Spring brings rain and flowers but at school it also brings state testing. ( Brookville 2016 Testing Schedule ) Many of you are aware that changes have been made to lessen the load of required state tests. This year testing has been restored to one administration period and testing time has been reduced. Students will go back to having a total of 2.5-3.5 hours worth of possible testing time in each required tested subject. The total testing time for each subject will be split into 2 shorter 75min, 90min, or 105 min sessions. This is much closer to what was administered before PARCC testing. You can s ee a breakdown of testing times here .  

This year's tested subjects include: Language Arts and Math for grades 3-8, Social Studies for grades 4 and 6, Science for grade 5 and 8 and HS end of course exams in ELA I, ELA II, Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, American History, and American Government. Just as last year, all of our testing will take place electronically except for the 3rd grade English Language Arts Test. Our students did an excellent job taking the test electronically last year and our teachers continue to build the technology skills necessary for this format of testing. Parents and families who would like to see practice questions and help their students become more comfortable with testing may like to visit the test practice site for students and families .

9 Testing Tips for Students

1. Get a good night's sleep  - Turn off screens 60 min before bed.
2. Eat a healthy breakfast and drink water  - Your brain needs energy and water to work well. Beware of foods high in sugar as they can actually make you feel tired.  
3. Be On Time to School  - Being late can make you feel anxious and nervous but so can being way too early. No need to add stress to your day. Lay your clothes out and calmly arrive to school at the normal time.  
4. Read the directions  - This can keep you from making silly mistakes and also keep you from having to go back and redo test questions.  
5. Take your time  - No need to rush. Make sure that you understand what is being asked of you. Read the entire question and think clearly about your answer. If you get really stuck skip a question and come back, but make sure you go back.
6. Stay focused  - Keep your eyes on your own paper and don't worry about how neighbors are doing. Sometimes when neighbors look stressed it adds to our stress or they can look overly confident and that makes us nervous. Don't worry if others finish before you or after you. Stay focused on your stamina and do your best.  
7. Sit comfortably  -Sit up and be relaxed. Wear comfortable clothes that make you feel good.
8. Accept a little bit of stress  - Almost everyone feels a little stress when taking a test because they want to do well. That okay. The key is to accept it and not add extra worry because you are feeling a little stressed. Tell yourself, "I am a little worried, but that's okay because I am going to do my best."
9. When it is all over relax  - Have fun with your friends, run, or doing an activity you enjoy but don't spend time worrying about how you did or things you can't change now. Tests will come and go throughout your life.  Do your best and move on. 

We would like to introduce you to Mr. Marcus Lamb, one of our high school teachers. The Staff Spotlight is a regular feature in the Blue Connector and is designed to assist you in getting to know our teachers and staff. Please take a moment to learn a little bit about Mr. Lamb and what he does at BHS.

Where is your hometown?

Brookville, Ohio

 

Where do you live now? 

I live in Brookville, Ohio.

 

How many years of teaching experience do you have?

This is my 17th year of teaching!

 

How many years have you taught in Brookville?

This is my 16th year at Brookville.

 

What is your position in the school district?

I am an intervention specialist in grades 9-12.

 

Tell us about your family and hobbies outside of teaching?

I live with my wife, Shelley (1994 BHS graduate), my daughter Allie is a 7th grade student at Brookville, and my son Grady is a 5th grade student. Outside of teaching, I enjoy watching movies, spending time with my family and riding my bike.

 

What is your favorite thing about teaching in Brookville?

Teaching in the community I grew up in has been great. I enjoy working with and getting to know the students. The students work hard every day and are very respectful.

 

How do you spend June and July?

I get a couple of weeks off in June and then weightlifting for football starts. During those first few weeks off I try to get some projects completed around the house and get our swimming pool ready for the kids. We take a family vacation at the end of June and stay in a cabin on a lake in Canada. We do a lot of fishing and water skiing. In July football takes up most of my time, so my summer is pretty much over.

Brookville Schools are proud of our series "Where Are They Now", which features profiles of past Brookville High School graduates. These graduates have responded to brief questions concerning their education or training after high school, their current occupation and their words of wisdom to the students in our buildings.

Our current profile is of Kristin Sutter, a 2009 graduate. Please take a moment to view this latest profile  here. You can also view our past profiles on our  website.

In late October, as the school year settled in, seventh grade science teacher Miss Drake and paraprofessional Mrs. Wigger were getting the Intermediate School Robotics Club up and running. Students were asked to fill out an application to become a club member and approximately 100 did just that. In an effort to meet the desire of so many students to participate, these two advisors divided the members into four groups who each meet one time per month. Miss Drake commented that she and Mrs. Wigger both "want to provide an opportunity for students to use their curiosity and imagination to explore technology."  Club members come each week to play with robots. As expected, while they play, they are actually learning.  

The club meetings are set up with a robot at each station.  Small groups of students go to the stations with two to three tasks to complete. The tasks increase in difficulty as the weeks pass. Student interests are different, but some of the favorites include the coding stations where students make a robot accomplish a certain goal.  Others really like the Lego Robots where they can design and build the robot from scratch. Finally the joy-stick controlled robots always draw interest also as students try to perform specific maneuvers. Most challenges are developed in an effort to help students improve their coding skills.  

As funding will allow, additional technology will hopefully be added and this club will continue to grow and flourish in both number of participants and learning challenges.  As it is, the Robotics Club has enjoyed a fun filled year while learning much about the capabilities of man and technology working together.

Kyle Miller

Payton Sampson

Ben Smith

Justin Bland

Congratulations to the BIS distance medley team of Kyle Miller, Payton Sampson, Ben Smith and Justin Bland for breaking an Eaton meet record. These boys broke a record established in 2001 which is now held by BROOKVILLE.  Great job Boys! 

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Senior Michael Lander who is the Penn Station April Athlete of the Month. Michael was recognized for his athletic contributions in football, swimming and baseball while maintaining a GPA over 4.0. You can see award presentation on WDTN here. Michael is in the running for a $5,000 scholarship and BHS is in the running for a $1,500 spirit award.

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BHS Winter Percussion who took 2nd place at the Mid East Performance Finals on April 3, 2016.  Congratulations!