Save The Date

BHS

Class of 1975 & 1976

Fortieth Class Reunion

Fun and Games at The George School

Dexton “Air Jamaica” Williamson, the road manager for the Harlem Wizards basketball team, entertained students at the Manthala George Jr. Elementary School on Wednesday with basketball tricks, jokes and plenty of smooth moves.

Williamson was in town to promote a game Saturday night between the Wizards, which travel all over the world entertaining audiences, and the Brockton Bolts, our own hometown squad of teachers and staff.

Saturday’s game is a fund-raiser for the George PTA and 50 percent of ticket sales will benefit field trips and other pluses for students. Don’t miss it. TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE! Go here for more info: Harlem Wizards Challenge the The Brockton Bolts

SIGN UP FOR BPS WEB UPDATES

The Brockton Public Schools website provides up-to-the-minute information about academics, enrichment and athletic programs throughout the school and calendar year. Since its redesign in September 2007, www.brocktonpublicschools.com  has continued to grow and evolve in an effort to serve the needs of students, staff, parents and community members.

“The BPS website is an incredible resource: it provides information on academic programs, school-sponsored activities, upcoming meetings and enrichment programs,” said Superintendent of Schools Matthew H. Malone, Ph.D. “We are constantly updating and retooling our site to make it a better communication tool and we’re always looking to find areas to expound upon so that we can provide as much information as possible.”

Interested parties are invited to sign up for the site’s News and Calendar Feed options, which send updates directly to your inbox electronically. Simply click on the orange “Rss Feed” icon next to the News & Information and Calendar sections on the BPS homepage, and enter your contact information. The next time a new story or calendar event is posted, you’ll know immediately.

“Whatever vehicle you use to get your information – email, Google, Yahoo, Facebook – we can interface with and send you the latest news, including school cancellations and meeting dates,” said Webmaster Kathy Ettinger. “It’s a wonderful feature that we hope more and more people will take advantage of.”

The school children of Brockton, ages 10 and under (accompanied by an adult) are cordially invited to an evening of tricks, treats and fun. Wear your costume!!!

Halloween Hallway

Brockton High School

Thursday, 10/29/15

6:OO PM TO 8:00 PM

Suggested Donation: one canned good per child to be
donated to a local food pantry

Brockton Loses One of Its Own

The Brockton Public School District is mourning the loss of Janice A. Beyer, a 31-year educator, 10-year School Committee member and lifelong friend to the greater Brockton community who died on Oct. 18.

Superintendent of Schools Kathleen A. Smith described Beyer as “bigger than life,” her love of literacy and the children of Brockton guiding everything she did. 

“Not just in her 10 years on the Brockton School Committee, but in her 31 years as a third-grade teacher at the Kennedy School, where her classroom full of books was legendary,” Smith said. 

Beyer shared her dedication to teachers and bettering their working conditions through three terms as chairwoman of the Brockton Education Association’s negotiating team. And, as founder of the city-wide Spelling Bee, she ensured that all children, not just those in public schools, had opportunities to learn and grow.

“Janice was truly a one-of-a-kind friend to Brockton who will be dearly missed,” Smith said.

School officials had a moment of silence in Beyer’s memory at the Oct. 20 School Committee meeting, where members and others shared memories of Beyer’s generosity and goodwill over the decades.

Brian Rogan, principal at the Kennedy, said the quote that most characterizes Beyer’s commitment to her students is from Henry Adams, who wrote: “A teacher affects eternity, (s)he can never tell where the influence stops.”

“Mrs. Beyer may never have known how deeply her life has touched others, but the Kennedy School is a better place with her strong influence a part of it,” Rogan said.

Services will be held on Nov. 1 at Conley Funeral Home in Brockton.

Four BHS Students Earn Prestigious Superintendent’s Award

The Superintendent’s Award for Academic Excellence was awarded to four Brockton High School seniors on Thursday, an honor given annually to top students in the state’s largest high school’s graduating class.

The designation, created by the Massachusetts Association of Superintendents, goes to students who have distinguished themselves in the pursuit of excellence in their high school careers.

