know if there is anything that you would like to see us add.

Special Thanks goes to Andy Marcinek for his work in creating the iPad ePub. You can follow Andy and all of his great work on his blog.

"Buck Up" and Support The Burlington Education Foundation

2012-01-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

BHS Post Graduation Party Needs Chaperones - Please Help

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

The POST GRAD PARTY needs parent assistance as chaperones and on the planning committee. If you have students at BHS, please consider helping out for this truly amazing event!

Our graduating seniors have a blast each year, under the watchful eye of caring adults, so parents can relax knowing their teens are celebrating safely. I have chaperoned three times and it warms the heart to see how our community comes together to provide a fantastic event for our kids!

If you have a graduating senior this year, you can not chaperone but you can help with the planning committee. To help organize this incredible party, please notify Karen Sullivan at sullivankzs@rcn.com or attend the first meeting at 7pm in the BHS Cafeteria Monday, Jan 23.

If you have a BHS student in the lower grades, you HAVE to see this event for yourself before your child is a senior! It is absolutely AMAZING! Please reply as soon as possible to Michele Shields, michele_shields@verizon.net, to get your first choice of shift. As usual, there are 3 shifts:

Sunday, June 10 from 10 pm - midnight

Monday, June 11 from midnight - 3 am

Monday, June 11 from 3 am - 5 am

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...January 16, 2012

2012-01-17T07:48:00.000-05:00

Here are the blog posts and articles that I found most thought provoking during the past week. Enjoy!

#1
Changing Gears 2012: Undoing Academic Time - Ira Socol

This post from Ira Socol discusses the short-sighted view that our educational uses when thinking about academic time. This topic is one that we all need to discuss with those who set the regulations for time and learning (as if we can regulate when learning happens). If we are going to really allow our students an opportunity for relevant, real-world learning then we need to totally change the rigid nature of how we define academic time, learning, and school work.

Of course Ira Socol is much more articulate in his post on the topic:

"Assignments need to stop having dates on them. Assignments - such as they may be - need to have goals instead. What are you hoping to accomplish? to learn? to create? to build? to know? to demonstrate? to provoke? How do you think you'll get from "here" to "there." What in the world does a date or a time have to do with that? Why would you even begin to interfere with the learning process by limiting the time? I'll explain, because in the industrial process of schooling 70% of a subject "learned" by a specific moment trumps mastery at some other time. Do I really need to explain how ridiculous that is?"

#2
Cultivating A Culture of Failure - Shelley Wright

This post by Shelley Wright reminds how important it is to make our students comfortable with failure. If we are too overprotective of our students and we stop them from moving outside of their comfort zone and challenging themselves then we are not adequately preparing them. When we speak with some of those people who have been most successful throughout history we often hear stories of all of their shortcomings prior to achieving large-scale success. Failure, recovery, reflection, and hard work are all areas that we need to have our students become comfortable with.

Shelley's comments on failure are spot on:

"I’ve been reflecting on what the most important things are for my students to learn. And none of the subect matter I teach comes to mind. Instead, my students need to learn to embrace failure and allow it to be their teacher. Fear of failure prevents us from taking risks. Prevents us from reaching out to others. Prevents us from becoming who we are meant to be."

Check out the Michael Jordan video that was also included in the post.

#3
Finally, Consultants to Schools Who Actually Know What They're Talking About - John Nash

This post hooked me from the beginning, by asking the following question:

"Let's say you're a middle school principal. How can you engage a large group of consultants, each having anywhere between six to eight years of classroom experience, and have them conduct 90 days of observation between the beginning of the school year and November wherein they generate insights on improving curriculum, culture, and student morale? By the way, they won't charge your school district a dime. And the solutions they provide will be exactly what your school needs."

Nash is talking about the obvious resource that many schools tend to overlook, the students. Who knows better the reality of our current state than the students who spend their entire day in classrooms. If we are truly going to attempt to redesign the way we do school to offer a more relevant experience for our students then we need to start relying on students to help us do this work. Nash also cites the work of Bruce Mau and his book The Third Teacher:

As Bruce Mau notes, "This is actually a pretty radical idea: to open source school, to say 'well, maybe the best source of information on this practice is the participants themselves.' We assume they don't know anything, and I think that's the biggest mistake we make" (p. 225).

A Look Back At The Week Ending - January 13, 2012

2012-01-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

Our photos from last week come mainly from the Art Department where we have more photos from our Artist Alumni Day. In addition, there a few photos from around BHS, including a picture of our school committee members receiving their iPads.

I also added a brief video clip from my travels around the school. Check out how the BHS Chorus has gone paperless now that all of their music is on their iPads.

Top Posts Last Week (In Terms of Page Views)

It is interesting to see some old blog posts come back to the forefront. The post last week that got the most views was a new post containing an e-Pub on our iPad 1:1 overview. However, the second two hits were from this past August and September 2010.

Download Our 1:1 Overview As An e-Pub

Jan 5, 2012, 4 comments

1,198 Pageviews

iPad Distribution for 1,000+ Students - Here's The...

Aug 1, 2011, 6 comments

513 Pageviews

A Professional Development Day That Worked - A Rec...

Sep 29, 2010, 9 comments

471 Pageviews

BHS Boys Smother Woburn To Capture Win 300 For Coach Conceison!

2012-01-16T17:15:00.000-05:00

Coach Conceison speaks with the press after win 300

Congratulations to Boys Hockey Coach Bob Conceison for career win 300 this afternoon as the Red Devils topped Woburn 3-0. BHS got goals from Joe Berardi, CJ Grinnell, and Brett Romkey as Derek DeCastro blanked the Tanners between the pipes. Check out the nifty goal by Grinnell who put BHS up 2-0 with a successful penalty shot in the second period.

For more on the milestone win and Coach Conceison check out this article which ran in the Daily Times Chronicle last week.

Proposal To Do Away With Class Rank At BHS and other Program of Studies Changes

2012-01-16T15:51:00.000-05:00

BHS Program of Studies Cover (Designed by Jeff Turri)

We have been been discussing class rank at BHS a great deal lately. After much discourse with our Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), we have forwarded a recommendation to the School Committee to do away with class rank. Please see the Proposal from the BHS Instructional Leadership Team to eliminate class rank for the Class of 2016 (current 8th grade class) which was presented at last Tuesday's School Committee Meeting. The topic will be discussed again on Tuesday, January 24 at School Committee.

Our rationale for the move is that class rank is that the focus on class rank has been a deterrent for some students to take classes that they are most interested in due to a unhealthy focus on class rank. Other local schools that do not rank students include Lexington, Belmont, Concord-Carlisle, Reading, and Winchester. In looking at this change we have also done extensive research with college admissions officers to ensure that our students would not be negatively impacted by the move away from class rank.

In addition we have modified the long-time 500-900 requirement to the BHS Exploratory Requirement.
We feel that students will benefit greatly from taking 10 credits from this broad selection of courses. We anticipate this list of electives will continue to expand from year to year.

As always we look forward to your feedback and questions! Please feel free to e-mail me, call me, or stop in and see me if you have any questions.

Reminder - Late Start Schedule For Next Week's Midterms

2012-01-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

As we have discussed during the last couple of years, we would love to go to a later start for students in order to enhance student learning. We have taken this step over the past two years during state testing days and thanks to the flexibility of our bus company, we will do the same with our midterm exams which start on January 17th. I am hopeful that we can continue this important conversation and move to a later start every day in the near future.

On each of the days below, bus pickups in the morning will be the same as for a two-hour delay.

