Billerica Memorial High School
The 9 Pillars of our past, present, and future:
B Proud, Strong, Resourceful, Creative, Insightful, Determined, Inventive, Wise & Honorable
January 30, 2022
Aerial photograph courtesy of Michael Moore
Phone Numbers


Absence Line
978-528-8710

Main Office

Cherie Cook - Attendance Secretary - 978-528-8709

Administration
Thomas Murphy - Principal - 978.528.8711

Grades 8 & 9
Student Last Names A-K
Steven Bottari - Assistant Principal - 978.528.8730
Tricia Coia - School Counselor x8764
Kristin Marachi - Social Worker x8726

Students G-M
Jessica Martin - School Counselor x8763

Students N-Z
Tara Pierce - School Counselor x8762

Student Last Names L-Z
Tinamarie Piscatelli - Assistant Principal - 978.528.8720
Ben Shore - Social Worker x2980


Grades 10-12
Student Last Names A-K
Matthew Flood - Assistant Principal - 978.528.8750
Julie Desmond - School Counselor x8767
Julie O'Mahony - School Counselor x8768
Amy Dumont - Social Worker x2646

Student Last Names L-Z
Christopher Lordan - Assistant Principal - 978.528.8740
Eric Caples - School Counselor x8766
Ryan Foran - School Counselor x8770
Kacie Melo - Social Worker x8765

Coordinators

978.528.7925 - School Counseling - Melinda Cripps
978.528.7922 - Athletics - John Magliozzi
978.528.8591 - Special Education Team Chairperson - Richard Thompson
978.528.7928 - Fine, Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator - Christopher Dearbeck
978.528.2849 - Humanities Coordinator - Marian Dyer
978.528.2737 - STEMB Coordinator - William Manchester
978.528.7924 - Wellness/Nurses' Coordinator - Bernie McCann
978.528.8782 - School Nutrition - April Laskey

Nurse's Office

978-528-8754 - Ms. Greenlaw, LPN
978-528-8757 - Ms. Moore, R.N
978-528-8758 - Ms. Venezia, R.N.

School Information
NCES Code: 25-02670-00177
This Week's Rotation
Monday, January 31 - A Day
Tuesday, February 1 - B Day
Wednesday, February 2 - A Day
Thursday, February 3 - B Day
Friday, February 4 - A Day
Early Release - Tuesday, February 8
Billerica Memorial High School will have an early release day on Tuesday, February 8 at 12:15 p.m.
Students vs. Staff Hockey Game
The BMHS key Club is sponsoring a student vs. staff hockey game. A canned good donation is the price of admission.

"Come join us as the Billerica Senior Hockey players face off against some of your favorite faculty members. Joining us on the ice will be none other than your very own Mr. Peterson, Mr. Landry, Mr. Egan, Ms. France, Ms Tsoulakis, Mrs Arsenault, Ms. O’Mahony, Mr. Lordan, Mr. Murphy along with numerous others. Come watch and enjoy a free cup of hot chocolate with the donation of a canned good. You can purchase a cup for $2 but the price of admission is free! Join us this Monday, January 31st from 2:45 to 4pm."
Prepare for the SAT
The Billerica Public Library will be hosting an SAT Strategy Session and an SAT Practice Test, both given by The Princeton Review. Please register below. All questions should be directed to the Billerica Public Library Staff. 


SAT Sign Ups
Is your child planning to sign up for the SAT this spring? BMHS will host the SAT on Saturday, May 7. Sign up HERE for the SAT. We recommend that students take the SAT once in the spring of Junior year, and once in the fall of Senior year. If you have questions about the SAT, please contact your child's school counselor.
Spanish National Honor Society
Cleaning Product Drive
Over the next two weeks, the Spanish National Honor Society will be running a collection drive for the Wish Project. They will be asking for donations of cleaning supplies like soap and paper towels. Each item will be collected in a box in the office and make its way to families in need through the Wish Project. In order to diminish the spread of a contagious virus, and keep away sickness in general, cleaning supplies are vital and every donation will be able to help. So please consider bringing in something to the office, whether it's a bar of soap or a crate of laundry detergent pods. After the collection drive concludes, members of the Spanish National Honor Society will take donations to the Wish Project location and spend their time volunteering.

What to bring?
Hand soap
Dish soap
Dish sponges
Laundry detergent pods
Disinfectant cleaner
Rolls of paper towels
Rolls of toilet paper

When to bring it?
January 18th - February 1st

Where to bring it?
Box outside the office with an SNHS Collection Drive sign.

