The Blue Connector - 49th Edition

Did you know that 99% of all organisms that have ever roamed the earth are now extinct? Ms. Gulley's 8th grade science students recently participated in several class activities that looked at necessary adaptations in organisms that allow them to survive within ever changing environments.

One of the most interesting labs had students representing a breed of birds called fork birds. The bird beaks were represented by plastic forks that had varying numbers of tines. All students started with a two tined fork. Portraying birds, the students tried to eat as many wild loops (fruit loops) as possible in a given amount of time. The students who could eat the most amount in a timed event survived. Those who ate the least became extinct. The surviving fork birds "reproduced" and rolled a dice to determine the number of prongs their offspring possessed. After 10 generations of offspring the students could easily see that change happens gradually over time.

These 8th graders enjoyed this activity that allowed them to see natural selection. It became obvious that those who were able to figure out how to use their beaks the best had adapted and were the ones who survived and reproduced. The ones who could not figure out how to adapt and did not eat enough food died out. The reproduction aspect was important in this activity because it showed how organisms can pass down genes and traits from parents to offspring.

While learning this information was made fun with plastic forks and fruit loops, a meaningful lesson about extinction and survival in changing environments was evident. We appreciate how our teachers strive to engage our students in new and different ways. You can see the video clips from the activity at your YouTube channel, here.

Superintendent's Corner

Landing Squarely Where His Passion Is - Mr. Wright Returns to BHS

Singer and actress Sabrina Bryan said, "You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus and the support." We think she may have been talking about BHS Agriculture Education Instructor Mr. Nick Wright.

Mr. Wright, a 2009 BHS graduate, made a career change this year to accept a position with the Miami Valley Career Technology Center. His assignment was to be the classroom teacher at his alma mater, Brookville, and to guide the Brookville-CTC Chapter of the FFA. In this capacity he spends his days teaching students about agriculture and developing their leadership skills.

To appreciate this homecoming you have to understand this was not Mr. Wright's original career path. "The initial goal was to work within the cattle industry," he explained. He successfully held a position with Mercer Landmark, a Celina based Co-Op, where he was a beef cattle feed consultant. But as the opening quote says, "...you can do anything as long as you have the passion...". When he was presented with the opportunity to come back and teach a subject that he has "a huge passion for and become active in an organization that played a huge role in the individual I am today, it was a no brainer for me," says the first year teacher.

And what about the support? It has been abundant. Nick points to his August '16 bride, Cassie (Emerick) Wright, along with his parents John and Lori, as those who have been of tremendous support over the years and through this career change. Wife, Cassie, is a graduate of nearby Twin Valley South but Mr. Wright said, "I don't hold that against her."

The passion, drive and focus for Ag Education and FFA oozes from this new teacher. He pointed out that even though he grew up in town, his parents supported his venture into FFA. "The information I gained and experiences I had through being a member allowed me to fully grasp agriculture and build my passion and career in that field," he pointed out. "Time spent with Dale Winner, Stephanie Davis and Bill Hershberger in the classroom and time spent with Randy Harris, my employer for my FFA supervised agricultural experience, did it for me." Mr. Wright proudly points out that FFA is the largest student organization in the nation with 649,355 members. Being able to write that on applications has opened doors for him. He is steadfast that the three part curriculum of time spent learning in the classroom, time spent experiencing agriculture outside the classroom and time spent building leadership skills through FFA events and competitions has played a key role in his personal development. You can see photos from his first time as a teacher at the 2016 FFA Convention on our website here.

At BHS, we are extremely proud of his accomplishments and equally excited to have him back guiding this outstanding program.

Upcoming Events At Brookville Local Schools

We invite you to take a moment to watch the video which highlights some of the exciting things that are coming up in the next few weeks at Brookville Local Schools.

Blue Devil Athletics

February means tournament time for school athletic teams. Most of our Blue Devil teams are either into their tournament schedule or in the final games of their regular season. Here is a thumbnail sketch of Blue Devil athletics:

BHS Boys' Basketball - Despite a second loss last Friday, our men's basketball team is still enjoying a record setting season. At 16-2 the Devils travel to Franklin tomorrow night (Tue., February 7) with hopes to win and move into a first place tie in the SWBL. The seed meeting for the sectional tournament is next weekend.

