BHS January 2024 Newsletter

Principal's Message

Happy New Year, Bulldog Families! I hope this Newsletter finds you healthy, well-rested, and energized to begin a new year. The month of December was busy with the hustle and bustle of the holidays and we look forward to settling back into our routines as we round the corner and head into Semester Two. It’s hard to believe that in just a few months, members of the Class of 2024 will be walking across the stage at Commencement - but until then, there is much work to be done!

On January 3rd and 4th, the English Department will begin administering the Winter NWEA Language assessment to all students in grades 9-12. The Winter NWEA Reading, Math, and Science Assessments will be administered through Friday, February 9th. Please encourage your child to take these tests seriously, as they are important measures which will help us identify critical areas of academic growth among our student population. Midterm Assessments will take place from January 16th through the 19th. Both high schools will be operating on half day schedules during the week of Midterms. Please reference the attached schedule for more detailed information. Course Selection for the 2024-2025 school year will begin after Midterm Exam week and will continue through the month of February. More information about this process will be sent to families in the upcoming weeks.

As I stated last month, we have placed a strong emphasis on high quality, meaningful instruction for all students. Our data teams continue to analyze a wide range of student data, most recently the Fall 2023 PSAT scores, which will be used to inform instructional practices. Currently, our school is in the process of undergoing a comprehensive Self-Study in preparation for our NEASC Collaborative Conference, which will take place on April 9th through 10th. We look forward to collaborating with educational leaders from all over New England to celebrate our strengths and identify areas of growth.

Please be sure to visit our website regularly and follow us on Instagram (@bunnellbulldogs) or Twitter (@drkgraf; @bunnellbulldogs) to keep up-to-date with Bunnell’s latest news and events. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. I wish you and your family a safe, happy, and healthy New Year.

With Bulldog Pride,

Dr. Graf

Research shows that attendance is directly related to student achievement. Our school day begins at 7:30am - it is critical that your child attend school on time, every day - this includes the Advance period. If your child is going to be absent, please call Bunnell's attendance line at 203-385-4254 or email Mrs. Goga at bhsattendance@stratk12.org. If your child is struggling to attend school, please reach out to his or her Administrator or School Counselor who can assist you in finding the appropriate resources to support your child.

Include, Engage, and Inspire Every Family

Attendance

Guidance

BHS School Counseling Team

Mrs. Alyce Borgersen - borgersena@stratk12.org

Ms. Patty Costa - costap@stratk12.org

Mrs. Amanda Ferrara - amandaf@stratk12.org

Mrs. Carrie Gettings - gettingsc@stratk12.org

Mrs. Francesca Koebbe - koebbef@stratk12.org

Mrs. Candice Parauka, Secretary - paraukac@stratk12.org

FAFSA Assistance Day - On Saturday, January 20th from 10:30am - 1:00pm, Bunnell will be hosting a FAFSA Assistance Day in the Library Media Center. Interested families must sign up via Google Forms. Please click here or email Mrs. Borgersen at borgersena@stratk12.org.

Junior Post Secondary Planning Event - The school counseling department would like to welcome all juniors and their families to a Junior Post Secondary Planning Event on Tuesday, January 30th from 7:30am-9:30am at Bunnell High School. All students and their families will receive a package of information regarding the college search process, copy of their student's transcript, and other pertinent information. Please be on the lookout for an invitation with sign up information to this event coming soon. We hope to see many families attend this event.

Scholarship Bulletin - Parents of students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to view the Monthly Scholarship Update highlighting several opportunities for BHS students to earn college financial support or pursue internship and career training.

Winter Sports are in full swing! Be sure to show your Bulldog Pride and support your classmates! Be sure to check out the schedule by clicking here.

Spring Sports registration is just around the corner on FinalForms.

If you require any support during the process, scroll to the page bottom and click "Use Support". Please register at: FinalForms and follow the prompts to create your account, create your students and sign your forms.

A valid physical is required for participation in tryouts. If needed, please contact the School Based Health Clinic for more information about securing a sports physical before tryouts begin. Please contact Angela Matera - materaa@chc1.com to schedule a sports physical examination.

Thank you for your assistance in streamlining our paperwork process at Bunnell High School.

