Weekly Bulletin March 25 - March 29, 2019 | Week 28 |
MESSAGE FROM BAA HEADMASTER, MS. CLARK |
The officers of the Boston Arts Academy Board of Trustees (BAA's version of the School Site Council) asked to address the community regarding the UNH incident. Please find their letter to the community in the section for Parents, Caregivers, and Families of this bulletin. As you will read in the letter, they are planning to meet with the University of New Hampshire about the structure of the festival and how UNH can ensure that it is inclusive and safe for all students, including BAA students, going forward. The BAA Faculty and staff are also reaching out to UNH to press for a more detailed response. We hope to have an update on these efforts in our next bulletin. I want to thank all of the parents and caregivers who have contacted me about this hateful, disgusting incident. Understandably, many are still very angry. In truth, I am still very angry. Please know that we will continue to discuss and pursue this issue. Our students deserve much better. Thank you, and have a good week. |
CONGRATULATIONS AND SHOUT OUTS |
Shout out to Laura Lopez-Finet (9th grade vocalist) who spoke at the BPS Budget Hearing in support of the arts. Shout out to the students who nominated Ms. Williams for a Shout Out and an Award! Please consider supporting Ms. Williams to get this award here. Congratulations to the following students on their college acceptances:
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 |
MARCH Monday, March 25 - Senior Music Recitals: Music Tech, 6:00-8:00pm Tuesday, March 26 - Wednesday, March 27 - Computer-Based English MCAS for all 10th Graders Tuesday, March 26 - Admitted Students & Families Night, 6:00pm Wednesday, March 27 - Senior Music Recitals: Jazz, 6:00-8:00pm in the Auditorium *JUST ADDED* Wednesday, March 27 - Family Meeting on Safety, 6:00pm-8:00pm in the gym Thursday, March 28 - Senior Music Recitals: Classical, 6:00-8:00pm APRIL Monday, April 1 - Wednesday, April 10 - Tech Week for Senior Theatre Showcase Tuesday, April 2 - BAA Music Showcase @ home.stead bakery and cafe, 5:00-7:00pm Tuesday, April 2 - BAA Family Council Meeting, 6:00-7:30pm *UPDATED* Wednesday, April 3 - Senior Breakfast @ Berklee, 9:00-11:00am Thursday, April 4 - VA Sophomore Reviews (in class) Thursday, April 4 - Term 3 marks close Friday, April 5 - No Regular Classes; Teacher Work Day Monday, April 8 - Term 4 begins Wednesday, April 10 - College Visit Day Wednesday, April 10 - Friday, April 12 - Senior Theatre Showcase Monday, April 15 - No School; Patriots’ Day Tuesday, April 16 - Friday, April 19 - No School; April Break Monday, April 22 - Students Return from April Break Thursday, April 25 - Family Conference Day 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 |
*NEW* This week we are operating on a special schedule due to MCAS test administration. Please see below for this week’s schedule:
*NEW* Interested in taking a college class between May 28 - June 28? Roxbury Community College (RCC) has 20 seats for BPS high school students for dual enrollment. Please email Ms. Bautista at jbautista@bostonartsacademy.org ASAP if you are interested. These seats will get filled quickly. *NEW* Gym is coming back! If you were scheduled for gym this year, it will be back fourth term. Stay tuned for changes in your schedule, we are working to accommodate everyone. We appreciate your patience, good humor and flexibility while we figure it out! If you have questions, please ask Ms. Marsh. Junior VAs will be hosting an opening reception for their collaborative show with the junior theater tech majors at JP Licks in South Bay on Wednesday, March 27 from 4:00-6:00pm. Please join us for light refreshments and art work created through a collaborative experience!! SENIORS There are things to do for the Yearbook! Check your email for yearbook information and your headshots! Please look for an email from TreeRing in order to insert pictures into your personal half-page of the yearbook. Follow the instructions to create your yearbook account, and email which headshot you’d like to use to Ms. Marz. Check with Ms. Marz if you have questions. All pictures must be in the pages by Friday, March 29. You should also VOTE for the senior superlatives HERE. *NEW* Attention all seniors completing Community Service Hours! All submissions for hours must be submitted by Sunday, March 31. To get credit, please submit a signed verification form or Boston Cares print out, AND complete the reflection via the google form on the website tinyurl.com/BAA-Seminar11. For those still in need of hours, visit BostonCares.org, check the bulletin and bulletin boards, ask your teachers, or see Ms. Higgins in room 211. We will be hosting a BAA/Grover Cleveland Complex Clean-up on Saturday, March 30 from 9am - 2pm. Those interested, please sign up with Ms. Higgins ASAP so that we can plan appropriately for staffing, supplies and materials. Service time can also be earned by donating needed items for the Community Service Clubs projects. Items to donate include:
