5/07 BHS Tiger News | Smore Newsletters for Education

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Belleville High School

Good afternoon, BHS Families! This is week #13 of Semester 2. AP Testing is half over, our Seniors have made their post-high school decisions, and we continue to move forward. Go Tigers!

Teacher Appreciation is THIS WEEK!

Attention ALL BHS Families, please see the NOTE below from your PTO as they are seeking final contributions from our families for this week. Let's honor our teachers for their tireless dedication to our kids!

🎓 College Decision Day 2023

Hosted by the Counseling Team, on Friday our Seniors (Class of 2023) made their official declarations for plans after high school. Their futures are truly bright, and we look forward to celebrating ALL their successess. GO TIGERS!! Visit our Facebook Page for more pictures: https://www.facebook.com/BellevilleHighSchool. Parents/Guardians of the Class of 2023, please be sure to review the deadlines and Senior Information in the Student Council section below. Our Seniors have 4 weeks of school left, and there is still much to do!

⚠️ ATTENDANCE ALERTS ⚠️

This is a friendly? REMINDER that BHS conducts Hall Sweeps. Students caught in the halls after the late bell has rung will be scheduled to serve SAME DAY DETENTIONS. Parents and guardians, please speak with your student about the Excellence that being on time exhibits. Timeliness is a life skill that speaks to dependability and responsibility! STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO SERVE THEIR DETENTIONS FACE SUSPENSION.
LATE ARRIVALS: Please note that students will NOT be admitted into the building after 3rd hour without sufficient notice (doctor note, dentist note, parent contact, etc.)
Also, this is a reminder that SCHOOL STARTS AT 7:10am. We have too many students coming to school late and being dropped off late. This negatively affects their learning, their grades, other students' learning, and the classroom environment as a whole. We believe in our students, and their ability to be great. It starts every day at 7:10am!

Important Dates and Upcoming Events:

May 8th-12th: National Teacher Appreciation Week!
May 11th: BHS, McBride, and Jazz Band Concert, 7:00pm
May 12th: Half Day for Students, 10:31am dismissal
May 16th: Senior Cap & Gown Distribution during lunches
May 17th: Tiger Parent Meeting, 6:30pm
May 24th: Senior Scholarship Night
May 26th: Senior Awards Ceremony (during the school day)

Tiger Victories!

- Welcome to our new Varsity Head Football Coach, Calvin Norman!

Upcoming Home Schedules

5/8 JV Baseball vs Franklin, 4:30pm
5/8 V Golf vs Crestwood, 2:30pm Willow Golf Course
5/8 V Softball vs Franklin, 4:00pm DH
5/9 V Boys Golf vs Churchill, 3:00pm, Willow Golf Course
5/9 JV Tennis vs Canton, 4:00pm
5/9 JV/V Girls Soccer vs Fordson, 5:30/7pm
5/10 V Boys Lacrosse vs Stevenson, 5:30pm
5/10 V Baseball vs Franklin, 4:30pm
5/11 JV/V Girls Soccer vs John Glenn, 5:30/7:00pm
5/12 V Boys Lacrosse vs Tecumseh, 5:30pm
5/13 JV Baseball vs Skyline, DH 11:00am

For all Athletics Information, including upcoming practices and game schedules, click the LINK below. GO TIGERS!

BHS Athletics Homepage | Belleville High School (vanburenschools.net)

SENIORS - Class of 2023:

Belleville High School Proud Parent and Proud Grandparent shirts of a BHS graduate are available for purchase on PaySchools under the tab BHS Proud Parent or BHS Proud Grandparent. Here is the link to the form to place an order and directions on how to make a payment. Shirts will be available for pickup on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 during cap and gown distribution.

