“The Ursa Major”
September 2015
Volume 1, Issue 2
“Where opportunity and preparation result in success.”
Bennett Mountain High
School
MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL TESAR
I’m happy to say that we have been experiencing a great start to the 2015-2016 school
year. By far the best start since opening this school. This is credited to our wonderful student body and hardworking staff. Let’s keep the momentum going!
I would like to thank all the parents/guardians who attended our recent parent-teacher
conference. It was great seeing familiar faces along with meeting new ones.
Mountain Home High School Homecoming was on September 11th, and once again our
school was able to partake in the assembly and parade. I want to thank the entire student
body for conducting themselves like young adults during the assembly and parade. It was
great to see our students proudly
representing Bennett Mountain in
front of younger students from
other schools and community
members during the parade. Another big thanks goes out to Mr.
Smith, Ms. Percy, and the school’s
leadership group for their efforts in
the planning and preparation of
our parade float.
Finally, it’s hard to believe, but we
are already in the second half of
our first block of study. I would
encourage all parents/guardians to
closely monitor student grades,
Cultural Anthropology students challenge the norms.
attendance, and lunch fees. Unfortunately we have lost a few students due to excessive absences and would not like to lose
anymore. Remember that a student is not to exceed five unexcused absences in a class and
that four accumulated tardies equates to one absence. October 14th is just around the corner so let’s all bear down and finish the block strong!
Mr. Tesar
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A BEAR
September represents the bulk of the first block of this school year. Returning students are
used to the accelerated pace of the block system, but new students are having to find ways to
stay current in classes both online and in live classrooms. Bennett students are held to high
expectations both for academics and for attendance. They are challenged daily to find their
way along the path of their educational journey with the help of their peers, their teachers,
and the other staff at Bennett. Bennett students participate in classroom activities and projects that find common ground between their original thoughts and perspectives, as well as
bringing understanding to how their education relates to their futures.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Important Dates ......................2
What’s for Lunch .....................2
Leadership Group ....................3
Staff Shout Out ........................3
Starkey, Percy, Garza ...............4
Greene, Apex............................5
Our Building ............................6
SPECIAL POINTS OF
INTEREST
 Important dates and
lunchtime updates.
 Profiles of teachers and staff:
Garza, Greene, Percy, and
Starkey
 Leadership Group update
and Leslie Gomez’s shout out
to BMHS staff and students
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
October 1st & 2nd: The first two days of
October 2015 will be days off for students,
but not for teachers and staff. October 1 &
2 are professional development days for
the entire district, and we plan to spend
them learning new skills, new computer
programs, and a variety of other new subjects so we can be better teachers and
administrators.
October 5th: School pictures were taken
on September 14th and packets should be
ready to take home sometime around
October 5th. We have already received the
electronic pictures from Dorian to use in
the yearbook.
October 14th: Block 1 ends on Wednesday, October 14th with a 1:30pm dismissal
schedule.
October 20th: Block 2 starts on Tuesday, October 20th. Staff and administrators will be available from October 15th
through the 19th during regular school
hours for intake interviews and meetings
with students and colleagues.
October 22nd-23rd: Thursday and
Friday, October 22nd & 23rd are early
release days for the district with classes
ending at 11:30am both days.
October 31st: Students will be allowed to
wear costumes for Halloween, but they
must be school appropriate! No full face
masks and no real or imaginary firearms,
please! Stick to fairy tale characters and
keep it simple and clean.
Remember to watch the BMHS website for
updates to the calendar.
Invention requires an excited mind; execution, a calm one.
-Johann Peter Eckermann, poet (21 Sep 1792-1854)
CLASS SCHEDULES
BMHS has four periods per day
with a 30 minute intervention
period at the end of every day.
Class periods for Block 1 are:
Sheri Freer
Period 2: Geometry
Period 3: Algebra
Period 4: Algebra
Cate Percy:
Period 1: Economics
Period 2: American Literature
Period 3: Senior English
Sam Smith:
Period 2: Anthropology
Period 3: Freshman English
Period 4: Sophomore English
Pat Starkey:
Period 1: U.S. History I
Period 3: U.S. History II
Period 4: U.S. Government
Online classes are held in Labs 1
and 2 during all four periods every
day. Students are scheduled for
specific classes in the lab, but they
have the flexibility to decide which
class they work on, as long as they
stay on schedule for all of their
online classes.
2
LUNCHTIME AT HACKER CAFETERIA
Effective September 24th, the maximum amount that
students can charge on their lunch accounts has been
decreased from $50 to $30. Students can prepay for
lunches online with a credit or debit card, or in person
with cash or personal check. Any overpaid balance at
year’s end can be carried over to next year. Seniors and
anyone else can get their year end balance refunded to
them. In fact, anyone can get a prepaid balance refunded
to them during the year if they change their minds about
having lunch from the cafeteria.
