Blue Hills News

Thank you to all the parents/guardians who joined us for our two virtual and two in-person conferences. We value partnering with our families and forming connections to support BHR students.

Next week is a big week - it's Open House for prospective Grade 8 students and their families. Help us spread the word! Wednesday, November 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Please keep in mind that there is an early release on that day as well at 10:50 a.m., and a late start on Thursday, November 5, at 10:40 a.m.

Term 1 ends on Friday, November 6. Please make sure you are finishing strong!

Many of you have signed up for winter sports. If you haven't, the sports registration on Arbiter is up and running. Make sure you've signed up if you intend to try out for any winter teams.

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We need your help! Dismissals are not allowed over the phone. Only a written, signed note received in the office, or an email from a student's parent/guardian to attendance@bluehills.org are accepted. Please also make sure you have updated your emergency contact information—students may only be picked up by guardians or contacts on their contact list.

Dental Assisting Exploratory students fully engaged! Photo courtesy K. Torrisi.

DVC Students working the cameras in Boston. Photos courtesy J. Murphy.

Today the 11th grade CJ students went to the Westwood police department. They had a tour of the station, met the Police Chief Russell O’Neill. Officer Baker demonstrated the drone and radar equipment. Big thank you to Retired Detective Sergeant Paul Sicard for the tour. Hands on learning at its best. Photo courtesy M.Mack.

10th Grade Health Screenings at BHR

• Growth (Height and Weight/Body Mass Index)

• SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment)

BHR nurses and guidance counselors will begin the 10th Grade screenings beginning November 16, 2026. All Massachusetts school districts are required to include a substance use preventive screening as part of their annual mandated universal health-screening program. The nurses and guidance counselors will use the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) protocol with students in grade 10. The SBIRT protocol facilitates a one-on-one conversation between each student and a counselor or school nurse in an effort to prevent or at least delay the start of using harmful substances, such as alcohol and marijuana. This program focuses on reinforcing healthy decisions and addressing concerning behaviors around substance use with the goal of improving health, safety, and success in school.

Nurses and guidance counselors will use the CRAFFT II screening interview, which is the most commonly used substance use screening tool for adolescents in Massachusetts. You can view the CRAFFT tool and other SBIRT resources on the website: www.masbirt.org/schools. In addition to SBIRT, screening for 10th graders will include a height and weight assessment, which may take place on a different day.

Please notify the nurses in writing by Novembr 9, 2026 if you wish for your student to opt-out of the Grade 10 screening at: nurse@bluehills.org.

Need help with your college applications? School counselors are available after school in the library.

Mondays & Wednesdays: Ms. Sabina and Mr. Davis
Tuesdays & Thursdays: Ms. Piela and Ms. Small

No sign-up needed, just show up!

Health Office & Illness Guidelines

Students who develop a health concern during the school day should report to the Health Office. A nurse will assess your student and determine the appropriate next steps. When dismissal is recommended based on the nursing assessment, the nurse will contact the parent/guardian to arrange dismissal.

Please contact the Main Office directly if the parent/guardian and student have already made arrangements for dismissal from school. Attendance notes and dismissal arrangements should be sent to Ms. Connolly at: attendance@bluehills.org.

We encourage you to use your best judgment when deciding whether your student is well enough to attend school. Students experiencing symptoms of illness should be evaluated by their healthcare provider when appropriate. Students who have a fever should remain home until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, such as Tylenol or Advil.

PowerSchool Forms

Please log in to PowerSchool through the website or the app to complete all forms for the 26-27 school year. Once you log in to PowerSchool, navigate to FORMS to complete all required/mandatory sections, including:

• Health Authorization and OTC Consent

• Student and Emergency Contact Information

• Bus Stop Registration (if applicable)

• Title I Parent-Student Compact

YEARBOOK REMINDER!

Don’t miss your chance to purchase the 2026–2027 BHR Yearbook!

Order your yearbook:

yearbookforever.com

Want to celebrate your senior?

You can also purchase a Senior Ad to honor your special senior and their accomplishments!

Order today and make sure you’re part of this year’s memories!

• Wednesday, November 4: Grade 8 Open House 5:30-7:30 pm. (Early Release at 10:50 a.m.)
• Thursday, November 5: Late Arrival (10:40 a.m.)
• November 6: Term 1 Ends
• November 11: Veterans Day, No School
• November 13: Report Cards are published
• November 19: Faculty Meeting, No 3:10 buses
• November 24: Showcase, Late Arrival 11:15 a.m.
• November 25: Early Release 10:50 a.m.
• November 26-27: Thanksgiving Break, No School
• November 30: School Reopens (X2)

We are always looking for donations of raffle items including

sports/event tickets, services, gift cards, etc to create our unique gift

baskets for our HOLIDAY FAIR raffles. If you are interested in making

a donation, please contact us at

Bluehillsboostersfundraising@gmail.com

You can also help by selecting something off our Amazon Wishlist!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2U1J9N2RSQP4E?ref_=wl_share

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Bluehillsboostersfundraising@gmail.com

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2U1J9N2RSQP4E?ref_=wl_share

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BHckiywjE/

Please come and get involved! We look forward to meeting you!

