News and events

September 18, 2022

Click on the image below for the homecoming week calendar.

Homecoming Week:

This week is homecoming at BHS. This can be a great week for our students, and we want to share a few helpful notes.

On Monday morning, we will begin with coronation in the Bengal Activity Center at 7:40 a.m. At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, we have our annual powder puff game in Bengal Stadium. On Friday, we will begin our day with a pep fest celebrating BHS school spirit. Finally, we will conclude our homecoming festivities with a student dance on Saturday evening from 7:00-10:00 p.m. in the BHS cafeteria. Please know that attending the dance is a privilege. All detentions, including those assigned for tardies and truancies, must be served before a student is admitted into the dance.

Our student council has developed some fun dress-up themes for the week that can be found on our website. School policy still applies on these days, specifically regarding masks and face paint. Masks - with the exception of PPE masks - and face paint are not permitted; students need to be identifiable at all times. The dress-up theme on Thursday is class color day. Many students enjoy creating their own t-shirts for this day. Please remind your students that all clothing that they wear on theme days still needs to be school appropriate or they will be asked to change. Please encourage your students to participate in the festivities, have fun, and make good choices. For more information regarding homecoming week at BHS, please click here.

School Conferences:

We also want to make you aware that conferences are coming up on October 5th from 2:45 to 8:00 p.m. Watch for an email with directions on how to sign up next week.

Thank you for your support during these first few weeks of school. Educating your student takes a team effort, and we couldn’t do it without the support of our families and our community.

Thank you,

Blaine High School Administrative Team

Registration for the PSAT is available on the BHS counseling website. Students need to register by October 3rd and complete their registration by submitting an $18 dollar payment in the main office. The PSAT will be offered on October 12th at BHS. The PSAT test is a precursor for the SAT and is the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. Juniors in the top 10% of their class are typically encouraged to take this exam.

Upcoming College Fairs

• September 21, 2022 6-7:30 p.m. at St. Francis High School
  This fair is open to all students. Please see more information here. To get more information from schools, please register for your barcode here.
  
  
• September 27, 2022 5-8 p.m. Historically Black College/University (HBCU) College Fair at 3100 West River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN. The schedule for the event is as follows:
• 5:00-5:30p: Welcome & Networking
• 5:30-6:30p: Alumni Panel Discussion
• 6:30-8:00p: HBCU College Fair
• 
  

Please see the attached flyer for details.

• October 5-6, 2022 - National College Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center
  Register and access more information.
  
  

· Experience Minnesota: An Open House for Multicultural Students - Saturday, Oct 8
University of Minnesota Twin CitiesExperience Minnesota is a high-energy, once-a-year event that gives students the chance to experience how, as a U of M student, they can expand their horizons, discover new passions, and accomplish their dreams. Students will learn more about our outstanding academics and unique opportunities to enhance their college experience. Students may individually register online at z.umn.edu/ExperienceMNStu or by calling the Office of Admissions at 612-625-2008 or 1-800-752-1000.

For Seniors:
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens on October 1. We will have a FAFSA information and help night for families at Blaine High School on Wednesday, October 5 from 6-8 p.m.

Steps to complete before the event:

• Apply for your FSA ID number at least 3 days prior to attending here

Please see here for more information about the evening and what to bring to make sure you get your FAFSA completed in one evening!

22-23 Free College Application Opportunities

As Minnesota high school students think about applying to college, application fees should not be a barrier. There are many opportunities for students to apply to Minnesota institutions for free throughout the year. Access the list here.

Want to Learn More about Highly Selective Colleges
Sign up to attend one of these virtual sessions below:

Sunday, September 18, 2022 - 7pm EDT/6pm CDT/5pm MDT/4pm PDT
Event Registration

Sunday, October 2, 2022- 7pm EDT/6pm CDT/5pm MDT/4pm PDT
Event Registration

Sunday, October 9, 2022 - 7pm EDT/6pm CDT/5pm MDT/4pm PDT
Event Registration

Looking for a job?
Check this list of Job opportunities often as we will update frequently.

Resources:

• Student Tools for the College Application and Financial Aid Process, Minnesota Goes to College
  This new page provides access to videos, worksheets, and one-pagers to assist high school students and families with the college-going process.

• Tips for Filing the 2022-23 FAFSA, NCAN
  Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the key to unlocking financial aid for college. FAFSA completion is strongly associated with postsecondary enrollment: 92% of seniors who completed the FAFSA enrolled by the November following graduation vs. 51% who did not complete a FAFSA. También está disponible en español.
• Choosing a college is an important decision that takes careful planning. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education recently launched MyHigherEd.mn.gov, a website to help students identify what they are looking for in a college, find the right institution in Minnesota, and learn about the financial aid options available to them.