Midterm Exam Schedule

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Exam 1 - 9:15-10:45

Exam 2 - 10:55-12:25

Buses pickup students at 12:30

Make-up - 1:00-2:00

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Exam 3 - 9:15-10:45

Exam 4 - 10:55-12:25

Buses pickup students at 12:30

Make-up - 1:00-2:00

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Exam 5 - 9:15-10:45

Exam 6 - 10:55-12:25

Buses pickup students at 12:30

Make-up - 1:00-2:00

Friday, January 20, 2012

Exam 7 - 9:15-10:45

Buses pickup students at 11:00

Makeup - 11:00-12:30

Race To Nowhere Followup Discussion - Monday, January 30th at BHS

2012-01-16T13:38:00.000-05:00

Last spring we held a screening of Race to Nowhere at BHS and had a great turnout of parents from both Burlington and Wilmington. The movie started a number of conversations on ways that we can make our schools better for our students. On Monday, January 30 we will host a follow-up conversation at BHS in the cafeteria from 6-8:00 p.m. to begin prioritizing the items that our school community feels are most pressing.

Whether you were at the film or not, we welcome you to this important brainstorming session which will include discussions of research-based data that has led people to question our traditional approaches to the following:

Later Start Times for high school due to adolescent sleep patterns

Homework - How much is necessary?

Creating more engaging classrooms

High-stakes exams

Advanced Placement Classes

The topics and discussion on Monday will be generated by the participants. We are inviting parents, high school students, staff, and community members who are interested in having constructive conversations about ways we can make our fine schools even better. We cannot reach our full potential without a greater input from all stakeholders.

Spread the word! We hope to see you Monday, January 30th!

My Digital Principal Award Application

2012-01-16T13:37:00.004-05:00

The National Association of Secondary School Principals is sponsoring a new award called the "Digital Principal Award." Three K-12 Principals will be chosen nationally and the winners will be featured in an upcoming issue of Principal Leadership magazine and also be part of a panel at the 2012 NASSP Breaking Ranks K-12 Conference in Tampa Bay, Florida in March. I am hopeful to have the opportunity to share on a wider scale how I feel the use of digital tools can support student learning and school improvement. My introductory video and links to my portfolio items are below.

The first item is a link to the ISTE NETS For Administrators with embedded examples as to some of the ways I feel I have met these standards. The remainder of the links here will be connected to specific artifacts that support these examples. In addition, these items also mesh with the three key areas of the Breaking Ranks Framework for School Improvement which emphasize Collaborative Leadership, Personalizing the School Environment, and Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.
Visionary Leadership -

Training for staff, students, and community
Providing training and support for other schools, administrators, educators
Some Examples:

Digital Age Learning Culture -

Providing Digital Devices for all learners
Sharing and promoting best practices with all who are interested
Promoting and participating in global learning communities
Some Examples

Excellence In Professional Practice

Embedded support for students and staff during the school day
Paperless communication
Some Examples

BHS Student Help Desk
National Publication on Student Help Desk
Communication at BHS...

Systemic Improvement

Getting Stakeholder Feedback on School Improvement Efforts
BHS Learning Walks
Some Examples

Digital Citizenship

Establishing, promoting, and modeling policies
Some Examples

Other Supporting items

Introducing College Snap Shots

2012-01-12T08:22:00.000-05:00

More great stuff from the BHS Guidance Dept.

Introducing College Snap Shots: In an effort to provide the Burlington High School students and their families with relevant and up-to-date college information, the Guidance Staff will be visiting various colleges and universities and providing you with information. We plan to post two colleges or universities each week for the next several weeks on our blog.The colleges visited do not represent a preference on the part of the BHS Guidance Department towards any particular school.

In the college search process many things are taken into consideration. Things that are considered, but not limited to are: Campus size, location, student population, majors, tuition prices, distance from home, athletic programs, clubs and activities. When considering a college students must also make realistic decisions based on personal interest, grades, test scores, etc.

The department feels that the college visit is an integral part of the process. The information we provide is only a small snapshot into each respective college. We hope to add information about other schools in the future and as always we appreciate any feedback that you have that would help us provide our students and their family’s useful information in the sometimes overwhelming college search process.

Furthermore, we ask that you also research colleges by using your Naviance account and scheduling to meet with your counselor on a consistent basis. Please feel free to contact your son or daughters respective counselor if you have any further questions.

Please click here for the New Blog called " College Snapshots"

Some Cool iPad Self-Portraits from Mr. Mistler's Students

2012-01-10T11:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Mr. Mistler for sharing these self-portraits that his students created using their iPads.

More Great Photos From Our Annual Artist Alumni Day

2012-01-09T15:10:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Mr. Mistler for more photos from our annual Artist Alumni Day which was held on Friday. Thanks to all of the artists who presented to our students:

Dan Ricardelli- Northeastern University; Architect
Nida Suhail- Mass College of Art- Fashion Design

Kara Litchfield- Mass College of Art; Art Education and Sculpture

Lauren Costa- University of Massachusetts; Fine Art

Shauna Leva- University of Hartford, Illustrator

Juan Aguilar- School of Art Institute of Chicago

Justin Gordan - Class of 1974 - Sculptor

Tali Singer- Mass College of Art; Graphic Design

Kaitlyn Morneweck- Syracuse University

Check out some of the links from our artists:

http://shaunaleva.net

http://www.elwindesigns.com/sand-sculptures.asp

Mentor Study Sessions for History Mid-Year Exams

2012-01-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

Mentor Study Sessions for History Mid-Year Exams:

Today after school study sessions in the cafeteria will be available for freshman to get ready for History mid-year exams. Study sessions with a mentor will be 30 minutes long. You MUST bring the material you want to study, as the mentors will not provide any.

We strongly recommend you take full advantage of this great tool, to prepare yourself for your exam.

Tools You Can Use – Week of January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T09:28:00.001-05:00

This is the first of a new weekly series that I will be doing on our district's edtech blog. I encourage you to check out this great blog which has contributions from both staff and students!

Tools You Can Use – Week of January 9, 2012:

As we get going in the New Year, I am looking for additional ways to support teachers and students access some of the new tools that are available to them as a 1:1 school. I cannot imagine a more exciting time to be a teacher with so many new resources being created that can support students in their learning. However, it can also be overwhelming due to the fact that there are so many of these digital resources.

So each week I will share a digital tool that I think would be useful for teachers and students. Please give them a try and let me know what you think. I would also love to hear about the tools you are using and how you are using them as well. If you have a tool you want to share please let me know about it in the comment section of this blog or e-mail me at larkin@bpsk12.org.

For this initial “Tools You Can Use” post, I will highlight a few different tools that I have stumbled upon recently.

1. Keeping Up With the 2012 Elections with Google

It has never been easier to follow the candidates during an election than it is in this era of social media and internet access. Check out Google.com/elections! Here’s how the folks at Google describe it:

“an election hub where citizens can study, watch, discuss, learn about, participate in and perhaps even make an impact on the digital campaign trail as it blazes forward to Tuesday, November 6, 2012.”

2. Books Should Be Free

The first resource is Books Should Be Free which I got from a blog post by Richard Byrne’s Free Technology for Teachers Blog. Books should Be Free offers hundreds of FREE audiobooks from the public domain that can be downloaded in as an mp3 file or directly from iTunes.

3. Google Translate for Your iPad or iPhone

If you have upgraded to the new iOS then you now have access to Google Translate on your iPad. Here’s a quick description of what you can access with app from Mashable.

“the app lets you translate written text between 63 languages. It also lets you translate by speaking text instead of typing it, but this option works only for 17 languages. For 24 languages you can hear the translation spoken aloud.

