Bremen High School District 228
Bremen High School District 228 is thrilled to share the latest edition of our annual Career Guide. The 2023-2024 interactive career guide is created each year to serve as a beneficial resource for students, families and our communities to showcase the career pathways, courses, and opportunities we have to offer here in District 228.
Check out this year's online Career Guide for Bremen High School District 228! Click here to read!
In an effort to provide resources to anyone who may need them, District 228 teamed up with Jewel-Osco to host a community wellness clinic at each of our four District 228 schools. The clinic took place on October 5 and October 6. Over 300 vaccines were administered to community members, students and staff.
Coach Bill Griffin, a well-known and inspiring Bremen High School Cross Country Coach and alum has received the honor of being named Brooks Running Inspiring Coaches Program’s Midwest Region Inspiring Cross Country Coach of the Year!
Each year, the Brooks Running Inspiring Coaches Program honors and rewards high school track and cross country coaches that inspire the next generation of runners. These coaches go above and beyond in their community. Over several months, the program received hundreds of nominations from athletes, faculty, parents, and community members, recognizing their high school coach as someone who has inspired them to be a better version of themselves. In the end, the organization narrowed down to four finalists representing each region – Northeast, South, Midwest and West.
Bremen High School’s Coach Bill Griffin has been described in nominations as someone who is “truly an amazing coach and an even more amazing human being,” and someone who’s “coaching is impressive, but the impact he has on the boys/young men is unmatchable.”
By earning this status, Griffin was also rewarded with a $1,100 Brooks Running gear package, and an invitation to the 2024 Brooks Inspire Daily (ID) program. Humbled, Coach Griffin had the following to say about receiving this award:
“This award sheds light on people that are having an impact on young adults that just happen to be athletes. There are so many life lessons that we talk about with our athletes that go far beyond sports. Just talking to them and learning about their backgrounds, family lives and cultures has been a rewarding experience. We try to let them know that they matter to us and they are important to us.
I think that the kids that buy into what we are offering them really get the most out of our sport. It doesn't matter how fast you are, it matters that you are becoming a better runner & a better person each day. We try to balance the hard work with having fun along the way. Our coaching staff (Rob Swiech, Paige Galvin, Anna Rauch and formerly Renee Yunker) all jump in to teach the kids and to show the kids a good time. I've been coaching at Bremen for 34 years now and each year, I have to change and adapt to the kids. I like to think that they appreciate what we are trying to do for them.”
On Friday, September 29, 2023, Bremen High School held its annual homecoming pep rally full of fun, and exciting moments for students and staff. One unforgettable moment occurred for Dean Dave Curtin, who was inducted into the Bremen High School Hall of Fame.
Dave graduated from Bremen in 1992, and was a dedicated multi-sport athlete for many years. He focused much of his athletic career on football, playing four years on varsity, and even served as team captain. He was also a two-year letter winner and a MAC conference champion at Ball State University.
Dave is a running enthusiast. To date, he has run over 52 ultra marathons, including 10 100+ mile races. He has participated in two incredible charity runs, one for a former teammate at Ball State, (Dave ran from his home in Munster, Indiana to Muncie, Indiana (170 miles), and another in honor of his late mother, Linda, (135 miles) to raise scholarship funds for District 228 students in the name of the Linda Curtin Memorial Scholarship.
Dave has been working in District 228 since 1999, and has been at Bremen High School since 2006. He is an incredible family man, colleague, mentor, and friend, who has dedicated his life to helping our young men and women become the best versions of themselves.
"Bremen has been a part of my life since 1979. So, this is truly an amazing honor. I have been lucky to have an amazing family that has challenged me and supported me," Curtin said. "Over the years I've had coaches, teachers, students, and colleagues that have also contributed to the man I've become. I'm a lucky man. I can't thank everyone enough for this honor."
Dave’s motto is to “Always be a better me,” and he certainly embodies this in all that he does. We Congratulate Dave, who is the most deserving of this recognition, and we were honored to induct him into the Bremen High School Alumni Hall of Fame this year.
On Friday, October 20th, Bremen High School hosted its first annual Golf Ball Drop, a fundraising opportunity raising money for Bremen’s Academic Boosters Program. People were able to purchase golf balls for $10 each to be dropped from a fire truck ladder in the hopes of winning $1,000. There were 266 golf balls sold, and proceeds go toward scholarships and other incentives.