For more information about The Wish Project and their mission please visit their website at: thewishproject.org
Spanish Club
Join the Spanish Club in room B327 after school on Thursday, February 3rd for some fun, culture and new friends. Speaking Spanish or taking a Spanish class is not required. All are welcome. 
Scholarship Information Night
The BMHS School Counseling Department will hold our annual Scholarship Information Night for seniors and their families on February 17, 2022 at 6:30 PM. This event will be held in person at the BMHS auditorium.  You’ll want to make a note of this important event in your calendar, and we hope to see you there!

Billerica Dollars For Scholars will discuss the process of how to apply for their scholarships, and there will be a review and discussion regarding searching for scholarships in Naviance and on search engines.

What can you do to prepare for scholarship season? Here are a few ideas: 
  • Log into Naviance and click the “Colleges” tab. Then, click on the “Scholarship List” link. Here you will see a list of scholarships. You can click into each scholarship to view the requirements and how to apply. This list is updated frequently, and will grow over the winter and early spring, so be sure to check back often! 
  • Search for scholarships online through search engines such as Fastweb.com, goingmerry.com, etc. The most important rule is this: Do not pay money to get money. It is free to apply for scholarships. If the scholarship asks you to pay money to enter your application, it is most likely a scam! Talk with your school counselor if you have any questions. 
  • You can prepare your Billerica Dollars For Scholars profile BEFORE the seminar on 2/17/2022. This is beneficial because once you’ve created your profile, you can focus on applying for scholarships when the portal opens in the late winter/early spring. It is likely that your child has already started their profile because counselors walked students through this during our College Boot Camp last spring. Your child will want to update their profile to include information from this school year, and they should complete this profile to the best of their ability so that the selection committee has a full picture of your child, their accomplishments, awards, etc. The Billerica Dollars For Scholars website is: http://billerica.dollarsforscholars.org
On the Spot Admissions
Fisher College will also be hosting an On the Spot Admissions day at BMHS on Friday, February 4. Please register with Sarah Eaton in the main office or via email for this event as well. Students will meet with an admissions counselor at their assigned time and will need to provide a copy of their transcript and any letters of recommendation (optional) they have. An application will be completed during your appointment time. SAT scores are optional, but are required for students interested in Biology or Information Technology. The application fee is waived for this opportunity, and students can expect an immediate decision while meeting with the Fisher College admissions counselor.

Please contact Ms. Eaton in the main office with any questions or to sign up!
Applying to Shawsheen Tech
Are you applying to Shawsheen Tech for next year? As a part of their application process, ST requires a recommendation from either a teacher or your school counselor. You will want to select a staff member who knows you best. If you are applying to ST, please do the following:

(1) Decide who you will ask for a recommendation, and ask that individual in-person if they would provide you a recommendation.  
(2) Once your counselor or teacher says that they will do a recommendation for you, email your school counselor with the name of the individual so that they can send a recommendation link to the person you've asked. Your recommender will then be able to complete the recommendation process.
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center’s Certificate Program in Medical Research
Lahey Hospital and Medical Center is pleased to invite high school students to submit applications to participate in a unique summer program that aims to educate, train and encourage the next generation of clinical, translational and outcomes researchers. This
program helps students better understand research methods, ethics, regulations, career opportunities, and gain “real world” experience in an academic hospital setting.  

The program requirements include completion of online courses, in-person attendance at weekly lectures and Journal Club meetings, completion of practicum hours, and a final presentation summarizing your program experience. The curriculum includes topics, such as: History of Clinical Research, Research Methods, Research Compliance, Research Roles and Responsibilities, Human Subjects Protections, Ethical Conduct of Research, Hot Topics in Research and Research Career Development Pathways.

Participants who meet all requirements will receive a $3,000 stipend for their effort.

Click HERE for the application, and click HERE for the parental consent form.  

Submit applications to lhmc-research-administration@lahey.org by Friday, February 11, 2022.

This program has a competitive enrollment. Students accepted to the program will be notified via email by March 14, 2022.

For more information please call 781-744-8011.  
Billerica Friends of Music Soup Fundraiser
It's Soul Warming Soup Fundraiser TIme! 1/13- 2/15

It's a Soup-R Season to Support the Billerica Public School Students in Performing Arts, by Buying Soup to Enjoy or Donating to those in need!

