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Friday, September 28, 2018

Aggie Weekly-September 28th

Aggie Weekly


Good Afternoon Students, Parents, and Community Members: Please click here for the Aggie Weekly!

This week we had a short week due to our teacher's having a half day for professional development. We are always refining our craft to ensure that we meet our student needs. Our students continued to work on Fall Show projects which are 3 weeks away. We have been working on creating a map and schedule of all the events, so stay tuned!



Congratulations to this Week’s High Five Club Winner, Kelly Roveredo
Kelly Roveredo pictured above with Dr. DiGioia.





State Releases 2018 Assessment and Accountability Results
(adapted from the MCAS Press Release)
MALDEN — The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education today released 2018 MCAS and school and district accountability and assistance levels. The release is the second year of next-generation MCAS results for grades 3-8 and the debut of the state’s new accountability system, which is designed to measure how a school or district is doing and what kind of support it may need. The new accountability system is more comprehensive than the previous system and complies with the 2015 federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

MCAS Results

Next-generation MCAS scores fall into four categories: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations and Not Meeting Expectations.

In 2018, high school students took the legacy MCAS tests. Compared to 2017, the percentage of students statewide who scored Proficient or higher dipped 1 percentage point each in English language arts (91 to 90 percent), math (79 to 78 percent) and science and technology/engineering (74 to 73 percent). The next-generation tests will be introduced at the high school level in English language arts and math in spring 2019, but the minimum passing level will not change until at least the class of 2023. Parents of students who were in grade 10 in spring 2018 should receive their child’s scores from their school district in the coming weeks.

Assessment results will be posted at http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/nextgenmcas.aspx and http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/mcas.aspx. For more information on the next-generation MCAS, visit http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/parents/results-faq.html.

Accountability and Assistance Levels

The new accountability system is designed to measure how a school or district is doing and what kind of support it may need, is more comprehensive than the previous system and complies with the 2015 federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Given that this is the first year under a new accountability system, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley is not designating any new schools as underperforming this year.

“I will continue to do a thoughtful review of the accountability results statewide and monitor how well the new system is providing useful information to districts, schools, parents, and the public about how well a school or district is serving its students and where it might need help,” Commissioner Riley said.

“The new accountability system is a complex measure of how schools and districts are improving, and I am glad that the commissioner and DESE are taking a year to analyze this new system before making any new designations of underperformance,” said Thomas Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.

Under the new accountability system, the Commissioner commended 52 schools of recognition for high achievement, high growth, or significantly exceeding their targets. The schools are from across the Commonwealth and include urban, suburban and rural schools.

“I’m happy to recognize the work of the teachers, students, staff, and families at these schools,” Commissioner Riley said.

Commissioner Riley also announced today that four schools that were designated underperforming under the old accountability system will exit that status. That change will place the three schools in the Partially Meeting Expectations category of the new accountability system. The four schools exiting underperforming status are Chestnut Accelerated Middle School and Milton Bradley Elementary School in Springfield, Elm Park Community School in Worcester and John Winthrop Elementary School in Boston.

With the data being run through a new accountability system, there are no new schools designated underperforming this year. Schools that have not exited underperforming status will be placed in the Focused/Targeted Support category under the new accountability system and will continue to receive targeted assistance from DESE.

The new accountability system designated the vast majority of schools and districts as not requiring assistance or intervention (they fell in the Meeting Targets or Partially Meeting Targets categories), while other schools and districts were designated as in need of Focused/Targeted Support or Broad/Comprehensive Support. The accountability system considers:

· Student achievement,
· Student growth,
· High school completion,
· English proficiency,
· Chronic absenteeism, and
· Advanced coursework.

Accountability data will be included in school and district profiles (http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/) and at http://www.doe.mass.edu/accountability/lists-tools.html.



Here is a breakdown of our last 3 years of MCAS Data.  

