1. education
2. school

NON PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Brattleboro, VT 05301
PERMIT NO. 46
Brattleboro Union High School
131 Fairground Road
Brattleboro, VT 05301
BUHS
Change Service Requested
Welcome Back!
Building Hours
Classes at BUHS are scheduled to run from 8:45 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
each school day. The building is open at 8:00 a.m. each day. Please
do not drop your child off before 8:00 a.m. We do not have staff to
supervise students before that time.
Important Reminder Regarding Attendance
Welcome Class of 2018!
Please be sure to call your child’s House Office by 10:00 a.m. if
your child will not be attending school on that day. If your child’s last
name begins with A-K, please call the Purple House at 451-3404. If
your child’s last name begins with L-Z, please call the White House
at 451-3431..
Late Arrivals
Cooking in Karen Sebastian’s
German Class
BUHS on Facebook: In
an effort to communicate more
effectively with our students,
p are nt s an d c om mu n it y
m e mb e rs , BU H S h a s a
FaceBook page. “Like” the page
to get up-to-date information
regarding important
dates, events and other
general information.
Aleksander Harrison; Junius Dexter; Dante Watson; Arianna Harrison;
Margaret Annis; Oliver Huestis; Cooper Turner-Renaud; Catherine Yost
Opt Out for Military Recruitments
If you do not want your child’s name
or address given to military recruiters,
please call Mr. Jim Stacy at 451-3424. He
can mail a form to you, or your child can
pick up the form. When it is returned
to Mr. Stacy, your child’s name will be
removed from the lists we are otherwise
required to provide to the military. This
only needs to be submitted once per
child during your child’s high school
attendance.
Students are allowed only 6 excused tardies (with either a note
or a phone call from a parent or guardian) per semester. After that
time, the late arrivals are unexcused unless medical or other official
documentation is provided. A phone call or note is not adequate to
excuse any late arrival beyond the excused six. The same limitations
apply to 18 year olds, only they may write their own notes up to 6
times. Students with more than 6 excused absences will be referred
to the administration.
We appreciate your support in minimizing the time your child misses
from class and school. Students should bring a note from a parent or
guardian to their House Office the morning of their appointment and
are then given a pass to be released from school. If a phone call is made
instead, students should still obtain a pass from their House Office.
ACE Period
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, BUHS offers all students a 45 minute
period of remediation and enrichment known as ACE period. Students
can request an ACE period call back from a teacher anytime. Teachers
can also require students to attend as well. ACE period is a great way for
a student who cannot stay after school to get help from their teacher.
It is also an excellent opportunity for students who might miss class
time for athletic contests or other reasons. Please remind your student
about ACE period so they can stay current in their classes.
NEWSLETTER
October 2014
Getting Started with the Parent Portal
BUHS believes that students are more successful when parents
take an active role in their student’s educational experience. Our
student information system, PowerSchool, allows parents to access
the system to see how their children are doing. Parents can log in to
see grades, attendance and more. To access the system, go to http://
powerschool.bu6.org, or click on the link on the BUHS home page.
Parents of students who attended BUHS or BAMS last year will use
the same password as last year. If you need a reminder of what this
password is, call your student’s
House Office. For security reasons,
the House Office will not give out
passwords over the phone, but
will mail a letter to the home
address of record. Passwords will
be mailed to parents of all newly
enrolled students soon. Here’s a
quick introduction to what the
Parent Portal looks like:
The main navigation page
contains a menu like this one
on the right. Most items are
self-explanatory. The most
frequently used are:
Grades and Attendance - you
can see grades for currently
enrolled courses, and also
click through to see individual
assignments, if the teacher
has published them. You can
also see attendance totals for
current courses, and click
through to details for those
courses. Totals may not reflect all days of the current week.
School Bulletin – contains all the morning announcements.
Other notable pages:
Test scores – will contain Accuplacer results if you’ve taken
one through the career center. Otherwise not used at present.
Class registration – currently contains your course requests
for this year. In the spring, this will be used to request classes
for next year.
Attendance history – a day by day view of attendance, as
opposed to grades and attendance, which contains totals only.
This newsletter is an approved school publication. Any editorial
comments, either stated or implied, may be assumed to represent
the views of the BUHS administration.