BHS Girls' Basketball - The team has two games left and the last home game is tonight against Bethel at 6:00. The team opens sectional tournament play Wednesday, February 22, at Franklin Monroe at 7:30.

BHS Swimming - Although hit hard by last year's graduation, our Water Devils performed very well at last week's SWBL Swimming and Diving Championships.

The girls team finished 3rd of seven teams in the tough Southwestern division. Individual honors went to Sophomore Emma Swabb who finished 2nd in the 100 Backstroke and 3rd in the 200 IM. She was joined reaching the podium by Junior Grace Rohrer who finished 6th in the 100 Breaststroke. The girls also placed in the following relay events: 200 Free Relay - 5th place, 400 Free Relay - 4th place, 200 Medley Relay - 4th place.

The boys team finished 5th of seven in the Southwestern division. Individual honors went to Owen Mills who finished 6th in the 100 Butterfly. The boys relay teams placed in the 200 Free Relay - 5th, 400 Free Relay - 5th and 200 Medley Relay - 6th. Both teams will enter sectional competition this weekend at the Trotwood High School Natatorium.

BHS Wrestling - Our BHS wrestlers did not compete over the weekend, but are looking ahead to a match at Dixie on Wednesday, February 8th. The grapplers are also gearing up to begin competition in the SWBL Tournament this weekend at Madison High School.

Jr. High Wrestling - The BIS wrestling team finished first in their SWBL tournament this past weekend at Preble Shawnee. The team had numerous place winners and Ashton Macri, Mason Esterline and Gianni Carey were all league champions in their respective weight classes. In the end, the grapplers edged Preble Shawnee 187.5 to 184.5 to become League Champs!

Jr. High Basketball - All four teams (7th & 8th grade boys and girls) opened league tournament play this past weekend. The 7th and 8th grade girls won their first round games and the 8th grade boys' won their initial game. We wish all of our BIS teams the very best as they advance to second round games this week.

Art Is Meant To Be Shared

This year BHS Assistant Principal, Mrs. Sayre-Nickell and BHS art teacher, Mrs. Rieger created an art exhibit in the main office at the High School. While the display brings a natural cheerfulness that draws many positive comments, there is more than that to this display. Real world displays like this one can raise the quality and expectation of student work. According to Mrs. Sayre-Nickell, "My hope was to elevate and bring attention to those students who have talents we often never see."

When a student knows that their work is on display for their peers, parents and community, they step up to the challenge and sometimes even exceed their own personal expectations. So far 4 student artists, Sierrah Howard, Shakti Patel, Stormie Mohr and Sydney Carnes have had their work displayed in the BHS office exhibit. Mrs. Rieger is constantly challenging students with display options, but the new artwork posted in the office certainly brings a nice combination of pride and delight. You can see a few more art items here.

Staff Spotlight

We would like to introduce you to Miss Katie Bigelow,an intervention specialist at BES. The Staff Spotlight is a regular feature in the Blue Connector and is designed to assist you in getting to know our teachers and staff. Please take a moment to learn a little bit about Miss Bigelow and what she does at BES.

Where is your hometown?

Troy, Ohio

Where do you live now?

I currently live in Troy, Ohio.

How many years have you been a teacher?

This is my fourth year teaching.

How many years have you taught at Brookville?

This is my first year at Brookville. My first 3 years of teaching were at Greenville Middle School.

What is your position in the school district?

I am an intervention specialist at Brookville Elementary. I work with K-3 students, mainly working on math and writing skills.

Tell us about your family and hobbies outside of teaching?

I have an older brother, Matt, who lives in Columbus with his wife, Corinne. He is a Nuclear Medicine Technician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. I also have 1 dog, a 14-year-old Beagle named Lexi. My current "hobby" is finishing up grad school. I am working on my Master's of Behavior Analysis through the University of Cincinnati. I will graduate from that this spring. Outside of grad school, I love to travel. Most of my close friends live outside the Dayton area (Columbus, Cleveland, Tennessee, and South Carolina), so I love to travel to see them. I enjoy being artsy and will never turn down reading a great book!

