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Our Boone Mock Trial team just finished an intense three-day competition at the Florida State Championship Tournament (Braves' success story in this issue.)

William R. Boone High School Community Brief Monday, April 21, 2025

This week we celebrate Prom season starting with Monday's "Country vs. Country Club" Dress Up Day. In this week's Totem Talk we have included a final set of reminders and information for Prom as we want everyone attending to have a very positive and memorable evening. 

Thank you so much to those of our parents & guardians who answered this year's family survey. The combined results from the 2025 survey will be of immense help with school improvement, a topic which we continually discuss in our monthly School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings. Please remember that our final SAC meeting of the year is coming up on Tuesday, May 6 and that all of our Boone community members are welcome and encouraged to attend. 

Upcoming special events:

April 21: Prom Week - Dress Up Days

April 22: School Bus Driver Appreciation Day / Earth Day

April 23: Administrative Professionals Day

April 24: Spring Pep Rally (Adjusted Bell Schedule)

April 25: Spring Chorus Concert - TICKETS

April 26: Prom - Double Tree By Hilton at SeaWorld

April 28: Bravette Auditions - Interest Meeting

April 28: Art Contest Deadline

April 29: Senior Awards Night

May 1-2: Spring Band PRISM Concert - TICKETS

May 6: SAC Meeting (School Advisory Council)

May 6: PTSO Greet & Gather (Following SAC Meeting)

May 14: Senior Drive Thru and Sunset

May 15: Senior Check Out

May 16: BHSAA Golf Tournament - Rio Pinar Golf & Country Club

May 19: Brave Beginnings - Rising 9th Grade Information Night

May 28: Class of 2025 Graduation - UCF Arena

Content in this week's Totem Talk for our community:

1) BRAVE CONNECTIONS - This Wednesday, 1:00pm (No RSVP)

2) Brave Spotlight

3) Criminal Magnet - Mock Trial Team

4) Finance Magnet - IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

5) Prom Week

6) Spring Pep Rally

7) Spring Chorus Concert

8) Art Contest 

9) Graduates in Need

10) Bravette Auditions

11) Senior Events

12) Brave Beginnings 

13) BHSAA Golf Tournament

14) OCPS News

15) Food for Thought

As always, thank you for reading and I hope to see you at BRAVE CONNECTIONS Wednesday afternoon if you have a Brave attending this quarter.

Forever Brave,

Dr. Maestre

Principal

Mark your calendars! Our last Parent/Teacher Conference of the school year will be held on Wednesday, April 23rd. 

BRAVE CONNECTIONS will begin at 1:20 PM in the cafeteria. This is a valuable opportunity for families to:

● Discuss your student’s academic progress with their teachers

● Receive recommendations for support

● Ask questions about coursework

This is the perfect time to collaborate and ensure your student’s success for the remainder of the year!

Details to remember:

● BRAVE CONNECTIONS occurs once per quarter

● Check in at the front office by 1:00 PM

● No RSVP needed

We’re excited to see you there and partner with you for your student’s success!

Congratulations to these outstanding young women from Boone High School who have been selected by The American Legion to attend Girls State!

Nicole Vera

Emily Ong

Jalysa Williams

Viviana Negron

Allory Boston

We’re so proud of your leadership and accomplishments. This is a remarkable opportunity to learn, grow, and represent our community with pride!

Girls State Motto:

"Forward Forever, Backward Never, Within Ourselves Our Future Lies"

The Boone Mock Trial team delivered a stunning performance at the Florida State Championship Tournament, a grueling three-day competition that pitted the state's top circuit champions against each other. After four intense rounds, Boone and Fort Lauderdale emerged as the two highest-ranked teams, earning the coveted spots in the final round.

Boone and Fort Lauderdale showcased their exceptional skills in a master class round. While Fort Lauderdale ultimately claimed the state championship, Boone's performance was nothing short of extraordinary, solidifying their place as State Finalists.

Adding to the team's impressive achievements, senior Sagan Helms (above) received a prestigious Outstanding Attorney Award, a testament to her exceptional legal acumen.

