We welcomed back our students for a new school year, and we are so excited to see what the year brings! The teachers held a great celebration as the freshmen walked through the hallway and entered the auditorium for the first time. We are so happy to have new additions to our Boilermaker community!

Our AP students were brought together to learn all about the expectations of being enrolled in AP courses. The AP Kick-Off was a space where we displayed support and encouragement to one another and brought a sense of community to this group of students. Each student was able to select a break-out session of their choosing to learn about a topic that interested them from their favorite AP teacher!

After receiving the data from last school year, the results showed that our students passed the most AP tests than we EVER have before! We are so proud of all the hard work and dedication our students put into their education. Congratulations!

Illinois State Board of Education will be switching from the SAT to ACT for our state testing accountability. This test measures college and career readiness. Our Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors participated in the Academic Approach Testing to help prepare them for their upcoming ACT testing. Students will participate in three practice tests this year prior to spring testing.

Students in our INCubator entrepreneurship class held their problem pitch day where they introduced a problem that they want to solve throughout the year. They had to create a problem definition statement and explain why they are passionate about the problem. Each student presented in front of the class, and this was the beginning of their year-long journey of thinking critically in ways to solve these problems at hand.

BBCHS celebrates the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which goes through October 15th! We honor the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. You can celebrate by attending local celebrations, visiting exhibits and museums, or eating Hispanic cuisine!

The members of the Latin Student Union (LSU) decorated our hallways with informational posters and symbolic decorations. Some of our members have participated in a Student Spotlight where you will get to learn more about them and their family's traditions and culture.

You can use these links to learn more about Hispanic Heritage and locations in which it will be celebrated in Illinois!

Hispanic Heritage Month

Events in Chicago

Nina's family's country of origin is Mexico.

What part of your Hispanic Heritage are you most proud of?

"I'm proud of the food I can make and the traditional dances."

What is something you wish you had been taught in school about Hispanic culture?

"I wish that I had been taught that speaking less Spanish than someone else does not make you less Hispanic."

Who inspires you and why?

"My best friend Barbara inspires me so much because she is the one who got me speaking more Spanish and got me to appreciate the culture more."

What are you most proud of?

"I'm most proud that I can speak the language, and I can share the traditions with my family."

What does Hispanic Heritage mean to you?

"Hispanic Heritage to me means different Spanish cultures coming together and making one with shared experienced, food, and traditions."

Miguel's family's country of origin is Mexico.

What part of your Hispanic Heritage are you most proud of?

"I am most proud of being 'chicano' that there are others like me whose parents or grandparents who embarked on a journey to find a better life risked their lives, having the privilege of speaking Spanish and English fluently."

What is something you wish you had been taught in school about Hispanic culture?

"I wish I would have been taught that my life as a Hispanic would never be the same as others, that the Latin community carries a torch that is passed on from generation to generation, each one expected to be better than the last."

Who inspires you and why?

"My inspiration is my older brother who rose up above the stereotypes and pursued his dream towards a better life. He inspires me to pursue my dreams and rise up against injustice towards the Hispanic community and protect and serve the people in our society."

What are you most proud of?

"I am most proud of my achievements at BB and my teachers who have guided my journey towards my academic achievements and my career options."

What does Hispanic Heritage mean to you?

"Pride in our community, pride of our roots where we descended from, our bloodline, our people, the languages our people used to speak, pride in the lives lost on the journey towards a better life. This life of being Hispanic is a gift, and it's a gift to be proud of."

Amanda's family's country of origin is Monterrey/Guanajuato, Mexico.

What part of your Hispanic Heritage are you most proud of?

"I'm proud of the resilience my heritage embodies. The stories of overcoming challenges, embracing hard work, and maintaining hope inspire me to push forward and succeed, no matter the obstacles."

What is something you wish you had been taught in school about Hispanic culture?

"I wish I had been taught more about the vast diversity within Hispanic culture, including the unique traditions, languages, and history of countries beyond the well-known narratives. Learning about my cultural identities would have deepened my appreciation for our rich heritage."

Who inspires you and why?

"The person who inspires me most is my grandmother. My grandmother has the kindest and most genuine soul I have ever seen and always takes care of everyone. She doesn't care where you come from or who you are, she will treat you the same with genuine kindness and care. She puts everyone first before herself. Though she faced many hardships in her life, she doesn't let it affect the genuine warmth and love that inhibits her heart."

What are you most proud of?

"I am most proud of the unity within my family and the values they hold as they have taught and instilled in me the importance of family, hard work, and resilience."

What does Hispanic Heritage mean to you?

"Hispanic Heritage is a reminder of the diverse cultures and contributions Hispanic and Latino communities bring to the world. It's about honoring our achievements while paving the way for future generations."

Isabella's family's country of origin is Guadalajara, Mexico.

What part of your Hispanic Heritage are you most proud of?

"I'm most proud of the food and not like Taco Bell or even some Mexican restaurants. The best Mexican/Hispanic food I've had is what my grandpa brings back from the Mexican store. It's like tradition whenever I go to my grandparents' house. He brings carnitas if my aunts are there, menudo in the mornings, tacos and torts, and if we go to the flea market, he always gets me and my siblings a churro."

What is something you wish you had been taught in school about Hispanic culture?

"I wish I knew the history more. There's a reason all those Hispanic people immigrated here, my grandpa being one of them. It's interesting how many people built the foundations for their families. I'm grateful my grandpa made those foundations for me, and I'm going to excel and make a different for this family."

