BFHS Bluejay Beat

Be Respectful

Excellent Effort

Stay Safe

Take Responsibility

To be a productive citizen, you will able to...

• Communicate and Collaborate Effectively
• Solve Problems
• Persevere
• Be Culturally and Socially Respectful

The 2023-24 school year is off and running & fall appears to be in the air!

Staff welcomed our student body back from summer vacation with a brief assembly to kick-off the day on Wednesday, August 23rd so they could meet our new staff. As an entire building, we are excited for what this 2023-24 school year will bring. We are truly excited about the opportunities our students have at BFHS.

Later in this newsletter, Deputy Schnur provides information regarding Vaping. It provides some unfortunate statistics. This would be a good opportunity to talk with your child about the health risks related to this epidemic. We shared information with our student body during grade level meetings on the second and third day of school.

Homecoming 2023 - will be the week of October 2nd. Please see below for more information regarding all the week's activities, etc.

Jostens picture make-ups and retakes will be on Friday, Sept. 15th during the school day. Students needing to make up or retake will be called down throughout the morning.

Please follow us on Twitter & Facebook (see below) for regular updates and information on life at Bondurant-Farrar HS.

I wish each and every one of you, an OUTSTANDING 2023-24 school year and please enjoy September's edition of the Bluejay Beat!

Respectfully,

Erik Garnass

@erikgarnass

Follow us...

Facebook: BondurantFarrarHS

Twitter: @BF_HighSchool & @BlueJayNation

Website: bfschools.org

We have several new faces to the high school staff this year. Please help us in welcoming the following teachers to BFHS.

Justin Blake grew up in the hills of northeast Iowa but has been living in central Iowa ever since enrolling in college at Iowa State University. There he earned 2 bachelor's degrees in science. He then worked in a few labs gaining firsthand knowledge of what it is like to work in the science field. He returned to ISU to obtain a master's degree in teaching, then taught at Saydel High School for 6 years. Justin will be teaching Physics in the Universe and Chemistry. When he is not at school, he will be continuing to renovate his old house and spending time with his two daughters.

Beth Burrow is an Iowa native, who moved from Waverly-Shell Rock to be closer to her grandchildren.She got her degrees from the University of Northern Iowa. She was a librarian before she returned to the classroom. She has taught Social Studies, AP US History and AP US Government and TAG classes. She also adjuncts political science courses for Hawkeye Community College. She is serving as the TAG instructor for the 7-12 grades. Beth enjoys travelling, hiking, puzzles and spending time with her family.

Originally from Williamsburg, Iowa, Kate Cassaidy attended the University of Iowa and obtained degrees in Music Education and Flute Performance, along with becoming the university's first female Band Manager for the Iowa Bands. Kate moved to central Iowa after graduating and taught one year before coming to Bondurant-Farrar CSD, where she will be teaching 7-12 Band along with Mr. Wipperman, Mr. Hill, and Ms. Breitbach. In her free time, Kate enjoys reading, playing pickleball, spending time with her husband Ben, and playing with their pets (Maya, 5 month old Dachshund, and Cameron, 2 year old cat).

Sonja Hansen-Smith was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from Lincoln High School. After graduation she attended the University of Iowa where her BA in History and teaching endorsements in American History, World History and Sociology were obtained. After student teaching at Des Moines North High School, she was offered a job there. Sonja spend the next 3 years at North High school and the next two at Norwalk High School teaching Social Studies, Special Education, Debate and Mock Trial. During this time she was also attending Upper Iowa University where an endorsement is Special Education was added. In 2003 she moved to the West Des Moines District. Over the next 19 years she Coached and co-taught Debate, Mock Trial, IHSSA Individual Events and taught Current Events, Sociology, World Civ and Western Civ. In 2022, Sonja decided to set out on a new adventure and went to teach at Woodward Academy, a detention facility. Finding the almost 70 mile per day round trip a little much after a year, it was decided that the family would choose a smaller school district that they could move to and as a family unit begin a new adventure. Sonja and her two children, Kinnick who will be in 7th grade and Maddux who will be in 4th grade are so glad that Bondurant came calling. They have recently moved to the Bondurant Community. Sonja enjoys baseball and football games as well as cheering for her favorite teams - the Cubs and Hawkeyes. Their family has several cats and honor a tradition of naming them after dead presidents - they currently have Woodrow Wilson, Kennedy, Jimmy Carter (still alive - we know) and Shadow (he came pre named). She enjoys Mysteries, documentaries, gardening, action movies, board games, volunteering and being a teacher!

