Happy first weekend of the school year - we've made it through week 1!
For those that I have not met, my name is Ryan Reed and I am the new Principal at Bert Church High School. For me it is a bit of a homecoming as I walked the halls as a student from 1996 - 98 and then returned as a teacher from 2004 - 2007. As I've told a few people this week, some of my best memories in life have occurred at Bert Church High School and I was reminded why this week.
Over the past two days we have processed in the neighbourhood of 300 course changes. While this is always a daunting task (as many of you know from experience, teenagers seem to change their mind a lot), it has given me an awesome opportunity to get to know the kids at BCHS better. I was reminded at how genuine, honest, and kind the kids here are through the process. We completed gr. 10 - 12 changes on Wed/Thurs and will do gr. 9 option changes on Monday. Thanks for your patience through the process. A big shout out to Mr. Castiglione and our guidance counsellors for the hundreds of hours of work they put into the timetable this year. Well done.
I hope to get to know you all better over the course of the year. Thanks for the warm welcome back and have a great weekend.
Ryan
What's New at BCHS - 2019
We thought it would be important to highlight a few changes that are in effect for 2019.20 at BCHS.
Bell Schedule
Please refer to this link to ensure you are aware of the bell schedule for the year ahead. A couple highlights include:
1. Friday lunch extended to 30 minutes from 20.
2. Advisory moved from Monday to Friday and shorted to 30 minutes
3. Focus being called Flex and offered 4 times per week (twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon).
4. No TLB on Fridays with class ending at 2:05 PM
Advisory
Previously, Advisory was a course where students would earn credits in Learning Strategies through the completion of tasks assigned to the whole student body. Due to some changes in Learning Strategies as well as feedback from both staff and students, credits have been removed from Advisory. The purpose of the 30 minute Advisory period on Friday's is to connect kids to one adult in the building who will help act as their advisor and advocate. We have over 1100 students in the school but we want students to feel they have someone they can seek out for help or advice. The 30 minute period on Friday will allow students to look ahead to their next week and plan their Flex blocks accordingly. As well, Advisors will ensure students on Student Support Plans (previously IPP's) have long term goals and they are receiving the support they need.
Students leaving class
If your student needs to leave class for an excused reason (family reason, appointment, etc...) teachers have been directed to only release them if they hear from the office through a phone call or the student has a Leaving Early code in their attendance. Both involve having to call the office prior to your child leaving. While we recognize cell technology allows you to text your child to excuse them, the opportunity for kids to abuse this is too great. We appreciate your cooperation and encourage you to call ahead to excuse your student from their classes.
Vaping
Vaping is not a Bert Church issue, it is a societal issue. If you read the news you'll see many jurisdictions struggling to deal with the amount of vapes getting into our young peoples hands.
Possessing a vape is against the law for a youth. Vaping is against the law for a youth. Possessing a vape while at school is against school rules. Vaping at school is against school rules. When kids bring illegal items to school, it compromises the learning environment for everyone.
Suspensions for bringing illegal items, like vapes, and using them at school will be out of school. Our hope is as more studies are done (like this one that was just released) we as a society will start to take more seriously the harmful effects vape smoke is having on our youth. In the meantime, we will encourage our kids to make the best choice possible and not to even bring the vape to school. We appreciate your support in this matter. My encouragement for you is to have a conversation with your child about healthy choices and specifically what vaping can do to their lungs.
If you've read this far, congratulations. There are a few other new items but we'll mention them when the time is appropriate.
Our gr. 9 kickoff was a great success with the LINK crew welcoming the students to school. Tours, swag, and helpful information greeted the students as they arrived at school on Tuesday. Thanks to Mr. Kirk and the 70 or so volunteers who helped make the first day special for our gr. 9 students.
Our inaugural carnival was a lot of fun. On Friday afternoon, our student leadership group organized a wonderful event for the student body. There were food trucks, tons of games, pie a teacher in the face, and a petting zoo. A great end to a good week of school. Thanks to Ms. Stachniak and Mr. Jones for your guidance.
Our parents and kids are awesome. We had parent volunteers out twice this week, for our welcome back BBQ and our Pancake breakfast. Thanks to Phyllis and the crew for your hard work with the pancakes and to everyone who volunteered their time to make the week special for kids.
