🎉 We’re continuing to highlight our Class of 2025 retirees. Up next is Mrs. Teri Merna!
Mrs. Merna has been a cornerstone of Oakland School, where she’s served as a first-grade teacher for 32 years! Her career in education spans 35 years in D87, beginning her journey at Stevenson as a first-grade teacher.
From earning her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at ISU within her first four years of teaching to receiving recognitions like the Girl Scout Council Award, BHS Scholars Award, and Beyond the Books Grants, Mrs. Merna’s career is marked by milestones and a deep passion for education.
Her inspiration to teach came from her parents, both educators, and a first-grade teacher she admired and aspired to emulate. Her favorite part of working in D87? The community—co-workers and students who made teaching a truly rewarding career.
Post-retirement, Mrs. Merna is looking forward to a relaxing summer, traveling, spending time with family, gardening, golfing, and continuing to stay rooted in the Bloomington-Normal area she’s called home her entire life.
Her advice? “Love what you do!”
Thank you, Mrs. Merna, for your incredible contributions to D87! Wishing you joy, relaxation, and wonderful adventures in this next chapter. 🌟
🎉 Celebrating Dr. Kara Lycke’s Retirement! 🎉
Now that school is out, we want to highlight some of our Class of 2025 retirees. First up is Dr. Kara Lycke!
Congratulations to Dr. Kara Lycke on her retirement after an impactful 3-year journey at BHS in D87! As the Literacy Lab Coordinator, EDUC 101 Instructor, and Key Club Advisor, Dr. Lycke has transformed learning experiences for our students at BHS.
The Literacy Lab, envisioned with the BHS English Department, has been a haven for developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and more—empowering students to thrive academically and professionally.
Dr. Lycke’s dedication stemmed from a belief in the power of education to foster growth and build strong communities. From her beginnings at Joliet West High School to earning a PhD in Educational Psychology, her career spans inspiring achievements.
In retirement, she'll continue learning—volunteering on a goat farm, beekeeping, traveling, and exploring her passions like yoga, gardening, and hiking. And guess what? She loves to dance too! 💃Dr. Lycke's parting piece of advice: do what you love.
Thank you, Dr. Lycke, for your incredible contributions. Wishing you an exciting next chapter!🌟
☀️🎉 School's Out for Summer! 🚸✨ Yesterday marked the last day of school across the district, and what a day it was! From start to finish, our students made the most of it, diving into fun and celebration, welcoming the much-awaited summer break.
-Bent had an electrifying 5th-grade vs. staff volleyball game 🏐
-Stevenson was all smiles with a play day (special shoutout to Milo the dog for extra fun!) 🐶
-Irving's 5th graders enjoyed a bowling party 🎳
School is officially out! Enjoy your summer! You've earned it! ☀️🍦
#LastDayOfSchool #SummerIsHere #WeAreD87
🎓✨Today may be the last day of school, but get ready, because starting June 9th, our free summer lunch program is back! 🌞🥪
All kids 18 and under can grab their free meals, and adults can enjoy the same for just $3.50. 🍴 Come find us at several locations, including Irving School, Sheridan School, Stevenson School, Bloomington Public Library, Boys & Girls Club, BHS, Friendship Park, City of Refuge Ministries, Holton Homes, Miller Park, and Wood Hill Family.
🗺️ Check out the flyer for all the details on times, dates, and specific spots. Here's to a summer of sunshine and nutrition! #SummerMealsD87 #WeAreD87
🎉🏫 The second-to-last day of school (oh my!) was all about FUN across many of our D87 schools! From bounce houses to games, dunk tanks, and plenty of laughter, students celebrated an amazing year full of hard work and memories. 🌟💦
Here's to wrapping up the school year on a high note! 🥳 #D87Celebrates #FieldDayFun #EndOfSchoolYearVibes #WeAreD87
Say hello to even more messaging and announcements in the Bloomington District 87 app! Parents/guardians check your email/text for instructions to sign up and access new features.
🚔🎉 Showing up to school in style! Two of our Washington Wolves had a morning they won't forget - a VIP ride to school in a Bloomington Police cruiser! 🚨🐺 And what's a police car ride without the excitement of sounding the sirens upon arrival at school? The smiles were as loud as the sirens! Thank you @City of Bloomington - Police 🚨😁!
#WashingtonWolves #CoolRideToSchool #BloomingtonPoliceFun #WeAreD87
🎓 Hats off (or should we say caps off) to the Class of 2025! 🎉
Our Raiders proudly walked across the stage today, marking the end of their high school journey and the start of exciting new adventures. We are SO proud of every BHS graduate! Some even added personal touches to their caps, sharing special messages or hints about what’s next.
💜💛 Once a Raider, ALWAYS a Raider!