Upcoming Senior Class Dates:

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Cap & gown, senior shirt and yard sign distribution - all lunches
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Senior Party planning meeting - at 6 p.m. in the media center
Friday, May 19, 2023 - Senior Service hours due
Friday, May 19, 2023 - Last day to submit graduation cap decoration application
Friday, June 2, 2023 - Senior Prom
Saturday, June 3, 2023 - Senior Party
Thursday, June 8, 2023 - Graduation

If you have questions concerning upcoming senior events, here is the link to the Class of 2023 Informational Packet and the link to the Class of 2023 google slide presentation from March 8, 2023. Reference back to both of these links for updated information to assist you with your questions.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we want to make sure we recognize a difficult truth: Nearly one in five Americans lives with a mental health condition, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

That includes any mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder such as:

Depression
Anxiety
Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder
Personality disorders
Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia
Trauma
Eating disorders
Substance -use disorders

The National Alliance on Mental Illness states this is an opportunity for all of us to come together and remember the inherent value we each hold — no matter our diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background or ability. We want every person out there to know that if all you did was wake up today, that’s more than enough. No matter what, you are inherently worthy of more than enough life, love and healing. Showing up, just as you are, for yourself and the people around you, is more than enough.

Mental Health Resources

CRISIS HELPLINES

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Crisis Text Line: Text “START” to 741741 in USA
List of International Suicide Hotlines
National Eating Disorder Association: Call 1-800-931-2237
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
For LGBTQ Youth: TrevorLifeline at 866-488-7386, TrevorText -Text START to 678-678

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

YOUTH FRIENDLY MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Jed Foundation: Promoting emotional health and prevent suicide among teens and young adults. This website provides an online resource center, ULifeline, a public dialogue forum, Half of Us, and Transition Year, resources and tools to help students transition to college.
Kelty Mental Health Resource Center: Reference sheets are provided that list top websites, books, videos, toolkits and support for mental health disorders.
Teens Health: Providing a safe place for teens who need honest and accurate information, this website provides resources on mental health issues.
Teen Mental Health: Geared towards teenagers, this website provides learning tools on a variety of mental illnesses, videos, and resources for friends.
The Trevor Project: Resources for LGBTQ Youth
Mindfulness for Teens: This website has resources to help teens use mindfulness to handle stress and includes apps to practice meditation and guided meditation recordings.

A special thanks to any parents or guardians that have worked in the healthcare industry the past few years. Your compassion to help others hasn’t gone unnoticed!

What is Health Science?

Health science is a sector of the healthcare industry that encompasses multiple areas of disciplines. It uses fields such as science, technology, engineering and communication to aid in the health and well-being of human beings and animals. Due to its diverse makeup, health science jobs can span public, administrative and clinical settings.

Health science jobs generally require degrees that include laboratory science classes and coursework in health-related social science fields such as epidemiology, sociology and psychology. Students also can take classes in health policy or the business of healthcare.

Check out some classes that BHS offers in the Health Science pathway.

BHS classes/CTE classes

Health
Health 2
Anatomy and Physiology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
AP Chemistry
Biology
AP Biology
Sports Medicine
Animal Science
Ecology I II
Forensic Science I Ii
Horticulture
CTE Programs at William D Ford: Health Occupations, Medical Assisting, Sports Conditioning & Exercise Science

Attention Seniors!

We want to recognize YOU at Senior Recognition Night on Wednesday May 24th at 6:30 PM. To be recognized, you will need to submit an Award Letter detailing any scholarships you are receiving and will be utilizing next year for your post secondary plans. Please submit them to the Counseling Office or email them to Mr. Kellum at bkellum@vanburenschools.net

Be proud of the scholarship money you will be awarded, and continue to seek out and apply for more!

You’ve made a College Decision…. Now what?

Congratulations! Now that you’ve decided, it’s important to set aside some time to make sure you are ready!