At Checkout Add: "Billerica Friends of Music" in the appropriate box.
BMHS App
The BMHS App provides quick access to timely news and upcoming events. It also allows the user to determine how often and what type of notifications they receive. The first page provides 9 options (not all options are available to all users). The "News" option provides a weekly overview of coming events at BMHS. Currently, this would include all school events including clubs and the Fine Arts performances. We are working on an athletic integration as well. The "Events" option provides access to the BMHS Calendar, Fine Arts Calendar, and soon to be included Athletics Calendar. Each of these calendars is dynamic and encompasses the entire school year. The "My ID" and "Hall Pass" are only available to students and staff. The "Directory" provides access to all Staff emails and, if applicable, phone number. The "Quicklinks" option provides quick access to Aspen, Athletics, Community Pass, Guidance, Clubs, Nutrition, and the BMHS Library sign up form. "Documents" provides access to Bus Routes, Lunch Menus, COVID information, and other documents. The "Map" option provides driving directions to MVC schools and locations for school functions, e.g. Blue Ocean Event Center (location of Senior Prom). The "Language" icon allows the user to convert the app into one of 42 different languages. The phone icon on the bottom of the home page will call our Absentee Line (978-528-8710).
Team 4909
Billerica Bionics
The Billerica Bionics just completed Week 3 of their season as they prepare for the 2022 game competition - Rapid React. Below is an animated video of this year's competition. To learn more about FIRST Robotics, stop by Mr. Drake's classroom or email him at fdrake@billericak12.com or follow the team at http://www.team4909.org/blog
Team Operations:
Throughout build season, Team Operations has been working on rebranding the team by changing our logo to accurately represent 4909’s image. The team has continued to create and release safety quizzes each week. Read more about our safety program in our website’s safety section. Members have also been working on our submission for the Woodie Flowers Award. The Woodie Flowers award recognizes an FRC mentor who demonstrates “gracious professionalism” and inspires students in the principles of engineering. Team Operations has also begun to prepare for the competition season. This includes writing our team business plan, safety plan, and more. In addition, the group has been planning outreach events and fundraisers, so be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks!

Software:
This week, the software team focused on testing the shooter prototype. After configuring the falcon motor, members tuned the shooter’s PID values. Students devised a formula for calculating the required speed to effectively launch cargo. The group also successfully set up limelight, which allows the robot to independently aim without assistance from the driver. Limelight was used to adjust the shooter's speed and drive, and calculate the distance between the hub and the robot. In addition to shooter prototype testing, software members marked out a quadrant of the field to continue testing the robot’s autonomous code. The goal is to finish building the robot by mid-week 5 so the software team can begin autonomous testing and make any adjustments before drive practice starts.

Shooter:
The shooter group has made a lot of progress with their CAD and started manufacturing parts this week. The beginning of the week heavily focused on making progress in CAD. Members designed the pneumatic system for the two-position flip-up hood, and added a motor and pulley for the indexer wheel. The group determined the best way to mount the shooter onto the robot by making custom gussets and creating a mount for the light. Students worked with the software group to add sensors such as a color and beam break sensor. At this point, the shooter design is complete, so members have started manufacturing parts like box beams, hex shafts, and support beams. The intake and climber subsystems have been integrated into the shooter CAD, and students are finalizing their designs today with design reviews. 

Intake:
This week, the intake group finalized the geometry needed for the four bars used to deploy and retract the intake to fit inside the robot. Members then integrated the intake assembly onto the final robot CAD. The group looked at different options for gas shocks, and after testing a few out, ultimately decided which one best fit the group’s needs. After color-coding the shafts and other parts of the intake, the group attached multiple components including a neo 550, compliant wheels, and belts. Before installing some of the components like the belt, the team had to design and add on spacers. Members calculated the gear ratio for the neo and decided the placement of the mechanum wheels so that they center the cargo as it comes in contact with the robot. At the end of the week, the group discussed where to place the piston on the intake so it can extend and retract.

Climber:
The climber group spent this week redesigning the hooks the robot will use to climb the hangar. On Monday, members split into three groups; two worked on static hook designs, and one worked on a dynamic hook design. After discovering their designs did not work halfway through the week, the static hook groups decided to brainstorm alternatives. The static hook is now complete in CAD, and members have been fixing some bugs in the dynamic hook CAD. The team plans to hold a design review for the climber subsystem next week.
BATV Sports
Food Rescue Mission
Hello! My name is Shiv Meiyur: the founder of Your Share. I have been working on Your Share for around four months now, and I have loved working on it. “Your Share” is a nonprofit organization that works on rescuing food. Usable food items and produce are thrown away by stores, restaurants, cafeterias, and farms for various reasons. This adds to food waste while many people are still hungry and have no food to eat. Your Share rescues food from these places and donates it to various homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, and transitional living centers. Our mission is to make sure that no usable food is thrown out and can reach the needy. Since my workforce is very small and demand is high, I need more helping hands to make my mission grow. For volunteering opportunities, students can help by picking up from location and delivering to the locations that have it, and delivering it to places that can properly utilize it. The time invested in this task can be converted into volunteer hours! Just like them, you can also make a difference and make this organization’s mission a reality. Contact us and make sure everyone gets their share! The specifics of how volunteer hours will be given after contacting us. 