Career Centre News
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. Chinese Proverb
Discovery Days at U of C Med School
If you are interested in becoming a doctor, you might want to attend Discovery Days on Friday October 18. You have exciting medicine related sessions to choose from and the Career Panel at the end of the day will answer many of your questions.
Sign up is on Sept 13, so let Mrs. Smith in the Career Centre know if you are interested. This event fills up quickly, so it will also be full by the end of the day on Sept 13.
First Day to Apply at SAIT is October 2.
Generally it is a good idea to apply early, especially if the program you are applying to is very competitive. Some programs stop taking applications in December.
SAT and ACT exams – 2019-2020
Which Test Should you Write?
At a glance, the two tests aren't that different. Both the ACT and SAT are nationally recognized standardized tests and common admission requirements for US schools. Catering primarily to high school juniors and seniors, each test measures students’ proficiency in various critical skill areas — such as problem solving and reading comprehension — that are necessary for college success.
Additionally, because all US colleges and universities accept scores from either the ACT or SAT, there's no advantage in taking one test over the other. This means you can apply to the same schools, regardless of which test you decide to take!
There are differences between the two tests. If you plan to write one, do some research and figure out which test would be the best one for you to write. One difference is that the SAT is 3 hours without the essay and 3 hours and 50 minutes with the essay. The ACT is a little shorter – 2 hours and 55 minutes without Writing and 3 hours and 35 minutes with Writing. This Blog site compares the differences.
SAT
Test Date
Early Registration
Registration Deadline
Cost to write: $47.50 without Essay and $64.50 with Essay Code for Bert Church HS is 820021
Oct 5, 2019
Aug 21, 2019
Sept 6, 2019
Dec 7, 2019
Oct 23, 2019
Nov 8, 2019
March 14, 2020
Jan 29, 2020
Feb 14, 2020
May 2, 2020
March 18, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
ACT
High School Code is 820021
Cost: $150 or $166.50
Test Writing centres in Alberta: Lacombe, Cardston and Red Deer
The International writing dates are not posted yet, but will likely be the same weekend as United States test writing.
Sept 14 2019, Oct 26 2019, Dec 14 2019, Feb 8 2020, April 4, June 13 2020, July 18 2020
Registration deadlines will be posted later this spring. More information here All students testing outside the United States must register online. Register and create your ACT account to proceed.
Study and Go Abroad Fair – September 28 at the Calgary Telus Convention Centre
Attend Seminars, admission is free, chat with recruiters from top universities from around the world.
Seminar Topics include:
The Search for Scholarships
Scotland is Now
How to succeed in your UK Medical School Application
Scholarship Tips for Financing Studies in the United States
Find out about programs, prereqs, application process
Study and Go Abroad
September 28, 2019
Calgary Telus Convention Centre
International University and Experiential Travel Expo
SAIT Open House
October 18, 19 2019
9AM to 3 PM
SAIT
Explore programs at SAIT
University of Calgary Open House
October 5, 20109
University of Calgary
Find out about programs, residence, application process etc
Discovery Days at U of C Med School
October 18
U of C Foothills Campus
Take our Kids to Work Day
November 6, 2019
Grade 9’s go to work with a parent
University of Alberta Open House
October 19, 2019
Edmonton Campus
Learn about programs, registration process, residence and get your questions answered
Bow Valley College Open House
October 19, 2019 10AM – 3 PM
Bow Valley College
Calgary
Explore Programs and learn about application Process
Focus on Careers
November 19, 2019
Each Advisory hosts a Career Mentor
Students conduct Informational Interviews
Alberta Post Secondary Event
November 27, 2019
BCHS Gym
Your chance to visit more than 20 PS Institutions all under one roof
Scholarships
Don’t Hope for a Scholarship ~ Plan for a Scholarship
Eco Youth Award 2019
To apply, you must submit a project proposal based on any environmental topic, such as climate change, water, air, waste and recycling, soil transportation, food, energy, etc
Must be between 6 and 18 yrs of age and you can submit as a group or as an individual.
Deadline to apply: Dec 6, 2019Finanicial award of $750
Supports promising young Canadians who show strength of character and a commiyment to service in their communities, challenging them to fully realize their leadership potential.
Up to 36 Loran Scholar awards valued at $100,000 over four years. Up to 52 one-time awards valued at $5000 offered to finalists not selected as Loran Scholars and 50 Provincial Awards valued at $2000.
Must be graduating from HS in 2020, Canadian Citizen, minimum GPA of 85%
