Dear BHS Students and Families,

Unfortunately, this week started with a bomb threat on Monday, which led to an evacuation of the high school. I recognize that this was upsetting and triggering for many of our community members. When we returned to school on Tuesday morning, I asked teachers to read a message out in classes, which I have included below:

As you know, we evacuated the school yesterday due to a bomb threat. This was a precaution, based on the fact that the threat was posted on a SnapChat linked to the BHS class of 2028, and was posted during the school day. We have identified the person responsible for the post, the police have searched the school with K9 teams, and we are confident that there is no credible threat, and that it is safe to be in school. 

I would like to thank the students and staff who came forward to report the post within minutes of it being visible. It is reassuring to know that students are looking out for one another and the community. Clearly, making these types of posts is unacceptable and dangerous. I am also very grateful for all of the teachers and staff who helped facilitate this evacuation during the lunch block, and with very little notice. Although this was a very upsetting event, the response by our community shows that we can pull together when we need to react to a situation.

If anyone would like to talk with an adult in private, please feel free to come down to guidance or the office.

I am reassured by the fact that students and faculty brought this threat to administration. Although many threats such as this turn out not to be credible, it is never worth taking a chance. If we hear or see something concerning we should always report it.

We did also continue on with many things worth celebrating this week. We have student athletes making progress on the field, and look forward to seeing the talents of our artists and thespians come to fruition at their performances later this fall. The annual clubs and activities fair on Tuesday was a huge success. A big thank you to all of the students, staff, and volunteers who made this possible. It was wonderful to see so many students passionately recruiting for clubs, and I wish all of the clubs a successful year. There is information below for anyone who missed the fair.

Isaac Taylor, Principal

We hope everyone had a chance to walk around and learn about clubs at the Activities Fair on Tuesday. If you missed it or want to see the clubs again, the list is here. You can see the student leaders and staff advisors to each club if you'd like to reach out and find out more. We also want to include a message from PTSO, who very generously support BHS clubs every year. BHS clubs are self-funded, and club members must raise money if they choose to do activities that include a monetary cost. Clubs have an opportunity to receive funding from the PTSO through the student club grant program. Please consider donating to the PTSO to help support initiatives such as the grant program as well as many other programs that benefit students, teachers, staff and parents. Here is the link to donate.

Bike Friendly Driver 

 Our most applicable resource for high school students and families is Being a Bike Friendly Driver. It is available in 10 languages here on our website. 

High School Ambassador Program Contest 

Please see the links below for more information on this contest:

Safe Streets Smart Trips Video Contest

High School Ambassador Program

Belmont Public Schools Live Feed 

A live feed from the BPS website can be found here.

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 hosted a virtual Senior Parent Night regarding graduation requirements, future planning and the college admissions process. 

The video link will be posted during the week of September 30, 2024.

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 Payment Information: The AP Payment Window will open on October 1st and will   stay open until midnight on October 31st. Payment can be made through MySchoolBucks or by check or cash.  If you are paying through MySchoolBucks, please click here. If you need assistance with online payments or registration, please contact MySchoolBucks at 855-832-5226 or log into your account to start a chat conversation.

If you are paying by check or cash please bring it to Mrs. Sceppa in Room A106 in the Guidance Office. Each AP exam costs $100. All checks are made payable to Belmont High School.  BHS will be ordering tests the first week in November. Any tests ordered or canceled after November 15th will incur a $40.00 late fee from the College Board. Please get all course sign-ups and payments in by Tuesday, October 31st. After October 31st, all payments can only be done by check or cash.

If a student is eligible for free or reduced lunch they can qualify for a fee waiver. If you feel your student qualifies, please reach out to Mr. Brown or Ms King before completing payment

Also, if you are currently enrolled in a BHS AP class, your teacher should have given you a class code to go in and register on the College Board in AP Classroom. You will need to set up a College Board account if you do not already have one at collegboard.org( this should be done by the student- please use your official name)This is really the first part of the process and then paying on-line through my School Bucks is the second. If you are registering for an AP exam and not enrolled in the class, please see Ms. King or Mr Brown for a special code during the registration window of 10/1-10/31; you will need to pay by check made out to Belmont High School in order to receive the code.

AP Coordinators: Mr. James Brown- jmbrown@belmontschools.net

Ms. Brittany King- bking@belmontschools.net

AP Registrar: Ms. Carole Sceppa- csceppa@belmontschools.net

PSAT Signups:  PSAT signups are now complete.  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.   Your student will be receiving an email with the details for October 26 in the next few weeks.   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.

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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BELMONT BOOSTERS ARE BACK!

BOOSTER “B” Drive is on Sunday October 6th

If you can drive your child and 3 other student athletes, please sign up here:

DRIVER SIGN UP

The annual Voice of Democracy audio-essay scholarship contest sponsored by the VFW is open to all students in grades 9 - 12. If you are interested in participating, please share your submission with Ms. McDevitt (dmcdevitt@belmontschoools.net) by October 30th. For more information, please review the requirements and rules at https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships

Today we recognize our first Marauders of the Week! For those new to the school, Marauder of the Week recognizes members of the senior class who have made a wide array of contributions to our school and community. This year, we have a new page on the Belmont website that will recognize the nominated students in addition to the screens in the hallways of the building: Marauders of the Week 2024 | Belmont High School. A HUGE thank you to Gail Pinkham and Matthew Kuzmeskas from the technology department for creating the webpage for us!

If you ever have any thoughts or questions about the program, please do not hesitate to reach out. We hope you enjoy reading about the amazing students in our building and seeing all the classes and educators they shout out!

Ms. Carlivati & Mr. Moresco