Growing Green & Gold Pride BFA: August 2022

This blog focuses on sharing back-to-school information and photos taken throughout in-service and the first few days for BFA staff.

Welcome Back-to-School Orientation &

1st Day Info

Back-to-school details:
The 9th-grade student and family orientation will be held on August 30th from 5:30 pm - 8 pm. Orientation will start in the BFA gym with entry into the school through either the Connector or NCTC main doors. Freshmen and families will begin in the gym.

The first day of school for the 9th graders will be on August 31st from 8:10 am - 11:25 am.

The first day of school for 10th - 12th graders will be on August 31st from 11:30 am - 2:50 pm.

Thursday, September 1st will be all students' first full day of school.

Welcome BFA New Staff

New Staff Orientation was held on August 22nd. There were 16 new staff members in attendance. BFA and NCTC are extremely lucky to have a diverse group of employees ranging in educational experience and backgrounds. Some of the day’s activities consisted of a presentation of policy and procedure concerning behavior and attendance expectations, the use of the BFA/NCTC Proficiency Scale, and emergency procedures.

Click here to review the new staff presentation: BFA's New Staff

Training and In-Service

Drug Informational Training for Education Professionals (DITEP) August 16-17, 2022

MRUSD and MVU staff and administrators participated in a two-day Drug Information Training for Educational Professionals taught by Drug Recognition expert, James Roy of the Colchester Police Department.

MRUSD Restorative Practices class at Fairfield School:

Convocation

The theme of the day was contemplating community and how to grow and strengthen it in the district, while simultaneously acknowledging different perspectives both in the classroom and outside of it. The MRUSD event explored this theme through various presentations as well as a student performance.

The MRUSD Speak Choir moved educators to tears and standing ovations with their performance of a short play with music that they’d developed over the summer. The play included a rendition of Smash Mouth’s “I’m a Believer,” with some alteration.

Superintendents Award

Presented to all MRUSD Substitute Coordinators

Congratulations Teri Brunelle!

Congratulations Blake Cadieux!

Fire Department Cadet Blake Cadieux is the first Georgia cadet to win the Youth Firefighter of the year award from the Vermont State Firefighters’ Association.

Fall Sports underway

Senior Sunrise Notice

Yearbook Announcement

Please mark your calendar with the following yearbook deadline dates:

Free inscribed icons on the book until Sept 30, 2022
The cost of the book is $50 until October 31, 2022
The cost of the book is $60...November 1, 2022 - February 23rd, 2023

Senior Photos due November 4th, 2022
Senior PDAS (Personalized Display of Affection) due November 18, 2022
Personalized books are available until January 27, 2023
Business Ads due February 10, 2023

Online ordering link:
https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A08772600

This summer edition of our BFA blog focuses on sharing important back-to-school information and photos taken throughout our summer sessions.

August 8, 2022

Dear BFA Students and Families:

We hope this summer has afforded the opportunity for relaxation, time with friends and family, and reflection upon the amazing possibilities of the upcoming school year. We are excited to be welcoming our students.

Entering my third year as the Principal of BFA, after two particularly challenging years, I am highly thankful for the support of so many in our greater BFA community. I need to thank all those who supported our students and staff during this time as it allowed BFA to provide a high level of well-rounded education during a pandemic. The past several years have seen a great deal of change, especially for our students. During Covid, students were taught to stay away from one another, learn at home (often in total isolation) or come to school in person two days a week; any student feeling unwell was encouraged to stay home. When we finally returned to full-time “normal” education, schools did not realize how the norm had shifted with attendance, to the great detriment of our students’ education, both academically and socially. The importance of attending school on time daily is unequivocal as national, state, and BFA data clearly showed. Grades increased and behavioral issues decreased for students who regularly attended school on time, daily.

The overwhelming importance of positive daily attendance has led to some adjustments at BFA. To allow for improved morning planning for our students and families, BFA’s daily start time will be 8:10 am, with students expected in the building by 8:00 am. Student voice, led by incoming senior Seth Richards, also clearly articulated the importance of a later start time for the well-being of our students. This later start time also allows students an opportunity to meet with their teachers from 7:20 to 8:00 am on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. As lost class time equates to lost learning, those students tardy four (4) or more times a quarter will need to attend morning makeup from 7:30 - 8:00 am. This is an opportunity for students to get caught up with work and connect with their teacher in order to be more successful in class.

