BartramtrailHigh School Newsletter

Bartram Trail High School

Volume 3Issue 4

October 2014www-bths.stjohns.k12.fl.us

Administration

PrincipalDawn Sapp

Assistant PrincipalsKelly Jacobson

Christopher Phelps

Athletic DirectorBen Windle

RegistrarAretha Graham

DeansCathy Crowe

Pete PeaverTony Sowers

Guidance DepartmentJulie Besley A-D

Jessica Monahan E-LSarah Robichaux M-R

Andrew Hurley S-Z, Dept. ChairMelissa Roughan, Testing Coordinator

P: 904-547-8340 F: 904-547-8359

MissionStatementMISSION

STATEMENT

Bartram Trail High School will serve as a center for academic excellence, community involvement and character development while fostering a joy for lifelong learning.

Important Dates to Remember10/15 PSAT Testing10/16 SAC Meeting @5:30p.m.10/21-24 Homecoming week10/23 End of First Quarter10/24 Teacher Planning Day10/25 Homecoming Dance10/31 Reports Cards Issued11/11 Veterans Day/No School11/19 Interims Reports Issued11/ 26-28 Thanksgiving Break12/19 First Semester Ends12/22- 1/2 Winter Break1/5 Teacher Planning Day1/6 Classes Resume

Additional information and dates are available on the BTHS website: www-bths.stjohns.k12.fl.us

Campus Access for Students Begins at 8:30 a.m. Student access to indoor hallways begins at 8:30 a.m. Any student arriving on campus prior to 8:30 a.m. may sit in the courtyard. Students may not enter the building unless they are participating in a scheduled activity under teacher supervision.

The Bear FactsIssue # 4

October 2014Published Four Times Per Year

St Johns County School District40 Orange St.

St. Augustine, FL 32084

For The Parents, Students, & Community Of Bartram Trail High School

Principal’s MessageGreetings Bear Nation, We enjoyed an outstanding opening and the campus is alive with activity. I hope that all students are finding ways to be involved. Ms. Abell, our assistant principal for curriculum, accepted a new position in the professional development office. We wish her the best and welcome her replacement, Trevor Abbs. Mr. Abbs most recently served as the registrar at Creekside. He started his tenure in our district as a BTHS dean. It’s great to have Mr. Abbs back on campus. Rounding out the administrative team is Ms. Jacobson, our assistant principal for the 9th Grade Academy and Mr. Phelps, our assistant principal for daily operations. Mr. Phelps also oversees the exceptional student education program. Ben Windle is our new athletic director. He replaces retiring athletic director, Barry Craig. Mr. Windle served BTHS as a teacher for the past 9 years. He knows the BT culture and he has a passion to continue building our program. This will be the final hard copy edition of the Bear Facts newsletter. Moving forward, our PTO will manage distribution of our school news via email. Content will include celebrations of student events as well as important updates from guidance and class sponsors. The BTHS website will contain a Bear Facts list of upcoming events. Our goal is to provide timely information and I hope you will find this format user-friendly. Our goal is to provide an outstanding high school experience that will prepare students to be ready for life beyond high school. Please contact us with questions, concerns or feedback.

Sincerely,Dawn SappPrincipal

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Dress Code We want students to be dressed comfortably, but reasonably, and ready to learn. We are enforcing the dress code from the Student Code of Conduct.Remember:• NO leggings or yoga pants• NO tank tops – girl’s shoulders must be covered at least the width of their ID• NO hats or anything that covers your head• NO clothing that displays profanity, violence, symbols of alcohol, tobacco or drugs• No midriff or “cut out” shirts or dresses are allowed• NO see through clothing allowed and/or no undergarments should be showing• Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be no shorter than 4 inches above the top of the kneeIf you aren’t sure, you probably shouldn’t wear it! If a student is out of dress code, he/she may either change into clothing that we provide or call a parent for a change of clothes. If this is not done, the student will remain in the dean’s office with an unexcused absence. The second time a dean will call home to remind everyone what our dress code entails and the third and subsequent times, a detention will occur.

Register Your Electronic Device We encourage everyone to register any electronic device that he or she brings to school. If it is lost or stolen, we can now identify it and return it to the rightful owner. There is a link on the BTHS website for electronic device registration.

Front Office Information/Requirements• We cannot accept items that are dropped off at the front desk; regardless of whether your child

calls to ask you to bring the item. This includes homework, books, projects, etc. The ONLY exception is lunch or lunch money.

