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   January 20, 2016
Dear God,

Help me to be calm amidst the heavy storm of anxiety. Guide me to fight through the rain of stress. Find me among my busy schoolwork and demanding schedules. Teach me to prioritize and manage my time. Calm me when stress and anxiety wear me down. Forgive me when I get lost and forget your ways. Show me Your peace and light at the end of these storms, and protect me for the hard times to come. Educate me to handle the next winds of stress, and make me strong to carry on Your will. God, love me in these times, like You have always done.

Amen.
All School News
Hall of Honor 
The 2016 Hall of Honor Celebration and Awards Dinner is Monday, February 1, 2016. The Hall of Honor is a recognition program designed to consistently and publicly honor the heritage of BSM, salute the dedication and service of the volunteer community, and reward the professional longevity of employees. There are a number of familiar faces being honored this year. Your presence at this event would be a meaningful tribute to them and their contributions to our community. You can see the full list of honorees and reserve your seat(s) to the Hall of Honor Celebration and Awards Dinner here or by contacting Mary Fran O'Keefe at 952-915-4360 by Monday, January 25.

Shoe Drive for World Soles 
The Junior and Senior High Student Council groups are hosting a shoe drive next week, January 26-29, 2016. All students are invited to donate new or used athletic shoes. There will be donation boxes in the front entryway, as well as in front of the junior high office. All donated shoes will be delivered to developing countries by an organization called World Soles. Please tie each pair of shoes together before you drop them in the donation box!

Upcoming Events
  • January 20-21 - Final Exams (Early Release)
  • January 22 - End of Semester (Early Release)
  • January 25 - No School 
  • February 3 - Catholic School's Week Mass (9:15 a.m.) 
  • February 5 - No School
  • February 10 - Ash Wednesday Mass 

Click here to view the BSM 2016-2017 Preliminary Academic Calendar

Click here to view the BSM Master Calendar

Click here to view the Lunch Menu
 
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Senior High
Senior High Finals Schedule
The senior high final exam schedule is noted here. The "office hours" listed indicate times that teachers will be available in their classrooms to meet with students, both individually and in small groups, to prepare for final exams. Students are expected to take their final exams according to the schedule without exception. Thank you to the Parent Association for arranging for Adoration during the times our students are taking exams. The Parent Association will also be serving breakfast sandwiches for students each morning of final exams. Additionally, Taher will be open for a limited options lunch on final exam days. Buses will run at regular times in the morning each day, and depart school after the last final exam each day. Final grades for this semester become part of the student's official transcript and will be posted on PowerSchool no later than January 28, 2016. Please direct specific questions to your student's guidance counselor, or call the Main Office at 952-927-4176 with general questions.  

Complimentary Finals Power Breakfast for Students + Teachers! 
To support our students and staff, the Parent Association will be offering complimentary hot breakfast sandwiches, orange juice and yogurt cups prior to the start of school January 20-22. Service begins today Wednesday, January 20, 8 a.m. and 7 a.m. Thursday, January 21 and Friday, January 22 in the Commons. Good Luck!  

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Junior High

BSM Junior High Winter Party

All junior high students are invited to attend the Winter Party, Friday, January 29, 7-9:30 p.m. at BSM for an admission fee of $2. There will be many fun activities including basketball, dodge ball, ping-pong, black jack, bingo, snacks/drinks, contests, music and dancing. New this year: Human Foosball inflatable in the Great Hall! The theme this year is "Sports Jerseys" (professional or amateur). Student Council will also be collecting shoes for World Soles (athletic shoes are in particular need). Students may bring in shoes (used or new) the week of the party, January 26-29, or the night of the party. We are looking for volunteers and donations for the party. If you are available and would like to volunteer, please sign up using the Sign Up Genius site here. 
 

Wolf Ridge Field Trip

The entire 8th grade class will be traveling to Wolf Ridge February 15-19, 2016. Information has already been sent home to parents concerning this field trip; however, if there are any 8th grade parents who have not yet volunteered to chaperone and would like to, please contact Dave Platt. 


Save the Date - Junior High Ski Day!

The junior high will be going to Afton Alps during the school day Tuesday, February 9.  Students will have the choice to ski or snowboard and may bring their own equipment or rent from Afton. Students who rent equipment will participate in a group lesson. Experienced students pass through the lesson and ski independently. We encourage all students to participate. Watch for permission slips at the end of January.
Athletics & Activities

Chipotle Fundraiser for Boys' Lacrosse 

Show your team spirit by attending a fundraiser to support BSM boys' lacrosse teams. Come on in to the Chipotle at Calhoun Commons, Tuesday, February 2, 6-8 p.m.  Bring in a flyer, show it on your smartphone, or tell the cashier you’re supporting the cause to make sure that 50% of the proceeds are donated to the BSM boys' lacrosse teams.
 
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Parent Association
Recruiting for Parent Association Board 2016-2017
Joining the Parent Association Board is a fantastic way to connect with BSM and work with great people to make a difference for the BSM community. If you are interested in getting involved, please complete the online interest and experience questionnaire here. Board positions to be filled include treasurer and assistants to hospitality, faith and wellness, social programs, ways and means, student and faculty recognition and the chair of junior high activities. In addition to these board positions, we fill leadership roles for our committees and other PA events. All of the open positions and job descriptions are listed on the Parent Association web page here. Contact Sheila Jones, 612-801-8214 with any questions. Decisions regarding the positions will be made by March 14, 2016.