Preferable Contact Number: (781) 467-8168

Secondary Contact Number: (610) 322-1486

Primary email: meiyurshiv11@gmail.com
Air Force Academy
Lt Kiana Brantley, Air Force Academy and Mikayla R. Clark, 2d Lt, USSF have planned virtual events for students/parents/guidance counselors for this upcoming semester. Every other week starting on January 5th at 6M, we are hosting a zoom where you can ask questions about Air Force ROTC or the Air Force Academy. Please see attached flyer (ParentQA) for more information and zoom link.

09 Feb 2022 6PM-7PM EST- “Cadet Life” (Junior and Senior Year: Cadet Leadership, Extracurriculars/ Student Athlete, AFROTC Field Training)
 
09 Mar 2022 6PM-7PM EST- “Prepping for Desired Air/Space Force Job”
 
06 Apr 2022 6PM-7PM EST- “Freshman Year in Review” (What do you wish you knew going into your freshman year?)
BMHS School Council
2021-2022 Meeting Schedule

All meetings are from 4 - 5:30 p.m.

June 22, 2021
July 19, 2021
October 5, 2021
November 2, 2021
December 7, 2021
January 4, 2022
February 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
April 5, 2022
May 17, 2022
June 7, 2022
Members

Eric Anable - Parent
Catie Button - Teacher
Terri Bynoe - Teacher
Rebecca Chaffee - Parent
John Gibson - Parent
Katie Daubman - Parent
Tom Murphy - Principal
Brianna Phelan - Student
Zac Vennard - Teacher
Future Leaders Summer Internship
The Future Leaders Program is a summer internship program at The MITRE Corporation in Bedford, MA for current freshmen in high school through juniors in college. The program runs for 8 weeks over the summer and interns work on projects that help them gain experience in various technical areas.  More information can be found through the application: https://careers.mitre.org/us/en/job/R105978/Technical-Aide-Intern
 
Please contact Jaclyn Hayes, Senior Mechanical Engineer at The MITRE Corporation, if you have any additional questions:  jhayes@mitre.org 
Spanish Tutoring
If you or your student needs assistance with Spanish, they can now sign up for tutoring through the Spanish Honor Society. You can scan the QR code or sign up using this google form. If you would like to connect with a tutor right away, you can reach out to any of the spanish tutors on this list. If you have any questions, please email samanthawhitten@billericak12.com or anchalmahajan@billericak12.com.
Email any tutor to ask about availability and virtual and in-person tutoring options or use the google form to sign up and be assigned a tutor.


Spanish I, II, III, IV, Pre-AP, V level 1, V honors
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Sundays

Spanish I, II, III, IV, Pre-AP, V level 1, V honors
Mondays, Tuesdays

Spanish I, II, III, IV
Any day however time availability will vary 
Study 4A, Semester 2 

Spanish I, II, III, IV, 
Mondays,Thursdays, Fridays
Study 2B, Semester 2 

Spanish I, II, III, IV
Can find a time that works anyday 
4B Study (semester 2) 
3A Study (semester ¾)
Assets for Aspirers
The Writing Center
The BMHS Writing Center is now open and ready to help students with essays, creative writing and poetry, or any other writing both fiction and non-fiction. Available in the library Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays after school or during your study by appointment, The Writing Center is the place to go for help throughout the writing process. This Tuesday, the 19th, will be a special college essay session from 2-3 for anyone who needs additional help with their college applications. For questions, or to arrange study block sessions, email Ms. Button or Mr. Landry
A Word from Our School Counseling Department
School counselors visited sophomore science classes and junior English classes during the month of December to share information on how to interpret PSAT scores, provide resources to prepare for future testing, and discuss college and career readiness.  

  • Students were given the opportunity to log into CollegeBoard to view their score report.
  • Counselors shared a video and discussed how to interpret their individualized interactive score report.
  • Students were shown how to access tools for individualized test prep and reflection. 
  • Students were encouraged to link their CollegeBoard accounts to Khan Academy to access their free individualized study plan. 

To access the helpful video in understanding PSAT scores, please click here:

CollegeBoard is a great tool for college and career planning. Students can also conduct a college search, research colleges, research careers, access free test prep questions, full length SAT practice tests, study guides, etc.

