Weekly Bulletin

June 17 - June 21, 2019  |  Week 39

MESSAGE FROM BAA HEADMASTER, MS. CLARK

Thank you, Boston Arts Academy community, for an eventful, successful school year! The 2018-2019 school year was a year of great change and great achievement.  By my count, we had just under forty exhibitions and performances this year. We had the most successful Intersession ever, with the highest percentage of student-run sessions and interdisciplinary projects. Our Family Council set records for attendance and engagement, as did family attendance in general at exhibitions, shows, meetings, and conferences. We had a record number of students taking AP and dual enrollment classes. And 100% of our graduating class was accepted to college or a career training program. In a year of transition, our students continued to demonstrate high effort and achievement as Artist-Scholar-Citizens. We have much to be proud of!

Please make sure you are attending your RICO conferences in the coming week. In addition to being an important moment of reflection for our students, advisors will be sharing important information about the summer and next school year. Class of 2020 and families: I look forward to our Junior Award and Step Up ceremony in our auditorium on Tuesday at 2:10pm, where our new rising seniors will lead us into the next decade and into the next school year.

Have a great week and a great summer!

CONGRATULATIONS AND SHOUT OUTS

Congratulations to Ms. Polito, Mr. Mendoza, Fashion Students, and students from outside the Fashion major who walked in or designed for this excellent inaugural Fashion show! Shoutouts also go to Mr. McLaughlin and the Freshmen Dancers, Ms. Rivelli and the vocalists and instrumentalists that performed, Mr. Jentzen and the lighting students who designed dramatic effects to match the various looks, and Mr. Holt who managed the sound from beginning to end. Thanks also to the many adults who supported the show from setting up the auditorium, to modeling and helping out in the studio. This was a hugely successful show with collaboration across all departments. Congratulations, again, all!

Have someone(s) to congratulate or shout out? Please email Ms. Booth --> tbooth@bostonartsacademy.org (be sure to include name and reason for the shout out)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JUNE

Monday, June 17 - RICO Conferences, Day 1

Tuesday, June 18 - RICO Conferences, Day 2 (morning) | Junior Step-Up Ceremony (afternoon)

Wednesday, June 19 - Breakfast BBQ in the park | Last Day of School

For additional details, or for a listing of all events for the school year, please check our website calendar here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR ALL STUDENTS

Please also see the appropriate section below for information specific to your art major

Get ready for the Summer is Lit Project! Any student who is not going to the summer reading program this year will complete the Summer is Lit Project as their first grade in Seminar next year. You can look here for instructions and get the rising 10th, rising 11th, and rising 12th grade assignments as well. Questions? See Ms. Marz or your seminar teacher!

SENIORS: MBTA Youth Pass Program. While graduated seniors are no longer eligible for M7’s, they may be eligible to receive the Youth Pass. The Youth Pass program offers eligible young adults between the ages of 12-25 discounted transportation pass. This pass allows the participants to ride the T & bus for only $30 dollars a month. To receive an MBTA Youth Pass, applicants must a Boston resident, have already graduated from high school, and meet the MBTA Youth Pass Program guidelines and follow the following steps:

Step 1: Review program qualification & guidelines

Step 2: Complete Intake Form

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please click here.

Free Summer Memberships for Teens at the YMCA! Join Boston’s ultimate place for teens and experience full access to any of the YMCA of Greater Boston’s 13 locations.

Activities include:

• Sports and fitness programs
• Volunteer & leadership opportunities
• College & career exploration
• Field trips and more!

Visit your local branch to sign up and for activity schedules! Or click here for more information.

Explore STEAM! ESTEAM is a no-cost 4-week program designed for high school freshmen and sophomores interested in STEAM subjects. Workshop modules explore each of the six elements of STEAM with a focus on personal development, mental health and sustainability. The goal of the program is to inspire students to learn about STEAM subjects as a means to personal and professional development in a creative way. The workshops will take place on Saturdays from October 5th - October 26th. Rolling applications will be accepted between July 1st and September 1st. Click here to learn more and to apply!

COLLEGE AND CAREER

JUNIORS, are you looking for free SAT Prep? Let’s Get Ready is a 9-week curriculum administered by trained college student Coaches that includes SAT prep, college application guidance, college visits, and more. The program is provided at no cost to high school seniors and juniors with qualifying financial need.

College Access Students:

• Receive 36 hours of SAT preparation, including study materials

• Participate in 18 hours of college-focused mentoring and college application support with current college students

• Gain access to Let's Get Ready's amazing college student mentors all the way through college graduation.

Click here for more information and to apply!

*DEADLINE THIS WEEK* Ocean Awareness Contest | Amount: up to $1,500 | Deadline: Monday, June 17. This contest is a call for young artists, thinkers, and activists who are concerned about the future of our human and natural communities to use their creative voices to explore, express, and advocate for issues related to climate change and our oceans. Create a piece about a coastal/marine species, place, or system in 2019 that will be threatened, altered, or lost due to climate change. Submissions accepted in: Visual Art, Poetry, Prose, Music, Film. Click here for additional details and to apply.