Senior Parent Meeting
Save the date for the senior parent meeting in the BSM theater, Wednesday, January 27, 7 p.m. Issues related to policies and procedures for finals, graduation ceremony, etc. will be discussed. Part of the meeting will also cover details about this year’s senior party (which follows commencement Friday, June 3) including registration, cost, activities and more. This parent-chaperoned, parent-organized, all night-party for our graduates is sponsored by the Parent Association. It is a wonderful way to celebrate our seniors and their success!

Father Daughter Dinner Dance
Calling all Senior High cowgirls and fathers! It’s time to register for this year’s Father Daughter Dinner Dance! Senior High girls and their dads/guardians are invited to mosey on down to the Father Daughter Dinner Dance on Saturday, February 20, 6-11 p.m. at the Earle Brown Heritage Center. This year’s theme is "MidKnight Rodeo.” Get ready to put on your boots and bling and spend a wonderful evening with your daughters. Formal invitations have been mailed. You won’t want to miss this truly memorable BSM tradition. Cowgirls will be able to reserve table spots in the Spirit Shop. Registration ends Tuesday, February 16. No tables may be organized or reserved until all registrations have been confirmed, so be sure and have all your friends register early! Click here to register! If you have any old cowboy hats or boots you would like to donate for the event’s decorating committee, please drop them off at the front office. For any questions about the event, please contact Karen Dorn or Maureen Segner.

Mother-Son Knight
Registration for the Senior High Mother-Son Knight is now open. Get your game on at Pinstripes, the all-new location for this year's Mother-Son Knight Friday, March 11, 6-9 p.m.! 9th-12th grade boys and their moms/guardians can try their luck at the Casino Knight presented by Las Vegas Tonight. Challenge moms and classmates to a game of bocce or bowling, relax by the bonfire, win prizes and enjoy food by Pinstripes Bistro. Click here to join the fun. Early-bird ticket purchases by February 15, enter you into a prize drawing for four Minnesota Wild tickets. For any questions or to volunteer, please contact Teri Dewey Smogard or Mary Tucker.

Adoration for January Finals
Adoration during finals is January 20-22 in the chapel, 8:15 – 11:45 a.m. A true blessing of being part of a Catholic, faith-based school is the opportunity to pray for our students, faculty and staff. During this week's final exams, Wednesday, January 20 through Friday, January 22, the Blessed Eucharist will be on display in the chapel. All parents are invited and encouraged to sign up for half hour increments to pray during final exams. This is a wonderful tradition at BSM. Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius link here.

Save the Date, Volunteers Needed - Treasure Hunt 2016
Now in its 16th year, Treasure Hunt is the largest Parent Association event fundraiser of the school year. This huge garage sale, April 28-30, is successful due to the extraordinary generosity of the BSM community and over 200 volunteers! Sign up to volunteer here. This year we are in need of category captains who oversee a department by organizing, pricing and having everything ready to go for the day of the sale. We are specifically looking for someone to manage furniture, linens, and housewares. Shifts are available for set-up April 23–April 27 and for days of sale April 28-30. To learn more about the event click here. Thank you!

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Guidance

Applying for Extended Time on the PSAT, ACT, SAT & AP Exams 

If your son or daughter meets all of the following three criteria, he or she may qualify for extended time on standardized tests:
  1. Your son or daughter has documentation from a complete assessment of his/her disability (including academic and intelligence tests) done by a licensed professional in the past three years, OR an update of a previous assessment
  2. Your son or daughter has an accommodation plan on file at BSM that states the need for extended time on tests
  3. Your son or daughter is currently using extended time in at least one class at BSM.
Be sure to start applications for extended time at least one month before the test’s registration deadline. For example, the registration deadline for the April 9 ACT is March 4, so you should begin the process with Dave Herbst, BSM’s learning specialist, by February 4. For specifics, click here, then click on the link “Applying for Extended Time.” Contact Dave Herbst if you have any questions or to begin the process – 952/915-4358, ext. 2491. 


Parents of Seniors

  1. Regarding the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): the 2016-2017 FAFSA on the web worksheet is now available online here. Completing the worksheet prior to online submission of the FAFSA is helpful to some families. You must complete the FAFSA online if you are applying for federal student aid. There are three categories of federal student aid: grants, work-study and loans. Many colleges have February or March submission deadlines for the FAFSA, so get your FAFSA completed and submitted as soon as possible.
  2. Some colleges request a mid-year transcript from applicants. For example, all common application colleges require them. The counselors will survey seniors via email in mid-January to find out which non-common application colleges have requested a mid-year transcript. The counselors will then send mid-year transcripts to colleges for seniors during the last week of January. 

Gap Year Fair

Groves Academy is hosting a USA Gap Year Fair Tuesday, January 26, 6 - 9 pm. What is a Gap Year? It is a period of time between completing high school and beginning college when a student steps outside the traditional classroom to explore the world, reflect on personal values and goals, and prepare to take the next purposeful step in life. This fair is designed to provide students and parents with a broad exposure of gap year programs and the opportunity for face-to-face conversations with the people who work in the field. More information and registration can be found here.  


Summer Opportunities for Enrichment

The Summer Opportunities page of the BSM website has many opportunities for enrichment this summer. Many colleges offer programs for high school students and some, such as Notre Dame, have rapidly approaching deadlines. You can find these opportunities on the BSM website here.  


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Spirit Shop
The Spirit Shop will be closed Wednesday January, 20-22 due to early release during finals. It will resume regular business hours Tuesday, January 26. The letter jacket representative will be in the cafeteria Tuesday, January 26 and Wednesday, January 27, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
 
The Spirit Shop is open 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on school days.
 
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2501 Highway 100 South, St. Louis Park, MN  55416

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