Principal's Newsletter: Spring 2013 - Bloom Trail High School

Dr. Lenell Navarre
Superintendent
Mrs. Rhona Israel
Finding An Agent That’s Right For You
Asst. Superintendent,
Curriculum
Mr. Kyle Hastings
Dr. Deb Graham
Asst. Superintendent,
Human Resources
Principal
Mrs. Julie Largen
Assistant Principal
Pupil Personnel Services
Mr. Percell Reed, Jr.
Assistant Principal
Bloom Trail
Bloom Trail High School
School District 206
22331 Cottage Grove Ave.
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
Phone: 708-758-7000
Fax: 708-757-2209
www.BloomTrail.org
in this issue >>>
College and Scholarships
Important Dates
Final Exam Information
Curriculum Corner
Highlights of the Year
Reflections
From the FLAME
2013
APRIL
A Quarterly Note from Bloom Trail High School
Mrs. Rose Walls
Discipline & Activities
Division Coordinator
Remedial Education
Ms. Gail Hartsough
District Coordinator
Math
Mr. Adam Hudson
District Coordinator
REAL ESTATE
Social COM PAN Studies Y
Mrs. Elizabeth Santiago
District Coordinator
English
Mrs. Kathie Weishaar
District Coordinator Art,
5432 Any Street West
Townsville, State 54321
Career, & Technical Education
Mr. Tino Villaflor
District Coordinator
Science
Mrs. Stephanie Kapaldo
Microsoft Publisher
Mrs. Karen Seely and her CWT Class
Contact us at 555-543-5432
www.yourwebsitehere.com
current topics >>>
Bloom Trail
Mission Statement
Bloom Trail High School aspires to empower
all students to succeed and become lifelong
learners. We provide a comprehensive
educational program to develop the attitudes,
behavior, knowledge and skills necessary to
be responsible and productive members of a
constantly changing society. We recognize the
strength of our diversity and strive to develop
the full potential of all our students. We value
a safe environment, which promotes mutual
respect and provides high academic
standards. Student success is possible only
through the shared responsibility of students,
school staff, parents/guardians, and
community.
Letter from the Principal
Celebrate and keep moving forward!
Dear Parent/Guardian:
As we start our “home stretch” of the current school year, and my inaugural
year as the principal of Bloom Trail, I encourage you to continue to work
in partnership with our dedicated staff as we strive to help all of our Bloom Trail
students succeed! This year, it has been both my honor and privilege to serve
this school community and, while there is still much work to be done, I am
proud of the things we have accomplished this year.
Among the highlights, we
have been able to celebrate the successes
of our student body through
quarterly assemblies that
have showcased student
talent and acknowledged
both our honor roll students,
and those students
who have worked hard to
improve and/or make a
positive impact on our
school. This is something
we will continue to
do as we work toward
creating a school culture in which all
students are respected and recognized
for their individual gifts and
talents. I’ve also enjoyed several
lunch sessions called “Pizza with
the Principal.” These lunch meetings,
open to any students who sign
up in advance, have allowed me the
opportunity to get to know our students
better while, at the same time,
hearing what they have to say about
“We will continue to
work toward creating a
culture in which all
students are respected
and recognized.”
making their school better!
One of my goals for the 2013
-14 school year will be to increase
communication with our
parents and community
members. As such, I plan
to send out quarterly
newsletters and provide
you with greater opportunities
to work in partnership
with us to become
involved in your child’s
education.
I am greatly appreciative
of your support thus far
and I look forward to a smooth ending
to the current school year, a successful
graduation, and the opportunity
to work together with our
“returning” parents to build upon our
successes over the years to come!
Respectfully,
Dr. Deb Graham

Curriculum Corner >>>
Literacy Coaching
This year, we have
been piloting Literacy
Coaching sessions for
our freshman teachers
in the core areas of
English, Math, Science,
and Social Studies.
Once a month, these
teachers meet in their
course teams with our
literacy coaches to
work on comparative
thinking strategies. These strategies have
been identified by many researchers as the
most effective way of improving student learning.
While the teachers are being coached,
their students meet in the auditorium (one
fourth of the freshman class at a time) to focus
on non-academic supports such as time management,
nutritional awareness, cyber-bullying
prevention, and diversity training. These ses-
Spring Play
The Trail Theatre Troupe, also known as
T3, just finished their production of Disney’s
The Little Mermaid.
