Principal Wardle's Weekly Blog 02/10/2017

Friday Focus: Congratulations to senior Sabrina Kenoun, named IHSA Nominee for the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Heart of the Arts Award!  

You can click here to read Sabrina’s story on the IHSA website. Here is an excerpt:

Sabrina Kenoun embodies all that it is good in the arts. She is a writer, a musician, and above all, a staunch advocate for the arts and pursuing your dreams. Sabrina was born with Spastic Diplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy, but it hasn’t slowed her down in her pursuit of becoming a writer. “Sure I walk funny because of it (Spastic Diplegia),” Sabrina said. “But it’s really only ever prevented me from playing sports. I am aware of it, but I don’t let it affect me.” Sabrina is a four-year member of the Buffalo Grove High School newspaper, The Charger, where she has taken on a leadership role. In addition to writing news, opinion and features stories, she also has a recurring book review column in the newspaper entitled “Sabrina’s Book Nook.” She has also played the violin in the school orchestra for the past four years, but there is no doubt that writing holds a special place in her heart. She posts original fan fiction stories, often Harry Potter, on the website FanFiction.net under a pen name and her work has garnered her over 800,000 followers on the website. Sabrina is also a defender of the arts, as she penned an opinion piece in The Charger entitled “Why no one should judge you for following your dreams”, about why she wants to pursue a career in writing.

Upcoming Dates

Date	Event
February 16	Blue Late Start - 8:30am
	Ask the College Night - FVEC 7:00pm
February 18	Turnabout Dance
February 20	Presidents Day - NO SCHOOL
February 23	Blue Late Start - 8:30am
March 2	Orange Late Start - 9:30am
March 24	Early Dismissal - 1:50pm
March 27-31	Spring Break
March 31	Last Day of 3rd Quarter
April 3	Teacher Inservice Day (students not in attendance)
April 4	First Day of 4th Quarter (classes resume after Spring Break)

What’s New in the BGenius Collaboratory?

Click here to read the latest BGenius Collaboratory blog post.

Bison Boosters Las Vegas Night

The Bison Boosters are hosting their annual Las Vegas Night to be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at Ditka's, 2000 West Euclid Avenue, Arlington Heights at 7:00pm. Last year's event was a near sell out so get your tickets today at www.seatyourself.biz/buffalogrove and help support the 28 athletic programs of Buffalo Grove High School. Click here for the Booster Invite 2017

Celebrating Our Success!

• Congratulations to the IHSA Regional Champion Girls Varsity Bowling team! Congratulations to Jessica Soskich on being Regional Champion and Caitlin Howard on placing 4th!

• On Friday the WYSE Team competed at the Oakton Regional in Des Plaines. The Team placed 2nd and will advance to the sectional competition on March 17th.
  Individual recognition goes to:
  
  Alex Morain - 3rd in chemistry
  Saru Garg - 2nd in biology
  Max Sharipov - 2nd in math
  Andrew Pocklington - 2nd in physics
  Erika Jaszka - 3rd in engineering graphics and 1st in chemistry
  
  Good luck at sectionals!

• Congratulations to Danielle Allaire, nominated for the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen award.  Danielle won and received a scholarship from the Eli Skinner Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.  Her essay now moves on to the district level.

• Congratulations to Freshman/Sophomore Boys Swimming on placing 4th in Conference, and to sophomore Divers Tyler Frank on placing 4th and Ben Goldberg on placing 5th!  

• Congratulations to our Varsity Girls Basketball team celebrating Senior Night Friday!

• Congratulations to our Competitive Dance Seniors on 4 great years!

• Congratulations to Varsity Girls Basketball players Georgette Topalis and Megan Gamber on being named MSL All-Conference!

Back Those Bison - Varsity Home Sports and Fine Arts for the Coming Week

Date	Time	Event
February 10	7:30pm	Varsity Boys Basketball vs Rolling Meadows
February 15	7:00pm	Symphonic Band Festival (BGHS, WHS, JHHS) BGHS Theater
February 16	4:30pm	Boys Track & Field vs. Grayslake North, Waukegan
February 18	10:00am	Girls Track & Field vs. Mundelein

For underlevel and away sporting events and the most current information for BGHS activities, please go to: Buffalo Grove High School Comprehensive Calendar

