Prom Pictures:
Marc Nathan Photographers will be taking posed portraits at Bellaire’s May 19th prom.  While the students love to use their phones, these images eventually get lost or deleted, sometimes forever!  This milestone event is worth capturing in a posed portrait!  Posed portraits are paid for at the prom, when the photograph is taken. Payments may be made by cash, check or credit/debit card.  There will be no IOUs taken the night of the prom, New this year, we’ll be able to process credit/debit cards on site.  Package prices start at $20 and go up from there.     

A Bellaire student did some digital artwork from an actual Las Vegas image taken by Marc Nathan for the backdrop!  We take the portraits on greenscreen, then drop their image into the background for the finished product – a rendition that truly matches this year’s prom theme!  

Announcement - Textbooks:
• Students can return any textbooks no longer needed for the semester to the bookroom.
* The bookroom is open every day, 9-4pm.
• The last day to return books is May 31th.
• During the week of finals, return books to the multi-purpose room.
• Due to the closing of the building on June 1st for construction, books canNOT be returned late over the summer.
• Student records, diplomas, and course schedules are held until textbook records are cleared.
• Students will be charged for the entire cost of each book not returned and cleared from records by May 31th.

BHS Today April Issue:
BHS Today is a bi monthy newsletter serving the Bellaire High School community of parents, staff, faculty, and others interested in the activities of the school. It includes press releases for that month and other noteworthy news. It is now being produced by the staff of the school newspaper, The Three Penny Press. Click here for the latest issue.

Summer School Information:
Due to construction and remodeling, all Bellaire summer school classes will be held at Westbury High School. Classes will include Credit Recovery and Exit Level TAKS and STAAR EOC Prep. Student dates for summer school are June 11 - July 12 (no school July 4 and 5). Classes will be held Mondays through Thursdays only, from 8:15 – 3:00. It is the students' and parents' responsibility to provide their own transportation. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no charge.

Students may pre-register for Credit Recovery classes beginning Monday, May 7. Priority is given to seniors and is on a first come, first served basis. Students must see their counselor for a Summer School Counselor Approval Form, have it signed and turn it in to room 109, Mr. Lira's office. They will then be notified for which classes they have been enrolled. For those students who do not register before the end of this year, we will have regular summer school registration at Westbury on June 5th and 6th. We will provide more information at the end of this month.

During the week of June 4 – 7, students who did not pass any subject area of the STAAR will be notified of STAAR Prep times and dates and the date to retake the test(s).

Parental Involvement Survey:
The Houston Independent School District and your child's school are required to give parents an opportunity to share their opinion about the HISD Title I, Part A Parental Involvement Policy and the school's parent policy. Attached is the 2011–2012 Title I Part A Parental Involvement Survey (click here). If you have access to the internet, you may go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENGLISH2011-12 and complete this survey online; the choice is yours. This survey will only take a few minutes to finish. Please return the completed survey to school as soon as possible. Thanks! (para el español, haga clic aquí)

Estimados padres,

El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston y la escuela de su hijo tienen el requisito de darle a los padres la oportunidad de compartir su opinión sobre la Norma de Participación de los Padres, Título I, Parte A de HISD (clic aquí). Adjunta encontrará la encuesta de Participación de los Padres, Título I, Parte A de 2011–2012. Si tienen acceso a Internet, pueden ingresar a https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SPAN2011-12 y completar la encuesta en línea. Se tardará solamente unos pocos minutos para completarla. Por favor devuelvan la encuesta lo más pronto posible a la escuela de su hijo. Si necesitan ayuda o acceso a Internet, pueden ir a la escuela de su hijo. ¡Gracias!

Attention Parents - Bacterial Meningitis Vaccination Information :
Passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1107, 82nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, requires all entering students at Texas institutions of higher education to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis within the last five years and at least 10 days prior to the first day of class. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a booster dose of meningococcal vaccine for those 16-18 years of age. If all college-bound students receive the recommended booster dose, they will meet the requirements of SB 1107. Students under 19 years of age may be eligible for a low-cost vaccine through the Texas Vaccines for Children Program (TVFC). Parents should contact their child's doctor for more information about the TVFC program. Click here for more details.

Mr. Schaaf Needs Parent Volunteers for AP Exams from May 7 to May 18:
Duties include helping students find seats, monitoring the exams, helping pick up materials.

Morning shifts are 7:45 – around 12:00 and afternoon shifts 12:00 to around 3:30. Test durations do vary and are dependent on variables, but be prepared to work for 3 or 4 hours.

You may not help with an AP Exam if:
• You are employed part or full time at a test-preparation company.
• You participate in any coaching activity that addresses the content of secure College Board tests.
• An immediate family or household member is taking the exam you are working with at any school.

If you are interested in volunteering for an AP Exam, contact Mr. Schaaf at jschaaf@houstonisd.org.

Course Selection for the 2012-13 School Year:
If a student in grades 9-11 has NOT yet seen his/her counselor to choose classes, PLEASE see your counselor during lunch or after school. Your counselor can either meet with you then OR make an appointment slip for you to return at a mutually agreeable time.

Students may make changes in the 2012-13 schedule in WRITING with student and parent signatures and contact information until May 31st. After that time, NO schedule changes will be allowed.

Students in grade 11 should do research to make sure they have all prerequisite classes for college admissions into the department at each college to which they want to apply. Remember that May 31st is the last day to request changes.

