1. Welcome Blackstone
Valley tech parents
Class of 2022

2. 21st c E N T U R y
skills

3. Keep your doors open, seize all opportunities and make adjustments continuously and often.

4. Begin With the End In Mind
BVT CLASS of 2014

5. Working toward common goals, regardless of discipline
Working toward common goals, regardless of discipline. Through rigorous and relevant courses, formed through respectful relationships, students and faculty embody our mission and philosophy. Our goal is for students (regardless of their career plan – work, military or further education, to all end with the same common goal, to acquire high skills which translate into high wage opportunities. Academics has a continuous emphasis on workplace behaviors and expectations, regardless of the unique pathway and career plan of each student.
Blended curriculum versus independent silos, resulting in a fusion of academics and vocational skills
Integrated curriculum between academic departments and vocational shops
Career Enrichment / STEAM are providing an integrated curriculum for all students
Unit and lesson plans emphasize critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving strategies
Across the Curriculum Initiatives enhance both the vocational shops and the academic departments. Students participate in Reading, Writing and Listening Across the Curriculum, the “Math Problem of the Month” “Reading Raffle”
Continuum of services and education are provided through technological platforms like Moodle and Edmodo
Dedicated and motivated faculty- they themselves are very much overachievers
Tiered Interventions and supports are in place to monitor all students proactively
Remedial efforts as needed, take a proactive approach versus reactive
Our students are tested and challenged like all other freshmen in Massachusetts. We are held to the same standards including CCSS, MCAS, MA State Frameworks, Vocational competencies, AP and College Board requirements

6. Academic expectations
Rigor
Relevance
Relationships

7. Academic Preparation
Students, with the guidance of adults in their lives, should develop an understanding of their academic learning strengths and weaknesses
Take challenging courses every year
College Prep, Honors, Advanced Placement
Improve study and note taking skills
Develop organization and time management skills
Manage strategies to ensure balance including maintaining positive mental health/coping
Colleges are not just looking at grades for all four years, but course selection as well.
Students should make an academic plan as early as possible in high school.
Many advanced level courses require success in pre-requisites.
Identify subject areas they excel in and encourage them to challenge themselves.
Introduce the concept of mastering a subject and learning the material versus working toward a grade.
Emphasize mental health and wellbeing!
Use subject areas the student has trouble with or is struggling in as an opportunity to develop their study or note taking skills to learn the material.
Encourage students to ask for help and study tips from teachers. Talk to students about cultivating relationships with teachers; introduce recommendation letters and how they will be requesting a letter from a teacher which needs to speak to their strengths as a students and motivation in the classroom.
Explain how developing organization and time management skills will benefit them in college and beyond.
Beat procrastination!
Accomplish daily tasks
More free time
Less stress
Encourage students to read for fun!
Develop writing and language skills
College or career interviews
Standardized test prep/make flash cards of vocabulary words

8. Career Planning: Balance
Rigorous
Courses
Healthy realistic expectations…emphasize the cliff
Not
Overwhelming

9. Organization & Time Management
Keys to success
Proper Course Selection
Attendance
Participation
Organization & Time Management
Supports
Positive Thinking

10. Maintaining Rigor and Expectations
Freedom to choose vs. holding true to advertised expectations
Encourage your son/daughter to make reflective choices about courses
Changing academic courses should be minimized
BVT has a stellar track record for student performance by any measure
Instituting “21st Century Rigor” and STEAM

11. Academic Planning Continuous education
Students will participate in a one week academic schedule, followed by a one week in their respective vocational shop. Students will alternate between academics and shop, one week at a time. It is common for students to be working on their academic subjects during shop week and vice versa. Students are continuously learning and managing
two curriculums simultaneously.

12. Academic Day Math Career Enrichment English Social Studies Elective
Science
Social Studies
Career Enrichment
During the academic week, students will be enrolled in the following academic courses for an 8 period day. Students will alternate each day with double periods on their core subjects English, Math, Science and Social Studies to expand upon their time in learning. Their academic day also includes one elective of their choice and career enrichment. Career Enrichment is an integrated course, on the academic side, which provides the vocational strands 4,5,6. Technical Competency, Employability and Entrepreneurship and Management. This is enhanced with an emphasis on 21st century skills, digital literacy, growth mindset and character development. Additionally, students participate in Occupational Health and PE, which is provided during their shop time once students are permanently placed in their shops in December.
*P.E./Occupational Health classes meet during the shop cycle

13. Course selection Program of Study Proper Placement
Placement Testing
Course Selection Revisions
Begin With The End In Mind
Placement testing is critical
Data points are reviewed
Parent input is critical
Drives conversations with families
True sense of advisement
Mass Model of School Counseling- College and Career Planning
Emphasis on expanding electives- including foreign language offerings, art, music
Students have flexibility to take challenging courses if so desired
Master Schedule is a detailed matrix that gives

14. Plan With the End in Mind
Another resource I wanted to point out, it is also a handout and very handy chart to keep on hand, is page 11. This is a snap shot of every course we plan to offer next year at BVT. The subsequent pages in the POS contain detailed info about each course, but this document is helpful for long term planning. I actually recommend that you start looking at senior year and work your way back to freshmen year. These are conversations what we’d like families to start having now, again, planning with the end in mind. When students start to formulate their goals, they need to work backward to see the necessary building blocks to help lead them to where they eventually want to be.

