☀️ Summer is here, but it's never too early to start prepping for the new school year!
🛑 Illinois law requires physical exams and up-to-date immunizations for students entering:
✅ Kindergarten
✅ 6th Grade
✅ 9th Grade
These health forms must be submitted by the first day of school! We are happy to partner with Chestnut and Carle to help ensure your student is ready for school in August!
📅 Back-to-School Physical & Immunization Clinics
👉 McLean County Health Department
📍 200 West Front Street, Bloomington, IL
📆 Monday, August 10th : Tuesday, August 11th: Friday, August 28th
All clinics are from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
⚡ Walk-ins welcome!
👉 McLean Mobile Health Services Events
📍 Western Avenue Community Center, 600 N Western Ave, Bloomington, IL
📆 August 7, 2026 | ⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📆 August 8, 2026 | ⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
⚡ Schedule appointments via mcleanmobilehealth@carle.com or 309-604-9688.
Appointments fill up; book your student's appointment today!
#BackToSchoolPhysicals #CommunityPartners #WeAreD87
🎉 Please join us in welcoming Sara Hathaway to the BJHS family as an LBS1 teacher!
Sara comes to us with a wealth of experience, having previously taught special education for grades K-8 on an island in Maine. This summer, she made the move to the area to be closer to her daughter, who is attending ISU. Inspired by her daughter's love for the area, Sara is excited to settle in and find her own connections here.
This year, Sara is looking forward to meeting new people and diving into her new role at BJHS, and is excited to become part of the D87 family!
Fun facts about Sara: She has two awesome dogs and a fantastic partner who is also starting in D87 this year! Sara is also a proud mom to three grown daughters, an incredible son-in-law, and a granddaughter who will celebrate her 10th birthday in October!
Welcome, Sara! We’re so happy to have you as part of the BJHS and D87!💜🎉
#WelcomeToD87 #WeAreD87
📢 Reminder: Get Your Student School-Ready at the Carle Back-to-School Clinic! 🎒🩺
Make sure your student is ready to hit the ground running on the first day of school with all required physicals and immunizations! Don’t wait—there’s still time! 🙌
👉 McLean Mobile Health Services Events
📍 Where: Western Avenue Community Center
📍 600 N Western Ave, Bloomington, IL
📆 When: August 7, 2026 | ⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📆 When: August 8, 2026 | ⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
⚡ Schedule Appointments Today:
📧 mcleanmobilehealth@carle.com
📞 309-604-9688
Can't make those dates? The McLean County Health Department is offering walk-in clinics
👉 McLean County Health Department
📍 200 West Front Street, Bloomington, IL
📆 When: Monday, August 10, 2026 | ⏰ 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
📆 When: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 | ⏰ 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
📆 When: Friday, August 28, 2026 | ⏰ 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
⚡Walk-ins welcome!
Physicals and vaccinations are required for students entering:
✅ Kindergarten
✅ 6th Grade
✅ 9th Grade
✅ 12th Grade (vaccination)
Thank you to our partners Carle and the McLean Health Department for making this possible for our D87 families! 💜
#BackToSchool #HealthPrepared #CarleClinic #WeAreD87
They left with hands-on activities and materials to bring STEAM learning to life in their classrooms and share with colleagues. 🌟 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) helps spark curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills by empowering students to use both their hands and imaginations! 🧠💡
Thank you to our educators for learning new ways to inspire and engage the Raymond Rookie! 💜🐶💜
#STEAMEducation #PlayBasedLearning #WeAreD87
☀️📚 Summer learning fun! This summer, some of our elementary D87 students, including incoming kindergarteners, participated in a fun summer learning session! 🌟
Over the course of a couple of weeks, students and staff came together to learn, grow, and prepare for the upcoming school year, all while having a great time! 🖍️✨
A big thank-you to our amazing educators for making this summer session fun for all involved. We can't wait to see everything these students accomplish this year! 💛
#SummerLearning #KindergartenRoundUp #BackToSchoolExcitement #WeAreD87
Qualifying items include:
1 backpack OR 1 zippered binder OR any 3 sets of the following:
2-pack of glue sticks
4-pack of highlighters
1 set of binder dividers
1 set of Crayola brand line markers (10 count)
2 wide-ruled spiral notebooks (70 pages each)
1 standard/metric 12" ruler
1 set of colored pencils
#StuffTheBus #McLeanCountyFair #WeAreD87
La Toya has a strong connection to D87; she’s a proud parent of four, and all of her kids have either attended or currently attend Stevenson, which makes joining the Stevenson Tigers extra special for her!