Brockton Superintendent of Schools Kathleen A. Smith, JD presented the honors to Kendall Brinson, Samantha Connor and Samantha Hand, all of BHS’s Yellow House, and Heidy Rivera, a student in the Azure House.

Smith praised the students for their achievements which ranged from academic excellence to sports and music expertise, and civic responsibility and voluntarism.

“It is a partnership from the day they come in to the Brockton schools to this moment today,” Smith said, thanking parents, staff, guidance counselors and administrators for playing a key role in each individual success.

“These students understand what Brockton High School has to offer,” said BHS Principal Sharon Wolder. “They are truly leaders of the school.”

Heidy Rivera has challenged herself with Honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. A John and Abigail Adams scholar, she was selected to participate in Girls State, placed second in the National History Day District finals and received the Massachusetts Maritime Junior Women Leaders in STEM Award. She plays the trumpet in the Marching Band, Advanced Concert Band and the Jazz and Wind Ensembles. She is the President of the National Honor Society, tutors ESL students in Brockton elementary schools and is a finalist for the QuestBridge Scholarship Program.

Kendall Brinson has taken five AP courses during her years at Brockton High and has achieved all As and A+s. She is an accomplished musician, also on trumpet, who lends her skills to Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble. As a member of Concert Band, she helped earn the bronze medal at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Festival freshman year, competed with the Wind Ensemble in the Festivals of Music in Washington, D.C. sophomore year - receiving a 1^st-Place prize - and junior year, Wind Ensemble was awarded silver medal in the MICCA Festival. She is a section leader in marching band, a peer tutor and a peer mediator.

Samantha Connor has been recognized for excellence in Latin through her admittance into the Foreign Language Honor Society and receipt of the National Latin Exam Magna Cum Laude Award; she is also a member of the National Honor Society. A dancer, she contributes her skills to Drama club, Halftime dance and Act One Scene 1, a summer theater arts program for young performers entering Grades 5-12 in the Brockton area. She is also a dance teacher at her studio.

Samantha Hand has successfully completed a rigorous college preparatory curriculum including five Advanced Placement and two International Baccalaureate courses. She has volunteered her time as a tutor for the past two years. A member of the Boxer to Boxer Program, she is a teacher’s aide in a freshmen history class. Outside of school, she teaches weekly CCD classes at her church and enjoys ballet and dance. She is also a member of the National Honor Society. 

Transformation of Adult Learning Center Grounds Begins as
Paine School Turns 100

This year commemorates the 100^th anniversary of the building of the Paine School, which currently houses the Brockton Public Schools' Adult Learning Center, 211 Crescent Street.

On Wednesday, students, staff and volunteers wielding rakes, shovels and clippers worked for hours to trim back vines, briars and branches and edge, mulch and rake leaves around the large brick building across from Plymouth Street and the Plouffe Academy.

Others, inside, cleaned until every surface gleamed.

On Monday, Nov. 9, Superintendent Kathleen A. Smith, JD will visit at 9 a.m. to help plant the first perennial bulbs around the trees out front with Pre-K children

and their families.

Other activities in the birthday year will be announced later.

The Adult Learning Center is the key resource for people planning to earn their high-school equivalency credentials by helping them with reading, writing, speaking, listening, math, and problem-solving skills. It also helps those whose primary language is not English.

East Meets West with Chinese Performance at Brockton High School

The Huanggang Huangmei Opera Performing Delegation performed authentic Chinese music and dance on Wednesday at Brockton High School. The program was called "Greetings from the Old City of Huangzhou China."

Twenty-five performers arrived in Brockton on Wednesday to perform traditional music and dance featuring Chinese instruments, dances, martial arts, calligraphy and songs in both Chinese and English.

The focus was on peace and friendship.

Students from Chinese classes, Fine and Performing Arts, Music and Social Science attended the performance, from BHS and Plouffe Academy.

Celebrating The 100^th Birthday of The Paine School

School Superintendent Kathleen Smith and a dozen PreK students and their families kicked off the 100^th anniversary of the building of the Paine School on Monday by planting spring bulbs in a newly landscaped area out front..

