Calling all students! Aign up for a D.E.A.R. spot in the Keefe Library during their Lunch Wellness block. D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read!) — a chance to sit in the library and read for fun. Students may bring a book or reading device from home, browse and check out a book on display in the library, or pick up a magazine to keep. In order to provide a safe and socially distant reading environment, attendance will be limited to 20 students per period. Link to sign up is in SIS or click [here.]

Introducing the Chrome book Pop-Up Shop! Everyday during your lunch and/or wellness time, the Chrome book Pop up shop is here for your quick needs. Chrome book needs a quick charge while you’re at lunch or wellness, or you have an issue you need looked at? Just drop by in front of the TV studio (009) and get it checked out.

The Guidance webpage has been updated to reflect summer employment opportunities for BPS students. If you are interested in working this summer, take a look here: www.bls.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=191790&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=937018

Please note most jobs have a minimum age requirement and will require students to have a work permit.

PRIZE READING: The English Department is pleased to announce the annual Prize Reading competition. Prize Reading awards students at every grade level who have excellent skill in reading aloud. No memorization or special preparation is necessary; simply join your grade-level Zoom meeting on the appointed day, choose a text in a book we will provide online, and read it aloud as clearly and expressively as you can when your name is called. The competition this year will be held on Thursday, May 6 at 2:30 p.m. in Zoom meetings to be announced. Judges are members of the BLS faculty and staff. Please be sure your Hoopla account is active, and familiarize yourself with how it works. We hope you’ll join us! Questions: Email Ms. Moran at smoran@bostonpublicschools.org.

Join an experienced game designer (a relative of Ms. Floerke) as he talks about the process and the industry. Come with an understanding that all “trade secrets must stay trade secrets” but general questions and your interest in the industry are highly welcome.

Zoom Link: k12-bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/81711985659 Meeting ID: 817 1198 5659

k12-bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/81711985659

Attention all who attended the Women in Politics’ screening of Borderland: The Life and Times of Blanche Ames Ames: Please remember that the Talk Back and Q and A with the Director of the film will take place on April 30 during Friday Flex starting at 10:40 am. Please come prepared with any questions you may have. This is a cool opportunity to gain additional insight into an important activist for women’s suffrage as well as into the documentary film directorial process. Use the same link you were given for the film screening or email Kristiana Dycaj: kdycaj@bostonk12.org

Join the Boston School Committee’s Exam School Admissions Task Force at an entirely youth-centered listening session this Saturday, May 1st, from 1:00 – 2:30 PM. Share your thoughts about the admissions process for BLS, BLA, and O’Bryant, and let the task force know what factors they should consider as they decide on policies for the coming years. Make your voices heard on this important topic that impacts us so closely. The link to the webinar is:

k12-bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/88353763242 The link to signing up to comment during the webinar is:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpNRbPRmQ8NMh5V_ByC5n1BtboVKicVpyi4CcwQuQ-ItYGOg/viewform?gxids=7628

Hope to see you there! Zoe Nagasawa, Class I, Exam School Admissions Task Force (Flyer attached)

drive.google.com/file/d/1ylwJd3W9G6hOa2r_UvWw5kB9LW68BpiU/view?usp=drivesdk

Tune in this Friday, 4/30, at 6:30pm for the Spring Virtual Arts Showcase Part 1! The night will feature performances from bands, choirs, and orchestras, plus Big Band, Gospel Choir, and Show Choir. Log on a few minutes early to catch a pre-performance art exhibit from Mr. Harris’ AP Studio Art class. Registration link to receive the YouTube link is: www.bls.org/spring_arts_showcase

Join FemInSTEM, YouthCAN, and the Keefe Library at a guest speaker event with Wawa Gatheru on April 30th, during Friday Flex! Ms. Gatheru is, at 22, the founder of Black Girl Environmentalists, a graduate of the University of Connecticut, and a current Nature, Society & Environmental Governance major at the University of Oxford. She’ll be speaking on environmental justice, intersectionality, and her own activism. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions via a padlet. Sign up here!