You can also access your translation history even when offline, star your favorite translations and spell out the translation of non-Latin script languages in Latin characters to read it phonetically”.

4. 40 Awesome Science apps

This list of apps comes from the folks at bestcollegesonline.com. It has some great apps for the science classrooms whether you teach Chemistry, Biology, or Astronomy.

5. Calkoo – Offers 43 different FREE online calculators

Another goodie I came across from Richard Byrne’s blog. Calkoo offers calculators for a wide variety of things – cost analysis, measurement and conversion, stock analysis, loan and leasing…Definitely worth a click!

A Look Back At The Week Ending - January 6, 2012

2012-01-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

Our photos from last week include a few pictures from Friday's annual Artist Alumni Day, Thursday's iPad school visit, and Tuesday's athletic events here at BHS.

Top posts from last week (in terms of page views)

BHS Midterm Schedule Incorporates Later Start

Jan 2, 2012,

Download Our 1:1 Overview As An e-Pub

Jan 5, 2012,

Edutalk Radio Interview on Our iPad Initiative

Jan 5, 2012

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T05:30:00.001-05:00

#1
A decade of No Child Left Behind: Lessons from a policy failure - Valerie Strauss

While NCLB turned 10-years old yesterday, pardon me if I do not celebrate. Let's all hope that 2012 is a year when we start to look at real solutions for making our schools a bit more relevant for students. This article which ran in Valerie Strauss' column in the Washington Post's Answer Sheet was written by Boston-based Fair Test. Here's an excerpt that sums up the feelings of many educators in regards to NCLB:

"Policymakers must abandon their faith-based embrace of test-and-punish strategies and, instead, pursue proven alternatives to guide and support the nation’s neediest schools and students."

Who in their right mind would advocate for continuing a legislation that has
"failed to significantly increase average academic performance and significantly narrow achievement gaps" over a 10-year period?

#2
It's 2012: Help Me Find Some "Bold Schools" - Will Richardson

This post from Will Richardson is a plea for examples of schools where students do well on the "traditional" standardized tests and at the same time teach relevant 21st Century skills that will prepare them to be successful when they leave their formal schooling. According to Richardson these schools are those that are:

"creating student-centered, inquiry-based, technology-rich learning opportunities in our classrooms can help kids navigate the world they live in AND pass the test."

Wouldn't it be great to be a school like this? I think we are on the right path, but there is much work to be done. For more on Richardson's thoughts on "Bold Schools," check out his article from the latest issue of District Administration - Are You An Old School or a Bold School?

#3
Consequences of Teaching To The Test - via BestMastersinEducation.com

Common sense would tell us that the number-one goal of testing should be to ensure student learning. It seems that we have accomplished a great many things with our focus on teaching to the test, but I am not sure that there is any data on this chart that proves our students are learning and/or acquiring skills that will ensure them success. Anyway, the chart below is a worth a look!

From: BestMastersInEducation.com

Some Recent Interviews

2012-01-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

One of the nice things about being the Principal in such a great community is that I often get asked to do interviews where I am asked to discuss what is happening at BHS and also weigh in on other education topics. Below are three recent interviews that were posted online in the last week.

The interview below is one I did with EducationDegree.com back in December. Then below the video is a link to a podcast I did with Edutalk Radio this week on our 1:1 iPad initiative. Th final link is a link to the EdReach Admin Podcast that I did with Chris Atkinson, Lyn Hilt, and Jessica Johnson on the role of social media in education.

Edutalk Radio Interview

Listen to internet radio with EduTalk on Blog Talk Radio

EdAdmin Show #02 – What Role Does Social Media Play In School Leadership?

Mid-term exam tutoring for 9th graders all next week

2012-01-06T14:22:00.000-05:00

Heading into mid-term exams which will begin on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, upperclass mentors will be providing tutoring for 9th graders after school next week. Light refreshments will be provided.

Each day is devoted to a specific topic:

Monday - History

Tuesday - English

Wednesday - Math

Thursday - Science

Friday - Foreign Languages

Youth Risk Behavior Survey To Be Administered January 30 - Parents May Opt Out

2012-01-06T14:00:00.001-05:00

The Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force in cooperation with Burlington High School and the Burlington Community Life Center will conduct the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 on Monday, January 30, 2012. Through this survey, health risk behaviors can be monitored that will assist in the planning of prevention strategies and a health curriculum that will reduce behaviors that present the greatest risk. It is anticipated that results of the survey will be made available to the public in the Spring of 2012.

What is the Youth Risk Behavior Survey? The YRBS was developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in conjunction with other federal agencies and state departments of education. The survey is designed to protect the privacy and confidentiality of all participating students while measuring the level of certain risky behaviors. The YRBS has been administered to a statewide sample of Massachusetts high school students on a biannual basis since 1990.

What is the Topic of the Survey? The YRBS focuses on priority health-risk behaviors. These include: (1) behaviors that result in unintentional and intentional injuries; (2) tobacco use; (3) alcohol and other drug use; (4) sexual behaviors that result in sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies; (5) dietary behaviors; and (6) physical activity.

How Can YRBS Results Be Used? Students participating in the YRBS respond to questions measuring actual health-risk behaviors, not simply attitudes or beliefs. For example, while it is commonly known by youth that use of seat belts saves lives, over one-in-nine students (12%) indicated that they do not wear a seat belt at all times. This demonstrates the need to measure actual health-risk behaviors. Information learned from the YRBS can help the Burlington Public Schools develop and implement programs to support youth and meet the challenges that affect their futures. Tomorrow’s healthy outcomes are the result of today’s healthy choices.

How Accurate are the Results? The YRBS has been extensively field-tested, and is determined to be valid and reliable. Research indicates that students answer the questions on anonymous surveys truthfully and that data of this nature can be gathered as reliably from adolescents as from adults.

The Survey is Entirely Anonymous. Students will not put their names or any other identifying information on the survey. All results from the survey will be presented only in group summary form. Additionally, your child’s participation in the survey is completely voluntary. Each student may leave questions blank if he or she prefers not to answer.

You may Decline to have your Child Participate. A copy of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey is available in the main office of the Burlington High School for parents to review. If you choose to not allow participation, your son or daughter will participate in some other alternative activity while the survey is being administered.

What if I have Questions? You are welcome to contact Charles Franich, LICSW at the Burlington Community Life Center with any questions about the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. He can be reached by phone at 781-270-1961 or by email at cfranich@burlmass.org.

If you would like to opt out of having your child take this anonymous survey, please click this link to download the sign-off sheet. The form needs to be returned to the main office by January 20, 2012.

Collab Announces Writing Contest for Seniors

2012-01-06T05:20:00.000-05:00

From the BHS English Dept Blog:
Copied from the Collab Webpage:

Attention BHS Seniors!

The Final Thoughts Contest – our annual contest for seniors only – is now open. Seniors are encouraged to submit their own short stories, poetry, essays, translations or song lyrics to Mr. Lally or to bhscollab@bpsk12.org

Seniors may submit as many pieces as they wish, in as many styles as they wish.

The winner receives a $30 gas card to Hess, and will be enshrined on the plaque in the English hall.

2nd Place earns a $25 discount to the Senior Prom

3rd place receives $15 off of the cost of the 2012 yearbook.

Good luck!

Edutalk Radio Interview on Our iPad Initiative

2012-01-05T21:33:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of appearing on Edutalk Radio with host Larry Jacobs yesterday to discuss our iPad initiative. It was great to have the opportunity to talk about all of the work that has been done in our community to move this effort forward.

