---FOCUS--BHHS NEWSLETTER
VOL. 26, no. 2.5
OCTOBER 2014
HALLOWEEN CONCERNS
Halloween is approaching once again and we want to remind parents that students who choose to wear a costume must abide by some
rules to ensure propriety and safety. Therefore students will be required to cover or change from costumes that are too revealing or
provocative, and students who refuse to cooperate will be sent home. Costumes that deal with weapons, violence, drugs, alcohol, and
sexuality will not be permitted.
For safety and security reasons, we must also forbid students from wearing masks that conceal the face. The key is to remember that
what might be appropriate for a party is not necessarily appropriate for school. While other high schools have found it necessary to
"outlaw" Halloween, we hope that with your cooperation we can make it a fun and comfortable day for those who wish to participate,
as well as those who don't. We hope you understand the need to enforce reasonable regulations.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the high school administration.
HELPING OUR CHILDREN:
THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS
On November 13, 2014 the EVƎN program is sponsoring a day of emotional wellness programming
for the students of BHHS. The entire student body will participate in events covering a variety of
topics ranging from meditation to sleep hygiene to identifying signs and symptoms of mental health
issues.
Following the day of Wellness, the EVƎN program will host an evening event for parents, educators, mental health professionals and family members.
UPCOMING EVENTS
New BobcatTV Shows!!
October 17:
Senior Yearbook Portraits: 2—8pm
October 18:
LOOK FOR THESE
ATTACHED FLYERS:
Senior Yearbook Portraits: 8:30am—2pm
October 22:
Area All-State Pre-Rehearsal at WPHS: 4—9pm
 October 24:
October Calendar
Collaborations Concert
Concert Choir Cabaret @ 7:30 PM
 October 25:
ACT Test

Romeo and Juliet—flyer and
ticket order form
October 27:
Pre-season Meeting for HS Winter Sports
@ 7:00 PM

(ticket order form available 10/17/14)
October 28:
PTSA Family Photo Day
Power to the Parent
Cum Laude Induction Ceremony: 7pm
 November 3:
High School Stage Collaborations: 7pm

PTSA Bake Sale
PSAT Exam Results Information
Juniors took the PSAT on Wednesday, October 15th. The College Board will mail the
scores to BHHS at the beginning of December. Once the scores arrive, the staff will mail them to
parents. Our school counselors will discuss the PSAT scores with juniors in individual college
planning meetings (December and January) and in family college planning meetings (January
and February).
Lockdown Drill—REMINDER
Byram Hills High School will be conducting our annual Lockdown drill on Wednesday, November 7th
from 8:40-9:20 AM in coordination with the North Castle Police Department. Parents and visitors
will not be permitted to enter or leave the building during the drill. The Lockdown drill is an
important part of our emergency preparedness program. All schools in the district will be conducting Lockdown drills on that day. Please contact Chris Walsh or Ken Cotrone if you have any questions about the drill.
Important Information on the Advanced
Placement Process for Social Studies
The Social Studies Department has worked hard to create a process that allows students, teachers and parents to make a well informed choice regarding their AP placement. This process involves the completion of
tiered assignments in the year before a student wishes to take an AP class. The completion of these assignments allow the student to gain insight into the level of achievement required to be successful in an AP
class. This also allows the teachers to set common standards and guidelines across the department. The
success of this program allows for more accurate scheduling of courses and more appropriate placements
for our students.
Therefore, it is required that students planning to take any Advanced Placement course in 20152016 complete and be successful with the AP level tiered assignments this year. In April, teachers will evaluate the completed work as a whole in order to make the best decision regarding placement for your son or
daughter.
We encourage you to discuss with your child their interest and readiness to take an Advanced Placement
History course in 2015-2016. Please contact your child's teacher or Jen Laden, Department Chairperson,
with questions.
Did you know??
All 9 grade students have completed their
Tech & AUP training through mentor classes. During
this training the following information has been
covered:
 Computer lab rules
 Available applications
 Student email and web access to student
email from home
 Review of the Acceptable Use Policy signed
by all 9th grade students
In one month:
 Students have check out 552 books.
 Students have made 512 searches on
Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
 Students have downloaded 1,253 essays
from Bloom's Literature Online.
 Students have borrowed the library chromebooks every day, every period.
Student are now using Google applications at
school such as: Gmail (for school email), Google Drive
and Google Classroom.
Additionally, the Tech Center (102) is open everyday from 7 am until 3 pm. Students who need to put
the finishing touches on an assignment are welcome
to stop in.
And did you know that student can borrow
ebooks to read on their digital device? First you
have to download the free reading application
called Brytewave. Enter your student username
and password. Then enter the web code
wbb32492. Now you can browse and borrow
ebooks from the high school library. Questions?
Please contact Leticia Nardone
at [email protected].
th
In Shakespeare’s romantic Renaissance masterpiece, A boy
(Romeo) and a girl (Juliet) fall in love, but they come from families which hate each other, and know they will not be allowed to
marry. They are so much in love they marry in secret instead.
