September 14 update

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Dear Families,

Please see below for the announcements for this week’s family newsletter!

1. IHealth Covid Tests

2. Input on school day start and end times for the SY23-24

3. Boston Prep Spelling BEE

4. Semester Final Exams (SFE) Schedule & Information for Students in Grades 6-12

5. Q2 Parent and Teacher Conferences

6. Family Committee Meeting

7. High School Homecoming

8. Middle School Sneaker Ball

9. MLK Whole School Showcase and Potluck

10. SY24 Enrollment Application Open NOW!

11. Extra Curricular and Enrichment Programs

Stay safe and be well!

Sincerely,

Madelyn Ruizdeporras
Family Operations Manager

If you still have any iHealth COVID tests (orange boxes) at home, please disregard the expiration date on the box. The FDA extended the expiration date of iHealth COVID-19 at-home tests by an additional 9 months from the original listed expiration date. Please use this attached document to find the new expiration date.

For example, if your iHealth rapid test states an expiration date of July 10, 2022, it now expires in April 2023.

We are asking for your input on school day start and end times for the 23-24 school year. We are also asking for input on which day of the week is preferable for a half day for students and preference from families who have students in both the middle school and high school.

This information will only be used to help our school plan for next year. Please reach out with any questions.

• English: https://forms.gle/eGR3LitdvgLyWNGV6
• Haitian Creole: https://forms.gle/QvQN8Qcfc2VzfgR3A
• Spanish: https://forms.gle/V87Q3GbfwuxJhUqP7

Get excited for the upcoming Boston Prep Spelling Bee!

All students will have the chance to participate in the Homeroom Qualifying Test. We began last Friday (January 20th)!

Do not hesitate to reach out to our Director of Culture & Equity Ms. Harris at: VHarris@bostonprep.org if you have any questions.

In preparation for semester final exams, teachers have provided students with a study guide and have included extra practice for students to complete in class independently. Each student will receive an individual schedule with their testing times and rooms. These will be shared out with students next week. Middle School students will arrive and be dismissed at regular time.

High School Students ONLY:

• High school students with only one morning exam can arrive at 9:00am (with the exception of AP testing starting at 8:15am—these students should arrive no later than 7:45am) and will be dismissed at the conclusion of the testing window at 11:30am

• High school students with only one afternoon exam can arrive at 11:30am and will be dismissed at the conclusion of the testing window at 2pm (with the exception of AP testing ending at 3:15pm)

• High school students with two exams in one day must stay for the entirety of the day to complete both exams.

• All high school students will have access to breakfast and a “grab and go” meal from 11:30am to 12pm. (Given the special schedule, students earning senior privilege for off campus lunch will be canceled on these days.)

• HS Office Hours will run Wednesday and Thursday only. No office hours on Friday.

• High school students who take the yellow bus will receive regular morning and afternoon transportation.

Testing Environment:

Semester final exam rooms are a productive and silent space. The testing period is 2 hours long (3 hours and 15 minutes for AP testing). Students are expected to stay for the duration of the test regardless of whether they are finished early. If a student disrupts the testing environment the student will be excused from the testing room and earn a 55 on the exam without the opportunity to make up the exam.

• All personal belongings, including phones, must be stored in their lockers prior to students entering the testing room.

• Phones are not allowed in the testing space. If needed, phones will be labeled and stored by the proctor and returned at the end of the testing block. If a phone goes off during the testing block or is seen during the testing block, the student will receive a 55 without possibility of making up the exam (this includes visits to the bathroom, hallway, and/or student has finished a test but testing is still in progress).

• Cheating of any form is strictly prohibited. If a student is found to have an incident of academic integrity a student will receive a 55 for the exam without possibility of making up the exam.

• There will be no remote exams. Students must take the exam in person. Any student who is in quarantine during these dates will be able to make up the exam upon return.

Quarter 2 ends on January 27th and marks the end of Semester 1.

UPDATE: Quarter 2 Family Conferences: All families of students in grades 6-12 are expected to attend their child’s parent teacher conference. This is an opportunity to review your child’s grades, attendance and get an overall understanding of your child’s academics during Q2. You will receive a call from your child’s advisor in the upcoming week to schedule a time on Monday, February 13th, from 1pm - 4:30. Quarter 3 will begin on Monday, January 30th.