FemInSTEM is hosting guest speaker Shaita Picard on Tuesday April 27th from 2:30-3:30. Ms. Picard is a BLS alumna (2011) and data scientist who works at Genospace, a company that uses molecular data to customize medical treatments and accelerate the development of medical drugs. Join us to learn about what it’s like to be a data scientist, various careers in the field, and Ms. Picard’s experience as a woman in STEM. To sign up for the event, please fill out this form

Congratulations to Sorochi Okwor (Class IV) for winning the 2021 AATG National Exam Scholarship this year. Normally this scholarship would entail an all expenses paid summer trip to Germany; however, due to COVID, Sorochi has won “The Next Best Thing To Being There” Scholarship. Sorochi and other winners across the nation choose between two following awards: a minimum of $750 award to be applied to enrollment in a four-week German immersion program (either in-person or virtual) or a full scholarship for any one-week Waldsee Virtual Village program. Bravo, Sorochi!

Join FemInSTEM, YouthCAN, and the Keefe Library at a guest speaker event with Wawa Gatheru on April 30th, during Friday Flex! Ms. Gatheru is, at 22, the founder of Black Girl Environmentalists, a graduate of the University of Connecticut, and a current Nature, Society & Environmental Governance major at the University of Oxford. She’ll be speaking on environmental justice, intersectionality, and her own activism.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions via a padlet. Sign up here!

Girls and Boys State will be held from Saturday, June 12th to Friday, June 18th at Stonehill College. These programs are designed to teach democratic values, politics and policy. Students are immersed in mock-government organizations and attend classes, lectures and debates. Two candidates will be chosen for each program based on their interest with consideration to grades and attendance. Please complete the nomination form no later than Wednesday, April 26th. Feel free to contact Ms. Sweeney at etaylor4@bostonpublicschools.org with questions.

Please see updated information for Spring Sport Tryouts. These dates/times/locations are always subject to change. Please be prepared to try out for your sport on April 26 after school unless told otherwise

As a reminder, homework will not be assigned during the April vacation (April 19-23) with the exception of some AP courses which may require homework in preparation for May or early June exams. Additionally, any homework for other classes that is assigned and due on Tuesday, April 27, should not exceed the usual 30 minute expectation (45 minutes for AP courses).

We wish the entire BLS community a relaxing and restorative break.

Check out the latest episode of BLSTV and make sure to subscribe!

Students interested in history, political science, and global affairs should consider the Harvard International Review (HIR) Writing Contest. More details here.

All spring sport candidates must be registered and cleared by the nurses in order to participate on the first day of tryouts (4/26)! There will be no nurse visits over break.

Sports Registration

Nurse Visit Schedule

Saturday, April 17th from 12:45 – 3:00 PM – Join BLS YouthCAN as we kick off Earth Week 2021 with our 15th Annual Youth Summit on Climate and Sustainability! Enjoy performances from BLS Gospel Choir, American Ink, and Izzy Goodrich (I); a keynote speech by Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu; and a slate of 9 interactive workshops led by organizations such as Sunrise Boston, Chelsea GreenRoots, Our Climate, and more. All workshops will feature action steps that participants can take to make their voice heard. We hope to see you there! forms.gle/82nf6VgGJZu9aLn39

forms.gle/82nf6VgGJZu9aLn39

Do you love movies? Come test your knowledge of hit films from the 1980s to the 2020s at the library’s third trivia competition of the year! You may sign up as an individual or a group, with a maximum of 7 people per group. Register at WITH THIS FORM by 11am on Friday, 4/16. Questions? Email Azalea Thompson at athompson25@bostonk12.org. See you there!

BLS is one of the 17 schools who has qualified to be on High School Quiz Show this season as we compete for our third championship. Coached by Mrs. Cojohn and Mr. Zou, contestants Lucas Aho (I), Ethan Clark (I), Alice Wu (I) Kyler Hoogendoorn Ecker (III), Mira Yu (III), and Louisa Hemr (III) will compete against Hopkinton High School!

Our premiere of High School Quiz Show debuts on Saturday April 17th, 2021 6:00 PM. Watch on GBH2 or @Highschoolquizshow on Youtube.

