We welcome parents and guardians of Class V-I students (grades 8-12) to our in-person Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 26 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Our fall Back-to-School Night provides parents/guardians with the opportunity to learn more about coursework, teacher expectations, and classroom procedures. Caregivers will follow their students’ Day 1 schedules; students should share their schedules in advance of Thursday.

By Wednesday, families will receive a reminder email that includes information about very limited parking options (we suggest taking public transport!), and other logistics.

The LEAH Project is a STEM access and college & career readiness program for high school youth historically underrepresented in STEM. This internship is for high school students interested in science and teaching and being a role model for younger students. WHEN: October 29th – May 14th WHO: Juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply, and all applicants must be at least 16 years old by October 29th, 2024.

WHERE: Time is split between LEAH’s Office (2 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116) and afterschool programs in the Boston area. Site placements begin in January. The application deadline is midnight Sunday, October 6th, 2024.

The Pathway Initiative provides access and support for talented and motivated African American, Hispanic, and Latino students, helping them reach their medical career potential. Through two programs: 1. Student Internship Program is for 11th-12th grade students interested in careers in medicine, health sciences, and STEM. The internship offers invaluable clinical exposure, scientific research training, and the development of key soft skills crucial for academic and professional success. $15/hour from mid-October 2024 to late April 2025 (Max 10 hours/week). Requirements: Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin, Able to conduct independent research and mentor younger STEM students, Registration Deadline: September 20 2. High School Medical Academy is for 9th-11th students who plan to enroll in a four-year Pre-Medical college immediately following graduation. Ideal candidates will demonstrate persistence, leadership, and a desire to mentor others in underserved communities. Unpaid. Requirements: 14-16 years old, Low-income, African American, Hispanic, or Latinx Interested in learning more about the health field! Registration Deadline: September 20

tinyurl.com/TPIINTERN and tinyurl.com/HSMA24

Want to start or join a club? Check out the new BLS extracurricular website at blsecevents.com! Explore or promote club opportunities, receive guidance from experienced club leaders, and build your community. You can also display or discover club events on the Upcoming Events calendar. Email Ms. Murray with images of your club to be featured on the website! Also, register your clubs by tomorrow to a save space in the EC Fair, happening on 9/24 and 9/25, from 2:20-3:20 in the Dining Hall!

blsecevents.com

If you missed the informational meeting for the BLS-sponsored trip to Ghana in 2025, there’s still time to sign up. This trip will provide BLS students with an opportunity to go deeper in their knowledge of the history of West Africa and the African Diaspora in America. It will help ensure all students who participate, especially students of color, increase their self-awareness, self-identity, and self-confidence.

During this trip, students will examine the relationship between traditional and modern Ghanaian life through the lens of historical periods such as colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. Students will take part in hands-on activities that will explore trade routes, traditional livelihoods, and modern diaspora connections. A service learning interaction with a local school in Accra gives students a chance to learn about culture and day-to-day life from their peers while giving to the community.

The deadline to sign up via the Google form and pay the non-refundable deposit is Friday, September 27. The deadline to apply for financial aid for this trip is this Friday, September 20.

If you have any questions, please see Ms. Pinchem in Room 114 or email her at cpinchem@bostonpublicschools.org

forms.gle/vyPhazXpk7d2xeZD9

HPREP is a free 10-week program running from November to February. Sessions will occur in person on Saturdays, enabling students to come to Harvard Medical School and interact with like-minded peers. The program consists of interactive lectures and hands-on activities, professional development, and 1-on-1 mentoring to equip students with the excitement, knowledge, skills, confidence, and community support necessary to pursue education and careers in science and health professions.

Apply with the link below!

drive.google.com/file/d/1vIzU74ozTSrZ0Emnpv5uxSm8O3boBN2k/view?usp=sharing

We need a limited number of students in Class IV-I who speak and understand a language other than English to help guide families at our Back-to-School Night, on Thursday, September 26. Interested students should plan to be in school from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on that night. Please complete this short form by Tuesday, September 24. Community Service hours granted of course. Thank you!