Please join us at our next Family Committee meeting, in person on Wednesday, February 1 from 6pm-7pm. We will be discussing some exciting upcoming events and talk about ways to be involved in our Boston Prep community. We would love to hear your thoughts. Your voice is important to us! No registration is needed. It will take place at: 885 River Street, Hyde Park, MA

High School Homecoming has arrived! Check out the details on this flier.

Please note, no outside guests are allowed for the Dance!

The Middle School Sneaker Ball will be held on Friday, February 17th! See the flyer below for more details. More info to come!

Boston Prep invites you to our annual MLK Potluck & Community Showcase. Come join us as we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by building partnerships, strengthening communities, bridging barriers, and helping those in need!

Date: Thursday, March 9th 2023

Time: 6pm-7:30pm

Please take some time to indicate if you will be able to attend and or sign up for the Potluck:

Click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12mgVPvXHtUoSdQDZ97d6BMQastaPtWI0IK-kWXt6INE/edit

Contact Ms. Harris at: vharris@bostonprep.org for more details.

Applications for the 2023-2024 school year are now open!

All students in Boston Public Schools and Chelsea - including English language learners, limited English-proficient students, and students with special educational needs - are encouraged to apply through the lottery.

Siblings of current Boston Prep students receive preference for admission to Boston Prep. Families can submit applications for any other children in grades 6-10 and submit proof of sibling status to the front office by February 28, 2023.

• Families can apply here until February 28.

• If families are currently on the waitlist, they still need to apply again for next year - their application will not roll over.

• Lottery will be held on March 8th, 2023.

• For your reference we will continue making offers to fill any spots for the current school year.

• Application is still open for grade 6th ONLY for this current school year: 2022-2023: bostonprep.org/enroll

We encourage families to visit our website www.bostonprep.org to learn more about our school or if you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to our Family Operations Manager, Madelyn Ruizdeporras at: mruizdeporras@bostonprep.org

SPREAD THE WORD!

• The Breakthrough Greater Boston: The Breakthrough Greater Boston application is now LIVE! This is a free six-year program! Breakthrough (BTGB) is a free, six-year intensive academic after-school and summer program for middle and high school students. Current 6th graders are eligible to apply in the winter and start in the six week summer 2023 program. The application deadline to apply to Breakthrough is February 3, 2023. Student and Family interviews will be conducted in February 2023 and admission decisions will be released in late March 2023. You can learn more about middle school program at Breakthrough here. If you have questions, you can reach BTGB at admissions@btgbmail.org or contact Ms. Fontes.

• The Achieve Program: The Achieve Program is looking for 6th grade students in BPS, METCO & Charter Schools who are motivated to improve their academic skills to apply to their academic program. Achieve will be hosting a virtual information session via Zoom for families to learn about the program on Saturday, February 4, 2023 from 1:00-2:00pm. Register here or email achieve@nobles.edu. Attending an information session is a required component of their application process. Watch this short video to learn about Achieve and how they support students through academic support, test prep, workshops and field trips. You can also read about the program here.

• High School Summer Enrichment Requirement: Boston Prep high school students have the opportunity to extend their learning through the summer enrichment programs that promote personal, academic and professional growth. All Boston Prep high school students are required to participate in a summer enrichment activity each summer. Summer opportunities are shared with high school students weekly, and high school students and their families can learn about these summer enrichment opportunities here which include youth employment opportunities and a variety of summer programs. If high school students or families have questions about summer enrichment, they can contact Ms. Fontes at fina.fontes@student.bostonprep.org.

Upcoming Dates

• Friday, January 27 - End of Quarter 2
• Monday, January 30 - Quarter 3 Begins
• Wednesday, February 1 - Family Committee Meeting
• Monday, February 13 - Quarter 2 Family Conferences
• Wednesday, February 15- Family Town Hall - please register
• Friday, February 17 - Middle School Boston Prep Sneaker Ball
• Monday, February 20 - Friday, February 24 - February Break - No School
• Thursday, March 9 - MLK Showcase & Potluck

Have questions?

Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out with questions! You can contact your child’s advisor or utilize any of the emails/websites below.

• For questions about buses, MBTA passes, and transportation: transportation@bostonprep.org

• To report an absence or tardiness or any attendance related matters: attendance@bostonprep.org

• To submit a physical exam record or to discuss health-related topics: nurses@bostonprep.org

• For information about resources, please familiarize yourselves with our Boston Prep resource page: https://www.bostonprep.org/resources
  

• For other questions: info@bostonprep.org