The Bronco Update
Burrillville High School
Volume 3, Issue 10
Date 6/1/12
The Bronco Update
Principal’s Message
Inside this issue:
Artwork
2
Music Dept.
5
Science Dept.
7
English Dept.
8
Social Studies
8
School to Career 10
Yearbook
Newcomer’s
Program
10
11
As we finish the year I would like to thank all students and parents for a successful school
year. We have accomplished so much this year both as a school and our individual
students. Some of our school-wide accomplishments include: improving our graduation
rate, NECAP scores in reading and writing have improved, we have worked all year to
improve our writing in a constructed response, we have implemented a school-wide PBIS
system, and we have been preparing for our NEASC visit next spring. Our students have
also shown great success in the BHS athletic programs with many teams advancing far
into the playoffs, and demonstrating great sportsmanship. Our academic teams including
the Math team, the Science Olympiad, and Robotics team all placed in their respective
competitions. Individually our students continue to shine in the arts and give back to the
community through countless hours of service to community organizations and the school.
Parents, students, teachers, faculty and staff have much to be proud of this year.
From the art room…
BHS will once again be offering a comprehensive summer school program to students. I
strongly encourage any parent and student who needs to attend the summer program to
do so. Staying on track for graduation is very important, and the summer school program is
a valuable opportunity to do so. In addition to the traditional summer school courses we
will be offering digital portfolio, credit recovery, and NECAP preparation courses. The
NECAP preparation course is designed to prepare students for success on the NECAP
assessment. Students should consider taking this course is they have already taken the
NEACP and not achieved proficiency and will be retaking in the fall, or your student will be
taking the assessment for the first time and they have experience difficulty in reading,
writing, or math. Tuition assistance will be available and based upon financial need. If you
have any questions regarding our summer program please contact our summer school
director Mr, Ferraro at [email protected].
From the classrooms…
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From the art rooms…
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Michael Rominyk
Kiannah Koprusak
Kasey Desrosiers
Samantha Rambone
Andrew Mandeville
Elise Hayes
Jasmine Ferguson
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The Bronco Update
Kevin Chabot
Morgan Kennelly
Daniel Munoz
Morgan Ferschke
Colin Murphy
Teigan Palazini
Marisa Koprusak
Kamil Strama
Jason Gareau
Samantha Rambone
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From the Music Department…
Annual Spring Pops Concert Final Formal Concert for Seniors
The BHS Music Department held the annual Spring Pops Concert on May 15 th. Although outside it
was torrentially raining, the auditorium was aglow with talent. In addition to performances by the
Combined & Select Choirs and the Combined Bands and Wind Ensemble several seniors also put
their talents on display with solo selections. Seniors performing solos included Nicole Harnois,
Elizabeth Diohep, Ryan Wilkinson, Xiomara Figueroa, and Tiffany Rabideau. Although this was the
final formal concert of the year, all band and Select Choir students will also be part of the
Commencement Exercises that will be held on June 8th.
Bravo and Good Luck to our beloved seniors!
Burrillville High School Music Department Awards Banquet
The annual BHS Music Department Awards
Banquet was held on Thursday, May 24th at the
Knights of Columbus hall in Pascoag. The
delicious dinner of pasta and meatballs was
followed by recognition of all musical
achievements throughout the entire school
year. All participating musicians received a
free meal and some kind of acknowledgement
gift for their years of participation from the
Burrillville Music Boosters. Band and Choir
officers concocted their own list of notable
superlatives and a slideshow chronicling the
year’s events was produced by the Harnois
family. The evening was capped off with a heartfelt tribute to the seniors. Yet another tradition of the
Music Department lives on! Thanks to all for making this a true success year after year.
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Burrillville High School Band Honors Veterans at Memorial Day Ceremony
The members of the BHS band proudly participated in the annual Burrillville Allied Veterans
Ceremony held on Monday, May 28th in Freedom Park. The ceremony included speeches, patriotic
and inspirational music, and the reading of the Burrillville Honor Roll names. The ceremony was a
true reflection of how a close knit community shows reverence for their community members who
have sacrificed so much.
Upcoming Music Department Events
Friday, June 8th Graduation
Sunday, June 10th Firefighter’s Memorial Parade
Freshman Band Orientation—TBA
Band Trip to Disneyworld in Orlando—February 2013!!!!
The Bronco Update
From the Science Department…
Screenshots from recent Biotechnology student presentations:
Students in Mr. Leach's Biotechnology
class had to solve "The Case of the
Missing Crown" recently. The crime
scene DNA (dyes) is on the far left.
The 7 suspects' DNA are on the right.
Answer: Suspect #5
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From the English Department…
Summer Reading
Summer Reading Assignments will be distributed the week of June 4th. Assignments will also be
posted on the high school website. Parents are asked to work with students to complete these
assignments so that students will be successful in the first quarter of next year.
From the Social Studies Department…
Student of the Month
Psychology
Blake Boutiette
U. S. History II
Brittney Grenier
Marrissa Koprusak
Students from Mr. Siner's and Mr. Sheehan's social studies classes attended a special career fair at
McCoy Stadium hosted by the Pawtucket Red Sox. The students were given a private tour of the
entire facility and met with several members of the Pawtucket Red Sox administrative staff.
