News and events

October 30, 2022

October 31st - Late Start

Halloween Reminder

With Halloween next week, we wanted to send a brief reminder to students and parents that costumes are not permitted at Blaine High School. This includes all Halloween masks and face paint. Please remind your student of this policy. Thank you for your support.

November 2nd

David Bank - Grade 12

David Banks Studio will be back at the BHS fieldhouse balcony on November 2nd during lunch to take senior portraits. These pictures are for the yearbook and will be free of charge. Fill out THIS FORM before November 2nd, or you will NOT be able to get your picture taken.

Lifetouch - Grades 9 - 11

November 8th - No School - Staff Development Day

BHS Career Pathways
Students were given the opportunity to do self-assessments and explore Career Pathways. Please encourage your student to sign up for 1 or more career pathways to get information throughout the year about opportunities. See this site for more information. Future Prep

Upcoming College/Military Visits to Blaine HS
We host 2-year & 4-year colleges or military representatives each week at Blaine. See a list of upcoming visits during our school lunch periods here.

Buhler Inc. Apprenticeships
Buhler offers 3-year Mechatronics (mechanical and electrical) and a 2-year Business program apprenticeships. They are hosting an open house on Thursday, November 17 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Please RSVP here!

Here is a video describing the worldwide Buhler business and a link to our local Apprenticeship Academy.

Buhler worldwide overview video: here

Buhler Apprenticeship Academy in Minneapolis: here

Learn more about Buhler’s apprenticeship and apply: here

More information on the website about the National Apprenticeship week: here

And on the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry website: here

The Buhler Apprenticeship program is a great opportunity for students to earn a college degree, get paid to attend classes, work hands-on and graduate debt free!

Students will earn an associates degree and a valuable career, paid for by Buhler!

Job Fair/Career Expo
The Anoka County Workforce Training Center is holding a Job Fair and Career Expo, Tuesday, November 1, from 1 – 5 p.m. at the Anoka County Government Center in Anoka. This event will feature information about starting a career with Anoka County, many current open positions, benefits available, and career growth. Long-term careers and a lifetime of opportunities are available close to home! See here for more information.

MN Department of Education Event

The series covered general college application and financial aid information, details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented students, and other ways to pay for college. Click here to see past recordings.

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

Looking for a scholarship?
Access this list of Scholarship Opportunities.

Congratulations to students who earned an Academic Letter in the 2021-2022 school year.

Recipients will be invited to a celebration of this accomplishment to be held during advisory on

November 7th.

The criteria for earning an academic letter is as follows:

• 3.90 weighted cumulative GPA for freshman (presented fall of grade 10).

• 3.85 weighted cumulative GPA for sophomores (presented fall of grade 11).

• 3.80 weighted cumulative GPA for juniors (presented fall of grade 12).

• 3.75 weighted cumulative GPA for seniors at the end of trimester 2 of their senior year

We are really proud of you. Well done!

BPA Coats for Kids Drive

Business Professionals of America (BPA) just finished their 29th annual Coats for Kids drive on October 14. Students in the Business Internship (BPA) collected 845 jackets for the Pilgrim Drycleaners collection drive. Pilgrim Dry Cleaners are still counting their jackets and are expecting to reach their goal of 10,000 jackets this year. All jackets were cleaned and will be distributed back to the community. You can find a list of charities they work with HERE.

Over the past 29 years Blaine BPA has collected over 15,000 coats for this great cause. Randy Hemstad, retired BHS teacher and former BPA advisor, brings in his donations every year. This year he brought in an impressive 350 jackets. His yearly donation shows his passion and dedication to BPA and Coats for Kids.

Thank you to the staff, students, and community members who cleaned out their closets and donated to such a great cause! Because of these donations, another 845 fellow Minnesotans will have coats this winter to keep them warm. Thank you for all your support and donations for 29 years!

The 2022 school year has started off with some top honors for Business Professionals of America members. On October 12, BPA students attended the Region 4 Fall Leadership Conference at North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) in Brooklyn Park. Students connected with others from Anoka, Champlin Park, and Osseo as they participated in a variety of leadership sessions including:

· How to Market Yourself Through Storytelling

· Body Art in the Workplace

· Business Plan Blitz

· Find Your Way with BPA

· Professional Dress

· College Tour of NHCC

As students listened to industry professionals, they left the conference with knowledge that will not only help them in their personal lives but also prepare them for college and careers.

Blaine had four students run for Region 4 Officer positions. They all ran great campaigns and were excited to find out all four students were elected Region 4 Officers. Congratulations to:

President: Michelle Musa

Vice President: Dorcas Aroloye

Secretary: Kenawak Olana

Parliamentarian: Carly Anderson

I grew up overseas in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia until 7th grade. I began my educational journey in 2015 when I worked as an English Language Educational Assistant at SAMS/SAVHS. I enrolled in Hamline University’s Master of Arts in Teaching initial teaching licensure program in 2017 while working. I recently graduated in May 2022 and am excited to teach at Blaine High School. I live in Circle Pines with my husband Kyle and our two dogs Maya (5) and Nikki (2). We enjoy playing video games, watching tv shows, and being outdoors.

My name is Natalie Thienes and I am thrilled to be a part of BHS staff! When I am not teaching or coaching volleyball, I can be found walking my dogs, working out, or relaxing at my parent’s lake cabin. My husband Nate and I have two dogs, Maverick and Goose. I am excited for this upcoming school year and to officially become part of the Bengal family!