Jared Heitz grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English Education at the University of Northern Iowa. He also completed his special education endorsement at Morningside University. In 2017, he began his teaching career working in the Waterloo Community School District. Jared moved to Central Iowa in 2019 and continued his education career at East High School within the Des Moines Public Schools. Jared has coached cross country within the College Community School District and during his time at East HS. In addition, he has experience coaching track and field. Jared will be teaching sections of academic support and co teaching English 9, 10, and 11. He also is one of the assistant cross country coaches at the high school level. Jared enjoys running, going to movies, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, and spending time with his fiancé, Abbey.

Luke Odland is originally from Clarion, Iowa and received his Bachelor's Degree in History at Iowa State University. He has taught AP US History, Government, World History, Sociology, Geography, and Economics in his six years teaching. At Bondurant-Farrar he will be teaching American History and American Government. Luke also has coached baseball and football at the Freshman and Junior High levels. He is an avid Iowa State fan, a tortured Minnesota professional sports fan, and enjoys spending time with his wife, Cassie, and daughter, Clara.

Ms. Riley is the College and Career Transition Counselor for DMACC, North Polk and Bondurant. She has been a school counselor for 23 years prior to her current position. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Peru State College in Nebraska and her Master’s of Education in Counseling from the University of Idaho. She is a native Iowan, but has lived in several other places in the country prior to moving back to Iowa to be near her family. Ms. Riley’s hobbies include traveling, doing creative projects, spoiling her dog and cat and spending time with family and friends.

Dan Talbot is from Anderson, Indiana, but returned to Iowa with his family when he was 11. He got his English Teaching degree at UNI, then taught at Waterloo East for three years, working with at-risk students, 9th graders, and taught creative writing. He enjoys reading and writing, and also is an amateur swordfighter. His wife, Hope Carlson went to school at Bondurant, and he is very excited to be here!

It’s that time of year again! It’s time for Iowa’s Best Country, KIX 101.1 & Central Office Supply, a division of Minute Man, in Marshalltown to team up & PACK THE BACKPACK for area teachers! Don’t forget to remind ALL your teachers, parents & even students to nominate those teachers who go above & beyond to help out their students, classrooms, other teachers or the entire school! Every month we will pick one teacher, come to the school & surprise that teacher with $101 in school supplies of their choice from Central Office Supply! Nominating a teacher is easy, just go to www.KIXWEB.com & click on the Pack the Backpack banner & fill out the fast form. So, let’s all team up & help our area teachers! We look forward to all this year’s entries.

Homecoming is on the horizon. Below is a list of activities we encourage our students to take part in.

Blue White Game Night and Blind volleyball will be held on Sunday, October 1st from 6-10 P.M. If a parent/guardian would like to volunteer to assit with this evening, please reach out to StuCo Advisors, Allie Kerper or Olivia Denham.

Homecoming Dance - Saturday, October 7 from 8-11 P.M. The theme is Bluejay Land. The link to purchase tickets will be shared at a later date.

Dress up days:

Monday Oct. 2) - PJ Day
Tuesday (Oct. 3) - Class Color
Wednesday (Oct. 4) - Barbenheimer (Barbie vs. Oppenheimer so like dress in pink or in black)
Thursday (Oct. 5) - Malibu Beach Day
Friday Oct. 6) - Spirit Day

Homecoming assembly/coronation/parade - Friday, Oct. 6th

Homecoming shirts are now on sale using this link. The webstore closes on Sunday, September 17th, so make sure to get your orders in now! Shirts will be available at school on October 4th.

Congratulations to all our student-athletes on a successful summer.

John Powers (class of '23), Breanna Wilshire (sr) and Kayla Soyer (sr) represented Bondurant-Farrar participating in the 2023 Iowa Shrine bowl this past summer in the UNI Dome.

Activity passes are available on ticket spicket! Link: https://events.ticketspicket.com/agency/80213d55-f163-4f97-836b-5ac5d848ba22/passes

The NFHS has partnered with Crisis Text Line to encourage mental health support for teens across the country. Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention in English and Spanish by empowering a community of trained volunteers to support people in their moments of need. Crisis Text Line promotes mental well-being for individuals, wherever they are. Individuals are encouraged to text the keyword “SHIELD” to 741741 if they are experiencing a mental health crisis – anything from suicidal thoughts or abusive relationships to difficult conversations with parents or anxiety about school workload.