Athletics

If you have any questions, please contact our Athletic Director, Mr. Wayne Thrall at thrallw@stratk12.org

Yearbook News

Email Mrs. Martire for any Yearbook questions at martireh@stratk12.org

Reminder:

We are exceedingly proud of the magazine quality of our 200+ pages of text and photographs. Yearbook students learn the basics of publishing including: online design, photography, interviewing, copy writing and editing, and sales. This is a student produced publication and created as part of an in-school course. In the event that there are misspellings and errors in our publication, we apologize in advance. It is a year-long project put together by hard working students, and mistakes are bound to happen.

CELEBRATE 2024 WITH THE GIFT OF A CUSTOMIZED YEARBOOK - No photo-sharing app can rival the historical value of a hardcover text-and-photograph-filled yearbook. Bunnell High School yearbooks are on sale now and can be purchased at YearbookForever. Personalization options like name stamps are only available until January 24. After that date, books cannot be personalized. Order early to make your student's book even more special. Once you buy the yearbook, add a note or reminder to your calendar so you don't panic and buy another one in April.

AD SALES TO GRADUATES are OPEN! - Ad sales are open online at YearbookForever. We sell to businesses and to senior parents. Senior ads are easy to create in our Walsworth yearbook software online. Follow the steps to choose photos, fonts, colors and ad size. Beautiful, custom messages to your graduate are just a click away. We will have a senior ad night in February to help interested parents create a beautiful tribute to their graduate. Online ads can be made at any time. Ad sales will close February 29. More information to come at a later date.

CANDID UPLOADS - Please share your photos with us! We know you have great photos. Send us your photos via Yearbook Snap access code: bunnell.

GALLERY OF EXCELLENCE - We won an award! Check it out.

Explanation of 2023 GALLERY OF EXCELLENCE Distinction

Other News

Class of 2024 Graduation Information

Seniors will be filling out their diploma/cap & gown information during the month of January. Be on the lookout for an email from Mrs. Darragh!

DECA Recognition!

We are pleased to share that Bunnell High School's DECA Chapter earned two national awards from DECA Inc! Congratulations to BHS Business Teacher, Chelsea Maza, and all of the students in our DECA club!

1) Achievement Membership Award - Recognition in DECA Inc publication for successful growth of the Bunnell High School Chapter (1 of 5 schools in CT to earn this) -- our chapter grew from roughly 30 to 57 members!
2) Thrive Chapter Campaign Award - Bunnell High School is awarded three academy slots to bring three students to Anaheim, CA in the Spring for the International Career Development Conference (1 of 13 schools in CT to earn this) -- we were given highest marks on our community service, Pink Out initiative, and promoting the DECA chapter to our Stratford Community.

January is a great month to stay in and read. The Stratford Library and the Connecticut State Library offer large collections of popular ebooks and audiobooks, and it's easy to browse and check out books from home. Download the "Libby" app, the "Hoopla" app, and "The Palace Project" app to your devices (phone, iPad, e-reader, etc). Set up an account in each by inputting Stratford Library Association as your home library, entering your library card, and choosing an email/password. You can check out with one tap. It's free and convenient. (The books download to your device upon checkout and disappear once the loan period is over.) See Mrs. Pellegrino in the Bunnell Library if you need help getting a library card.

Recommendations from others is a good way to find a great book to read. Each year, the Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award committee of high school students, librarians, and teachers choose the top 10 nominees for teen readers in the state, with optional voting taking place in April. You can also browse the newest books in the Bunnell collection.

Students needing technology assistance or help with research or writing assignments, please see Ms. Pellegrino in the Bunnell library.

Library News

Mrs. Pellegrino, Bunnell High School Librarian, can be reached at pellegrino@stratk12.org.

Free & Reduced Lunch

Stratford Public Schools is pleased to announce our participation in the State of Connecticut’s State Transition Assistance for Breakfast and Lunch (STABLE) program. Please click here to read the letter from Mrs. Pamela Mangini. The school lunch online payment system of the Stratford Schools is myschoolbucks.com. Parents may use this system to make payments online and/or to check student balances. If you experience any problems with this or have other questions, you may contact Myschoolbucks toll free at 1-855-832-5226. Of course, students may make cash or check deposits directly into their accounts at any time. Cash/check deposits must be placed in an envelope accompanied by the student’s name and ID number (to keep your child’s ID number confidential, do not write the student’s name on the outside of the envelope). If there is more than one student in a family in any Stratford school, one student may enter the deposit to their siblings account as long as each student’s ID number is indicated as well as the amounts to deposit to each account. Cash/check deposits should be given directly to the cafeteria supervisor. Other information regarding the automated “Point of Service” in the BHS cafe may be found on the district website by clicking here. All parents are strongly encouraged to fill out the online Free and Reduced Lunch Application. Paper versions are available in the main office.

