This blog focuses on sharing important information, classroom work, and photos taken throughout the week.
Good Day BFA,
This Monday is Memorial Day, one of the Nation's most revered holidays. The BFA Band will be playing during the St. Albans Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony in Taylor Park: https://www.facebook.com/events/428785849057746/?ref=newsfeed. I would encourage everyone to either attend this, or similar local ceremonies in order to pay respect to those that have fallen while serving our country.
I would also encourage you to listen to former President Reagan's two-minute Memorial Day Speech as it explains the importance of the day: https://youtu.be/EbnRatgk1Ew
Have a great extended weekend.
Mr. Blanchard
Important Dates
END OF YEAR SCHEDULE:
Please note Friday, June 10th is a full day of school for 9th-11th graders. Seniors have mandatory graduation rehearsal from 1 - 3 p.m. followed by an ice cream social.
Final week schedule:
June 13 = Wednesday
June 14 = Tuesday
June 15 = Wednesday
June 16= Tuesday
June 17 = In-service
Congratulations
Shedricks Martial Arts brought some students to Troy, NY this past weekend to compete in the Adirondack championships. Cole Boyle received the following: gold in patterns, silver in sparring and gold in breaking.
Classroom, clubs and other
Student written, directed, and acted play contest.
Aimee Bushey from South Burlington High School directed the festival chorus, Michael Colburn directed the concert band. Colburn, who is a 1982 graduate of BFA and son of late BFA band director Verne Colburn has recently retired from both Butler University and the “President’s Own” United States Marine Corp Band where he was the director and conducted the band in both the George W. Bush and Obama inaugurations.
District Chorus photos. The District Chorus is 50 total and BFA St. Albans has 25 in the ensemble!
Geometry students working on alternate designs for cereal boxes.
May 24, 2022
Dear Seniors and Families,
Three weeks until graduation!
Cap and gown pick up is on Wednesday, June 1st from 8:15 am to 9:30 am (during enrichment) from the cafeteria. Cost is $23. Cash or check made payable to Balfour.
Rehearsal is on Friday, June 10th at 1 pm at the CPSC. Report to the rink. Please note that graduation rehearsal is mandatory in order for you to walk at graduation.
Here is a bulleted list of What to Expect at this year’s 92nd Commencement for the Class of 2022 on Saturday, June 11th at the Collins Perley Sports Complex:
The decision will be made on Friday, June 10th if graduation is an outdoor or indoor event. An alert call/message will be sent to seniors and families.
Seniors are to arrive at the Complex no later than 10 am and promptly report to the rink to line up.
Please dress comfortably as it can be very warm regardless of if graduation is outdoors or inside. If graduation is outdoors, graduates will be walking on turf and sitting on the bleachers so ensure your shoes are appropriate (i.e. high heels can get caught in grass and on bleachers). Seniors should arrive with their cap and gown on.
Please ride with your families to limit the number of vehicles for parking. Traffic in and around CPSC is congested. Carpooling is encouraged.
Once families have parked, they will be directed to the registration area for check in. Please have your (4) tickets ready to present. Seniors will each be given 4 tickets for reserved seating. Other family members/guests may sit in the open seating area. Once registration is complete, you will be ushered to your seating area. Note: Seniors will receive tickets at rehearsal.
If you have special accessibility requirements, please ensure that an usher assists you.
At 11 am, the seniors will march in, be seated and the commencement begins.
Whipple Photography will be set up near the diploma stage and will take photos of the graduates receiving diplomas and a pose prior to leaving the stage. BFA is purchasing one 5x7 photo for each graduate which will be mailed home. Additional photo packages will be available for families to purchase. I will send the link for that site as soon as it is available. Another photo opportunity will be located inside the Complex. This is where you can choose to do family portraits. The family portrait option will be set up before and after the ceremony and will be similar to “cruise ship” portrait styles; quick group posing with the families and graduates. I will include links to the Whipple Photography site as graduation gets closer.
Northwest Access TV will be live streaming graduation. I will provide you with this link as well.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me 802-527-6400.
Sincerely,
Theresa Callan, Graduation Coordinator
ACADEMY BREAKOUT!!
SUMMER 2022
We are excited to offer these incredible workshops and experiences this summer. Sign up for one or all! Activities are open to all students 9-12 (this includes incoming 9th graders) unless otherwise specified. Lunch will be provided, except for the Justice and Poetry event. Transportation is also provided for any events not held on campus at BFA.
Any questions, please contact Sorel Chaput, Summer Program Coordinator, at schaput@maplerun.org or 802-752-1059.
Digital Media Smorgasbord
This 8-day Maple Run summer enrichment program is a project-based course where students will have the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of digital media equipment and software. The enrichment program will meet from 10 AM to 2 PM including a lunch break, starting Monday July 11th and ending on July 20th. Students will get a basic introduction to video production, post-production (editing), photography, graphic design, 2D animation, and multi-track soundtrack composition. Students will explore digital still cameras, video cameras, microphones, and 3 Adobe CC applications: Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Audition.
