Upcoming Fall Festival

This is just a reminder that in a little over a week and a half the city of Bloomfield will hosts its annual Fall Festival. The Fall Festival will start a week from Friday, October 1oth, with the Bloomfield Parade. The parade will include floats from various high school clubs, groups. and teams such as: Basketball Team, FFA, FBLA, Bloomfield Band, etc. The festivities will continue Saturday with various booths and activities for the kids. Once again, many high school clubs and groups will be sponsoring / working food booths, Bloomfield paraphernalia booths, and fun activities.



As a side note, due to the large number of students participating in the festival, the middle school / high school band will not participate in the Charleston Marching Contests as previously planned.

Highlights Over the Weekend

The BHS Choir participated in the annual District Choir Competition. The competition was held in Cape Girardeau, MO Saturday morning and afternoon. The BHS Choir performed at a very high standard and had many of its members named to the All-District Choir. Those being named are:
11 - 12 choir
Alto: Devon Reece
Tenor: Tanner Boening, Blake Burger & Seth Norman

9-10 choir
Alto: Lydia Graviett & Maggie Thorn
Tenor: Paul Fox, Dylan Kelley, Joe Northern & Zach Pounds

Congratulations to all of our OUTSTANDING Choir members.

Also on Saturday, the Lady Wildcats Volleyball Team participated in the bracket round of the Gideon Volleyball Tournament. The Lady Wildcats came away from the tournament with 5-1 record and scored a 2nd Place Trophy in the process. Nice job ladies.

BETA CLUB SPONSORS RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE

Today Bloomfield High School students, faculty, staff, and community members were on campus to help the American Red Cross deal with recent disaster relief. The Red Cross in conjunction with the High School Beta Club sponsored a Blood Drive. The blood drive is an effort to increase the volume of blood available to individuals who are victims of accidents, in need of blood for surgery, or victims of the many national disasters.

Bloomfield Wildcats Go 2 For 2

The Lady Wildcats completed a sweep of the week's home games last night. They stared the sweep by defeating the Sikeston Bulldogs on Monday night. In JV action, the Wildcats dominated the first set and took a little more time to defeat the JV Bulldogs in the second set. In Varsity action the Lady Wildcats had to go 3 sets with the Lady Bulldogs. However, they proved to be too strong and ended up pulling out the victory.

In Tuesday's action, the Wildcats took on the Lady Rebels of Richland, and the wins by both teams were a bit more decisive. After shaking off some early jitters, the JV Wildcats dominated the Richland Rebels in the second set to win the match 2-0. The varsity Wildcats repeated the JV team's performance by also winning in decisive fashion and sweeping the varsity Lady Rebels to win the match 2-0.

The varsity ladies are next scheduled to participate in the Gideon Tournament starting Thursday at 4:00pm.

TOPIX WEBPAGE - A DOOR TO PROBLEMS AT SCHOOL

I want to address an issue that has been the downfall of many student bodies and school climates: TOPIX Webpage.

For those of you who do not know, there is a "social networking" website known as TOPIX. This is a site where individuals go to list questions/comments that they would like other individuals to comment upon. Unfortunately, there is little to no moderation of conversations, and this can lead to problems for students when they return to school.

One of the most common practices on this website (and websites like this) is the posting of "negative" or "harsh" comments about another individual. This type of post leads to others either piling on with their own negative comments or others defending the person about whom the original comment was posted. These type of exchanges only lead to individuals feeling alienated, inferior, and can lead to other students in school using the comments to make life very difficult for the student in question. These types of exchanges only lead to problems at school.

Problems at school can be students harassing the student about whom the comments were posted. Other problems can include, but are not limited to: other students spreading rumors about all students involved, students defending one another verbally or physically in class/hallways, and classes being disrupted as teachers try to get students to stop talking about the issue and work together on tasks that are supposed to be completed in class.

Once a disruption has occurred in class, due to posts being made on students own time and on the internet, the school has the right / obligation to take action against those students involved. This is considered a form of CYBER-BULLYING and therefore falls under the disciplinary code of the school district. Unfortunately, many parents have no idea that their sons/daughters are posting comments on sites like TOPIX, nor are they aware of the LEGAL and EDUCATIONAL ramifications of posting such items on the internet. What many fail to realize is the fact that law enforcement, when asked by a school district, will investigate and determine which individuals are publishing DEFAMATORY or SLANDEROUS information. Once that information is determined, it can be used to file criminal and civil charges against a student and a parent/guardian. This information can also be used to remove a student from the school due to the disruption these comments cause to the educational setting.