Listen to internet radio with EduTalk on Blog Talk Radio

Download Our 1:1 Overview As An e-Pub

2012-01-05T08:46:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the efforts of BHS Instructional Technology teacher Andrew Marcinek, our 1:1 overview documents that we share with schools that visit BHS has been put into an e-Pub format.

You can access this great resource by clicking on the image above or by clicking on this link from your iPad. The link will open up the document in iBooks.

Thursday Late Buses Start Tomorrow

2012-01-04T09:50:00.001-05:00

As we head towards midyear exams (which will start on January 17), we will offer two late buses to students each Thursday for the remainder of the school year. The buses will pick students up at 3:30 and will drop students off at each of the elementary schools.

This is a great opportunity for students who need extra help or students who would like to workout in the fitness center to stay after school and then catch a ride to their neigborhood.

BHS Midterm Schedule Incorporates Later Start for Students

2012-01-02T20:10:00.001-05:00

Midterm Exam Schedule

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Exam 1 - 9:15-10:45

Exam 2 - 10:55-12:25

Buses pickup students at 12:30

Make-up - 1:00-2:00

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Exam 3 - 9:15-10:45

Exam 4 - 10:55-12:25

Buses pickup students at 12:30

Make-up - 1:00-2:00

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Exam 5 - 9:15-10:45

Exam 6 - 10:55-12:25

Buses pickup students at 12:30

Make-up - 1:00-2:00

Friday, January 20, 2012

Exam 7 - 9:15-10:45

Buses pickup students at 11:00

Makeup - 11:00-12:30

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

Buffer
For the first "Things That Have Me Thinking This Week" post of 2012, I have taken a bit of a shortcut and decided to look back at the most influential posts from 2011 from the recent Edublog Awards.

Learning How to Comment - From Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog

This post, which was chosen as the most influential post of the year, is from Linda Yollis, a third grade teacher in Los Angeles. It offers a great introduction to teaching students to create meaningful comments on blogs as Mrs. Yollis succinctly qualifies comments as either one-point (general comment) or two-point (adds to the conversation).

"A one-point comment is a general comment that doesn't add very much to the post. Example: I like your blog. Please visit mine! A two-point comment adds something to the comment conversation. A commenter might compliment the writer in a specific way or add new information. Another idea is to make a connection. Maybe the post reminds you of an experience that you've had. Share that connection! Try to end your comment with a relevant question. That way, an interesting conversation can develop."

#2
Spoiled Brats - Teacher Tom

This post from Tom Hobson, a preschool teacher in Seattle, finished just one vote behind Kathy's for "Most Influential Post." It discusses the struggle many adults have with giving some control to students/children. The post focuses on the fact that we cannot truly prepare our students for the real world if we do not allow them the freedom to make some important decisions for themselves. Here are a couple of my favorite excerpts:

"I'm all for fewer "spoiled" children in the world (although I'd like us to retire that label along with "bully," "aggressive," and "shy"). These children are characterized as self-centered and demanding, inconsiderate of others, see their needs as most important, and will resort to often extreme behavior to get their way. These are not happy children and they tend to grow into unhappy adults who struggle with relationships, have a hard time holding jobs, and are generally miserable to be around..."

"...Awhile back, I met a women who works in the admissions department at the University of Washington here in Seattle. She told me that increasingly freshmen are showing up on campus without such basic life skills as using can openers, cooking on a stovetop, and operating a washing machine. She said the problem is so bad that many universities have had to institute remedial life skills classes. Instead of learning to do things for themselves, "spoiled" kids have turned to mastering the skills required to get things done for them, which will often look a lot like being self-centered, demanding, and even tyrannical. So for your own sanity (and to avoid "spoiling" your child), I'd suggest teaching him to do as much for himself as his age and abilities will allow."

#3
I Resign From Teaching - Josh Stumpenhorst

This was my favorite of the nominees for "Most Influential Post of 2011." In this post Josh describes the change that I feel we need to make in all classrooms as we move from teacher-centered classrooms to learner-centered classrooms, where the teachers are learners with the students.
Here's an excerpt from the post that sums it up well:

As I am sitting at my desk I am no longer teaching but guiding. I have carefully constructed learning questions and activities for each student. The students are working collaboratively with each other on differentiated learning activities and producing a variety of evidence. They don’t look to me to tell them how to show they are learning but choose how to learn and how best to show me they are learning. They no longer seek me for the answers but look to the array of resources I have provided for them. I am no longer the source of knowledge but merely another learner in the room. Soon I will become invisible and the students will take complete control over their learning. My life as a teacher will cease to exist and a whole new one will replace it.

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...December 26, 2011

2011-12-26T16:52:00.001-05:00

Here are the blog posts and articles that I found most thought provoking during the week leading up to Christmas. Best wishes for a wonderful New Year! Stay tuned for more "Things That Have Me Thinking in 2012!

#1
Firemen, Donuts, and Meetings - Seth Godin's Blog

The last line of this post was what struck me - "How would you do it differently if the building were burning down? Because it is."

While this post was not specifically focused on education, I cannot help think that we need to drastically change our thinking in regards to education reform efforts in this country. Cutting teacher salaries, eliminating due process, and measuring our success on standardized test scores are not going to get us where we need to go. How long will it take for a different model of reform to prevail?

MIT Now Granting Official Certificates For Their Free Online Cour ses - Edudemic

This post from Edudemic discusses the new initiative at M.I.T. which will offer those who complete free online courses to earn a certificate from M.I.T. As the post discusses, it is almost a certainty that other institutions will follow suit and start to develop programs where certificates can be earned for students who demonstrate mastery in areas of study that are being taught online.

I cannot help thinking about the difference in approaches from our national model for edreform mentioned above to M.I.T.'s innovative approach.

Zeitgeist 2011 - Year in Review - via Google
Pretty cool video of how the world searched in 2011- chronicles the major events of the past year. I challenge you to watch it and not get goose bumps as 2011 flashes before your eyes one more time.

I can only imagine what 2012 will bring!?

Wishing Everyone The Best Over The Break and into 2012!

2011-12-23T09:53:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that we are coming to the end of another calendar year! It has been a memorable school year so far at BHS and I look forward to what 2012 will bring. In the meantime, I hope that all of our students and staff (and their families) have a wonderful break.

In this season of sharing, I offer a photo of my three greatest treasures (below) and hope that everyone reading this has an opportunity to spend some time with those who they most treasure.

All the Best!

Mrs. Dacey and Ms. Bilotta Go Hip Hop During Holiday Traditions

2011-12-22T15:12:00.000-05:00

Another fun video from our Holiday Traditions program this morning. Keep your eye on the left side of the video as Mrs. Dacey and Ms. Bilotta hit the dance floor.

Exclusive Interview with Coach Bob Conceison

2011-12-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

From the BHS Athletics Blog
Interview by Jake Goldstein, Editor-In-Chief (12/21/11)

Yesterday, I got to sit down with former English Department head and current Golf/Hockey coach Bob Conceison. This school year is his first year retired from teaching but he continues to Coach some of Burlington's best athletes, whether it be on the course or on the ice.

1.) As we know, this your first year retired from teaching. Has it helped by having more time to prepare for the golf and hockey seasons respectively?

Not really. I do feel that I am a "full time" coach at times. But in reality, I miss the daily interaction with my players and all the students at BHS.

2.) This year, the Golf Team won the League Championship. How do you think the season went looking back on it?

We had a GREAT season. Our better players really came through and our rookie players really improved and created a healthy team competition. I truly believe that our "in team" competition set the stage for such a great season.

3.) Next year you lose half the team (8 Seniors), How do you guys think you'll look next year? Do you think you'll achieve the same success as this years team?

