The Digital Dragon




Student, Family & Community 

*Scholarship and Career Opportunities found further down in the Newsletter*

BLA Jobs and Internships Website 

Family Workshops for 7th & 8th Grade Families:

In partnership with the BPS Office of Technology & Digital Learning, we will be hosting two virtual workshops for BLA Middle School Families around the topics of Google Classroom, and Social Media & Online Safety. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this form: Family Workshop RSVP


 Information about the workshops can be found below:

1. March 8: Google Classroom (5:30-6:30PM)

In this session, families will learn the basics of how to use Google Classroom from the parent/family and student view including how to register for updates, review assignments, and monitor progress. This session will be led by members of the BPSTechnology Digital Learning Team.


2. March 15: Social Media and Online Safety (5:30-6:30PM)

In this session, families will learn about the meaning and importance of a digital footprint, responsible social media use, and tips and resources for keeping their middle school students safe online. This session will be led by members of the BPSTechnology Digital Learning Team.


GSA Game Night

The GSA (Gender & Sexuality Alliance) is hosting a game night on Friday, Feb 10 after school in the library. All are welcome and we are hoping to build community and boost morale! 


If you have any board games that you would be willing to lend to the GSA for this event, please let me know or come by Room 111.


The Jabberwock 

"Calling all artists and writers! The Jabberwock will host a creative writing competition, known as “JabberWrites”, now through February 22nd. To enter, you will need to submit your work to one of the following departments through a QR code located on various posters throughout the school or on Instagram:



Submissions will also be accepted at this link. The deadline for submissions is February 22nd. If you have any questions, please email cwu3@bostonpublicschools.org. Have fun, and make something great!"


Music Forward Foundation

Engages youth across the country for opportunities in the music industry. Last summer, we launched our inaugural Boston internship program for recent high school grads. For 6 weeks, I had the pleasure of overseeing students from various Boston Public Schools as they immersed themselves in the live music industry and learned important career development skills.


We are excited for the second year of this program, and I wanted to share with you information and the application in the hopes you'd be able to disperse among your own students as they begin to explore opportunities beyond high school. The application is rolling, with a closing date of May 31.


Additionally, Music Forward offers a free program for high school juniors and seniors to tour local music venues and learn more about the behind-the-scenes of the live entertainment world. We have several partner venues, including the House of Blues and Citizens Opera House, that will be happy to host BLA students this spring for a site visit. These tours are usually 1-2 hours, Mon-Wed, during school hours (11am-2pm). You can learn more here, and register today for upcoming dates. We can provide assistance for travel accommodations upon request.


TAG | ALERTA, Gastón Institute at UMass Boston. 


We are offering two four-day accelerated academies during your BPS vacation weeks for students currently in 5th-8th grade. 


TAG | ALERTA's goal is to support Latinx and multilingual students through project-based classroom practices and a learning environment that fosters students' cultural pride, civic engagement, and STEM exploration. In each week-long accelerated academy, students will learn about the history of our community, discuss issues we currently face, share their own stories, and go on field trips around Boston. Through music and art, students will learn about self-expression, as well as engage in STEM activities and explore STEM careers. Students are welcomed and invited to participate in both academies (only one application is needed per student) but if they are only interested in enrolling in one academy and not the other, they can indicate that on the application. 


To apply, especially for the February that is a month away, families will need to fill out the attached application and email it back to us. If they would like the application sent through DocuSign (the system we used last year), please let us know and we can communicate to send them the application electronically to sign via email. For more information, please review our attached flyer and application or visit our website. 


Additionally, as a head up, our 2023 summer program this year will be from July 10-August 11th. We will share applications in the coming months, once it becomes available. 


If you have any questions or need assistance with the application process, feel free to email us, call us, or text us! 


Best, 

TAG | ALERTA Team

TAG | ALERTA Program 


Hello Juniors, and Sophomores!

The National Honors Society is happy to be hosting peer support for Course Selection! If you want to have a senior perspective on what classes are fun, what classes are good for college applications, and other information about senior year courses please fill out the form linked!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJt-n_As3X1HmZd33a5n_v78UuAIi-IRX_IKmTKKR-IU0RDQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Thank you!

-NHS Membership


Financial Literacy Workshop

This workshop will be presented by Shawn Judge who is  the  Financial Coaching Coordinator for Green Space/Metro Housing .   The workshop is 90 minutes long and there will be an additional time available of 30 minutes for Q&A should attendees have additional questions related to the subject matter in the workshop. 


If you are interested in attending, please be sure to register by clicking the link below and  please be sure to join on time. Hope to see you there!

