BMS STAR - Week 16
November 25, 2025
Good Afternoon BMS Teachers and Staff,
Elena Aguilar (author, coach, consultant) shared a thoughtful reflection for Thanksgiving, and I share it with you in hopes it brings a sense of peace and grounding.
From Elena Aguilar’s Bright Morning newsletter:
"This week, as many of us gather around tables, I am thinking about how gratitude can live alongside grief, anger, and fatigue. Gratitude for the people who stand beside us in the fight for justice. Gratitude for those who bring light into the shadows. Gratitude for the resilience that grows when we keep showing up in community.
I believe this is the invitation of this moment: to gather, to give thanks for one another, and to keep imagining what could be."
Wishing everyone a peaceful Thanksgiving break. I am grateful for the BSD2 community.
#ALLIN!
V
- Kitchen staff for the delicious scones!
- Giovanna & Renee...I'd be lost without you two and all of your patience and help. Thank you! ~Gretchen
- Jen McGraw for being so amazing. You helped me through a really rough time this week and I appreciate you so very much!
- Julie Polifka for being you. You have amazing ideas! You have a heart of gold! You are hilarious! Thank you!
- My 8th Grade Math Team- Y'all are the best and I thoroughly enjoy working besides you guys. Thank you for always being the best support! I can count on your guys for everything. Thankful and ever so grateful.
- Giovanna, Renee, and Vicky for being such positive, amazing, and organized coaches. I know this is going to be an amazing season with you coaching cheer and dance!
- Dustin Sublett and Justin Chappell! Good luck on your basketball season! You are amazing coaches and I can't wait to see you help your athletes grow!
- Instructional Coaches for hosting the Gab & Gobble. It was fun to spend a little time with fellow teachers and coaches, the food was great, and the ideas were immediately useful!
- Katie Lange, Deanna Berardi, Lauren Cunniff, Emma Alberico, Angela Campanile - thank you so much for helping with dance and cheer tryouts this week. Your support and help are super invaluable. Thank you for your time and effort.
- The 6th grade math dept.- Thank you for sharing your resources-galore, knowledge, and creativity. You are all amazing people to work with.
- Our wonderful instructional coaches- Thank you for feeding us and providing new strategies to try in the classroom!
- Katie Colon for her amazing advice, feedback, and time spent coaching me this trimester!
- Sarah McLain for being patient and amazing during sports physical craziness. Thank you for everything you do!
- A HUGE THANK YOU to my 7th Grade Math Team - Thank you for making my birthday and birthday month so very memorable! Ya'll are great!
- A HUGE Hawk Hooray to my co-teachers, Katie and Jordan. Thank you for all your support all year long!
- Thank you, Sue! I appreciate your help with the poster!
- Our nurse, Sarah! Thank you for your calm presence and assistance! We appreciate you!
- To Ms. Nunez thank you for donating your kid's old clothes. We were able to share it with our students. The SEL team.
- Sarah Taylor - I have never known a teacher who could juggle SO MANY things at the same time (teaching 3 new curriculums, co-teaching ELA, co-athletic director, sped PLC leader, and many more things that I'm forgetting at the moment) and still be in such a happy mood each day! I don't know how you do it! Your dedication to all your jobs, your organizational skills, and your empathy are all things I'm striving to achieve. You are a great roll model for me. Enjoy your well deserved Thanksgiving Break!! - JM
- Amy Rezulak - You have jumped right into your new position this year with such enthusiasm! You are doing such a great job of co-teaching in 2 different grade levels, learning how to write IEP's, leading IEP meetings, leading small groups during MORE time, and going through your first teacher evaluation! You learn so fast and balance all of this with college classes and taking care of your family. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful mentee this year! - JM
- Katie Colon: Your pep talks and support has meant alot. Thank you.
- Elyssa Klein: Thank you for sharing the bullseye strategy! Your creative ideas never cease to amaze me!
- Mr. Ramel — thank you for being my ride-or-die person. I can always count on you for help and a listening ear. I appreciate you checking on me to make sure my sanity is still in the right place :) I’m truly grateful to be your co-worker and friend.
Thank you to V for a kind and thoughtful gift during a difficult time.
- Carly- You do SO much! We are thankful to have you work with us!
- Big shout-out to my admin + office crew for holding it down every day, supporting each other, and keeping kids at the center. I’m lucky to work with you!
- Shout-out to Mireida and Adela for holding students accountable in the halls and bathrooms by greeting them and asking for their names. Thank you for promoting positive behavior and a safe school!
- Thanks Mr. Baker, Ms. Mazzone, Mrs. Assenato and McLain. - Ms. Seiglie
- Thank you, Miss Campanile, for supporting me and the needs of our 6th grade students this week! Your dedication and teamwork make such a difference. You are the best teammate!
- Thank you, Ms. Navar, for your help with scoring the rating scales! Your support made all the difference, I couldn’t have finished this week without your help.
- To Miss Ponce, your incredible dedication as a social worker shines through in the way you care for students and families. Your empathy and compassionate heart go above and beyond your duties. Stand proudly in your greatness, you are an inspiration!
- Mr. Jack S., thank you for navigating such an overwhelming semester with grace. You’re doing amazing, and you keep us on track during meetings. Your soft approach makes all the difference and is truly appreciated!
- Hawk Hooray! Ms. Taylor, thank you for your grace and understanding during these busy times. Your support means the world and keeps me sane. Domenica
- Jen for your help with report cards!
- I haven't forgotten about you! Thank you, Ms. Vergara, Mrs.Le-Mon, Officer Banks, Mrs. McLain and the Fire Department. The way you responded shows how much you care, even more than I was paying attention to because of my shock. Thank you for making me trust unfamiliar processes and reminding me that it's worthwhile to let myself be guided. THANK YOU!!! 🫶🏽
As we welcome November, we also welcome a season of gratitude. This makes it the perfect time to launch our Those That Excel Award.
As part of our strategic plan, we are committed to hiring, retaining, and supporting exemplary staff. Recognizing those who serve as outstanding ambassadors of our district is an important part of that commitment. An ambassador of D2 is someone who represents excellence in their school and across the district. Nominees for the Those That Excel Award should truly embody the D2 Indicators of Excellence and must be nominated by their colleagues.
If you have someone in mind who reflects these qualities and would like information on how to nominate them, please click here. Nominations are due by February 13, 2026.
Additionally, if you are interested in serving on the Those That Excel Selection Committee, please click here to complete the interest form. The committee meets once to review nominations and select this year’s honorees.
And finally — mark your calendars! Award recipients will be announced at our End of the Year Recognition Event for all staff at White Pines on May 12th at 3:45 PM. It is always a wonderful celebration, and we hope to see you there!
Join us for our next PTO meeting. We meet in the cafeteria once a month and start promptly at 6:30 PM.
- President: Diana Medina
- Vice President: Marissa Jimenez
- Secretary: Mojca Anaya
- Treasurer: Michelle Juran
Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 8.
Student Athlete Contract
Girls Basketball Schedule
Boys Basketball Schedule
SY25-26 Coaching Positions
BMS Dance Team Calendar 2025-2026
📣Blackhawk Cheer Team Calendar📣
- November 21 - Grades, IEP Goal Updates, and ELD Reports Due
- November 22 - ILMEA Concert Festival @ Unity Junior High School in Cicero
- November 24 - Teacher Institute Day
- November 25 - Professional Development Data Day
- November 26 - 28 - Thanksgiving Break
Diana Vergara - Principal
Jacquelyn LeMon-Williamson, Assistant Principal
Kim Shaffer, Interim Assistant Principal
Mary Hamilton, Students Services Coordinator