Bluehillsboosterclub @gmail.com

The Blue Hills Booster Club is a charitable, non-profit, fully recognized 501(c)(3) organization formed to support and aid students and staff of Blue Hills Regional Technical High School. This support is provided in a variety of ways by our many volunteers, local businesses, and community members. We work very closely with administrators, teachers and the student body to promote pride, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm for all programs. Scholarships are awarded to qualifying seniors for post graduate education or entry into the trades. We provide teacher grants when needed, as well as volunteer and monetary support to many school activities. We work to achieve these goals through a variety of fundraisers such as our Snack Shack during sporting events, merchandise sales at our School Store, our annual Holiday Fair, and creative, fun fundraisers throughout the year.

Buses

We are working with the bus company to address some overcrowded buses and bus route issues. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve these issues. If you have bus issues or questions, please contact Mr. Aubrey.

Dress Code

Please help us to provide a welcoming environment for all students at BHR by enforcing the dress code. Clothing must provide sufficient coverage and may not display offensive or inappropriate logos, including drugs/alcohol related imagery or branding. Exploratory: Be sure you are following the required dress code as it is part of your overall safety grade in vocational programs.

Cell Phones

Cell phones are only allowed during breakfast, lunch, and during passing times. At all other times, cell phones are to be away and students are to follow the rules in the classroom.

Earbuds/Headphones

These are not allowed during the school day except with the express permission of the teacher. They will be allowed at lunch, but are NOT allowed during passing times or in the hallways.

Drop Off/Pickup

Thank you for helping us with an orderly drop off and pickup to start the year. Please enter the campus on the East side (closest to Massasoit) and proceed along the front of the building, exiting the main entrance/exit. Please pull as far forward as possible. If the line of traffic is stopped anywhere along the sidewalk, please allow your child to exit the vehicle. This will speed up the process. Do not enter and/or drop off students in the main entrance circle in the morning. This causes significant traffic backup and delays.

School Closings

In the case of weather or other emergency, you will be notified of school closings via our blackboard connect phone system. Please ensure that your contact information is up to date in PowerSchool. The system contacts the first contact listed in PowerSchool - if you need a second contact for the automated calls due to a split household or other issue, please contact me via email.

Attendance

Positive school attendance is paramount to success in school. Students may not exceed 15.75 absences for the year; if they do, they will be required to attend summer school to be promoted. Absences that are more than one day that are documented by a doctor's note will be "excused" and count as only a single day's absence. The full attendance policy will be at the bottom of the newsletter for the rest of the year.

A student will be required to attend summer school upon the accumulation of sixteen

(16) absences in order to fulfill BHR attendance requirements. An additional course will

be required for every five (5) absences accumulated after (16). All such courses must

be taken at the Blue Hills Regional Summer School. All course subjects must be

approved by the (ARB) Academic Review Board. If a student is absent on consecutive

days, it will be counted as one day’s absence if accompanied by a doctor’s note. Notes

must be provided within one week of the student’s return to school. All notes must be

originals with an authorized signature and date(s) on the doctor’s office stationery.

The student’s home phone number and homeroom must be on all doctors’ notes.

Absences on special days, assemblies, etc. will be counted as a full day’s absence. A

student must be in attendance for at least half the school day to be counted present.

Half the school day means being in school from 7:47 am to 11:00 am or 11:00 am to

2:20 pm. Participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities may be denied or

removed at the Assistant Principal’s discretion for excessive absence. Two dismissals

will equal one absence. Four tardy arrivals after 8:30 will equal one absence. All

out-of-school suspensions will be counted day for day towards a student’s maximum

number of absences.

To receive course credit, students will be required to make up all missed work. All work

must be made up within three weeks. Extenuating circumstances will be addressed on

a case by case basis by the (ARB) Academic Review Board. Family vacations will not be

considered extenuating circumstances and will not be excused.

Blue Hills Regional Technical School’s mission is to continue its history of academic achievement, technical training and character development through a curriculum which emphasizes the integration of cutting-edge technical programs and challenging academic courses, enabling its students to become competent, caring and productive people in a diverse and changing world.

Core Values:

Community, Opportunity, Relevance, Employability

Website: www.bluehills.org
Location: 800 Randolph Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781 828 5800

BHR on:

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The Blue Hills Regional Technical School District is an equal opportunity educational institution. All programs, courses of study and activities are open to all students without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability. The School District is in full compliance with Massachusetts Law, Chapter 622 of the Acts of 1971, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (U.S. Code), and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Individuals may make inquiries relative to Chapter 622 and Title IX from the coordinator, at the school address or by phoning 781-828-5800.