BHS January Update

High School

This month at Buchanan High School…

we celebrated Buchanan students! Mother Nature was so kind to let the snow fall on all the days we didn’t have school, just so we could come together and celebrate each other.

We kicked off our back to school week with a presentation from the 525 foundation sponsored by our SADD group. Rebecca Savage was our guest speaker who talked to our students about the dangers of alcohol and opioid use. Sadly, she brought to us a very personal message about her two teenagers who died the same night due to the deadly combination. It was an impactful story and one that students appreciated hearing.

The Herd was chosen as a Top 9 contender for the Battle of the Fans 2018 challenge. After completing 21 of the social media challenges (only 10 were required), The Herd was chosen as one of the TOP 3 BOTF finalists. Our students have been super excited and positive about the whole process and have truly made this a one of a kind experience. We have some amazing leaders in our building this year and no matter who wins the MHSAA BOTF challenge, they have made me very proud of them! The MHSAA will be visiting our basketball game on February 16^th. After that, we will know where we stand… fingers crossed! GO BUCKS!

Our Prism Club is committed to creating a culture of inclusivity and kindness and has kicked off a new series of documentaries and films exploring LGBTQ History. The first in the series was a film entitled Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin. It chronicled his life as a crusader for racial justice during the civil rights era and the complications that he encountered in the homophobic era of the 40s and 50s. Students, teachers, administration and members of the community came together for this FREE event to watch this video and learn about Bayard Rustin’s life. Students remarked afterward how powerful the movie was and how much they enjoyed the event.

January 22-26 was School of Choice week. We celebrated our choice students by writing thank you notes home to families for choosing BHS and giving each family a scarf, a sticker, and a sign for them to write why they love Buchanan High School. Although they are not eligible for the Promise, they chose Buchanan anyway. It’s our little way to say thank you!

Winterfest Week was a huge success! Students dressed in themes for the week (Pajama, Tacky Tourists, Neon, Throwback and Spirit Days) and even challenged the staff to get involved to win the title of Most Spirited Teacher; who was crowned during the pep assembly. The basketball game was very well attended, and included lots of Little Bucks and Junior Herd members that looked up to our Herd role models. A special thanks to our Herd leaders (shepherds) for all of their hard work, positivity and amazing organization skills to pull off such an incredible night for our students and the community. Finally, student council hosted the Winterfest Dance at SMC in Niles. It’s always so nice to see students dressed up and having such a great time.

We also closed our January with our semester exams. Our English department started a choice reading curriculum to inspire and encourage reading in our students. We’ve seen amazing results and our students are reading more than ever before. Here are a couple quotes from students that were written on their exams about their choice reading. Enjoy!

“At the beginning of the year I hated reading and I refused to read any book fully. I literally have never finished reading a book all the way until this year. Now I actually enjoy reading and I have finished every book I started so far. There are currently 11 books on my next list right now.”

“At the beginning of the year I hadn’t picked up a book and actually read it since elementary. I can say that I more than out did my reading expectations that I set for myself in the beginning of the year I didn’t really think I would even finish a whole book. I have found a new genre I like because before this year I would only read nonfiction books. Yes I did find myself connecting the text to my life and to the world today.”

“My favorite book by far is This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. This is the book that got me to love reading; it made me never want to stop. Anytime I had four minutes I was reading, one time my family went out to dinner and I read until our food got there! I have never done that, I’m always on my phone instead. It just had me at the edge of my seat the whole time, as I was reading as fast as I possibly could.”

This month we also recognize our Board of Education. Thank you to our Board members for allowing students to experience everything we have to offer at BHS. Without your support and consideration for all that is possible, we would not be able to grow and reach new heights. We appreciate you for all you do for our schools and our students!