 

 How Do I Stretch My Pay? Workshop Event

When: Feb 02, 2023 01:00 -3:00PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpdeiprjIuEtwJBd9COPWTtg4vNrKSuyyg

 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

*How to Develop a Practice Spending Plan

*Strategies for making choices based on priorities

*Learn how to prioritize spending

*Techniques for supporting long term success


CCUA Middle School Essay Contest

The Harvard University Credit Union is encouraging all 7th and 8th grade students to participate in the Cooperative Credit Union Association's (CCUA) annual Middle School Essay Contest! The prizes range from $50 to $500. The deadline is January 23rd, visit huecu.org/essay-contest for more information.


SuSHI 

SuSHI is an after-school program for greater Boston high schoolers who are Asian/Asian American and are interested in learning more about health, wellness, identity, resilience, and other important topics and participating in group discussions in a supportive space. Please use this link to register:  (https://tinyurl.com/sushispring).

Applications Open for Youth Advisory Board at Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School 

Our research team is currently accepting applications from Chinese heritage high school students (age 14-18) to serve as Youth Advisory Board members from June to November 2023 for the BOBA Project. The BOBA Project is our new-NIH funded research study about how Chinese American teens have conversations with their family and friends about important issues that affect Asian Americans (e.g., recent rise in anti-Asian discrimination) and subsequent impacts on mental health. Prior research indicates that Asian American youth are significantly less likely than other racial/ethnic groups to use mental health services while also being more than twice as likely to have unmet mental health needs. Our project is aimed at addressing these concerns. 

Teen Central!

 

This is Chris Jacobs, your Teen Central Team Lead, back with some exciting event opportunities coming your way in our Copley Square location. Our upcoming offerings are focused on building confidence, skills, and self-reliance in 2023, and we would love it if you could spread the word to your students and teen organizations!


  Beginning January 19, BPL’s recently appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dr. Allana Da Graca, graces the Teen Central Main Space for a series of workshops designed to help teens envision and achieve a variety of goals via high-quality crafts. We will be running these workshops again on Feb 2 and 16. Teens can drop in to any day in the series, but can also register for the whole shebang at bit.ly/bpldreambelieve4teens.

·         Calling all performers! Teen Central Turns Art Café on Thursday, February 9, and we need rising stars and artists for our first of many Open Mic Nights! This teen-led evening of performance, live music, poetry, and more will feature a de-winterizing array of café-style snacks and ambience to support the warm glow of teen creativity! Please share with your teens! Teen performers must register by Friday, February 3 by emailing teencentral@bpl.org.

·         Time to get testy…! Did you know that Teen Central has a full range of 2023 test prep materials for use ONLY by teen visitors…? These non-circulating materials are FREELY available to Teen Central visitors to be used immediately! We even have a FREE Princeton Review SAT course here at Central with open spots: learn more information and register here!

Boston Partners in Education

Boston Partners in Education will match academic mentors with your students to support them 1:1 or in small groups. Our mentors come directly to your classroom for 1 hour each week, for the duration of the school year. Students that may benefit from working with a mentor might: need additional time to understand concepts, lack confidence or motivation in certain subjects, need help following through to complete work, or need stronger organizational and study skills. If you have students that would benefit from an academic mentor, you can nominate them for support at https://bostonpartners.org/educators/. Teachers can also request online after-school tutoring for their students here: https://bostonpartners.org/ils-nomination/

Boston Partners In Education 

Offers online mentoring takes place outside of school time. Parents/guardians can request support directly for programs. Here is some basic information that could be included.

Interact Boston Club

Want volunteer hours? Join Interact Club and interact with Boston. We will volunteer around Boston and help solve community issues! Questions? mpimentel18@bostonk12.org


Upcoming healthy relationship academy 


BLA Operations 

*If students are staying after school, please be sure that they scan the After School QR code*

Report Card Night/ Parent Teacher Conference 

We will hold our report card night this year on February 15th, this will be in person and for a total of two hours.  

New Grading Policy Key Highlights

Last year the School Site Council voted on the Grading and Assessment Policy. This policy was created with input from many stakeholders and will continue to be highlighted in our weekly memo’s. As part of the feedback there are a few really important shifts to be shared. 

