BHR Families Welcome Back Letter August 14, 2024

August 14, 2024

Dear Blue Hills Community,

It is with great excitement and anticipation that we welcome you to the 2024-2025 school year! We can’t
wait to see our students again in a few weeks.

School reopens for all students on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. First period begins at 7:48. Please
review the 2024-2025 School Reopening Key Information document attached below for some basic
information about tardies, dismissals, drop off and pickup, and other important items.

If you have not already done so, please make sure you complete the PowerSchool required forms to
update emergency contact information and complete other consent forms.

As we begin this school year, we want to encourage you to take some time with your student to discuss the
importance of a strong start as the year begins. This means:

● Arriving to school on time; having excellent attendance
● Paying attention in class and vocational programs
● Wearing school-appropriate clothing (uniforms in vocational programs; professionally accepted
attire in academic classes)
● Prepared for each day; homework done, materials in hand, ready to learn
● Following school rules regarding cell phones and headphone/earbuds

We are also pleased to introduce Blue Hills’ “Vision of a Graduate,” which will serve as a compass for
students and the school. Our Vision of a Graduate emphasizes five descriptions of Blue Hills graduates -
they are innovative problem solvers, engaged community members, communicators, collaborators, and
they are equipped for college and career. We want to cultivate and encourage these attributes in our
students, and will be focusing on these traits in the upcoming year.

Remember that everyone at Blue Hills is part of a community. The school wants to ensure that each
student is given the opportunity to learn relevant skills and knowledge to prepare them for employment.
These are the core values, and they begin with every individual. Each person should treat others with
respect, take advantage of learning opportunities, and prepare for a productive and fulfilling career.

We can’t wait to see all of our students in just a few weeks! Please contact the main office if you have any
questions or concerns that are not addressed here.

Sincerely,
Jill M. Rossetti, Superintendent-Director
Geoffrey L. Zini, Principal

Mandatory Student Registration

Mandatory registrations through PowerSchool for all students (new and returning) are due by the first
day of school, September 3, 2024.

Please be sure to complete all required/mandatory sections under “Forms”in PowerSchool.

• Permissions/Agreements
• Health Authorizations
• Student and Emergency ContactInformation
• Bus Stop Registration (if applicable)
  
  • Bus registration is required for any student taking the bus; there is no fee to take the bus.
• Title I Parent-Student Compact

Important Note: Athletic registration is available for fall sports on Family ID. Students must register and
have all required medical documentation in order to try out or participate.

Attendance

• The attendance policy at Blue Hills stresses the importance of attendance for students, much as
  attendance may be required at a workplace. To this end, we allow each student to accumulate 15
  absences without penalty. We do not distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absencesfor this
  purpose, with a few exceptions. The bullet points below help to clarify the policy. Please read these
  carefully, and refer to the handbook if you have other questions.
• • Absences accumulate throughout the school year. A student who reaches 16 absences
    during the school year, is required to attend summer school.
  • A single absence, for any reason, will count toward the 16 absence threshold.
  • Consecutive absences of any length are reduced to one absence with a timely note from
    the student’s medical provider. For example, an illness of five days that required medical
    attention will count as only one absence for the purposes of the attendance policy
  • Vacations and trips are not considered excused and will counttoward the 16 absence
    threshold.
  • Certain tardies and dismissals count as partial absences. Tardies and dismissals with
    accompanying doctor’s notes will not count as partial absences. Please refer to the
    handbook for details.
  • Tardiness will also lead to Saturday detention. Arriving on time to school is an important
    first step to ensuring student success.
• If you need to call your student in absent, please email attendance@bluehills.org or dial the
  attendance line at 781-828-5800 x 2250.

Grading and Requirements in School

• To be promoted to the next grade, a student must pass all of their classes.
  • Vocational failure for the year will resultin non-promotion. There is no summer school
    available for vocational failure.
  • Academic failure for the year of a 49-59 in any class will require successfully completing
    summer school in order to be promoted.
  • Academic failure of less than a 49 will resultin non-promotion. 
  • Freshmen: A freshman thatfails either Exploratory or their vocational program (second
    semester) is required to repeatthe year.
• Students are expected to arrive to school on time, with their Chromebook, and any other required
  materials for the day
• Student grades can be viewed on PowerSchool. Some classes may also use Google Classroom.
  Please monitor your student’s progress as the year passes. Progress reports are published at the
  midpoint of each term; report cards are published at the end of each term. To request a mailed
  copy, please contact the Academic Office.

