September 14 update

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Dear Families,

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

1. The Toast -Thank You

2. No School April Dates

3. Student Intent to Return Survey

4. MCAS ELA and Math

5. Family Committee Meeting -New Update

6. Family Town Hall

7. Q3 Conferences

8. Teacher Appreciation Week

9. Spring Sports

10. High School Only Announcements

11. College Counseling Office Announcements

12. BPS Exam Schools

13. Extra Curricular and Enrichment Programs

Stay safe and be well!

Sincerely,

Madelyn Ruizdeporras
Family Operations Manager

Thank you for supporting Boston Prep's 2023 Toast: Born to Fly! We are incredibly grateful to our students, faculty, staff, families, friends, alumni, and donors who continue to support Boston Prep and its mission.

Here is our new film which first premiered on Friday. Stay tuned for more pictures and videos from the event!

If you are interested in making a gift of stock or a gift from your donor-advised fund please contact Anders Peterson at apeterson@bostonprep.org or 617.333.6688 ext. 454

Boston Prep will be closed on the following dates in April.

• Friday, April 7th in observance of Good Friday. Classes will resume on Monday, April 10th.

• Monday, April 17th - Friday, April 21st for April Break. Classes will resume on Monday, April 24th.

We are collecting information from families to inform our rosters for next year 2023-2024. Please fill out this brief survey about whether or not your child is returning for next year. https://forms.gle/Ac4e5YcvQQ3ywQ1x5

We ask for your support in ensuring that all 10th grade students are present and on time to school every day at 8:00am, and in particular for these important dates.

Middle School ELA (English Language Arts) MCAS exams

Students in grades 6-8 will occur the second week of April (4/11 and 4/12). Please take some time to review this letter from our Middle School Principal, Ms. Gregory: MCAS MS Letter

Join us at our next Family Committee Meeting held via ZOOM on Thursday, April 13th at 10am. We will discuss fundraising efforts, events and much more. New to the Family Committee: If you join us, your child will obtain a Dress Down Ticket to be used on a date indicated on the ticket.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://bostonprep-org.zoom.us/j/92166649388

The Boston Prep Family Committee is always looking for new and unique ways to help support Boston Prep students and faculty. We are looking into a few fundraising opportunities. This will also provide an opportunity to know one another and build community.

At this moment, we are only fielding interest in these fundraising events. A time and date have not been decided yet. Please take some time to fill out this brief survey to let us know if you are interested. All proceeds will be directly used for the student events listed! Click here to fill out: https://forms.gle/zJySGe4PkaCatddi9

Join us on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 from 6pm-7pm for our next Family Town Hall led by our Middle and High School Principals.

Families can Register Here.

Quarter 3 conferences will be held on Tuesday, April 25 from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. All families are required to attend conferences in person to review your child’s academic standing as we head towards the end of the year. Advisors will be reaching out to you directly to schedule these meetings starting on March 28.

Boston Prep will be offering free, short seminars for families on the following topics on the night of conferences as well:

1) Are the kids all right? Current trends in teenage mental health

2) Pushing the snooze button & surfing TikToks: How to create healthy sleep and phone/device use for teenagers

3) Who can help my teenager: How to access mental health supports outside of school (and what is available at Boston Prep)

4) 8th grade families: Introduction to Boston Prep High School

5) High School Credits System and how to use PowerSchool for Parents

6) College Counseling and the Persistence Program: How to help my child succeed after high school graduation

7) Teenagers and vaping: What parents need to know & information about a MGH research study

We are preparing to celebrate our awesome teachers and faculty members next month (May 8-12). Please take a few minutes to write something you appreciate about one (or more) of our faculty and staff. We will be sharing these with them.

You can write about as many teachers & staff members as you would like-- just fill out the form multiple times: Please click here to fill out: https://forms.gle/yVAQDLjAentNJBLe8

Thank you!

Spring Athletics at Boston Prep is right around the corner ! This Spring we will be offering a variety of athletic opportunities for both High School and Middle School students of Boston Prep. Below are the sports offered this Spring:

High School

• Varsity Boys Volleyball

• Varsity Softball

• Outdoor Track and Field

• Varsity Baseball

Middle School

• Varsity Volleyball (Grade 8 Only)

• Varsity Baseball (Grade 8 Only)

• Varsity Softball (Grade 8 Only)

• Outdoor Track and Field (Grades 6-8)

• Flag Football (Grades 6-8)

If your child is interesting in participating in one of our athletic offering please register your child using this link: Family ID-Registration

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions ! Ricky Igbani (Director of Athletics)

rigbani@bostonprep.org

• Alternative Career Fair : On Friday, April 14th, the Persistence Project will be hosting an alternative careers pathways event for high school students. We will be welcoming over 15 companies, unions, and career-driven programs to connect with our high school students and alumni. Students will receive more details about this event from Mr. Canto.