Here's an exciting opportunity for your school to offer Driver Education to your students online. Safe2Drive’s Iowa Parent-Taught Driver Education course allows parents to teach their teens Driver Education in order to qualify for their driver’s license. The course consists of online coursework and an instruction manual for parents to teach the behind-the-wheel component of Driver Education to their teen. As of July 1st, the Parent-Taught Driver Education online course is no longer exclusive for families of homeschooled children but is available to any student who would otherwise qualify and who is currently attending a public school or accredited nonpublic school, or who is receiving homeschool education under chapter 299A.

If you’d like to offer your students Safe2Drive’s online course, we can provide you with a promo code for your students to get a discount on the course price, or we can pay you an affiliate fee for each student you refer—it’s up to you! This is a great way to provide a low-cost and convenient option for your students to fulfill their Driver Education requirement and get their driver’s license. Your school can even earn money while doing it!

So, what are you waiting for? Promo code: BFHS10

We look forward to working together to provide Iowa’s teens with the education they need to be safe on the road.

Sincerely,

Penny Beaty, Marketing Manager

www.safe2drive.com

BF Bluejays

As a valued member of our school community, your input is wanted and valued. We all have a vested interest in making sure that Bondurant-Farrar High School meets the needs of our stakeholders. We encourage your thoughts on solutions to problems you see from your perspective. Do you see a process that can be improved upon? Do you have a solution to improve current practices? Do you have creative insight into how we can grow in serving all of our students? We want to hear it!

Please fill out the fields below to outline the issue you want to address and a solution you think would be helpful. While not all suggestions may not be implemented, all will be reviewed and considered.

You can submit your suggestion and remain anonymous if you like.

You only need to submit your contact information IF you want to receive feedback regarding your suggestion.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Parent/Student/Community Suggestion Box

Many of our families have utilized our electronic form to submit COVID-related questions and comments throughout the pandemic. Because of its success, we've created a new form to electronically submit GENERAL comments, questions, and concerns. This is in an effort to increase opportunities for two-way communication with district stakeholders. The link is referenced in this communication guide and can be found anytime in the footer of our website. Visit: www.bfschools.org/contactus

Hello from the BFHS School Counseling Department! We are excited to get this school year started and are looking forward to a great September! It’s so good to see all of you again! We are so excited to have Mr. Guenther at the high school full-time, because of this we have shifted our rosters this year.

Mrs. Kaufman will be the school counselor for students with last names A-G.

Mr. Guenther will be the school counselor for students with last names H-O.

Mrs. McMurray will be the school counselor for students with last names P-Z.

We want our youth to know that it’s okay to not be okay and to ask for help when they need it. If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, please know there is help available. School counselors can help you connect you to helpful resources and can provide support within the school setting.

Suicidal thoughts or behaviors are both damaging and dangerous and are therefore considered a psychiatric emergency. Someone experiencing these thoughts should seek immediate assistance from a family physician or mental health care provider.

• If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Know the Warning Signs

· Threats or comments about killing themselves, also known as suicidal ideation, can begin with seemingly harmless thoughts like “I wish I wasn’t here,” but can become more overt and dangerous

· Increased alcohol and drug use

· Aggressive behavior

· Social withdrawal from friends, family and the community

· Dramatic mood swings

· Talking, writing or thinking about death

· Impulsive or reckless behavior

· Recent death of a family or friend

· Trouble coping with recent losses, death, divorce, moving, break-ups

· Experience with a traumatic event

· Gathering lethal weapons

· Giving away prized possessions/personal belongings

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Related-Conditions/Risk-of-Suicide

PSAT Test: For JUNIORS- (In the past 10th graders have tested at the same time as juniors, however, sophomores will now test in March. More information will be sent in February to sophomores and parent/guardians.) The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). This test is for juniors to qualify for the National Merit Scholarships. This test is good practice for college admission tests, however, this is the only test that will qualify juniors for the National Merit Scholarship opportunities.The PSAT test this year will be given at Bondurant High School on Wednesday, Oct. 18th during the school day. The cost for this test is $18.00. There are 80 testing spots available for our high school and will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Please be watching for a future email regarding registration and payment to secure your spot. If your child qualifies for free/reduced lunch we have waivers available. Please see your school counselor.

Payment will be required by Wednesday, October 11th in order to take the PSAT test on October 18, 2023.

College Connections at BFHS: Open to 10th, 11th, & 12th graders: This is a time to meet with college admission counselors to learn about colleges. They are a wonderful resource to answer questions about college and will be your point of contact for the schools you apply to. College admission counselors will be coming during WIN. Juniors and seniors can sign up to visit with them during WIN. Mrs. McMurray will have colleges listed in her WIN offerings when there will be a college connection available. This is a great way to get general information about colleges and ask any questions you may have. Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn more about the post-secondary institutions that you are interested in!