The school at 211 Crescent Street currently houses the Brockton Public Schools' Adult Learning Center, a key resource for people planning to earn their high-school equivalency credentials.

Classes are available to help with reading, writing, speaking, listening, math, and problem-solving skills. It also helps those whose primary language is not English.

About 40 classes meet from 9-noon during the day and from 6-9 at night. There are 1,800 potential students on the waiting list.

Smith planted a range of bulbs, from tulips to hyacinths, and then toured the building to say hello. She stopped off in the PreK class of students whose parents were studying upstairs to read a story about flowers, and then gave each child a copy of the book to take home.

Other anniversary activities for the school built in 1915 are being planned.

Davis School Promotes Peace Through Wounded Warrior Project

A message of peace is being proclaimed loud and clear from every window at the Davis School this week, as parent conferences begin, part of the school's Wounded Warrior Project.

Davis staff and students are now key ambassadors for the organization that provides assistance to thousands of injured members of the military returning from the battlefield, and helps provide assistance to their families.

The Davis is sending donations monthly for the entire school year.

Principal Darlene Campbell said students have decorated every window of the Davis building with two styles of doves, which are a global symbol of peace. It's coincidental, but meaningful, she said, given recent incidents of violence around the world

"It's our way of sending a message to promote peace," she said. "The entire building looks beautiful with our message through the doves."

Four years ago this month, young adult author Alan Lawrence Sitomer spent the day at South Middle School giving a motivational speech to the entire school. He held a question-and-answer session with the entire 8th grade, allowing two of Ms. Barbara Garvey's students to interview him.

The two former students, now seniors at Brockton High School, have finally had their interview with the famous author published in the New England Reading Association's Fall Online Journal. The interview is on page 4.

Congratulations Maleek Evans and Katherine Gallagher on a job well done!

Used with permission of the New England Reading Association, NERA Newsletter

CELEBRATE THE SEASON AT THE
BHS HOLIDAY CONCERT DECEMBER 15th & 16th

Tickets cost $3 per person for general admission, and $5 for those who wish to give to The Enterprise Helping Hands Fund, a holiday program sponsored by The Enterprise newspaper that benefits the needy in Southeastern Massachusetts. Tickets are available at the Brockton High School main office, 470 Forest Avenue, on December 3^rd between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. The concerts will be held Tuesday, December 15^th and Wednesday, December 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Brockton High School Auditorium. A snow date of Thursday, December 17th has also been set. For more information, please contact the Brockton High School Music Department at (508) 580-7656

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Good morning,

This is a statement from the Brockton Public School District:

A Brockton High School student posted a threat involving the school on Facebook on Tuesday then quickly took it down. Several students took a screen shot of the post and brought it to the attention of their parents and the school on Thursday.

School officials took every precaution with police to ensure the safety of everyone in the building. The parents of students involved were contacted and the principal sent out a call to all families.

The student who posted the threat is not in school at this time and will not be allowed to return until the police investigation is complete.

Both the student and the student's parents are being cooperative.

The threat was determined to be very low and all classes and activities will go on as usual.

New SchoolBot App Provides Real-Time Info on
Brockton School Bus Locations

The Brockton Public Schools today launches Schoolbot, an online tool that leverages the GPS devices on school buses to identify the location of each as students travel to and from school. This "web app" can be accessed by computer or smart phone and shows real-time updates on each bus's location through a user-friendly interface.

"The SchoolBot app was designed for Brockton students and families through a collaborative effort between the Brockton Public Schools and MassIT, the state's technology and innovation agency," said Margaret Killea, the Brockton school district's Data Specialist for Transportation."A group of 60 families has been test-driving SchoolBot for several weeks in preparation for today's launch.Interest in joining the test group was so high that a number of families had to be turned away," Killea said.

Creation of this app for Brockton leveraged a similar tool used by Boston Public Schools, called Where's My Schoolbus?The Brockton-Commonwealth team customized the app to meet the needs of the diverse community of parents and guardians of Brockton's 17,000-plus students, in part by making it available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.Looking ahead, the Brockton app will be used as a model for other communities.