ELA
MATH
SCIENCE
YEAR
Pro/Adv
Pts above State
Pro/Adv
Pts above State
Pro/Adv
Pts above State
2018
96%
5
85%
7
90%
16
2017
96%
5
88%
9
87%
13
2016
96%
5
78%
0
86%
13

We want to remind students and parents that although MCAS is a graduation requirement, it is only one measurement of student achievement. We are proud of our MCAS data as we are continually achieving above the state in all categories. We have many opportunities to validate our student achievement, as we will showcase in a few weeks, with Fall Show. #BAPride

Bristol Aggie Foundation Dinner: Click here for the full article in the Herald News

DIGHTON — On Sept. 22, the Bristol Aggie Educational Foundation, Inc. hosted its second annual Farm to Table Feast on the grounds of Bristol Aggie surrounded by twinkling lights, music by DeJa Blu Trio and local foods.

The funds raised by the dinner benefit the staff and students, but it was important to the foundation that the agricultural community in Massachusetts — particularly the SouthCoast — were featured. Many of the harvest vegetables, as well as the chicken, was raised just across the field from where the event was held, on the grounds of Bristol Aggie. Aside from the school, the following local businesses donated products to ensure the success of the event: Somerset Creamery, Ocean Spray, River Rock Farm, Portugalia Marketplace, Naukabout Beer Company, Kyler’s Catch Seafood Market, Eastern Fisheries, Inc., Cabot, and Black Hat Brew Works. Food was prepared by Janice Dey of The Westporter.

The tables, adorned with product harvested on campus and designed by the school’s Floriculture Department, accompanied candles to give a warm and welcoming feeling to the crisp fall evening. This year’s event exceeded the expectation of the foundation’s board. John Mitchell, president of the foundation, thanked all of the attendees for their support and shared examples of how their support impacts the school and the students.

Bristol Aggie Superintendent Adele Sands said that it was “inspiring to see the support of the local community. Bristol Aggie is such a special place and it nice to see that so many people value the school and the education that we provide here.”

The Bristol Aggie Educational Foundation was established in 2016 to support the students, faculty and administration of Bristol County Agricultural High School by raising funds through private sources to build on tradition, instill pride in the Aggie and cultivate excellence for the students. Last year, both students and student organizations earned scholarships to either expand their knowledge or purchase equipment to help in the establishment of businesses.

The following businesses helped support of the Farm to Table Fest: BOND, BayCoast, Walsh Pharmacy, HMFH Architects, John R. Mitchell Law Office, Colliers International, Cranberry Growers Service, Bayside Agricultural, Bristol County Savings Bank, Bank5, Gilbane, Joseph R. Crespi, and Merrill Lynch.

Activities and Athletics:

Bristol Aggie Athletic Booster Club: HELP SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL SPORTS!!

Please join our Athletic Booster Club Booth and Support the Sports Programs and sell our Delicious STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES and RAFFLE BASKETS at our biggest fundraiser event during the 2018 Fall Show on October 19-21, 2018 11am-5pm. Please Sign up to help work the booth, parents and students welcome or donate a Raffle Basket! We're using SignUp.com to organize our upcoming SignUps. http://signup.com/go/QebfGWb

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp.com: http://signup.com/go/QebfGWb
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact President of the Bristol Aggie Athletic Booster Club Kimberly Lacaillade to sign you up manually at klaca@comcast.net.

Bristol Aggie’s Cool To be Kind Club!!!

Bristol Aggie held the first Cool To be Kind Club meeting on September 26th. Thank you to all the students who joined and helped brainstorm activities and events for the year! Next Cool to be Kind Meeting will be held on October 10th in Room 215 with Mrs. Ciolfi and Dr. DiGioia
Bristol Aggie’s Extends Program!


Extends will begin on October 1st and will be Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30-4pm.
All students are welcomed to attend.

