BHS Bucks Principal's Update

Welcome back Bucks and welcome to the 2021-2022 school year!

Buchanan High School’s mission is to prepare students for life by ensuring that no matter what our students face within and beyond the school walls, our students can effectively cope with success, failure, and challenges with humility, integrity and dignity. We strive to prepare our students with resilience, the courage to make tough decisions, the knowledge to know what is right, and the integrity needed to make those right choices. By partnering with parents and the community, we can succeed in that mission.

Every student in the building has the responsibility to be a respectful digital citizen and is given the opportunity to receive a Chromebook. We take responsible technology use seriously at Buchanan and think of these devices as necessary class materials; much like the textbooks of the past. We require that students bring their Chromebooks to class, charged and ready to use. Information regarding the Device Protection Plan is included in the Back to School handouts should families be interested in protecting those devices. It is not mandatory to participate, but a very good idea to consider. Again, we rely heavily on student Chromebook use to access course materials and Google Classroom. All students should take advantage of the opportunity to accept the district provided Chromebook.

I am looking forward to once again seeing our talented students and staff fill the halls with laughter and beautiful smiles. Our engaging teaching staff will be ready to challenge our students with academic, artistic, and athletic rigor to build a resilient and hard-working Bucks community. We have increased our course selections to better serve the needs of our students and bring more fun and rigor to our course offerings. Together we are making Buchanan High School a place where students, parents, and staff are proud to come to each day.

It’s always a great time to be a Buck!

Mrs. DeMaio

All students and families are invited to attend a Back to School event hosted at the high school. Teachers will be present to meet students, forms will be completed and collected, devices will be distributed, schedules will be given, lockers will be assigned, senior parking spaces can be purchased, and clubs will have a representative should anyone be interested in trying out a new club or has any questions. All students and parents should plan to attend between 6:30 - 8:00 on August 25th.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION: New students and their parents should report to the auditorium at 6:30 for a brief orientation and tour of the building.

8th Grade Device Pick Up: 8th graders coming to the high school from the middle school last year will have their Chromebooks ready for pick up.

9th Grade Device Pick Up: Freshmen should plan to attend with a parent who can sign for Chromebook responsibility.

SENIORS and their parents should report to the auditorium at 7:15 for a brief discussion about what to expect senior year.

Students in grades 9-12 should be able to check PowerSchool online the weekend before school starts and should check again first thing in the morning Aug 30th to get their schedules. 8th grade students will receive their schedules during Back to School Night on August 25th. Students who are unable to attend can pick up their information in the gym on the first day.

Please remember the first week of school is exceptionally busy in the guidance office, consequently there will be no student appointments the first two days of school. If you must request a schedule change, a Schedule Request form should be completed in as much detail as possible so the change can be made quickly to get students on the right track for the year. If a schedule change is needed before school begins, there will be an online course change request that can be accessed HERE. You can also email Mr. Flowers at bflowers@buchananschools.com, or call 695-8403 (option #4) to leave a message. Don't forget to be as detailed as possible!

Click on this link to the Course Descriptions & Academic Information Guide to view the current course offerings. Please note that this list of offerings may change depending on staffing availability and student interest. You can also find helpful information regarding graduation requirements, personal curriculum, certificate of completion, and testing out in this guide. All of this information can be found on our high school website under the Student Services tab at www.buchananschools.com.

Please review our district's 2021-2022 Return to Learn Plan to read about how we will navigate this pandemic this academic year. Although we are returning to school in-person, it is still advised that students continue to practice social distancing, hand washing, and staying home when feeling ill. Buchanan High School will continue to contact trace students within 6 feet and quarantine for 10 days when necessary.

It is important to note that masks will not be required unless we are mandated to require them. However, masks are required on the bus and students must comply with this mandate in order to continue riding the bus to or from school. This mandate includes all athletic bus rides as well.

Buchanan High School will NOT be assigning lockers to all students this year. Only 8th graders will be assigned lockers, all other students wishing to use a locker will need to request one in the main office. On any given day, students should only bring to school the items necessary for the day.

Bathrooms will once again be open during passing periods. Students are encouraged to use the restroom during passing periods so not to miss instructional time. If a student must use the restroom during class, a pass from their teacher will be given. Only ONE student is allowed out of the classroom at a time. Please be sure to practice hand hygiene multiple times throughout the day.

Students are encouraged to carry their own personal and reusable water bottle to be used at the water filling stations in the building.

All students (bus riders, walkers, and drivers) must enter the cafeteria doors in the morning. The cafeteria entrance opens for breakfast at 7:00AM for bus riders and 7:20 for all others. A full breakfast and lunch will be served on the first day of school. After school, buses will park on Phelps Street. Pick-ups, before buses depart, may be on Chicago or Detroit Streets. If you are picking up your student during the school day, please use the front entrance.