L to r standing: Jessica Lawrence; Spencer Loggia;
Erik Johansson; Eben Holderness; Katie Reynolds;
Julia Streim; Benjamin Kaufman; Maia Gilmour
L to r seated: Hannah Paige; Julia Waldron; Bonnie Hart;
Rose Dumaine; Claire Thomas; Liam Johnson; John LaDuc; Sophie Bady-Kaye
Technology Changes
On September 2nd, ninth grade students were loaned a Google
Chromebook to use during their time here at BUHS. We’ve
been preparing for this program for
several years by using professional
development time, upgrading our
technology infrastructure and hiring
a staff member to help teachers
integrate technology into their
classes. Last year, we piloted a 1:1
program in one of our English
courses and had great success. This
year’s Chromebook distribution coincides with our expanded
use of Google Apps for Education for staff and students. As the
year unfolds, we’ll be sure to share success stories through this
newsletter and on our Facebook page. We’d also greatly appreciate
your feedback from home about challenges and opportunities
that you see from this program. Much of the hardware and
infrastructure work preparing for these changes has been done
by Mr. Bob Wickberg and Mr. George Bernegger. Mrs. Karen
Trenosky, our technology integration specialist, has also been
working to help staff and students use these new tools effectively.
All BUHS students in grades 9-12 now have accounts with
Google. This includes an online calendar, word processing,
spreadsheets, presentation program and other tools. All students
have a “Google Drive” to house documents they create or ones
that teachers share with them. All staff email correspondence for
students will be sent to this school account. Your student should
check this regularly for updates.
Staff Emails
All schools in the supervisory union are switching from
our First Class email service to Google Apps for Education.
Staff emails will be updated slightly, and we’ll use the naming
convention of first initial, last name for teachers. All emails will
still end in wsesu.org. For example, Steve Perrin is sperrin@wsesu.
org. During the next month or so, we will be going through the
transition; please be patient if email responses are delayed.
Junior/Senior College Workshops
The BUHS counseling department will be hosting a number of
college representative visits as well as workshops relating to the
college admissions process. These workshops will be running
throughout Fall 2014. For more information, consult the BUHS
website counseling page, visit the counseling department in
person, and check Naviance emails and the BUHS daily bulletin.
Junior and senior students are highly encouraged to stop by the
counseling department to register for multiple workshops.
***Counseling website link:
https://sites.google.com/a/wsesu.org/counselinghealth/news
March 2014 Elks Students of the Month
Daniel Tharp; Jordan VanIderstine
Newsltr 4-19387-2014.indd
Page 2 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
Important 1st Semester Dates at BUHS
October
3
8
9
11
13
17-18
18
24
25
November
7
8
10
11
24-25
26-28
December
3
6
10
13
19
23
24-31
January
1
2
15-16
16
19
20
21
24
Progress Reports Mailed
Activity Day
Early Release/Parent Conferences
SAT
NO SCHOOL
Fall Play Performances
PSAT
End of 1st Marking Period
ACT
Diversity Day
SAT
Early Release
NO SCHOOL (Teacher In-Service Day)
NO SCHOOL (Teacher In-Service Days)
Thanksgiving Recess
Activity Day
SAT
Progress Reports Mailed
ACT
Independent Study Proposals Due
Early Release
Holiday Recess
Student Assistance Program (SAP)
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is designed to address
the issue of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. The purpose of
this program is to identify and help students and their families
who may be experiencing personal, school, family, alcohol or
drug problems. The SAP works closely with existing in-school
services to make appropriate referrals so students can get the
help they need. Participation is completely confidential and
anyone can make a referral. You, as parents, know your children
the best. You may be the first to notice behavior or attitude
changes that indicate drug use. Teachers, administrators,
counseling staff and parents can make referrals to the SAP, and
students can refer themselves. The only mandatory referrals are
made when a student violates the school’s substance use policy
or athletic code of conduct. Please contact Hanako Jones in the
SAP Office at 802 451-3452 if you do NOT want your child to
participate in the SAP program or if you have any questions,
concerns or would like services for your child.
April 2014 Elks Students of the Month
NO SCHOOL-New Year’s Day
NO SCHOOL
Final Exams
End of First Semester
NO SCHOOL-Martin Luther King Day
NO SCHOOL (Teacher In-Service Day)
First Day of Second Semester
SAT
BUHS Athletics
For up-to-date team schedules for both BUHS and BAMS,
go to Digital Sports at http://47005.digitalsports.com and click
on the school calendar under upcoming events on the right
side navigation. Or go to any team page from the Fall, Winter,
Spring tabs for each team sport schedule. At the Digital Sports
site, add your name to the email distribution list and get instant
notices of schedule changes. Also, visit http://www.buhs.k12.
vt.us/sports for team schedules.
