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BHS Principal Sabrina Westdijk

Message from the Principal

May 5, 2025

Greetings, BHS students, families and community. Happy May! We have a packed issue this time around, filled with both celebrations and upcoming events as we rapidly near the end of another school year. Please take a few moments to review important information about graduation, end-of-year schedule updates, and more. I hope to see you at our upcoming Spring Drama as well! More info on our upcoming production is below, and we are grateful that the Hunt Middle School auditorium is again graciously hosting our talented thespians.

This is a very busy time, as the leadership team and our teacher leaders work to complete the following during May:

Master scheduling
2025-2026 hiring, including for a new Director of Counseling
The final touches for several big events, including Graduation
Finalizing strategic planning & professional learning for 2025-2026

Please also save the date for BHS Academic Awards Night on Wednesday, May 28th, hosted in the HMS Auditorium. Families of students who will be receiving honors will receive notification later this month, but we encourage anyone in our community to attend as we recognize excellence. Awards will span all grade levels, and this is a wonderful time to celebrate success and growth across all content areas.

We are truly in the home stretch now. Please check in with your students regularly on where things stand in their classes, don't hesitate to routinely review grades in Schoology, and reach out to teachers with any questions or concerns. The traditional academic year will conclude on May 28, so we just have a few weeks left to get in assignments and get grades where we want and need them to be by year's end. Thank you for all you do to support our learners outside the classroom!

With appreciation,

Sabrina Westdijk

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Rising 9th Grade Open House on May 8

This is an evening for rising 9th graders and their families to get familiar with BHS, their teachers, and our academic programs and extracurriculars!

Thank you, Teachers!

May 5-9 is Teacher Appreciation Week. If a teacher at BHS has positively impacted you, as a learner, or your student, please consider sending them a quick note of thanks. Teachers work tirelessly to support learners, often without knowing how much their work means.

BHS Prom is May 24

The BHS Prom will be hosted at Hula again this year, from 8-11pm.

Tickets will be on sale after the return from Spring Break. Stay tuned for announcements from Student Government.

End-of-Year Calendar Updates

Please note that we have a few calendar updates:

May 27 and May 28 will both be early release days, following our end-of-semester "Makeup Day" schedule. This means that students can stay until 3:15 to make up work, but classes end at 12:35pm. This matches what we did at the end of Semester 1 in January. Lunch will be served as usual on these days. The YES Program begins on May 29th as planned.

Thursday, June 12 will now be a half day for 9th-11th grades (12th graders will spend that morning at Graduation Rehearsal). We are developing a fun end-of-year celebration schedule. School will start at 9am and end at 11:30am that day. Grab n' Go lunch will be available.

Seeking Interest

BHS Drama Club Presents: Late Bus May 15-17

Burlington High School Drama website

Attention Class of 2025: Graduation Info & FAQs

Commencement is only weeks away, on June 12 at UVM's Patrick Gym (3-4:30pm)!

Last Tuesday’s senior class meeting was stacked with graduation essentials. The slate of announcements that were delivered to students can be reviewed here. It includes updates such as Graduation Speaker/Marshall Nominations, the Burlington School District’s Senior Postsecondary Exit Survey, and a reminder to submit community service hours for confirmation of graduation.

Please be reminded that seniors in the graduating Class of 2025 must submit documentation of completed community service hours by 3:30 PM on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 (the last day of the final academic quarter). Candidates for graduation will not be permitted to participate in the commencement ceremony without a recorded completion of their community service requirements.

More details about what qualifies as community service can be found in these slides and this information sheet. Students can find blank Community Service Forms in the Counseling Office in room 113 or print it using this link.

For more information about graduation related activities and expectations, please review our Graduation FAQ Sheet 2025.

Tickets for graduation: each Graduate will receive ten (10) tickets. If you would like to request a limited number of additional tickets, please fill out this form by May 30th.

ICYMI: YES 2025 is Coming!

We are just 8.5 weeks away from the start of YES, which is Thursday, May 29th! Students will learn about their YES soon. Assignments will be posted at BHS and students will have an opportunity to meet their YES teachers in a “meet your teacher day” in late May during Advisory. Some important reminders for students and families about YES:

YES course assignments are final.
- There is no “add/drop” window like we have for our traditional academic scheduling.
Attendance is mandatory.
- Personal appointments--such as seeing your doctor or dentist--should be scheduled for OUTSIDE of class time (9:30am - 2:15pm).
- If students miss more than two classes for their YES courses, then they will not earn credit.
- Students will need to make-up this credit in order to graduate.
- Options for how to make-up credit will be communicated at the start of the next school year from the YES Coordinator.
Credit is earned on a Pass/Fail basis.
The Presentation of Learning (POL) Day is mandatory.
- This is on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
- If students miss this day, then they will not earn credit for their YES class until they complete a make-up presentation at the start of the following school year upon return.
- If a senior misses the POL Day, then they will not be able to participate in graduation.
Independent studies are not an option.
- We do not offer independent studies as an option for the YES Session.
- All students must participate in a YES course offered at BHS.

If students are participating in an external program, such as Aspirnaut, then the student must reach out to the YES Coordinator (yes@bsdvt.org) and Principal Westdijk (swestdij@bsdvt.org) for approval. This entails the submission of an alternative YES proposal form. Approval of external programs is rare.

SEAHORSE CELEBRATIONS

The Arts Shine at BHS

The BHS choirs, orchestra and bands put on a fantastic Spring Concert at the BHS Fine Arts Night in April. A huge thank you to the hundreds of family members and staff in attendendance that evening. We had a wonderful time celebrating our talented students and educators in both the performing arts and visual arts at BHS.