It all depends on off season work... On the course, at the range, getting some instruction and competing in tournaments. We have the potential both in returning players and others who did not make the team this year. Everyone needs to work hard to improve his game... Including me!

4.) Do you think the team will be ready for next years tough league schedule?

Again, only time will tell. If everyone improves as much as BCody (Brendan Cody) did this year, we will be fine.

5.) So moving on from Golf, how's the hockey team looking so far?

Strong. We have depth. We can skate. And so far, we can compete with the big guys! However, we need to develop more consistency in our game in order to be really good.

6.) You guys have won the first 3 games so far. Do you think that this is a good sign for big things to come?

No question. We are off to a really strong start. But if you are running a marathon, and you sprint at the beginning, you won't make it to the finish line. We need to play in the present and not get too ahead of ourselves.

7.) Looking forward a bit, how do you think the season will go? Do you believe the Middlesex League Championship is in sight?

Like number 6 above, we have the ability. But, in order to achieve our goals and that is one of them, we need to develop a confident consistency in our play.

8.) As a two-sport coach, what are your coaching strategies for each sport respectively?

The sports I coach are so different. But in both, I concentrate on motivation, since I believe that the mental part of any sport is so important. Also, you cannot win if you are not a "team" in the truest sense of the word.

9.) Now the million dollar question... What sport is your favorite sport to coach? Golf or Hockey?

I enjoy them both. I enjoy the difference between the two. The atmospheres are totally the opposite. I like the diversity. Personally, I am a recreational golfer not a competitive one. Golf is my sport of relaxation; Hockey is my sport of passion.

Coach Conceison at practice back in 2010

Box of Cereal Gains BHS Students Free Entrance To Athletic Events Through January 21

2011-12-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

BHS Senior Athletes - Casey Landry, Erin Clark, and Christina Raso

The Burlington Food Pantry and The BHS Athletic Community are working together to give back to the those in need while strengthening school spirit at athletic events.

Until January 21st, every student who brings in an unopened box of cereal (or a canned good) will get into any BHS home athletic event (hosted at the high school) free of charge! This includes wrestling, boys and girls basketball, and boys and girls gymnastics. Support your fellow classmates and athletes by attending as many games, meets, or matches as possible. Spread the word!

According to http://www.dosomething.org, "In 2009, 65% of adults reported that they had been hungry, but did not eat because they could not afford enough food." Also, "5.6 million households obtained emergency food from food pantries at least once during 2009." For the holidays, the Burlington Food Pantry needs your help by donating boxes of cereal. For a full list of suggested donation items, click here: http://www.peoplehelpingpeopleinc.org/communityPantry_donations.html. Athletic schedules can be found at highschoolsports.net

More From Holiday Traditions 2011 - BHS Band and Drumline

2011-12-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

More fun from this morning's Holiday Traditions as the cafeteria area turned into what looked like a street festival with the BHS Band and Drumline joining the festivities.

BHS Holiday Traditions 2011

2011-12-22T08:53:00.000-05:00

The annual BHS Holiday Traditions program is underway in our cafeteria this morning. It is a great way to end the calendar year with students sharing their different religious and cultural traditions! Check out the slideshow which shows all of the tables from this year. We'll have more video and photos as the day continues.

Holiday Classic Performed By BHS Grad Bevin Vigneau

2011-12-22T08:48:00.000-05:00

Ugly Sweater Day 2011 Slideshow

2011-12-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

Our Third Annual Ugly Sweater Day was a great success as you can see from the slideshow above. For more pictures you can check out our Posterous Site which even had submissions from virtual participants in Nebraska and on Cape Cod. Feel free to add more photos to our Posterous site by e-mailing pictures to uglysweaterday2011@posterous.com.

Third Annual Ugly Sweater Day Tomorrow! Let's See What You Got!

2011-12-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

Mr. Lally with his noteworthy sweater from a past Ugly Sweater Day.

We will hold our third annual Ugly Sweater Day tomorrow at BHS. This event has grown in popularity over the last couple of years as staff and students have searched for the ugliest sweater that they can find. So join in the fun tomorrow and wear something ugly!

BHS Holiday Traditions 2011 Is Thursday

2011-12-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

Guest Post from Mr. Chiocca - BHS Multicultural Club Advisor

On Thursday, December 22^nd, 2011, the Multicultural Club will be holding their annual Holiday Traditions event in the cafeteria during the first three periods at Burlington High School.

Holiday Traditions is a school-wide event for over a 1,000+ students; that provides an opportunity for students to express their diverse cultures and backgrounds. Students and their families may prepare food, design a poster and explain to others about their culture as well as go around and learn about the cultures of others. There is music, fun, dancing from the BHS Hip Hop Dancers and drumming from our elite BHS Drum Line.

Some of the food served "pot luck" will be Simosas (from our Indian tables), Sushi (Japan), Hamantaschen (from our Jewish table), Baklava (Greece), Pierogis (Poland) and Empanadas (from Puerto Rico). Burlington Florist was kind to pledge to donate flowers and vases for all event tables, and a few local Dunkin' Donuts have pledged boxes of Munchkins too.

So... it's this Thursday, Dec. 22nd, and it goes from Periods 1 - 4. Seasons Greetings to all!

Mr. Chiocca & The Multicultural Club

Check out some posts on holiday traditions from the past three years

Holiday Traditions 2008

Holiday Traditions 2009

Holiday Traditions 2010

BHS Spanish Club Spearheads Food Drive For Lawrences YWCA's Fina House

2011-12-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

Guest Post by Mrs. Renee Dacey - BHS Spanish Club Adviser:

For the past three years, Burlington High School’s Spanish Club has been spearheading a Food Drive during the month of December for Lawrence’s YWCA Fina House. This year, Spanish Club members packed over sixteen boxes full of pasta, soup, baking items, spices, canned vegetables and beans, cereal, apples and oranges, juice, and rice. This year’s Food Drive was a tremendous success thanks to Mrs. Dacey’s and Ms. DeSousa’s Spanish classes and Spanish Club members. On December 14th, the students welcomed the opportunity to deliver the food items to the YWCA Fina House. Upon arrival, they were cheerfully greeted by program director, Susan, and Fina House employee, Jeanette. After learning about Fina House’s programs for young mothers and their children and struggling community members, students were invited to tour the living quarters of the apartment complex. Burlington High School is proud of the successful Food Drive coordinated by the Spanish Club students. In their efforts to promote community service to those in need, the Spanish Club receives an A+!

Burlington Youth Force Meets Tonight - BHS, MSMS and Shawsheen Students Welcome

2011-12-20T09:37:00.000-05:00

The Burlington Youth Force will hold its first meeting tonight at the Community Life Center from 7-8:30 p.m. The Life Center is located at 61 Center Street and the meeting will be held in room 231.

The Youth Force brainstorm ideas for projects to address teen issues such as dating violence, bullying, healthy body image, depression etc!

Bring friends and bring ideas!BHS students, MSMS students and Shawsheen students.

Snacks will be provided!

Congrats To Ms. Sullivan On Her Book Deal!

2011-12-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

We are proud to share the news that Ms. Tara Sullivan, a member of our Foreign Language has signed a contract with Putnam Publishing for a book to be published in the summer of 2013.

The book, which has a working title of Golden Boy, centers around a 12-year old boy in Tanzania who has Albinism. There is a crisis in Tanzania due to the persecution of Albinos and the main character of the book deals with the complications of growing up in society where people do not value you as a person.

We look forward to sharing more details as we get closer to the publication.