If you are staying in town over break, please consider joining BLSJCL to volunteer for the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan on Saturday, April 24th from 9am to noon. We will be doing some outdoor spring clean-up to help them get ready for the upcoming season. Should be a fun way to earn some community service hours, and get outside in the sun with your friends! To register, please fill out this RSVP form.

Saturday, April 17th from 12:45 – 3:00 PM – Join BLS YouthCAN as we kick off Earth Week 2021 with our 15th Annual Youth Summit on Climate and Sustainability! Enjoy performances from BLS Gospel Choir, American Ink, and Izzy Goodrich (I); a keynote speech by Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu; and a slate of 9 interactive workshops led by organizations such as Sunrise Boston, Chelsea GreenRoots, Our Climate, and more. All workshops will feature action steps that participants can take to make their voice heard. We hope to see you there! forms.gle/82nf6VgGJZu9aLn39

Human Library Friday Flex 4/16!

Attend this year’s virtual Human Library on 4/16 during Friday Flex and receive 1 hour of outside community service! You’ll get to chat about Justice with real people who work in the field every day: lawyers, journalists and activists. Rotate in small groups through our our visitors (the books) and get in about 15 minutes of actual conversation – no Google Slides! instead, you’ll get the chance to talk casually with our guests. Click THIS LINK to register

Check out our website to read about the speakers

Families please join the School Parent Council meeting this Thursday, April 15, 7:00-8:00 pm as we welcome Mr. Jim Levesque (Deitch Leadership Institute), Mr. Thomas Kennelly (Clough Center for Global Understanding), and Ms. Lucey Gorrill (PIC) who will talk about summer opportunities, including virtual service and global programming, employment (finance, health, tech, law, camps, community centers), financial literacy workshops, and more.

Please come with your questions. Q & A will be reserved at the later part of the presentation.
Where: us02web.zoom.us/j/86369666415?pwd=OW1HeFViaXlvRXRxQWVlWnRTY2Evdz09
Meeting ID: 863 6966 6415
Passcode: 781954

We recognize Ramadan, which begins on April 12, as a month-long observance by Muslims worldwide, marked by spiritual reflection and worship. For students who observe Ramadan and may be fasting, the Argo Room (Room 207a) has been reserved for you for reflection and prayer during Lunch and Wellness blocks throughout the month. Room 207a is accessed through the door to Room 206. You may also choose to visit the library at this time.

Please fill out the attached form each morning by 8:25 so that we can make sure we have an account of everyone on campus and can inform your teacher(s) if needed. As always, please reach out to your guidance counselor for any questions or concerns and to Ms. Kwan (wkwan@bostonpublicschools.org) if you need to access quiet space at additional times during the day.

We wish a safe, happy, and generous Ramadan to all members of our community who observe the holiday.

Interested in learning more about Irish history? Interested in learning how to speak Irish? The Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton is offering a four week online course for high school students focusing on Irish history (the Great Famine, Home Rule, the 1916 Rebellion and Modern Ireland) and Irish language basics. The cost is $80 (or $50 for ICC members) with limited tuition assistance. The course will run for four Tuesdays starting April 13 from 5:30-6:45pm. There are also two potential scholarship opportunities tied to participation in the course. Go to the ICC website for details www.irishculture.org/ or the link to the brochure included here.

There will be no tutoring Tuesday, 4/13 due to faculty meetings.

Tutoring will resume at the usual time and place on Wednesday, 4/14.

A food desert is described as an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food. Food deserts tend to be inhabited by low-income residents with reduced mobility. Food deserts lack suppliers of fresh foods, such as meats, fruits, and vegetables.

This year, BLS B.L.A.C.K, wanted to do something to combat this. However, we did not want to just make another slide presentation. We wanted to take action. And that’s what we are doing this Wednesday, April 14th, for the BLS day of service.

For the day of service, we plan to host a virtual walk where members of our BLS community could donate $5, $10, $15, or more. We plan to use these contributions to buy fresh produce for 5 Boston Community Food Fridges.

Our goal is $250, or $50 per fridge.