Donations can be dropped off with Ms. Higgins or in the box in the library pod. Please make sure you check in your donations with an adult to get time credit. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to Ms. Higgins in Room 211 or email at ghiggins@bostonartsacademy.org. *NEW* Are you a young woman interested in marine biology, the sciences, or sound engineering? Earthwatch Girls in Science program is a fully funded experience at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute to study the bioacoustics of dolphins alongside scientists. From August 10 - 17, 2019, the chosen young women will interact with sound analysis software, construct underwater microphones, and integrate art and the humanities into their learning. Applications due Sunday, March 31. See Ms. Bautista for more details (jbautista@bostonartsacdemy.org). Young Men of Color (YMOC) Conference. This year’s theme is Man Up! Maximize Your Resources So You Can Maximize Your Impact. Youth will connect with peers and mentors on topics including college accessibility, community violence, social media presence, romantic relationships, money, and more - and learn ways to make an impact towards positive systems change. Saturday, March 30, 9:00am-3:00pm at Roxbury Community College. This event is FREE. Breakfast and lunch provided. Click here for more information and to register. The City of Boston Youth Job and Resource Fair will be held on Saturday, March 30 at the Reggie Lewis Center from 10am-2pm. The fair will host 200+ youth employers and career development workshops and offer free food, music, games, and a raffle! Fill out this form if you plan to attend. *NEW* BAA's annual senior luncheon, hosted by Berklee President Roger Brown, is on Wednesday, April 3, 9:00-11:00am at Berklee. This event marks the beginning of graduation season for our seniors -- the first of many events that transition our 2019 graduates from students to alumnae. We are excited to share this tradition with our class of 2019! *NEW* Greetings BAA! This is your Student Government reaching out to tell you that Spirit Week will be happening April 8 - April 12! The days are as follows:
**Keep in mind Wacky Wednesday is the same day as College Visit Day *NEW* Seniors: It’s not too late to order a class ring! A representative from Jostens will be at BAA on Tuesday, April 9 during lunch. Be sure to stop by if you still want a ring. *NEW* Do you have a favorite STEM (science technology, engineering, or math) teacher? iRobot and the Red Sox would like to honor him or her. Nominate your teacher here by April 15. National Endowment for the Arts Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge. The National Endowment for the Arts and the American Theatre Wing are looking for emerging songwriting stars for the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge. This national competition is open to high school students who have a passion for writing songs that could be part of a musical theater production. Musical theater encompasses a wide range of musical styles including hip-hop, rock, R&B, country, jazz, and more. This year marks the second national competition with applications due by Tuesday, April 30. Click here to apply. The Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP), a Boston-based non-profit whose mission is to educate and empower women of African descent concerning their reproductive health, will be holding a very special Mother’s Day celebration organized at Wellesley College on Saturday, May 11th from 5:00-7:30pm. This event will incorporate speakers from a variety of disciplines and dance performances, along with the music of Florence Price, the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer. The event will conclude with a reception during which guests will be able to meet the invited speakers and performers. For more information, please click here or contact: Lilly Marcelin (Lmarcelin@rsphealth.org, 617-590-4003). | ||||||||||||||||||||
COLLEGE AND CAREER |
SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS: Boston Public Library is holding *free* 4-week SAT classes this spring in various locations. View their events calendar for more information. JUNIORS: Do you have dreams of going to college? Do you want to increase your chances of earning scholarship dollars? BAA is offering 3 sessions of in-school SAT prep on Fridays in March, from 1pm to 3pm, in preparation for the May 4th test. Pizza will be provided! Participating students will also have the opportunity to take a full-length, in-school practice test. Interested students can pick up a registration form from the main office. *DEADLINE THIS WEEK* LULAC National Scholarship Fund | Amount: $250 to $2,000 | Deadline: Sunday, March 31. The LNSF offers three tiers of awards based on a student’s GPA and SAT scores. While LULAC is a Latin American organization, the scholarship application is open to graduating seniors of all races and ethnicities. View details and application here. Greater Boston Real Estate Board Scholarship | Amount: $500 to $5,000 | Deadline: Monday, April 1. UAspire presents the GBREB Scholarship for graduating seniors living in the Boston or Greater Boston Area. Applicants must demonstrate leadership experience, extracurricular involvement, and academic achievement. Requirements include a short answer and essay. Click here to apply. NAWAMA Visual Arts Scholarship | Amount: $1,500 | Deadline: Monday, April 1. The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. (www.nawama.org) fosters and promotes awareness and interest in visual art created by women in the United States. We strive to encourage contemporary and emerging artists through exhibitions, educational programs and scholarships. In keeping with its mission, NAWAMA is awarding two $1,500 scholarships to two 2019 graduates. Eligibility: Any female student who will be graduating from a Massachusetts High School. The candidate must be attending