November Update

High School

This month…

We celebrated Veteran’s Day by giving our students the opportunity to listen to Vietnam veteran, Bill Robinson, tell his incredible story of being held captive as a POW for 8 eight years. Our students were given the opportunity to ask some insightful questions and in turn received some difficult answers. They were respectful and grateful for our guest’s service to country and many took the time to personally thank him after the program. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful partnership with our American Legion who provides us with the amazing experiences.

Teachers participated in a half day of professional development led by the Michigan Department of Education’s Safe and Supportive Schools Consultant. She spoke to us about issues our LGBTQ students may be facing, and how we as a faculty can better relate to and understand the struggles of our students. Prior to that, teachers participated in a Soup’er Cook-Off. We had approximately fifteen crockpots brought in for this adventurous lunch of soups and breads. Mrs. Eichorst took home the first ever Soup’er Cook-Off Challenge title with her Creamy Tortellini Soup recipe! YUM!

Our Herd Spirit Team student leaders and advisors participated in a field trip to Kalamazoo for the MHSAA Leadership Summit Conference. Our Spirit Team is eager and motivated to make this another outstanding year for the Herd. They have already determined the Herd Theme Nights for our winter sports season. See the ad below to find out the dates of those fun events!

Ninth graders participated in a free vision screening provided by the Berrien County Health Department. Students were given a brief screening and then were contacted as a follow up for those who may need to have their vision tested more thoroughly.

Our marching band qualified and competed in the MCBA State Finals. Their hard work delivered them their best performance to date earning them 9^th Place! Adding to this season’s success, they prepared for and traveled to Florida to march in the Disney Parade! They had an amazing time, with wonderful weather, and made a lot of lasting memories with their friends. Thank you to Mr. Hollandsworth for leading our students to a great season, and for organizing such an experience to cap off the fall program. Another thank you goes to the Band Boosters for their numerous hours of volunteering assistance! The 2017 marching season was definitely one filled with great opportunities!

We celebrated Thanksgiving in our halls as we replaced the normal bells with turkey gobbles. It took a few days for everyone to get used to the startling sound, but it was a fun addition to the season. Art students also helped by decorating our halls with their interpretations of Hand Turkey Tuesday!

Representatives from SMC and LMC visited our sophomores to discuss the community college experience. This is part one of a series of speakers organized by our Guidance department to help our students plan for their academic progression and to discover some options that are available to them.

BHS conducted our first tornado drill of the year. With the addition of our large eighth grade class, and slow moving feet, it took us much longer to get into our shelter. This is something we will be working on in future drills.

Student Council hosted a blood drive this month. This is a student led, student participated event. They had a full schedule of students who donated their blood to Michigan Blood. It is a needed opportunity for our kids to give back to the greater community on a personal level. In total, 67 students donated, 24 of those were first-time donors, and they collected 56 units of blood. Way to go!

Mr. Philip’s CTE classes participated in another Cyber Senior event. A small group of students, monthly, goes to the Buchanan Senior Center to help teach, troubleshoot and provide instruction to our seniors who are wishing to use technology a little more. Most questions are based on how to set up Skype accounts, use their cell phone features, etc. It’s a wonderful experience for our students and our elder community members.

We are happy to say that Mr. Froelich has returned to the classroom feeling as good as ever. Students were able to hear his story upon his return, and many staff and students stopped by to welcome him back. Thanks to everyone in the school and community for being so supportive of Chris and his family!

Students in Mrs. Carlson’s and Mr. Brink’s classrooms received a guest speaker this month. Rick Spellerburg, former Simpson College Mathematics Professor came to present a March Madness Data Analytics Challenge to our students. Not only is this a national competition for math students, it’s a relevant and fun way for students to use math skills outside of the classroom!