Please take time to talk to your students about the consequences related to the posting of comments about others on the internet. If it is a comment that one would not say when face-to-face with another individual, it is probably not a good idea to post it on the internet. I do not want to have to remove students from the school setting, I do not want to have to call law enforcement, and I do not want to have to have a discussion with a parent where I have to tell them of their student's actions.

Thank you for your help and understanding as the school tries to create a climate where all student feel safe and comfortable as they attempt to get the most out of their educations. For more information and some helpful hints click on the link to this article put out by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The Results Are In

The results are in, the race is over, and the winner is Blake Harris, Second Place goes to Zach Mitchell, and Third Place goes to Mr. Boles. Blake ran the 3 mile course in 19:21. Zach ran the course in 19:58. Mr. Boles ran 3 miles in 20:04. The remaining basketball players, all 26 of them, ran times in the 21 to 36 minute range.

Congratulations to Blake and Zach for beating Mr. Boles and earning a free lunch Monday at school.

Congratulations to the other 26 runners. They get to run a 5 miler with Mr. Boles next week as well..................not really.

Thanks for inviting me to run with you all, and nice job running the BEST you all have run since conditioning began. It is amazing what a little outside motivation can do. This was so much FUN.

Basketball Team Takes on Mr. Boles

Mr. Boles has been challenged by the High School Basketball Team to a 3 mile road race. Today, after school, Mr. Boles will be present when the team does its daily conditioning in preparation for the upcoming basketball season. As part of today's workout they will be running the distance of 3 miles. Mr. Boles was invited to join the team on their daily run. There will be incentives for beating or losing to Mr. Boles. We will keep you posted as to the results of the race.

Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the fair. Be Safe, Buckle Up.

Congratulations to Our BHS Participants in Stoddard County Fair Activities

Congratulations go out to the Bloomfield High School - Middle School Band for placing 3rd in the Marching Band Competition at the Dexter Parade. The combined band had to overcome some obstacles on their way to performing Tuesday night, but none of the issues prevent the ladies and gentlemen playing in the band from performing above and beyond expectations. Every member deserves a big pat on the back for such an outstanding performance and high placing in the competition. Nice Job All.

Congratulations also go out to BHS student Taylor Pulley. Ms. Pulley competed in the Ms. Stoddard County Fair and took home First Runner Up. Taylor is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Pulley and is one of the standout volleyball players on the Lady Wildcat Varsity Volleyball Team.

Last Night and This Evening

First off, congratulations to the Lady Wildcat JV Volleyball team for a decisive win over conference foe Dexter. The ladies came out on fire and made short work of a scrappy Lady Bearcat team. The ladies put the Bearcats away with strong serving, hustling defense, and some power at the net. The ladies won 25-12, 25-12. The ladies match up next against the JV Scott City team whom they have already faced as part of the Bernie Invitational Tournament.

The Varsity Wildcats put on another very impressive show in a heartbreaking loss to the Lady Bearcats of Dexter. The ladies lost the first set of the match behind strong hitting from the Lady Bearcats, but they bounced back in the second set. Behind VERY strong defense, good passing, and some timely serving, they made a push to win the second set. Though the effort was strong, the ladies came up just short losing 26-28. Their next match takes place Thursday as they also take on Scott City.

Come support the Middle School and High School Band as they take part in the Dexter Parade (as part of the Stoddard County Fair). The group is small, but plays with a BIG heart and lots of passion and pride. Come and join us for the fun.

ASVAB For Seniors

The entire Senior Class will be participating in ASVAB Testing this coming Wednesday.
Seniors who normally attend trade school or have COE in the mornings should plan to attend the ASVAB Testing. Trade School / COE students need to inform their instructors / supervisors of the need to attend school at BHS on September 17th. Testing will start at 8:00am and all Seniors should report to the Library instead of first period. The testing will be over before lunch.