Purpose of Extends:
  • Academic Assistance and Support
  •  Pre-teaching and Re-teaching
  • Individualized/Small group instruction
  • Support with Organization
  • Support with Studying/Developing Study Skills
  • Structured Homework setting
  • Technology available for research, word processing, and online projects
  • Finish assessments/classwork as determined by individual teachers in a monitored setting
  • Vocational make-up hours can be monitored with the completion of vocational packets
  • Peer tutoring for volunteer hours/resume building activities may be supervised
  • Instructors will communicate with classroom teachers as needed
  • Instructors will communicate with home/family as needed
  • MCAS Preparation

Transportation:
Transportation access will be available through the athletic/after school buses that run during the
duration of the program. Listen to announcements for information on bussing.

Cross County/Girls Soccer: On Tuesday, Cross Country and Girls Soccer got together to train in the gym since the meet and the game was cancelled due to rain. #BAWork #BAPride



Volleyball: Girls Volleyball had a nail biter game at South Shore Voc Tech on Tuesday! Bristol Aggie fought hard and was able to take away wins in the second and fourth set, falling behind in the fifth set to SSVT. Captain Emma Duarte had 4 pivotal blocks and 3 kills in the second set to change the pace of the game, and major serving relief was seen from Junior outside hitter Kasey Culhane’s 4 consecutive aces. We will be hosting SSVT 10/12, come check out a great match!


International Coastal Cleanup!

Last Saturday, as part of International Coastal Cleanup, we collected over 40lbs of trash- including several shoes, diapers, shotgun shells and lots of plastic and fishing gear. Travis Nevins, Kai Milroy, Shelly Buckley, Grey Buckley, Elliott Civitarese, Camden DeMedeiros, and Nicole Simas helped make Horseneck Beach a better place for humans and marine life alike!



In the Classroom: Today in Mr. Flynn’s Large Animal Science, students celebrate “Dairy Day.” Students brought in different types of food to demonstrate how dairy is essential to our everyday meals.




Bus Evacuations: On Thursday, students conducted school bus evacuation drills. These are mandatory drills to ensure students can evacuate in the case of an emergency. #BASafety!




  • There will be 5:00 late buses
  • Girls Volleyball vs Avon game times, 3:30 & 5:00
  • Girls Soccer @ Southeastern 
  • Mondays lunch: Crispy Chicken on a ww roll Or Grab n Go Options Veggie Crunchers, Fresh Garden Salad, Assorted Fresh & Canned Fruits

Thursday, September 27, 2018


  • There will be 5:00 late buses
  • Lunches tomorrow: Stuffed Crust Cheese Pizza, or Crunchy Fish Sandwich, Seasoned carrots, Grab and Go Options, Fresh garden salad, Assorted Fruits and canned Fruits

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

  • Half day today dismissal time 11:47
  • Back to back lunches today: Chicken Fajitas, Onions, Peppers, Cheese, or Grab and Go Options, Fresh Garden Salad, Assorted Fresh and Canned Fruits.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Aggie Weekly-September 21st

Aggie Weekly
Good Afternoon Students, Parents, and Community Members
This week we hosted parents for our annual Parent-Teacher night when parents hear from their child’s teachers regarding expectations.  We heard so much positive feedback from families about how accommodating our staff was and welcomed their child into their learning atmosphere.  It truly takes a village, and we look forward to building strong partnerships. On Wednesday, we went over our security protocols with all students.  Our top priority is student safety and we will continue to find strategies to keep our community safe.

This Year’s First High Five Club Winner!
Congratulations to Madison Krueger pictured above with Dr. DiGioia!



Parent Reminder: We want to remind families not to park at the circle at Gilbert Hall. Thank you

Student Services:
Dear Bristol Aggie Families,
As a reminder, we are instituting a state mandated screening program in tenth grade related to the use of alcohol, marijuana and other substances. The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) program screening process is part of our annual state mandated screening program. All screenings are interview based and will be conducted in confidential individual sessions by our Student Services staff. The screenings will take place on September 25th and 26th. We will utilize the CRAFFT II screening tool which is the most commonly used substance use screening tool for adolescents in Massachusetts.
If you would like to opt your child out of this screening, please provide the school with written notification. Opting out of the screening is separate from opting out of the research survey. You may opt out by sending a note in to my attention or by emailing me at bboudreau@bcahs.com. In addition, screening is voluntary and students may choose not to answer any or all of the screening questions.
We encourage all parents/guardians to talk with their child about substance use. For ideas on how to begin these conversations and other helpful information, please refer to the Substance Use Screening portion of the Student Services page on the Bristol Aggie website for references and information. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Beth Boudreau, School Adjustment Counselor
508-669-6744 x.163/ bboudreau@bcahs.com

In the Classroom:
Arbor: Arbor majors at the annual southeastern Massachusetts Tree wardens and arborist field day with their prizes won.