DMACC Classes: the last day for a student to drop a DMACC class without a W (withdrawal) on your transcript is WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th. Students must see their school counselor to do this. If the class is part of their required academic courses, they are not able to drop any longer. If you have any issues with your DMACC class, please let your school counselor know. It is very important that you are checking your DMACC email and communicating with your DMACC instructor with your DMACC email with any issues as well. Please remember your DMACC classes count toward the eligibility for extra-curricular activities. If you fail your DMACC class at semester you will be ineligible to participate for 30 days.

For students taking DMACC classes, please watch this video about being successful in your online classes: http://www.kaltura.com/tiny/eujl8

ICAN Alerts- ICAN is a great resource for post-secondary planning/information.

ICAN Senior Alerts are tailored to each class, and send out timely reminders of specific steps in the process for senior year. Alerts include application deadline reminders, important steps in the process, scholarship announcements, and events specific to seniors to help them succeed their senior year and successfully transition into their next steps be it college, an apprenticeship, or career.

This year we will be spending A LOT of time talking about and helping seniors prepare for the new FAFSA process, which is delayed until December/January. Get your senior signed up now so they don't miss any important steps.

Sign your Class of 2024 up and encourage your senior parents to sign up by sharing the ICAN link www.icansucceed.org/signup.

ICAN does offer sign ups for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders as well! Please go to www.icansucceed.org/signup to register for information!

Golden Circle College Fair: The 2023 event will be held in-person on Sunday, September 24th from 1:00-3:00 P.M. The event will be held at Prairie Meadows Conference Center, 1 Prairie Meadows Drive in Altoona. To learn more about the event: https://www.icansucceed.org/golden-circle-college-and-career-fair You can register for a barcode on this site as it will save you time when visiting colleges. All high school students and parents are welcome to attend this event!

ACT Test- BFHS will be a testing site for the October 28th test date. The registration deadline for the October test date at Bondurant-Farrar High School is Friday, September 22nd. Go to www.act.org to register for the ACT test. If you have any questions about the ACT test, please contact your/your student’s school counselor.

UNI, Iowa, & ISU have moved to Test-Optional Admission, HOWEVER, it is still highly recommended that you take the ACT test. Some scholarships and programs may still require a score. If you decide you do not like your test score, you can leave it off of the application and you would be considered test optional. If your test score is at or above the average of the school you are applying to, it is encouraged that you include it as part of your application. Please see your school counselor if you have questions about submitting your ACT score for college admission.

Preparing or the ACT- Juniors and seniors have access to Methodize through their Xello account. This is an excellent way to prepare for the ACT. There are full length tests and content specific lessons to help students prepare to take the ACT.

The ACT will be available on the following dates for the 2023-2024 school year:

October 28th register by September 22nd (This test will be offered at BFHS)

December 9th register by November 3rd

February 10th register by January 5th

April 13th register by March 8th (This test will be offered at BFHS)

June 8th register by May 3rd

This is the link to register for the ACT: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html

Friday, September 22nd - Grade Post

Sunday, September 24th- Golden Circle College Fair

October 11th- Deadline to sign up for PSAT Test-11th grade

Wednesday, October 18th- PSAT Testing Date at BFHS

Saturday, October 28th- ACT Testing Date at BFHS

CLICK HERE for FREE virtual counseling and assistance for all Iowans needing support

You can contact Mr. Hotek at hotekm@bfschools.org

If you or someone you know is in need of resources dealing with mental health or addiction, please visit our link HERE. Please reach out to our school counselors at any time!

Just a reminder of a couple things at the beginning of the year.

1. All Juniors need a second dose of the meningococcal vaccine to be able to return to school next fall. If you completed CPR during health 1, this completes the graduation requirement.

2) All 9th graders need a dental screening.

3) All athletes need a sports physical prior to participation - this includes marching band, as well as cheerleading, dance and sports.

4) Finally, a reminder of the policy regarding medications at school as listed below (from the handbook)

FF. Administration of Medication to Students

A. Proper labeling:

1. Prescribed medication: All prescribed medications shall be maintained in the original prescription container and labeled with the following:

• Name of student

• Name of medication

• Directions for use/storage

• Name of physician

• Name and address of pharmacy

• Date of prescription

1. Over the counter medication: All over the counter medications shall be maintained in the original container in which they were purchased.