• Attendance Recovery: Students who have missed 15+ absences in semester long classes / 30+ absences in year long classes are required to do attendance recovery during April Break. Dates are from Tuesday, April 18- Friday, April 21st from 8am to 12pm each day. Students who are required to attend have been emailed with this notification. More details will also be provided for students who are required to attend! If you have any questions, please reach out to: High School principal, Eric Tabb: etabb@bostonprep.org

• Bio Boot Camp during April Break– (OPTIONAL) Freshmen students are invited to attend a two-day science preparation course (Bio Bootcamp) during April vacation to prepare for the Biology MCAS exam. This is OPTIONAL for all freshmen. Students will have the opportunity to learn, review and practice Biology standards in preparation for the MCAS. Ms. Shiu will be hosting the optional Bio Boot Camp for students to attend on Wednesday, April 19th and Thursday, April 20th. In order to opt in, students should submit the pink registration form to sign up, to the front office or room 214 by Tuesday, April 11th.

• Doors will open at: 7:45 am
• Class time: 8:15 am-12:15 pm
• Tardy detention: 12:15 pm-12:45 pm

Please ask your child to show you the pink form for more details.

Class of 2023: We are one month away from May 1st, the national college deposit deadline. Our seniors have started to confirm their post-secondary plans through meetings with their respective college counselor. If you are the parent/guardian of a senior, please be on the lookout for outreach from the college counseling office around scheduling your senior’s college decision meeting.

High School: On Friday, April 14th, we will be hosting an alternative career pathways fair. We will be welcoming over 15 companies and organizations to connect with our high school students. The fair will be a mix of career-driven programs, as well as some that are looking to hire for summer work. A sample of those in attendance will be: MBTA, SuccessLink National Grid, Youth Build, Boston Fire Department, and many more! We are excited for our high school students to interact with a variety of employers.

Join an upcoming information session!

• Thursday, April 6 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. on ZOOM: https://k12bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/87570964414
• Thursday, April 27 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. on ZOOM: https://k12bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/83363885649

For all non-BPS schools & homeschool students in grades 5, 7, 8; BPS students in grade 8; & grade 7 exam school students who wish to apply to a different exam school:

• Testing will take place on Saturday, June 3, 2023 across five BPS locations.

• Registration is required. Test registration opens on April 10.

For BPS students currently in grades 5 and 7:

• Testing will take place between May 30 and June 9 during the school day.

• No registration required.

Register for the June 3 test by May 7, 2023 at bostonpublicschools.org/exam

BPS will use the MAP Growth test and grade point average (GPA) as admission criteria. Students in grades 5, 7, and 8 living in Boston can apply to BPS exams schools:

• Boston Latin Academy

• Boston Latin School

• O’Bryant School of Math and Science

• WPI Department of Mathematical Sciences and the WPI Student Chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) are excited to announce Sonia Kovalevsky Day 2023 – An Empowering Day for Middle School Girls Who Love Math on Saturday, April 15 from 9AM – 3PM at Salisbury Labs on WPI’s campus. In honor of the first woman to obtain her doctorate in mathematics, Sonia Kovalevsky (SK Days) at WPI aims to bolster our participants’ passion and enthusiasm for mathematics in a supportive environment, while meeting girls in the New England area who share similar interests, and of course, having fun! SK Day 2023 will provide an interactive experience for participants to engage in math activities led by current WPI students and faculty, lunch, and presentation by women leaders in STEM. For more information and to register, please use this link. Space is limited, so please register early by Friday, March 31.

• Boston Prep high school students have the opportunity to extend their learning through the summer enrichment programs that promote personal, academic and professional growth. 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.

• The Artemis Project is a five-week summer program that introduces girls to the creative thinking and problem-solving skills that are at the core of computer science. Artemis will be offered from July 10th to August 11th, 2023 weekdays from 9:30 AM -3:30PM on the BU campus. The program makes fundamental topics in computer science fun and engaging by incorporating both hands-on activities as well as real-world applications. Participants will learn how to code in Python, design their own websites, build robots, and program microbits. They also will learn about conceptual topics including search and sort algorithms, cryptography, and artificial intelligence. Lunch is provided each day. Artemis is run by undergraduate women concentrating in Computer Science and Engineering who are passionate about what they do. Through interactions with the coordinators, as well as with faculty and industry guest speakers, the participants will meet many female role models in the fields of computer science and engineering. Additional program information can be found on the website: https://www.bu.edu/lernet/artemis. Please send email to cab@bu.edu if you have any further questions.

• The Red Sox Scholars is a college success program that awards a $10,000 college scholarship to 12 Boston Public School 7th graders each year. The Foundation then provides academic, professional, and social support to students for at least the next nine years to ensure they graduate from college with as little debt as possible and prepared to enter the workforce – as well as feeling part of a family of resources for years to come! The 2023 Red Sox Scholars Application (and eligibility requirements) can be viewed and downloaded from their website. The application deadline has been extended to Friday, March 24. Completed applications must be emailed to RedSoxScholars@redsox.com. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Lidia Zayas at lzayas@redsox.com.

Upcoming Dates:

• Friday, April 7th: No School: Good Friday
• Tuesday, April 11th and Wednesday, April 12th: Grades 6-8 ELA MCAS
• Wednesday, April 12: Family Town Hall 6-7pm - (registration required via Zoom)
• Saturday, April 15 - Sunday, Apr 23, 2023 - No School - April Break
• Thursday, April 25: Q3 Conferences 3:30-6:30pm

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