Friday, November 1, 2024

Friday, November 1, 2024, Administrative Update

   

Upcoming Events









Veteran's Day Parade and Ceremony

11/11/24 Schedule

Parent Teacher Conferences
This year we will hold Parent Teacher conferences as follows:
Wednesday, 11/13 from 3:30- 7:00 pm - Virtual Conferences
Thursday, 11/14 from 3:30 - 7:30 pm - In-person Conferences
More info to follow.


Beauty and the Beast

Our Bellows Free Academy Theatre Company is excited to present Disney's Beauty and the Beast on November 21st-24th with shows on Nov 21st, 22nd, and 23rd at 7:00 PM and a matinee on SUNDAY, November 24th at 1:00 PM. All shows are at BFA in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $6 for students, seniors, and faculty/staff and $8 for adults. Come out and support your community, while having a fun-filled night at the theatre! Order your tickets online now at TicketLeap!




Winter Sports Registration & Meeting


Winter sports registration is now open. 

Go to www.BFAathletics.com and click on "Online Registration" and follow the directions and link there to sign-up. Registration closes November 29th.

Winter Sports Parent Meeting is set for November 20th, 2024 @ 6:30 PM inside the BFA Gymnasium.



Congratulations!

National Honor Society Ceremony

2024-2025 National Honor Society Inductee Ceremony

Bellows Free Academy (BFA) is proud to announce the induction of 23 new members into the Champlain Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) on October 27th, 2024. These exceptional students have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, service, and character, embodying the values of the NHS.

Special thanks to Madeleine Messier for her amazing violin performance and to our guest speaker, Emily Eldred, whose inspiring words set the tone for this memorable occasion.

Induction into the NHS is a significant honor, requiring a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7, demonstrated commitment to community service, proven leadership abilities, and strong character. Students become eligible to apply at the end of their sophomore year.

Congratulations again to our new NHS members—your hard work and dedication make our school and community proud!   Stephanie Hodgeman

Madeleine Messier


Congratulations

October 2024 Math Students of the Month!

Pictured L to R and top to bottom Lina Patterson, Theodore Tremblay, Macaffrey Alberico, Ada Reynolds, Lucas Robert, Lily Howe, Sophia Ryan, Caitlin Frost, Eva Lothian, and Ethan Oszurek



Congratulations



Cross Country 

Vermont State Championship

Coach Mashtare reported that the Vermont State Cross Country Championships were held on Saturday, Oct. 26, leading the BFA boys to an historic second-place finish–historic because they are only the fourth team in the history of BFA-St. Albans cross country to ever finish in the runner-up position.  Previous teams to accomplish this were in 1973, 1994, 2021 and now 2024.  The team also secured the runner-up position in the over-all placement for qualifying for the New England XC Championships to be held at the famous Wickham Park Course in Manchester, CT. The New England's will be run on November 9.

Marie DeSorgher led the girls to a seventh-place finish placing 33rd in 23:43. Marie ran her best race so far this season having a goal of qualifying for the Meet of Champions to be held next Saturday.


2024 Golf New England Championship


Congratulations to Gavin Benoit and Ethan LaPlume for competing in the 33rd Annual New England Interscholastic Golf Championship yesterday at Mohegan Sun !
Gavin Beniot finished 21/71 with a 77!
Ethan LaPlume finished 49/71 with a 83!
The winner was Jack Quinn from Gardiner Area High School in Maine scoring 67!
For complete results visit, newenglandsports.com.


Congratulations Comet Volleyball!


Comets hosted the No. 3 Hartford Hurricanes in the girls’ volleyball program's first home semifinal on Tuesday, Oct. 29th, winning the match 3-1 and punching a ticket to the final at St. Michael’s College on Sunday, November 3rd at 7 pm.
Good luck Comets!!



Congratulations

St. Albans Messenger 
Athlete of the Week
Emma Harrison!


CIP visit to 

State House & Historical Museum


The Community Integration Program (CIP) recently went on a field trip to the Vermont State House and the Historical Museum in Montpelier.  This trip supported recent citizenship and civic education learning in CIP Social Studies classes.  (The first picture was taken in the House of Representatives and the second in the Senate during a guided State House tour).



Student Leadership Training


Photos of students attending an "Up for Learning Student Leadership Training" held at the armory on October 28th.





Husky Tour


BFA students joined students from surrounding high schools on October 30th for a presentation, tour, and information session at Husky Technologies. Husky is actively recruiting area students to participate in its state-certified summer apprenticeship program, which pays students and credentials them to become CNC machinists. 
 


Fall Concert


BFA Music’s Fall Concert was held on Wednesday, October 30th in the BFA Gymnasium. The show began with the BFA Concert premiere of the new “Modern Band” ensemble led by Instrumental Music Director Eric Bushey. This student-led ensemble performed Chicago’s “Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is”, “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes, and “Come Together” by the Beatles.

The BFA Jazz Band followed with the Glenn Miller arrangement of “Little Brown Jug.”

The BFA Chamber singers performed “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” featuring senior vocalist Nat Cronin on the solo part. This group then presented “California Dreamin’”, a medley of several Beach Boys tunes that featured vocalists Brody Chamberlain and Maddie Messier.

Band I performed three selections including Brian Balmages “Moscow, 1941,” Roland Barrett’s “Arabian Dances,” and, in keeping with the seasonal flavor, Danny Elfman’s theme from the movie “Beetlejuice.”

BFA Chorus presented a beautiful program that started with an exciting version of the African-American spiritual “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.” The lovely American folk tune “Shenandoah” was performed next and featured Senior Emma Gibson on the solo. She sang beautifully. Vermont composer Gwyneth Walker’s composition “Let the Life I Lived Speak For Me” was featured next and performed with passion. BFA Chorus teacher Armand Messier spent some time talking about the various complexities of the last number before performing the exciting and challenging “Magnificat” by Jackson Berkey to end the choral portion of the program.

BFA Band II started with a selection called “Ghost Run” by Christina Huss that had a traditional Japanese flair to it. They ended the program with the very exciting “Ghost Run” by Grant Michel that had a driving beat and minor-key tonality. The selection quotes the famous Requiem Mass plainchant “Dies Irae” which is commonly quoted in Halloween-flavored compositions and the theme from the great “Little Fugue in G Minor” of J.S. Bach.

Check out these amazing photos taken by 10e Photography: Fall Concert






Happy Halloween





Classroom & Enrichment



Poetry class creating Black Out Poems!



Beauty and the Beast Rehearsal


Some costume sneak peeks and rehearsal pictures!! We open November 21!!




Student Parking Info


Hi All,

The city of St.Albans offers free parking in the parking garage for BFA students.
Here is an update from the city about some changes:

I’m writing to let you know about changes to the City’s parking system that will be effective November 1st.

BFA Students are still offered free parking in the City Parking Garage. However, they no longer need to come to City Hall to set that up.

Students can register for their free Parking Garage parking permit online at:https://www.tocite.net/stalbansvt/portal (note the leading www is required)

Select “View Permits” and they can register for “BFA Students Parking Garage” permit type. This permit type is free but does require students to upload proof of enrollment. Our office will receive a notification that a BFA Student has applied for a permit, we will review the proof of enrollment and either approve or decline.

Principal Rico