A Few Things That Have Crossed Our Desks

We want to invite everyone to come and support the Varsity Lady Wildcats as they participate in the 21st Annual SEMO Volleyball Tournament. The team will be playing Friday night at 5:20 vs. Puxico and at 8:40 vs. Lesterville in the Rec Center on the SEMO Campus. They will finish up pool play Saturday morning at 9:40 vs. Marquand in the Notre Dame High School Gym. Following pool play, they will advance on to bracket play and the actual schedule will be determined at the conclusion of pool play. Good Luck Cats.

Academic Study Tables begin on Monday from 3:10 to 4:10 in the HS Cafeteria. Students did bring home contracts, on Wednesday, outlining the guidelines and obligations of the students. They were supposed to be turned into the office today signed by both the parent and the student (or detention would be assigned). The deadline for turning those in has been extended through Monday. If any student has not turned in his/her forms by then, detentions will be assigned. Those students who have not turned in the forms has been notified by Mr. Boles of this extension.

Please scroll down and take a look at the pictures and results of our FFA students as they participated in the SEMO District Fair.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend.

A Message From Mr. Bollinger About Bloomfield's Fallfest

Bloomfield Fallfest, Oct. 10-11Various school organizations as well as other groups from the community will be participating in the Bloomfield Fallfest on Oct. 10-11. Festivities kick off on Friday, Oct. 10 with a parade at 5:30PM. Various activities continue throughout the night and the next day until late in the afternoon on Saturday. Anyone interested in having a float or marching with a group in the parade on Friday should contact Troy Bollinger at568-4283 or email him at tbollinger@bloomfield.k12.mo.us. Booth spots for the Bloomfield Fallfest are also available but limited in number and spaces are going fast. Anyone interested in having a booth should contact Kim Johnson at 568-2462 or email her at Kimmerc29@hotmail.com. A deposit and site charge is required for a booth spot to be held. Come join the fun and help support your community by being a part of the Bloomfield Fallfest on Oct. 10-11!

Academic Study Tables Letters Go Home Today

Students who will be REQUIRED to attend Academic Study Tables will be bringing home letters to inform their parents/guardians of this fact. The letter will indicate the dates the student is assigned to AST, the guidelines for attendance, and the consequences for missing or being removed from AST. Please take some time to go over this letter with your student/parent. AST will begin on Monday, September 15, 2008.

PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME TODAY AND MUST BE SIGNED AND RETURNED BY FRIDAY TO AVOID ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.

STUCO Donates Microwaves to the High School Student Body

Yesterday some new appliances were installed in the Bloomfield R-IV School District cafeteria. These new appliances were installed to provide high school students and staff the opportunity to bring a variety of food items to lunch and have them cooked while the students wait.

Two years of STUCO members played a part in these devices being donated to BHS. The 2007-08 and the 2008-09 BHS Student Council each donated one microwave oven and one stand to the high school. These donations were made in response to the suggestions from various students and staff members. When the option was brought to the attention of the student council, they jumped at the opportunity to donate the items.

Thank you to the two STUCO groups. Thank you for your donation to the school and for your ability to put the school community first.

The microwave ovens will be ready for use on Wednesday.

Monday FFA Students Began A Week At The SEMO District Fair

On Monday Bloomfield FFA students assisted in the judging of participants in the agriculture mechanics, field crops, and horticulture crops arenas. Our students were in charge of passing out ribbons, collecting score cards, getting cards ready for tabulation and delivery to the fair office, and for passing out ribbons to the winners.

On Thursday many of the Bloomfield FFA students will participate in the annual Tractor Rodeo. Three students participated last year in an effort to get their feet wet for this year's competition. Many of last year's competitors will participate this year in hopes of placing.

Saturday, pictures of these events as well as many more from the week at BHS will be posted on this site.

Academic Study Tables Begin Monday

Bloomfield High School implemented an after school tutoring program last year. The program known as Academic Study Tables (AST) was put in place to help address the issue of students failing one or more classes during any particular quarter, and putting their progress towards a timely graduation in jeopardy. The program was so successful that we cut the number of students REQUIRED to attend Summer School by 50% last school year. We are once again putting the program into action starting next week.