Our high school athletics and extracurricular programs will be underway in mid-August which always feels like the unofficial start to school. The 9th-grade student and family orientation will be held on August 30th from 5:30 pm - 8 pm. The orientation will start in the BFA gym with entry into the school through either the Connector or NCTC main doors. Freshmen and families will begin in the gym and then attend their classes, meet their advisors, receive important information, and complete necessary forms. The first day of school for the 9th graders will be on August 31st from 8:10 am - 11:25 am and the first day of school for 10th - 12th graders will be on August 31st from 11:30 am - 2:50 pm. Thursday, September 1st will be the first full day of school for all students. All students must be in their first-period class by 8:10 am.

Here's some additional information:

BFA Class and Bell Schedules:

Attached you will find a copy of your class schedule. Below you will find the Bell Schedule which indicates class times. Students are expected to arrive at 8 am.

Lunches:
Lunch schedules will be assigned on the first day of school.

Lockers:
Lockers will not be assigned but may be requested on an individual basis. Any students interested should speak to Ms. Peggy Goldsbury or Ms.Judy Turner in the Main Office in the South Building.

Handbook:
On the first day of school, students will also be given a condensed handbook of important information.

We are so pleased to welcome our students to the 2022-2023 school year along with the positive energy they bring to the building.

Sincerely,

Brett Blanchard Heather Fitzgibbons Sara Kattam

Brett Blanchard Heather Fitzgibbons Sara Kattam
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal

Update on Summer School Sessions

What a great summer session we had this year!

This was our second year offering week-long recovery classes for students to earn credit in classes that they didn’t quite meet proficiency in. 48 students took one or more of the 9 classes offered and were able to recover credit so they will enter this year in much better shape.

Students also took advantage of the summer PLP work sessions and everyone who attended finished their PLPs.

We also had a successful first year of our Academy Breakout activities. 44 students participated in 13 different activities or classes that were offered. Pictures and some details of some of the activities are included below.

A special thank you to all of the teachers who worked this summer to make these opportunities available to students.

Sorel Chaput
504 and Summer Coordinator

Art and Nature Day July 12, 2022:

Art and Nature Day July 14, 2022:

Hiking July 15, 2022:

Digital Media 8-day Enrichment Program with Mr. Davis:
Students worked on a variety of digital media projects during the 8-day enrichment program. Students shot and edited a short 2 minute video, took digital stills in Taylor Park with a variety of lenses, learned Photoshop image enhancement basics, created digital paintings with tablet monitors, created short animation videos, and composed/recorded a soundtrack.

Farm to Table pesto pasta 7/19/22:

Jewelry Making 7/21/22:

Summer Baking Week 7/18/22 - 7/22/22:

Here are some pictures of finished products as well some process photos during a very HOT baking week class.

Nature and Rock Painting Week 7/25/22 - 7/29/22:

Macrame and Nature 7/27/22:

Rocks and Writing:
These are photos from Larissa Hebert’s Rocks and Writing field trip with BFA students. Larissa’s dad, geologist Woodrow Thompson, taught students about the geology of Isle la Motte and here they are looking for ancient seashells! Students also had the opportunity for creative writing exercises.

Rachel Ledoux wrote an article for the BFA Mercury. https://bfamercury.org/5941/news/a-tale-of-two-oceans-bfas-rocks-and-writing-field-trip/

Sundog Poetry Center's 'Justice and Poetry' event at Kill Kare State Park to highlight Indigenous voices:

English teacher Larissa Hebert took 8 students as part of the inaugural summer enrichment program. The students participated in a private workshop and had the opportunity to read their work aloud.

https://www.samessenger.com/things_to_do/arts_entertainment/sundog-poetry-centers-justice-and-poetry-event-at-kill-kare-state-park-to-highlight-indigenous/article_0c1d3654-077e-11ed-8b68-63d5a663cf11.html

Asher Ballantine made a video of the Justice and Poetry event, which is also featured on Sundog Poetry’s website. https://youtu.be/JbNGed_ibig

Rachel Ledoux wrote an article for the BFA Mercury on the Justice and Poetry event.

https://bfamercury.org/5938/news/celebrating-indigenous-poetry-of-new-england-the-sundog-justice-and-poetry-event/

Students in a workshop with poet Suzanne Rancourt.