The Academic Boosters Program financially supports our Bremen High School senior scholarships, various student recognition programs and incentives, and more. The event was prompted after the school began looking for more creative ways to support seniors.
The Posen Fire Department came to Bremen on Friday morning, extending their truck ladder high into the sky to drop over 200 purchased golf balls to see which three land the closest to the center of the bullseye on the grass. The first place winner won $1,000, second place won $100 and third place won $50.
The first place winner was Patti Cebulski - Class of 1986, Second place was Joel Reyes, and third place was Chris Gonzalez - Bremen Class of 1992.
“The amount of senior scholarships that we give out around graduation time at our senior honors night is really impactful for our kids,” said Dr. Jessica Rucinski, Principal of Bremen High School. “Our kids work hard and are very deserving of these recognitions. This allows us to keep initiatives like this going for our students.”
Dr. Rucinski credits main office assistant Deb Strom for coordinating the event, and thanks the Posen Fire Department for attending and assisting in the golf drop.
The following article was originally posted on Interactive Health Technologies website.
Four IHT ZONE heart rate monitors, won at a past Illinois AHPERD conference, changed the way a school district handled its student wellness program, starting with its physical education classes.
Bremen High School District 228 sent a contingent of teachers to the state’s annual conference of health and PE teachers. One of them, Gus Yiakos, attended IHT’s session at the 2019 conference and entered a raffle for a set of 4 heart rate monitors. He won, brought the monitors back to campus and began a pilot program with a handful of students.
“He was using them and told me, ‘these are super cool….can I share these with the department at a meeting?’” Bremen Curriculum Supervisor for Health, Driver’s Ed and PE Terri Schrishuhn recalled recently.
“First the technology allowed teachers to deliver valuable lessons, and second it eliminated the chest strap,” she said.
Being a wrist-based monitor, the IHT ZONE eliminated that challenge for her teachers and students. That aspect, along with the feedback from her early-adopting teachers, convinced her to order sets for her teachers.
Using Federal Grants to Invest In IHT’s Heart Rate Program
“At that point we had some (Every Student Succeeds Act) Title 4 money and that allowed us to get a limited number of sets,” she said. “We were able to get 8 sets for our high schools and put 2 sets at each campus.”
Bremen’s high school PE team used the heart rate monitors for a year before COVID put on-campus learning on hold for the next 12-18 months. As schools returned to in-person learning, Schrishuhn learned about the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) money that the federal government made available.
“We went from having 2 classroom sets in each (high school) building to now we have 28 sets and every teacher has their own,” she said.
Schrishuhn worked with her direct supervisor, who manages the district’s funding procedure, to request - and receive - federal funding.
“I’m very fortunate with the role I’m in,” she said. “My immediate supervisor, who is the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, also manages the majority of the district’s grants. She knew the ins and outs of the grant so we could maximize the funding efforts. One of the areas of focus under ESSER was to improve the quality of learning through the use of digital tools.
Tinley Park HS Varsity Volleyball Team Wins Regional Championship
The Tinley Park High School Varsity Volleyball team has earned the title of Regional Champions!
After a long, hard-working volleyball season, our varsity titan team scored a massive win, landing them the IHSA Regional Champion title. The team earned the title after beating Washington High School in Chicago on October 26.
This season, the team played a total of 30 varsity games. The team consists of 12 tough titan athletes, and their coach Michelle Beary.
"It was an exciting win, and the first time since 2017!" Tinley Park High School Athletic Director Mike Mongan said. "It was a complete team effort. We are so proud of how well they played all season long. Go Titans!"
For the past few weeks, Oak Forest High School AP studio art students have been working on portraits of children in need from Colombia through the Memory Project. Eleven students from OFHS have put in hours of hard work painting and/or drawing their portraits.
On the back of each portrait, students traced their hands and wrote a message inside the tracing to the child they created artwork for. Children who will receive their artwork are orphans, refugees, or displaced. OFHS students are proud to work so hard on something they ultimately have to give away.
Oak Forest AP Studio Art Teacher Dan Chambers and student artist Abbey Hernandez were live on CBS2 on October 26 to talk about the Memory Project and why they decided to get involved.
Learn more about the project and check out the interview!
Hillcrest Building Trades course students attended the South Suburban College Construction Open House on October 26, 2023. The Construction Open House was an opportunity for students to see the SSC college students in action rebuilding a gutted home in Park Forest. Union representative spoke about the different skills needed in the trades and the importance of learning on the job from experienced workers.
