Knightly News
May 11, 2011
   

New News:

Early Release Next Wednesday
Next Wednesday, May 18, school will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m. for both junior high and senior high students so that faculty and staff members can participate in professional development.

Skip-a-Final for Seniors
Second semester seniors will have an opportunity to skip all of their final exams. The skip-a-final privilege may be earned under the following conditions:

1. The student must be passing the class with a "C" (no "C-"). The “C” must be maintained up until the first day of senior finals. Students who drop below the "C" will have to take that individual final exam.
2. The student may not have more than 3 tardies to the class (9 tardies for 1st period). Tardies will accumulate up until final exams. Students who exceed the minimum number of allowed tardies will have to take that individual final exam.
3. The student may not have any unexcused absences to the class due to a skip, kick-out, or in-school suspension.
4. Students may not have any major disciplinary referrals.
5. Seniors with more than 4 absences to any class may be excluded from the skip-a-final privilege.

Seniors will be applying for Skip-a-Final according to the following schedule:
• May 16-17:  Forms available
• May 18:  Forms due by 1:30 p.m.
• May 20:  Seniors informed if they qualify

Senior finals will be held Thursday, May 26 and Friday May 27. Seniors who do not qualify to skip finals must test on these days. Exams begin at 8 a.m. in the Haben Center.

Senior High Finals for Grades 9-11
Senior high final exams for students in grades 9-11 are Wednesday, June 8 and Thursday, June 9. Parents and students are reminded that attendance during the scheduled exams times is critical. If an emergency situation arises, or sudden illness, students will be allowed to make-up exams. 

Graduation Tickets
Each senior will receive six tickets allowing entrance to the commencement exercises in June. Seniors will receive their tickets to the ceremony at practice. Seating is limited for this event. Graduates do not require a ticket. BSM does not provide additional tickets nor does it have a waiting list for additional tickets. You may contact other BSM families and secure tickets independently.

Graduation Dress Code
Senior High
Seniors are expected to wear the traditional gown and cap during the commencement exercises in June. Graduation caps and gowns will be delivered to seniors during graduation practice on June 1. The graduation gown and cap are red. The cap is the only headpiece allowed and must be worn flat on the head. Females traditionally carry a bouquet of flowers provided by BSM. Seniors with outstanding tuition accounts, detention, fines, missing athletic equipment, or miscellaneous items will not receive their cap, gown and tickets until all outstanding debts have been satisfied.

There is a strictly enforced dress code for graduation. Any student found out of dress code will not be allowed to participate in the commencement exercise. Females are required to wear either a dress, skirt or long dress pants and blouse. Skirt or dress should not be longer than calf length. Shorts or capri/cropped pants are not allowed.  Natural, white, or no hose are acceptable. Shoes should be dress flats or dress sandals. Tennis shoes, clogs, “flip-flops” or excessively high platforms are not acceptable. Males are required to wear long dress pants, dress shirt with a collar, an appropriate tie and dress shoes. Tennis shoes or any open-toe sandal are not appropriate. The dress code requirements regarding hair and facial jewelry detailed on page 32 in the 2010-11 Student Handbook do apply the evening of graduation.

Junior High
The dress code for 8th grade graduation is as follows:  a dress shirt and tie for boys and dressy clothes for girls. Girls are not allowed to wear strapless dresses or excessively tight, short skirts (as our dress code states, skirts and dresses should come to the knee or below), or low-cut tops. Shoes should be dressy and, for girls, ones in which the student can go up and down the bleachers in the Great Hall. The apparel of both boys and girls should be fitting for Mass. 

Host Families Needed
Benilde-St. Margaret’s is seeking host families for the 2011-2012 academic year for the following international students:
• Erin Choi (current grade 9, from Korea). She is interested in bowling, Math League, Red Knight Volunteer Corps, skiing, and speech.
• Kyoung Yeon Cho (current grade 10, from Korea). He is interested in sports.
• Jack Lee (current grade 11, from China).
• Maxim Lu (current grade 11, from China).
• Sherry Sui (current grade 11, from China). She is interested in math.
• Aureiko Zhang (current grade 11, from China). She is interested in track.
• Zewen Cao (current grade 10, from China). He is interested in bowling, Math League, table tennis and Youth in Government.
• Makoto Noda (current grade 10, from Japan). She is interested in volleyball, drama, and table tennis.