BHS Philosophy Club Places 20th in Ethics Bowl Nationals

The BHS Philosophy Club competed in the Ethics Bowl and advanced to Nationals this year -- their first year participating in this competition. They traveled to UNC Chapel Hill, where they ultimately placed 20th nationally -- no small feat! To learn more, check out this fun story in Seven Days. Congrats to our amazing team, and special thanks to their coach, BHS parent and UVM Philosophy Professor Tyler Doggett.

BHS Unified Basketball Goes Undefeated

Our Unified Sports Basketball Team completed the '25-'26 season undefeated! Congratulations, Seahorses!

Students Prepare Time Capsules for New Campus

Advisories did an amazing job creating thoughtful items for their grade-level time capsule! We saw so many unique submissions at our capsule sealing ceremonies, including items such as a recipe book, letters to future selves, music playlists, a magazine, tickets from this year’s championship games, book recommendations, photo collages, lots of memorabilia from our time at dtBHS and so much more! The time capsules will be buried in the floating floor section of our new high school and will be opened in 25 years!

Sister State Student Exchange Program Visits Tottori, Japan

Over the April break, students at BHS visited Japan for a student exchange with Vermont’s Sister State, Tottori Prefecture, through the community partners Green Across the World.

Together with students from Essex High School, students spent the school week at two high schools in Tottori, Japan - Tottori Nishi and Kurayoshi Higashi. Students stayed with host families at their homes and experienced the everyday life of a Japanese high school student. Representing BHS were Lydia Allen, Claire Leithead, Lisa Zhou-Hackett, Trudy Farrell, Savannah Gauthier, and Meg Ruben.

A few highlights from the trip included touring Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, immersion events in the school, attending ecological field trips in Daisen-Oki National Park, studying the biology of the stunning coast at San’in Kaigan Geopark, and visiting the brand new Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art.

We were covered by the press multiple times, including our visit to an International Baccalaureate class. Our delegation was again received in an official state welcome from Governor Shinji Hirai, who was one of the original founders of Vermont’s sister state agreement. Here is a picture of our full Burlington and Essex cohort with the Governor.

For almost 10 years, Burlington High School, together with Green Across the World, has participated in an international exchange with Tottori, Japan (Vermont’s Sister State). This October 2025, Burlington High will again welcome a delegation of high school students from Tottori, Japan. We need your help! We are seeking families to host a student for one week in their home! The dates will be the second week in October 2025.

If you are interested in meeting new people, sharing language and culture, and being a part of an international exchange, please send a message to CharlieDan Sheffy - csheffy@bsdvt.org to say hello and learn more about the program. After hosting in October, we will shift attention to sending a BHS delegation to Japan in April 2025.

Counseling Updates

Last Thursday, VSAC counselor Soren Dews hosted an informative presentation on “Financial Aid and Managing College Costs” to support juniors and their families with financial planning ahead of next year. In addition to helpful information about the FAFSA, VSAC provided guidance on how to navigate the CSS Profile and shared a helpful list of participating schools to help inform your school selection and budgeting goals.

BHS Counseling delivers a weekly newsletter to all students called The Bubble Blast. This resource features information related primarily to scholarships and postsecondary exploration, and also highlights experiential learning resources. This week’s edition features lots of community service opportunities for those seniors still in need of completing their graduation requirement or students looking to maintain progress towards that goal.

BURLINGTON CITY & LAKE SEMESTER

BCL14 is excited to announce this semester’s Public Art Event, taking place from 11:30am-1pm on May 14th! Students have been working with screen printer Brit Mae Langdon on a collaborative mural that will be temporarily installed on Leahy Way – the alley between Church Street and the parking garage – before it is moved to the new high school. The mural is titled “Hands of Hope: One Community.”

The event will feature words from students and community leaders, music, food, and live screen printing so that attendees can take home clothing with an image printed from the mural. Bring a t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc. and leave with a new piece of wearable art!

Please join us for this fun, festive, community-building event! We would love to see you there!

~ Christie, Dov, Emily, and the BCL14 students

BHS Afterschool Program

Week of 5/12-16

Remember, it's never too late to try something new - even in May! Students are welcome to join a club at any time.

Seahorse Pride Sponsorships Support BHS

With Sincere Gratitude

We proudly thank Talbott Berman Law Office and Sugarsnap for their generous support of Burlington High School. Their partnership plays a vital role in enriching our students’ educational journeys, supporting extracurricular programs, and strengthening the BHS community.

We are deeply grateful for their commitment to our students and their investment in the future of our school.

Watch for continued sponsor spotlights in the Family Newsletter. To learn more about joining our community of corporate partners, please reach out to Seahorse Pride at seahorsepride@gmail.com.

Courtesy Posts

Volunteer Opportunity for High School Students!

Are you looking to earn community service hours while making a positive impact in your community? Join us at Parent University to help provide childcare and children's activities! We are seeking enthusiastic high school students to volunteer on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Here are the details:

When: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5:30-7:00 PM

Where:Tuesdays at the O.N.E. Community Center, Wednesdays at Sustainability Academy Role: Assist with childcare and engage children in fun, educational activities

Benefits: Earn community service hours, gain experience, and make a difference! This is a fantastic opportunity to develop leadership skills, meet new people, and contribute to a supportive environment for families.

If you're interested, please contact Denise Torrey at dtorrey@bsdvt.org or 978-821-7179 (WhatsApp enabled) for more details and to sign up. We look forward to having you on our team!

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