• 3:00 p.m. is the cutoff time for early check-outs, and on Wednesdays, it is 2:00 p.m. Sending in a note for early dismissal will expedite the process. Your (10th, 11th, or 12th grade) student should take the note to the attendance office between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or during lunch. A pass for dismissal from class will be given to the student. He or she can then meet you in the front office at the designated time. Please note that during exams and standardized testing, we do not interrupt a class to send for any students.

• When students are ill, they should report to the clinic. If it is necessary for them to be picked up, the call should come from the school phone located in the clinic. According to school policy, students are not allowed to use cell phones during school. Text messages should not be sent during the school day. Students are required to use the telephone in the clinic to contact you for early release from school.

• A driver’s license or State issued photo ID are the only two forms of acceptable ID when checking a student out of school.

• All visitors and volunteers must sign in through the front office. A driver’s license or State issued photo ID must be presented at time of sign-in.

• A person is considered a visitor to the St. Johns County School District when he or she is coming into a school for a one-time visit only.

• A person is considered a volunteer if he or she provides service to support the efforts of schools and departments in the District. Volunteer applications can be found on the Bartram Trail High School website and are submitted electronically.

Join PTO Membership information is available on the BTHS website or email [email protected]. Are you looking for a way to get involved at BTHS and help ALL students? PTO is there for you! Our PTO helps provide funds for technology, computer labs, and recognition programs for students, teachers and staff. PTO publishes an e-newsletter frequently to help parents stay up to date on all the Bear Happenings. PTO funds are generated by your membership dues, sale of student planners, and local business partners. Please read below to learn how to get involved:• PTO Board Membership: If you are

looking for a way to stay active in your student’s school, consider becoming a PTO Board member. Meetings are held monthly, and include Ms. Sapp, PTO Board members and any parents or business partners who wish to attend. At the beginning of the school year, Board members will determine an optimal meeting time, probably early one weeknight evening.

• PTO Membership: If you can’t become a Board member, you can still contribute by joining and paying an annual dues contribution. If every family member joins, imagine the possibilities for our school!

• Stay Informed: If you would like to stay informed, please consider signing up to receive our newsletter, and occasional signup opportunities to volunteer. Take a l o o k at the Bartram Trail website for a

link to a sample newsletter. You can also, click on a link in the newsletter to Join Our Mailing List.

3Birthday Banners Displayed at School Entrance Hanging birthday banners on the school gate is a BT tradition. Please be advised of the following: All banners are removed each day at 5 p.m. Banners hung after 5 P.M. will remain there until 5 P.M. the following day. Please wait for dismissal traffic to clear (approximately 4:10 p.m.) before attempting to remove a banner from the gate. Please do not paint your banner after hanging it on the school gate. Hanging an inappropriate banner may result in suspension from school. Banners that are removed by BT staff will be stored in the maintenance office and are disposed of each Friday.

2014-2015 BTHS Testing CalendarTESTING WINDOWS SEMESTER 1 REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS REQUIRED BYAug 18 - Nov 13, 2014 FAIR progress monitoring (window 1) StateOct 6 -17, 2014 Fall FCAT Retakes (new students and retakes) StateOct 14-23, 2014 Quarter 1 District Formative Assessments DistrictOct. 15, 2014 PSAT (9th - 11th grade) StateNov 14 - Mar 2, 2014 FAIR progress monitoring (window 2) StateDec 1 - 19, 2014 Winter Algebra I Retake, Biology, Geometry, and US History EOC StateDec 1 - 12, 2014 Winter DVA Testing for single semester courses only StateDec 11 - 19, 2014 Semester 1 District Formative Assessments District

TESTING WINDOWS SEMESTER 2 REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS REQUIRED BYJan 27 - Jan 29, 2015 Post-Secondary Education Readiness Test (11th grade) StateMar 2 - 13, 2015 FSA Writing Component (9th - 11th Grade) StateMar 3 - June 4, 2015 FAIR progress monitoring (window 3) StateMar 3 - Mar 12, 2014 Quarter 3 District Formative Assessments DistrictMar 23 - Apr 10, 2015 Spring FCAT Retakes and Algebra 1 Retakes DistrictMar 23 - Apr 2, 2015 District VAM Assessments (DVA) StateApr 13 - May 8, 2015 FSA English Language Arts (9th - 11th grade) StateApr 20 - May 15, 2015 Spring Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry EOC StateApr 20 - May 22, 2015 Spring Biology and US History EOC StateMay 4 - May 15, 2015 AP Exams StateMay 19 - May 22, 2015 Senior Semester 2 District Final Assessment DistrictMay 26 - June 4, 2015 Semester 2 District Final Assessment District

Please keep in mind that these are assessment windows that we are required to test in. Exact testing dates within each window will be available as each date gets closer. Please contact Melissa Roughan – [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.