Fourth Annual Artist Alumni Day January 6th

2011-12-19T12:24:00.000-05:00

Check out the pictures from last year's Artist Alumni Day

On Friday, January 6, 2012, the Burlington High School Art Department will host its fourth annual Alumni Artist Day from 7:30 am until 2:00 pm.

For the past three years the Burlington High School Art Department has welcomed back former students to discuss their careers as artists. Alumni who have recently graduated talk about their first year at art school, senior college students who are preparing to enter the work force share their portfolios, and alumni who are working as designers and artists share their experiences and day-to-day activities at their jobs. Current art students have a chance to see and ask questions of the alumni. They are able to learn about art careers directly from the artists to whom they relate as members of their extended school community.

In addition to connecting alumni with current students, Alumni Artist Day is an event that has connected alumni to one another, potentially to share resumes and job connections.

Check out some of the quotes from BHS graduates on the impact that our Art Program had on their lives:

"The value of the BHS Art Program was monumental in my success as a graphic designer. First of all, I would have never even taken an art class if it weren't for an observant art teacher in a study hall encouraging me to take the class while watching me doodle. Freshman year of college all of my classmates were trying to gain a base knowledge in the programs while I was able to really thrive and focus on my creativity because I already had a phenomenal base from 3 years of graphic design in high school. I will always be grateful for the BHS Art Program, it literally gave me a career path and was an integral part of shaping me as an individual.

-Elyse Goldstein Emery, (class of '03)
Senior Graphic Designer at Spruce Environmental Technologies Inc.

"If not for my experience with the BHS Arts Program, I would not have had the confidence in myself or my ability to continue my studies inart. I feel very fortunate with the road my life has travelled thus far, and it would be completely different if not for my experiencewith the art program at BHS. Thank you."

Sean P. McGee Operations Manager - Savannah College of Art and Design®

"I relate a lot of my success to Burlington and its art department. Because of BHS and my art teachers I was able to grasp an understanding of design much earlier than most people and transform that into a focus at Syracuse University. If it weren't for BHS I would not be where I am today. A lot of people say that art and design are not important classes to take and don't become an artist because you will never find a job. But this is completely false. This is one reason I feel it is important to come back to BHS for Alumni ArtistDay, so I can share what I have learned and encourage students to think about majoring in and finding jobs in art and design."

Jason Yeadon - MLB Graphic Designer

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...December 19, 2011

2011-12-19T05:45:00.000-05:00

Here are the most thought-provoking articles and blog posts that I came across in the last week. The first two touch upon topics that relate to the vision we have for our schools while the first video to make the cut for one of these weekly summaries.

Enjoy!

#1
A Vision Statement for School Change - Chris Lehmann

This blog post by Chris Lehmann, the Principal at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, discusses the transparency we need to have in our schools in order to have a vision that is truly shared by all stakeholders. Lehmann's vision below is simple yet powerful:

"I believe than any parent should be able to walk into any school and ask any teacher, student, staff member, "What does teaching and learning look like here? What are the ways in which that is nurtured and developed for everyone in the school community?" and get a real, coherent answer that isn't just lip-service."

I think we need to start working on our answer to this question at BHS.

#2

AP Classes - Absolutely Preposterous Weapons of Mass Instruction

This blog post, which I picked up from the 21st Century Fluency Project, is actually written by a student in San Diego and was originally published on Teen Ink's Site. This student cites some of the negatives inherent in AP courses and questions whether students are really taking these courses for the right reasons.

"You do not learn the material to become enlightened. You learn to pass a test. You learn so that you can impress admissions officers with your weighted GPA...Life doesn’t exist outside of meaningless busywork. Most often this consists of Absentminded Prattle, or the art of explaining concepts that you don’t understand, care about, or ever really need."

An Anti-Bullying PSA All Students Should See

Thanks to the folks at Edudemic for sharing this great anti-bullying. Public Service Announcement. Imagine if we lived in a world where all of our children had the confidence to band together and stand up to bullies this way?

Getting To Know BHS Blog/Site Series - BHS English Dept Site

2011-12-18T19:42:00.001-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time expanding our web resources at BHS. It is amazing how many online resources have been constructed in the last couple of years. With all of our students toting web-enabled devices this year, our teachers have continued to increase our school's web presence as a method to communicate information and share resources and insights.

Here's a look at one of our most comprehensive sites, the BHS English Dept., which starts with a great introduction from BHS English Dept. Head Ben Lally (below).

The home page provides links to the sites of each of the teachers in the department while the tabs at the top of the site provide some links to some great resources. Here are some of the highlights:

Courses Tab - Provides a great overview of all of the English Dept. offerings at BHS as well as a preview of some of the new courses we are planning on offering.

Literary Map - This map provides a compendium of locations mentioned in BHS English texts.

Book Recommendations - This is one of my favorite links, offering reading suggestions from our BHS English Dept. It's a great resource whether you are looking for a great book for yourself or looking for a suggestion to grab for someone else.

You can subscribe to a daily e-mail with any new information from the BHS English Department Blog by typing your e-mail address into the box on the right hand side of the website.

Hockey Team Wins Big While Basketball Team looks for First Win

2011-12-16T11:26:00.001-05:00

More from the BHS Athletic Blog:

Wednesday night at the Ice Palace was not just the home opener for the Devils Hockey Team, but a sight of what's to come soon. The Devils won big last night against league rival Lexington 7-1. The top story from the game is Senior Brian Hood's Hat Trick which put the Student Section in a frenzy. CJ Grinnell, Trevor Cimino, Joe Berardi, and JP Scola also contributed to the win last night in exciting fashion. Also contributing to the win last night was not just the players, but the fans who came out in full force to cheer on Burlington. According to some players, they couldn't even hear anything at some times because the fans were so loud. Players also concluded that it was the best crowd that has ever shown up to watch them and that they wish every game their fans were as rowdy as last night. So help the players out and come to the Ice Palace this Saturday @ 8:10 for a great game against another League Rival, the Reading Rockets. Tickets are $4 for students and $6 for adults at the door.

Now right down the road from the Ice Palace, the Red Devil Basketball Team has dropped to 0-2 and are looking for their first win. Although both losses were to non-league teams, the team still needs a win to kickstart their season and contend for a spot in the playoffs. The next game for the Devils is at home against Lexington on Friday. The time of the game is TBA... Tickets are $4 for students and $6 for adults.

The two teams hope for a win this weekend as they both have Middlesex League matchups that are must wins for both teams. Good luck and GO DEVILS!

Holiday Spirit Comes Alive at BHS Holiday Concert Tonight

2011-12-15T06:32:00.000-05:00

From the BHS Music Boosters Blog

The Burlington High School Music Department invites you to enjoy a bit of holiday cheer on Thursday, December 15, 2011, at the annual BHS Holiday Concert. The performance will begin at 7:30 pm in the Fogelberg Performing Arts Center of the high school. Featured on the concert will BHS Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble led by Matt Lovell, and the BHS Chorus and Select Singers led by John Middleton-Cox.

The BHS Holiday Concert promises to be a wonderful evening of music that will bring the warmth of the season to all who attend. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to enjoy this holiday gift of music. Fogelberg Performing Arts Center is handicapped accessible.

Interview With Hockey Captain Brett Romkey

2011-12-14T12:16:00.000-05:00

From the BHS Athletic Blog:

(Brett Romkey Interview - By Adriana Berardi - Wednesday, December 14, 2011)

Today in our Help Desk office, our own Adriana Berardi sat down with one of this years Hockey Captains Brett Romkey. Tonight is their home opener against league rival Lexington at the Burlington Ice Palace. Tickets are $4 for Students and $6 for Adults. The game begins tonight at 8. Good Luck Devils!