We are immensely proud of our team's dedication, hard work, and remarkable accomplishments this season.

State Finalist Team:

• Dafney Creson - Captain

• Sagan Helms

• Francis Ting

• Giana Romero

• Oliver Bittakis

• Dylan Elliott

• Dianela Guerrier Garcia

• Huong Ho

• Alyssa Satmaria

• Carson Shields

Coaches:

• Troy Dennis - Law Teacher

• Megan Bittakis - Attorney Coach

• Robert Larr - Attorney Coach

This Thursday, the Orange County Bar Association will recognize the Boone Mock Trial team's outstanding achievements at their monthly luncheon.

We are excited to announce the successful conclusion of Year 21 for our IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Site at Boone High School. Earlier this past week, the Finance Magnet juniors e-filed their final tax return of the season, marking another milestone for our students and the community. We extend our gratitude to Mr. Daniel for his exceptional leadership, which has made this program a unique learning opportunity for our students while providing an essential service to our community.

This season, our site achieved an impressive milestone, filing the second most tax returns in the program's history, just behind the class of 2017. It is estimated that our students saved the community approximately $27,000 in fees for tax assistance, highlighting their dedication and skill.

Jayden Jimenez, who completed 12 returns, reflected: "Participating in the VITA tax site at Boone will stay with me for life. Filing my own taxes free of charge inspired me to become a CPA." Anabella Creson, who also filed 12 returns, shared: "I loved filing taxes for the community. Meeting clients and using knowledge from Mr. Daniel's class was a great experience." William Taulbee, who filed 13 returns, added: "Helping the community save money through our tax site is unforgettable. Learning to complete tax returns is a skill I'll use for life." 

Thank you to Mr. Daniel and his students for their continued support and contribution to this initiative's success!

Prom Week Dress Up Days:

Prom Reminders:

A Night in Paris

Boone High School Prom

April 26, 2025

DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld

6:00-10:30 pm

What to bring:

● Boone Picture School ID (or picture ID)

● Prom Table Registration Card 

Guests:

● Guests should be of high school age and under 21 and should have filled out the guest form.

Dress Code is Formal:

● Dress Code: The dress code is formal. If you are not sure if your outfit is acceptable, please see any administrator before the dance to confirm you will be allowed in.

Acceptable

Formal dresses (dress length should stay within the schools dress code-nothing too short)

Suits

Spaghetti straps or strapless

Dress pants

Dress shoes

Dress shirt with collar and tie

Unacceptable

Midriff open (sides cut out or belly showing)

Plunging necklines

Plunging backlines

Anything deemed too revealing

No hats, flip flops, sunglasses, or canes are permitted inside the dance

● BHS Administration reserves the right to refuse admission or dismiss you from the event if you arrive in unacceptable attire, show up late, or for any other behavior deemed appropriate for removal.

Dancing Policy:

● Our dancing policy will be in effect. Students will receive a wristband at check in. If a student dances inappropriately, the wristband will be cut off. If the student dances inappropriately again, the student will be asked to leave the dance.

● Behavior should be appropriate for a school function. OCPS rules and regulations must be followed by the student and by the guest of a BHS student. 

Administration reserves the right to use appropriate disciplinary action set forth by Boone and OCPS. 

Check-In:

● Check-in will begin at 6:00 and close at 7:15. Doors to the ballroom open at 6:30 and dinner will begin promptly at 6:45. Please be on time. Coat check will be available for shoes, purses, coats etc...  

● Administration reserves the right to refuse entrance to prom if you do not check in before 7:15 pm.

Hotel Address: 

DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld

10100 International Dr. Orlando, FL 32821

Parking Information:

Self parking will be free. Parking goes around the entire hotel. The event will be in the Palms Conference Center so try to park near there. The ballroom is called the Majestic Ballroom. All parking attendants will direct students to the closest lot to the palms conference center if you tell them you are with Boone Prom. 