Securing your Spot: Your college will have specific instructions on how to secure your spot in their freshman class. You can typically find this in your admission portal or on their website. Most colleges will have you secure your spot by making an enrollment deposit. Make sure you read all of the details and understand what is refundable.
FAFSA/Financial Aid: If you have received scholarships and/or financial aid, locate your Financial Aid Award in your portal and accept any scholarships or grants you may be eligible to receive. You may also see loan information there. Read every detail and only take out loans for what you truly need. Remember that the interest on your loan adds up quickly so be careful. You should also create a MI Student Aid account at www.michigan.gov/missgLinks to an external site. and list the college you plan to attend. You can also call them at 888.447.2687.
Housing: If you will be living on campus, pay attention to the dates when housing becomes available. Do your homework ahead of time if possible, so when housing opens up you can quickly fill out your requests. Enter dates in your calendar with reminders so you don’t miss this! Check out all housing options and consider what is best for you. Many colleges have social media accounts that help students find roommates. Don’t panic if you don’t find someone ahead of time. You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate… Also, do not let your parents fill out your housing profile for you! Answer honestly, so you are matched appropriately!
Orientation: Colleges vary in how they run their student orientation programs. This is typically how you will learn about academic requirements, meet with an advisor and select your classes. It is to your advantage to attend earlier orientation dates. Classes will fill up and you typically have fewer choices as the classes fill up.
Academic Advising: You will typically meet your advisor during orientation. HOWEVER…. It is CRUCIAL that you become your own expert. Sadly, not all advisors are created equal. You need to carefully spend time reviewing, questioning and exploring all of the educational requirements and map out your 4 year plan. Most colleges have a program that allows you to lay out that 4-year plan. This is crucial. Pay attention to classes that are only offered in the 1st semester or 2nd semester. Pay attention to classes that have prerequisites (meaning you have to take a specific class 1st before you can take another class.) Encourage a trusted friend/parent/adult to examine your academic requirements and have them look over your requirements along with you. With careful planning, you can avoid taking classes that don’t fulfill requirements and ensure you stay on track to graduate. If you don’t click with your advisor, it’s okay to ask for someone else. This is important to get right!
Important Dates: Find the calendar on the college’s website and enter all of the dates in your calendar. Pay attention to move-in dates, parent’s weekends, homecoming, sibling's weekends, end of the year, etc. If your family will need hotels in the area, book them now! You don’t want to scramble on busy weekends to find places for your loved ones to stay. If you will need to fly in and out, be sure to check airfare early.
Billing: Pay attention to when your tuition and housing bills are due. Policies will vary from college to college. Mark these dates in your calendars! Do not wait until you get an email. You want to be on top of dates so that you are not penalized or dropped from classes or housing. At most schools, you will not be able to register for the next semester's classes until all of your bills are paid.
Add/Drop Dates: There are specific dates when students can add/drop a class and if they can get a refund. Pay attention to these dates so if you need to make changes, you don’t lose money.
Social Media: Join the social media accounts for incoming students and parents at your selected colleges. These can be very helpful in learning about events on campus and simple questions. Please note however that sometimes false information is shared on these accounts so you always want to check with the college itself for the most accurate information.
Get Involved: Look over the website to identify a club or two that you’d like to join right away. The more involved you get the more likely you are to find friends and make connections to the school. Most colleges will have welcome-back events that showcase their student clubs and activities. Don’t be afraid to jump in and make connections!
Scholarships: Now that you’ve been admitted, continue to search for scholarships. You will find that many colleges have scholarships that you can apply for while you are in college. Keep an eye out for departmental scholarships as many of these have few applications.
Final Transcript Request in Parchment: Most colleges will require you to send a final high school transcript as proof of graduation. Log into your Parchment account to request this transcript. Be sure to select “hold for grades” and this will alert us to wait to send the transcript until after you graduate.
Turn Down your other Offers: Most colleges will have a space in their admissions portal where you can let them know you won’t be enrolling. If you’ve established a relationship with an admissions counselor, it may be kind to personally thank them and let them know your decision.
Write Thank You Cards: You didn’t get to this point on your own! Be sure to take time to write thank you cards to the teachers, counselors, advisors, parents and loved ones that helped you along the way!
AND FINALLY…..know that many colleges are still accepting applications. If you aren’t feeling a true fit in your college options, please make an appointment to see your counselor or Dr. Rosenblum. We can help you find other options that are available to you. It’s definitely not too late and we are here to help!

Seniors - Do you feel like everyone around you has a plan for next year but you don't know what you want to do? Make an appointment to meet with Dr. Rosenblum and talk about your options. It's not too late to apply to colleges or pursue options in the military, trades or world of work! Let's talk! Contact Dr. Rosenblum @ collegeadviser@vanburenschools.net.

