Bunnell High School

Bunnell High School Newsletter

June 2024
students on field

Principal's Message

It’s hard to believe that this is our final Newsletter of the year! We have been BUSY here at Bunnell - last month, we witnessed stellar performances in our Spring production of “9-to-5”, as well as our Spring Concert. We inducted over 50 students into our school’s nine Honor Societies, celebrated the hard work and accomplishments of nearly 300 students in grades 9 through 11 at our annual Underclassmen Awards Ceremony, and distributed over $320,000 in scholarship money to seniors at our Scholarship Award Ceremony. There is tremendous excitement in the air, as we prepare for the Senior Walk on June 3rd and Commencement on June 10th!

Please take note of our Final Exam Schedule and reach out to your child’s administrator if you have any questions. Class of 2024 parents, please continue to check your email to stay up-to-date with important communication regarding Graduation and Graduation Rehearsal week. Several emails have been sent from Mrs. Sabia. 

I would like to take a moment to thank you all for your continued support of Bunnell this school year. We have much to celebrate and I am grateful to lead this wonderful school community. I wish you and your family a safe, happy, and restful summer.

Please 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. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2024 in the upcoming weeks!

With Bulldog Pride, 

Dr. Graf

Guidance

words describing guiding

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

Class of 2025 - As a rising senior, there are some steps that you can take during the summer to begin preparing for your senior year. Please click here to get a jumpstart on your post high school career.

The June Scholarship offerings have been posted to the Class of 2024 School Counseling Department Google Classroom. Please take advantage of the many locally funded scholarships now available! Deadlines are approaching so please make sure you apply soon!

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.

Fall Sports Registration is now open on FinalForms! The deadline to register for Fall Sports is 8/23/24.

Please register at: https://stratford-ct.finalforms.com/ and follow the prompts to create your account, create your students and sign your forms.

New Accounts: Need Help creating an account? Watch the tutorial video here.  

If you require any support during the process, scroll to the page bottom and click “Use Support”. 

If you are a returning athlete/parent, please log into your existing profile rather than creating a new account and update your forms and signatures. If you forgot your password or user name, please click forgot email / forgot password.

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

Please check for tryout dates and times to be posted for all Fall sports: Fall Sports Tryout Dates and Times

You must have your parent forms, student forms and a valid physical on file in order to be eligible to participate in tryouts.

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

Athletics

bulldog with bunnell athletics across it

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

Follow us on Instagram - @bunnellyearbook

Reminder:

We are exceedingly proud of the magazine quality of our AWARD WINNING 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.

YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION: All students received yearbooks at distribution events on Thursday, May 30th.  The Class of 2024 watched a sentimental video of memories created by yearbook senior section editors Ella Myers and Gabi Czaja, then were treated to pizza in the courtyard during their book signing.  All other buyers received their books at the end of the school day in the cafeteria.  If you ordered your student a yearbook and they did not receive it, please send them to the main office to sign for and pick up their book. 

YEARBOOK SALES: If we have any unsold books, they will be for sale in the main office.  Books are available on a first come, first served basis. Books can be purchased with $85 cash or a check made out to Bunnell Laurel.  Online book sales for the 2024 book ended on Friday, May 31st. 

SPRING SUPPLEMENT: In late summer, the Spring Supplement- a 12 page insert to the hard copy yearbook- will be available for pick up by those who purchased yearbooks. 

CLASS OF 2025 - current Bunnell juniors: You will be contacted in the coming weeks by Robert Taylor Photography for senior portrait appointments.  Seniors will NOT be in the senior section of the yearbook unless portrait appointments are made at Robert Taylor Photography in Stratford.  Students will make their own appointments by prepaying the $25 sitting fee for their session to secure their time slot. After your portrait is taken, a notification email of the active gallery will go to the email that you typed into "signup genius" to view, order, and choose your yearbook selection. Dress is business casual. Robert Taylor has button down shirts, ties, jackets and the drape if students would like to borrow. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Robert Taylor.

smile@roberttaylorphotography.com

203-377-0739

Office Hours Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm

Lab closed Fridays

Studio by appointment 

It’s time for our Bunnell Library books to make their way back to the shelves. To avoid potential lost book fees in Powerschool, if you have a library book from a Stratford school that you no longer attend, please bring it to Ms. Pellegrino in the Bunnell Library and she’ll arrange for its return. No overdue fees!

The Bunnell-Stratford Library Association card drive was a success with over 60 students signing up for new public library cards. Our students heard about the fantastic programs planned by the Teen department for June and summer.

Seniors will be returning their chromebooks and chargers on a specified date. (There will be a $230 charge assessed for unreturned/damaged chromebooks and a $25 fee for unreturned/damaged chargers.) Underclassmen should keep their chromebooks safely at home over the summer. 

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman was voted the 2024 Nutmeg Book Award High School winner! The 2025 Nutmeg nominees have been announced. Voting will take place next April.  

Thank you all for your support. We have a wonderful library collection at Bunnell and love to see our students enjoying books and reading. Wishing you all a fantastic summer!

Library News

books spelling out library

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

Bus routes for the 2024-2025 school year will be published on the Stratford Board of Education website toward the end of August.

Students are eligible for a bus if they live more than 2.0 miles from school.

Campus Parking

Parking information for the 2024-2025 school year will be emailed to the Class of 2025 in August. As in previous years, parking passes are sold to seniors first and then if any spots are available, parking passes will be sold to juniors.

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

Thank you to our PTSA members!

The Bunnell HS PTSA will disband as of June 30. Thank you to our members and everyone that has supported us! We are working with Dr. Graf to form a new Parent Advisory group. Be on the lookout for more information.

Please contact the PTSA with any questions at bunnellhsptsa@gmail.com.

Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week - Thank you to all of the families (and Post Prom) that donated so we could do something special for our wonderful staff every day of Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! We were able to have a candy bar, snack and drink station, lunch, pastries and coffee/tea, plus an ice cream sundae bar!

Join our Facebook Page - Everyone is invited to join our Bunnell High School Community Page! https://m.facebook.com/groups/1723870744295218/?ref=share&mibextid=db2PCj

It's a great way to connect with other families and find out about everything that's going on at Bunnell. The 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 request to join.

Post Prom

$24 for the Class of '24 fundraiser is still running. Our goal is to raise $24 for each senior in the Class of '24. If you have a senior or would like to sponsor one, please click here to see the flyer for details.

Graduation Signs - The Post Prom Committee is selling graduation lawn signs again.  You can order via the link by clicking here.  Your lawn sign will be placed on your front lawn within a week after payment is received. Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

Contact the Post Prom Committee at bunnellpostprom@gmail.com

Bulldog Club

Be on the lookout for a Bulldog Club Blanket fundraiser coming soon!

  • June 3-10 - Underclassmen Final Exams Early Dismissal

  • June 3 - Cap & Gown Distribution

  • June 3 - Senior Walk

  • June 4 - Outdoor Graduation Rehearsal/Voter Registration

  • June 5 - Outdoor Graduation Rehearsal

  • June 6 - Indoor Graduation Rehearsal

  • June 7 - Senior Class Trip

  • June 10 - Graduation - Early Dismissal

  • June 11 - Last Day of School - Early Dismissal

Important Dates

blocks with letters spelling upcoming events

Bulldog Underground

bulldog with microphone

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.