Drop Off, Pick Up & Deliveries

• Drop off and pick up times are the busiest of the day at Blue Hills. We ask for your patience and
  adherence to our traffic pattern rules to ensure everyone’s safety. In the afternoon, the entire
  parking lot is typically emptied by 2:30 - ten minutes after the final bell rings. Please plan
  accordingly.
  • All drop-offs must happen in front of the building. The only entrance in the morning for
    drop-offs is the East Entrance, closestto Massasoit(not the main entrance). Cars should
    pull in, turn immediately toward the school building/gymnasium (left), and pull forward to
    the end of the driveway (by the main entrance) before dropping off. Students arriving
    before 7:40 will be directed to either the cafeteria or the gym. Students arriving after 7:40
    will be directed into the school building. Please exit the property using the main
    entrance/exit in front of the school.
  • Afternoon pick up works the same way. Once the first line is full (driveway closest to the
    road), cars should form two additional lines in the next two parking areas to the left,
    merging in front of the cafeteria. Please do not block the driveway entrance or exit at any
    time
• From time to time, a student may forget a uniform, a pair of sneakers, a Chromebook - these may
  be delivered to the security booth, and we will call your student down at the end of the day to
  retrieve the items.
• Important: Food deliveries of any kind are not allowed. School lunch is free this year once again,
  and all children are able to get a lunch if needed.

School Breakfast and Lunch

• Both breakfast and lunch are free to all students again this year
• Important Breakfast Note: Only students who are participating in the breakfast program may
  enter the cafeteria before school. All other students must remain on their bus until 7:40.

Exploratory

All freshmen will participate in the exploratory program, where they will get to learn more about the
career opportunities for each field. During each exploratory, freshmen students must wear long pants,
preferably jeans or work khakis, and closed-toed shoes, preferably work boots. Slide-in shoes, crocs, or
flip-flops are not allowed in any program. Students who are not in the appropriate safety attire may miss
valuable time in their exploratory program while appropriate clothing is secured. The first exploratory
day is Friday, September 6, 2024.

Supplies

Students should expect that each day they will need certain items to perform well in school. This starts
with a Chromebook, which is school issued. In vocational programs, appropriate uniforms and attire are
required daily for participation. Other basic supplies that are needed for success will be communicated by
the instructors - there is no grade level supply list.

Buses

Buses are free for all students who attend Blue Hills. Bus ridership, however, is a privilege and can be
revoked for inappropriate behavior. The bus is an extension of the school, and students are expected to
maintain the code of conduct at all times.

Parents must register students for buses on PowerSchool. Bus stops are listed here

Schedules

Schedules will be available on PowerSchool just before the year starts; hard copies will also be available
on the first day of school. Changes to schedules are rare; the add/drop period runs to the first Friday of
October. Students should contact guidance counselors with questions about their schedule. We cannot
accommodate every change request, especially elective offerings.

Student Parking

Seniors and Juniors are eligible to park on campus. To do so, they must register to park and receiving a
parking sticker. Registration for parking is on PowerSchool - payment for the parking sticker is made after
registration through mySchoolBucks. Important: Students must register to park;this form is only visible
for students. You will be invoiced on mySchoolBucks after you register. Please allow a couple of work days
for this to happen. See Ms. Fama if you have any questions. After your payment and registration are
processed, we will call you to the office for your sticker. Seniors and juniors who are planning on parking at
school may park in their respective lots (West - Seniors; East - Juniors) for the first few weeks of school
while parking stickers are processed. 

 

The Blue Hills Regional Technical School District is an equal opportunity educational institution. All
programs, courses ofstudy and activities are open to allstudents without regard to race, color, gender,
gender identity,sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability. The School District isin 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 inquiriesrelative to Chapter 622 and Title IX from the coordinator, at the school address or by
phoning 781-828-5800.