Students planning to play a winter sport are reminded to make
sure that they have had a physical exam after late February/early
March 2013 and that the form (signed and dated by a doctor)
is on file in the Athletic Trainer’s office. Winter athletes will
also need to have a completed consent form and a completed
concussion awareness form (if not on file from the 2014 fall
season) before participating in try-outs. The first practices
for basketball, ice hockey, Nordic skiing and cheerleading will
begin on November 17th.
VSAC Offers “Paying for College”
Financial Aid Presentation
The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), in
collaboration with BUHS and WRCC, has scheduled two “Paying
for College” presentations at the schools:
***BUHS:
October 23rd, at 6:30 p.m. in the BUHS
Multi-Purpose Room
***WRCC: November 20th, at 6:30 p.m. in the BUHS
Cafeteria
These sessions are free and open to the public.
Kristina Meima; Paul Blais
Cody Rowan; Anja Alden
News from the Colonel Yearbook
Colonel 2015 yearbooks are available for pre-sale either with
a credit card online from Jostensyearbook.com or by check or
cash for $45 in Room 202 at BUHS. Checks should be made
out to “BUHS Yearbook” and sent to the High School. Options
for name printing, plastic covers, etc. are only available online.
The 2014 supplements are now available for anyone who has
purchased a 2014 yearbook. Extra copies of last year’s book
are still available for $45 in Room 202. A final reminder to all
Seniors: Headshots and baby pictures must be in by October
17th. For photo specifications and other questions or concerns,
see Mr. Kramsky in room 202.
BUHS Players Present “Brave New World”
The BUHS Players will present their Fall production,
“Brave New World,” by Aldous Huxley, on Friday,
October 17th and Saturday, October 18th, at 7:00
p.m. in the BUHS auditorium. “Brave New World,”
written in 1932, tells the chilling story of a utopian
society gone terribly wrong. It is a powerful,
thought-provoking drama, which gives an
appallingly accurate view of today’s world. Under the direction
of Robert Kramsky, a large cast of experienced and new actors
bring this provocative tale to life using a variety of creative and
innovative ensemble acting techniques.
No Child Left Behind
As a parent of a student at BUHS, you have the right to know
the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who
instruct your child. Federal law allows you to ask for certain
information about your child’s classroom teachers and requires
us to give you this information in a timely manner, if you ask
for it. Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following
information about each of your child’s classroom teachers:
**Whether the Vermont Agency of Education has licensed
or qualified the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she
teaches.
**Whether the Vermont Agency of Education has decided
that the teacher can teach in a classroom without being
licensed or qualified under state regulations because of special
circumstances.
**The teacher’s college major; whether the teacher has any
advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degrees.
**Whether any paraprofessionals provide services to your child
and, if they do, their qualifications.
If you would like to receive any of this information, please call
Mr. Perrin, Principal, at (802) 451-3409.
New Faces at BUHS
This year we welcome four new faces to the staff here at BUHS.
Counseling and Health Services welcomes BUHS graduate
Rebecca Olmstead as one of our school nurses and Hanako
Jones as our Student Assistance Program Counselor. Modern
and Classical Languages is pleased to welcome Angela Dodd
as a Spanish Teacher. Finally, Rob O’Connor is our new BUHS
#6 School Safety Coordinator. We’re thrilled to have these
professionals join our school community!
Janeway Scholarship-Merchants Bank Scholarship
Each year the Experiment in International Living, an umbrella
program of World Learning, offers students at BUHS and other
Windham County schools the opportunity to participate in
summer abroad travel and home stay experiences. Programs
are designed to equip students not only with essential cultural
and, in many cases, language skills, but also with an awareness
of global issues shaping communities and regions that are
visited. During this summer, ten BUHS students participated
in nine different summer abroad programs. Many of the
students traveled to a country whose language they are studying
at BUHS: Anja Alden (South Africa); Saskia Bailey-deBruijn
(Thailand); Joamey Cancel (Mexico); Frances Cornick (Mexico);
Abigail Manning (Mongolia); Gideon May (China); Skye Reed
(Italy); Katie Reynolds (France); Claire Thomas (Germany); Maya
Watson (Mexico).
Rebecca Olmstead
Hanako Jones
Angela Dodd
Rob O’Connor