AfterProm Parent Volunteers Needed:
The school year is winding down but the senior class end-of-year activities are ramping up. All of the fundraising for the Afterprom is complete, contracts have been signed with facilities and vendors, now we need parent volunteers to help execute the actual event. Please click here for more information or email Kay Burns at kayburns4@comcast.net

eMOTION Dance Company Tryouts:
eMOTION Dance Company is having tryouts on April 17th, 2012 at 3:30 in the Dance Room - #501 (and in the cafeteria) for the incoming students -8th graders, and on May 24th , 2012 for all Bellaire HS students interested in eMOTION dance class. The dance styles: Modern dance, Hip Hop and Break Dance. All other students interested in a regular dance classes should email to Mrs. Korman: skorman@houstonisd.org to obtain an approval.

Attention Seniors and Parents - Graduation TIME CHANGED:
The Bellaire High School graduation ceremony will be held on Saturday, June2, 2012 at 3 pm at Reliant Center, Halls B & C. One Reliant Park, 77054

Attention Parents:
As state testing nears, you need to be aware of a valuable resource for helping your child prepare for the TAKS or STAAR tests. All 9th graders will be taking STAAR EOCs and all 10th and 11th graders will be taking the TAKS test. Bellaire has the Study Island on-line TAKS and STAAR benchmark programs in math and science. The programs are available for all students taking those tests this year. For more information, please click here.
Para información en español, haga clic aquí.

BHS Junior Varsity Cheerleading Squad—For Incoming 8th graders and Current 9th graders:
Applications for Incoming 8th graders are available for pick up in the Main office of Bellaire, or may be available for pick up at your middle school. Application Deadline is Friday, March 30th by 12:15 p.m. All required meetings and practice dates and times are outlined in the application packet. If you have any questions, please direct them to Ms. Childs rchilds@houstonisd.org. Click here for more details.

Attention Private School and Magnet Enrollees:

Attention Seniors and Senior Parents - AfterProm Information:
The Class of 2012 Prom will take place from 8:00 to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19th in the ballroom of the Westin Galleria. The AfterProm will take place upstairs in the Westin Galleria Exhibit Hall immediately following the prom and lasting until 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 20th. It should be a wonderful, memorable and fun evening for our seniors to share before they graduate and move on. All of the fundraising for the AfterProm is completed (thanks again to all of the many parents who helped with the various fundraising activities that have gone on over the past 3.5 years) and now we get to do the fun part which is planning and executing a great event for the kids! If you are able to help with the planning phase (securing entertainment, rentals, prizes, etc) which is going on right now, please contact one of us ASAP:

Kay Burns kayburns4@comcast.net
Andy Blitzer andyblitz@gmail.com
Kim Rexford krexford@rexfordcapital.com

Sign-up requests for volunteers to help the night of the event will follow later in the semester.

Bellaire Belles Perform at AT&T Cotton Bowl:
The Bellaire Belles were invited by Marching Auxiliary Dance Company to perform in the 76th annual AT&T Cotton Bowl, which was held on January 6, 2012 in Dallas, TX at the Cowboys Stadium. 32 Belles performed the pre-game pom routine to Party Rock Anthem and the half-time jazz routine to Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez. This was a great opportunity for the Belles and they did a fantastic job representing Bellaire High School and HISD.

  

PSAT / SAT Tutoring:
MATH (beginning the week of August 29th) - No Math Tutoring until after TAKS testing in April
Mondays and Wednesdays, 8th Period - Mr. Mazumder's room # 153
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8th Period - Ms. Park's room # 252

VERBAL AND WRITING (beginning the week of September 6th)
Mondays and Wednesdays, 8th Period - Mr. Wolf's room # E 343

The PSAT will be given on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.

Reduced Internet Costs for Families on the Free and Reduced Lunch Program:
Comcast has launched a new program that will provide families, with at least one child receiving lunches under the National School Lunch program, affordable access to Internet, computers and training. The Internet Essentials program is designed to close the digital divide.

Eligible families will receive: Comcast home Internet service for $9.95 per month, the option to buy a computer for under $150 (plus applicable taxes), and access to online, in print and in classroom digital literacy training. A household will be eligible to participate in this special program if it: is located within the Comcast service area, has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days, and does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment. For additional information about this program, visit www.internetessentials.com/partner. Parents can sign up or receive more information by calling 1-855-846-8376 or they can visit www.internetessentials.com.

Attention Parents and Students:
Students and parents may register for NAVIANCE, our new college planning tool. Register at http://connection.naviance.com/hisd-bellaire . Codes are needed for registration. Students will receive theirs in advocacy in the beginning of the school year. After that time, students may get them in the college center during lunch or after school. Parents can receive their codes at Open House outside the college center.

Attention All Students Riding HISD Buses:
All students riding an HISD bus to or from school must obtain a Bus Pass. The student should come to the Magnet Office (located in the library) during their lunch to get a Bus Pass. If you have further questions you may call 713-295-3715.

Attention Parents: Free and Reduced Lunch Information:
The application for free and reduced priced meals is also available on-line at the following link. www.mealapps.houstonisd.org

There are other benefits to applying and being approved for free or reduced lunch:
* Fee waivers for the SAT, ACT, and PSAT
* Some colleges waive application fees for students on free or reduced lunch.

Paper applications for free or reduced meals will be sent home with the first day packet. If you apply on-line you do not need to send in a paper application. Each family must reapply every year. The grace period is until October 4, 2011. After that date, if you have not submitted an application and been approved, you will need to pay for your child's lunch. Any balance your child accumulates with the cafeteria is your responsibility until the application is approved. Even if you do not wish to apply, please sign the application, list your child's (children's) name(s), and write 'do not wish to participate' on the application across the income section. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Thornhill at school. dthornhi@houstonisd.org