BGHS in the News

Social Norms Campaign Changes Perceptions of Teen Substance Use

Chicago Tribune, February 6, 2017

Link Together Coalition partners with D214 high schools to show teens that most of their peers are not using drugs or alcohol. Many teens overestimate the number of their peers that are using alcohol and drugs; studies are showing that perceived use is much higher than actual use both by Wheeling Township students, as well as their counterparts across the state of Illinois.  Read Story

Conant, Buffalo Grove place second, third in state cheerleading finals

The Daily Herald, February 4, 2017

Two suburban cheerleading squads finished in the top three of their divisions in the state championships Saturday in Bloomington.  Read Story

Buffalo Grove's Merrill lines up big decision to play at Chicago

The Daily Herald, February 9, 2017

Buffalo Grove senior Jack Merrill passes the eye test as a potential Division I football recruit at 6-feet-6 and 240 pounds.  The two-year starting offensive lineman also made the grade to receive interest from D-I Football Championship Subdivision programs. Read Story

Girls Bowling: Buffalo Grove, Resurrection Win Regional Titles

Journal-Topics, February 6, 2017

Sectionals for girls bowling take place this Saturday and five full Journal-area teams will be competing with dreams of qualifying for the finals. Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, Hersey, Leyden and Resurrection all qualified their teams for sectionals out of some tough regionals Saturday, Feb. 4. Also, individuals from 11 different Journal-area schools advanced to sectionals. Read Story

High schools to host Daddy Daughter Dances

The Daily Herald, February 2, 2017

Ready for some winter fun? Buffalo Grove and Prospect high schools are holding Daddy Daughter Dances in February and March.  Read Story

Click Here for BGHS’s Daily Announcements

Staff Spotlight

1. What is your name?  Kate Glass

2. What department have you/ do you work in? I am the school's Literacy Coach, but prior to this, I've been an English teacher.

3. How long have you been working at BG?  26 years!

4. Where did you go to high school? Arlington, until it closed.  Then I went to Prospect.

5. What part of working at BG do you find the most rewarding?  Seeing the lightbulb go on for kids.

6. What is something unique about you?  Despite years of practice, I have never learned to whistle.

7. What activities or clubs do you coach/ sponsor? I am the writing contest sponsor.

Principal's Weekly Blog 02/03/2017

Friday Focus  -  BG Parent Association supports new Academic Areas.

A big thank you to the BGPA for supporting our new student academic and blended learning spaces!  

Upcoming Dates

Date	Event
February 9	Blue Late Start - 8:30am
February 16	Blue Late Start - 8:30am
	Ask the College Night - FVEC 7:00pm
February 18	Turnabout Dance
February 20	Presidents Day - NO SCHOOL
February 23	Blue Late Start - 8:30am
March 2	Orange Late Start - 9:30am
March 24	Early Dismissal - 1:50pm
March 27-31	Spring Break
March 31	Last Day of 3rd Quarter
April 3	Teacher Inservice Day (students not in attendance)
April 4	First Day of 4th Quarter (classes resume after Spring Break)

Bison Boosters Las Vegas Night

The Bison Boosters are hosting their annual Las Vegas Night to be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at Ditka's, 2000 West Euclid Avenue, Arlington Heights at 7:00pm. Last year's event was a near sell out so get your tickets today at www.seatyourself.biz/buffalogrove and help support the 28 athletic programs of Buffalo Grove High School. Booster Invite 2017 Vegas Night vFinal1 copy.pdf

Celebrating Our Success!

• Congratulations to Girls Varsity Gymnast, Teresa Riles! Teresa placed 5th in All-Around, 4th in Floor, 4th in Vault at Regionals Monday. She next competes at the Fremd Sectional next week.

• Congratulations to our Competitive Co-ed Cheer Team on placing 3rd at Sectionals and qualifying for State for the 7th year in a row!

• Congratulations to Bison Chess Team for placing 4th in the MSL Conference. Congratulations to Nathan Finkelshteyn for placing 2nd first board, Jaime Lugo 3rd second board, and Jason Barrette 2nd sixth board.

• Congratulations Girls Varsity Bowling team for a 3rd place finish at conference and to conference medalists Jessica Soskich, Caitlin Howard, and Rebecca Herrera!

• Congratulations to Girls Varsity Bowlers on their Senior night win against Fenton!

• Congratulations to our Boys Swimming & Diving team on an incredible meet against Rolling Meadows with 57 personal records for our swimmers and divers! Bison came out on top against Meadows!