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Guidance Department Your school counseling department has important information for you to act on during the first quarter of school and have posted much of that information under the Guidance section of the school web site, in flyers and announcements on campus, and below in this Guidance Update! Please stop into guidance if you need any assistance! Counselors have an OPEN DOOR POLICY during lunch which allows students to stop in to get questions answered quickly. Students can also stop in and complete the BEARS appointment request slip during the school day if their counselor is not available when they come by. Please check the student Home Access Center (HAC) account regularly for course grades, transcript information, and GPA between visits with your school counselor!

S E N I O R S College Bound Seniors: Work diligently on your college applications! Most college applications are due during the first quarter of the senior year or shortly thereafter. Students should already have their ACT and SAT scores in place with an official score from the testing agencies sent to the colleges of their choice. Stop into guidance to make a written request for individual transcripts to be sent to the school(s) you are applying to attend. Electronic transcripts will be sent to public universities and/or colleges inside the state of Florida when you submit a request to guidance. There is no change for the electronic transcript. For private school and/or out of state schools, you will need to complete a paper transcript order. There is a charge of $2 for paper transcripts, and you can pay that fee when you place your order at the guidance service desk. Please allow 5 days for processing transcripts. Paper transcripts can be picked up at the guidance desk. Remember to order transcripts well in advance of the college application deadlines because your application is not complete without this important documentation on file at the university. Note that University of Florida and Florida State University have moved to using a Self-Reporting system and you will need to reference your Bartram Trail Home Access Center (HAC) to view your transcript and complete the transcript information in those systems. Military Bound Seniors: Make contact with your local recruiting office to learn more about the options available to you for a military career. Remember that even if you have not been actively involved in Bartram Trail’s ROTC program, Chief Phillips and Colonel LeFevre are resident experts at Bartram! Service representatives from all branches of our United States military are assigned to assist Bartram Trail students with information about military careers and education and are available during scheduled lunch sessions. ASVAB testing will be available on campus November 12, 2014 at 9:00am until 12:00pm. Career and Vocational Bound Seniors: Most careers and vocations require continual learning and education. Please review the career and vocational training options provided by First Coast Technical College (FCTC) in St. Augustine, Florida. This school offers education beyond high school in many fields and you can review that information at www.fctc.edu.

2014-2015 College Entrance Exam Test Dates

SAT: ACT:October 11, 2014 September 13, 2014November 8, 2014 October 25, 2014December 6, 2014 December 13, 2014January 24, 2015 February 7, 2015March 14, 2015 April 18, 2015May 2, 2015 June 13, 2015June 6, 2015School Code: 100809Bright Futures requirements have increased for the class of 2014. Please see the eligibility requirements below:

Florida Academic Scholarship3.5 GPA29 ACT or 1290 SAT100 Service Hours

Florida Medallion Scholarship3.0 GPA26 ACT or 1170 SAT75 Service Hours

Community service hours can be turned into Ms. Gregory in the Guidance Office. There is no form for submitting hours. The student must have a letter on letterhead from the place where he or she completed

the hours. The letter must indicate the student’s name, the volunteer dates, and the number of hours volunteered. Please remember that community service hours must be completed through a non-profit organization. As always, please feel free to contact your counselor with any questions or concerns.

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HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SJRstate.edu

• Emergency Medical Technician• Nursing• Phlebotomist

• Radiologic Technology• Respiratory Care

Health Information Technology is an emerging profession where health care meets the cutting edge of technology. Tech-nicians contribute to the quality of care by collecting, analyzing and reporting health care data. This requires knowledge of dis-ease, treatments, computer systems and organizational skills. After completing the Associate in Science degree program, stu-dents are eligible to sit for the national credentialing exam to become a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).

Additional health care programs at SJR State:

ORANGE PARK • PALATKA • ST. AUGUSTINE

Freshman are Friends Not Food

Link Crew is a high school transition program that welcomes freshmen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, this proven high school transition program trains mentors from junior and senior classes to be Link Crew Leaders. As positive role models, Link Crew Leaders are mentors and student leaders who guide the freshmen to discover what it takes to be successful during the transition to high school and to help facilitate freshman success. This year Bartram’s first group of Link Leaders welcomed the class of 2018! The leaders are looking forward to continuing to demonstrate to their freshmen groups what amazing things Bartram Trail has to offer!

