Bishop Guertin Updates

A rescheduled event welcoming memebrs of the Class of 2029! This is one of the most memorable nights of the year as our current Cardinals roll out the red carpet for the future Cardinals in a fun evening of games and relationship building. New parents alsospend the evening learning all about the wonderful school community that they will be sending their sons or daughters to the following year.

Join us as we turn the BG Gym into Nashua's top jazz club. Our student-musicians put on one of the year's best performances in this stylish and wonderfully prodcued concert. The show is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

No classes for BG Students. 

Join us for two performances of this year's school musical: Spamalot. 

Both performances will be on Saturday, March 22. The shows will take place at 2 and 7 p.m. 

Bishop Guertin is partnering with the New England Association for College Admission Counseling in hosting a college fair on March 26 from 6 - 8:30 p.m.  Over 110 college representatives will be here to share important information with students and parents. Because BG is hosting,  the colleges have a agreed to come at 6 p.m. just for the BG students and their families, while the fair will not open to the public until 6:30 p.m. 

We encourage you to come early to avoid the crowd!

If you are interested in motivating and inspiring students to find their passion, continue their education, and develop a direction for their future, please join us for the Bishop Guertin High School Career Fair on Friday, April 4, 2025.

*Please note we will confirm with you if you have been accepted into the fair (due to space limit)

Career Fair Details: 

Friday, April 4, 2025

11:30 AM - Field House open for speakers to drop off their items at their table

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Lunch for speakers 

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM - Seniors attend Career Fair

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM - Juniors attend Career Fair

(Students will cycle through areas, and speakers will have the opportunity to give an overview, and answer questions. Grades are broken into smaller groups and they will rotate through your area every 15 minutes.

We are seeking professionals in the fields of:

• Computer Science

• Medical / Nursing

• Law

• Finance

• Denistry

• Private Business

• Communications

• Human Resources

• Insurance

• Science

• Journalism

• Technology

• Environmental

• Public Service

• Education

To RSVP for this event, please fill  out this Google Form.

The first annual Bishop Guertin Fine Arts Night will be held on Tuesday, April 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event is free. Please use the main entrance to enter the school.  

Are you looking for a meaningful way to support your child’s experience at Bishop Guertin while giving back to the BG community? Bishop Guertin’s 27th Annual Legacy Gala featuring this year’s theme, “Send Me On My Way” will be taking place on April 12, 2025 and there are plenty of opportunities to support and participate in this year’s Legacy Gala. From serving as a volunteer to purchasing tickets to donating auction items, your support will benefit the Cardinal Endowment Fund for Scholarships and Financial Assistance.

Please contact Dakota Bilodeau at bilodeaud@bghs.org or visit https://www.bghs.org/gala/ for more information. 

Dear Parents and Students,

Bishop Guertin’s prom plans are well underway, and it is with great excitement we announce this year’s Junior and Senior Prom will be held on Friday, May 16. The prom will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown located at 700 Elm Street in Manchester. The prom begins at 7 p.m. and all students must be checked in by 7:30 p.m.

As a reminder, this day coincides with Student Appreciation Day and dismissal will be at 12 p.m. There are no early dismissals. Students should schedule any necessary appointments after 12 p.m. as any BG student planning to attend prom must be on time and in school throughout the day on May 16.

Prom ticket information will be distributed soon. Before purchasing a ticket, students will need to submit a completed prom contract and, if bringing a guest outside of Bishop Guertin, a completed guest permission form. 

BGHS Code of Honorable Conduct will be in effect at all times. Students are responsible for properly informing their guests of BG’s policies and expectations. .

• Gentlemen: formal prom attire may be classified as a tuxedo or dress suit, including a collared shirt with a tie or bow tie, or a collarless shirt. Dress shoes must be worn. Tennis shoes and athletic shoes are unacceptable.

• Ladies: traditional formal dresses, gowns, or dress suits may be worn. Dresses can have spaghetti straps or be strapless. While open backs are acceptable, there should be no opening that falls below the waist. In keeping with the expectation of modesty, no attire should allow for bare midriffs, cutouts at the waist, slits that rise above the mid-thigh, or attire that is too low cut. Mesh material should be considered for dresses with low cuts. Dress shoes must be worn. 

As a reminder for all, bare feet on the premises are not allowed and will be strictly enforced. Students must wear shoes at all times. 

Formal invitations will be mailed at the end of February. If you have any questions regarding the prom, student dress code, or ticket sales, please contact junior class moderator, Mrs. Sawler.