Congratulations, Class of 2025! You did it! 🎉
#Classof2025 #GraduationDay #OnceARaiderAlwaysARaider #WeAreD87
Graduation 2025! Live feed link! https://youtu.be/mHPMNJZkYmk
🇺🇲 Memorial Day Remembrance 🇺🇲
Today, we honor all the brave men and women who fought for our country's freedom. We continue to honor their memory as we remember and reflect on the courage and dedication these heroes fought for.
Wishing all our D87 family a meaningful Memorial Day. 🌺
#MemorialDay #Honor #Gratitude #WeAreD87
Remembranza de Memorial Day (Dia Conmemorativo)
El dia de hoy honramos a todos los valientes hombres y mujeres quienes pelearon por la libertad de nuestro país. Continuamos honrando su memoria, recordando y reflexionando sobre el coraje y la dedicación con la que estos héroes combatieron.
Deseamos a toda la familia del D87 un Memorial Day significativo. 🌺
#MemorialDay #Honor #Gratitud #SomosD87
🎨✏️ Math meets creativity in Mr. Jones’ 7th-grade classroom! For the past 19 years (yes, 19 years!), his students have ended the year with a fun cartoon project. 📐📏 This end-of-year project reinforces the concepts of scale and proportional reasoning covered at the start of the year. Students choose the cartoon character they want to draw, bring in their math, and voila, cartoon art is made! It brings math, art, and fun all together! 🧠💡
#MathArt #CreativeLearning #EndOfYearProjects #WeAreD87
🎨✏️¡Las matemáticas se encuentran con la creatividad en el aula de séptimo grado del Maestro Jones! Durante los últimos 18 años, sus alumnos han terminado el año con un divertido proyecto de dibujos animados.📐📏 Este proyecto de fin de año refuerza los conceptos de escala y razonamiento proporcional estudiados a principios de año. Los estudiantes eligen el personaje de dibujos animados que quieren dibujar, realizan sus matemáticas y listo, ¡el arte de dibujos animados está listo! ¡Reúne matemáticas, arte y diversión!🧠💡
#ArteMatematica #AprendizajeCreativo #ProyectosFindeAño #SomosD87
🌍✈️ Mrs. Dobson and Ms. Jenkins' fourth graders at Bent have been globetrotting throughout the school year! ✨📚
Setting goals on reading, work completion, and behavior, students aimed high and were rewarded with cultural festivities representing countries across the globe! 🎉🗺️
🇩🇪 Q1 achievers kicked things off with a festive Bavarian Oktoberfest – crunchy pretzels, warm hot cider, and a lively game of German bingo. 🥨🍎
🇲🇽 In Q2, goal conquerors enjoyed Las Posadas in Mexico with a nacho bar and fun avocado glasses craft that brought plenty of smiles! 🥑😎
🇯🇵 Q3's students jetted off to Japan, enjoying a ramen bar and singing karaoke. 🍜🎤
🇫🇷 Finally, for Q4, the travelers landed in Paris and enjoyed a macaron taste test, croissants, and a fun photo booth!. 🥐📸
These fourth graders have learned that through dedication and hard work, "learning takes you places!" 🚀📖
#TravelingClassroom #EducationalJourney #FourthGradeFun #WeAreD87
Los alumnos de cuarto grado de la clase de la profesora Dobson y la profesora Jenkins en la escuela Bent han estado viajando por el mundo durante todo el año escolar. ✨📚 Al fijarse metas de lectura, finalización de trabajos y buen comportamiento, los alumnos se esforzaron al máximo y fueron recompensados con festividades culturales que representaban a países de todo el mundo. 🎉🗺️
🇩🇪 Los alumnos del primer trimestre dieron el pistoletazo de salida con un festivo “Oktoberfest” o Festival de octubre bávaro: pretzels crujientes, sidra caliente y un animado juego de bingo alemán. 🥨🍎🇲🇽 En el segundo trimestre, los alumnos que lograron su objetivo disfrutaron de Las Posadas en México con una barra de nachos y una entretenida manualidad de vasos de aguacate que les provocó muchas sonrisas. 🥑😎
🇯🇵 Los alumnos del tercer trimestre volaron a Japón, donde disfrutaron de una barra de ramen y cantaron karaoke. 🍜🎤
🇫🇷 Finalmente, para el cuarto trimestre, los viajeros aterrizaron en París y disfrutaron de una degustación de macarrones, croissants y una divertida estación para fotos. 🥐📸
🗓🇺🇸 Friendly Reminder: No School on Memorial Day & Last Day of School Details
As we approach the close of another wonderful school year, we want to remind our D87 families of two important dates:
No School on Monday: We will not have school on Monday, May 26th, in observance of Memorial Day. 🕊️
Our Last Day of School: Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 28th! Please note that this will be a full day of school. Let's make it a memorable one as we say goodbye to a fantastic year and hello to summer! ☀️🏫
We thank you for your attention to these upcoming dates and hope you have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day weekend!