Due to a change in the middle school’s
scheduling, Bennett students spend 5
minutes less at Hacker’s cafeteria. This
means that some students may finish up
eating in our building, but it doesn’t mean
less of a midday break.
Food and drink continue to be banned from
classrooms, although exceptions are made
for students with medical authorizations
and for organized classroom activities.
COOLER WEATHER
MEANS LONG SLEEVES
& SWEATSHIRTS
Cooler weather means students
need to think about wearing
layers to school. The top layer
MUST have the BMHS logo on
it, but underneath layers can be
anything that keeps you warm.
New sweatshirts and T-shirts
are available whenever there are
sufficient requests to place a
new order.
This year’s Leadership Group promotes student involvement and poetry at BMHS
Sweatshirts…………….………..$28
LEADERSHIP GROUP GROWS TO INCLUDE THE FIRST
EVER BMHS SLAM POETRY WORKSHOP
Long sleeve T-shirts……...…$15
When Mr. Smith agreed last year to direct and advise students who were interested in participating in a leadership group, he never imagined that they would suggest expanding the group
to include a Poetry Club section. That’s what make BMHS different—students rule!
As the trophy case refurbishment continues, the leadership group is coming up with ideas for
what will be displayed. Ideas include retrieving trophies from MHHS’s archives that were
earned by high school students who attended MHHS in this building. New awards are being
proposed such as: The Unsung Hero Award for the student who helps other students and staff
in addition to getting their own work done. The Stepping Up Award would be for students that
volunteer for extra challenges and responsibilities around school. New awards would also be
displayed for the friendly competitive activities with MHHS that the leadership group is working towards such as: dodgeball tournaments, bowling tournaments, and chess tournaments.
Who knows? We may even have a talent show and discover hidden talents in singing, dancing,
and standup in the BMHS student body!
“EVERYONE COUNTS AT BMHS,” SAYS LESLIE GOMEZ
Bennett Mountain High School is a phenomenal school. It is a place of opportunity and achievement. But this school wouldn’t be anything without its amazing
staff. As I enter the school each morning, I am greeted by a warm smile and
“Good morning” by all the staff. They really care about our education.
I always feeling motivated by my educators. Teachers really spend one on one
time with their students. Bennett cares for each and every individual in the building. For example, my geometry teacher never gets tired of me asking so many
questions. In contrast the geometry teacher at the high school didn’t even notice if
I was absent. Not only in my geometry class have I felt supported. I love all the
teachers. They are amazing. The faculty encourages every student to try their best
and provide us with quality help. I admire the mutual respect between students
and teachers. No one is treated unfairly or in a rude manner.
So I’d like to give a special thanks to our principal Mr. Tesar for being patient and
fair. Thank you Mrs. Goldsby for always having a smile on your face and being so
nice. Mrs. Johnson thank you for listening and giving great advice. Thank you
Mrs. Freer for being so optimistic and positive. Mr. Smith thank you for being so
real and encouraging. Ms. Percy thank you for being so motivating and for allowing students to express their creativity. Thank you Mr. Starkey and Ms. Greene for
joining us this year and becoming part of the Bennet Mountain family. Bennett
wouldn’t be the same without you.
Bella watches Mrs. Freer making angles
3
GETTING IN TOUCH
We want to hear from parents and
guardians when you have questions! Contact us by email or telephone, or arrange a personal conference with any of us:
Principal Stehvn Tesar
[email protected]
Sharon Goldsby
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
MaryKaye Johnson
Counselor
[email protected]
Christy Garza
Childcare Coordinator
[email protected]
Sheri Freer
Mathematics
[email protected]
Cate Percy
English/Humanities/Economics
[email protected]
Sam Smith
English/Speech/Anthropology
[email protected]
Patrick Starkey
Social Studies/Coding
[email protected]
Christina Greene
Computer Lab Supervisor
[email protected]
School phone: (208) 587-3837
PATRICK STARKEY,
SOCIAL STUDIES/GOVERNMENT/CODING
Born right here in Mountain Home,
Idaho, but delivered not by his physician father, but by Dr. Wells, Patrick
Starkey left town when he was 18 years
old. After having a real fun time at Arizona State University, he returned to
Idaho to hunker down and complete
his formal education at BSU, earning a
B.A. in Social Science Education.
Starkey’s classroom model finds students having lively discussions which
leads them to “think from new perspectives.” Starkey is excited about the new
laptop computers he’s using to develop
new strategies in blended learning for
his students.
Content in his home life with his wife,
son, and old Labrador retriever named
Gracie, he expects to mix things up this
year with the arrival of his daughter on
Monday, September 28. When he’s not
at home you’ll
find Mr. Starkey
out on the golf
course shooting
for par, or, perhaps, stalking
the wily trout up
on the Big Wood
River.
