“BFA experience is a night for prospective students to take a look at what BFA has to offer. So it’s offered to both in-district and out-of-district students, students who are in schools where they have school choice, and as they’re making those choices about what high school they want to be part of, [the] BFA experience gives them kind of a taste of what they can be involved in at BFA,” Jamie Bristol, the Engagement and Communication Coordinator at Bellows Free Academy, said.

The BFA Experience is an “open house” that will take place on Dec. 5 and will start at 5:30 p.m. for the sending school St. Albans Town, Fairfield, Alburgh and Sheldon and 6:30 p.m. for the sending schools St. Albans City, Georgia, Bakersfield and Montgomery. 

According to Bristol, the BFA Experience covers the school’s core classes, curriculum and extracurricular activities. Prospective students and their parents can also see the Student Support Services and options for elective or online courses that may not be offered at other high schools.

“It really just gives them a taste of BFA,” Bristol said. 

According to Bristol, this experience is an easy way for students, and parents, to ask questions and ease any worries they have about transitioning to high school or transferring, especially for students coming from smaller schools. 

“It’s great for our students who are not in-district from smaller schools, Alburgh, Bakersfield, who might not even be aware of what’s going on at BFA,” Bristol said.  She added, “What does it look like? Have I even stepped in the building? School size can be kind of intimidating for some of those smaller schools. So this is a first moment to come in and check out the building, see it and hear what opportunities and services are available.”

As for how the night is set up, Bristol said, “It will be walking through the halls checking out where our different departments are. There will be an extracurricular room across from the gym.  Then, in the connector, we’ll have our administration there, and then we’ll have Student Support Services, Flexible Pathways, our special education programs, our new alternative program, our online options for students [and] wellness supports.”

“[The] Northwest Tech Center is also part of this,” Bristol said. “We’ll have a Tech Center table in the south lobby so that then families can also head right up to the Tech Center, and they can tour the Tech Center programs on that same night.” 

Administration and staff won’t be the only people prospective students will meet, they will be able to talk to current BFA students as well.

“There will be a fair amount of students who are running some of the tables, especially extracurricular tables and athletics, [that] will be all set up so students can see what are their different sport options for each season, and what clubs could they be involved with?  All of the teachers will be in the building, so it’ll be a really nice opportunity for any family or any student to engage in a conversation,” Bristol said. 

Bristol added, “We want an authentic voice of what it means to come here and experience BFA.”