For more information go to
www.BloomTrail.org
sions have been very successful
for both the students
and the teachers. We have
seen a significant increase in
freshman reading scores from
the fall to the winter, and we
hope to see even more gains
when we test again this
spring.
As you are probably
aware, our all-school testing
dates are coming up on April
23 and 24. On Tuesday, April 23, ON-
LY the juniors will be in attendance to
take the mandatory PSAE exam.
Everyone is in attendance on
Wednesday, April 24—the freshman,
sophomores, and juniors will be testing,
and the seniors will meet in the
auditorium. Dismissal will be at 12:30
p.m. on both days. The juniors were
encouraged to do well on their test in
a junior PSAE “Pep Assembly” that
took place on Friday, March 15. Our
juniors were treated to an “I Can” video
featuring some of our very own
Bloom Trail students, and they lis-
Important Dates >>>
April 23 and 24
April 30
May 3
May 7
May 10
May 13
May 14
Mark Your Calendars
All school testing—Consult website for specific schedules
*JUNIORS only on the 23rd*
Freshman College Field Trip
Prom—No SCHOOL for students
Student Academic Luncheon (11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
District assessments and senior final exams for PE, CTE,
ROTC, Art, and Music courses
District assessments and senior final exams for English and Math
courses
District assessments and senior final exams for Science and Social
Studies courses
May 15 Senior Clearance during Periods 1, 2, and 8
Senior Awards at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
May 16 Senior Clearance concludes during Period 2
Senior Slide Show during Period 8
May 17
May 22
May 23
May 24
May 26
tened to short talks from some of
our most successful alumni who
came back from the college ranks
to visit us for the day. Please encourage
your son or daughter to
get plenty of rest, eat a substantial
breakfast, and come prepared to
do his or her best for the all school
testing!
Several upcoming dates are listed
on this page, but make sure to visit
our website frequently at
www.bloomtrail.org to stay abreast
of all of the events taking place
over the next several weeks.
Seniors’ last day (Noon dismissal—No bus service)
Senior Picnic
Underclassmen final exams—11:30 a.m. dismissal (no lunch served)
6:30 p.m. Mandatory graduation rehearsal for students; meeting for
senior parents. (See website for details).
Underclassmen final exams—11:30 a.m. dismissal (no lunch served)
Last day of school for underclassmen—FULL day of classes with
student assemblies by grade level.
Noon Graduation Ceremony at Tinley Park Convention
Center
College and Scholarships
First, I would like to thank all of the students who have provided me with
copies of their college acceptance letters. I love filling my office walls with
these letters!
I would also like to
make you aware of our monthly
Scholarship Newsletter that is
provided to all students and parents
on our school’s website,
www.bloomtrail.org. I also provide
hard copies of the newsletter
in my office. Scholarships
are a great way for students to
receive financial assistance to
help pay for their college tuition
and their books. In order to be
eligible to receive a scholarship,
a student must complete the
application by the deadline provided
on the Scholarship Newsletter.
At this time most seniors
should have completed their
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to receive a financial aid
award letter from the college or university they plan on attending. A financial aid
award package is a collection of different types of financial aid from multiple sources.
It is intended to help you fill the gap between your ability to pay your expected family
contribution (EFC) and college cost of attendance (COA). The financial aid award
package is based on your financial need and is calculated by taking the difference
between COA and EFC.
After you receive the award letter, you may be asked to return a signed copy
of the letter in which you accept or reject each source of financial aid. The college will
not increase other aid to compensate if you reject part of the financial aid package,
such as loans (www.finaid.org).
If you have not filled out FAFSA for your student, please do so ASAP by going to
www.fafsa.ed.gov. This needs to be completed for any students planning on attending
a vocational school, 2 year college or 4 year university/college.
ask the experts >>>
Q:
A:
A Note from Mrs. Inka — Post Secondary Counselor
How do I prepare for a big
test day?
Get plenty of rest the night before,
Eat a substantial breakfast and come
prepared to do your best!
Amy Inka
Post Secondary
Planning Counselor
Bloom Trail High School
(708) 758-7000 ext. 3105
ainka@sd206.org
Please contact me
with any questions or
concerns
Senior Interviews
The Seniors are practicing their interviewing
skills with community members to prepare
them for the future.
Prom
The last day to buy tickets in April 19th.
Prom is on May 3rd. See the website for
more details.