Zee-Bee Buzz: Family News
October 2024 District Newsletter
It's October!
Welcome to the October edition of the Zee-Bees' Buzs: Family News! We're excited to share important updates, upcoming events, and celebrate our community's achievements.
Superintendent Message
Joint Board Meeting
On behalf of District 126 and the Board of Education, I look forward to our continued partnership with neighboring foundational schools during the Joint School Board Meeting on October 29, 2024, held in the South Cafeteria at 6:00 p.m.
Joint Board Meetings bring OUR learning communities together to focus on our Vision for 2030 and beyond. Under this year’s theme, OUR Students CAN - Just Watch’Em!, we will engage in increasing academic excellence through parent, community, and board of education engagement.
We invite community members and stakeholders to join us as we strengthen and build our student success together.
“Unity is strength. . . when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” Mattie Stepanek
Facilities Master Plan
District 126 is committed to providing excellence in academics in 21st-century classrooms. To better prepare students for their post-secondary goals, designed learning spaces need to be open and flexible, promoting collaboration, communication, and creativity while integrating technology.
The Board of Education and I are proud of the work we’ve done to upgrade our learning spaces throughout the district. Our next goal is to create a Facilities Master Plan and determine the 10-year recommendations for future updates. This plan will begin in October and be presented to the Board of Education in March. The process will include feedback from staff, students, and community members in Townhall and other scheduled meetings. We invite you to review the attached letter, which outlines the step-by-step details of the proposed phases and committee structure.
We are grateful to be part of such an amazing community and look forward to your partnership as we take these next steps.
District Updates
Connecting Our Schools and Families
In partnership with Zion Elementary District 6, Beach Park District 3, Winthrop Harbor School District 1, and Zion-Benton Township High School District 126, we are excited to introduce a unified Community School Calendar. Our vision is to create a shared space where families, students, and community members can easily view, participate in, and engage with the variety of events happening across our schools and neighborhoods.
This collaborative calendar aims to:
- Simplify Access to Events: View school activities, community events, and important dates all in one place.
- Enhance Family Engagement: Empower families to stay connected and involved with their children’s education and community.
- Strengthen Community Ties: Foster connections between our schools, local organizations, and families by promoting open communication and participation.
Together, we are building stronger relationships and a more vibrant community by making it easier for everyone to stay informed and engaged.
Choir Fundraiser
Please consider helping out our choir purchase tuxes, dresses, and choir robes through our Omella fundraiser https://omella.com/kygrj
This fundraiser is to help purchase much needed concert attire for all of our choir students as well as choir robes for our students that are selected for Honor Choirs at the district and state levels.
Holocaust Survior Shares Her Story
The ZBTHS Social Sciences Department and the Spungen Family Foundation have been working together to coordinate a powerful event on Tuesday 10/29 at 6pm in the PAC. We have the honor of bringing a Holocaust survivor to tell her story and share her message.
Upcoming District Events
10/29 - Joint Board Meeting 6 pm
10/30 - ISBE Illinois School Report Card Released 9am
11/5 - Election Day - No School
11/11 - Verterans' Day - School is in Session
For a full list of district & school events and BOE meetings visit the calendar page.
Principals' Parent Bulletins
The first Friday of each month the building pricipals send out a newletter to families. In case you missed them, you can view them here.
Zee-Bee Pride Spotlight
XC Stars Make Moves
Two senior athletes made waves at our rainy home meet!
Lauren Hamilton climbed to 3rd on the ZBXC Top Ten Board with a race-winning time of 18:54, pushing down 2021 State Qualifier Riley Franz.
Sofia Gutierrez joined the board for the first time, running a personal best of 19:47.
Be sure to congratulate Lauren and Sofia on their amazing achievements!
Artists of the Month
The Art Department is proud to recognize our talented students as "Artists of the Month" for their outstanding achievements! These students have demonstrated exceptional craftsmanship, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to self-advocacy and creativity in their artistic pursuits.
- Mary Kayiwa (Painting)
- Janalise Jimenez (Drawing)
- Clarisa Cornejo (Intro to Art)
- Grace Johnson (Ceramics)
- Nayeli Diaz (Jewelry)
- Aleeha Martin (3D Sculpture)
DAR Annual Days of Service
77 students and 3 teachers participated in the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Annual Days of Service at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park. Our students cleaned 395 headstones, honoring fallen veterans and others, and had a great time making a meaningful impact.
Rifle Team strikes Gold 3 times
The rifle team is once again off to an amazing start this year as they improved to 6-0.
This past weekend they competed in the Montgomery Bell Academy Classic in Nashville TN.
- 28 teams comprising of 115 athletes competed in this competition. The ZB’s were on target finishing with a 2024 team best score of 2193 out of a possible 2400 points. Finishing 87 points behind was 2nd place McDowell High School from North Carolina. Freeport High School from IL finished in 3rd, 127 points back.
- Competing on the ZB GOLD MEDAL team, were Captain Gianna Gomez, Brianna Benedetto, Addyson Gustafson, and Brayden Rich.
- Competing on ZB team 2 and finishing in 4th were Brian Rico, Gavin Wooldridge, Francisco Camacho, and Lessly Trevino.
- Competing on ZB team 3 and finishing 6th were Kaylyn Emerson, Kelly Emerson, Emmanuel Camacho, and Shanon Braden.
- Competing on ZB team 4 and finishing in 7th were Annie Sevilla, Davin Braden, Luis Ruiz, and Evelyn Marcos.
- Competing on ZB team 5 and finishing in 9th were Abbigail Barrera, Brianna Eck, Joseph Cruz, and Cesar Hernandez.
- Competing as an individual and setting a personal best score was Jazmin Martinez.
- Individually, Brianna Benedetto led the field and captured gold with an impressive score of 557 out of a possible 600 points. Not far behind with a 552 was Addyson Gustafson finishing with the Bronze Medal, Gianna Gomez was 4th and Brayden Rich 6th.
- Also setting individual personal bests were sophomores Lessly Trevino (533) 10th place overall and Annie Sevilla (527) 11th place overall.
- In the coach’s competition assistant coach Alexia Resendiz outperformed her peers and placed 1st overall. She won herself a $75 Ace Hardware gift certificate.