Just below the new information are a couple of recent articles about Blue Hills - take a read! We are very proud of our amazing students and alumni.

Progress Reports

On Friday, December 16, students will receive Progress Reports. These are published to X2. Please make sure you check in on your student's progress at this busy time of year. When we return from break, there are just a few weeks until the term ends. If your child is struggling in school, reach out to the teacher or a guidance counselor.

Nurse's Office

Please see the notice below. This is the final call for opt-outs for annual screenings. Please notify the school nurses in writing by Friday, Dec 16, 2022 if you wish for your student to opt-out of a screening (letheart@bluehills.org). This must be done annually.

Covid At-Home Tests

These test kits are available to any student/faculty/staff through the end of December. These kits are free and may be picked up in the main office or nurse's office.

December 16: Progress Reports Issued

December 23: Early Release for Winter Break, 10:50 a.m. dismissal

December 24 - January 2: School Closed for Winter Break

January 3: School Reopens

January 12: In-Service, Late Start for Students (Arrival @10:40)

January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School

January 27: Term 2 Ends

Massachusetts General Law, chapter 71, section 57 with related regulations 105 CMR 200.000 mandates that school nurses do periodic screenings of vision, hearing, growth (height and weight), and posture. Bill H. 4056, section 97 requires schools to conduct annual verbal screenings (SBIRT) for substance use. Pursuant to these regulations, BHR nurses screen students according to the following schedule:

• Vision/Hearing/Posture: Grade 9

• Growth (Height and Weight/BMI): Grade 10

• SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) *more information linked here*: Grade 10

Parents/guardians will be notified if a vision, hearing, or postural screening requires further evaluation. Included in this notification will be a request for a report from your healthcare provider of their findings so that the nurses are aware of any problems which may interfere with learning and can accommodate any needs that are identified.

Parents may choose not to have their child(ren) participate in any or all screenings.

Please notify the school nurses in writing by Dec 16, 2022 if you wish for your student to opt-out of a screening (letheart@bluehills.org). This must be done annually.

If your student is receiving treatment for a vision, hearing, or postural concern, please provide the nurses with current medical documentation of their condition.

**Past Information**

Attendance

Just a gentle reminder about our attendance policy. Students who accumulate 16 absences for the year are required to attend summer school. We do not excuse single days. We do "reduce" consecutive days to count as one absence when a doctor's note is provided. We also fully excuse all covid related illnesses, so please report these to the nurse. Family trips, weddings, graduations are not excused days. If you have questions, please contact your child's guidance counselor who can review your child's attendance with you.

Winter Athletics

Winter sports are in full swing with games starting this week. You can find all the BHR schedules here. Come out and support our athletes!

• Vaping continues to be a major concern at Blue Hills and at schools across the country. Part of the inherent danger of vaping is that it is difficult to know what is inside a vaping device. One of the latest trends has seen vapes laced with fentanyl - a potentially lethal drug. I encourage you to read this article discussing the concerns with vapes. At Blue Hills, students are not allowed to carry or use vapes at any time, and will be subject to disciplinary measures.
• Seniors may be eligible to start co-op. Please email Ms. Poliseno at kpoliseno@bluehills.org for more information.
• Important Note: There is a viral social media challenge re-emerging called the "One Chip Challenge" - you can read about it here - that can cause physical harm to participants. There is no place for this at any school, and that goes for Blue Hills. Please talk with your student about the serious injury that can occur from eating these chips, and the danger of following certain social media trends. Please be advised that Blue Hills does not condone this type of dangerous activity during the school day. Students please note that there may be consequences if you are involved in this type of activity.

** Please Read** Dismissal Procedures:

Please help us by sending a note in with your student on the day that they will be dismissed. They should bring the note to the main office in the morning. This allows your student to sign out at the appointed time and meet you at your car. Otherwise, we need you to come into the building and identify yourself, at which time we have to call your student's classroom or shop to dismiss them. It is far easier and faster if you send a note in the morning. Thanks for your help with this.

Other Information:

• Aspen X2 is used by Blue Hills to record student grades, attendance, discipline, family contact information, and much more. If you need assistance logging in to Aspen X2, you may follow this link. For further assistance, you may call the Academic Office at 781-828-5800 X2670.
• Breakfast and Lunch are available for free again this year. Through the first few days of school, we have noticed many students getting off the bus, waiting in line for breakfast, and immediately throwing it out or giving it away. This is not the intention of the free breakfast program, and those students will be asked to remain on the bus instead of coming into the cafeteria.
• Please be reminded: Earpods/headphones may not be worn during the school day except with the explicit permission of the teacher. This includes breakfast, lunch, and passing times. Earpods will be confiscated if seen, and consequences assigned.

• If you have not, please complete the SY 2022-2023 Mandatory Registration & Student Emergency/Contact Information on Family ID. This is required of all students each year, and includes the Parent-Student Handbook. This helps us keep your emergency contact information up to date in our system.
• Grade 9 Parents Night Information: The presentation is available here.

We continue to have self-testing kits available in the main office and in the nurse's office. These are a limited supply and will only be provided if they are available and if you are symptomatic.

If you test positive for Covid-19, please email letheart@bluehills.org and include in your communication the day your symptoms started. You will receive a response back with your isolation dates and the date of return to work or school. Remember, symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

Symptoms include:

• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies), when in combination with other symptoms

Reminder: although there is no statewide requirement for masking at school, masks are required when entering the school health office. They are available upon entry.

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

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