Quarter 3 has come to an end here at BHS. This quarter has been very eventful and quickly flown by. From snow storms to a slow start to spring to February break to club and sports events a lot has happened in this short period of time

This quarter started off chaotic as it was planned for it to start on January 26th after midterms but a snow storm ended up delaying this. The quarter started with two snow days back to back on January 26th and January 27th. 

This is not the only snow storm that made us miss school this quarter. We had 2 more back to back snow days that extended our February Break on February 24th and February 25th. 

As a result of all these snow days this quarter was 4 days shorter and quarter 4 was extended by 4 days. The last day of school is now June 24th. 

A major event that happened this quarter was course selection. Students started to think and plan their classes for next year.  

This process started off after February break.  Teachers meet with students and put in their course recommendations. On March 2nd students went to an assembly explaining this process of picking courses.

Between March 3rd - March 16th  students were able to meet with their counselors. March 16th was the deadline for students to put their request in on aspen. Students still are able to change their schedules throughout quarter 4 if they change their mind on something or need something fixed.

This quarter had a lot of events in sports. The winter sports season came to a close this quarter. BHS teams did well and had excellent seasons. 

The spring sport season held tryouts a couple weeks ago. The season is now underway.  Lacrosse, baseball, softball, tennis, and outdoor track teams have started their season.

There were also many school and club events that took place this quarter. These are some of the many that happened this quarter.

The Chamber Singer sold singing valentines to raise money for the Burlington Food Pantry. They delivered the valentines on February 13th to students in class.

NHS had its Induction Ceremony on February 26th. They welcomed new members that were accepted into NHS this year.

On March 12th there was the 40th Annual College Fair. This took place at Reading Memorial High School. The high schools of Burlington, Bedford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, Wilmington, Winchester, and Woburn.

There were 120+ colleges in attendance. Students were able to go to different tables and learn and ask questions about different colleges.

Towards the end of the quarter the first of the MCAS exams took place. Sophomores took the ELA MCAS on March 24th and March 25th. This is the last time sophomores will take the ELA MCAS.

Quarter 3 was the last quarter for seniors. During quarter 4 seniors will depart on internships. We wish them the best of luck.

This quarter has been a very memorable one. It is officially in the books. The last quarter of the year has now officially started.

From the 2025-2026 winter, Burlington has received more snow than ever before reaching a record of 70 total inches. Burlington was the perfect mix for this weather to form with a combination of constant precipitation, freezing temperatures, and heavy winds constantly brewing up in the town. 

One of the biggest challenges Burlington faced this winter was the sheer amount of snow. In late January, a major snowstorm dropped over 17 inches of snow in the town, making it one of the most significant snow falls in recent years. 

While the frigid temperatures kept the snow in place, news of another snow storm came rolling in. On February 23, the Blizzard of 2026 came where it officially brought over 17 inches of snow to the town. It seemed non-stop for Burlington to have never received snow to this extent since the Blizzard of 76’. 

Meteorologists also seemed a bit nervous looking at the precipitation meter heading towards the town as the predicted snow meter almost doubled when it reached the northeastern region. “Any snow that we will get will be heavy, almost wet cement like snow,” Burlington’s Meteorologist, Peter Brown, said in his weather report for the week of 2/23.

For students to return back to school, Burlington public schools had to set up as much help as they could get clearing the snow for students and faculty to safely arrive at school. The first target area is the entrances and loading docks of the school. “The first thing we as custodians have to do when a snowstorm hits is to clear out the entranceway to the loading dock,” Janitor, Alex McGillivray, wrote, “where the custodial office is so we can grab equipment from inside as needed.”

The use of machinery is key to efficiency when clearing out the areas of the school. Shovels are only used in areas not able to reach via snowblower to not “…overexert ourselves with heavy shoveling.”  McGillivray wrote. 

Many may notice that the school area is often one of the most salted places in public. This is done on purpose to reduce the risk involved with ice forming around areas of high pedestrians and traffic including vehicles consisting of buses, vans, trucks, and cars of both teachers and students. 

Although the town received a humongous amount of snow that followed with cancellation of activities and events, this year may just be an odd one out for years to come. When superintendent Dr. Eric Conti was asked about any interest in changing the school scheduling for next year, he responded, “No, what made me question the scheduling for next year is really when Labor Day falls, We have to schedule 180 days for students no matter what year.” 

Living in New England though, some things behind the scenes go a longer way than perceived. “You always have to build in five days for snow.” Said Dr. Conti, “So those days are always built in to determine how late we can end in June which sort of helps make the determination.” 

Despite the challenges faced, Burlington managed the winter effectively through preparation and coordination. While snow days and difficult travel were somewhat unavoidable, Burlington did as much as they could and showed the community what snow care really looks like. 

Have you ever reached that time of the year where you hear sniffles and coughs at every corner? Yes, as we know it, that would be the insufferable spring allergies.

To begin, what really are allergies? 

“An allergy itself is when your body’s immune system is detecting something in your body; Mr. Klein Biology teacher at BHS said. “Whether it’s nasal, in your lungs, or in your blood. It’s harmless yet your body doesn’t know and kind of freaks out and panics, making us feel sick to something that’s not a pathogen”. 

In simpler terms, allergies are an overreaction of the immune system causing sick-like symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, sore throats, etc. Really a lot of what our allergy symptoms are is inflammation or swelling.

Various sources such as Mr. Klein and Mayo Clinic have made the same claim towards allergy causation being dust mites, pollen, or ragweed. 

What you can do from here is to take the precautions necessary to prevent increased allergies or help withstand them. 

According to Mayo Clinic, you can reduce your exposure to allergy triggers in a series of simple ways: “Stay indoors on dry, windy days. Avoid lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.” 

Ultimately, be aware of the weather being a factor and try to avoid those outdoor activities that will contribute to allergies.

In addition, multiple sources have stated that keeping the indoor air clean is a vital way to help eliminate allergens. You can take action by using air conditioning in your house and car, keeping indoor air dry with a dehumidifier, and cleaning the floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter.

Another helpful tip to subsiding allergies would be washing your hands thoroughly to wash off pollen residue that could be later spread to the face.

To take greater measures, you can also reach out to a doctor or allergist if necessary. 

“Check with an allergist and they usually do a specialized plan for each student. They’ll prescribe different medicines or recommend different over the counter medicines.” Nurse Shields at Burlington High School recommends. 

Otherwise, Shields suggests staying hydrated as a vital component to maintain a healthy system during allergy season.

Some over the counter remedies are oral antihistamines which can help relieve sneezing, itching, a stuffy or runny nose, and watery eyes. Then there’s corticosteroid nasal sprays which improve nasal symptoms. 

"I use Flonase and medication like Zyretec to make sure I’m not tearing up and coughing every day” student Giuliana Magrane of BHS said when asked about measures taken to help cope with everyday allergies. 

Overall, there are many medications you can indulge in, but really before you reach this point, the allergens can be thoughtfully avoided by taking the simple steps listed earlier.

To sum up, spring allergies are creeping in and affecting peoples’ everyday lives. Take those next steps to cope with symptoms and lessen your exposure to allergy triggers to live spring life to the fullest.