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Beecher 200-U Bringing the Chickens to Roost
By Jeff Vorva The passing of the Beecher 200-U tax levy had a barnyard feel to it with chickens coming to roost. District Superintendent Jack Gaham threw out a lot of facts, figures, and percentages during a Truth In Taxation hearing at the December 11 board meeting. Some residents were confused about the increases, thinking…
Santa Letters from Ms. Baxter’s First Graders
As promised, here are more of those delightful letters from the children at Beecher Elementary School. Ms. Baxter’s first graders had some great ideas to help out the jolly big man in the bright red suit. After reading the letters, if Santa is really hungry during his journey on Christmas Eve, he won’t be disappointed…
Santa Letters from Mrs. Markland’s First Graders
Mrs. Markland’s children also took the time to inform Santa of their wishes for this Christmas season and also informed the jolly man just what their behavior was like during the past year. To everyone’s relief – they were all GOOD! It certainly looks like Santa’s sleigh is going to be very heavy when it…
Santa Letters from Mrs. Stolarek’s BES First Graders
Recently, the first graders at Beecher Elementary took on a very special project and a most important one, too – the annual writing of letters to that jolly man at the North Pole. After reading some of the correspondence, we think you will agree it was a most important task. This week, The Vedette is…
Beecher School Board Making Things Perfectly CLEAR
By Jeff Vorva The Beecher 200U school board made things perfectly CLEAR on Nov. 13. It is taking a pro-active approach to residency scofflaws and approved to enter the CLEAR Investigation Software program to catch those students who do not live in the district. CLEAR is a product from Thompson Reuters Legal Solutions and District…
BJHS Announces First Quarter Honor Rolls
Beecher Junior High School recently announced students named it its first quarter honor rolls. Congratulations to the following students! High Honors Eighth Grade: Makenna Albert, Gianna Bonomo, Shayleigh Brunger, Brady Cain, Layla Campus, Stanley Detjen, Alexandria Groen-Hudspeth, Madelyn Grooms, Fiona Hagan-Storbeck, Kendall Heldt, Lucas Hernandez, Reagan Hewitt, Matthew Hurley, Jenna Huskisson, Carmela Irwin, Alexandra Johnson,…
BHS Announces First Quarter Honor Rolls
Beecher High School recently announced students named to its first quarter honor rolls. Congratulations to the following students! High Honors Seniors: Quinton Allen, Alexis Barkus, Katelyn Bol, Savannah Bonelli, Adriana Cabrera, Tyler Cochran, Kenneth Deems, Nathan Diachenko, Julieta Dominguez, Jessica Ellerson, Ariana Fernandez, Carter Garrison, Giada Garza, Olivia Geringer-Spagnola, Caitlin Gill, Spencer Guthrie, Jack Hayhurst,…
State Report Cards Reveal Chronic Absenteeism a Concern
By Andrea Arens The state report cards were released this week and, while there were gains in academic achievement, it revealed the state still has a chronic absenteeism issue. Pre-pandemic absenteeism was at 17.5 percent. Currently, the rate is 28.7 percent, which is down slightly from last year’s 30 percent. Illinois state superintendent Tony Sanders…
Illinois Report Card Math Scores a Concern in Beecher
By Jeff Vorva Beecher 200-U Superintendent Jack Gaham received a sneak preview of the Illinois Report Card scores and he’s concerned with the district’s math results. “The (overall) results for all three school will be commendable,” Gaham said at the October 11 school board meeting. “But there is a need to focus on our math.…
Sen. Harris Announces Nearly $7.6 million in Local School Funding
State Sen. Napoleon Harris III is excited to announce $7.6 million in additional funding will be awarded to local schools to help move toward fair and equitable school systems in Illinois. “As a father, I want to ensure all our children have the opportunity to receive an excellent education,” said Harris. “The state’s budget serves…
Beecher High School Missing a Variable in the Equation
By Jeff Vorva The school year is ready to kick off in mid-August, and one thing is not adding up at Beecher High School. Or subtracting. Or dividing. At the July 10 District 200-U board meeting, Superintendent Jack Gaham was concerned about a spot still open on the teaching roster for a high school math…
BHS Announces Fourth Quarter Honor Rolls
Beecher High School recently announced students named to its fourth quarter honor rolls. Congratulations to the following students! High Honors Seniors: Grace Adams, Sydney Bonham, Trinity Bonham, Ariel Caldwell Brown, Damiano Cassanelli, Kylie Cook, Kayla Cruz, Alyssa Dillinger, Lola Eckhardt, Kayla Eickmann, Jacob Farrar, Ryan Gayton, Kevin Girard, Ethan Graham, Tabitha Gregory, Olivia Hodac, Ethan…
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Bobcats Crush Momence, 76-31
By Jim Piacentini On Tuesday, January 9, the Beecher Bobcat Cagers faced conference rival Momence and gave their fans a blowout victory, 76-31. The Bobcats started off very tough and had an 11-0 lead with only 3 minutes off the clock in the first quarter – and they didn’t stop. In the second, with 2:02…
Bobcats Top Tri-Point by 49
On Friday, January 5, the Beecher Bobcats traveled to Cullom to the ultimate dismay of conference foe Tri-Point, as the Bobcats came home with a 49-point victory. The Bobcats held Tri-Point to only 24 points in the 73-24 win. On the night, Zack Johnson led the scoring with 18 points, 3 steals, and 2 assists,…
Bobcats Win Warkins Memorial Holiday Tourney
The Beecher Bobcats spent their winter break by bringing home another tournament championship for the school. They played Lena-Winslow on December 28 at the Cliff Warkins Memorial Holiday Tourney at Erie High School, then came home a 61-41 victory. On the day, Jack Hayhurst had 13 points and 4 rebounds, Orlin Nesbitt also tallied 13…
2023 RVC All-Conference Girls Soccer Athletes Named
Congratulations to the following 2023 All-Conference Soccer winning athletes. Girls all RVC Player of the Year: Lexi Hamann, from Momence. First Team: Beecher – Katie Jones, Emily Avelar, Mallory Berry, and Emma Tiltges; Grant Park – Alejandra Maldonado; Grace Christian – Angelina Larsen and Natalie Dalton; Illinois Lutheran – Kailey Van Es; Gardner-South Wilmington –…
2023 RVC All-Conference Boys Soccer Athletes Named
Congratulations to the following 2023 RVC All-Conference Soccer winning athletes. Player of the year: Logan Wilkins, from Beecher. First Team: Beecher – Wences Baumgartner, Nate Diachenko, Tyler Kramer, and Jimmy Kypuros; Momence – Aaron Lopez; St. Anne – Reece Curtis; Momence – Jaime Garcia Herrera; Clifton Central – Ethyn Bailey and Quinn Smith; ILHS –…
Bobcats Take Undefeated St. Joseph-Ogden by Two!
