Good Afternoon, Blue Ridge Families!
Please read this crisis management and evacuation parent letter for Blue Ridge CUSD #18 - https://shorturl.at/RVZHO
Please take a few minutes to review our Policy Letter for Parents FY26 . This letter outlines important information and expectations that impact our students, staff, and community.
👉 You can read the full letter here: https://shorturl.at/WsW3G
We appreciate your time and partnership as we continue working together to support our students’ success.
Homecoming Update For Blue Ridge Families and Stakeholders
We want to inform you of an important update regarding our Homecoming Game. Our scheduled opponent for September 12, Danville Schlarman, has cancelled their football season due to low participation. As a result, the September 12 game is cancelled, and Homecoming festivities, including the parade and game, will now take place on October 17. Accordingly, the early dismissal originally planned for September 12 will be moved to October 17. This means September 12 will follow a regular 3:10 p.m. dismissal schedule, while October 17 will have a 2:20 p.m. dismissal. More information about Homecoming Week festivities will be coming soon!
Health and Wellness Reminders for Blue Ridge Families:
The health and safety of our students is a top priority, and we ask for your cooperation in following our important health and wellness guidelines.
All prescription medications must be brought to school by a guardian in the original pill bottle, signed in with the school nurse, and accompanied by a completed Medication Authorization Form from the student’s doctor.
Please keep your child home if they have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, and ensure they remain home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours without medication.
If your child visits a doctor for strep throat, rash, pink eye, or any other contagious illness, a doctor’s note is required for their return to school.
We appreciate your partnership in keeping our school community healthy and safe!
If you can't make it to the scrimmage, the first home game is next week on 8/25 starting at 5:30PM versus Iroquois West.
We have a small amount of extra yearbooks for $30.
To claim an extra yearbook please email mhardesty@blueridge18.org.
#br_u_knighted
Seniors from the Class of 2025 can stop by the high school office during regular hours to pick up their yearbook. We can’t wait for you to see all the memories from last year! 💙
We also have a limited number of extra copies available for $50 each — first come, first served!
#br_u_knighted
Progress on the secure entry project is coming along! The Unit Office and High School entrances will be ready to go on the first day of school. The Schneider and BRIJHS entries will be installed soon. Here is some important information on how the new entry process will work.
New Secure Entry "How To" Video - https://shorturl.at/dvEhP
Additionally, to simplify the entry process you can download the Raptor Safe App. This allows you to set up your profile, verify your identity, and enjoy fast, hassle-free sign-ins.
Use this link to download the app and get pre-authorized - https://shorturl.at/rhCK5
We understand this may be inconvenient for some, but our top priority is to create a safe learning environment for our students, staff, and stakeholders. Thank you for your patience during this transition!
Good Morning BRHS Families!
The Fall Sport Season is right around the corner. In order to make sure practices start smoothly, please ensure your athlete is registered on our 8to18 platform. To do so, please go to https://blueridge.8to18.com . Also, please ensure that they have an updated sports physical on file. These can be turned in to the HS Office or submitted on 8to18. Specific instructions can be found on the attached images! #br_u_knighted!
Mrs. Schneman, our K-8 Art Instructor, tells about the piece below:
Part of the power of art is connecting images, themes, and messages to larger groups rather than individuals. Last year, I saw an opportunity to fulfill the Illinois Visual Arts State Standard for Junior High: Make art collaboratively to reflect on and reinforce positive aspects of group identity.
With a generous gift from the Mansfield United Methodist Church, our Junior High art class was able to begin a mural that would serve as a declaration of who we want to be known as at BRIJHS.
It began with a survey asking all BRIJHS students just that: What do BRIJHS want to be known for? The survey responses came back with some variations but one word earned the highest votes over the others: brave.
So our classes brainstormed how we could incorporate an image that depicted bravery. Deciding that bravery was often coupled with resistance to an adversary, real or symbolic, tangible or intangible, we began with sketches of Knights facing overwhelming challenges. Some were on horseback, some sailed in shining armor into the face of a tempest, and using our sketches to generate AI prompts, we found ways to add atmosphere and depth to our images. However, for our purposes we needed to find an image that was dominant in linear design. Finding a classic image of a knight slaying a dragon, we adapted it by adding in the descriptive words that gained the highest responses from the students including "creative" and "determination". Using 10" x 10" wooden canvases, our 7th and 8th grade classes prepped, gridded, and painted the image of a heroic knight displaying bravery over the dragon in a vibrant mural that can be seen from the hallway of BRIJHS. It's a highly collaborative, energetic, and brilliantly colored image to remind us everyday of who we say we are. To find out what words the students also voted on, you'll have to be sure to check out the mural for yourself.
#br_u_knighted