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSPb8EWXHI8SE2TyoUVqRLseD_esGBq6zHyohx_nrDUrZiPg/viewform

The Teen Leadership Council is a school-year youth employment program that will hire up to 18 Teen Leaders, ages 14-18, specializing in an area of the performing arts – dance, music, or acting – using the arts for social change in their communities. Teen Leaders will work collaboratively to create an original Final Showcase performance and arts-based workshops on a social justice topic. Teen Leaders will deepen their job readiness skills, practice facilitating groups while engaging community members in a meaningful dialogue, and operate as agents of change in their communities.

docs.google.com/document/d/1VqpfMqfENVRcEMR8KWHUOpA8UFCUhzmSmOSJDdsbVaM/edit?usp=sharing

MAKE MONEY, CREATE CHANGE, BUILD COMMUNITY!

drive.google.com/file/d/1GK9ROL7ykDzOrgYNj_41ZT-wZHHqhTnb/view?usp=sharing

Harvard Women in Computer Science (WiCS) Club has announced its Girls Who Code program this year. The program consists of weekly virtual classes on Saturdays taught by Harvard undergrads, and the club would love to invite BLS students to participate.

If interested, here’s the link: forms.gle/Pxq4QPe7eaJQp5UE7

We welcome parents and guardians of our Class VI students (grade 7) to learn more about the year ahead at our in-person Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 19 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. By Wednesday, Class VI families will receive details about the evening, including the format, limited parking options (we suggest taking public transport!), and other logistics.

Our annual Back-to-School Night for students of all other grades will be held the following Thursday, September 26.

Student Council is currently recruiting Student Body Representatives (i.e. Homeroom Reps) for the upcoming year. The Council welcomes ALL students who want to join a large, representative cohort of student leaders who share their voices at Town Hall meetings every month. Interested students should tell their homeroom teacher, who will submit names to the Student Council Advisor, Mr. Levesque. Email jlevesque@bostonpublicschools.org with questions. Thank you!

Open to all grades! Tryouts will be held on Wednesday, October 2 in the auditorium between 2:30-4:00pm. You may declaim a passage or abridged version of a poem, speech, book, essay, or play. The duration of the text may not exceed 2 minutes and 30 seconds. If interested and for more information, please complete this GOOGLE FORM. Submissions are due on Sept. 26 11:59 pm. The assembly is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18 and the audience will be Class VI. Please email Mx. Amico or Mr. Kerpan with questions!

forms.gle/ZYQZ94nGHouqFz7YA

The Boston Public Schools Parent University Team invites all BPS families to a webinar on ParentSquare, the new communications system on Thursday, September 19, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Zoom.

The webinar will support BPS families and caregivers in navigating the ParentSquare app, as well as how families can set their preferences for receiving notifications from their students’ school as well as district-wide notifications.

You can learn more and register for the ParentSquare Webinar by visiting the link in this post. Any BPS families with any questions can email the Parent University Team at parentuniversity@bostonpublicschools.org

email-link.parentsquare.com/ls/click?upn=u001.STUnuiPTnCCSzXnx-2BjMisOV7yY6BAdEyBzU7VedQoy05i7d2UjshtRqfnJfLoYIs-iTk_SOcZgsJsvhoEslh5h8vgyGDqXxGwy2B7mwQ2Vk7mxTcb-2FflV9a-2F6zFVmgmC-2FACrLr1upfMdupo60btxeCCexjgVPqY01eV-2Baw6Jusaj6oBApODBX5MSkF4P7CxTB-2B3kOMjrWjM6-2Bym1UTTlblUz76KphY0FReAEHs3pRBW-2Fs3Epoj9BzJC-2FHSSy4GyidU59BAYWp16BaLwyIDhZkoxWTq-2F95lXWH6JLEsy-2Fd-2FyQZ2kWdqrGHSVQFryFLnjt5yo8dXOel8mCUbH-2FomRJiSbDrvA-3D-3D

If you are curious about or interested in participating in this year’s Public Declamation contests, you should drop by Room 214 at 2:30 after school this Thursday, September 19th.

Come audition for BLS Theatre’s one-act! The three shows will be The Waiting Room, Jason, and the Arrrgonauts, and It’s Always the Butler. Audition materials and sign-ups are on the bulletin board across the black box (416)

These auditions are restricted to grades 7 to 10. Two shows focused on casting 7th and 8th graders and one on casting 9th and 10th graders.