The program is a MANDATORY tutoring program for any student who has one or more Fs in any class (including those taken at the Sikeston Career and Technology Center). Any student who is failing one class at the time of progress reports will be assigned to AST for 1 hour on either Mondays or Wednesdays for the remainder of the quarter (regardless of whether or not the grade is brought up before the end of the quarter). Any student who fails 2 or more classes will be assigned to 1 hour of AST on Mondays AND Wednesdays for the remainder of the quarter. These tutoring sessions begin at 3:10 and end at 4:10 and take place in the school's cafeteria. Failure to show for a scheduled AST, without prior approval, will result in a series of consequences as described in the AST letter that will be sent home with each assigned student. For more information on the program, please consult your Bloomfield High School Student Handbook.

The first session of AST will begin on Monday, September 15th, 2008.

FFA Participating in SEMO District Fair

This week is a big one for our local FFA Chapter. Many of the students will be traveling to Cape Girardeau this week to participate in various FFA activities as part of the annual SEMO District Fair. Currently, we have a large group of students building cages for the various forms of livestock on display at the fair, we have students preparing to participate in the Tractor Rodeo, and we will have a group of students visiting the SEMO District Fair to view the Crop Expo. On Thursday, some of our students will be competing against students from across the area in the Tractor Rodeo. Look for pictures and updates in the next few days. Good luck to all of our participants.

Congratulations to the JV Lady Wildcats

A feat that has not happened in over 10 years: JV Lady Wildcats Win the Title at the Bernie JV Invitational Tournament. The Lady Wildcats came back a day after earning the #1 seed for the single elimination round of the Bernie Invitational. After taking out their opponents in the quarter final and semi final rounds, the Lady Wildcats had to take on a tough Scott City team who also earned a #1 seed on day one of the tournament. The similarities between the two teams ended there as the Lady Wildcats came out with a mission in mind. The ladies showed poise, camaraderie, and a level of teamwork not seen in a long time. All of these characteristics allowed the team to take home the championship in a two set sweep of the Scott City team. The JV team is now 6-0-1 on the season.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE LADIES, ASSISTANT COACH CASEY DUNCAN, AND FIRST YEAR HEAD COACH STARLA PULLEY.

Another Successful Night for the Lady Wildcats

The junior varsity Lady Wildcats participated in the Bernie Invitational Tournament this evening. Tonight was the first of two nights of competition. The Lady Wildcats were joined in pool play by teams from Poplar Bluff, Twin Rivers, and Puxico. In the first match, the Wildcats took on the Indians of Puxico. The girls from Bloomfield won the first set, and allowed a bit of tough luck to affect their play in the second set, which resulted in Puxico coming away with the win. Bloomfield bounced back with some fury and great serving. The Lady Wildcats romped their way through the match with ladies from Twin Rivers. The Lady Wildcats finished the night with a match that, in some ways, mirrored their play throughout the first two matches. Poplar Bluff provided a tough opponent in set one, but Bloomfield squeaked by with a win. The second set was much different than the first, and much like the match against Twin Rivers. The ladies came out and served their way to a dominating win. The ladies ended the night with the best record of any team in any pool going 5-1.

The Lady Wildcats will be in action again Friday night. They come out of Pool Play as the #1 seed. They will take on Sikeston, the 4th seeded team from the other pool, in a 4:00 pm match. The winner of this match moves on to the semi-finals and the loser goes home. Come on out and support the Lady Wildcats as they try to bring home 1st Place honors from the Bernie Invitational Tournament.

Congratulations to the Lady Wildcat Volleyball Team

The ladies started off the 2008 season with a bang. The JV ladies had a very strong showing by putting away the Cape Central Tigers in two sets. The ladies pretty much dominated the Lady Tigers with stellar passing and great hustle.

The varsity Lady Wildcats had a bit of a tougher time of it as they also took on the Cape Central Lady Tigers. After dominating the much bigger Cape Central team in the first game, the Wildcats came out for the second set a bit sluggish. After losing the second set, the Lady Wildcats bounced back with an impressive third set victory and a match victory over the strong Cape Central team.

Both teams start off the season 1-0. The JV Lady Wildcats will be in action this Thursday and Friday as they participate in the Bernie Invitational Tournament. First game starts at 4:00 pm.
See you there.

Congratulations to Our New Ms. BHS

Congratulations to Ashley Franklin for being voted Ms. BHS 2008. She was selected from nominees from the Junior and Senior classes. She was escorted by BHS Senior Daniel Tucker. Pictures of the ceremony will be posted shortly.