We hope the prom will be an evening that provides many enjoyable memories for all. 

Thank you,

Mr. Forrester 

• Arizona Service Week in Navajo Nation

St. Anne’s Mission located in Klagetoh, Arizona is a 75 years old mission of All Saints Parish in Ganado, Arizona. The staff is composed of a mixed community of Brothers of the Sacred Heart, Dominicans, and lay volunteers. The mission has a food bank, rummage, youth program, and all church programs. Led by Br. Charles Schilling, students work alongside members of Navajo Nation in friendship while completing a variety of tasks that include building, farming, ranching and cleaning. Learn more about the St. Anne Mission here.
Dates: Saturday, April 23 – Saturday, May 3

Cost: dependent of flight costs (~ $1,300)

Apply HERE

• U.S. Province Mission Experience in Woonsocket, R.I. (Mount Saint Charles Academy)

The Province Mission Trip is an annual summer gathering of students from our Brothers schools across the country (and England). Hosted on a rotating basis by one of the schools, this opportunity allows students to meet and interact with other young people who share the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Experience while living out the Brothers’ message of compassion through a commitment to service.

Dates: Sunday, July 13 – Saturday, July 19

Cost: approximately $900

Apply HERE

• Ever to Excel at Boston College

High school students are seeking meaning, their place in the world, and how to make an impact. Ever to Excel invites these students to spend a week at Boston College, a premier Jesuit, Catholic university, with a new community of friends from all around the world who are asking these same questions. Built on the foundation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the week's activities, group discussions, and keynote speakers will guide the participants in deepening their faith, discovering their gifts, and gaining valuable tools for personal discernment.

Dates: 

Session 2:  July 20-July 25, 2025
Session 3:  July 27-August 1, 2025

Cost: $800

Apply HERE

Every year during the Lenten season, the students of Bishop Guertin raise funds to support Sacred Heart High School in Zimbabwe.  I was invited to speak this morning because I am probably the only person in New Hampshire – and possibly in the entire USA – who has actually been to the school. 

Sacred Heart High School is located in a village called Rutenga in southern Zimbabwe. Rutenga is situated along an important road leading down to the border with South Africa.  The village developed because it sits on a railway junction.  Some people there work for the railroad or find jobs at nearby sugarcane farms.  In the village itself, a number of entrepreneurs operate small businesses.  Outside the village, people raise cattle, goats, and chickens, and they grow what they can in an arid climate. 

I last visited Rutenga a few years before the pandemic, arriving on a Thursday in June.  The next day, Friday, was the Feast of the Sacred Heart, a day chosen for an especially grand celebration.  The school had originally been named for the village:  Rutenga High School. But to better express their religious identity, the school community was going to be christened that day “Sacred Heart High School”. 

The festivities started with a big parade from the school into the village center.  Majorettes, waving their batons, led off the parade. The teachers and students followed. Two teachers carried a banner announcing the new name, with the banner covered until we arrived downtown for the big reveal.

This is downtown Rutenga!  A handful of stores, a couple of bars, and a dirt road. People from around the village came out to see the parade. The headmaster, Brother Joachim, solemnly rechristened Rutenga High as “Sacred Heart High School”.  The banners were uncovered, the majorettes danced, speeches were made… and then we all marched back to school for an outdoor Mass celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart.  

The headmaster welcomed the students, teachers, and guests of honour to the liturgy.  Then the entrance procession began with drumming, singing, and dancing.  The priest of Rutenga’s Catholic parish spoke of the Sacred Heart, challenging one and all to learn compassion from the Heart of Jesus in order to build a school community based on respect, kindness, and service to others.

When Mass was over, it was time to feed the whole school.  Parents had cooked up big pots of sadza, which is boiled corn meal, similar to grits in the American South, but thicker.  All you need for a Zimbabwean banquet is a big mound of sadza, smothered in gravy, with some choice bits of beef or chicken.

After lunch, the celebration continued with intramural football competition.  Those who weren’t playing cheered from the sidelines. And those who weren’t paying attention to soccer were getting their picture taken with the Brother from Rome.  As an American, I was treated like a celebrity!

And that was the first day of my visit, a wonderful day of celebration and school spirit.