Representatives from CEDA spoke about their opportunities and the advancement of green construction CEDA offers a variety of programs and services in the areas of community and economic development, education, emergency assistance, employment and training, energy conservation and services, health and nutrition, and housing. The focus of CEDA's Green Generation summer program is to integrate Life Skills, Technical Skills, and Leadership Skills that young adults need to better prepare themselves to meet the challenges of school and their future careers.
The Bremen High School District 228 Building Trades course, a dual credit course ( opportunity for free college credit) in partnership with South Suburban College, prepares students with entry-level skills in the building /construction industry career pathway.
Pictured with the students are District 228 Building Trades teacher, Andrew Harrington and the South Suburban College Building Construction Technology program instructor, Eugene Damiani.
Students from Bremen High School’s National Honor Society chapter and Student Council are beginning preparations for their 39th annual food drive! Starting Monday, November 6th through Friday, November 10th, students, faculty, and staff will begin going door to door to distribute food drive donation bags throughout the community.
Donations will then be collected, door to door, by students, faculty, and staff, beginning Monday, November 13th through Friday, November 17th. Non-perishable food items which are collected, will be redistributed through Bremen’s Micro Pantry and local churches that have programs for distributing assistance to the needy; recipients do not have to be members of those churches.
Non-perishable food item donations can be dropped off prior to scheduled pickup dates at Berkot’s Super Foods in Midlothian or at Bremen High School (Pulaski Road entrance).
Bremen High School’s National Honor Society chapter sponsor, Sarah Bogard, said “We are excited to get this event going and appreciate the support of our community and Berkot’s, who help make this event a success each year.”
Berkot’s Super Foods in Midlothian has proudly supported this event since 2015, donating paper grocery bags which help streamline the food drive donation collection process.
A trio from a high school in the south suburbs planned to attend a Halloween party recently but two friends didn’t want the third to come, so they gave him the wrong address. When he found out, he was so mad he was driven to murder.
Luckily, this wasn’t actual mean girls and boys, but rather a story from the vivid imagination of Hillcrest High School students who turned their idea into an award-winning silent film.
Their film, “Whispers of a Ghost,” recently won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema at the Halloween Student Silent Film Festival at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove. The film won for the quality of its story narrative, development, camera work, lighting and editing, according to contest organizers.
The four students who acted in the film said the hours of work inside their media classroom and outside in the community were well worth it. They received a trophy, as well as an HD digital file of the movie with the accompanying soundtrack of live organ music by festival founder Derek Berg.
Read the whole story in the Chicago Tribune!
Hillcrest High School Social Science teacher Kristen Kaczmarek served on a panel at the 2023 Illinois History Conference in Springfield. Kaczmarek has presented at the conference in the past, but this was the first time the passionate teacher had the honor of serving on a panel regarding public history in the classroom.
The Hillcrest High School teacher spoke about how public historians and K-12 schools can work together to improve history education by working with museums, visiting historical sites, engaging with online public history and more. On several occasions, Kaczmarek worked with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, as well as work through the Gilder Lehrman Institute and a program they ran through there. Additionally, she serves on the Teacher Advisory Board for the Chicago History Museum and does work with the iCivics Advisory Board as well.
Heading into the event, Kaczmarek said her goal was to increase conversations that will allow the panel to identify areas they can collaborate on, increase student achievement, aid educators in enhancing curriculum, and develop possible professional development ideas.
“Discussions like this are important because even though the internet is a great resource, we often forget about public historians and how they can help us educate students. Using universities and museums allows our students to gain different viewpoints and perspectives into history that they are unable to do via a computer or textbook,” Kaczmarek said. “ Our students can even speak with historians and gain valuable knowledge that can add to instruction allowing them to apply what they have learned and make deeper connections. Additionally, conversations between educators and public historians allow for more meaningful content to be developed in our curriculums which can directly be tied into not only State Standards, but Common Core Standards as well.”
Kaczmarek has always been fascinated with history, and learning more about the past and those who created change. One of her grandfathers served in World War II, and learning about his history was very interesting to her as a child. Additionally, Kaczmarek’s other grandfather was a Chicago Firefighter and took many photos for the city of Chicago. Looking at these photos and learning about the past at a young age really sparked her interest into wanting to learn more.