My name is Katarzyna Niles, or Kasia for short. I’m a graduate of Anoka High School class of 2001. I have worked in schools for a total of 15 years. I started in the Adventures Plus program while working on my bachelors degrees. I received my bachelors from Augsburg University in English and a minor in writing. After my kids were born, I was a stay-at-home mom for about 8 years. Once my 3 kids started school, I went back for my masters in special education and was working as a paraprofessional in the C-I district. I was a special education teacher at Cambridge-Isanti High School for 4 years prior to coming to BHS. I’m very excited to be back at the Anoka-Hennepin School District!

¡Hola! My name is Noah and I am the newest Spanish teacher at Blaine High School. I absolutely fell in love with the Spanish language when I took it in high school and I had the opportunity to travel to Spain in 2017. I graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching Spanish and a minor in Hispanic Studies. After graduating, I was a substitute teacher in Mora Public Schools (the district I grew up in) and Rush City Schools before teaching Spanish last year at Robbinsdale Cooper High School. Last year was a very difficult year to be a first-time teacher, but my mom didn’t raise a quitter, and I feel like I could survive just about anything now. I’m excited to join the Bengal community!

My name is Tori Kezar and I am one of your new counselors! I am incredibly excited to be here counseling and coaching Bengal cheerleading. I graduated from Coon Rapids High School and have been coaching cheerleading there for the last 8 years. I recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with my masters and spent my first year as a counselor at Anoka Middle School. When I have free time I love to be outside, go camping, and bake. I am looking forward to getting to know Blaine and to be a BENGAL!

The Blaine Band Boosters will be hosting a live Hypnosis Comedy Show starring Douglas B. Sands. The show is family friendly and will entertain both students and adults of all ages and raise funds for the BHS Bands.

Don’t miss this event on Friday, November 4th starting at 7:00pm in the BHS auditorium. In case you have never seen people under hypnosis, here is a short video clip of what you may see on stage: https://youtu.be/P6SBtor3iGw

If you doubt hypnosis is real, this is your chance to see the mystery

“up close and personal”. Experience the hypnotic thrill and comedy,

as the deeper he goes, the funnier it gets!

Buy your ticket early and receive an exclusive early-bird discount.

Online tickets may be purchased by going to:

blainebands.org or by scanning the QR code.

Genre Spotlight: Horror for Teens

From www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2022/10/21/genre-spotlight-horror-for-teens

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Told as a true crime podcast about what happened on the night a small Georgia town tried to hold its first ever interracial prom, where most of the town goes up in flames. A retelling of Stephen King’s Carrie, this weaves in the themes of isolation, otherness, bullying to the issues of systemic racism.

The Getaway by Lamar Giles

Food scarcity due to climate change has society quickly losing its humanity. Some lucky families, like Jay and his family, find work at Karloff Country, a world class resort and theme park where they get to eat plenty of food and have steady work. There would be no reason to leave until one of his best friends disappears, and everyone is in lockdown with the “Trustees,” who are so privileged they become sociopathic, torturing and tormenting the staff of Karloff with no repercussions. Get Out meets Big Brother in this rollercoaster of fear and survival.

Direwood by Catherine Yu

A Gothic horror set in the late 1990s, Aja’s older sister Fiona goes missing. Soon more teenagers start to disappear. Chinese-American Aja, sees signs, but everyone in their predominantly white neighborhood blows her off. Soon she meets a vampire named Padraic, who may be responsible for all the strange occurrences, and who wants Aja to come with him. In hopes of finding her sister, she strikes a deal – she will go with him, but he must let her leave alive if she is not wooed after one week. Filled with atmospheric creepiness and gore.

Dead Flip by Sara Farizan

Jumanji meets Stranger Things in this fast-paced horror. In 1987 Maz and Cori’s friend Sam disappeared on Halloween, and they believe it has something to do with the pinball game they love to play. Maz and Cori haven’t really spoken since, but now, five years later, they reunite only to find that Sam has returned, but is still twelve years old. Now people and animals turn up petrified throughout the community, and they realize something more sinister is going on.

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

After the horrific death of their twin sister, gender-fluid Mars, takes her place at an idyllic summer camp where Mars is welcomed into their sister's elite circle of friends known as the Honeys. Mars is seeking answers to what might have led to their sister’s deterioration, and as they get close to answers, people start to disappear.

Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne

After failing out of college, Laurel Early returns to her small farming town of Dry Valley, Kentucky. Laurel seems to have inherited some of her late mother’s magical abilities to where she can see how something died by handling its bones. Soon animals are found brutally killed but uneaten, and in their wake she must face a giant monster made of bone to protect those she cares about.

Volunteers: You are all so amazing! You have donated 1848.5 hours of volunteer service since the beginning of September! Wow! There is so much that goes on in our school that we could not do without you. Independent Sector has recorded volunteer time as $29.44/hour. That makes a huge impact on all our students and staff. So thank you for coming in to help with Picture day, for dropping off snacks for conferences, for heading out to a field or court to be a volunteer coach, for chaperoning the Homecoming Dance and for being willing to go on field trips.

It’s true, what you do matters! If you are interested in volunteering, apply here. Questions? Contact Beth Berk at 763-606-6530 or beth.berk@ahschools.us

Minnesota weather is shifting gears, and the Anoka-Hennepin School District has plans in place for when extreme winter weather arrives.

The safety of all students is the first priority when determining if schools should stay open in adverse weather. If a determination is made to close school due to extreme winter weather, the district will alert families in a variety of ways, including:

• Phone, text or email message from AHlert system (for Anoka-Hennepin parents/guardians only).

• District and school websites.

• District and school social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

• Media outlets including WCCO, KSTP, FOX 9, KARE 11, CCX Media, WCCO radio and Star Tribune newspaper.

Those responsible for activities scheduled in schools over the weekend will determine if adverse weather conditions necessitate a cancellation.

Read more about the district’s policies on extreme winter weather at ahschools.us/weather.