This year, La Toya is looking forward to getting to know the amazing staff and students at Stevenson and becoming part of the tight-knit school community.
Fun facts: She loves baking and spending quality time with her family 🧁.
Welcome aboard, La Toya! We’re excited to have you as part of the D87 family and can’t wait to see the positive energy you’ll bring to Stevenson! 🐯 ❤️
#WelcomeToD87 #WeAreD87
Mark your calendars! 🗓️ From August 7–16, Illinois is offering a Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, reducing the state sales tax on qualifying school supplies and clothing. During this time, the state sales tax is reduced by 5% on eligible purchases.
👕 Qualifying clothing and footwear priced under $125 per item
✏️ Qualifying school supplies (no price limit)
It's a great opportunity to save while checking off your back-to-school shopping list!
#TaxHoliday #BackToSchool #WeAreD87
🎒✨ Help Us Fill the Box! ✨🎒 📚✏️ The Back2School Alliance is hosting its annual backpack giveaway event in August, and we need YOUR help to fill those backpacks with essential school supplies. 🖍️📐 📍 We have a donation box ready and waiting at the D87 district offices, located at 300 E. Monroe Street. Whether it's pencils, composition books, markers, or sticky notes, your donation can make a huge difference in a child's life. 🌟 🕒 Donations can be dropped off from 7:30 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday. 🕒 #Back2SchoolDrive #CommunitySupport #SchoolSuppliesDonation #BackpackGiveaway #FillTheBox #WeAreD87
🎉 Let’s give a big Shark welcome to Jessica Smith, joining the Sheridan shark ocean as a 3rd-grade teacher!
Last year, Jessica was working toward her degree in elementary education at ISU. Her passion for making a transformative impact in the classroom and inspiring students to fall in love with learning led her to pursue teaching.
Jessica isn’t new to the Sheridan shark ocean, she completed her clinicals and student teaching at Sheridan- it was an eye-opening experience that reshaped her perspective on education and solidified her desire to stay within D87.
This year, she’s excited to tackle the challenges of being a first-year teacher while building a wonderful and supportive classroom community.
🎉Fun facts about Jessica: She’s a huge nature lover and is always up for a good hike!
Welcome, Jessica, to the Shark Ocean! We’re so happy to have you and can’t wait to see the positive impact you’ll make this year! 🦈 💜
#WelcomeToD87 #WeAreD87
Nearly 50 teachers from across the region joined this professional development event to explore innovative strategies for engaging students in deeper, more meaningful math learning. 🧮💡
What an awesome way to collaborate, grow, and prepare for the upcoming school year! Huge shoutout to Kayla, Beth, and everyone involved for championing professional growth and inspiring educators in our community. 🙌
#BuildingThinkingClassrooms #ProfessionalDevelopment #BackToSchoolPreparation #WeAreD87
Get your students’ vaccinations and immunizations done now so they’re ready for the first day of school!
👉 What: Chestnut Wellness Fair
📍 Where: Chestnut Family Health Center, 702 W. Chestnut St., Bloomington, IL
📆 When: July 21, 2026 | ⏰ 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
⚡ Walk-ins welcome, but appointments are recommended for faster service.
Can’t make it tomorrow?
Carle will be hosting physical and immunization clinics on August 7th and 8th – book your appointment today!
👉 McLean Mobile Health Services Events
📍 Western Avenue Community Center
📍 600 N Western Ave, Bloomington, IL
📆 August 7, 2026 | ⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📆 August 8, 2026 | ⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
⚡ Schedule Appointments Today:
📧 mcleanmobilehealth@carle.com
📞 309-604-9688
Thank you to Chestnut and Carle for partnering with D87 to make sure our students are ready for the first day of school.