The following is a partial list of options available through FCTC: EMT, Paramedic, Firefighter, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Air-Conditioning Refrigeration and Heating, Automotive Services Technology, Early Childhood Education, Dental Assisting, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technician, Welding, Practical Nursing, Landscape Mgt., Pest Control, Sports and Recreational Turf Management, and more.

J U N I O R S It is very important for Juniors to be preparing for the Spring ACT and/or SAT tests. Use your PSAT Access Code from your Sophomore PSAT results report to access your MyCollegeQuickStart account offered by College Board. CollegeBoard has customized a study path to prepare you for the actual SAT based on your PSAT results. For the ACT, go to the ACT web site and review the practice tests that are available to you at no charge. Practice, learn, and test your best!

S O P H O M O R E S Sophomores should be ramping up to use the best methods for organizing large quantities of information and tasks. Classes are getting more challenging and keeping track of all your learning and where you are going with it can be just as challenging! Check out calendaring and recording methods that have helped other students climb up the student success ladder! Master two column notes and use a planner! Never believe that you can remember it all with a mental note. Sophomores should also be getting involved with club activities or sports that you will stick with through your Senior year. Also, work on your community service hours. Even though service hours are not required for graduation, you will need the hours for scholarships! Begin with a target of 100 community service hours and beyond. Turn in your hours to the guidance desk for entry onto your transcript. Check out FLVC.org to explore colleges, careers, and scholarships in Florida. You will want to get familiar with what is expected and available so your decisions in Sophomore year align with your future plans.

F R E S H M E N WELCOME! We are so glad you are here at Bartram. Now that you know where your classes are located and how to access the cafeteria, we hope you will focus on building your academic ability by working hard in all your courses and even harder in the courses that may feel very challenging!

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HAUNTED HOMECOMINGOCTOBER 20TH-25TH 2014

Class Competitions- All Week• Penny Wars during lunches:

○ Silver coins=GOOD / PENNIES=EVIL ○ Sabotage the other classes by donating pennies. ○ Proceeds go to classes and charity

• Spirit links sold @ lunches for Spirit Stick competition

Lip Sync-off -Tuesday, Oct. 21st• Competition between classes and faculty • One team per class • 3 Faculty groups • Tickets for $5 • Located in auditorium • Time: 7:00pm • If interested in participating, contact class sponsor

Hall Decorating Contest – Wednesday, Oct. 22nd• Each class will be assigned a breezeway to decorate

○ 9th Grade: Werewolves ○ 10th Grade: Vampires ○ 11th Grade: Graveyard Ghosts ○ 12th Grade: Zombies

• Planning & Prep with class sponsors on Monday & Tuesday Oct. 20th & 21st

• Decorations to go up from 3:00pm-5:00pm on Wednesday & judging starts at 5pm

Scream On The Green - Wednesday, Oct. 22nd• Movie screening in the courtyard • FREE ADMISSION • Bring camp chairs & blankets • Dress for the weather • Bring cash to buy pizza, drinks, candy and popcorn. • NO OUTSIDE FOOD/DRINK ALLOWED. • In case of rain, move to cafeteria. • Movie starts at 7:30pm

Dress Up Days: - All Week• Monday: Patriotic • Tuesday: Tacky Tourist • Wednesday: Character day • Thursday: Spirit day

○ 9th= gray/silver ○ 10th=white ○ 11th=blue ○ 12th=black

• Must adhere to DRESS CODE

Homecoming Game- Friday, Oct. 24th• BTHS Bears vs. Matanzas Pirates @ 7:00pm. • BLACKOUT! Wear black BT gear! • Special Halftime Show and crowning of the King & Queen

Homecoming Dance- Saturday, Oct. 25th• Tickets sold at door for $15 (Gym) • Dance will be from 8:00pm-11:00pm • Must have ID to purchase ticket • Open to SJCSD students and BT alumni ONLY • Dress code: Semi-formal

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Support BTHS

Support Our Sponsors

9th Grade AcademyThe 9th Grade Academy seeks to provide freshmen with

support, guidance, and mentorship during their transition to high school. ******************************************************************************* Our 9th grade students have been very successful in transitioning to high school. Thank you to the “Link Crew” for helping our 9th graders navigate the first few weeks of high school. Also, thank you to our parents for sending us students who work hard and show their positive character traits! Open house was a huge success! The 9th Grade Academy halls were crowded with parents who came to meet teachers and partner with us to help support their child in finding success. We appreciate the strong attendance and support we receive as we work together to support the needs of our 9th graders.

