Dear BHS Students and Families,

It was wonderful to see many of you yesterday at back to school night. As always, it was great to observe parents and guardians living their students' schedules in fast forward! Thank you for bringing a good vibe to the evening! 

A reminder for students attending the football game tonight that there is a $5 entry price for students, and that no bags or drinks are allowed inside the gates.

I have reminded all students about school safety at our opening day assemblies. It is very important that students and visitors are using only the front door during the school day, and at no time should anyone be opening a door to let people into the building. For parents and visitors coming into the BMHS campus, a reminder that you should bring an ID with you for the check in process. As you may know, we use Raptor visitor management software to check visitors against publicly available offender databases, and to keep track of visitors. Please enter the high school entrance if you are here on high school business, and the middle school entrance for middle school business. Finally, we encourage students and families to say something if you see or hear something. Students are encouraged to speak to guidance, administration, or a trusted adult where they have safety concerns. If a concern comes to light after hours, you can call the Belmont police department 24 hours a day at  617-484-1212  The Belmont police have been posting police details around the BMHS campus this year, and that practice will continue for the remainder of the month. This is a proactive presence, and not a response to a threat or concern.

Isaac Taylor he/him

Principal

Hello Belmont School Leaders,

We are actively engaging our community in developing a Portrait of a Graduate, a collective vision that articulates our aspirations for every student in Belmont. Our Portrait of a Graduate will serve as North Star for our schools, bringing our community together with a shared vision.

You are a valued member of our community, and I need your voice and perspective. I invite you to join our Portrait Design Team, and share ongoing input, and together inform our Portrait of a Graduate. For students this is a community service opportunity. 

Over the next few months, the Portrait Design Team will explore the following questions:

·  What are the hopes, dreams, and aspirations that our community has for our young people?

·  What are the skills and mindsets that our children need for success in this rapidly changing and complex world?

·  What are the implications for the design of the learning experiences—and equitable access to those experiences—we provide in our school systems?

Save these dates! Our Portrait Design Team will meet four times to design the Portrait of a Graduate, and each meeting builds upon the other:

·  Meeting 1: 10/29/ 3:30-6:00 at Location tbd

·  Meeting 2: 10/30/ 6:30-8:30 at Location tbd

·  Meeting 3: 11/21/ 6:30-8:30 at Location tbd

·  Meeting 4: 12/16/ 3:30-5:30 at Location tbd

We want our Portrait of a Graduate to be locally developed and globally positioned. I hope that you’ll bring your unique perspective to this collaborative process. Our shared aspiration is that all of our students have an educational experience that prepares them to be lifelong learners and contributors today and tomorrow.

Will you join our Portrait Design Team? Please use this form to register. And, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Warmly,

Lucia

 Wellington's Curriculum Night; The date is Thursday, September 26; time is approx 6-8.  We are looking for about 8 - 10 students to supervise  K-3 grade students in our community room while their parents attend classroom presentations; games, legos, movies, etc will be provided to help entertain the kids.

Students can email Ms. Donaldson @  gdonaldson@belmontschools.net to sign up!

Military List:  Each year BHS gives a list of junior/senior names to our military partners.  If you do not want your student’s name to be given to our military partners, please fill out the form  here.  This form will accept responses until the end of the school day on September 30, 2024.

Senior Parent Future Planning Night:  On Thursday, September 26th at 6:30pm, the Guidance Team will be hosting a virtual Senior Parent Night regarding graduation requirements, future planning and the college admissions process. Join us to hear some important information, and for the opportunity to ask some general questions. We encourage you to schedule a separate meeting with your child's Guidance Counselor, if you have more specific questions in regards to their particular post BHS plans. 

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/wzm-xfqg-fzj

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 234-719-3586‬ PIN: ‪897 858 130‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/wzm-xfqg-fzj?pin=3371615353600

Virtual College Visits:  Virtual college visits have started..  All junior/senior students are invited to attend.  Please look at the schedule on Naviance under tab “College Visits” for the date and time that each college will visit.  Students can attend the meetings anywhere in the building; you do not come to guidance.  If the student does not have a free period the student will need to be called out by the parents.  Please call the attendance line and leave the student’s name and the specific time the student will be absent from class.  Students should let teachers know in advance if they will be missing class.

This week’s schedule:

AP Tests:  AP test payments will begin October 1, 2024.  More information will be provided at a later date.