B. Parent/Guardian written consent on a dated statement:

A parent/guardian signature on a statement requesting and authorizing the school personnel to administer the medication must accompany the medication. BP 507.2

C. Record of administration:

Each time the medication is administered, a record shall be maintained in the nurse's office.

The record shall include the student's name, date, time, name of the medication, amount

given per electronic charting.

D. Medication reactions:

Any unusual conditions or behaviors following the administration of medication

should be reported to the school nurse, if available or to the parent/guardian

immediately. Reactions to medication should be recorded.

E. Definition of medications:

Those health products covered by the medication policy include all prescription medications and over-the-counter products, including but not limited to: pain relievers, cold remedies, cough syrups, antacids, cough drops, throat lozenges, etc.

F. Security:

1. No medications are to be carried during school hours by students nor stored in pockets, purses, school bags, lunch boxes, lockers, teacher desks, sports equipment bags, etc. The only exception would be with a physician’s written orders and a parent/guardian written authorization for a student to carry the medication with him/her for

self-administration as necessary (ie. inhalers, diabetic supplies, emergency medications).

1. ALL medications, either prescription or over-the-counter, must be brought to the school nurse by a parent or other authorized and approved adult. Absolutely no medications are to be transported to/from school by any student. Any student found with unauthorized medications will be referred to school administration.

2. All medications will be stored in a secure area, accessible only to those who are authorized to administer the medication.

3. The building principal shall designate those in each building who are

authorized to administer the medications. Those authorized will receive

instructions from the school nurse concerning administration and confidentiality

of medications.

As you are making your student’s doctor’s appointment for their physical this year, please remember that the meningococcal vaccination is required after the age of 16, but before they can enter 12th grade. The Iowa Department of Public Health made changes to the Iowa Immunization laws several years ago There is NO grace period for this requirement. In order for your child to attend the first day of school in August 2024, written proof of these vaccinations must be provided to the High School Health Office.

All athletes need a sports physical before participation - this includes marching band, as well as cheerleading, dance, and sports .

As the School Resource Officer for the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District, I will distribute preventative information regarding several topics directed towards students and parents/guardians each month. Some topics will include, internet safety, tobacco use, drugs, alcohol use, stranger danger, vandalism/criminal mischief, assault, sexual crimes, gang activity, peer pressure, texting and driving just to name few.

According to the 2018 Iowa Youth Survey, 22.4% of 11th grade students, 8.3% of eighth grade students and 2.4% of sixth grade students currently use e-cigarettes. The long-term health consequences for youth using these products are unknown. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) now offers a special program for teens who want to quit using tobacco, including e-cigarettes.

The new My Life, My Quit program includes educational materials designed for teens and created through focus groups with teens, subject matter experts and community stakeholders. Teens can text or call a toll-free number (855-891-9989) dedicated for teens, or they can visit mylifemyquit.com for real-time coaching. Through the program, teens work with a coach who listens and understands their unique needs, provides personalized support, and helps them build a quit plan to become free from nicotine.

My Life, My Quit provides youth access to tailored resources for quitting, including:

• Free and confidential help from a quit coach specially trained to listen to teens, help teens navigate social situations that involve tobacco or vaping, and find healthy ways to cope with stress
• Five coaching sessions via live text messaging or by phone on a dedicated toll-free number (855-891-9989) or online chat
• Simplified online and mobile program registration to get teens to a coach quicker
• Dedicated teen website at mylifemyquit.com with online enrollment, live chat with a coach, information about vaping and tobacco, and activities to support quitting and stress relief
• On-going text messages for encouragement throughout the quit process
• Certificate of program completion

IDPH is one of nine states collaborating with Quitline provider National Jewish Health to offer the teen-focused tobacco cessation program.

Email: garnasse@bfschools.org
Website: bfschools.org
Location: 1000 Grant Street North, Bondurant, IA, United States
Phone: (515) 957-8191
Twitter: @BFHS_News

It is the policy of the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator; Chad Carlson, Director of Administrative Services, 300 Garfield St SW, Bondurant, IA 50035, 515-967-7819, carlsonc@bfschools.org. -OR- Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661-7204, Telephone: (312) 730-1560, Facsimile: (312) 730-1576, Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov

Many of our families have utilized our electronic form to submit COVID-related questions and comments throughout the pandemic. Because of its success, we've created a new form to electronically submit GENERAL comments, questions, and concerns. This is in an effort to increase opportunities for two-way communication with district stakeholders. The link is referenced in this communication guide and can be found anytime in the footer of our website. Visit: www.bfschools.org/contactus