Current Events
This week Juniors and Seniors will be going on the Natural Helpers retreat. Natural Helpers is a school activity run by seniors who are called Rainbow Staff. They spend 3 days out of school and get closer to people they wouldn’t normally talk to. Students are nominated for the trip by their peers based on how trustworthy they believe them to be.
This retreat can be a life changing experience for those lucky enough to attend. It’s a way for students to connect on a very personal level, to make new friends, and to create a strong support system. At other schools that do Natural Helpers the students leave Friday after school and come back late Sunday night. Boone Grove gives the students a different experience however, by having them leave Wednesday after school and come back late Friday night.
For three days students go to a campsite and do things that build trust and a strong support system. The students come back with a new perspective and stronger connections to others. Those who have experienced the retreat proclaim good things and promise that it's worth the experience.
Future Event
Coming up in December the Boone Grove Choir will be putting on their annual Madrigal performance. Madrigal is a Christmas themed dinner theatre that is run by the students.
Usually, upperclassmen are on Royal Court, which means they are the royalty of the show. Four seniors, two boys and two girls, are selected as Kings and Queens to run the show and keep everything in line. Underclassmen on the other hand serve the guests and the royals as wenches and pageboys.
The choir students spend weeks turning their back commons and cafeteria into a mystical renaissance setting. Every student in choir puts their heart and soul into decorating and rehearsing, as this is what they all look forward too throughout the year. It is a great and magical experience that the students and community loves to be apart of. That is also why they will be adding an extra show into the mix, having sold out of tickets in less than 4 days the year before.
Rehearsals for Royal Court have already been set to start sometime next week and soon it will be revealed who the two kings and queens are to be. This year is exceptionally special as PBS will be doing an hour long special on Boone Grove’s Madrigal. They will be coming in to film the production and will be sitting in on after school rehearsals. The choir director, Athena Welbourne, has already selected which students will be interviewed for this program. Many of the students are excited for a big station like PBS to take notice of the school and bring recognition to this program.
Student Spotlight
Hailey Cirak is a senior at Boone Grove High School. This amazing student is involved in many facets of the school and community, and has volunteered at the school blood drive, has made informational signs and brochures for Tall Tree, and has been involved with the LIONS Club.
Hailey is very involved in her school. She’s in GSA, Garden Club, Spanish Club, Key Club, Drama Club, and NHS, where she holds the position of treasurer.
Hailey was selected as a mentor for her vocational class (CAD and Animation) by her teacher, Mr. Guinee, and was awarded the outstanding student award for her class first semester. She holds the title of Master Painter in Drama Club and has made many of sets for the club over the last four years. Hailey is an incredibly hard worker and puts 110% into everything she does. She is always smiling and has such a positive outlook on life. She loves to help people and to be involved.
Teacher Spotlight
Athena Welbourne is the Choir Director at Boone Grove High school. When she first starting working at the school she was in charge of both band and choir, but now choir takes up most of her time.
She has put in so much time and effort to make the choir as great as it is today. She creates dance moves for many of the concerts on her own and has been saving up for years to buy new choir dresses that are more flattering. Ms. Welbourne has been putting on Madrigals since she started at this school and it has been a success every year.
Madrigal season is the most stressful because Welbourne has to hand pick every student who is on royal court, and not everyone gets picked. Royal court is a great honor and something many students strive to be chosen for.
She also helps the Drama Club with the musical every spring, adding to her list of duties. Welbourne goes above and beyond for her students. She keeps them on track in other classes as well as her own. She helps students with not just their academics, but with personal issues as well. She’s helped students through some of the hardest times in their lives and also helped some upperclassmen with things outside of school.
Many students love and appreciate the hard work and dedication that Ms. Welbourne brings to the choir department.