Please take a minute to review a few reminders to help our 9th graders navigate the high school setting:• Students may enter the building after 8:30am. • Students who arrive on campus before 8:30am must wait in the courtyard until the school

building opens for the day.• Students should have their ID’s at all times. ID’s are needed for many different daily activities on

campus: ○ Food/beverage purchase in the cafeteria ○ Book check out in the Media Center ○ Textbook Check out ○ Computer access on campus

• Attendance notes should be submitted to Ms. Hastings no later than 4:00pm daily. All notes must be turned in within 48 hours of the absence or the absence will be considered unexcused.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Kelly JacobsonAssistant [email protected](904) 547-8348

Tony Sowers9th Grade Dean of [email protected](904) 547-8343

Shawna Hastings9th Grade Academy [email protected](904) 547-8261

AVID College Preparatory Program

Our AVID College Prep students are off to a great start! Through the AVID College Prep class, they are receiving academic instruction, tutorial support, and motivational activities to ensure high achievements in Honors and Advanced Placement classes. AVID students are preparing to become academically successful leaders and role models for their peers. Students in the program are focusing on the following skills needed for success in high school and college: Test Prep (FSA, SAT, ACT, CPT, & PERT); leadership; interpersonal; speaking & presenting; critical thinking; organization; time-management; research; writing; and reading. AVID students are currently looking forward to beginning college tours in October.

Bartram Trail High School7399 Longleaf Pine ParkwaySt. Johns, FL 32259

Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage PAID

Orlando, FLPermit # 2346

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Bartram Home Games

Varsity Football:Oct. 3 vs Buchholz (Senior Night)Oct. 10 vs Ponte VedraOct. 24 vs Matanzas (homecoming)

JV Football:Oct. 16 vs. Creekside

Volleyball:Oct. 2 vs CreeksideOct. 7 vs SAHSOct. 8 vs Fleming Island (Sr Night)Oct. 13 vs Ponte Vedra

CLUB Sponsor MeetingsASL Ms. Hutson 1st Monday/8:45/N237AVID Ms. Thompson 2nd Friday/8:45/N210BETA CLUB Ms. Doughty last Tuesday/8:40/955Books to Heal Mr. Belcik E/O Tues/Thurs/8:30/N232BTHS GSA Ms. Kidwell Tuesdays/8:45/N212Chess Club Mr. Lloyd E/O Friday/8:30/N227Computer Science Club Mr. Lloyd E/O Friday/8:30/N227Debate Club Ms. Deese 1st Monday/8:30/N201Dreams Come True Ms. Baker 3rd Friday/8:30/small caféEye See Ms. Deese as neededFashion Club Ms. Spradley & Ms. Linville 2nd Tuesday/8:45/291Fellowship of Christian Athletes Mr. Sutherland & Mr. Chancellor Wednesdays/8:30/400Future Teachers of America Ms. Jeffreys once a month as announcedHigh-Q Mr. Brown Tues & Thurs/8:20/755Interact Ms. Fixel 4th Thursday/222/8:45ITS-Drama Club Ms. Fixel Fridays/222/8:40Junior Ladies Ms. Hicks Link Crew Ms. Young & Ms. Smith As neededLiterary Magazine-The Oracle Ms. Mullen Miss Bartram Trail Ms. Rizzo-Hayward as neededMu Alpha Theta Ms. Keating as neededNational Art Honor Society TBA National Honor Society Ms. Jasper 1st Friday/8:40 small caféPhotography Club Ms. Rizzo-Hayward 1st Thursday/8:30/223Quill and Scroll Writing Honor Society Ms. Mullen Senior Men/Junior Gentlemen Ms. Grybb TBASenior Women Ms. Roughan & Ms. Linville 3rd Thursday/8:30/small caféSigma Nu Theta Mr. Davis 3rd Thursday/8:45/N224Sisterhood Mr. Sowers Fridays/216/8:30SPAC Ms. Beasley 1st Wednesday/8:30/small caféSpanish Club Ms. Hampton & Ms. Baker 9/18,10/9,11/6 8:45 9th grade caféStep Team Ms. Young Tues & Thurs/4:00/N219SWAT/PACT Teens for a change Ms. Parker E/O Thurs/8:30/N218