However, before their wedding night Romeo kills Juliet's cousin
in a duel, and in the morning he is forced to leave her. If he ever
returns to the city, he will be put to death. Juliet is then told she
must marry Paris, who has been chosen by her parents, who do
not know she is already married. She refuses - then agrees because she plans to fake her death and escape to be with Romeo.
The fascinating and fundamental subject of chemistry is a collaborative
subject with a tremendous amount of history and a huge impact on society. It
took the work of thousands of scientists and countless classical
experiments to discover the concepts and theories that have led to the
understanding of matter and technology that we have today. The Chemistry
students this year will embark upon the Chemistry Heritage Project that will
allow them to explore a specific Chemist and their place in history. On
Thursday October 23rd all Chemistry students will be participating in various seminars, facilitated by the Chemistry Department and the Chemistry TAs,
in different fields of Chemistry. They will explore "Essential Questions" for
each of their chemists in hopes of getting a better understanding of the interwoven discipline of Chemistry. November 7th, all Chemistry classes will be presenting their Chemists in Bobcat Hall for all their peers to view.
Teachers are invited to bring their classes down during the day to view the
presentations as well as encouraged to walk through during their free periods.
TechTips for BHHS
TechSmart is a program by the Byram Hills PTSA to provide information, programs and
resources to help families navigate parenting issues related to the internet, media and
technology.
TechTip – National Cyber Security Awareness Month. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Here are some tips to ensure you and your friends stay secure online:
Change your passwords. Make them easy to remember, hard to guess.
Update privacy settings on social media. Share what you want only with whom you want.
Check for software updates on computers and all devices. Stay current on upgrades and bug
fixes.
Find reporting features on apps and sites. Report scams and block spam.
Check location settings on devices. Turn off GPS for any apps that don’t need it.
For more cyber safety information visit bhptsa.org / Resources / TechSmart and for grades 9
-12 resources visit bhptsa.org / BHHS / TechSmart. If you have ideas to share or want more
information, email [email protected].
THEATRE AND MUSICAL NOTES
TRI-M Music Honor Society Induction Ceremony
On Wednesday, October 1st, the Byram Hills HS Chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society held its
8th annual induction ceremony. 14 new students were honored at the ceremony, as well as Mr. Duane Smith,
Chairperson of the English Department at Byram Hills High School, who received
honorary membership for his contributions to the furthering of music education. Throughout the ceremony, returning members of the honor society shared their talents with the audience by performing a wide variety of musical selections.
Performances were given by Alisia Escobar, Nicole Cronin, Claudia
Greenspan, Eden Gordon, and Jacob Stuckelman.
The Byram Hills HS chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society is honored to welcome the 2014
inductees: Erica Band, Concert Choir, Class of 2016; Danielle Barnett, Concert Choir, Class of 2016; Caroline Benish, Concert Choir, Class of 2016; Fionn Connolly, Wind Symphony, Class of 2016; Andrea Cornelius, Wind Symphony, Class of 2016; Sarah Crucilla, Wind Symphony, Class of 2016; Jake Honig, Wind Symphony, Class of
2016; Micah Jeng, String Orchestra of 2016; Barbara Mattie, Wind Symphony, Class of 2016; Daniela Perez, Concert Choir, Class of 2016; Dominick Rowan, Wind Symphony, Class of 2016; Kohro Shimizu, Wind Symphony, Class of 2016; Isabel Schwartzberg, Concert Choir, Class of 2016; Danielle Spierer, Concert Choir, Class of
2016
CABARET 2014
“The British Invasion, from Then to Now!”
On Friday, October 24th, the BHHS Concert Choir, under the direction of Jonah Piali, will present its annual Caba‐
ret Concert. This year the concert will feature music based on the theme "British Invasion, from Then to Now" which will include arrangements of songs by the Beatles, Queen, The Kinks, The Jive Aces, Adele and many more! The evening will feature large group numbers, small ensembles and individual solos accompanied by guitar, piano, bass and drums. Tickets may be purchased for $10 through any Concert Choir member, by contacting Mr. Piali at 273‐9200 x‐
4507, [email protected] or by purchasing at the door. Seats are limited, so try to reserve in advance. We hope you can join us for this very special event!
Please join the BHHS Stage Program for their first event of the season: COLLABORATIONS, A
Night of Words and Music to Benefit the BHHS Stage Program. This concert event features BHHS
Stage Alumni, member of the faculty and current BHHS Stage students. Our last Alumni Stage
event was two years ago and was an absolute delight! (see photo) We hope to see you this year for
COLLABORATIONS on November 3rd at 7:00pm!