After the weekend, we were back in school on Monday.  I spent the morning visiting classes, including Brother Dereck’s mathematics class.  His classroom was in a three-classroom block for which Bishop Guertin provided major funding. One year’s Lenten Mission Appeal raised enough money to lay the foundation, pour the concrete slab, and lay courses of brickwork up to window level.  I know about the construction because I was based in Rome at the time, and the Brothers in Rome gave the money to complete the courses of brickwork from window level to roof level.  Then another organization paid to cap the building with a roof. But it was BG students who started the ball rolling by financing the foundation.

Commercial farming is an important sector of the Zimbabwean economy.  Agriculture courses are compulsory in secondary school.  In the classroom, kids study agricultural science, but they also go out literally into the field to improve their practical skills in growing food. Here’s the teacher, the lady on the right, out there with the kids getting their class plot ready for planting.

On Monday afternoon, after school ended for the day, we paid a visit to some teachers in their homes.  One house was built through the BG mission drive.  It’s a duplex, shared by two teachers and their families.  This duplex is mission-critical.  Rutenga is a dirt-road village with insufficient infrastructure and housing.  And if you don’t have housing for teachers’ families, then you don’t have teachers.  God bless BG.  You made it possible for the school to provide high-quality, affordable accommodation for teachers.  With indoor plumbing!

There’s much more that could be said about Sacred Heart High School, but I just wanted to share my own experience during one visit to Rutenga so that you could get a feel for the place.  The kids are real, they have hopes and dreams like you do, and over the years they have been blessed by what BG has generously contributed to their education.  Your help is as tangible as the concrete, brick and mortar of their classroom buildings, the hygienic facilities, and teachers’ housing.  Thank you, Cardinals!

Dear BG Parents,

I’m excited to share that scholarship applications for Bishop Guertin students are now OPEN! Applications are due by Friday, March 7th at midnight.

As your student begins the application process, here are a few important reminders:

• BG Email Required – Students must be logged into their BG email to access the application.

• Careful Review – Encourage them to read the application and essay prompt carefully, answering all questions thoroughly.

• Authenticity Matters – Our scholarship committee and benefactors want to hear their voice and unique story.

To explore all available scholarship opportunities, visit:

BG Scholarship Opportunities – Find them using the link or under the Advancement and Giving tab on our website (bghs.org).

If you or your student have any questions, please feel free to email me or have them stop by my office (next to the upper art room).

Best,

Dakota Bilodeau

Associate Director of Advancement

Dear Cardinals,

I am reaching out to ask for your support in preserving a cherished tradition at Bishop Guertin.

For over 30 years, our school has proudly participated in an exchange program with the Institution des Chartreux in Lyon, France. This unique cultural experience has enriched the lives of countless students and families. However, this year we face a challenge: we still need additional host families for French students visiting this March, and without your help, the program may be in jeopardy.

We are seeking families to host students from March 25 to April 8, with a deadline to confirm hosts by February 10. Participating families do not need to speak French, as the visiting students will speak English during their stay.

This exchange offers significant benefits — not only for the visiting students, but also for our host families and entire school community. It’s a chance to share our culture, build lifelong connections, and create memories that last a lifetime. Additionally, host families will receive priority for Bishop Guertin’s trip to France this June, offering an opportunity for your student to experience the life-changing journey of visiting our French counterparts.

If you’re interested in hosting, please contact Mrs. Elsa Conrad at conrade@bghs.org as soon as possible. The hosting application as well as the application to travel to France are available now for those who are ready to begin the process. 

Thank you for considering this extraordinary opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Together, we can ensure the continuation of this incredible program for our future French and BG students.

Thank you,

Mr. Jason Strniste

If you are interested in motivating and inspiring students to find their passion, continue their education, and develop a direction for their future, please join us for the Bishop Guertin High School Career Fair on Friday, April 4, 2025.

*Please note we will confirm with you if you have been accepted into the fair (due to space limit)

Career Fair Details: 

Friday, April 4, 2025

11:30 AM - Field House open for speakers to drop off their items at their table

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Lunch for speakers 

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM - Juniors attend Career Fair

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM Seniors attend Career Fair

(Students will cycle through areas, and speakers will have the opportunity to give an overview, and answer questions. Grades are broken into smaller groups and they will rotate through your area every 15 minutes.)

To RSVP for this event, please fill  out this Google Form.