Under the new grading  the following is the expectation:

Upon our return we will begin preparing for Midterms and completing MAP Assessments. Here is what was decided in regards to Midterms and Finals:

Mid-Year and Final Exams

D’s and F’s

Student Receiving Ds or Failing Grades

BPS DAILY HOME HEALTH CHECKLIST

Please use the BPS daily checklist everyday. The checklist is available in many languages and found HERE

Please remember that we are still strongly recommending students mask up and stay home if they are feeling sick. Please reference my messaging last week particularly these points:

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES & SAFETY


MORNING SAFETY

Library Updates

     Mon-Thur: 6:30am - 3:30pm

     Fri: 6:30am - 1:40pm

The after-school teacher in charge is Ms. Medina. If you have any questions, contact the librarians.


Nursing/COVID Protocol

If you are hoping to participate in a winter sports team, please be sure you have signed up on aspen ( directions included), talked with the coach and have submitted a valid in person Physical exam dated within 13 months. ASPEN directions provided down below.

If you test positive for COVID, fill out the google form (below) so we can correctly excuse this absence and record this illness. Please follow the directions for quarantine on the form, if you need further assistance, feel free to reach out to Nurse Conlin and Price. You may also visit this website for additional information. 

Google Form for reporting positive COVID case:  HERE


CATIE'S CLOSET 

FRESH FOOD PICK-UP

Student Support 

Academic Supports Available to Students: 

Please see below for a list of academic supports available to all students.

Upcoming Events

MONDAY


TUESDAY


WEDNESDAY 


THURSDAY 

SCHOLARSHIP, COLLEGE, & CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

SuccessLink School Year Job Applications are NOW OPEN!

Looking for a job this school year? Between the ages of 14 to 18?

The application for the SuccessLink Youth Jobs program is now open! Click here for more information!


Artists for Humanity program: 


Available to all currently enrolled 14+ students in BPS, the program does not require previous art experience, they are simply looking for individuals who have a passion for, and commitment to, art and design.  The program has paid opportunities and built-in mentorship.  The program does require a significant commitment and if students are interested in the paid opportunities they must meet the following prerequisites:

The link for the application is included, as well as a link that demonstrates some of the work they do.

Scholarship Opportunities

The Red Pine Scholars Program is seeking its next class of students from low- to middle-income families in Massachusetts who have demonstrated academic excellence and are planning to attend competitive colleges as freshmen in the fall of 2023. This program is designed to support undergraduate students through tuition assistance, mentoring, and other flexible financial supports. The Red Pine Scholars Program is dedicated to making college affordable for Massachusetts families and helping students reach their full potential. The program is funded by an anonymous donor and administered by The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI). 

We invite you to share the Red Pine Scholars Program guidelines with students who will be entering college in fall 2023 and who meet this program’s criteria.

Information about the program, including guidelines and application instructions, can be found here.

While many students are deserving of this type of support during college, to be eligible for this program students must:

Applications must be submitted online – hard copies will not be accepted.

Applications must be completed online by February 15, 2023 at 5:00 PM EST.

The Red Pine Scholars Program is administered by The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI). Please direct any questions to Ellie Galer at redpine@tpi.org or 617.338.5885.

Thank you in advance for your help ensuring as many students as possible learn about this important program.

Barmakian Scholarship

We are pleased to announce the 2023 availability of the Barmakian Scholarship. At his passing, Stephen H. Barmakian, created a very generous scholarship that is primarily for students who are Armenian and living in the greater Boston area; it’s called the Scholarship Fund of the Stephen H. Barmakian Family Foundation in Loving Care and Memorial Tribute to Armenhoohi H. Barmakian, Mother (1903-2002), Haroutune Kevork “Harry” Barmakian, Father (1891-1949), Haig George “Haigy” Barmakian, Brother (1922-1945) – or the Barmakian Scholarship!

The Barmakian Scholarship has more than $120,000 scholarships available, and has previously offered multiple awards up to $20,000, depending on the financial need of the applicant. It is for candidates who meet the below eligibility criteria.

The application for the scholarship is online, and we are looking for help in sharing this information with eligible candidates! https://cfprograms.smapply.io/prog/barmakian

The deadline for the scholarship application is April 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

For additional reference, you are welcome to contact Alison Ekizian, Executive Director, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston at office@htaac.org or 617/354-0632; or check out the Barmakian Scholarship on our website. 


Rockland Trust Scholarship

As a community-oriented bank, Rockland Trust is committed to strengthening the neighborhoods we live in and serve. One of the ways we have proudly upheld this commitment is through our annual scholarship program


Starting January 23, 2023, our online application portal will begin accepting applications at 

Rockland Trust

Scholarship details:


SENIOR CORNER

In-Person College Info Sessions

Please reserve your spot through Naviance. 