Here is the list of the 5 community fridges we plan to donate to: – Dorchester Community Fridge at 1471 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester – Roslindale Community Fridge at 4140 Washington St, Roslindale – Jamaica Plain Community Fridge at 366 Centre St, Jamaica Plain – Mattapan Community Fridge at 1290 Blue Hill Ave, Mattapan —South End Community Fridge at 549 Columbus Ave Your email address will be recorded when you submit this form.

Friday Flex – April 16 – 10:40 – 11:30 Please join Women in Politics for a screening of “Borderland: The Life & Times of Blanche Ames Ames”, a women’s suffrage documentary. Students who attend will be awarded 1 hour of community. On April 30, during Friday Flex we will follow up by hosting a talkback with the director of the documentary. Help us celebrate Women’s History month and the importance of women’s suffrage. To sign up and get the zoom link for the screening, fill out this google form.

The New England German Slam Poetry Contest organized by the Goethe Institute Boston (co-sponsored by German and Scandinavian Studies at UMass Amherst, the Goethe Institute Boston, and the AATG MA Chapter) received 31 entries from students of German at 10 different institutions across New England.

The Final took place over Zoom hosted by Bas Böttcher, a famous German Slam Poet. At the event Benjamin Fortuin (Class III) won 3. price and the duo Albert Yang and Thomas Poimenidis (Class II) won 2.price.

Meaning that 2 out of 3 prizes in the high school category went to BLS!

Wednesday is a half day and all students in Classes I – V are expected to participate in the BLS Day of Service and Social Justice. More information will be provided in extend HR on Tuesday with sign up info in HR Wednesday.

Please enjoy Veracium, Issue V, in which we cover the death of the Congo’s only major opposition leader, the abolishment of the death penalty in Virginia, representation of AAPI in President Biden’s Cabinet, and the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado.

Veracium is a newsletter published by BLS V.O.T.E. It is currently published bi-weekly on our website and details some current events, be it local, national, or global.

We’ll be holding a meeting this Thursday and Friday (April 8 and 9) here for anyone who is interested in joining our club!

The Human Library is an annual event in which members of the greater Boston community – including lawyers, local politicians, journalists, community organizers, journalists, and activists – come to BLS (this year, virtually) to share their experiences and engage in meaningful conversation with the students about a specific theme – this year, Justice. Students rotate in small groups through the “books,” our speakers, getting about 10 minutes of conversation – not formal presentations; instead, you’ll get the chance to talk casually with our guests. Participants will also earn 1 hour of outside community service. Space is limited due to the event being held virtually. Please use this Google form to sign up today!

Calling all BLS clubs. Participate in the BLS Day of Service by hosting a service or social justice activity on April 14. This will be similar to the successful MLK Day of Service held in January. We are actively seeing additional clubs to get involved, so fill out this form by Friday to get more information. Community Service activities, Social Justice film screenings with discussions, guest speakers with Q & A, and other formats welcome.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScC_UTThlvIqlsSMpZgVMoL4B1yKWrxcCODglTIpPEKykkPwA/viewform

Each spring the Student Council takes an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the faculty at BLS. This year, given the virtual environment, Student Council will create a Teacher Appreciation Mural. The image will be comprised of hundreds of smaller photos that, when looked at with a wider lens, will create an image celebrating BLS. Student Council is collecting photos of virtual classes, club advisor meetings, sport competitions, art performances, and anything that captures faculty and students working together.

Please submit through the Google Form linked below, and please note the submission guidelines regarding photo authorizations and identity detailed in the Form. Thank you!

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBvCPB9U5lH1q-IZ_k5FVx15mdDq24jsT7gM_9Cfe51JoJew/viewform?usp=sf_link

Calling all poetry enthusiasts! Izzy Goodrich ’21 presents a poetry reading and Q&A with well-known Boston poets on Monday, April 12 at 6pm. Register here: bit.ly/3cSqsbr and access the event flyer below.

drive.google.com/file/d/1AqWwMkAM0reAMyi0vvNp0nrqqDNiDCK2/view?usp=sharing

Join Let’s Erase the Stigma (LETS) for a showing of Perks of Being a Wallflower on Friday April 9th at 6pm! Fill out this google form for the link to the zoom! forms.gle/qjX8jAm3UPJF1Wty8

BLS ASIA is hosting an upcoming workshop regarding the topic of Addressing Anti-Blackness in AAPI Communities. The event will be focused on tackling the divide between AAPI and other POC groups, and how this schism can result in perpetuated racist or colorist rhetoric amongst the Asian community. Together, we hope to analyze how this trend originated historically, as well as what concrete steps we can take towards working against it.

