THE CHANGING FACE OF MARIJUANA - Revisiting the Conversation with Adolescents. B-PEN presents a parent forum on April 8 at 7 p.m. in the BHS Auditorium. The changing landscape of marijuana has left many of us unclear on some of the issues. Adolescents, who are getting mixed messages, are especially prone to misperceptions that could lead to increased marijuana use and possible abuse disorders. This open public forum addresses student perceptions and current use, clarifies legal safeguards, and explores marijuana's impact on the developing teen brain, with information on addiction and treatment. For more information, go to eventbrite.

GUIDANCE NIGHT FOR PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES (including, but not limited to, students who have an IEP, 504, or an ICAP) Wednesday, April 9, at 7 pm in the MLK room. The night will be devoted to college planning, especially for students diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome/ASD or those undiagnosed who have related difficulties. Our panelists will answer parent questions about college and post-graduate planning. Guest speakers will be Gregory Matthews and Andrew Donahue from Landmark College. In addition, the panel will include Lenny Libenzon (Guidance Coordinator), Jim Henry (Special Education Coordinator) and Linda Kelly (School Psychologist). This parent night is open for parents of all grades, but will be especially important for parents of Juniors. Students are also welcome.

WINE AND CHEESE SOCIAL FOR BHS PARENTS ON WEDNESDAY Please join other BHS parents, teachers and Headmaster Deborah Holman at the 21st Century Fund's Annual Wine and Cheese on April 9, from 7 - 9pm. This is one of the few opportunities for parents to gather, mingle and talk about innovative programs at BHS. We would like to thank Stacey and Dan McCarthy for hosting this event at their home: 40 Glenoe Road in Chestnut Hill. The Wine and Cheese is sponsored by the 21st Century Fund, open to all and not a fundraiser. Please rsvp to andrew_wise@brookline.k12.ma.us. 

THE NEXT PTO MEETING FOR JUNIOR PARENTS is April 10th, in the MLK room, at 7pm. The speakers will be admissions officers from Boston University and Boston College. They will discuss college selection, application review, and be available for Q&A.

Did you know that 11% of Brookline High School (BHS) students report that they are either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ)? This week, Brookline High School participates in two observances to raise awareness of LGBTQ. For Day of Silence on Friday, April 11th, many students take a vow of silence during the school day in order to raise awareness of the thousands of LGBTQ people around the world who hide their sexual orientation or gender identity out of fear of repercussion. This quiet but powerful student-led action involves hundreds of thousands of students around the world. On Thursday, the Gay-Trans-Straight Alliance hosts Day of Dialogue, a full day of assemblies in the auditorium focusing on a wide variety of issues affecting the LGBTQ community. Ask your student about these initiatives and join the conversation. For more information, visit B-PEN's page on LGBTQ. 

MIT EDUCATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM offers a summer program in which students can take an experimental college-level course with a one-of-a-kind curriculum. Junction is a non-residential program which meets weekday evenings, June 7 - August 14 on MIT's main campus. Junction courses are college level and expect students to spend significant time outside of class on readings, assignments, and projects. For more information or to apply, visit Junction.