PSAT Signups:  PSAT testing will be done digitally.  All students will need to test on their chromebooks.  The PSAT date is October 26, 2024 at 8 am at BHS for JUNIORS ONLY.   This is the only date the PSAT is offered.  The fee to take the PSAT is $40.  Payment is by cash or check ONLY.  All checks are made payable to Belmont High School.  Students should bring their cash/checks to Mr. Brown in Room A113 or Mrs. Sceppa in Room A106.  Students need to hand the checks to Mr. Brown or Mrs. Sceppa; do not leave the cash/checks on their desks if they are not there.  Registration will take place from September 9, 2024 through September 24, 2024. Please email Mr. Brown at jmbrown@belmonthschools.net if you have questions about a fee waiver.   Please fill out the PSAT form Here  Students must use their Belmont Public Schools email to fill out this form.  You must provide payment to get a seat to test.     Sophomores will have an opportunity to take the PSAT test in the spring.  More information will be provided at a later date.

Upcoming PSAT 101 Strategy Session

We invite students to join Revolution Prep for an introductory strategy session for the official PSAT! This free hour-long session is designed to give students insight into the PSAT exam as well as provide tips and tricks for test day. In this session, one of their professional tutors will teach core test-taking strategies including a dive into the exam content and digital structure, how to avoid common traps, and how to create the best plan for success.

PSAT 101 Strategy Session

When: Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Time: 6:30 – 7:30 pm ET

Where: Live online via Zoom

Register here: https://www.revolutionprep.com/partners/626   

Event Details ACT & SAT:

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Our friends at Revolution Prep are offering a practice SAT and ACT. They have carefully modeled their testing experiences after the official tests, so that students feel confident in navigating both the intricacies of the digital format of the SAT and the paper format of the ACT—the closest experience to the real thing that you can get!

The best way to prepare and become less overwhelmed is to practice. Proctored practice tests are an opportunity for your child to work on pacing and endurance in a setting that best simulates the test day environment.

ACT Practice Exam:

When: Saturday, September 28, 2024

Time: 9:00 am -1:00 pm ET

Where: Proctored online via Zoom

*Please note that this live exam is proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, please reach out to your Academic Advisor, Vasilios Kostakis, whose information is below.

SAT Practice Exam:

When: Saturday, November 2, 2024

Time: 9:00 am -12:00 pm ET

Where: Proctored online via Zoom

*Please note that this live exam is proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, please reach out to your Academic Advisor, Vasilios Kostakis, whose information is below.

Step 1: Register here: https://www.revolutionprep.com/partners/626    

Step 2: Schedule a free 30-minute score report review with a Revolution Prep testing expert to help you interpret the results and develop a customized plan to prepare. Please schedule this appointment for the few days after the exam. You can pre-schedule this Score Report Review here: https://www.revolutionprep.com/vasilios-kostakis

Step 3: Attend the mock exam and get your results immediately with Revolution Prep’s mobile scoring app!

Questions? If you have questions or want to learn more about Revolution Prep, you can reach out to Vasilios Kostakis at (781) 916-8668 or by email at vasilios.kostakis@revolutionprep.com.

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On Saturday morning, September 14th 2024, beloved Coach Bob Guidi passed away unexpectedly.  Bob was part of our athletic family for two decades, including Freshman Football, Freshman Baseball, and Boys BMS Basketball last year.  Coach Brown and I both had the pleasure of having Bob coach hundreds of our student athletes on our staff for 2 decades.  As a retired math teacher, Bob continued coaching three high school seasons a year, all while playing golf or tennis daily, dancing weekend, and spending 2-3 days a week volunteering at his neighboring nursing home playing the piano at lunch.

Bob's 60 years of coaching would be difficult to surpass in both games coached and love shared.  I cannot remember a week that went by that didn't include one of Bob's former students or athletes paying a visit to the bench.  These visits included opposing coaches, officials/umpires, administrators, or parents in the stands.  All with a smile and a story to share.

Belmont is extremely fortunate to have had Bob serve our families and he will be greatly missed.

Adam Pritchard

Athletic Director

Our first Parenting Group of the academic year meets on Wed., Sept., 25 at 7:00 PM.

Zoom link:   https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81577946616

We will check in on the start of the school year.

Please share what’s working well for you and what’s been frustrating.

All are welcome to attend!

The Belmont High School Parent Teacher Student Organization is seeking a student to serve as a board member for the 2024-2025 academic year beginning in October 2024. Being part of the PTSO will give you a voice. Students involved in PTSO not only receive credit for community service hours, but also practice important leadership skills working with parent mentors. VIEW FLYER

The BHS PTSO Board meets monthly to discuss and coordinate events, initiatives, grants and awards. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM and alternate between in-person and virtual participation. Most meetings for the 2024-25 year will be on Thursdays.

Applications for this position should be emailed to the PTSO Co-Presidents at belmonthighptso@gmail.com on or before September 27, 2024. Students should briefly state why they are interested in this position (one paragraph is fine).