• Congratulations to senior Nick Christianson and junior Connor Kelly on being named to the Illinois Hockey All-State Team.  They are the only two players on the BG, Hersey, Wheeling combined team who earned All-State Honors. Only 40 players are chosen altogether statewide. They take the ice in the All-State game on February 13 at 8:30 in Bensenville.

Back Those Bison - Varsity Home Sports and Fine Arts for the Coming Week

Date	Time	Event
February 3	6:00pm	Varsity Boys Basketball vs. Elk Grove
	7:30pm	Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Elk Grove
February 4	4:30pm	Varsity Boys Basketball vs. Highland Park
February 7	7:30pm	Varsity Girls Basketball MSL Crossover vs. TBD
February 10	7:30pm	Varsity Boys Basketball vs Rolling Meadows
February 15	7:00pm	Symphonic Band Festival (BGHS, WHS, JHHS) BGHS Theater

For underlevel and away sporting events and the most current information for BGHS activities, please go to: Buffalo Grove High School Comprehensive Calendar

BGHS in the News

Buffalo Grove moves ahead with a victory

The Daily Herald, January 27, 2017

Buffalo Grove's boys basketball program received bad news Thursday when it learned that guard and leading scorer Jack Vaselaney would most likely be lost for the rest of the season with mononucleosis.  But instead of rolling over Friday against host Hersey, the Bison showed how they can push forward.  Read Story

Cheerleading: Eight Qualify For State
Journal-Topics, January 30, 2017

Buffalo Grove has won the coed state championship the last two seasons and three out of the last four. The Bison came in second place in 2014 to Conant. Read Story

Northwest suburban high schools promote health, food accessibility for students

Chicago Tribune, February 1, 2017

Last fall, students at Buffalo Grove High School started Elevate, a group of about 100 student athletes who promote healthy decision-making in food, sleep, and drug and alcohol use. Matt Myers, the girls athletic director at Buffalo Grove High School, said the school already has healthy food options, but students in Elevate believed they should be promoted more on campus. Read Story

Athlete of the Month Northwest February challenge

Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2017

Vote for BG’s very own, Georgette Topalis!

The polls are now open. This month's winners will receive a commemorative plaque, his or her school will receive $250 and they will be featured in next week's edition of the Pioneer Press. Good luck to all of our challenge nominees and voters! Read Story

Buffalo Grove High School prepares to defend state cheerleading title

The Daily Herald, February 2, 2017

Buffalo Grove High School's cheerleading squad is hoping for a three-peat at this weekend's IHSA state championships in Bloomington. Three is a significant number for another reason -- three of the members of this year's crew are siblings: senior Karson McEwen, junior Kennedy McEwen and freshman Bobby McEwen. Read Story

Click Here for BGHS’s Daily Announcements

Staff Spotlight

1. What is your name?  Robin Paul

2. What department have you/ do you work in? I am in the English/Fine Arts Department and the World Languages/Social Science/ELL Department.  I teach AP English Literature  and ELL 1 and 2.  My students in both my ELL and my AP classes are very diverse, heralding from places including  Belarus, Poland, Moldova, Japan, Korea and Guatemala--to name a few of their homelands.

3. How long have you been working at BG?  I have been at Buffalo Grove for 19 years.  For the first two years I worked in the CTE  Department as a Career Mentor.  Two years later, I moved to the E/FA as an English/Reading teacher.  Before arriving at BG, I taught at two middle schools and another high school .  I also taught preschool for 4 years.  So I have taught students from age 2-19!

4. Where did you go to high school? Joliet Central High School, home of the Steelmen.

5. What part of working at BG do you find the most rewarding?  I find creating a classroom community where students feel valued, respected and safe as one of the most rewarding parts of my job.  Once I have my classroom humming along, students then can make strides in their literacy development.  Students making sense out of print and writing clearly and concisely are rewarding moments. I am always amazed by my students' insights and humor.

6. What is something unique about you?  Three of my aunts were nuns--Sisters of St Francis from Joliet.  I spent a lot of my early years in convents!  But I think my aunts were one of my biggest influences in my life --  and not just because I like to wear black!  They all were teachers, and after Sisters Pauline, Verna and Anne Marie completed their classroom years,  they all continued serving their community  as musicians, chaplains, and caregivers.

7. What activities or clubs do you coach/ sponsor? I sponsor the BGHS Book Club.  Many students love to read books--and talk about the stories while eating snacks.