Bolingbrook High School Taking Students to New Heights!

Tonight I attended my first parent meeting at Bolingbrook High School and all I can say is "WOW"!  New BHS principal, Mr. White, held a "meet & greet" in the library to which all parents were invited.  

Now, I've heard the rumors and horror stories about how "gangs roam the halls" at BHS and I will admit I was terrified to be sending my son into this purported hell-hole.  However, Mr. White has brought sanity to the halls a mere 10 days into the school year and I must say that I am actually excited at the opportunities my son is going to be afforded by attending Bolingbrook High School!

Mr. White has a vision for the students at BHS and that vision begins with creating an environment that encourages LEARNING.  Imagine!  A SCHOOL that focuses on EDUCATING our young men & women!  A novel idea?  Unfortunately, it seems that has been the case for far too long at the corner of Lily Cache & Schmidt.  Those days are over.

The transition to a learning environment has not been an easy one.  Mr. White admitted tonight that the first day of school was a difficult one.  Especially for those students who came face-to-face with the new "sheriff" in town.  You may be thinking that Mr. White brought with him a whole new set of rules and regulations; however, you would be mistaken.  There are no new rules...merely a new dedication to enforcing the existing rules.  

These rules are not radical.  They are not unreasonable.

• Show up to school on time
• Follow the dress code:  In other words, don't dress as if you are going to the beach, pull up your pants, take off your hat, etc.
• Do your homework and bring it to class
• Be on time to each & every class
• Be respectful

Ten days into the school year and, out of 3,400+ students, less than 40 young men & women got the privilege of sitting down for a heart-to-heart with Mr. White today.  That number is impressive!  Oh, I'm sure there have been tears & sulking during those ten days -- change is never easy -- but to think that, in a span of less than two weeks, the atmosphere has made such an amazing transition is a testament, not only to Mr. White, but to the staff and students who make up the BHS community.

I encourage every resident of Bolingbrook to put your support behind Mr. White and the staff of BHS, but I CHALLENGE my fellow parents to get involved with the BHS community.  I know that we all lead hectic lives and money is tight, but here are a few ways I plan to help (and I hope you will, too!):

• Volunteer!  I work full-time, as does my husband, but I pledge to dedicate at least one night each month to helping out at Bolingbrook High School.
• Join the PTA!  This is something new that is being organized for those of us whose children are not musicians or athletes.  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only parent who has no interest in joining booster clubs that do not support my child's interests.  Personally, I love music & football (GO RAIDERS!) but my son has different interests such as art and academics.
• Talk to your kids!  Your talents might be better utilized focusing on your own child.  The most important student at BHS lives right in your home and any time you can dedicate to listening to & helping your son or daughter will go a long way toward Mr. White's vision.
• Communicate with your child's teachers!  Did you know that you can email the teachers at BHS?  I have found, throughout the Valley View School District, that email is a wonderful way to communicate with my sons' teachers.  Whether it's a quick question or an extended concern you may have, being able to email a teacher when your schedule permits and the teachers being able to answer when their schedules permit saves a lot of time playing phone tag.

To wrap this up, I'm joining Team White and fully support the positive atmosphere Mr. White & his team have created for our 2012-2013 school year.

Go Raiders!!!