You may purchase tickets by going to teachtix.com/bhs

Prom: April 26th at 6:30 pm at DoubleTree By Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld

Senior Awards Night: April 29th at 6:30 pm in the PAC

● Award Night invites will be sent out on April 18th

● Those participating must dress nicely, no jeans or athletic wear

Mandatory Graduation Rehearsal: May 14th at 12:30 pm until 2:20 pm in the PAC

● Information will be shared on graduation attire

● Graduates must attend rehearsal in order to participate in the Graduation Ceremony

Senior Drive Thru and Sunset: May 14th at 6:45pm

● Seniors will arrive in their decorated cars to the teacher parking lot - max of 4 seniors per car

● The Senior Sunset is at 7:15 pm in the Stadium

Senior Checkout: May 15th at 7:30am - 10am in the PAC

● Seniors will park in the student lot and enter the PAC gates

● Seniors will receive checkout list on May 1st and should begin completing ASAP

● Once the checkout process is completed, graduates will receive their graduation tickets 

● Each graduate will receive 10 complimentary guest tickets

Graduation: May 28th at 8:30am at the UCF Arena

Join Boone High School Athletic Association for the annual golf tournament! Visit TournEvents.com/BooneBravesGolf for all of the details and to register! 

Email BooneAthletics@gmail.com with any questions. 

Weekly Superintendent's Message

April 14, 2025

This week, on Mondays with Maria presented by Addition Financial, we're handing the mic to our middle schoolers! Hear their real, honest advice for incoming students!

Want more middle school tips? Listen to this week's Mondays with Maria Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Bus Registration

The 2025-2026 School Bus Rider Registration form is now accessible to parents, schools, and Student Enrollment staff via the Skyward portal. Completing this form is mandatory, as it will facilitate the issuance of student bus ID cards. Please refer to the attached document for detailed instructions on how to access and complete the form.

1) 2025 1st quarter weekly earnings by level of educational attainment:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Read full report

Footnote for our Braves: Four times per year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases their latest findings on education and weekly earnings. The report for the 2025 1st quarter came out this past Wednesday. While the figures may change all along, the pattern you see above holds quarter after year, year after year. 

2) Financial Literacy Score by Age Level:

Source: Wallethub Read full article

Boone Community Footnote: In Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), high school students must complete one-half credit in personal financial literacy and money management to receive a standard high school diploma. At Boone High School we also have our Finance Magnet program as featured in this issue. 

3) Law student bar exam results by Florida college:

Source: Tallahassee Democrat Read full article

Braves' footnote: Florida, as most states do, offers its bar exam twice yearly, in February (Feb. 2025 above) and July. A greater number of test takers, many of whom have just graduated from law school in May, sit for the summer administration of the exam.

4) The financial return on a college degree over time:

Source: The New York Federal Reserve Bank (April 16, 2025) Read full article

Braves' Footnote: Based upon the New York Fed's research, after rising significantly in the 1980s and early 1990s, the return to college has held between 12 and 13 percent for the past three decades and was 12.5 percent in 2024—easily exceeding the threshold for a sound financial investment. Indeed, by comparison, the stock market has provided a long-term return of about 8 percent and bonds have returned around 4 percent. However, our Braves should keep in mind there are a number of factors for individual students to consider such as your field of choice, geography, personal abilities, etc. Please remember to take advantage of our College and Career Center while you are still here with any questions related to post secondary options. 

5) Inspiration for the Week of April 21, 2025

Read inspirational quotes for our Braves about the value found in enjoying each day, putting your dreams first, and remembering to maintain an attitude of gratitude. 

Tolle On Mindfulness

Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there.” 

~Eckhart Tolle, teacher

Emerson On Goals

Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist

Kabat-Zinn On Focus

We take care of the future best by taking care of the present now.

~Jon Kabat-Zinn, teacher

Epicurus On Gratitude

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.

~Epicurus, philosopher

Brown On Kindness

Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.

~Brene Brown, academic

Forever Brave!

Dr. Maestre, Principal

Boone High School

Sunday, April 20, 2025