Remember: physicals and vaccinations are required for students entering:
✅ Kindergarten
✅ 6th Grade
✅ 9th Grade
#SchoolReady #BackToSchool #CarleMobileClinic #ChestnutHealth #WeAreD87
🌟 Final Day Highlights:
✅ A Q&A session with Judge Sarah Duffy in her courtroom ⚖️
✅ A behind-the-scenes tour of the jail 🚨
✅ A delicious cookout featuring hotdogs and hamburgers 🌭🍔
To top it all off, every camper went home with a new backpack filled with school supplies AND a special surprise—brand-new AirPods! 🎧🎒
A huge thank-you to the City of Bloomington, the Bloomington Police Department, and our SROs for hosting such an unforgettable week for our students. This was an awesome camp to help build community and support the success of our students! 💜
#SROCamp2026 #CommunityBuilding #WeAreD87
🍎✨ Join the D87 Family! ✨🍎
D87 is hiring for the 2026-2027 school year!
We're currently seeking:
💬 Bilingual Speech Therapist
🏥 Classroom Nurse
🧠 School Psychologist
🏃 PE Teacher (BJHS)
🍽️ Food Service/Nutrition Staff
⚒️⚒️Custodial/Maintenance
📚 Substitute Teachers
Be part of one of the most diverse school districts in Illinois and help shape the future of our students!
📲 View all open positions and apply today at https://www.applitrack.com/district87/onlineapp/default.aspx or scan the QR code in the graphic.
Come grow with us! 💜💛
#WeAreD87 #D87Careers #NowHiring #EducationJobs #ComeGrowWithUs
Jaden is no stranger to D87—she was working on a COTA contract last year and absolutely fell in love with the district 👏🏼. This year, we’re more than excited to have her officially join the D87 family and bring her enthusiasm to Sarah Raymond!
Jaden is most excited to meet her new students and coworkers while continuing to learn about all the amazing things D87 has to offer.
Fun facts about Jaden: She has a full house with 5 pets—3 dogs and 2 cats! In her free time, Jaden loves watching a horror movie and thrifting for treasures!
Welcome aboard, Jaden! We can't wait to see the impact you’ll make this year! 💜
#WelcomeToD87 #WeAreD87
If you purchased a 2026 Bloomington High School yearbook, it's almost time to pick it up! Mark your calendars!
📅 Pickup Dates:
🟣 Tuesday, July 21 | 1:00–4:00 PM
🟣 Wednesday, July 22 | 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 Pickup Location:
Head to the door by the Band Room on the south side of the building (near the student parking lot).
⏰ Can't make those times?
Yearbooks will be available in the BHS Main Office after July 23.
⚠️ Important Reminder:
Yearbooks not picked up by September 11 will be sold to other students who were unable to order one.
Mark your calendars and don't miss your chance to take home the Raider memories of the 2025–2026 school year! 💜💛 #OnceARaiderAlwaysARaider #BHSYearbook #WeAreD87
This week, we had some of our D87 teachers participate in the Autism Professional Learning & Universal Supports (A+) Project at Stevenson, gaining hands-on strategies to better support autistic students in our classrooms.
Today they hosted a Peer Day, where students from D87 and neighboring districts worked alongside autistic students in meaningful learning activities, giving educators the opportunity to observe, collaborate, and learn in a real classroom setting.
Hats off to our staff's commitment to creating supportive, inclusive learning environments where every student can learn and thrive.! 💛🌈📚
From Early Learning to High School, our D87 educators joined educators from around the world to explore the power of Visible Learning.
📚 What is Visible Learning?
It's all about making learning clear and intentional! It helps students understand:
➡️ What they're learning
➡️ Where they're going
➡️ What they need to do to grow
We’re excited for our teachers to bring back new ideas, strategies, and inspiration. Their experience will help fellow staff members and students alike succeed across D87! ❤️
#VisibleLearning #EducatorsInAction #ProfessionalGrowth #TeachingWithPurpose #WeAreD87