What is your favorite thing about working in Brookville?

Everything! I love the incredible people I work with, the students I get to teach, the families I have met, and the fantastic community support that all make Brookville wonderful. Of all my experiences in other districts (from college field experiences and substitute teaching), I have yet to come across a district as special as Brookville. I am honored to be part of this district!

How do you spend June and July?

During the summer, I work part-time by babysitting for several families in the Troy and Brookville areas. I also take advantage of my time off to visit some of my friends that live out of state. I enjoy doing puzzles and trying new recipes from Pinterest. However, I can't deny that I do enjoy having the time to dive into a good book, or several, during these two months as well!

Where Are They Now?

Brookville Schools are proud of our series "Where Are They Now", which features profiles of past Brookville High School graduates. These graduates have responded to brief questions concerning their education or training after high school, their current occupation and their words of wisdom to the students in our buildings.

Our current profile is of Kelli Rynders, a 2008 graduate. Please take a moment to view this latest profile here. You can also view our past profiles on our website.

Not All Engineers Drive Trains

BES 2nd Graders Explore Engineering as a Career

Last Friday, Brookville 2nd graders were treated to a career exploration program put on by the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers. This group is reaching out to 2nd graders around the state through their "Imagine Engineering" program and coloring contest. The Society is taking this opportunity to expose students to a variety of engineering careers and how they correlate to jobs in our area.

Friday, real-life engineer Winn Holcombe read a book to students titled "Engineers Don't Just Drive Trains" and introduced children to other types of engineering. Mr. Winn gave examples of structural, chemical, civil, electrical and aeronautical engineering. He helped students understand what the term "engineer" means and how the jobs they choose can be as close as home or as broad as the world. He also invited the students to participate in a coloring contest where they illustrate and color one of the engineering careers. Winners can advance through the contest and ultimately win prizes.

This program was initiated by 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Nawroth. She stated that "I was instantly interested because this program fits nicely with both the district goal of career connections and the second grade social studies standard of how jobs that people do are influenced by the areas in which they live." Mrs. Nawroth's effort to bring this program to BES combined with Mr. Holcombe's presentation was a great experience for these young children. You can view a short video from Mr. Holcombe's presentation on our YouTube channel, here.

High Five's

BHS Students Fair Well at Recent OMEA Competition

Congratulations to our BHS students who recently participated at the OMEA Solo & Ensemble Competition at Stebbins High School. They performed well and received the following ratings:

Garrett Gooch (Marimba solo & Piano Solo) - Excellent Rating On Both

Emily Castillo (Clarinet Solo) - Excellent Rating

Sierrah Howard (Flute Solo) - Excellent Rating

Peter Brand (Tuba Solo) - Superior Rating

Trumpet Trio (Page, Willis, and Horvath) - Excellent Rating

Hannah May (Clarinet Solo) - Superior Rating

Travis McColloch (Snare Solo) - Superior Rating

Jeremy Page (trumpet solo) - Superior Rating

Low Brass Quartet (Abrams, Brand, Bronner, Shatsby) - Excellent Rating

Congratulations and keep working hard!

BIS Wrestling Takes 1st Place

This team traveled to Preble Shawnee for their SWBL Championships last weekend and came home with the 1st Place trophy! Coach Pete Chakiris called it "an outstanding team effort" with 13 wrestlers placing in the top 6 of the 14 team tournament. In an exciting finish the team edged runner-up Preble Shawnee 187.5 to 184.5. Individual champions included Ashton Macri, Mason Esterline and Gianni Carey. Congratulations wrestlers!!

BIS Parent Group

Thank you to our BIS parent group for all of their hard work in supporting the Intermediate School and hosting activities for our students. Most recently, the BIS Parent Group hosted WinterFest, an after school event filled with activities and games which, as usual, was packed with students having a great time.

Around Town

Athletic Booster Club's Annual Fish Fry

The time has arrived for the 6th Annual Fish Fry sponsored by the Brookville Athletic Booster Club. The event which will be held on Saturday, February 11th is the largest fundraiser for the Booster Club and continues to be a fun evening of great food and games, silent auctions and time spent with friends. For more information and to purchase your tickets, please see the flyer.

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