There is a new addendum for the Free/Reduced Lunch Application. Addendum C English / Spanish talks about the new increased income guidelines for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that went into effect on October 1, 2023.

Bus Transportation

All students who are eligible for bus transportation were issued a bus pass on Monday, October 2nd. Students must take the bus they are assigned to and have their pass at all times. If your student does not have their bus pass or tries to take a different bus, the driver will not allow them on the bus and students will be responsible for finding their own transportation home. If your student should lose their bus pass, they must see Mrs. Sabia in the main office before Block 4 of the school day. There is a $2.00 fee for a lost pass.

Campus Parking

At this point, all parking spaces have been purchased. If your student has not purchased a spot, they should not be parking on campus. Please email Mrs. Sabia at sabiam@stratk12.org with any questions.

Students who do not have a permit to park on campus should be parking on any side street provided it is a legal spot. Please be mindful of mailboxes and driveways. Students should not be parking in the Figlars Farm lot on Connors Ln. We have been informed that the town will begin towing cars if students park there.

PowerSchool Portal Access & ECollect Forms

In order to maintain up-to-date student records, we are asking parents and guardians to review and update their information in PowerSchool under ECollect on the left-hand side of the navigation toolbar.

- Part 1 Student Emergency Contact Form (Student/Parent Information)

- Part 2 Student Emergency Contact Form (Emergency Contact)

- Stratford Public Schools - Media Release (Consent/Declination of District Media Policy)

- Stratford Public Schools - No Child Left Behind Act (Military Opt In/Out)

- Stratford Public Schools - Pesticide Notification

Once you have updated the Student Emergency Contact Forms (Parts 1 & 2), please make sure you opt-in for emails and phone blasts by clicking the correlating boxes. If you have any concerns, please contact the main office at 203-385-4250.

PTSA

Bunnell Bulldog Car Magnets and Stickers - We now have Car Magnets ($4) and Vinyl Stickers ($2) available! Please visit our online store for details and to purchase with a credit card or email bunnellhsptsa@gmail.com to order with cash or check.

Please join the Bunnell PTSA! We hope to help the school community and we need your help to do that! Please join the PTSA by visiting our online store!

Join our Facebook Page - Everyone is invited to join our Bunnell High School Community Page! It's a great way to connect with other families and find out about everything that's going on at Bunnell. This page is run by the PTSA and is just for members of our community. Please answer the questions and agree to the page rules so we can approve your requests to join.

Post Prom

$24 for the Class of '24 - our campaign to raise $24 for each senior of the Class of '24 has begun! If you have a senior, or if you would like to sponsor one, cash or check can be sent into the main office or mailed to Jessica DeManche at 20 Fairfax Dr, Stratford, CT 06614

Paradise Pizza Dining Night - We're hosting a dining night at Paradise Pizza on January 9th from 12:00pm - 9:00pm. It's good for dine-in or takeout, just need to mention BHS Post Prom or bring this flyer!

Contact the Post Prom Committee at bunnellpostprom@gmail.com.

Bulldog Club

Bulldog Club Meeting, January 9th - Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 9th at 6:30pm via Zoom.

Join our Zoom Meeting! Meeting ID: 885 3807 7467 Passcode: 655706

Hope you can come!

January 1 - No School - New Years Day
January 2 - School Resumes
January 15 - No School - Martin Luther King Day
January 16-19 - Early Dismissal - Midterm Assessment Week
January 20 - FAFSA Support Event
January 24 - Early Dismissal - PLC
January 30 - Junior Post Secondary Planning Event
February 1 - Senior
February 14 - Early Dismissal - PLC
February 16-19 - No School - President's Day Recess

Important Dates

blocks with letters spelling upcoming events

Bulldog Underground

Check out the Bulldog Underground, Bunnell's Podcast series, hosted by Baeram Alfreh, Kevin Bravo, Daphne Grijalva, Madson Thomas-Ferguson, and Producer Julia Murphy. The podcast can be found on Spotify, Youtube or Apple Podcasts by searching bulldog underground.

Bunnell High School Newsletter