Auditions are on Tuesday, September 17 and 18 after school.

Are you interested in joining the crew? All ages/genders are welcome and no experience is required! Visit the purple tent in the yard behind the Dining Hall on Tuesday, September 17, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. to ask questions, meet fellow rowers, and eat free cupcakes!

For more information, visit www.blscrew.org/ or see Coach Fearon in Room 316 (conor@bls.crew.org).

www.blscrew.org/

All students interested in carrying out a science fair project this year should attend our first W block meeting in the Seevak room during W block this Wednesday (9.18). If you did not receive an email from Mr. Balicki with your pass for your homeroom teacher, please get one signed by Mr. Balicki (327) or Ms. Bateman (352) in advance of that time.

On Saturday, September 21, all members of the BLS community are warmly invited to attend the Annual Wolfpack 5K at Franklin Park.

The race begins at 9:00 a.m. (registration starts at 8:00 a.m.) with all proceeds to BLS athletics.

To register and for more information, please see runsignup.com/Race/MA/Boston/BLSWolfpack5K.

If you would like to volunteer for tasks associated with planning and race day operations, please fill out this form www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FACA92BA0FE3-50452873-blswolfpack#/

Any students interested in trying out for the BLS Girls Hockey Team are invited and encouraged to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, 9/18 during W-Block (9:12-10:02) in the Roche Upper Gym.

Please fill out the Google form (docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc63vTcAbsDQl_pf844i5uY32qbef-MAbSfQP-7NFf4kkP6Qw/viewform?usp=sf_link). You will receive a confirmation message after completing the form. Please show that confirmation to your homeroom teacher before the start of the period to be excused. All students in Classes VI-I interested in girls’ hockey are welcome!

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc63vTcAbsDQl_pf844i5uY32qbef-MAbSfQP-7NFf4kkP6Qw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Do you love to sing? Want to hang out with friends? Kick off the school year with fun and music! Join the Wolfettes, Boston Latin School’s girls a cappella group, for karaoke on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 2:30 PM. Snacks will be provided

Location: Room 423, Music Wings

Fill- out the form below to let us know you’re coming! docs.google.com/forms/d/15deCN2Mw6ULKd7_ka6yNqm4FX9ahvxQtPEyRw0_RMfI/edit Check out the flyer below: drive.google.com/file/d/1u9n2XkZB9duOHDBgfB5pCVtrlUZSSgWk/view?usp=sharing

The compost team prevents 500-600 pounds of food waste from going to landfills weekly! We also get 30 minutes of volunteer time per lunch. We are looking for volunteers to help run the program. If you are interested in helping out during lunch please sign up below. Thank you!

forms.gle/ZeZg3BorACGYCui89

Venture Camp is an organization “where ambitious high school students gain real-world skills and launch their businesses.” This fall they will offer two programs for students – Innovation Connect and Launch a Startup – that dive deeper into the world of entrepreneurship, business, and technology through self-directed and experiential learning. Learn more and apply at www.venturecamp.org. Grades 9-12. Deadline is this Sunday, September 15. Scholarship applications are available at tally.so/r/wod2qV and tally.so/r/mVYzKJ. Email questions to ben@venturecamp.org. (Note: DLI is unfamiliar with Venture Camp beyond the contents of this post. Sharing, not endorsing, the opportunity.)

The Tech Office, located on the ground floor at the bottom of the Main Office stairs, is open to students from 7:25 to 3:00.

– You can now reset your password. Log into Clever.com with the Google button, click on your name, and choose “Set new password”.

– MAP testing is Monday, Sept. 9, and Tuesday, Sept. 10 with grades 7-9. Please bring your charged Chromebook to school every day, including testing days.

– If your Chromebook won’t turn on, plug it in, hold the Refresh key, and press the power button.