The ALKU Scholarship | Amount: $20,000 | Deadline: Friday, June 28. Created in 2015 by ALKU CEO and Founder and MMP Board Member, Mark Eldridge, the ALKU Scholarship is a $20,000 college scholarship for rising high school seniors. Through Mark's leadership and generosity, the scholarship provides youth the opportunity to apply for financial support to achieve their full potential as they pursue their college careers. Click here for more information and to apply.

Kearns Louis-Jean Memorial Scholarship | Amount: 2 Awards for $1,000 | Deadline: Sunday, June 30. The Kearns Louis-Jean Memorial Scholarship is awarded to students of color within Boston, and neighboring cities/town, who are entering their first year of college, and pursuing a degree within STEM. KLJ Way will be awarding TWO $1,000 scholarships for the 2019-2020 academic year. $500.00 will be awarded per semester. Click here for more information and to apply.

Scholarships: Going Merry is an awesome new scholarship website. It makes it simple

to find and apply for scholarships, just like the Common App has done for college applications!

Click here to check it out!

MEFA Scholarships for the New Year: www.mefa.org/scholarships-for-the-new-year.

Here’s an additional resource for scholarships: studentscholarships.org.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SUMMER?

All students should stay engaged in their art form this summer! It is a good time to explore your technique, deepen your ideas and look at other artist’s work. Our expectation as an Arts High School is that you continue practicing your discipline in preparation for next year.

Rising seniors:

• If you have been granted for your Senior Grant, now is a great time to begin working on your senior grant project. For underclassmen, begin looking for organizations that you would like to work with for your Senior Grant.
• Go on college tours, reflect on what you liked and didn’t like. Most colleges have information about scheduled, weekly tours and group information sessions on their website, under the “admissions” section. Research colleges to which you are interested in applying.
• Write a draft of your college essay; Take an SAT course; Make a list of scholarships that you qualify for; Fill out the common application
• If you are applying to very competitive colleges, sign up for and study for SAT II’s, which are exams in specific subjects like Biology, History, Spanish Literature, etc. We suggest you take this test in October. Fee waivers from BAA will not be available until September.

Students aged 14-17:

• Work permits can be obtained at the following location: Boston Public Schools Welcome Center, Bruce C. Bolling Building, 2nd Floor | 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury 02119. Students must bring their completed Employment Permit Application for 14 through 17 Year-olds (https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/oq/youth-application_0.pdf), and proof of your age, such as your birth certificate, passport, or immigration record.

Other Opportunities:

• Visit www.bostonpublicschools.org/summer or highlandstreet.org/programs/free-fun-fridays for resources on how to keep your summer busy and fun!
• Also check out:

• The BCYF Summer Guide
• BPS Summer Stuff Guide: Summer Stuff is the place to find summer schools, camps, programs, activities, and jobs. There are a lot of great things to do in and around Boston. You could take dancing lessons, learn to sail or play golf, act in a play, volunteer at a museum or homeless shelter, plan for college, get a job, intern in a science lab or on a farm, and go to free concerts and films. (You could even work on your math skills…)

• Click here to explore summer opportunities such as arts programs, academic programs, volunteer and paid positions, and internships.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS, GUARDIANS, AND CAREGIVERS

Please also see the “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” section above for upcoming events, and the appropriate art section below for information specific to your student's art major

Summer is Lit Project is here! Any student who is not attending the summer reading program this year will complete the Summer is Lit Project by reading one fiction and one non-fiction book that connects to the theme of making change in the world. This will be their first grade in Seminar next year. Students can look here for instructions and get the rising 10th, rising 11th, and rising 12th grade assignments as well.

DANCE

These announcements are specific to Dance majors; for performances, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above

No announcements.

FASHION TECHNOLOGY

These announcements are specific to Fashion majors; for exhibitions, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above

No announcements.

MUSIC

These announcements are specific to Music majors; for performances, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above

No announcements.

THEATRE

These announcements are specific to Theatre majors; for performances, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above

No announcements.

VISUAL ARTS

These announcements are specific to VA majors; for exhibitions, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above

No announcements.

Questions or Concerns?

For artistic concerns, contact Artistic Dean, Kathleen Marsh: kmarsh@bostonartsacademy.org

For academic concerns, including special education and support for English language learners, contact Academic Dean, Joy Bautista: jbautista@bostonartsacademy.org

For safety and school culture concerns, contact Dean of Students, Edgar Vasquez: evasquez@bostonartsacademy.org

For health concerns, contact Nurse Jocelyne Aboujaoude: jaboujaoude@bostonartsacademy.org

For admissions information, contact Admissions Manager, Christina Rodríguez: crodriguez@bostonartsacademy.org

For any concerns, feel free to contact Headmaster, Anne Clark: aclark@bostonartsacademy.org

Helpful Links: School Calendar, SIS Login, BAA Handbook for Students & Families