Dear Parents of the Class of 2025,

With fingers crossed and hopeful anticipation the FAFSA is slated to open on December 1. As you may know, last year this Free Application for Federal Student Aid – the most important form to fill out if families of college bound students are hoping for financial assistance was delayed last year by many months. This was after a long and arduous overhaul of the form that was designed to support families more effectively through this process and provide a more open algorithm for financial aid. All of this ultimately happened, but not as timely as both the colleges and the applicants were comfortable with. This year there has been a BETA roll-out and from all indications it went well and is ready to go. The hope being the opening of the FAFSA will be both timely and effective and available soon. So, fingers crossed.

Financial Aid officers from across the country are doing their best to help prepare families for this process. Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators advises families to prepare by setting up a studentaid.gov account, gathering personal and tax information, documenting financial records, and listing schools. This is good advice and will assist in helping complete the FAFSA seamlessly.

Many parents ask the BG Counselors, "should we even apply? I don’t think we will get any aid. My other student in college didn’t get any so why should we?"  

The answer to these questions is a resounding YES! Many colleges will not award merit aid, work study money, or other opportunities if they do not see a FAFSA on file. There is never any harm in filling it out.

FAFSA is crucial for accessing federal aid, including grants that do not require repayment. It also is the application for a low interest government loan that can increase as students move through their college years. It is well worth the time filling out the form.

We are fortunate to have partners to help our BG families complete the FAFSA. Below you will find helpful websites to assist you. As always feel free to reach out to me or your student’s counselor with any questions you may have. 

Granite Edvance  

https://graniteedvance.org/

FAFSA

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)

https://www.mefa.org/

Sallie Mae

https://www.salliemae.com/

Remember to contact the Financial Aid offices at the colleges your student has applied to – they can be extremely helpful.

Wishing you the best of luck through this process,

Brenda Poznanski

Sr. Director of School Counseling and Admission

During the 2024-2025 school year, Bishop Guertin will continue to offer morning transportation using the school's minibuses.  The cost for the entire year is $850.

The following bus routes will be available this year:

(Times listed after each stop are approximate for bus arrival.)

East Route

• • Bishop Guertin High School

  • Market Basket Old Ferry Rd, Lowell, MA, USA 6:10am

  • Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union, Bridge Street, Dracut, MA, USA 6:25am

  • Hannaford, Bridge Street, Pelham, NH, USA  6:35am

  • Icenter Salem, Lowell Road, Salem, NH, USA 6:45am

  • Shaw's, Indian Rock Road, Windham, NH, USA 6:55am

  • The White Birch Catering and Banquet Hall, Hudson NH  7:10am

  • Bishop Guertin High School 7:20am

North Route

• • Bishop Guertin High School

  •  Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, NH, USA    6:50am

  •  Los Primos Mexican Restaurant, Amherst Road, Merrimack, NH, USA    7:05am

  •  Bishop Guertin High School    7:15-7:20am

West Route

• Bishop Guertin High School

•  Market Basket, Jones Road, Milford, NH, USA 6:10am

•  NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, Route 13, Brookline, NH, USA  6:20am

•  Hannaford, Main Street, Townsend, MA, USA   6:35am

•  Pepperell Community Center       6:50am

•  Bishop Guertin High School   7:15-7:20am

To register for the 2024-25 BG Morning Bus Routes, please click this link and select the "STUDENT TRANSPORTATION BUS ROUTES" drop-down menu to complete the form.

The Nashua School District offers transportation to students residing in Nashua. 

If interested in this option, you can reach the office of transportation at 603-966-1055. To register your student in person, you can visit their offices located at 144 Ledge Street in Nashua.

Based on numbers, students in the mornings will ride their neighborhood high school bus to either Nashua North or South, and will then take a shuttle bus from there to Bishop Guertin. In the afternoon, buses will leave Bishop Guertin at 3:30 PM to drop students off near their home.

Our daily schedule is unchanged from last year.  Please refer to the printable daily schedule.  The letter designation and schedule of each day is published on the MyBG calendar. 

We will continue allowing students to be dismissed by parents when they have an academic period (study hall) during the last period of the day.  Near the start of school, you will see a survey in MyBG to give your permission for your son/daughter to check out of end-of-day academic period.  Students who have received parental permission may report to academic period and check out with the teacher.  It is expected that students who are dismissed early will leave campus directly and are not to congregate around the school (in locker rooms, the gymnasium, cafeteria, etc.).  If a student stays in school, the student must remain in study hall.

Please note that early dismissals due to a final-period study will not begin until a formal announcement is made.

Please refer to our 2024-2025 Calendar-at-a-Glance for details regarding key dates during the year. 