Hello! I will be joining BHS's visual arts department, teaching ceramics sculpture and drawing. I live in North Branch with my wife and four kids ages 12, 10, 8, and 6, plus two golden retrievers, so it is very busy and loud at my house as you can imagine. Although I am not a native to Minnesota, I have been here for the last 10 years or so and I met my wife up in the Boundary Waters when we worked as canoe guides off the Gunflint Trail. I spend most of my free time woodworking (I'm currently teaching myself how to make cedar strip canoes), gardening, graphic design, home improvements, and avoiding work on my Master's thesis at all costs. If you are interested in seeing any of my artwork, you can visit my website: benjasmer.com. I am really looking forward to working and learning from all of you!

Hi! My name is Cora Hagemann and I have been working in District 11 since 2017 after returning from living abroad for 6.5 years and this is my second year teaching. I recently graduated with my master’s degree in May and decided to jumped right back in, attending Hamline to get my reading license. I am excited to join the Bengal family! In my free time you can find me playing bingo, spectating a baseball game, going for a walk, or traveling.

My name is Diana Gulenchyn, and I’m one of the new faces in the counseling department! I’m excited to join BHS to serve as an advocate for our students and staff. In my free time, I like to be physically active (walks and bike rides), cook, and spend time with my family. A fun fact about myself is that I have a 15 month old daughter and we’re learning Korean together from my mom.

My career in education began in 2016 as a social studies teacher and special education paraeducator prior to becoming a special education teacher at Blaine High School. I live in Robbinsdale with my wife Nicole, our two children, Hayden and Eloise, and our two dogs, Walter and Winston. When I am not working or chasing around children, I spend time watching sports, attempting to keep up with various television shows and movies, or reading.

I am beyond the moon excited to be at Blaine High School. This is such an incredible opportunity because I know the people here are so amazing. I am excited to learn from all of the brilliant minds on my team and make a lot of new friends along the way from other departments as well! I love playing the piano to relax after a long day of learning, socializing and having fun!

Business Professionals of America (BPA) members will be conducting its 29th annual Coats for

Kids drive from September 19 – October 14. Students, staff, and community residents are

invited to drop off new or used coats at BHS throughout the school day at the main entrance.

Last year BHS collected over 300 coats for this great cause and this year they have a goal of 600

coats. Blaine BPA has collected over 13,000 coats for children over the 28 years they have

participated in this wonderful cause.

Coats for Kids was founded in 1986 to ensure that local community children in need would have

access to warm coats each winter. Since then, they have collected and donated more

than 430,000 coats to help keep children warm.

Clean out those closets this weekend and drop off your no-longer-worn coats at BHS beginning

September 19. If you would like to arrange a drop off, please contact Holly Boisjolie, BPA

Advisor, at 763.506.6540 or holly.boisjolie@ahschools.us.

Welcome to the 2022/23 school year. Here are a couple of items from the BHS Library to help you. Look for updates on our website as it is frequently updated! All of the resources below are on the library website:

LIBRARY WEBSITE

Technology plays an important role in preparing students for life, and Chromebooks are utilized as a daily learning tool in Anoka-Hennepin middle and high school classrooms. Anoka-Hennepin students in grades 6-12 are assigned a Chromebook from the school district to ensure access to technology systems that support classroom learning.

Over 28,000 Chromebooks are distributed to students the first week of school. As careful as students and schools are, accidents do happen each year - and hundreds of Chromebooks are returned damaged at the end of the school year.

The Technology Protection Plan is optional; even though it is not required, by electing not to participate in the Protection Plan, families may be required to reimburse the school district for the replacement or repair of damaged Chromebooks assigned to their student/s. Damaged or broken screens may cost between $100 to $190 depending on parts needed; or the replacement cost for the entire device could be up to $410.

Families can opt-in to the Device Protection Plan:

• Log into A-HConnect.

• Select “My Student Information,” and then select “Fees.”

• Parents must select or decline coverage under the Device Protection Plan.

If you forget your login and password, call 763-506-HELP (4357) or email 506help@ahschools.us.

• The plan cost is $20 per student or $60 per family per school year.

• If the student qualifies for reduced-priced meals, the cost of the Protection Plan will be $10 ($30 for families).

• If the student qualifies for free school meals.

View the Device Protection Plan flyer to learn more. (PDF)
Enroll in the device protection plan using SchoolPay.

All Anoka-Hennepin families are encouraged to apply for the educational benefits program for the upcoming school year. A new application must be submitted each school year.

By completing this application, students may receive free or reduced fees for transportation, meals, academic, and co-curricular activities. Please visit ahschools.us/freereduced to set up, or log in to your SchoolCafe account and complete an application for free or reduced-price meal and other benefits. The educational benefits program not only ensures that students have access to nutritious meals, it also provides critical federal funding for schools.

As a reminder, the federal subsidy to provide free school meals for every student will no longer be available this school year. Only one application is needed per household. Please contact the child nutrition department with any questions or assistance at 763-506-1240 or staff.CnpEnrollment@ahschools.us.

Volunteer Update

Thank you to all who have already been in the building and volunteered!

We really appreciate you. If you want to learn more about what opportunities exist for volunteering, please go to this website and fill out the volunteer forms. When the opportunities come up, you will receive an email and can decide from there if it fits into your schedule.

Upcoming events: picture day volunteers, Sep 20, 2022.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

Questions? Contact beth.berk@ahschools.us