Have you received your FAFSA award letters from your college or university? Need help understanding your financial aid package? If so, please consider attending a free webinar sponsored by MI Student Aid. The first webinar will be held on Thursday, March 23rd. Please click on the link to attend webinar and for more information.

Webinars: https://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/students-fams/understanding-your-award-letter/virtual-sessions

Informational website: https://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/students-fams/understanding-your-award-letter

Please contact Dr. Rosenblum for more information.

Behavioral/Mental Health Services @ BHS

Did you know that your child can get behavioral health services at school? The Corner Health Center has a satellite office at Belleville High School located in the counseling office, thanks to a grant from the state of Michigan. The E3 (Enhancing, Expanding Emotional Health) Program allows Corner Health to staff the office with a licensed mental health therapist and an office manager five days per week. Therapy is available for students and youth ages 10-21 that reside in the Van Buren School District.

In person and virtual appointments are available. Program hours are:

Monday & Tuesday 7:30am - 3:30pm,
Tuesday 7:30am- 2:30pm,
Wednesday 7:30am - 7:30pm and
Friday 7:30am - 12:30pm.

Women's Resource Fair

This event, sponsored by Wayne County Women's Commission, is just one of many ways that Michigan WORKS! is supporting the work of Wayne County and connecting employers and citizens to helpful resources.

Please use this link to register for the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-womens-resource-fair-tickets-582408087267

DRESS CODE - By now, some of you have received an email saying that your student has received a Dress Code violation. While these are minor infractions (typically for wearing a hood in the building or wearing a crop top or pajama pants), they can add up! Please be sure to speak with your student if they are receiving multiple of these emails. Besides academics, we are also teaching employability skills - which in many cases includes following a workplace dress code. Thank you for your support!

SCHOOL SAFETY

BUILDING, STUDENT, AND STAFF SAFETY

In light of recent events, and as a firm reminder of a couple of our safety basics please be intentional about discussing these two with your student(s).

Building Entrances/Locked Doors: All entry doors in the building lock at 7:10am. After this, the only doors that may be utilized are at the Main Entrance. Students are not to open, leave from, nor prop open building doors. Failure to follow these safety protocols results in immediate suspension.
Metal Detecting Wands: BHS began last year and continues this year utilizing wands as a metal detection option. These wand searches will take place in randomly selected classrooms during randomly-selected hours. Our goal is to continue to build upon our swift, yet thorough process to help detect anything that could be deemed as potentially dangerous. We believe that the random selection process will be more effective than announced, routine, or predictable searches. These "wanding" events will be attended and supervised by our local law enforcement.

As always, we appreciate your support and partnership in keeping us all safe.

TRUANCY - 5 Day Letters

NOTICE: Any family who receives a 5 Day Truancy Letter has a student who is at risk of failing the semester, and has a higher risk of not completing high school. PLEASE reach out to your student's counselor or assistant principal if your student is having issues with attendance. There may be solutions that haven't been considered yet. Don't let it turn into a 10 day problem...

Per the Student Handbook, any student who is absent from school for all or any part of the day without a legitimate excuse will be considered truant. All students and parents are subject to the truancy laws of the State. If a student, under the age of eighteen (18), is truant for more than ten (10) total days during a semester, he/she may be reported to the appropriate authorities. As a courtesy, BHS will send letters for any student who has been absent for 5 days.

ABSENCE NOTIFICATIONS:

ATTENTION PARENTS AND GUARDIANS: If you receive an attendance notice via phone or text, this means your student MISSED AT LEAST ONE CLASS that day. If it was not approved by a parent/guardian, this is cause for a follow up with them. Tardies will be handled through the general discipline policy checklist as a minor infraction.

STUDENT HANDBOOK AND DRESS CODE

An excellent educational experience is always undergirded by a safe and orderly environment. Please take the time to review the Student Handbook, which includes the BHS Student Dress Code. For a quick review of items to avoid, please click the link for COMMON DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS.

In particular, students will not be wearing:

Hoods
Crop Tops
Ski Masks
or any bedwear or grooming attire, including pajamas or pajama bottoms, hair scarves or durags.

Link to Student Handbook: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NJVkEanO8w2Yu6-V7QVP6snU0M1YCviWpn5G61hrmZ8/edit?usp=sharing

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