BHS Parents Group

Dear BHS Community,

Community. Community means so many things. I play ice hockey for fun, after learning to skate out here on the Peninsula three decades ago. I watched the Olympics Gold Medal games with pride. Then in the locker room, recounting some of the highlights, I realized a fraction of my teammates were Canadian and mourning the silver medals in their country’s national sport. (I also learned their schools allowed them to watch the women’s game during class!) We found a way to honor both of our experiences, without gloating, and with compassion for our friends whose team didn’t win. 

This reminds me of the college acceptance conversations which have been occurring and will intensify as the UCs and privates roll out their decisions in the next few weeks. How will your child celebrate their own admissions while their friends receive a rejection letter? How will your child deal with the bad news of their own rejection to their top choice college? Especially if their friend is admitted? Have you talked through these scenarios with your children? Discussing challenging situations while they are hypothetical may be easier, and serve as good preparation for that moment when they open their email in the next few weeks.  

Beyond college applications, our community faces numerous ups and downs, often in private. Being a good friend, or even just smiling at someone when they’re having a bad day can make the difference. Students tend to freak out a bit more when facing other stressful situations like a mid-term or a deadline for a major assignment, so they may react out-of-the-ordinary, and this could be a sign for an extra hug from mom or dad. I talk so frequently about the movie Inside Out 2 that I rewatched it this weekend and still find it to be so helpful to articulate the complex emotions facing our teenagers in puberty. Naming our emotions often helps to get them under control. March is THE longest month in the school year, or at least it feels that way. Take some steps now to prepare yourself.

Finally, please discuss next year’s courses with your children. Note the warnings about AP World, AP US History, AP Government/AP Macroeconomics. Students will not be permitted to drop in the middle of the semester, nor will the teachers offer re-takes or test corrections. This generation doesn’t appear to read very much, and these courses require significant reading. Nationally, almost half of AP test takers pass these subjects, so I would expect BHS students to easily pass. If these are not your child’s favorite subjects, choose other courses. Especially AP Government/Economics--ask current seniors whether they really want to study for and take the AP Government exam a whole semester into their senioritis. 

Go Panthers!

Principal Jen Fong

jenfong@smuhsd.org

April 2026

Dear Families,

We hope everyone is settling back into their schedules after what we hope was a relaxing Spring Break. It’s hard to believe that in just a few short weeks, we will wrap up the 2025–2026 school year.

Our Seniors are beginning to close out their time at BHS and are gearing up for all the excitement that comes with graduation and the end of this chapter. It’s a special and memorable time for them and their families. Parents cherish these moments as they really do fly by way too quickly.

The BHS Excellence Fund covers $20,000 of graduation costs for stage and sound system rentals, but there are additional expenses that come out of the school's general budget. If you've been thinking about making a contribution to the Excellence Fund, now's a great time — anything you're able to give helps keep more resources in the classroom. Our sincere thanks to everyone who has already given so generously!

Please plan to join us at our next Parents Group meeting on Thursday, May 14th, where we will vote in our new Parent Group Board members and hear updates on new leadership at BHS. Principal Fong has done so much for our community, and we will truly miss her as she heads into retirement. We are grateful that she is helping lead the search for the perfect next principal.

Following the Parent Group meeting, we will host a Senior Panel: “What I Wish I Knew.” We invite parents to join via Zoom to hear directly from our Seniors about their experiences as Panthers and the insights they’ve gained along the way.

Be a true Panther—help us shine and support our school all the way to the finish line!

Warmly,

Ingrid Gauthier, BHS Parents Group President

ingridgauthier@bhsparentsgroup.org