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February 2023
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Parent Teacher Conferences February 17th
The District 2 spring conference date is coming up soon, making us reconsider the name of this event! If your wish to meet with one of your child's teachers to discuss progress and areas of growth for your child, please click on the link below to secure a timeslot.
http://www.myconferencetime.com/blackhawkms
The MyConference site opens for Blackhawk families at 9:00 AM On February 3rd, TODAY! The window to book an appointment will run through February 16th at 6:00 PM. Because time slots are limited, we ask that families only book appointments with one teacher. This conference format has been successful in the past for us as families often get to meet with other teachers on the team who do not have booked appointments.
For those with registered conference appointments, reminder emails will be sent out on 2/15/23. Parents can cancel before 2/16/23 1:00 AM if necessary. We'd love to see you on conference day
It's Time To Let Your Voice Be Heard!
The time has come for our Blackhawk families to take the Illinois 5Essential survey. We value the feedback from our families and hope to get as many responses to this important survey as we can. Please help make our school better by participating in this opportunity.
Click here to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey.
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey was developed by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, and it’s called 5Essentials for good reason: it uses the handful of crucial indicators that improve test scores, student attendance, and overall student outcomes, and provides actionable reports to each school. Those 5Es are Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environments, and Ambitious Instruction.
Two decades of research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essentials” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more indicators. That data held true even after controlling for poverty, gender, race, and neighborhood characteristics.
The 5Essentials survey window opened Tuesday, January 24, and responses from students, teachers, and parents will be collected through Friday, March 31. Students will take the survey during class, while parents and teachers are invited to click the link below to complete the survey.
Once again, Blackhawk will be holding our annual contest to reward the highest participation rate for an advisory class per grade-level. Please contact the school office (hgarcia@bsd2g.org) or your child's advisory teacher to report completion of the parent survey.
Click here to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey.
More information on the 5Essentials is available on the District 2 website.
Blackhawk Middle School Alumni Spotlight!
This month's Blackhawk alumni spotlight is Officer Carmen Mirandola who was promoted from Blackhawk in 2000 to Fenton High School where he graduated in 2004. Carmen is currently a police officer in our very own village of Bensenville.
Carmen reports his favorite memories of middle school were always in the lunchroom with his friends. He is still in contact with some of those same friends who he speaks with daily or weekly, and he says it’s a special feeling to think these lifelong friendships and bonds began in that lunchroom. He states, "I am grateful for these friendships and memories that go all the way back to trading lunches in the Blackhawk cafeteria."
After Blackhawk, Mirandola attended Fenton High School and immersed himself in athletics and had a great time as a student athlete. He was all- conference in both football and wrestling. In football, he was awarded defensive player of the year and Daily Herald Player of the Week. In wrestling, he was regional champion with over 30 wins in a season. He spent the majority of his high school student life not being sure of what he wanted to do or what career path he wanted to take. He reports his teachers and coaches made a significant impact on him as they invested personal time to teach and coach him. By the end of high school he chose to go to Elmhurst College to study Education.
College was a big struggle for Carmen as it was taking a financial toll on him and his heart was not into school. Coming back to the community of Bensenville, he reconnected with some friends and friends he grew to know on the Police Department. It was then that he decided to pursue law enforcement. Once things began to come together for him, and he had more of a financial cushion, he completed college and began to test for the police department. After a long, arduous process of test after test, he was hired and eventually transferred to his hometown Bensenville Police Department. He shares it has been very rewarding, and he has more of a sense of pride and a more invested sense of care being an officer in his hometown.
When asked if he has any advice for our current Blackhawk students, Carmen Mirandola shared:
- "In Blackhawk as many students are coming into the part of their life seeing more responsibility as a young adult, they will face struggle and might not make the soundest decisions. They might focus on fun instead of their future. I was no different. Blackhawk was a fun experience, and I can't say I was the teachers’ favorite (haha). However, I can look back and realize some of the struggles and challenges I had with academics or discipline in middle school were important to experience and almost required to appreciate the dedication of the teachers and efforts of a community to give every student the best opportunities.”
If you are an alumni of Blackhawk Middle School ( or know one) who would like to be featured in this solute to our alumni, please contact the school.
Carmen Mirandola at Blackhawk
Carmen Mirandola at Fenton
Carmen Mirandola Bensenville PD
...And In The Arts
A select group of Blackhawk students met weekly after school for Scholastic Art Club. They used the time to discuss their art projects, use art materials, and most importantly have group critique time. The group critiques provided valuable peer and teacher feedback that helped students work through their challenges and decisions. This feedback mirrored the feedback of the competition jurors who look for works that exemplify the Awards’ core values: originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
Our wonderful art teacher, Ms. Richardson, holds a bachelor's degree in Art History and an MA in Art Education. She is passionate about inspiring students to explore the visual arts and find ways to explore new artistic techniques, enjoy the cathartic nature of art making, and connect students' personal experiences and identities with art.
The standard Art Club will now be meeting Wednesdays after school from 3-4 PM, and everyone is welcome! Ms. Richardson is always keeping an eye out for students that show potential for Scholastic level work. High performing artists who are 13 years old may be invited to participate in the next round of submissions. Scholastic Club will run annually from September through December as submissions are always at the beginning of January.
Blackhawk Trivia Night = Food, Family, Friends, and Fun
If you like trivia, you like fun, and you like being a part of the Blackhawk community, mark your calendar for the Blackhawk Trivia Night that is coming soon.
When: Friday. February 24th 7:00-9:00 PM
Where: Blackhawk Cafeteria
Cost: $5/person admission Children 10 and under free
Fun: Raffles, Prizes, Silent Auction, 50/50 Raffle
Teams :Up to 6 people with at least 1 adult
Prizes: Awarded for each round and overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes winners.
Food: Pizza, snacks and drinks will be for sale.
February Events Calendar
7/8th Girls Tryouts 4:30 -6 PM
Feb 2nd- PTO Meeting @ 6:30 PM
Feb 3rd- Reptile Presentation 1:30 to 2:30 PM
8th Gr Fenton Pep Night @ Fenton
Feb 7th- "Parents as Teachers" 5:30 to 7:00 PM
Feb 9th- Volleyball vs. Jefferson BH/GA
Feb 13th- Band @ Castle Towers
Volleyball vs. Hinsdale GH/BA
Feb 14th BMS PTO Fundraiser through Portillo's
Feb 15th- YWCA-8th Gr in Auditorium
Volleyball vs. Churchville BH/GA
Feb 16th- YWCA-8th Gr in Auditorium
Volleyball vs. Indian Trail GH/BA
Feb 17th- Parent/Teachers Conferences 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Feb 20th- Presidents Day- No school
Feb 22nd- Volleyball vs. Bryan GH/BA
Feb 23rd- BMS Band Concert 6:30 PM
Feb 24th- PTO Trivia Night 7:00 PM, Friday
Feb. 25th- IGSMA Solo & Ensemble Contest 8:00 AM -5:00 PM @ Roselle MS
Feb. 27th- Volleyball vs. Clarendon Hills BH/GA