college in the fall of 2019 with a major in Fine Arts. Click here to apply or email Scholarship Chair Rosalie Cuticchia at rosaliec333@gmail.com for an application. University Club of Boston’s Future Leaders of Boston Scholarship | Amount: up to $20,000 | Deadline: Monday, April 8. Scholarships will be granted to five graduates of Boston’s district, pilot and charter schools. Applicants must submit strong leadership potential and financial need. The scholarship is renewable for all four years. More details and the application can be found here. City of Boston Scholarship | Amount: $2,500 per year for 4 years | Deadline: Friday, April 12. This need-based scholarship is open to all graduating seniors who have lived in Boston for two or more years. Fill out the application here. *NEW* Jack and Jill of America Merit Scholarship Award | Amount: two awards for $1,500 each | Deadline: Monday, April 15. This program awards two $1,500 scholarships annually to outstanding African-American high school seniors, who are based in Massachusetts and entering an accredited 4-year university or college upon graduation. Click here for more information and to apply. *NEW* 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. 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. |
SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES These announcements include summer jobs and arts enrichment opportunities |
BAA Summer scholarship fund. Interested in intensive arts study this summer? 9th, 10th, and 11th graders are encouraged to consider applying to the BAA summer scholarship fund to help support their summer arts studies. The summer scholarship application, which is due on Friday, April 12, can be obtained from your arts chairs or by emailing Ms. Marsh at kmarsh@bostonartsacademy.org. All majors are encouraged to apply. Applications for GRAMMY Camp Are Out Now! GRAMMY Camp® is a five-day, non-residential Summer Music Industry program for high school students interested in having a career in music. Hosted by the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music (USC), students from across the country apply for one of eight offered career tracks: Audio Engineering, Music Business, Video Production, Vocal Performance, Electronic Music Production, Music Journalism, Songwriting, Instrumental Performance. GRAMMY Camp faculty of music professionals, as well as guest industry professionals, provide valuable insight to give the campers the best chance at achieving success in their chosen career. SUMMER JOBS REGISTRATION IS HERE! Sign up to get a summer job working for the city of Boston. You can come to the library or the career office in order to get help with your applications. Check out the board on the main stairwell for information. Students and families, please click here to explore additional summer opportunities such as arts programs, academic programs, volunteer and paid positions, and internships. Deadlines vary, but the sooner you apply, the better. Note: this document will be updated as new opportunities become available, so be sure to check back frequently. |
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 |
*NEW* Family Meeting on Safety: Wednesday, March 27 at 6pm in the gym. On Friday, students had assemblies to get updated information about recent safety alerts and concerns. Many families have requested a special meeting on a topic. Next Wednesday night we will be having a special family meeting to discuss recent events and safety at BAA. The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. Please join us Wednesday, March 27 at 6pm to discuss current measures in place and whether protocols and procedures need to change. SBIRT Screening. In March 2016, the Massachusetts Legislature passed House Bill #4056 which outlined requirements for public schools, including participation in a new program about the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances. In order to help prevent students from starting to use substances, or intervene with early use, Boston Public Schools will provide an interview-based screening for 7th and 10th grade students about the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. At BAA, this screening will take place on Thursday, April 11. Please click here for more information about the screening. You may also contact Nurse Jocelyne (jaboujaoude@bostonartsacademy.org) or the BPS Health Services Department (617-635-6788) for more information. Do you subscribe to The Boston Globe? The Globe has re-launched their GRANT (Globe Readers And Non-profits Together) program. This community initiative allows subscribers to help non-profits (like the Boston Arts Academy Foundation) earn free advertising space in the Globe! To participate, go to https://manage.bostonglobe.com/grant/RedeemVoucher.aspx and enter your subscriber number and Boston Arts Academy Foundation. Please consider supporting Boston Arts Academy in this very generous and unique way! Nonprofits that receive a minimum of $1,000 in GRANT dollars will be awarded free advertising space in the Globe. The submission deadline is Tuesday, April 30. Do you shop at Amazon.com? Begin your visit at smile.amazon.com and AmazonSmile will donate to Boston Arts Academy! *NEW* Letter from the officers of the BAA Board of Trustees: Dear Students and Families, The BAA Board of Trustees has been updated continually regarding the racist incident that occurred at the UNH Clark Terry Jazz Festival. As the Board of Trustees, our immediate concern is