Our dress code for the school year will remain largely the same with a refocus and emphasis on some of the already existing guidelines. 

Mainly, gentlemen will continue to tuck-in their polo shirts and ladies will be expected to wear knee-high green, black, or navy blue socks when choosing to wear a skirt. Students will not be allowed to wear white athletic socks with their uniforms. The appropriate socks are made available at Red Brick Clothing both online and in store. 

As always, please review the official dress code copied below from the 2024-25 Student-Parent Handbook.

FEMALE DRESS CODE

Female students wear: a Bishop Guertin oxford blouse, a Bishop Guertin skirt or business professional pants, closed toe shoes of leather or suede upper and hard sole. Female students who choose to wear a skirt must abide by the following: (1) skirts should be worn with either knee-high green, black, or navy blue socks, or tights/nylons and (2) skirts should not be rolled or hemmed and should rest no higher than a student ID card above the knee.

Hair must be neatly kept and a naturally occurring hair color. Piercings are limited to traditional earlobe piercings. Traditional headbands and hair ties are allowed. An official Bishop Guertin sweater or solid-color blazer may be worn. Polo shirts are allowed between April 1 and October 31, unless a formal event is scheduled during the school day.

MALE DRESS CODE

Male students wear: a tucked-in Bishop Guertin oxford shirt, a tie, Dockers-style pants, a belt, dress shoes of leather or suede upper and hard sole, and dress socks. Hair must be a naturally occurring color, neatly kept, and off the collar. 

Ponytails, buns, and piercings are not permitted. Neatly trimmed facial hair is acceptable. No earrings or visible jewelry may be worn. An official Bishop Guertin sweater or a solid-color blazer may be worn. Polo shirts are allowed between April 1 and October 31, unless a formal event is scheduled during the school day. When worn, polo shirts must be tucked in.

Bishop Guertin High School partners with StudySix to bring international students to study here at school and to experience life in the United States.  The program depends on good host families, but StudySix is finding that host families are in short supply.  If you or someone you know would like to welcome international students into your home, please consider supporting the experience of these students.

Host families are given a monthly stipend of $1,100 per student. Students will arrive around August 16th or 17th.  

Please contact Mr. Casey Henry if you are interested in learning more about hosting.

We have a special offering for a K-Pop & Korea Culture Camp in South Korea this summer:

- Cost: $3,500 per student (plus flights and spending money)
- Sign-up deadline: March 15th
- Payment deadline: March 31st
- Trip dates: July 20th - August 2nd

A webinar will be held to provide detailed information about the upcoming summer camp in Korea. The organizers will present an overview of the camp program, logistics, and will be available to answer any questions that students or their parents may have.

The webinar is at 7:30 PM Thursday, February 27. Students should sign up via this link: http://www.kpopsummer.com/webinar

Event Flyer

Textbook information is available at the bookstore page. This page also includes information about summer reading.  Students should be sure to order all textbooks in advance and be attentive to their summer reading.  They will be assessed and graded at the start of school.

Throughout the school year, Mrs. Prunier and Mrs. Daly will send an email to parents and members of the Class of 2028 as part of the Cardinal Steps for Success program. This endeavor is aimed at helping first-year Cardinals better acclimate themselves to BG and the high school curriculum. Although there is a regular email with this information, you can also check THIS SITE to stay up-to-date on all Cardinal Steps for Success correspondences. 

COVID is a respiratory illness with symptoms that may include runny nose, sore throat, headache, and in some cases fever, diarrhea and vomiting.  Symptoms may be mild or severe.

If your child has a fever, vomiting and/or diarrhea, please keep them home until asymptomatic for twenty-four hours without fever reducing medication.  

Masking is optional and they may return when they are feeling well enough to be in school for the day.

You do not need a negative test to return to school.

Daily mass will resume it's usual 7 a.m. start time in the BG Chapel again. Students, faculy, staff and parents are all invited to attend this service befor the start of the school day.

Brother Roger

Returning for the 2024-25 school year is our student-run podcast. Re-branded as "The Redbird Report," this weekly podcast offers listeners information on all the happenings around Bishop Guertin, including upcoming athletics events as well as a look at the academic calendar for the week ahead.

You can find "The Redbird Report" on both Apple and Spotify. 

The Bishop Guertin Counseling Department hosts an online webinar aimed at better understanding adolescent behavior.

• Information regarding how to order caps and gowns for the 2025 Commencement: https://jostens.co/bggrad25