Week of April 13, 2026

Bullying Prevention & Intervention: Any BPS student who is experiencing any form of bullying should immediately notify a trusted member of school staff or contact the Safe Space and Bullying Prevention Hotline at 617-592-2378 by phone or text message anytime. 

Parents/Caregivers: Please fill-out the BAA Health Form for the nurse, and the Emergency Form. Return to BAA Main Office. 

Dear BAA Community, 

As winter approaches, we want to share some easy practices to help you, your families, and our community stay safe and healthy. We expect to see rises in COVID-19, flu, and RSV cases this winter. 

If a student or staff member feels sick, please stay home and immediately notify the school of the absence. The BPS community is encouraged to check out our BPS Respiratory Illness Home Health Checklist to help determine if they should go to school or work when feeling sick. 

We encourage our students, families, educators, and staff to maintain good hygiene practices, like washing hands often and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. We also remind all BPS community members to keep their vaccinations current, including flu, COVID-19, and other childhood vaccines like MMR. 

Please consult a healthcare provider if you experience any of the following symptoms: 

● Fever or chills 

● Difficulty breathing 

● New loss of taste/smell 

● Muscle or body aches 

● Cough (not due to another known cause) or nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, sore throat, fatigue, headache, or nasal congestion- when in combination with other symptoms 

If you notice these symptoms, consider getting tested for COVID-19. If your test is negative but your symptoms persist, consult a healthcare provider for further guidance. 

We also provide additional guidelines below to help students and staff decide whether they should stay home. Community members displaying any listed symptoms are asked to stay home for at least 24 hours after all symptoms have resolved: 

● Fever — Temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Students need to stay home for 24 hours after their temperature has returned to normal without the use of fever-reducing medications, such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen. 

● Diarrhea — Three or more loose or watery stools in 24 hours, especially if the person feels ill. Students or employees should stay home for 48 hours after the last watery stool. 

● Vomiting — Two or more times during the last 24 hours, especially if the person feels ill. Students or employees should stay home for 48 hours after the last time they vomited. 

● Persistent Coughing — Could be caused by many illnesses. Students or employees experiencing persistent coughing should consult their primary care provider and stay home until the cough is resolved.

● Fatigue — Symptoms include lingering tiredness, paleness, lack of appetite, difficulty waking, confusion, and irritability. Students or employees should stay home until they are well or have seen their primary care provider. 

● Strep Throat or Bacterial Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) — Illnesses for which primary care providers have diagnosed and prescribed treatment. Students or staff members must stay home for 24 hours after receiving the first dose of antibiotics. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. 

Sincerely, 

Nurse Aboujaoude

Attention Juniors & Families,

SAT School Day will be on Thursday, April 16th! To participate, you must register HERE for the exam no later than the deadline of February 24th.

The SAT is an exam that some colleges and scholarships will require to apply. At this point, more than half of all four-year colleges are “test-optional,” meaning the tests are not necessarily a required part of the application, but students can still choose to send the scores. Although many colleges are currently “test-optional.”

REGISTER HERE

Accommodations (504/IEP)

If you have a 504 plan or an IEP and require testing accommodations, you must complete your registration and submit the required parent consent form by the earlier deadline of February 11th. Please be aware that while submitting these documents is a necessary step, the final decision regarding the approval of accommodations rests solely with the College Board.

SAT Practice Resources:

• Khan Academy: free online SAT prep

• The Boston Public Library will usually offer SAT prep courses. 

• Let's Get Ready: a program that offers mentoring, SAT prep, and transition to college support

• Schoolhouse SAT Tutoring

• BAA Library tutors can also help with SAT prep/ questions

We Have Rights

www.wehaverights.us

 An Empowerment Campaign To Prepare For And Safely Defend Our Rights During Encounters With Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Emergency food resources:

• Call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline: 1-800-645-8333

• Call Mass 2-1-1

• Contact the Food Bank in your area:

• • Greater Boston Food Bank: GBFB.org/need-food

  • Food Bank of Western MA: FoodbankWMA.org/get-help/

  • Worcester County Food Bank: Foodbank.org/find-food/

  • Merrimack Valley Food Bank: https://mvfb.org/pantry-schedule

Free Weekly Grocery Market

Mass General Brigham introduces its new partnership with the YMCA Mobile Market, where community members can select their own free groceries each week. The clinical van with blood pressure and blood sugar checks will be available at certain times.

Two current sites:

 Maria Sanchez House

One Halleck Street parking lot, Mission Hill

Wednesdays: 10 AM (until food runs out)

 BWFH Community Physicians at Hyde Park

1337 Hyde Park Ave, Hyde Park

Thursdays: 1:30 PM (until food runs out)

SNAPMap

We want to share a helpful resource created by a Massachusetts student to support individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. The SNAPMap is an interactive tool that shows local restaurants and businesses offering free meals or essential items to anyone in need. You can access it here: https://mysnapmap.com/

Below are a few examples of participating locations in the Boston area:

Ebo Grocery – East Boston, 110 Meridian St
– Accepting donations of non-perishable groceries, diapers, and Venmo contributions
– Donated items are placed outside for anyone to take—no questions asked
– Donation hours: Mon–Thu 11am–7pm, Fri–Sun 9am–7pm

Cheese Louise – 80 Causeway St, Boston
– Beginning November 5: Kids eat free until SNAP benefits are restored
– Free Vermonter (grilled cheese with chips) for any child from a family in need
– Dine-in only; one per child per day; no purchase necessary
– Phone: 603-662-8230

Taco Azul – 21 Beacon St, Boston
– Providing free meals to families impacted by the loss of SNAP benefits
– Bring your child and they will be fed at no cost

Taco John’s – 77 Summer St, Boston
– Free beef or bean burrito with junior Potato Olés for anyone in need
– One meal per guest per day; no questions asked

We hope this resource is helpful for anyone facing food insecurity.

Adult Education and Workforce Development Resources 

BPS Adult Education

Boston Public Schools Department of Adult Education provides a variety of flexible programs, including ESOL, high school courses, and career pathway courses, with quality instruction, job training, and college and career advising.

Workforce Development Program Directory

The Workforce Development Program Directory lists free and low-cost job training, education, and supportive services, including ESOL, HiSET, career exploration and job search services, and industry-specific training courses.

OneLove: A helpful guide for parents and caregivers to support their teens in creating and maintaining healthy, positive relationships.https://www.joinonelove.org/relationships/trusted-adult-guide-parent-caregiver/