The workshop will take place next Tuesday, April 13th, at 2:00 PM. All classes are welcome to attend – join us at bit.ly/asiaevents21.

Students in Classes I-IV are eligible to apply for the United Nations Association National Community Service Award through Innerview. Information can be found here and on Innerview. Deadline April 15th.

The BLS school newspaper, The Argo, is looking for your input in two different areas:

1. SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS: Want to highlight a friend or a great upperclassman? Submit a piece spotlighting them to blsargo@gmail.com by MIDNIGHT, APRIL 11 to get it posted on the website! Submissions should be 500-600 WORDS and INCLUDE A PICTURE of the person you’re writing about to guarantee that we consider your submission.

2. KELSEY & MAGGIE’S CORNER: Need advice on school, relationships, or anything in your life? Submit questions to our advice column by APRIL 6 AT 10PM to hear what our consultants have to say! Link: bit.ly/kmcornerapril2021

Confused about the mayoral election going down this fall? Looking how to remain civically engaged? Don’t fret, join BLS PRIMA on April 9th, 2021 during Friday Flex where we will discuss how the election works, go over the candidates and their policies, and discuss what we would like the future of Boston to look like. Fill out this google form to receive the zoom link! Attendees will also be able to earn 1 hour of community service.

drive.google.com/file/d/1TCBEHE4OWKYy-JZy5KffzKz07qaHibJA/view?usp=sharing

Thank you for attending Tuesday’s meeting. Unfortunately, Zoom has a 300 participant capacity and some of you were unable to attend. The slides and all pertinent information are posted on bls.org/athletics. Coaches will be reaching out to registered student athletes with team meeting dates and times

Nurse visits for ALL spring sports can start being booked now. Please do this ASAP.

Registration and Nurse’s Office links can be found at bls.org/athletics

On Tuesday, 4/6, students will have the option to virtually attend teacher Office Hours during the Extended Homeroom block. Students should not report to Extended Homeroom. We are providing additional office hour time during this last week of the term and hope that students will find it helpful! Our usual office hours on Monday and Thursday at 1:55 p.m. are taking place as usual.

YOU ARE INVITED TO: UNICEF Won’t Stop: Speaker Series. Attend this conversation on COVAX and UNICEF’s global effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccines equitably. You’ll hear about their mission to help vaccinate the world and how they are reaching refugees and displaced people.

Topic: Ending The Pandemic: Reaching the World’s Most Vulnerable Populations Time: Tuesday, April 6, 2021 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register Here: Participants will earn One Hour of Community Service Hour Please fill out this form to record your hours 🙂

docs.google.com/document/d/1Piksb9S8CBqF5QTZRRhr_30YPiSyPzy4-3njEgoH5fI/edit

The first episode of BLS TV for this year is out now! Weekly episodes release every Tuesday morning. Make sure to tell your homeroom teacher to play BLS TV during W-Block!

Come to the Human Library during Friday Flex of 4/9 and 4/16!

For this year’s VIRTUAL Human Library, members of the Boston community will come to BLS to share their experiences and engage in meaningful conversations with the students on the theme of Justice. Students rotate in small groups through the “books,” (our speakers), getting 10 minutes of real conversation–not formal presentations. Instead, you’ll get the chance to talk casually with our guests. Want to learn more? Click HERE to visit the Human Library website. Students who attend will receive 1 hour of outside community service! Follow this link to the form to register. This event is open to students in grades 8-12 but space is limited!