for the social and emotional wellbeing of BAA students, faculty and staff. We have strong confidence in the support that our students have and continue to receive around this incident. We recognize that many members of the BAA Community were upset to learn that those involved in the incident would not be charged with a hate crime. We too had concerns. As a board we felt we needed to better understand how that decision was reached. Through BPS, we learned that the conduct does not rise to the level of criminal prosecution because “for an act to be considered a hate crime, it must involve physical harm, harm to property, or a threat to inflict physical harm or harm to property”. That standard was not met in this incident. We understand that many people may still be upset about that decision. However, we wanted to assure the community that we looked more closely into the decision not to file hate crime charges so that we were assured all options had been considered. We have learned that all parties associated with the incident have been disciplined to the maximum consequences under Board of Education Policy. The Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent also met with the faculty members involved to discuss student behavior and overall supervision on trips; and they met with the jazz band to discuss the impact of their actions on the Boston Arts Academy students, whether or not they were directly involved or complicit by not stopping such racist actions. Additionally, they will continue to implement The Truth about Hate and other similar programs with the Anti-Defamation League, to create an inclusive culture. Finally, plans are in the works to strategize on ways to bring the families into the conversation, so they can develop partnerships in reducing acts of hate. We have reached out to UNH to about possible actions they can take to remediate the incident as well. We hope to have something to share about that soon. While these actions will not change the experience of our students this year, our hope is that future students will not have a similar experience at the jazz festival. We are very proud of how the BAA community has chosen to respond throughout this entire incident. |
DANCE These announcements are specific to Dance majors; for performances, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above |
Wednesday, April 3 - Thursday, April 4 - Sophomore Benchmark Summative Assessment Click here for additional dance dates. |
FASHION TECHNOLOGY These announcements are specific to Fashion majors; for exhibitions, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above |
SENIORS: Allan Rohan Crite Scholarship | Amount: $1000 | Deadline: Friday, April 26. In memory of Allan Rohan Crite, the African American Women Appreciating Art by African Americans (AAWAAAA) are sponsoring the Allan Rohan Crite Scholarship for African American BAA students who plan to pursue higher education in the visual arts. Applications are available in the main office or can be downloaded from here. The selected students will be granted a $1000 scholarship to go toward their education. |
MUSIC These announcements are specific to Music majors; for performances, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above |
Senior Recitals (at BAA)
Chameleon Arts Ensemble Chamber Music Series. On Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, the Chameleon Arts Ensemble will present their 4th concert of their Chamber Music Series. The program will include work by Haydn, Poulenc, Knussen, and Schubert. Click here for additional details. Students and families who are interested in attending can reserve free tickets by emailing info@chameleonarts.org. |
THEATRE These announcements are specific to Theatre majors; for performances, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above |
*NEW* Please join Ms. Lord Tuesdays and Thursdays during H block to help build the set for the main stage show. Every theater student needs 4 Tech credits in order to graduate, and this is a great way to earn one! |
VISUAL ARTS These announcements are specific to VA majors; for exhibitions, see “CALENDAR OF EVENTS” above |
*NEW* SENIORS: You are invited to check out Roxbury Community College’s Open House on Wednesday, April 3 or Thursday, April 4 from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Students will have the opportunity to meet faculty from various majors and disciplines. Campus tours will be offered and on-site completion of the application with computers available. Also, financial aid assistance, giveaways and more! Please sign up here if interested in attending.
RCC has programs that align with BPS CTE pathways, including a state of the art Allied Health Center. See http://www.rcc.mass.edu/future-students/programs-of-study for more information. SENIORS: Allan Rohan Crite Scholarship | Amount: $1000 | Deadline: Friday, April 26. In memory of Allan Rohan Crite, the African American Women Appreciating Art by African Americans (AAWAAAA) are sponsoring the Allan Rohan Crite Scholarship for African American BAA students who plan to pursue higher education in the visual arts. Applications are available in the main office or can be downloaded from here. The selected students will be granted a $1000 scholarship to go toward their education. |
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 |
Boston Arts Academy
11 Charles Street, Dorchester, MA 02122
bostonartsacademy.org | 617-635-6470
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