What are your thoughts on going into your last year of hockey in Burlington High school?

Well obviously you want to produce. Coach always says that a team is as good as the seniors want it to be. And the only way to produce is to score goals. You don't want to look back when you're 40 and say, "Wow, I'm really disappointed in my last season as a hockey player."

What are a few important responsibilities that you have being a captain this year?

To lead as a captain, you have the responsibility to lead the guys and show people the ropes. Yet, you have to be the guy on the ice that people can depend on, the younger guys look up to you as a captain and they, as yourself, expect to do things the right way.

What are your goals this year and how far do you think you will go with the new team?

The goal, as every year, is to win. We want to win the middlesex league championship and go deep into the playoffs.

How do you think the team this year will adjust to the new middlesex league divisions?

I think we will adjust fine. We still play the same teams and look at games the same way. We don't look at a Woburn game and say, "Well this game doesn't matter because they aren't in our league." We prepare the same way for every game and have the same winning mentality that would come for a league game or not.

Collab – FOUR CONTESTS! Deadlines extended

2011-12-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

From the BHS English Dept.

Collab is running four contests at the moment. Something for everyone!

Poetry Contest: Write a poem that excludes the word “THE”

DEADLINE: Jan 3rd

Short Story Contest: Write a short story that uses, at least once, every letter of the alphabet DEADLINE: Jan 3rd

Art Contest: Accepting all media, the winning entries will be featured on the covers of our 2012 magazine, as well as the 2012-13 BHS English textbooks DEADLINE: Jan 3rd

Music Contest: Accepting all submissions – DEADLINE: The end of finals

All submissions can be turned in to Mr. Lally (Room 200) or to bhscollab@bpsk12.org

For more details, visit the Collab Website

Poetry Out Loud Video From Huntington Theatre Features Mr. Lally!

2011-12-13T20:32:00.000-05:00

From the BHS English Dept. Blog:

The Huntington Theatre just released this promotional video for their annual Poetry Out Loud competition, featuring Mr. Lally giving his thoughts on what makes the competition so special.

No More Cups In The Fence - But We Have An Alternative

2011-12-13T14:28:00.001-05:00

A look at the mess sometimes created with the styrofoam cups in the fence.

One of the many great traditions here at BHS is the use of the fence at our main entrance to post messages about students and/or student activities. Unfortunately there are a couple of negatives about this long held practice. The first negative is the use of styrofoam cups and the second thing is the fact that when the cups are blown out of the fence they blow all over the neighborhood. I would be afraid to guess the number of cups that our neighbors have had to pick up over the years.

We are excited to offer a solution to both the styrofoam and the mess. We have purchased 2,500 plastic put-in-cups, a device made specifically for fence art/messages. If you have a message to put up for a student or student/activity all you need to do is stop by the BHS main office and pick up some put-in-cups.

This Year's Top School Administrator Blogs - Follow Them All!

2011-12-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to vote for the top school administrator's blog for the 2011 Edublog Awards. As so many others have noted, the best part of this awards program is that it allows those who are interested an opportunity to learn about other great educator blogger and the incredible work they are sharing. I have been personally impacted by the great work of George Couros, Lyn Hilt, Chris Wejr, and Eric Sheninger. In addition, I am an avid follower of the following administrator blogs: David Truss, Jeff Delp, Chris Kennedy, Rabbi Akevy Greenblatt, and J. Robinson.

I look forward to broadening my perspective in 2012 after adding the rest of the nominees to my rss feed and I encourage you to do the same. To make this easy, I have created a bundle of all 22 nominated blogs here so that you can follow them all in one click if you use Google Reader.

What is your Vision of a Perfect School?

2011-12-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

From the BHS History Blog

What is your Vision of a Perfect School?: Would like to design your own school? Ms. Gould's psychology class is doing just that. They have been assigned to build a school, based on this criteria:

- How does your school make learning enjoyable?

- How does your school prepare learners for the future (college/work/life)?

- How does the research (sleep, teen brain, learning/memory, development) back up your choices?

They have been using a free online program called "Posterous", to share their ideas with other classmates. The school designing process is also based on what they have learned about the brain, that can help people succeed. It is going to be very interesting to look at what school designs students produce. Who knows, maybe their ideas could benefit our school?

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the most thought-provoking articles and blog posts that I came across in the last week. There are a couple of great insights into education reform in our country and how it seems we are headed down the wrong path. In addition, there is a blog post by a BHS student on why we should be looking at a later start time for high schools.

Enjoy!

#1
Why Are the Rich So Interested In Public-School Reform? - By Judith Warner in Time

Despite all of our efforts to use standardized tests to improve our schools and better prepare our students, Warner makes the point that all of the time and money put into testing has done little to address the problems inherent in schools where a predominant number of students come from poverty.
It will be interesting to see when "education reformers" realize that making better tests is not the answer. Just because they were great test-takers does not mean that creating a generation of better test-takers will turn around our schools.

Or as Warner puts it -

"The chief promise of their brand of reform — the results of which have been mixed, at best — seems to be that they can remake America’s students in their own high-achieving image. By evaluating all students according to the same sort of testable rubrics that, when aced, propelled the reformers into the Ivy League and beyond, society’s winners seem to believe they can inspire and guide society’s losers, inoculating them against failure with their own habits of success, and forever disproving the depressingly fatalistic ’70s-style liberal idea that things like poverty and poor health care and hunger and a chaotic family life can, indeed, condemn children to school failure."

#2
When Test Scores Become A Commodity - John Keiller in Education Week

This great commentary by John Keiller, a National Board Certified Teacher from Maryland, highlights where our public education system could be headed with its narrow focus on standardized tests as a measure to gauge teacher effectiveness. Here are a few lines that give a good sense of where Keiller is coming from:

"It is a system that turns student scores into a market and, as such, creates cheating, disreputable practices, and dislocations...Like dishonest or corrupt traders, the educators are not the victims, but rather sophisticated, savvy players. Many will get away with it and be honored for their work, as some cheating administrators and teachers were before they were caught. And many teachers and administrators who don’t technically cheat, but find ways to game the market “legally” will also be duly honored. Where could this lead? Schools could become little more than test-preparation institutes, ignoring subjects and skills that are not assessed, with faculty members who resent and distrust one another."

#3
The Necessity of a Later School Start Time - By BHS Junior Matt Swanson

First of all, the stuff that comes from BHS students usually makes me think a great deal. This great post by BHS junior Matt Swanson is just one more example as he makes a case for a later start time for our high school. Matt did his homework on this one, citing a number of studies that discuss the negative impact that a lack of sleep has on teenagers. Here's to hoping that we can make some movement in this issue at BHS and improve both the health and learning outcomes for our students.

No Homework Pledge At BHS For Upcoming Vacation

2011-12-08T14:36:00.001-05:00

We have taken the Race to Nowhere No Homework Pledge at BHS for the upcoming vacation. We have decided that we will follow the lead of many other schools during our December vacation and give our students a break.

Schools that have taken this step agree with the research below from the Race to Nowhere site:

Students who enjoy a balanced schedule that includes family, friendship, creative and imaginative pursuits, and community service and involvement.

Students who have time to be passionate, curious, inventive, and creative.

Students whose daily schedule includes time for physical and mental health--including sleep, healthy meals, physical activity, and down time.Students who have time to embrace learning and achievement for its inherent rewards.

Students who have time to develop the skills that will truly prepare them for the 21st century: Integrity, determination, empathy, resourcefulness, resilience, kindness, respect, and a lifetime love of learning.

