9th Grade

• Shirley Booze sbooze@bcths.com

• Eileen McDonald emcdonald@bcths.com 

10th Grade

• Tracy Brasier tbrasier@bcths.com 

11th Grade

• Brandee Baker bbaker@bcths.com 

12th Grade

• James Sohenuick jsohenuick@bcths.com

Safe 2 Say

Dear BCTHS Families:

BCTHS is committed to creating and sustaining a comprehensive, coordinated effort to improve the overall safety, security, and well-being of our students and staff. To do this, we have involved community-wide programs and initiatives involving parents, teachers, administrators, local law enforcement, mental health, and wellness professionals and elected officials to take meaningful action to protect our students. One of the most recent initiatives is the Safe2SaySomething (S2SS) system. On January 17 &18, 2019, BCTHS students will be introduced to and trained with the S2SS initiative by S2SS staff.  To see the PowerPoint presentation your child will see, please click 

The “Safe2Say Something” (S2SS) anonymous reporting program, mandated under Pennsylvania’s Act 44, teaches students, teachers, and administrators how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and Say Something to a trusted adult OR use its anonymous reporting system. Specifically, the program educates participants to:

• Recognize the signs and signals of at-risk behaviors – especially within social media.

• Take every sign and signal seriously; act quickly to get help by talking to a trusted adult, OR

• Report it anonymously through the S2SS system via phone, mobile app, or website.

• Respond and manage the tip via a school-based multi-disciplinary educator and administrator teams.

• Sustain the curriculum and awareness through student clubs, in-school activities, and other events.

Our students often are aware of the problems their peers are facing, so we must empower them to know the danger signs and give them the tools to help each other with the assistance of trained and caring adults. Many of these conversations are taking place on social media. Therefore it is critical that we teach our students to be looking out for one another as these digital conversations are taking place. S2SS teaches them what to look for in the text, video, and photos while empowering them to act quickly to help a fellow student.

The S2SS program is being provided through Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a nation-wide non-profit organization. SHP’s programs are in 50 states, with 10,000+ schools and over 5.5 million students and adults trained. They have a track record, reputation, and knowledge of how to work effectively with kids, parents, and teachers to improve school safety and culture.  The program is age-appropriate and research-based. They also have funding to provide and sustain the program at no cost to BCTHS (and all PA schools).

We anticipate that S2SS will help reduce school violence, suicides, and threats; it will help reduce bullying and cyberbullying; help intervenes upon cutting, drug use, racial conflicts, and other violent and victimization acts.

If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our Principal, Mr. Azar or our Assistant Principal, Ms. Scott. You can also review more information at Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say Something website - https://www.safe2saypa.org/.

The Parent Brochure, Parent Overview, and PowerPoint Presentation can be viewed by clicking on the requested document.

Sincerely,

Leon Poeske, Ed.D.

Administrative Director

• Community Colleges

• Career and Technical Schools

• Four-Year Colleges

• The Military

• Apprenticeships

• On-the-Job Training

Community Colleges

Provide affordable, career-oriented programs which allow students to begin their careers after two years or less of college.  Students complete short-term programs to receive certificates or diplomas; those completing two year programs earn associate degrees.  Students can also transfer to a four-year college after their first year or two to earn a bachelor’s degree.

• Community colleges are affordable and the classes are small

• Students with high school diplomas and GED’s are welcome.  You do not need to take SAT’s or ACT’s.

• Community colleges meet the needs of their local communities by offering classes on Saturdays and evenings.  They usually do not have dorms and all students commute.

• Students who are not academically prepared to attend four-year colleges can start at a community college and then transfer to a four-year school.

Career and Technical Schools

Offer short-term training in a wide variety of career fields.  While some programs last only a few weeks, others take up to two years to complete.

• Prepare students for a specific career.  Students spend most of their class time in job-related settings.  Student-teacher ratio is low and students generally receive a lot of individual instruction.

• These schools usually accept any student with a high school diploma or GED.

• Guidelines to evaluate a career or technical school:

1. Licensing and accreditation – means a school meets the minimum standard of the accreditation agency.  Be wary of any school that is not accredited.  You can get a list of accredited schools by state and/or program at www.rvm.org/rwm. 

2. Check out the facilities.  Take a tour.  Is the equipment up to date and adequate for the number of students enrolled

3. Placement.  Does the school offer placement assistance after completion of their program.  What percentage of the school graduates find jobs in their field of training?

4. Cost. Total cost of tuition, supplies, and fees.

5. Quality of Instruction. What are the qualifications and credentials of instructors?  Are courses and books up to date?

6. Reputation and Stability. How long has the school been in operation? How many students complete the program?  Talk to alumni and businesses for opinions of the school and call the Better Business Bureau.

• Career and technical schools can be expensive.

• Career and technical school credits usually do not transfer

Four-Year Colleges

A bachelor’s degree is earned at four-year colleges.  A bachelor’s degree can open doors, provide status and prepare students for financially rewarding careers.  Colleges vary greatly in their size, costs, admissions policies and in the majors they offer.

• Four-year colleges generally offer a wide variety of majors.

• Colleges want students who are academically prepared.  Students are expected to be ready for college level work and have completed college preparatory work in high school.

• Four-year colleges have specific requirements for admission.  ACT/SAT scores will be required for admittance. 

• Four-year colleges should be carefully researched.  The following Web sites can be helpful.  They will also provide free SAT preparation information

www.collegeboard.com www.campustours.com

www.collegenet.com www.fastweb.com

www.educationplanner.com www.princetonreview.com

• Four-year colleges can be expensive. 

• Financial assistance is available in the form of Grants, scholarship, work-study and loans.

The Military

The military trains young men and women to protect the interests of our country.  It offers training in over 2,000 job specialties. The military provides a good salary and free job training as well as opportunities for career advancement and travel.

• The four major branches of the service are Army, Navy, Air Force and the Marines.  There are also opportunities in the Coast Guard, National Guard and the reserves.

• To enlist, a young man or woman must earn a minimum score on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and pass a physical exam.

Apprenticeships

Students who prefer hands on training may want to consider this approach.  Apprentices learn their trade through a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training.

• Apprentice work under the supervision of a journey worker and receives at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.

• An apprentice also receives almost 150 hours of related instruction a year in order to learn safety measures, theories and techniques.

• Programs are administered by employers, labor unions, and employer association.

On-the-Job Training

Training is provided by the employer and it can last anywhere from a few hours to several months.  Short term programs are designed to teach employees only what they need to know to perform their job.  Therefore, educational benefits are usually limited.

*Please contact your guidance counselor to discuss any of the above options in further detail or to get more information