THEATRE AND MUSICAL NOTES
BHHS Music Students Chosen to Participate in
State and Local Honors Ensembles
The BHHS Music Department is proud to announce the accomplishments of several student
musicians. This year, 4 of our high school musicians were selected to be members of the NYS
School Music Association All-State honors ensembles. Students are selected from thousands of
auditions from all over New York State and travel to Rochester at the beginning of December
for three days of intense rehearsals with renowned guest conductors, culminating with a final
performance at Eastman Theatre. Micah Jeng (Violin) was selected for the All-State String Orchestra. Erica Bank (Soprano I) and Eden Gordon (Soprano I) were selected for the All-State
Women’s Chorus, and Nicole Cronin (Alto I) was selected for the All-State Mixed Chorus.
In addition to this stellar showing at All-State, 18 BHHS Orchestra, Band, and Choir music
students were selected to be members of the Zone 11 (Westchester County) Area All-State ensembles. Several hundred applicants are ranked and chosen based on their NYSSMA scores from
the previous year. The selection process in our zone is very competitive and the BHHS Music
Department is very proud to have such a tremendous showing. Students selected will spend two
evenings rehearsing at White Plains HS. The festival then culminates with a day-long rehearsal
at SUNY Purchase and a final performance at the SUNY Performing Arts Center. The Area AllState performance is Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 8pm, and is open to the public. Tickets
can be purchased at the Arts Center website.
Area All-State Symphonic Orchestra
Daniela Perez
Dominick Rowan
12th Grade - Violin
11th Grade - French Horn
Area All-State String Orchestra
Siobhan Lowe
Eden Gordon
Danielle Barnett
Alisia Escobar
12th Grade - Soprano I
11th Grade - Soprano II
12th Grade - Soprano II
10th Grade - String Bass
Area All-State Women’s Chorus
Area All-State Band
Fionn Connolly
Jason Katz
Harry Lucas
Kohro Shimizu
Andrea Cornelius
Jake Honig
Lian Mitzian
Audrey Saltzman
Area All-State Mixed Chorus
11th Grade - French Horn
10th Grade - French Horn
10th Grade - Bassoon
11th Grade - Tenor Sax
11th Grade - Trumpet
11th Grade - Trumpet
10th Grade - Euphonium
10th Grade - Clarinet
Erica Bank
Nicole Cronin
Isabel Schwartzberg
Caroline Benish
12th Grade - Soprano I
12th Grade - Soprano II
12 Grade - Soprano II
11th Grade - Soprano II
Join Us! Monday, November 3, 2014 @ 7:00pm
Ticket Orders
COLLABORATIONS is a Benefit Concert. All tickets are $20.00. All seating is reserved.
Proceeds from this event will support the Stage 2015 season:
Romeo & Juliet: November 20, 21, 22, 2014
South Pacific: March 5, 6, 7, 2015
Little Shop of Horrors: May 14, 15, 16, 2015
Special Contributions
Stage 2015 appreciates donations from Sponsors, Benefactors, Angels and Friends. Donations
received by October 29, 2014 will be recognized in the COLLABORATIONS Program.
YOUR NAME: __________________________________________________
Email Address/Phone Contact: _____________________________________
Total # Tickets @ $20.00 each: _____
Amount Due with this Order: $______
All tickets will be held in your name at the Box Office.
Special Contributions (Select One)
_____
_____
_____
_____
Sponsor Donation: $250 or more
Benefactor Donation: $100-$249.00
Angel Donation: $50-$99.00
Friend Donation: $25-$49.00
Donors: Please PRINT your name below as you would like it to appear in the Program.
_______________________________
Make all checks payable to BHHS
Mail to: BHHS Stage 2015, 12 Tripp Lane, Armonk, NY 10504
For additional information call the Stage Ticket Hotline at 914-273-9200, ext. 4550
or send email to: [email protected]
Thank You for supporting BHHS Stage 2015!
Family Photo Day
Sunday, October 19
10:30 am – 4:30 pm
HC Crittenden Middle School
Rain or Shine!!
Photographers from Pinsky Studio will take photos of
your family for a $75 sitting fee!
VIP sittings are also available with photographer Cathy
Pinsky for $150!
(all proceeds will go to PTSA)
Included in the sitting fee
*A 30 minute private photo shoot
*Low resolution jpgs, which will be available
through a private online gallery created for your family.
*Your choice of indoor or outdoor photos.
*Photos ready within a week!
Additional items can be purchased as well, including:
High Resolution Digital Files
($10 ea or $100 for all)
Color or Black and White Photographs
Photo Canvases
Acrylic Prints
Photo Cards
Please contact PinskyStudio
with any questions or to book your time slot!
914-509-4502
Please book by October 15th!
Vampires, witches,
zombies, goblins,
peer pressure, drugs,
and alcohol.
Some Halloween dangers
are much more real
than others.
Halloween is one of the biggest nights for teen
drinking and drug use. Combined with unsupervised
parties and careless drivers, Halloween can be a
frightful night for families. Power to the Parent is
here to empower Westchester parents. Learn the
facts, strategies and information to help you get
through to your teens. Teach your teen how not to get
tricked this Halloween. PowerToTheParent.org.