8 days from 7/11-7/15, 7/18-7/20, from 10-00-2:00
Teacher: Steven Davis
"Nailed It" at BFA
Have you ever wanted to create your own cake or cupcake like you've seen on popular TV shows like "Nailed It", "Cake Boss", or "Is it Cake?". How about recreating the popular cake pops from this year's prom? Join Mrs. Corrigan for a week as you learn about baking and frosting any dessert you can think of. Over the course of the week, you'll learn basic cupcake and cake decorating skills, how to make the perfect buttercream, and perfect a cake pop. As a "final project", you'll choose your perfect cake that you want to create and bring home to share!
Monday-Friday 7/18-7/22, from 9:30-2:00
Teacher: Kristin Corrigan
Art & The Outdoors
We will offer outings that each include a nature-based activity paired with an opportunity to play with various forms of art. Locations and activities are subject to change based on weather and student interest. The goal for these days is to play, create, relax, and have fun together.
Teachers: MaryEllen Tourville and Jamie Bristol
Tuesday and Thursdays 10:00-3:00:
7/12 Mrs. Tourville's camp on Lake Champlain and watercolor painting
7/14 Mrs. Tourville's camp on Lake Champlain and Shibori cloth dying
7/19 BFA based with a visit to a farm and cooking with fresh ingredients
7/21 BFA based with a variety of types of jewelry making
7/2 Milton Town Forest, visit to greenhouse, and macrame plant hanger creation
7/28 Mill River and rock painting with messages- then spread around St. Albans
Sign up for as many days as you would like
SAT Prep
Are you a sophomore, junior or senior that wants to prepare for an upcoming SAT? Join Mrs. Corrigan for a 5 day session where you'll work on learning skills to improve your test taking ability. There will be 4 days of structured lessons focusing on strategies for SAT Reading, Writing and Math, and day 5 will be a proctored mock-SAT. SAT Prep books will be provided, as well as feedback on drills and scored practices throughout the week. The 1 week course will align with the August 27th SAT test date. It is strongly suggested that you have already taken Algebra 2 before signing up for this activity.
Monday-Friday 8/1-8/5, from 9:30-2:00
Teacher: Kristin Corrigan
Euro Food Trip and Films: Explore a different country each day of the week. We will watch a film and prepare and eat traditional foods from each country studied. We will visit England, France, Spain, Italy and a country chosen by the group.
Monday-Friday, 7/11-7/15, from 10:00-3:00
Teacher: Bruce Pollard
Hiking, Prospect Rock, Jeffersonville
Enjoy Vermont's great outdoors on a hike at Prospect Rock, a 1.8 mile out-and-back trail near Johnson. This is a moderately challenging hike with beautiful views. Enjoy your lunch on a flat rock area, and bring any outdoor games that would fit in a backpack. Depart BFA at 9am, return at 3:00. Please bring a backpack and water. Lunch will be provided.
Friday, 7/15, from 9:00-3:00
Teachers: Hannah Mangham and Lisa Gunderson
Rocks and Writing
Join BFA English teacher, Larissa Hebert, and her dad, Maine state geologist Dr. Woodrow Thompson, for a field trip to the fossil park on Isle La Motte. Students will be exposed to the geology and fossils of the Lake Champlain valley, including the Paleozoic sea that was there (leaving all the fossils seen in the park), and much later the story of Ice Age glaciers, followed by a huge glacial lake, and lastly another ocean just after the glacier left. Students will also become aware of the long sweep of geologic time that's evident in the Champlain Valley and how special their area is for its long record of Earth History.Throughout the day, students will be given the opportunity to engage in creative/reflective writing activities.
If you haven’t had enough geology after the field trip, head to the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds for the 41st Annual Champlain Valley Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show. Theme: "Garnet and Tourmaline.” Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Admission: Adults $4. Kids under 16 FREE with a paying adult.
Friday, July 29, from 9:00-3:00
Teachers: Larissa Hebert and Woodrow Thompson
College Essay Writing
Enter your senior year feeling relieved because you have written your college essay and a few scholarship essays. Be a step ahead in the college application process and start to apply for scholarships!
7/18-7/22, Tuesday-Thursday, from 9:00-11:00
Teacher: Kieran Kivlehan
Justice and Poetry Event:
Celebrating Native Voices - Journeying Home
Please join Mrs. Hebert on July 22nd at the Kill Kare State Park in St. Albans, where the Sundog Poetry organization will host a Justice and Poetry event featuring a celebration of Native voices. The event will include the Abenaki writer Cheryl Savageau, as well as a group of local poets, storytellers, musicians, and visual artists. Light refreshments will be provided. The tentative time frame is 5:00-8:00p.m. and a bus will bring students to and from the event, departing from BFA.
Friday, July 22, from 5:00-8:30pm
Teacher: Larissa Hebert