By Jim Piacentini On Friday, December 22, in a home non-conference contest against St. Joseph-Ogden, the game started off tough from the get go, although Beecher had a lead at the end of the first quarter, 18-13. The second quarter was all St. Joseph-Ogden, who out-scored Beecher 16-8. The third quarter was pretty even, but…
Beecher Trounces Coalers 71-39
By Jim Piacentini Tuesday, December 19, the Beecher Bobcats faced the Coal City Coalers and gave their fans something to cheer about in the 71-39 victory. The first few minutes of the game were close, but then Beecher took over, out-scoring Coal City 20-14 by the end of the quarter. In the second period, Beecher…
Beecher Takes St. Anne, 71-36
Tuesday, December 12, in a conference contest in St. Anne, the Beecher Bobcats brought home another victory, 71-36. In doing so, Beecher set the record for consecutive wins to start a season. On the night, Zack Johnson had 23 points and 4 assists, Jack Hayhurst added 18 points, Adyn McGinley finished with 11 points, 5…
Lady Panthers Beat Beecher 46-27
By Jim Piacentini On December 12, in a home non-conference win against Beecher, the Manteno Girls Varsity Panther Basketball Team came running out of the gate right from the start. In the 46-27 win, the Panthers out-scored the Bobcats 16-8 in the first quarter. The Panthers also controlled the rest of the game as well…
VEDETTE SPORTS REPORT
By Jeff Vorva Old gym? New gym? It doesn’t seem to matter. The results are still the same. Beecher’s boys basketball team played in its old gym for a throwback game December 8 and came away with a lopsided 81-36 River Valley Conference win over Donovan. The Bobcats wore jerseys from 2012-13, and fans were…
Bobcats 9-0 for Season
On Tuesday, December 5, the Bobcats took on conference foe Illinois Lutheran and gave the hometown fans something to cheer about in their 64-34 victory. Adyn McGinley led the team with 16 points and 8 assists, followed by Jack Hayhurst, who also had a good night with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4…
Lady Bobcats Kept Tri-Point on Point
By Jim Piacentini On Thursday, November 30, the Lady Bobcat varsity girls basketball team held conference foe Tri-Point close but, in the end, the difference was 4 points, favoring Tri-Point, 47-43. Both teams were shooting three pointers but, in the paint, Tri-Point had more rebounds, though not by much. At one point, Tri-Point had a…
College News
Music at Moser Fall Concert Series
The University of St. Francis (USF) College of Arts and Sciences is proud to offer exciting musical performances to the…
College News
In late August, the University of Iowa in Iowa City welcomed another academically accomplished cohort of students to campus. Tallen…
KCC Hosting Finacial Aid/Scholarship Workshops
Kankakee Community College is hosting workshops to help college-bound students and their parents understand the financial aid and scholarship process.…
College News
A total of 565 incoming freshmen received scholarships from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for the 2023-24 academic year, and…
Monmouth College’s Walker, Dorn Part of Chicago Bears Game Day Staff
Two members of the Chicago Bears game day staff used an internship at Monmouth College as a gateway to work…
College News
Dean’s/President’s List Ryan Marsh, of Monee – Green Garden Township and a member of the Peotone Class of 2022, is…
Local Students Begin Medical Training at SIU – Carbondale
A White Coat ceremony at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine celebrated the new students in the Class of 2027,…
USF Homecoming September 29-October 1
The University of St. Francis (USF) announced plans for this year’s Homecoming with events that take place on Friday, September…
College News
Dean’s/President’s List It is with great pleasure that Southern New Hampshire University congratulates the following students named to the summer…
GSU: The Knowledge Exchange
Greetings from The Knowledge Exchange! The fall session of lifelong learning courses begins on Friday, September 15! Thank you to…
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