Click here to access CollegeBoard:

Click here for a direct link to the practice material section:

If you have questions about the PSAT or SAT, please contact your child's school counselor.
JUNIOR COLLEGE NIGHT

The BMHS School Counseling Department will host our Junior College Night on Monday, February 7 beginning at 6:00 PM in the AUDITORIUM at BMHS. Parents and students are highly encouraged to attend this important event! School counselors will address the following topics:

  • The college search process
  • Types of applications
  • What's in an application
  • Standardized testing
  • Naviance
  • Selectivity and admission requirements
  • Factors to consider when choosing a college
  • Timelines and deadlines of the college application process
  • There will be an informative slideshow presentation and coordinating handouts. 

Please note that juniors also received a college presentation before the winter break which covered PSAT and College Board information as well as college timelines, deadlines, and the application process.  In addition, school counselors will be meeting with all juniors individually over the next several weeks in order to discuss post-secondary planning. Questions about the college process should be directed to your child's school counselor, and they will be happy to assist you.

Juniors, Seniors and College Visits
Please note that Juniors and Seniors are permitted 2 days to visit colleges (excused, with documentation from the college submitted to the BMHS main office).  
FINANCIAL AID FOR SENIORS
The website MEFA.org will be very helpful for folks looking for financial aid information. Click HERE to learn about different types of financial aid. MEFA hosts webinars throughout October to outline the FAFSA application process, and you can find those webinars HERE. It will be very important for families of students heading to college to attend one of these webinars to learn about the application process.  
 
FAFSA and Financial Aid Information
 
Click here for FAFSA. Please note that FAFSA opens on Oct. 1, 2021. It is advised that you complete and submit the FAFSA as soon as possible.  
Click here to create a FSAID
Click here to apply for CSS Profile. You will also find here a list of participating colleges. 
Click here for FAFSA Day info. Click here for FAFSA Day registration.
Click here for Billerica Dollars For Scholars. Your student can click here to create a DFS profile at this time, and can complete much of the demographic information, resume/awards information, etc. You can also complete much of the parent information. In the winter, there will be a Dollars For Scholars night, and you will receive notification via email. The DFS night will discuss the DFS program, how students select the scholarships in DFS that they want to apply to, and how the DFS process works. **Please note that if your child attended our BMHS College Boot Camp, they will have already started their DFS application. 
Click here for Fastweb, a popular scholarship engine. It is one of many out there. 
The rule of thumb is this: Don't ever pay money to get scholarship money. If there's a fee to apply for a scholarship, chances are that it is a scam.
2022 BMHS Yearbook Information - Updated
Senior Photo, Write-up, Toddler Takes, Parent Ads, Photo Submissions, Photo Specs., Yearbook Purchases 


You must submit a senior photograph for your picture to appear in the yearbook!
We will not use your ID photo from the school picture day unless you contact Ms. Davidson or Ms. Fredericks and request to use your ID photo.

Senior Portrait, Toddler: Specs, Photo Submission& Write-up Information: 
(please provide this information to your photographer)
You may use any photographer of your choice for your senior portrait photo.  

How to submit ALL photos including school events:
1.(PREFERRED) Uploaded to Josten’s private upload site. https://images.jostens.com/416355989
2. Emailed to yearbook@billericak12.com
3. Saved to a cd/usb drive or original can be scanned/deliver to Ms. Davidson or Ms. Fredericks 

Guidelines/specs. Senior Portrait & Toddler Take: 
Optimum size is a 5”x7”
Minimum size of the photo is a 3X5
Vertical/ portrait orientation NOT /horizontal/landscape
300 PPI (pixels per inch)
Photo must be saved as a jpg, png, or tif file
IMPORTANT: Save photo file as your NAME
EXAMPLE: DavidsonSandra.jpg or FredericksBrenda.jpg

Preferred submission method for ALL PHOTOS
Josten’s private upload site. https://images.jostens.com/416355989
Ultimate Frisbee
silver-keyboard2.jpg
Families who qualify for the free and reduced-price lunch program can get $50 off their monthly broadband bills, thanks to a new, emergency federal program, the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Communications Commission emphasized in a May 12 meeting.

Low-income families living on tribal lands are eligible for an even steeper discount, $75 a month.
What’s more, students in post-secondary education who receive Pell Grants can also tap the funding. And eligible families can receive $100 in one-time help in paying for digital devices—such as laptops, tablets, and desktop computers—as long as the family contributes between $10 and $50 for the hardware.
BMHS| Main 978-528-8709| Fax 978-436-9351| | Website