Play Ultimate! Boston high school and middle school groups will be playing this fall, organized by the Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance (BUDA). No experience is required! Ultimate is a team sport with a lot of action and no referees. Experienced coaches teach the skills and the rules, and middle and high school teams will play against other towns. For more information, go to www.buda.org/e/youth-ultimate-fall-2024 and look for links for the Boston site.

drive.google.com/file/d/1nv6yBj8W3bAfl3KJKCoamqRxYM9bDfE-/view?usp=sharing

BLS B.L.A.C.K. (Black Leaders Aspiring for Change and Knowledge) and BLS T.A.G. (Talented and Gifted Latino), two grass-roots student-led organizations, will kick off the 2024-25 school year with a BLACK 2 School Information Session and Cookout on Friday, September 13 from 3:30 – 6:00 PM. This after-school event will begin with an informational session in the auditorium and end with a cookout in the back courtyard.

The purpose of the event is to bring together new students, especially new students of color, who often struggle with finding community and their overall acclimation to a new school and environment. The goal is to help incoming 7th graders (Sixies) and 9th graders (Bsies) establish relationships and build a community to help offset the stress and anxiety that can be experienced when struggling to find a home away from home.

The event is sponsored by the BLS Black Alumni Network (BLS BAN). All are welcome. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact blackatbls@gmail.com.

forms.gle/vRNZW3jei2Ekt4ys5

We are planning a trip to visit Accra, Ghana during February break 2025. This trip will provide BLS students with an opportunity to go deeper in their knowledge of history of West Africa and the African Diaspora in America. It will help ensure all students who participate, especially students of color, increase their self-awareness, self-identity, and self-confidence. There is a great deal of diversity in the student population in Boston Public Schools, and there is one general point of unity; and that’s education within the walls and beyond the walls of the classroom.

This program examines the relationship between traditional and modern Ghanaian life through the lens of historical periods such as colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade. Students will take part in hands-on activities that will explore trade routes, traditional livelihoods, and modern diaspora connections. A service learning interaction with a local school in Accra gives students a chance to learn about culture and day-to-day life from their peers while giving to the community.

There will be an interest meeting on Wednesday, September 11 at 2:30 PM in Room 114. If you have any questions, please see Ms. Pinchem in Room 114 or email her at cpinchem@bostonpublicschools.org

forms.gle/WdzTukuLQxkt6c8H6

Welcome back! We will reopen to students following this schedule:

Wednesday, September 11: The library reopens for grades 8-12 to come from study hall. After-school hours begin for all students. See the sign-up information below.

Monday, September 30: 7th-grade students may begin signing up for library study hall slots

Signing up for the library: Students must create an account in Oculus to sign up for study hall. (Check the spam folder if you do not see an email during the setup process.) After-school sign-up is through LibCal. All students can come to the library after school.

Students are always allowed to drop by to check out and return books, print, or ask the librarians a question.

docs.google.com/document/d/14DNeIk-DWrcaoPfn8Cs9bH8ED0ki9W1Kh2TdJiJmzlc/edit?usp=sharing

The start of a new school year is a chance to set goals and embrace challenges, knowing that every step you take is part of your journey.

Are you interested in acting, improv comedy, lights, set, backstage, etc? Come to the BLS Theatre Meeting and learn all about what’s happening in BLS Theatre this year.

Come to Room 416 (The Black Box) at 2:30 on Monday, September 9

Nunchi Health is a Harvard Medical student-founded nonprofit dedicated to building culturally inclusive mental health for all. We build inclusive spaces where people from all cultural backgrounds can learn about and prioritize their mental health, and actively participate in the healing of their communities through peer support. Nunchi is the Korean concept describing a subtle art and the ability to listen and gauge other’s moods. At Nunchi Health, we hear the voices of our generation. The Nunchi Boston Young Leaders Conference (BYLC) is designed to inspire and equip students with the knowledge and skills to become mental health advocates in their communities. The event features a variety of engaging activities, including a presentation session, career panel, interactive workshops, and student panel. The event will be held on Saturday, September 21st on Harvard’s campus in Cambridge, MA.

Students can register for the event at this link: tinyurl.com/nunchibylc-reg

drive.google.com/file/d/1q485qEavzGdqent9o9qKcGCrmgeZ5ynI/view?usp=sharing

Praefect sign-up is open! Go to the “Praefect Sign Up” link on the Keefe Library Media Center homepage and complete the form by Friday afternoon. You will receive an email over the weekend with your assigned periods and will start reporting on Monday, 9/9. We are excited about the school year and welcoming our new team of student volunteers.

libguides.bls.org/keefehome