BHS Monthly Newsletter

• Dec. 2nd - School Resumes
• Dec. 5th - 2 hour early release for District staff training
• Dec. 10th - Career Fair @ Snake River H.S. 9:30-12:30
• Dec. 13th - Dance Stampede Showdown in the New Gym
• Dec. 14th - Cheer Stampede Showdown in the New Gym
• Dec. 18th - BHS Band and Choir Concert in the BPAC @ 7:00pm
• Dec. 19th - 2 hour early release
• Dec. 23rd-Jan. 2nd. - Christmas Break- No school
• Jan. 6th - School Resumes

The extended deadline to submit your senior photos is December 31st—don’t miss it! Email your photo to bhsyearbook@d55.k12.id.us and make sure to include your full name in the subject line. Again, the deadline is December 31st. Get those photos in!"

Starting December 2 Juniors that want to sign up for the SATs can sign up through the Junior Class Google Classroom. The deadline to sign up is December 18th.

We are so excited Gear-Up has purchased planners for all of our seniors at Blackfoot High School, and they are packed full of good stuff to help them on their journey this year and next. They will receive the on Dec 3 in advisory. Please ask your seniors about them and help them use them to their fullest potential.

Alongside the senior planners is a parent guide. This will help you advocate for your students as they begin their first year out of high school. These will be available in the counseling office at Blackfoot High School and at parent teacher conferences on Jan. 13.

The Sources of Strength Club is celebrating GRATITUDE at BHS through a door decorating contest, school-wide daily messages of Gratitude, and a Gratitude Tree for students to decorate a paper ornament with the top 3 things they are grateful for.

What is Gratitude? Widely considered a virtue of ‘human strength’ historically (Emmons & Crumpler, 2000), gratitude is a character strength most strongly associated with life satisfaction (Park et al., 2004) (The Journal Of Positive Psychology).

Why does Gratitude matter? Psychologists find that, over time, feeling grateful boosts happiness and fosters both physical and psychological health, even among those already struggling with mental health problems. Studies show that practicing gratitude curbs the use of words expressing negative emotions and shifts inner attention away from such negative emotions as resentment and envy, minimizing the possibility of ruminating, which is a hallmark of depression. Gratitude generates a climate of positivity that both reaches inward and extends outward. (Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/gratitude#why-gratitude-matters)

Tips to Foster Gratitude

• Keep a journal of or in some way note the big and little joys of daily life.

• Write down "three good things"—identify three things that have gone well for you and identify the cause.

• Write thank-you notes to others.

• Think about people who have inspired you and what about them was most significant.

• Engage in "mental subtraction." Imagine what your life would be like if some positive event had not occurred.

Bingham County Career Fair will be on Dec. 10 @ Snake River High School. All seniors will have the opportunity to attend and be given a scholarship opportunity.

FAFSA opens Dec.1, 2024.

At this point all seniors should have applied for at least 1 Idaho college, and applied for The Launch Grant or Idaho Opportunity Scholarship.

If they chose a career that was on the Idaho In Demand List they will apply for Launch, otherwise they will apply for Idaho Opportunity Scholarship.

Seniors have access to scholarship opportunities in their graduating google classroom.

This month, our math department received a powerful boost of inspiration as teachers Amy Wren and Miesha Beck, along with administrator Shannon Lance, attended an intensive two-day conference focused on innovative strategies to teach math with rigor while fostering student engagement.

The conference, led by state math specialists and expert teachers, explored cutting-edge approaches to make math both challenging and captivating for students. Sessions highlighted techniques to connect math concepts to real-world problems, strategies for promoting deep critical thinking, and methods for creating inclusive and collaborative learning environments.

Upon their return, the trio was buzzing with enthusiasm and a wealth of new ideas. "This conference really opened our eyes to how we can push students to think critically while keeping them excited about learning math," said Mrs. Wren.

Mrs. Beck shared how the conference challenged her to reimagine traditional lesson plans. "We explored strategies that empower students to take ownership of their learning and apply math in meaningful ways," she explained.

Administrator Shannon Lance emphasized the value of collaborative professional development. "It’s inspiring to see our teachers grow and bring fresh energy back to their classrooms. This experience will certainly elevate our math instruction school-wide," he noted.

The team is already working to implement what they learned, including dynamic problem-solving activities, integrated technology tools, and practices to boost student confidence in tackling challenging math concepts.

We can’t wait to see the positive impact these innovative ideas will have on our students. Here’s to a bright and rigorous future in math education!