“I would not be able to present at this conference if it was not for women in history who decided they wanted to change the status quo. Seeing how history has changed and how certain parts of our society still are trying to change is what fascinates me about this area,” Kaczmarek said. “I also love to see how my students make certain connections about history in class, and when they learn something new about a topic that interests them in history, making them want to investigate more. This drives me to continue to develop certain areas of my curriculum so that I continue to spark curiosity and make them just as passionate about this subject area as I am.”
This opportunity meant a lot to Kaczmarek, who was told once during a job fair that as a woman, she wouldn’t find a position as a history teacher. She now holds four graduate degrees, different endorsements, countless hours spent on history curriculum committees, presenting at the Illinois History Conference, and now being asked to serve on a panel.
“It just goes to show don’t give up on your dreams. This is something that I tell my students every day. If you are passionate about something and have a dream, don’t give up on it no matter what,” she said. “The road may be rocky at times, but it will be worth it in the end. I am now working at a phenomenal school district where I LOVE my students and I get to present at conferences and serve on Teacher Advisory Boards for Museums. Anything is possible!”
It is not unusual to come to OFHS on any given day in the month of October and find anyone on the staff or in the student body wearing pink to bring awareness for cancer. It is a very important cause and one that is dear to the hearts of students and staff at OF.
In fact, our own Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Development, Dr. Mike Boniface wears pink EVERY SINGLE DAY in the month of October! Why? He is a part of the Men Wear Pink Campaign and is now on the Executive Board. So all of the cancer awareness at OFHS is obviously close to his heart too.
The Oak Forest's soccer team is a driving force behind this Cancer Awareness month too. On Sept. 26, they held their annual Childhood Cancer Awareness Game called “Bengals Help Kick Childhood Cancer!” and raised money for the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest by selling tickets for gift baskets during lunchtime and also selling raffle tickets as well, raising $1805!
Like the OFHS Soccer team, the OFHS Girls’ Volleyball team has a very important Cancer Awareness game called Volley For the Cure which also happened on October 17. Ozinga came to support us on that day and sent their pink-striped cement mixer to the event to bring awareness which was really neat!
Our DECA Class and Club worked hard behind the scenes making and selling shirts and sweatshirts for students and staff to wear and donated their profits toward the cause. They started selling gold shirts in September because that is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month and continued making pink shirts into October. They also organized several fundraisers at local restaurants like our newly opened Oak Forest Culvers, and the Tinley Park Portillos. They also had Nothing Bundt Cakes help with a fundraiser for this cause.
Our Cheer Team volunteered at the Making Strides Event for ACS for the 16th year in a row! So, at the final football game of the year, the PINK OUT game, the Cheer Team presented the American Cancer Society with the money that DECA and the school had fundraised for cancer.
We are proud of all of the students at OFHS who regularly support our awareness campaigns and really think hard about people affected by them.
Writing comes easy for student author Alaia Muhammad, a junior at Hillcrest who recently published her first poetry book titled, "Stability and Peace."
The book, which was published in August, is full of poems and inspirational quotes for people who are healing and reaching stability and peace in their life. Alaia says, "It takes time but one can make it."
The junior said the novel contains relatable poetry that was written based on experiences she faced and overcame in life. Her goal with writing the book was to give the reader peace.
"I wanted people look at these poems and find an inspiration and have a peace of mind," Alaia said. "It is possible to overcome your obstacles and find peace and stability. It can take a while, but it is always possible and things really do get better."
Alaia describes her experience writing the book as an exciting journey. The junior completed the book in three months, and it currently working on more.
"My inspiration came from a music artist actually named Melanie Martinez, she makes songs for people to listen to to make them feel heard and make their feelings feel completely valid and accepted," Alaia said. "I wanted to make people feel that way too, so I picked up my laptop and started typing up anything that came to my mind. I’ve been through a lot so I used my experiences to also write the poems I wrote in the books."
A quote Alaia would like to relay to readers is, "There will always be a light to the dark tunnel, so keep running, you’ll make it every time."
Stability and Peace is currently available for purchase on Amazon. Check out the novel here!
On Friday, November 3rd, Tinley Park High School's Seeker's Diversity Club held its annual International Fest in the main gym.
The festival consisted of food, music and dance from around the world. Some of the countries represented at the event included Mexico, USA, France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of the Congo, Palestine, African-American Culture, Italy, Argentina, Albania, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Morocco, India, and the Philippines.
Hundreds of people attended the event, including CBS Chicago! Check out their coverage here!