Please contact Kate Leahy in the Admissions Office if you are interested in hosting a student for the year. She can be reached at 952-915-4344 or kleahy@BSMschool.org.
 
Carpools -- Metro Transit Rideshare
A new carpool program, New SchoolPool, has been created by Metro Transit Rideshare. Families looking for car pool lists can sign up online at www.metrotransit.org/rideshare. Detailed instructions are available at www.BSMSchool.org/transportation  “How to Create SchoolPool Ridematch.” Use our Pin:  BSM2501.

Special Note:  BSM no longer submits family information to Metro Transit Rideshare; individual families MUST register to receive this information.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the BSM Transportation Department at transportation@BSMschool.org. Check out a SchoolPool flyer.

Automated Calendar Notifications
"Notify Me” notifications through the Master Calendar can now also be sent via cell phone. Click on the Calendar link in the footer of our website, www.BSMschool.org, and click on the Notify Me link at the top. To update your feature and add a cell phone number, follow the prompts and complete Screen #4.

Summer Camps
There are still openings for our various summer camps, but early registration deadlines are quickly approaching. This year, BSM is offering 16 camps throughout the summer, including orchestra, lacrosse, service-learning, hockey, drama, tennis and others. Find out more at www.BSMschool.org/camps. If you know of others who may benefit from our camps program, please encourage them to visit our website.
 

Reminders:

BSM Plant Sale Pick-up
Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?   - Betsy Canas
Plants will be available for pick-up in the Haben Center on Thursday, May 12, from 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Friday, May 13, from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. There will be a limited number of half flats available for purchase on Thursday, May 12. Thank you for supporting BSM. Questions: Rose Topousis topousisfamily@msn.com or Gail Ross mpjross@msn.com.  

Senior Parents' Day of Reflection
All parents of graduating seniors are invited to attend the next Parenting & Faith session on Wednesday, May 18. Led by BSM Wellness Director Connie Fourre, the Senior Parents' Day of Reflection will address the emotions associated with both guiding a child through high school at Benilde-St. Margaret's and then sending him or her off to the next chapter in life. The session will be held in the library conference room from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and will include a light lunch. Please RSVP to Cathy Kruse, Parent Association Spirituality chair, at ckruse1@comcast.net.

Father-Son Golf Outing
The BSM Father-Son Golf tournament is set for Friday, May 20, at the beautiful Lakeview Golf Course in Orono. This is a rain or shine event. The Best Ball Tourney (9-hole event) will have a 5 p.m. shotgun start. Arrival time is between 4:15 and 4:45 p.m. The cost is $35 per adult (father) and $25 per son and includes dinner. Space is limited to the first 120 father/sons. More information and online registration is at www.BSMschool.org/father-son.

Senior High Graduation Practice
Practice for the commencement exercises will be held Wednesday, June 1, and is mandatory for all seniors. Students must be seated by 8:30 a.m. Practice will last approximately two hours. Please do not make any doctor appointments or schedule work that will conflict with this practice. No student will be allowed to leave practice early. Failure to attend practice will prohibit participation in commencement.

Matching Funds
Did you know that in the past five years, BSM has received over $175,000 in matched gifts from the employers of our donors? If your company matches charitable donations, this is a terrific opportunity to double the impact of your FirstFund gift! If you aren’t sure if your employer matches gifts, you can check the Matching Gift Companies page on our website or contact Director of Development Ted Freese at 952-927-4176 ext. 2401 or TFreese@BSMschool.org, and he’ll be happy to help you.

Relay for Life
On May 14 & 15, BSM is hosting its third annual Relay for Life event, which benefits the American Cancer Society. Last year, after raising over $102,000, BSM was honored for organizing one of the top five Relay for Life youth events in the nation. The all-night celebration will go from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. You can participate, volunteer or donate to the event by contacting BSM teacher Matt St. Martin at mstmartin@BSMschool.org or 952-915-4358, ext. 2295. For more information, visit www.RelayForLife.org/BSM. Read more.
 
   Guidance News 
Registration deadlines for upcoming SAT and ACT tests:
• June 4 SAT – late deadline is May20
• June 11 ACT – late deadline is May 20
• For a complete listing of SAT and ACT deadlines for the 2010-2011 school year, go to www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org, respectively.
• Remember to list BSM’s school code, 242-202, when registering for these exams.