Friday Focus:
Buffalo Grove English teacher expands diverse classroom library offerings through grant
For years, English and Multimedia teacher at BGHS, Stefanie McCleish has worked tirelessly to build her classroom library. Her commitment to literacy and education has led her to encouraging and fostering a love of reading in her classroom.
While implementing independent reading and building a focus on choice, McCleish was consistently brought back to the work of English teacher, author and advocate, Penny Kittle. Kittle’s Book Love Foundation is dedicated to supporting teachers preK-12 who inspire a volume of reading in students both inside and outside of school. As McCleish discovered, by high school many students have fallen out of love with reading, read assigned texts reluctantly, and turn away from choice reading almost completely.
According to their website, The Book Love Foundation helps create inclusive classroom libraries in order to deepen empathy and inspire a love of reading in all students. The Foundation awarded 55 classroom library grants out of hundreds of applications to teachers in the United States and Canada for 2022 with McCleish being one of the recipients.
With the help of the grant, McCleish is able to continue her mission of putting relevant and engaging books into her student’s hands and provide class time for them to engage in books they truly want to read. According to McCleish she wants her students to be curious, not judgmental, empathetic, not cruel, and to embrace all of the existing possibilities that are out there for them to grow as readers and people.
“It’s more important than ever to passionately advocate for all stories and to allow students to read what they want to read,” McCleish said. “Choice is crucial. You want to read a graphic novel? Go for it. A biography about an athlete? Yes, you can. The possibilities are endless.”
According to McCleish, joy should be the center of all classrooms. Through having Mystery Readers at the high school level, giving book talks, and having students create two-page spreads of their chosen books, McCleish makes a love of reading a main priority.
“An emphasis on dual credit and AP course loads has resulted in students becoming hyper-focused on being extremely involved both academically and in extracurricular activities to the point that they are often mentally and physically drained,” McCleish said. “However, when you provide the space, time, and encouragement, students begin to remember and fall back in love with reading.”
Grant recipients were chosen based on demonstrating a commitment to creating a classroom library that is representative of the world, applying research to increase the volume of reading, intellectual curiosity, leadership to move education towards equity, and a commitment to success against all odds of every reader.
“I am so grateful to the Book Love Foundation for selecting me as a 2022 grant recipient,” McCleish said. “I am proud of the work I have done to get books into the hands of my students, but I am even more excited that our classroom is a place that promotes a true love of reading.”
Since 2013, the Book Love Foundation has raised $960,000 to provide more than 330 teachers (from 41 states and six provinces) with grants to build classroom libraries. The Book Love Foundation also provides annual professional development to hundreds of teachers and leaders through a summer book club, which included 1350+ educators in 2021. You can find out more about the Book Love Foundation at booklovefoundation.org or follow The Book Love Foundation Podcast with Penny Kittle (@pennykittle) and Julia Torres (@juliaerin80).
The Bison Impact:
Congratulations to another group of students, Sophia Pederson, Julia Pederson, Ani Skiles and Natalie Liigsoo who’s film, The Summer Girls, won Best Script/Storyline at the Arlington Heights Teen Film Film Festival! Here is the link to watch the short film: The Summer Girls
Congrats to Girls Golf! The Bison slid by Rolling Meadows to start a loaded week of action. Freshman Brooke Wells posted her best 9-hole for the second straight match. Freshman Courtney Beerheide won medalist honors!
Congratulations to Boys Golf on winning the BG Invite last week!
Congratulations to the Class of 2023 Golfers celebrating Senior Night this week!
Come work with us!
D214 has immediate openings for food service workers. Enjoy 5-hour work days and shifts end at 2pm! Apply now: http://links.d214.org/foodservice
Upcoming Dates
BGHS Fall 2022 College & Military Rep Visits
BGHS will be hosting college and military reps both in person and virtually. All rep visits, even the virtual visits, will be held in the College and Career Center (room G153). Please pick up a pass in the College and Career Center to attend any of these rep visits.
CLICK HERE for the full list of college rep visit opportunities
CLICK HERE for 20 Questions to Ask College Representatives
Click HERE for the College & Career Center resource page
Staff Spotlight
What is your name? Michelle Acuña
What department do you teach in/ How long have you been teaching at BG? I am one of the School Social Workers in the Student Services Department. This is my first year at BG, but I have been a School Social Worker for the past 20 years.
Where did you go to high school/ college? I attended Niles North High School in Skokie, IL. I obtained my bachelor's and master's degree from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at UIC. I also obtained my LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and did that coursework through Loyola.
What part of teaching do you find the most rewarding? Social-emotional-behavioral health is so important, and seeing students grow in this area as they develop into young adults is extremely rewarding. I love seeing students rise above the bumps in the road that everyone will inevitably hit.
What’s a bucket-list item for you? Going on a safari in Africa has been on my list since I was in 7th grade. Traveling to new and unique places will always be on my bucket list.
What are you currently reading, and/ or do you have a favorite author or podcast? I am currently reading "The Book of Lost Friends" by Lisa Wingate. She also wrote "Before We Were Yours" which is another great book. I don't have a favorite author. I honestly end up reading what my friends and family suggest to me! I read mostly audiobooks while I am driving or cleaning!
What activities or clubs do you coach/ sponsor? At BGHS I am not coaching anything at this time, although in the future that could change! I am waiting to see what clubs students feel there is a need for, and perhaps I can sponsor that. I am coaching my son's 7-7 football team though! That has been interesting!!!
What is something unique about you? Both my parents are from Chile, so I am of Chilean descent. I do speak Spanish and I know a lot of the "Chilenismos." Feel free to Google that. This is unique because my guess is that I am the only person from Chile here! If you have Chilean blood, feel free to reach out and prove me wrong :)
Back Those Bison!
Varsity Home Sports and Fine Arts for the Coming Week
For underlevel and away sporting events and the most current information for BGHS activities, please go to: Buffalo Grove High School Comprehensive Calendar
Avoid the lines! Buy football game tickets on GoFan
Avoid the lines and purchase your football game tickets online. https://gofan.co/app/events/695114?schoolId=IL15429
Bison in the News
Boys golf: Buffalo Grove's Woodin fires 70 to tie for BG title
The Daily Herald, September 3, 2022
Connor Woodin, a Buffalo Grove junior golfer, has taken his game to a different level this season. "He really worked hard in the off season," said Bison coach Pete Duffer, "and every week he's been improving. "He came into this year with high expectations, and actually, I think he's exceeded those expectations up to this point. I'm really looking forward to see how he'll be finishing out the season." Read Story
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