Pictured: Senior Arbor students
Landscape: Construction of the Fall Show exhibits is in full swing.


VO-AG 4 students divided ornamental grasses at our container nursery.


Floriculture students begin the harvest of sunflowers that they planted in the spring.
Floriculture students delivering flower arrangements for the Farm to Table fundraiser.

Math: During Mr DeMello’s sophomore Geometry class, William’s turtle Buster waited patiently in Mrs. Ciolfi’s room.  As students finished their quiz, they were able to meet Buster. Buster came to school today, to enjoy time as a special guest of Mr. Johnson and the Geek Club.



NRM: Students are prepping for #FallShow2018

Large Animal Science: Mr. Flynn providing instruction to the large animal exploratory students. #OutdoorClassroom #BAPRIDE
Small Animal Science:

AgMec: Ag Mec students getting detailed instruction.  

Activities and Athletics:




Help sea creatures, participate in international monitoring, and go to the beach!
The Ocean Bowl club invites any students, families, friends, etc. to come to Horseneck Beach on Saturday, September 22 from 10am to 2pm to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup. We will be picking up trash as well as recording the trash that we find, which is added to an international database that aids in research, education, and policy-making. For students, there is a van with space for 7 departing at 9am and returning by 3pm. Please wear closed-toed shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. Aggie students need to complete the Field Trip Form and anyone under 18 participating will need to complete this waiver. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Ms. Perry: eperry@bcahs.com Hope to see you there!

Essay Contest: High School students of Indian Country: Join us as the next generation of Tribal leadership!
You have the opportunity to ensure the future of agriculture in Indian Country, by submitting your vision on: What can be done today in preparation for the future generation’s ability to feed themselves utilizing the Native American Agriculture Fund and the new Farm Bill?

Essay Guidelines:
1. The 2018 Essay Contest & Conference is open to Native American Youth (either enrolled in a Federally Recognized Tribe OR descendants living on Indian-owned land) and entering grades 9-12 during the 2018-2019 school-year.
2.  Only one essay submission will be accepted per participant.
3. The essay should be a minimum of 3 full pages and maximum of 5 full pages (excluding works cited), should be double-spaced with 12-point Arial font, and have 1-inch margins. The essay should be converted to a .pdf file and uploaded on the application portal.
4.  A blinded committee will review eligible essays to select three finalists based on organization of information, spelling and punctuation. The finalists will be keynote speakers and honored at the IAC Annual Meeting in Las Vegas and awarded travel scholarships to attend the 2018 IAC Youth Conference in Las Vegas.
5. In addition, 75 essay contestants will be awarded a full travel scholarship to attend the 2018 IAC Youth Conference in Las Vegas, December 10-13, 2018.
6. A full travel scholarship will offer a chance for the youth recipient and one designated chaperone* to fully participate in the respective 2018 IAC Membership & Youth Meeting Sessions. The travel scholarship includes:
  • the most feasible travel accommodations for 1 youth and 1 chaperone (to be booked by the IAC);
  • shared hotel accommodations, checking into the Hard Rock Hotel - Las Vegas on December 9 and checking out on December 13;
  • 2 total per diem gift cards (1 for youth essay contestant and 1 for designated chaperone);
  • paid registration to fully participate in all 2018 IAC Membership & Youth Meeting Sessions;
7. All essay submissions are due by 11:59:59 pm MST, Friday, October 19, 2018. No late entries will be accepted.
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: Additional points are awarded for essays submitted by October 5th, 2018.
*Designated chaperone must be at least 21 years of age and willing to be responsible for themselves and their youth during the entire event. It is required that the designated chaperone participate fully in IAC Membership Programming and that they ensure their youth participates fully in IAC Youth Conference Programming. The chaperone should be confident in navigating travel, taxis, and hotel check-in. Once travel is booked, the designated chaperone can only be changed at their expense.   Learn more at: http://www.indianaglink.com/youth/ Questions? Contact kelsey@indianaglink.com or call 605-964-8320