🚴♂️🎉 The Great Bike Giveaway at Stevenson School!
🛴✨ Mrs. Shook made a spectacular entrance to the Bike Extravaganza at Stevenson School on a scooter, kick-starting an extraordinary event! 🚴♀️🎉
Every single class from every grade level had the chance to make one lucky student’s day extra special with the amazing gift of a brand-new bike! 🐾✨
A heartfelt THANK YOU to the generous donors from our incredible community who provided bikes, bike locks, and helmets- bringing enormous smiles to the faces of our Stevenson Tigers. 💖
There were smiles all around — not just from the big winners, but from the Tigers who cheered on their friends and classmates who took home the prize. 🏅🎁
To everyone who made this magical day possible, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. Here's to many joyful rides and smiles ahead! 🚲💨❤️
#GreatBikeGiveaway #SmilesAllAround #ThankYouDonors #WeAreD87
🐾❤️ The BJHS Student Council has been hard at work giving back to our furry friends! "They braided over 400 t-shirt dog toys for the Bloomington/Normal Humane Society!. 🐕💕
And that’s not all! They also created special t-shirt dog toys for each District 87 certified therapy dog, recognizing their care, service, and support for all D87 students and staff! 🏫🐶
To our amazing therapy dogs: thank you for the "pawsitive" impact you make every single day in the lives of our D87 students and staff! 🐾💖
#BJHSStudentCouncilService #HumaneSociety #D87TherapyDogs #WeAreD87
Bent 5th-graders are simply stellar! 🌌✨ They've embarked on an interstellar journey, and they invited their younger peers to join in the cosmic quest during the 5th Grade Space Fair! Showcasing their space-themed projects, these students guided their younger schoolmates through the wonders of the universe in an extraterrestrial exploration. Bent School is truly home to a universe of Superstars! 🚀🌠
#BentSuperstars #SpaceFair #ExploringTheUniverse #WeAreD87
Los estudiantes de quinto grado son simplemente estelares! 🌌✨ ¡Se embarcaron en un viaje interestelar e invitaron a sus compañeros más jóvenes a unirse a la búsqueda cósmica durante la Feria Espacial de 5to grado! Al mostrar sus proyectos de temática espacial, estos estudiantes guiaron a sus compañeros más jóvenes a través de las maravillas del universo en una exploración extraterrestre. ¡La escuela Bent es verdaderamente el hogar de un universo de superestrellas! 🚀🌠
#superestrellasBent #feriaespacial #explorandoeluniverso #somosD87
⚾🏈🏀 Who is ready for some summer sports!?! BHS will once again be hosting Youth Summer Sports Camps! Camps offered are:
Baseball (grades 1-8), football (grades 3-8), Cheer (grades 6-8), softball (grades 6-8), stunt/tumble clinic (grades 6-8) and girls basketball (grades 3-8).
For more information and to register visit https://www.district87.org/o/bhs/page/athletics
Don't miss out on the fun, sign up today!
👟✨ Big cheers for the D87 Girls on the Run teams! Oakland and Stevenson rocked a 5K in Springfield this past Saturday!. 🌟🏃♀️
These amazing young runners have spent the season building self-confidence, learning valuable life skills, and growing stronger together, guided by their dedicated coaches. The 5K is more than a race; it's a celebration of their journey, putting all those lessons into action with every step.
Congratulations to every participant for setting your confidence in motion and crossing that finish line! You're all incredible! 💖
#GirlsOnTheRun #ConfidenceInMotion #5KFinishers #WeAreD87
🏃♀️🧘♂️🍎 D87's 3rd Annual Wellness Event!
This past weekend, D87 hosted its 3rd annual wellness event for staff and their families—and it was a blast! 🎉 From a 5K run/walk 🏃♂️ to a WERQ class 💃 and a peaceful yoga session, we made health and connection a priority for staff as we wind down the school year together.
Thank you to everyone who joined in on the fun and made the event amazing! Here's to finishing the school year strong—mind, body, and spirit! 💪
#D87WellnessEvent #EndOfSchoolYearVibes #WeAreD87
🚌💺 Mr. Tang's Advisory Class Leaves a Lasting Legacy!
A huge shoutout to Mr. Tang's senior advisory class at BHS! The class raised $2,000, with generous contributions from donors like the BEA and the BHS Class of 1985, to install a much-needed bus bench for the Connect Transit stop at BHS. 🌟
Their goal? To leave a permanent mark on BHS—and they absolutely succeeded! What an incredible way to give back to their school and community! 👏
#SeniorProject #LeavingALegacy #CommunityImpact #WeAreD87