As much as we'd love to have you stop by, please refrain from doing so without an appointment. This will ensure that our guests are seen promptly and our reception area is kept to a minimum capacity. Appointments can be made by calling the building secretary or by emailing the desired person directly. We're sorry if this doesn't look welcoming, we are doing our best to keep our office employees safe.

Parents should ensure all student contact information is up to date, and ensure there are multiple prearranged methods of getting a student home who has become ill. Any emergency contacts that a parent designates as able to pick up their student must be in PowerSchool.

Buchanan Community Schools will continue to use PowerSchool to enable students and parents to view current data: grades, attendance, contact information, the Daily Bulletin for student announcements, etc. You are encouraged to check PowerSchool often! If you need assistance logging in to PowerSchool please contact the High School office, or email acantu@buchananschools.com and someone will be able to assist you. Parents should be vigilant in reading communications sent from the high school.

Registration verification forms are the same as last year. Please verify all information is correct and send back to school with your student. Please be sure all forms (Field Trip Permission, Concussion Awareness, Student Handbook, Internet Access form, and Device Protections Plan Agreement if applicable) are returned on Wednesday, September 1.

PICTURE DAY IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021!!

Senior advisors are Mrs. Hess (chess@buchananschools.com) and Mrs. Neal (eneal@buchananschools.com). Please attend the upcoming Senior Meeting during our Back to School Night on August 25th for insights into the senior year, including costs! More senior information will be coming as the year continues. Please make sure to regularly check out the senior website for all announcements, dates, and important information at www.seniors.buchananschools.com.

Check your senior schedule to be certain all graduation requirements have been met. If in doubt, see your counselor ASAP! The minimum number of credits to be considered a senior is 16. Class of 2022 graduates must complete four years of high school and obtain 22 credits; 18 of which are specific requirements. See the counseling office if you have questions or concerns.

A Senior Parent Meeting is scheduled during our Open House at 7:15pm on August 25th in the high school auditorium. Students and parents should make every effort to attend this brief overview of senior year.

The guidance office can assist any senior with college applications, financial aid, and scholarship questions. A college application is never complete until your transcript is forwarded to the college. Please request all transcripts through the student’s Parchment account. Students will be instructed on how to set up a Parchment account at the start of the school year. The free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available at http://FAFSA.GOV in October 2021.

The BUCHANAN PROMISE is available to all Buchanan seniors who meet the eligibility requirements: lives within the school district and is a BHS graduate. 2022 graduates can apply for The Promise scholarship after October 1, 2021. (For more complete information regarding the Buchanan Promise go to http://buchananpromise.com/.)

There are also many other scholarship opportunities offered to Buchanan seniors in addition to The Promise. As those scholarships become available for application, Student Services will email seniors and post on the Guidance website, and senior advisors will post the information on the Senior Website. It is the student’s obligation to follow through on these opportunities; please encourage your senior to use the resources offered to all BHS students to stay connected and informed.

MSC classes at Andrew's University begin August 31. Transportation will be provided on August 31 for these students – the bus leaves at 7:00AM from student parking lot.

Dual enrollment at SMC, LMC, Early Middle College, and The Bertrand Early College Academy begin September 7th. Transportation will be provided for these students. More transportation information will be given at the off-campus / CTE meeting on August 30th described below in the next section.

CTE programs begin August 31, with transportation. If your student plans on driving or riding as a passenger to an off-campus class with his/her own transportation, there is a driver/passenger form that must be completed and signed by both parents/guardians as well as the student and turned into Mr. Frey.

Material regarding transportation for off-campus classes along with a required student CONTACT CARD will be given to our off-campus students at a meeting held on August 30. Students with AM CTE or Dual Enrollment classes should meet at 10:25AM in the Culinary Cafe. Students with PM CTE or Dual Enrollment classes should meet at 10:45AM in the Culinary Café.

Students who have dual enrollment or Early College Academy should contact the college directly if you have specific questions about a class. Your dual enrollment classes follow the campus calendar of LMC. Again, classes for LMC begin September 7. Please read the communication sent to you by LMC to get information on picking up books from the LMC Bertrand Campus Bookstore.

When returning from an off campus class and waiting for your next class to start, students will wait in the cafeteria until classes begin. No students will be allowed to visit other classrooms, sit in the hallway, or loiter in any other part of the building.

All students who arrive to campus after school has started must enter through the front doors on Chicago Street.

The student handbook and Code of Conduct is posted at the Buchanan High School Website under the INFORMATION then STUDENTS tabs. A printed copy is also available upon request to the Assistant Principal’s office. www.buchananschools.com

BHS believes attendance is extremely important to student success. Please read the attendance policy in our handbook located on our website at www.buchananschools.com.

