BHS Parents Group

Dear BHS Community,

Congratulations to our fall sports teams: Boys Water Polo (first CCS Playoff Berth in 8 years), Girls Golf (undefeated in the regular season), Girls Volleyball (first CCS Playoff Home game in our new gym), Flag Football (thrilling OT win to advance to the finals), Football (home playoff game on 11/14), Cross Country (competing in CCS), Girls Tennis (competing in PAL and likely CCS) and Girls Water Polo (Play-In).  Our Fall Student-Athletes represent the best of Panther spirit.

Are your children exhausted? After so much excitement in early November, it’s time for a break at the end of the month before finals. Except for Seniors who will be turning in CSU and UC Applications!  I wanted to highlight the Warriors game on Monday, November 24: Our BHS Vocal Jazz singers are singing the National Anthem again at a Golden State Warriors game at 7pm on Nov. 24 vs. the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center! Each ticket purchase will include a "The Town" t-shirt giveaway, the price per ticket, including t-shirt: $85. Fill out this Google form if you're interested in attending.

As the semester progresses, we see students making poor choices as their stress increases. It’s a fine balance as parents about how to help them. BHS takes Academic Integrity seriously. It is far better to earn a slightly lower grade than to use AI or to take other measures to gain an unfair advantage. Do you see your child struggling? Do you apply overt or inadvertent pressure about grades? Does your child talk about peer pressure related to grades?

Meanwhile their classes are often only a fraction of their focus, as their extracurricular activities form their primary friend groups and demand hours of attention. A temporary falling out with a peer can cause weeks of distress. I’ve mastered the art of the tell-me-more, “Oh”, “Hmmm,” “Wow,” to encourage them to say more about what is going on. They often just want to vent.  Don’t rise to the bait of seriousness or intervention. They see a lot of these situations in the extreme, as adolescents do. But they quickly get over it, usually.  “That sucks.” “Really?”  Produced more conversation from my moody teens than anything else.

Now from afar, I’m trying to support my own children with their coursework in Advanced Adulting. I was pretty proud that my 21-year-old navigated three different health insurance systems to get (sadly) an MRI on his baseball throwing shoulder. When he was 19, I intervened after he was unsuccessful at getting a surgery date on his baseball elbow at the beginning of the summer, helping ensure it happened before school restarted in August. When he was 18, I signed him up for his secondary insurance (frustratingly necessary when one is far-out-of-state). At BHS, the staff helps students mature, as they enter as 14-year old children and leave as 18-year old adults, some of whom voted this week. High school should be a time to make mistakes and learn from them. Please encourage your children to talk to their teachers if they have any concerns about their grades. Next would be their counselor before a parent would get involved. These are small but important opportunities for students to become more articulate and confident. 

Go Panthers!

Principal Jen Fong

jenfong@smuhsd.org

October 26, 2025

Dear BHS Community,

It’s a busy and exciting time of year at BHS! Our seniors are hard at work deciding on their next chapters and our fall sports teams are in full swing. Between the Burlingame “B,” robotics, the arts, and our engaging classes, the energy on campus is incredible! Our students are truly getting the full high school experience.

Homecoming is just around the corner, and we’re looking for a few parents to help with the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, November 8. Click here to volunteer.

Please join us for our next Parents Group Meeting on Wednesday, November 12. Hear updates from Principal Fong, our teachers, and a few of our amazing students. It’s a great opportunity to stay connected and engaged with what’s happening at BHS.

Thank you for all that you do to support our school community. Go Panthers!

Best,

Ingrid Gauthier, BHS Parents Group President

ingridgauthier@bhsparentsgroup.org