Virtual College Info Sessions

There are many scheduled virtual college info sessions. Please make sure to reserve your spot on Naviance.

College Visit Sign Up Steps (In-person and virtual)


SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 


$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

*Flyers with more opportunities found below*

SuSHI 

SuSHI is an after-school program for greater Boston high schoolers who are Asian/Asian American and are interested in learning more about health, wellness, identity, resilience, and other important topics and participating in group discussions in a supportive space. Please use this link to register:  (https://tinyurl.com/sushispring).

Applications Open for Youth Advisory Board at Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School 

The Developmental Risk and Cultural Resilience Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School is currently accepting applications for Chinese heritage high school students who are passionate about issues that affect Asian Americans (e.g., mental health, racism, family dynamics, peer relationships, social media influences). Students will serve on the Youth Advisory Board for The BOBA (Building Our Bonds Authentically) Project, our new NIH-funded research study on the experiences of Chinese heritage youth. 

The BOBA Project focuses on how Chinese heritage teenagers have conversations with their family and friends about current issues that affect Asian Americans and subsequent impacts on mental health. We are starting out with Chinese Americans but expect to expand the project to include other Asian American groups in the future. We envision that the BOBA Project will have a positive long-term impact on Asian American youth mental health and encourage teens to engage in important conversations with their loved ones. As such, youth voice is critical to this research having a broader impact on the community. Beyond providing their perspectives to our research, Youth Advisory Board members will meet regularly with our research team, learn directly about the research process, contribute to community outreach, and receive professional developmental opportunities. Youth Advisory Board members will receive a $500 stipend for their participation. 

This is a great leadership opportunity for Chinese heritage high school students interested in psychology, research, and issues that affect Asian American youth. 

All applicants must

 

Strong applicants will

 

For more information about the Youth Advisory Board, please see the attached flier and visit our website. Click here to apply! Applications close on Monday, February 13th, 2023 at 11:59 PM. 

New Club!!: African Carribbean club 

I am pleased to announce the new addition to the clubs at BLA; The African Carribbean Club has been established for all students to have a safe space to be themselves and embrace their cultures. Join now!! Questions? Email -Kuukuwa Darkwa (kdarkwa@bostonk12.org ) , Eryssah Joseph ( ejoseph31@bostonk12.org) 

Yoga Club Dates Switched

Due to a scheduling conflict, Yoga Club will take place on the second Wednesday of every month.  Therefore, the next club meeting will be on Wednesday, December 14th in Room 201 with Ms. Conway.  Namaste. Questions? cconway2@bostonpublicschools.org

Knitting Club Startup 

Community Service Opportunity here: The Knitting Club is restarting this school year. With this club, students not only get the opportunity knit crafts, but to also send their crafts to underprivileged communities for service hours. It is in room 326 (Mrs. MacIsaac's Room) after school with the first meeting being next Tuesday (11/22). There will be games and music! No experience is needed! To sign up fill out the attached google form: https://forms.gle/n82qSUNmisYXnHsBA 

Interact Boston Club

Want volunteer hours? Join Interact Club and interact with Boston. We will volunteer around Boston and help solve community issues! Questions? mpimentel18@bostonk12.org

Knitting Club Startup 

Community Service Opportunity here: The Knitting Club is restarting this school year. With this club, students not only get the opportunity knit crafts, but to also send their crafts to underprivileged communities for service hours. It is in room 326 (Mrs. MacIsaac's Room) after school with the first meeting being next Tuesday (11/22). There will be games and music! No experience is needed! To sign up fill out the attached google form: https://forms.gle/n82qSUNmisYXnHsBA 


Ms. Upchurch's Resume Writing Workshops



Book Club!

Wrestling Team Meetings 

Monday After-School Math Club for Grade-7 & Grade-8 Math Enthusiasts


Join Seniors Kenny Mai & Symone Armstead on Mondays at 1:40 to 2:40 in Room 326 for fun & interesting math activities.  Students will work on group problem solving, hands-on explorations, team competitions, and maybe create a Math Video or Animation Video for the MathCounts Video Challenge annual contest.  


The MathCounts Club will begin on November 7th.  Email Ms. Linda Coffey at blamathcounts@gmail, if you would like to join the group.  Reach out to amacisaac@bostonpublicschools with any questions. 


Fabric Arts Club


High School Band 

Want to become a Big Sister? 

Greek Club! 

Recycling Club 

Crochet Lunch Bunch!


Join BLA Dragon Tales School Newspaper!

Join The Academy Actors 

Join The Christian Club :

Please review the Special Education Basic Rights (below)