To excuse absences please call the attendance office at 695-8403, option #1. The school’s phone will take messages 24-hours a day. Teachers will allow makeup work if an absence is excused within 24 hours. Students who do not have an absence excused within 24 hours will be given a detention.

Buchanan High School has a closed lunch policy. However, Junior and Senior students may be allowed to leave for lunch if a lunch pass is signed by a parent and returned to the main office. Students must be back in time for their classes. This privilege may be revoked if necessary by administration. All other students must remain on campus during the lunch hour unless they are enrolled in an off-campus program. Buchanan High School is proud to participate in the free meal program again this year. All breakfasts and lunches are free to all students. A la carte items will be available for charge. Please have your ID from last year available to make check- out lines move faster.

We are once again offering designated parking spots to each of our driving students. For $5.00, students are guaranteed their own parking spots during school hours. All vehicles in the parking lot must display the proper parking permit and may only park in assigned areas. Driving students must purchase permits from the main office downstairs. Parking permits will be sold on a first come first served basis by grade level. Seniors may begin purchasing permits at the Back to School Night or on Tuesday, August 31, juniors on Wednesday, September 1, and all other student drivers on Thursday, September 2. Parking permits go into effect on Friday, September 3. Please refer to the parking policy found in the student handbook for more information.

Any student who failed to turn in a book or other school property at the end of the previous school year, WILL NOT RECEIVE any course material, including a Chromebook, for the current school year until their account is balanced. Contact the assistant principal’s office, 695-8403, option #1, with questions regarding owed materials.

Please keep our dress code in mind when purchasing school clothes. If your student’s clothing is considered distracting to the classroom environment, the student will be removed from that classroom and given an option: change, call home to have someone bring appropriate clothing, or call home to receive permission to leave. Your student will not return to class until this is resolved.

• Students may use personal communication devices (PCDs) before and after school, during their scheduled lunch times, and in between classes as long as they do not create a distraction, disruption or otherwise interfere with the educational environment. Use of PCDs, except those approved by a teacher or administrator, at any other time is prohibited and must be powered completely off (i.e., not just set to vibrate or silent mode) and stored out of sight.

• If a student’s device is turned into the office for inappropriate use, it will remain there until it can be picked up by a parent/guardian of that student.

The policy of Buchanan Community Schools is to disclose directory information in reference to students. There are occasions that certain information, which is not considered harmful and is not an invasion of privacy, will be released. Information such as name, activities involved in, awards received, etc. may be in the best interest of the student when released. The No Child Left Behind Act, Section 9528, requires high schools to release the names and addresses of junior and senior high school students to the military when requested. If you do not wish information of any kind to be released, please notify the school in writing within ten days.

• August 25 - Back to School Night 6:30p - 8:00p
• August 30 - First Day of School
• September 3 - NO SCHOOL
• September 6 - NO SCHOOL (Labor Day)
• September 22 - Half Day
• October 4 - 8 - Homecoming Week
• October 13 - Half Day
• October 19 - NO SCHOOL
• October 27 - Half Day, Parent/Teacher Conferences
• October 28 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• November 3 - Half Day
• November 24 - Half Day
• November 25 - 26 - NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving)
• December 1 - Half Day
• December 16 - Half Day Exams 1-3
• December 17 - Half Day Exams 4-6, End of First Semester
• December 20 - 31 - Winter Break
• January 3 - Second Semester Begins
• January 17 - NO SCHOOL
• February 2 - Half Day
• February 21 - NO SCHOOL (President's Day)
• March 9 - Half Day
• March 16 - NHS Induction & Academic Letter Awards
• March 17 - Half Day, Parent/Teacher Conferences
• March 21 - 25 - Spring Break
• April 6 - Half Day
• April 15 - Half Day
• May 4 - Half Day
• May 27 - Commencement
• May 30 - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
• June 7 - Half Day Exams 1-3
• June 8 - Half Day Exams 4-6

High School: 695-8403

(option #2) Stacey DeMaio, Principal

Abby Cantu, Administrative Assistant

(option #1) Brian Pruett, Assistant Principal

Anna Smith, Administrative Assistant

Miranda Capron, Attendance & At-Risk Interventionist

(option #4) Student Services

Brandon Flowers, Counselor

Sue Lentz, Administrative Assistant

(option #3) Mark Frey, CTE Director

(option #5) Karin Falkenstein, Special Education Director

Email: sdemaio@buchananschools.com
Website: www.buchananschools.com
Location: 401 West Chicago Street, Buchanan, MI, USA
Phone: (269) 695-8403
Facebook: facebook.com/BuchananHSBucks
Twitter: @BHS_Bucks