15. Plan With The End In Mind
Course Registration Form
English
Math (Entry point into the pathway is critical)
Social Studies
Biology or Physics (Honors 1 year or CP Part I, Part II to be completed in grade 10)
Elective
Career Enrichment

16. English Honors English I College Prep English I English I English I*
Course Offerings
Information to Note
Honors English I
College Prep English I
English I
English I*
Difference in level is attributed to pace, depth and rigor
Focus on all aspects of communication (reading, writing, speaking)
Aligned with Common Core Standards/Mandatory Curriculum Units
Emphasis on MCAS/PARCC Preparation
* Special Education students only

17. Math COURSE OFFERINGS INFORMATION TO NOTE Honors Algebra II
College Prep Algebra I
Algebra I
Algebra I*
Correct placement freshmen year is imperative! Placement testing is our most reliable indicator
Start with the end in mind, even reviewing college admissions requirements
Fully aligned with Common Core thus intensity and rigor and pace of each course is notably more challenging than prior to Common Core
* Special Education students only

18. Social Studies Course Offerings INFORMATION TO NOTE
Difference in level is attributed to pace, depth and rigor
Focus on all aspects of communication (reading, writing, speaking)
Emphasis on integrative technology and cross curricular initiatives
Honors World History II:
College Prep World History II:
World History II:
World History II: *
* Special Education students only

19. Science Course offerings Information to NOTE
Honors Biology Lab (1 Year)- MCAS Gr. 9
College Prep Biology Lab Part I- MCAS Gr. 10
Biology Lab Part I*
Honors Physics Lab (1 Year)- MCAS Gr. 9
College Prep Intro to Physics Lab Part I- MCAS Gr. 10
Freshmen enroll in either Biology or Physics.
Students will take the “Big 3” before they graduate.
Correct placement freshmen year is imperative!
Start with the end in mind, even reviewing college admissions requirements, and future AP aspirations
Students interested in taking Honors Biology as freshmen should have excellent reading and vocabulary skills. These students will take MCAS science in grade 9.
Students interested in taking Honors Physics should have excellent math skills. These students will take MCAS science in grade 9.
The two year CP Science allows for a slower pace and those students will take MCAS science in the sophomore year.
All science options are lab sciences
Curriculum is inclusive of newly adopted Next Generation State Standards (NGSS)
* Special Education students only

20. Electives Art 9-Introductory Art Studio Music 9- Music Appreciation I
Writer’s Voice
Spanish I
Spanish II- Must take BVT Placement Exam) TBD
Honors Immersion Spanish II
Literary Lab
Wilson Reading
Please NOTE:
Students may be scheduled in electives such as Literary Lab or Wilson Reading if diagnostic testing indicates such support is needed or if the IEP team recommends those placements.
Honors Immersion students must have participated in an immersion program prior to BVT or is a native/heritage speaker.

21. What are the next steps?
Discuss and review all materials regarding course selection (include current grade 8 teachers/counselors)
Reach out to BVT staff as needed with questions about the curriculum/pace/what to expect
Summer Reading will be posted on the website this weekend!
All grade 9 students will read Peak by Roland Smith.
Will be assessed in Career Enrichment

22. Student Support Services @ BVT
School Counseling
General Education Supports
Special Education Supports
School Based Health Center
Yvette N Whitesell Director of Student Support Services

23. School Counseling Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School
Grade 9 Supports
Remind application/ In/out kiosk
Exploratory Process-Career Enrichments
Naviance
Career Interest Profiler
Decide Activity
Depression Curriculum & screening

24. General Education Supports
After School Help Academic and Vocational Weeks – Tuesday & Thursday 2:10 to 3:15
Learning Lab-before school, school day, after school
Extended Leave Support – 5 + days absent

25. Special Education

26. Individualized Supports
Transition Camp
Exploratory Support Group
Friendship Group
Related Services
*usually referred by an IEP/504 Team

27. Milford Regional School Based Health Center
Mental Health Counseling/Case Management
Primary Care
• Diagnosis and treatment of minor and acute medical conditions
• Counseling related to adolescent issues
• Physical exams for sports, school, and employment
• Mental health evaluations
• Individual, group, and family counseling
• Information about communicable diseases with testing and treatment (if needed)
• Emergency assessments, including referrals
• Prevention of pregnancy, including abstinence
Nutrition Education
• Consultation with Primary Care Provider to provide onsite assistance with chronic illness. 
• Counseling, including diet and weight control
• Nutrition assessments
 • Referrals for health services which cannot be provided on site 
• Diabetes support
BVT School Based Health Center

28. Questions?