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August 21, 2023

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Dear BGA Students and Families,                                                                                                                                           

 

On behalf of the entire Boston Green Academy staff, welcome back and happy new year! This year promises to be a great one, with new opportunities for students and our continued commitment to ensure BGA is a school where you can believe, grow and achieve. Your dedication to learning, support for each other, and resilience are deeply appreciated. We can’t wait to see you on the first day of school, Thursday, September 7th at 8am! 

 

Here are some key things for you to know as we get ready for the new school year:

 

  • The Year Ahead- With the pandemic mostly behind us, we are excited to add many opportunities to BGA this year. We are proud to offer three new AP courses (African-American Studies, Comparative Government, and Precalculus), bringing our total to nine. Our Outdoor Classroom has been fully renovated and is ready to host students and events. New chromebooks have been purchased for all students to replace old ones and new furniture has arrived for all high school classrooms. We are adding five sports teams to our successful Boston United Co-Op (see below) and numerous additional clubs and partnerships. And that’s in addition to all the great things already at BGA! 

 

  • New Staff- We are also excited to welcome our new Assistant Head of School, Ms. Yeji Son, a former middle school principal and math teacher who will be working with all grades 6-12, and a small number of new staff members you will get to know shortly once the year begins. Thanks for welcoming them!

 

  • Values and Expectations- We want to continue the progress we’ve made as a school by continuing to raise our expectations and support for all students. We need your help to do that. We will continue to have stronger policies at BGA this year to minimize disruptions, maximize learning, and ensure everyone is respected in our school community. We truly want to live our core values and safety guidelines. We will go over these in detail with all students and families as we start the year- look for more communication soon. Thank you for your support of our community so we can all stay focused on learning.

 

  • Welcome Back Town Hall Meetings- We are excited to see you at our Welcome Back BGA Town Hall meetings on Thursday, August 31st when we will share updates, discuss our policies, and answer questions. Both meetings will be held on zoom: MS families will meet from 5-6pm (link here), HS families will meet from 6-7pm (link here). Please join us!

 

  • Attendance Policy- Now that the pandemic is behind us, BGA is very focused on improving student attendance. Before COVID, BGA attendance averaged over 90% each day. Last year it was 84% (and much lower for many students). We know we can and need to do better. BGA’s expectation this year is that all students come to school in-person five days per week. To support this, our policy is that any student with four or more unexcused absences in a month will no longer be in ‘good standing’ and may lose access to sports, extra curricular activities, grading extensions and other privileges. To return to ‘good standing’, the student and family will need to immediately attend a mandatory attendance meeting with the Student Support Team to create a plan for support and change. For attendance policy details, see here. Thanks for your support as we help all students come to school every day.

 

  • Electronics Policy- We all know cell phones are an important part of our lives, but our classrooms must be free from distraction so our students can focus and learn. Students at BGA will continue to be allowed the use of their phones during passing periods and at lunch. No cell phones and electronics are allowed to be seen or used during classes (without teacher permission). We will continue to enforce this policy so that our students can focus on learning in their classes. If families need to contact their students during class, they can always call the BGA Main Office (617-635-9860) and we will connect you to them. Details on the policy can be found here. 

 

  • Health & Safety- Your health and safety are extremely important to us. We remain vigilant about COVID but expect a normal start to the school year. All classes continue to be in-person with no remote option. Masks are optional for students and staff. Everyone is strongly encouraged to update their vaccinations (locations here). There will not be regular COVID testing for students in BPS this year but we will have tests available at school if needed. Anyone who tests positive will need to quarantine at home for at least five days until they test negative. Everyone should use the BPS Health Checklist everyday- do not come to school if you have any symptoms. Parents/guardians continue to be welcome in the BGA building. Thanks for keeping everyone safe and stopping the spread of COVID.

 

  • BPS Transportation- BPS will be mailing and emailing all bus assignments to families (these do not come from BGA). If you have not received it, please contact BPS Transportation (617-635-9520).

 

  • Special Education- If your student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 plan, please be sure to contact Maritza Ciliberto, our Director of Special Education (mciliberto@bostongreenacademy.org) so that we can receive your documents and arrange the appropriate supports and services. Current BPS students will have their documents automatically shared with us. Students new to BPS must share their documents with us. We look forward to working with you!

 

  • Arrival at School- BGA middle school students should enter the building on the Cambridge St. side next to the BGA parking lot. BGA high school students should enter through the front steps at the corner of Warren and Cambridge Streets. Staff will greet you at both entrances to welcome you back!

 

  • School Schedule & Calendar- Here is the BGA Bell Schedule and the BPS calendar for 2023-24. A BGA supplement with school-specific dates and events will be shared after the start of school. The BGA calendar is posted on our website and is constantly updated there. 