BHS Principal's Blog Nominated For Best School Administrator's Blog

2011-12-05T13:00:00.001-05:00

I am proud to share the news the this blog was nominated for the annual Edublog Awards in the category of Best School Administrator's Blog. It is an honor to be nominated with so many other great bloggers who fill my RSS feed with thought-provoking posts routinely!

You can cast your vote for the Best School Administrator's Blog here.

Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...December 5, 2011

2011-12-05T05:11:00.002-05:00

Here are the most thought-provoking articles and blog posts that I came across in the last week.

Enjoy!

#1
Choking on the Common Core Standards - Washington Post's Answer Sheet

As we all await the coming of the Common Core Standards for all of our students, it is interesting to read the comments of Joanne Yatvin, the President of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), who provided her thoughts on the standards in this article yesterday.

Yatvin, an educator with over 50 years experience, highlights a number of standards that are well beyond the grasp of the grade levels they are written for and give the following examples:

Gr. 1: Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of
contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or
information in a text.

Gr. 5: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting
important similarities and differences in the point of view they
represent

This is a glaring example of what happens when non-educators are left to make decisions about student learning. As Yatvin notes, "these standards were written by highly educated adults who do not teach children at present and, possibly, never did."

#2
How Not To Reform Education - Scott McLeod

This post from Scott McLeod discusses the fact that our country's education reform initiatives are being touted as "the anti-model" for school reform. Check out the priority list for countries around the globe who are doing a better job at providing a more relevant education for their students:

Funding schools equitably, with additional resources for those serving needy students
Paying teachers competitively and comparably
Investing in high-quality preparation, mentoring and professional development for teachers and leaders, completely at government expense
Providing time in the school schedule for collaborative planning and ongoing professional learning to continually improve instruction
Organizing a curriculum around problem-solving and critical thinking skill
Testing students rarely but carefully -- with measures that require analysis, communication, and defense of ideas

#3
Homework in the 21st Century - Race to Nowhere Blog

A worthwhile read which may change the way you look at homework. Let's face it, how many of us have had experience with homework that is purely busy work? This post from the folks that brought us the documentary Race to Nowhere highlights some research that points to the fact that we may need some new conversations on this topic. Here's one excerpt:

"According to independent scholar Alfie Kohn, homework at the elementary level fails to be beneficial even if one regards standardized testing as a useful measure. In fact, his studies also show that even at the high school level there is a minimal correlation between grades and homework."

A Look Back At The Week Ending - December 2, 2011

2011-12-04T17:45:00.001-05:00

Our short collection of photos from last week is highlighted by some great publicity photos from our fall play Noises Off. Thanks to Chet Maguire for the great photos! We also have a photo of Mr. Marcinek who lost another bet with one of his students betting on a Philly team over a Boston team (in this case the Eagles over the Patriots). When will he learn? Finally, there is a picture of BHS senior Nick Desimone talking with some vistors from Silver Lake Regional about our iPad initiative.

Top posts from last week (in terms of page views).

1. Things That Have Me Thinking This Week...November 28, 2011

2. Where Good Ideas Come From - The Students!

3. Leadership Day 2011 - A Few Thoughts

No Homework During School Vacations…Seems Like A No-Brainer?

2011-12-04T12:08:00.001-05:00

This was also posted on the Connected Principals Blog

I received this video embedded in an e-mail from Vicki Abeles and the folks at Race to Nowhere which talks about schools that have decided that there will be a no homework rule during school vacations. After watching the short clip and listening to the rationale, it seems like a no-brainer to me. Why shouldn’t we do this?

For more on the topic of homework from the Race To Nowhere site, I encourage you to check out Homework in the 21st Century.

"Noises Off" set to open tonight: Don't miss the hilarity of it all!

2011-12-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

From the BHS Music Boosters Blog

The Burlington High School Drama Club is ready to raise the curtain on one of its funniest performances in recent years!

Noises Off opens tonight at 7:30 pm in the Fogelberg Performing Arts Center of Burlington High School, 123 Cambridge Street, Burlington.

A hilarious and raucous look at what really happens backstage in the play within the play, Nothing On, this Burlington High School production will have you laughing in the aisles and talking about sardines and doors for weeks to come.

Cast members of Noises Off are Danielle Schissler, Zaven Ovian, Anthony Cruz, Katrina Gilstrap, Michelle Lee, Chris Coe, Giovanna Fernandes, Jeff Manni and Walker Peterson.

Don't miss all the fun! Tickets are available at the door and are $5 for students and senior citizens; $10 for adults.

Photos courtesy of Chet Maguire

Upcoming Financial Aid Events at BHS

2011-12-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

From the BHS Guidance Blog

Burlington High School will be hosting two upcoming financial aid events. We highly recommend senior parents attend ( Class of 2012 ). Since both events are in January we felt it was important to remind parents before the December vacation. Please be sure to check out the side bar on the Guidance Blog for links to more specific information in regard to financial aid and scholarship information. Below are descriptions of each event:

Event: M.E.F.A. (Massachusetts Educational Financial Authority) Financial Aid Seminar
Date: Thursday January 5, 2012
Description: This seminar covers the financial aid process in detail. Carla Berg, Financial Aid Advisor at Bentley University, will be the presenter beginning at 7:00 P.M. in the BHS auditorium.

Event: FAFSA DAY 2012- http://www.fafsaday.org/
Date: Sunday January 29, 2012 2 :00 P.M.
Description: This is a non-profit volunteer driven effort across the state. This is the first time that Burlington High School will host this event. Parents and students will receive:

• Free assistance completing the FASA

• Access to experienced financial aid administrators, and FAFSA experts, available to answer FAFSA questions.

• Guidance on the financial aid process and next steps after filing the FASA.

Parents MUST register at http://www.fafsaday.org/. Although computer labs are available, it is highly recommend that parents bring a laptop that day. Also if any parents are interested in volunteering as a Support Volunteer (registration tables, setup, cleanup, etc) please feel free to register at http://www.fafsaday.org/volunteer.php

Just A Clarification On A Dance In Burlington Tonight

2011-12-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

Just a clarification due to a few parent phone calls.

There is a dance in Burlington tonight that will be attended by many students from BHS, but it is not a school-sponsored dance. The Interact Rotary group is sponsoring the dance that is being held at the American Legion Hall.

Just to clarify, all of our BHS dances (other than proms) are held here at the high school.

Reminder About Tonight's Parent Tech Night - Twitter

2011-11-29T17:47:00.001-05:00

Image via WikipediaWith more students jumping into the world of Twitter, we will utilize this month's Parent Tech Night to show parents how to navigate the Twittersphere. Come see the social media tool that is all the rage!

We will meet (Tonight) Tuesday, November 29, 2011 in Room 106 (Between the Main Office and Guidance) from 7-8 p.m. The first 30 minutes will be dedicated to Twitter and the last 30 will be for any technology questions that you may have. Bring a laptop or iPad with you so you can Tweet for yourself!

If you can't attend, feel free to join us for the final 30 minutes on Today's Meet for questions about Twitter or any technology topic. Just click the link above and join the conversation!

Burlington High School Principal's Blog

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1. Share your schedule

2. Get your calendar on the go

3. Never forget another event again

4. Send invitations and track RSVPs

5. Sync with your desktop applications

6. Work offline

7. All this is free?

Pratice SAT Postponed until 1/28

PSAT Results Breakfast on January 25th at 8:30 A.M.

BHS Presence in Apple's Big Education Press Conference Today

Talent Show to Benefit Relay for Life Next Saturday at BHS

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