Seeds of Peace (SoP) is an international nonprofit that works with teenagers around the world to bridge conflict and differences, and create more just and inclusive societies. This summer SoP will offer an in-person camp in Maine for current 9th and 10th grade students from New England and New York. Camp will run from July 11-28. All information, plus the live application, can be found at www.seedsofpeace.org/programs/developing-leaders/camp/camp2021/. Generous scholarship opportunities are available, as SoP believes students who are a good fit for Camp should have no barriers to access. Send questions to Eliza at eoneil@seedsofpeace.org or camp@seedsofpeace.org.

Do you have an idea to change the world? Already changing the world? T-Mobile and Ashoka want to hear about it! Apply to the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge by April 8, 2021 if you are 13-18 years old. The top 15 winners will receive $5,000, and one grand prize winner will receive $15,000 to supercharge their idea! Selected teams will also be invited to a two-day Changemaker Lab focused on collaboration, storytelling, and skill development. ashoka.social/cm-tmobile-aa

D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything & Read) Wellness in the Keefe Library – Sign Up Forms – All Students

-20 spots/each wellness period
-If you can submit the form, you have a spot.
-Come for both days.
-Enter the library behind alma mater statue (near the old entrance on the first floor).
-You can find a book to read once you are here.

Keefe Library is loaning again! Request a book or we will surprise you with a grab bag delivered to your homeroom! Search or browse for books on the Bookshelf page and fill out our Book Borrowing Google Form.

The BLS school newspaper, The Argo, has posted its March Issue — you can find it at blsargo.org! Happy reading!

The MIT BoSTEM Scholars Academy is a full-time summer program in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for high school students (Class III and II) who are underrepresented in those fields. Since 2017, we have provided Greater Boston area high school students, mostly underrepresented minorities, the opportunity to gain experience in STEM in the heart of MIT’s campus. We aim to instill an internal paradigm of success by providing teens access to academic enrichment, pre-college resources, and a supportive community.

The 2021 PREFACE Program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute! PREFACE is a summer program for talented students who have been historically under-represented in science, engineering, and the technological fields, and who express a strong, early interest in pursuing careers in these areas. This year’s program will take place virtually Monday through Friday from June 28 to July 16, 2021. The 2021 program will focus on engineering solutions to create a more sustainable environment. In partnership with Rensselaer, the Troy School District (TSD) Community Greenhouse was initially established to introduce sustainability through agriculture. Since then, it has become an important, ongoing site for senior capstone projects in the Rensselaer Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory (MDL). Six separate capstone teams have proposed possible solutions to a variety of challenges, including the harsh northeast climate and limited water and power sources that diminish the effectiveness of the greenhouse growing season.Working in teams, the 2021 PREFACE students will complete their own capstone projects, modeled on the format required of senior Rensselaer engineering students.

On April 17th BLS YouthCAN is hosting our 15th Annual Summit, a free event for middle and high school students from all across Massachusetts! Join us for exciting entertainment and workshops, with special performances from the BLS Gospel Choir, American Ink, and Izzy Goodrich (I). This year’s Keynote Speaker, Michelle Wu, Boston City Councilor and candidate for Mayor, will be talking about her commitment to environmental justice through her plan for a city-level Green New Deal. Workshoppers include Sunrise Boston, Our Climate, MA Climate Education Organization, BLS World Wildlife, New England Aquarium, BLS Culture Coalition, and more. Come meet other climate activists and find out how you can join the fight for sustainability. All attendees will be put into a free raffle, so make sure to stay for the end for our unique prizes. Use the link below to register and learn more about the event.

forms.gle/82nf6VgGJZu9aLn39

Chinese Youth Initiative is a paid, virtual summer internship for high school students, run by the Chinese Progressive Association. Students will learn about social justice and develop leadership skills through hands-on community projects about social issues that affect the Chinatown and Chinese American community. 9th to 12th grade students who identify as Chinese or Chinese American are encouraged to apply at tinyurl.com/cyisummer2021. Applications are due April 5, 11:59pm. Questions?

Visit their office hours on Friday, March 26 3-4pm at tinyurl.com/cyiofficehours, or contact Sarah Wang (BLS ’15) at sarah@cpaboston.org.

Have your voice heard by submitting to the #StopAsianHate essay contest. Complete this form to receive more information.