 

 

  • Summer Reading- all students should complete the Summer Reading project. Details can be found at www.bostongreenacademy.org/library. The project is due on September 13.

 

  • Supply Lists- Back to school supply lists have been sent electronically and can be found here for all grades on the BGA website (www.bostongreenacademy.org).

 

  • Technology Support- Students should bring their BPS chromebooks to school every day. If you do not have one, BGA will provide one for you on the first day of school. Do you need help logging in to Aspen or Jupiter Grades? Need support with email or the internet? Quick video tutorials for all BGA technology are available here (start with Aspen, tutorial is here).

 

  • Family Needs Survey- we want to hear from you so we can provide what families need. Please fill out this brief survey here by the start of school. Click here for the Spanish version. 

 

  • After School Programs- We are excited to once again offer after-school tutoring at BGA three days per week. To sign up, please complete and return this form to your Advisor when school starts. We also proudly partner with the West End House Boys & Girls Club in Allston/Brighton (just a short walk from BGA) for after school programs, tutoring, and great activities. To sign up for their offerings, visit their website here. The West End program is available on Wednesday afternoons when BGA has early dismissal.

 

  • Sports- BGA has an exciting sports program in all major sports. We are excited to announce that BGA will be adding five sports teams this year as part of our Boston United Co-Op with the Mary Lyon and Josiah Quincy Upper School: girls volleyball, indoor track, wrestling, boys volleyball, and outdoor track. This is in addition to our current Boston United boys and girls basketball programs. We will also continue to co-op with Brighton High school for all other sports. For Fall teams and tryouts, click here. To sign up for a team, you must register in Aspen (directions here). We encourage everyone to participate, but please remember that a 2.0 GPA is required for eligibility. If you have sports questions, please contact BGA’s Athletic Coordinator, Ms. Angelina Favaloro (afavaloro@bostongreenacademy.org).

 

This year will be great as long as we stay focused, safe and healthy. Thanks for taking care of yourselves and each other. At BGA,we know that you will succeed with hard work, dedication, and pride. We are here for you and look forward to a successful year. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the BGA Main Office at 617-635-9860 (open 7:30am-3:30pm each school day) or check the BGA website at www.bostongreenacademy.org. Once again, Happy New Year and see you on Thursday, September 7th!

 

Best wishes,
 

Matt Holzer, Head of School

mholzer@bostongreenacademy.org


 

For Further Information:

If you have questions, please feel to contact you student’s Advisor, call the BGA Main Office (617-635-9860), or email any of the following people: (*=habla español)

 

For attendance and general support:

Ms. Nathalie De La Rosa* - Head Staff Assistant - ndelarosa@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For scheduling and supports:

Ms. Vanessa Brea* - Middle School Counselor (6-8) - vbrea@bostongreenacademy.org

Mr. Bryant Craft - High School Counselor (9-10) - bcraft@bostongreenacademy.org

Ms. Jodi Then - High School Counselor (11-12) - jthen@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For new student enrollment:

Ms. Amanda Reveles* - Enrollment Coordinator - areveles@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For family support and community outreach:

Mr. Michael Cabrera* - Family and Community Outreach Coordinator - mcabrera@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For Special Education:

Ms. Maritza Ciliberto* - Director of Special Education - mciliberto@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For English Language Learners:

Ms. Mia Lefkowitz* - ESL Facilitator - mlefkowitz@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For Technology & Transportation:

Mr. Ryne Deckard - Director of Technology - rdeckard@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For Athletics:

Ms. Angelina Favaloro- Athletic Coordinator & Student Support Team member, afavaloro@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For the Student Support Team:

Mr. Brian Gonsalves - Director of Student Support/Middle School Social Worker - bgonsalves@bostongreenacademy.org

Mr. Regi Loving - Dean of Students - rloving@bostongreenacademy.org

Ms. Katonya Gaines* - Special Education Social Worker - kgaines@bostongreenacademy.org

Ms. Marlena Cesar-Mendez* - ELL Social Worker - mcesarmendez@bostongreenacademy.org 

Ms. Mayra Rivera* - Middle School Student Support - mrivera@bostongreenacademy.org

Mr. Jonathan Torres*- Middle School Student Support- jtorres@bostongreenacademy.org

Mr. Briea McDaniels - High School Student Support - bmcdaniels@bostongreenacademy.org

Mr. Taron Seaforth- High School Student Support - tseaforth@bostongreenacademy.org

Ms. Lauren Kelton* - High School Social Worker - lkelton@bostongreenacademy.org

 

For general questions:

Email info@bostongreenacademy.org and we’ll pass it to the right people

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