Mr. Johnson on “speak like a pirate” day! Great spirit!
Mr. Johnson: What’s a pirate’s favorite Element?
Answer: Argon (rrrrgon) 😃😃😃😃😃
Volleyball:  
FFA
We had a great time last weekend at the Big E (Eastern States Exposition) in West Springfield for FFA Day. During FFA day the Big E hosts FFA members from all over the Eastern Region for Regional Competitions. This year we had members compete in six different Career Development Events (CDE) in preparation for the National FFA Convention in October.
  • Horse Evaluation
    • Karolyn Auer
    • Gabriella Costa
  • Dairy Handling
    • Benjamin Gomes
    • Emily Lynch
    • Emma Duarte
  • Dairy Evaluation - 4th Place Team
    • Trevor Clapp - 10th individual
    • Kaity Walorz - 12th individual
    • Kiley Rose - 20th individual
    • Lauren Paine
  • Safe Equipment Operation
    • Cameron LaFleur - 8th individual
  • Livestock Evaluation
    • Lily Dias - 10th individual
    • Logan Caruthers -  13th individual
    • Sabina Myers - 19th individual
    • Olivia Camara - 21st individual
  • Floriculture - 1st Place Team
    • Ross Sousa - 1st individual
    • Lily Berube - 2nd individual
    • Hannah Johnson - 3rd individual
    • Caitlyn Viau - 6th individual
  • Environmental/ Natural Resources - 1st Place Team
    • Andrew Flory - 1st individual
    • Mia Slater - 5th individual
    • Merissa Silva-Robertson - 6th individual
    • Alexander Cameron - 7th individual

In addition to our competitors we were able to bring 50 freshman for a fun day at the fair and get their first exposure to the FFA. This was possible largely due to a grant through the Big E which paid for the bus. Everyone had a great day, and congratulations to all the competitors for a great job.

Week Ahead- B Week

  • Monday, September 24
    • Girls Soccer vs Holbrook @ 3:30
    • 5:00 Late Buses
  • Tuesday, September 25
    • Assembly- Report to Gym
    • Faculty Meeting- @ 2:40 - Library (Fall Show Discussion)
    • 5:00 Late Buses
    • Boys Soccer vs Coyle Cassidy @ 3:30
    • School Building Committee Meeting @ 6:00 - Keith Hall
    • Board of Trustees Meeting @ 7:00 - Keith Hall
  • Wednesday, September 26  
    • Boys Soccer vs Old Colony @ 3:30
    • 5:00 Late Buses
    • PTO Meeting @ 7:00- Library
  • Thursday, September 27
    • Bus Evacuation Drills- 7:45
    • NEASC 5 Year Committee Meeting: 10:45-12:15- Library
    • Early Release- Teacher PD
    • Schedule:
      • Period 2: 8:10-9:00 (same)
      • Period 1: 9:02-9:52 (same)
      • Period 3: 9:54-10:42 (same)
      • Period 4: 10:44-11:47 (CHANGE)
        • 1st Lunch: 10:42-11:10 (same)
        • 2nd Lunch: 11:18-11:47
    • Girls Volleyball vs Upper Cape @ 3:30
  • Friday, September 28
    • Boys Soccer vs Avon @ 3:30
    • Freshman Volleyball vs Westport @ 3:30
    • 5:00 Late Buses

  Monday, March 25- Freshman ONLY Quarterly Exams EXTENDS @ 2:45 RM1107 Late Bus at 5:00 (Gilbert Hall) Lunch: Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Fren...