CATE PERCY,
ENGLISH/HUMANITIES/ECONOMICS
Born in Prescott, Arizona, Cate Percy grew up in the wilds of Southern California. Although
slightly rebellious as a teenager, Ms. Percy harnessed her energies and talents to craft a successful career in accounting before seeking a second career in the more creative field of education.
She likes to focus on project based learning in her classroom because she feels it transfers well to
the real world her students are ready to enter.
The Favorite Chair in Ms.
When not in school, Ms. Percy tends to her chickens, turkeys, goats,
Percy’s classroom—get here
and extensive vegetable garden. By the end of September each year
early if you want it!
she’s heartily sick of the gardening chores and vows to “cut back” on
what she plants until the bug bites her again in the spring and she starts too many
tomato and pepper plants, which she feels compelled to plant whether she needs
the produce or not. Ms. Percy shares her fresh baked bread with students in her
classes and finds delight in expanding her students’ vocabulary and their view of
the world.
FAX: (208)587-2564
School website:
http://bmhs.mtnhomesd.org/
CHRISTY GARZA,
CHILDCARE COORDINATOR
School address:
560 East Jackson Street
Mountain Home, Idaho 83647
We look forward to hearing from
you!
Born in Nampa, Idaho, Christy Garza moved to Mountain Home 25 years ago. With two
small children of her own to care for, Ms. Garza started her own in-home daycare and
cared for local children there for 20 years. After working for 5 years at Children’s House
daycare, Ms. Garza was persuaded to bring her talents for soothing the wild child to the
daycare at BMHS. She enjoys coming to work here every day, and says that she enjoys
watching the children she cares for develop into unique adults. She especially enjoys the
infants , but she enjoys staying in touch with the children as they become adults. Her first
“crop” will be about 28 years old now, and they are doing just fine!
Ms. Garza has been delighted with all of the help members of this community have provided her in terms of toys and supplies. If there was anything she could ask for in addition
to the generous donations already received, it would be a variety of toys designed for 1 to
2 year olds, and supplies to send home with teen parents who are struggling to make ends
meet.
4
CHRISTINA GREENE,
COMPUTER LAB SUPERVISOR
Christina Greene was born in Honolulu, Hawaii but she moved to
Mountain Home, Idaho when her dad was transferred here a couple of
years later. She left Mountain Home when she was 22 years old to seek
her fortune in the U.S. Coast Guard. She spent six years in the Coast
Guard stationed off the coast of Washington, serving on the search and
rescue squad and training for her self-defense endorsements. Ms.
Greene returned to Mountain Home a couple of years ago to help care
for her mother and pursue her dream of assisting online students at
BMHS with their classes (JK!). She includes gardening and landscaping
in her list of things she does for fun. She used to spend many recreational hours riding horses and competing in dressage, eventing, and
western pleasure events, but now she limits her fun to souping up her
Ford diesel truck.
The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind
with an open one.
~ Malcolm Forbes
APEX ONLINE CLASSES
BMHS uses APEX online classes to supplement our curriculum.
The only person who is educated is the
one who has learned how to learn and
change.
~ Carl Rogers
5
OUR BUILDING: 1926 - 2015
B
ennett Mountain High
School has housed students
from Mountain Home High
School and Tom Hacker Middle
School before being renovated for
BMHS. The daycare center located in
the downstairs was made possible by
private donations from many local
citizens including former School
Board President Jim Alexander.
Although the gymnasium is located
directly above the daycare, Ms. Garza
who supervises the facility says that
BMHS ON THE STREET
Keep an eye out for students wearing the BMHS logo. They may be out exploring the
town, taking surveys about personal space, or digging up artifacts in the dirt strip outside
the school. Bennett Mountain students provide assistance to the staff at Hacker, earning
school credits for
grading papers,
making copies,
and helping the
school run more
efficiently.
the children aren’t disturbed by the
sound of activities upstairs. Even
when the Hacker students came to
use the gymnasium for special
events, the infants and toddlers in
the daycare slept through all of the
noise and commotion. They don’t
build them like this anymore, that’s
for sure!
BENNETT MOUNTAIN
HIGH SCHOOL
560 East Jackson Street
Mountain Home, Idaho 83647
Phone: 208-587-3837
Fax: 208-587-2564
http://bmhs.mtnhomesd.org/
This Newsletter is being published electronically to save paper and
to reach more people. If you would like to have a printed copy,
please send Cate Percy an email message and we’ll get one out to
you.
Look for our next edition on October 31st, 2015 and on each month
end thereafter...well, we might have to adjust the date at the end of
December, but we’ll keep you posted on that and other important
dates throughout the year.
Thanks for reading!
If you don't know where you are going,
you might wind up someplace else.
~ Yogi Berra