"There is nothing more important than the safety of our students and families and this new cutting-edge tool will offer greater peace of mind," said Superintendent of Schools Kathleen A. Smith. "We are pleased to be able to offer this assistance to our families free of charge."Officials expect that use of SchoolBot will also result in fewer calls to the Brockton Public Schools' transportation team when winter weather and other circumstances cause delays.

"Student safety begins when a student leaves home in the morning and continues until they return home safely at the end of the day," said Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter. "Now, SchoolBot allows us to utilize GPS technology combined with smart phones to provide parents with the location of their child's school bus in real time."

"The collaborative creation of SchoolBot is a great example of the tangible value constituents can gain – and that state and local resources can deliver – when we work together toward a common goal," said Charlie Desourdy, Acting Commonwealth Chief Information Officer and head of MassIT."As both a parent and a state technology leader, I am pleased to see the Commonwealth leveraging today's innovations to meet the day-to-day needs of families."

Jane Feroli, the Brockton Public Schools' Parent Engagement Specialist, said Brockton is on the cutting edge of technology with this free app for families who juggle many responsibilities.

"Time is valuable with work, children, activities, homework and the family dinner," she said. "It will help families know when the bus is coming to the stop in the morning and when it will be dropping off children in the afternoon."

For an overview of the app's user-friendly interface and functionality – in under a minute – check out this video. Parents and guardians of students of Brockton Public Schools are invited to go to the online application at https://brocktonps.schoolbot.io/ to register and create an account. Parents and guardians must have their child's school ID number to register.

More information is available at www.bpsma.org. Click on "Schools" and then the SchoolBot link for videos and important information in four languages.

The Scientific Process of Learning and Discovery

Brockton High School held its annual Science Fair on Wednesday, a celebration of the scientific process of discovery and students' curiosity, creativity and ingenuity.

Experimental questions and procedures were developed and implemented by students with guidance by their teachers. Students presented the results of their investigations at the fair, the best of which will proceed to the regional science fair in Bridgewater.

From there, the best regional projects compete at the state science fair. Brockton has performed well at both levels in the past.

Project topics were diverse:

Like Egg Osmosis for sophomores Larina Depina and Nicole Santiago. Fellow sophomores Nathaniel Williams and Yanca Lopes experimented with three different types of soil to determine which was the best host environment for a variety of bean seeds.

Seniors Donikah Brutus and Julia Fernandes conducted a study of Mako Sharks and the fact the fish has 21 copies of the gene TP63 which is a tumor suppressor. By contrast, humans have one copy of the gene.

And Anne Pierre Louis's work on which light source works best for growing yeast.

Growth experiment

Nathaniel Williams and Yanca Lopes

Congratulations to the Angelo School Chorus Which Will Sing with The Brockton Symphony Orchestra at The Annual Holiday Pops Concert at Brockton High School This Weekend!!

THE STRONG HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP SERIES: YOUTH LEAD WORKSHOPS

Community forums are scheduled in February and March to share information about UNIDOS, an exciting, new Portuguese Language Dual Immersion Program in the Brockton Public Schools that will be piloted at the Raymond School in September. Mark your calendars and come to hear more. Thanks and muito obrigada! More Information: ENGLISH PORTUGUESE

West Middle School Wins $50,000 Grant for Energy Efficiency

Congratulations to West Middle School, the recipient of a $50,000 grant from Northeast Electrical Distributors for an energy audit and new lights.

The school was named the winner of Project Green Lights 2015, which encourages energy efficiency.

Thanks to an essay written by Laurie Silva, the district's director of development and grants, NorthEast and Sylvania will provide the school with an energy efficient lighting system in certain areas of the building.

"The school staff and students were very excited when they heard they had won," Silva said, "They are looking forward to making a difference by reducing the electricity usage at the school."

Mike Thomas, deputy superintendent of operations, said the grant will probably go toward retrofitting LED lighting in the gymnasium, auditorium and hallways.

First, though, an engineer will assess the building then the city must sign off on the plan. Work will probably get going next summer.