Who inspires you and why?

"My grandpa is the main reason I'm here. Without him finding my grandma, and then my dad wouldn't have been around to meet my mom, I would cease to exist. He worked hard when my parents were still together. He let them live in his other house - he owns his house which he's been in for like 50 years. He was a trucker so he would take loads and drive around a big semi. He worked hard and provided for his family so we could go to college and make that generational wealth and live out our dreams. I want to inspire my future descendants and put in the work like him."

What are you most proud of?

"I'm proud of my family. We are all mixed and matched, but it's like every person is a building block for the next person to get farther and do better. It's a lot of pressure because I'm going to be the first to really build a career off of college, but if not me I would set us back so I'm excited, and I will give back to my family and make them proud."

What does Hispanic Heritage mean to you?

"It reminds me of my culture. Sometimes I tend to downplay who I am, but this makes me proud and celebrate my family."

Amy's family's country of origin is Mexico.

What part of your Hispanic Heritage are you most proud of?

"I am most proud of my pueblo, San Pablo Casacuran because my people don't fail to show their love for religion, tradition, and community."

What is something you wish you had been taught in school about Hispanic culture?

"I wish I was taught about other Hispanic cultures and their history, as well as my own."

Who inspires you and why?

"Frida Kahlo. She inspires me because she is a real representation of self-love and identity."

What are you most proud of?

"I'm most proud of my parents because of the hardship and sacrifices they faced to give me and my brothers a better life."

What does Hispanic Heritage mean to you?

"To me, Hispanic Heritage means all the culture and tradition I grew up with."

Congratulations to our two Commended Students in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program, Hayden Berens and Quinn Meadows! About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. They placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2025 competition by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. We are proud of you!

Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School is proud to announce the 2024 class of Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars. This year, a total of 73 students were recognized for their exceptional performance on AP exams. Since 2021, BBCHS has grown in students receiving this recognition from 31 in 2021 to 73 in 2024.

Of the 73 students, 50 were named AP Scholars, 12 were named AP Scholars with Honor, and 11 were named AP Scholars with Distinction.

AP Scholars are students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. AP Scholars with Honor are students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and AP Scholars with Distinction are students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken.

BBCHS congratulates all of the 2024 AP Scholars and recognizes their impressive accomplishments. We also congratulate the teachers who worked hard to provide them learning experiences that helped them achieve these accomplishments.

The Boiler Community gathered together to welcome and encourage all of the fall sports and activities participants. Preview Night consisted of introductions of our groups and teams, scrimmages with boys soccer, volleyball, tennis, football, a cheer performance, a dance performance, and the marching band performance. We also featured a Kids Zone for all of the youth in our community that included snow cones, face painting, and bounce houses! Thank you for joining us in such a fun night, and continued luck this season to all fall participants!

Our girls flag football team secured their first win in school history!

Their hard work and dedication has paid off in their first ever season. They are currently sitting at 11 wins and only 1 loss. Their next game is tomorrow, October 1st at Rich Township High School at 6:00pm. Best of luck, girls!

This event was one we have never seen before with soccer and football both playing on a Friday night! Our dance team showcased their Kiddie Camp performance, while youth soccer and football players met the BBCHS players and coaches while touring our facilities. We saw great performances by the marching band and varsity dance, as well as amazing cheering and stunts on the sidelines from our cheerleaders. Our football team was led through the helmet and out onto the field by our Best Buddies. This gave them an extra boost of luck to come out victorious against Waubonsie Valley 20-17!

Our Homecoming week was filled with lots of fun! Each school day presented a new dress-up theme for our students. Take a look at our events from that week:

Tuesday - Girls' Powder Puff game

Wednesday - traditional senior rock painting

Thursday - pep assembly

Friday - football game/alumni brat tent

Saturday - Homecoming Dance

Friday night we hosted our annual alumni brat tent where we welcomed all past Boilers back to BBCHS to join us in delicious food and great entertainment as our Boilermaker football team defeated Rock Island!

The day of Fall Games is always one of the most fun days throughout the school year. It was a great event that displayed inclusivity and sportsmanship among schools all across the area. Our Best Buddies and those from our surrounding schools showed their competitive spirit and all did a great job!

Thank you to all of our faculty and staff who made this amazing day possible. We appreciate you!

On November 5th, residents of Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District 307 will vote on a proposed bond referendum. If approved by voters, the proposed referendum would address essential safety and security upgrades and other identified critical needs to provide an improved learning environment for students.

Our bond referendum will:

• Improve safety and security.
• Eliminate portable classroom trailers.
• Add new cafeteria spaces to condense six lunch periods.
• Relocate and improve the library.
• Add 15 classrooms.
• Centralize physical education spaces and pool observation by adding a field house.
• Renovate gyms to create STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) rooms and science labs.
• Add nurse's spaces.

Please visit our website for more information!

https://www.bbchs.org/domain/142

Get the latest updates on our bond referendum by following us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/bbchs307

Early voting for the November 5th election opened last week on Thursday, September 26th. If you need more information about voting or election information, please visit:

https://www.kankakeecountyclerk.gov/election-information/

Your vote is important! Use the link to register to vote on the November 5th Election!

https://ova.elections.il.gov/Step0.aspx

Please contact me with any questions or comments.

Kennedy Weigt - Director of Communications and Community Engagement

kweigt@bbchs.org