Students also participated in a Save the Bay field trip.
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AP European History ~Ms.Lamontagne
Summer Reading/Writing Assignment
Directions: To complete this assignment, you will need your textbook and a copy of Niccolo Machiavelli’s, The Prince.
You can either check this book out of a local library or buy it. You can purchase a new copy of the book for under $10 or
a used copy for under $5 from Amazon.com. All work should be typed or handwritten very neatly. You will be tested on
this information within the first week of school with very little review; therefore, you want to take your time with the required
reading! If you fail to complete these assignments on time, in accordance to the Burrillville High School AP
program, you will be dropped from the class. If you have questions over the course of the summer in regards to this
class or this assignment, e-mail me at [email protected]. Have a restful summer; I look forward to seeing you all in
the fall!
I.
Textbook: Due: Friday, 8/10/12 *All papers must be e-mailed or dropped off at the high school in an envelope
with my name on it!
1. Read and Outline Chapter 11, “The Later Middle Ages; Crisis and Disintegration in the 14th Century” pages
306-337.
2. Write a 5 paragraph essay addressing the following prompt;
Make an argument either for or against the idea that climate and disease played a major role in
producing social, economic and political changes in the 14th century.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
II. “The Prince”: Due: Wednesday, 8/29/12
1. Read The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. DO NOT SKIP THE INTRODUCTION. You will be responsible for the
information covered in the introduction and more importantly, it will be helpful to you in understanding the rest of
the text as well as our first unit of study on Renaissance Italy. While reading, complete the following;
a. Keep a running list of quotes from the book, which you feel truly capture the essence of Machiavelli’s
political philosophy. Put the chapter and page number after each quote followed by a brief summary of
what Machiavelli is saying in your own words with an explanation as to why you selected it. (You are
required to come up with 15 quotes at minimum, feel free to add more if you are moved to do so). *I will
be checking to make sure you have selected quotes from multiple sections of the book and not just one
chapter.
b. Write a reflective essay upon conclusion of the book that helps to summarize Machiavelli’s overall opinion
on what helps a leader to get ahead and be successful. In other words, explain the skills, traits or powers
Machiavelli values in a leader. Do you agree or disagree with Machiavelli’s theories and the advice he is
offering? Do they still hold relevance to leaders today?
c.
Choose ONE political leader from historical times or current day and assess their leadership skills based
on Machiavelli’s theories. Would Machiavelli have approved of their decisions, actions, and overall
leadership ability? Back up your analysis with specific examples and historical detail. If additional
research is necessary, please provide a bibliography of your sources.
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Clubs and Organizations
SCHOOL TO CAREER NEWS
Exposure to a wide variety of career options is an important aspect of the education of high school
students. Many Burrillville High School students had multiple opportunities this past year to explore
many career options, both in industry settings and at post-secondary institutions.
Career Fairs included Aviation Career Fair, CRRL Tech, Patriot Place, Construction Career Fair,
Health Fair and Career Day at McCoy. Post-Secondary institutions included New England Tech,
Nichols College, CCRI Lincoln Tech and Johnson & Wales. Other trips included Amgen Industries,
Save the Bay, Woonsocket Career & Technical, and Radisson Hotel.
The 2012-2913 school year will provide additional opportunities for even more students. Burrillville
High School will be looking for additional Guest speakers for the coming year. Contact Andrew Riley
at BHS for additional information.
Yearbooks!
Yearbooks have arrived! If you pre-ordered your
yearbook, please stop by C1 to pick it up. There are
still a limited number of yearbooks for sale. If you
are interested, please see Mrs. Sciacca in C1.
Yearbooks are $85 and checks can be made out to
BHS Yearbook.
The theme of this year’s book is Make Your Mark!
Don’t miss out on your chance to own this collection
of high school memories.
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The Bronco Update
NEWCOMERS PROGRAM
Burrillville Public Schools
Superintendent
Dr. Frank Pallotta
Principal
Mr. Michael Whaley
Assistant Principals
Mrs. Sherrill McKeon
Mr. Larry Izzi
Department Leaders
Richard GoudreauEnglish
Kristi Craig- Math
Tim DuriganTechnology/ Business
Nick Servidio-Science
Barbara DeMasco-Student
Wellness
Jennifer Fowler-Special
Education
David Sheehan-Social
Studies
Guidance
The BHS Newcomers Program is an orientation and
support program for students who are new to the
district. It has been running for the past eight years
by Janet McLinden, Student Assistance Counselor
and Kim Pristawa, School Psychologist. We were
excited to be able to be expanding this program two
years ago through the assistance of an outside
organization.
As the year comes to a close, we would like to
acknowledge the Burrillville Schools Alumni
Education Foundation, Inc. (BSAEF) for their grant
funding support over the past two years. Through the
generosity of the BSAEF, we have been able to host
dozens of newcomer student groups each year as
well as several parent informational sessions both in
the morning and in the evening.
Mary Russo A-Gi
Mary Lou Tupper Gl-O
Peter Berthelette P-Z
Thank you, BSAEF, we truly appreciate your
support!
Editor’s Note: The newsletter is published once a month. Please send news items,
announcements, and photographs to Ms. Smith at [email protected].