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Ms. Thurnau Honored by Belleville High School Board of Education
At the January school board meeting, BW Principal Rich Mertens honored English teacher Ms. Amber Thurnau. In recognizing Ms. Thurnau, he made the following comments:
Amber Thurnau is a Bellevile West graduate, and—even though she started her teaching career in another district—we were happy when she returned to West in 2007 to join the English department.
In her years at West, Amber has taught a variety of grades and classes. Currently, she spends most of her day teaching freshmen in both traditional and honors courses. From the start of each school year—with a “literacy stampede” and book passes and a well-stocked classroom library—Amber works to foster a love of reading in her new students. She doesn’t settle for teaching the same things year after year; instead, she’s always looking for new materials to teach alongside the classics. Amber helps students to connect their reading assignments to the broader world, including articles about current events and guest speakers in her curriculum.
Amber also teaches a section of the AP English dual enrollment class. When the department needed an additional teacher for this course a few years ago, Amber didn’t hesitate to accept the challenge of preparing for the new assignment.
Amber is the faculty adviser of Page One, the Belleville West Literary and Art Magazine. Each year, she guides a staff of student editors as they solicit student writing, critique and select submissions, design the magazine layout, and promote sales to the student body. Working with the library staff, Page One sponsors a poetry café each spring, with students performing their original poems. Under Amber’s leadership, Page One has received multiple first place awards from the National Scholastic Press Association.
Amber is a regular contributor to the English department’s annual Shakespeare festival. On the day of the fest, you’ll usually find her dressed in a Renaissance gown, and her students’ food booth is always a main attraction.
Amber served as a team leader during the district’s curriculum work for English 1-2, and she has supervised a number of student teachers in her time at West.
Amber is a teacher who constantly strives to make her class inviting, engaging, and relevant. Thank you for everything that you do for the students at Belleville West.
Belleville West Students Share their Favorite Books
Throughout this year, Belleville West students are sharing their favorite books with the school. This week features recommendations from Ms. Mim’s students.
Speech Team Takes Title at Major Tourney
The Belleville West Speech and Acting Team traveled north for the Wheaton Warrenville South Tiger Tournament on Saturday, January 12. Competing against some of the strongest teams in the state, the BW delegation took first place.
The following students won individual awards:
Jaylon Muchison – first place in Special Occasion Speaking
Savannah Tiemann – first place in Informative Speaking
Savannah Tiemann – second place in Original Oratory
Kaylon Brown – third place in Oratorical Declamation
Delaney Holliday – third place in Dramatic Interpretation
Jayden Tochette – third place in Informative Speaking
Annabelle Brown – fourth place in Prose Reading
Ben Hawkins – fourth place in Radio Speaking
Maxwell Juhas – fourth place in Extemporaneous Speaking
Alex Johnson and Reily Wills – sixth place in Humorous Duet Acting
Danyelle Scott – sixth place in Dramatic Interpretation
Emily Bechtold and Maxwell Juhas – seventh place in Humorous Duet Acting
Jaylon Muchison – seventh place in Prose Reading
The following students won individual awards in the next-in finals:
Delaney Holliday – first place in Poetry Reading
JoJo Holm – first place in Special Occasion Speaking
Danyelle Scott and Naja Taylor – first place in Dramatic Duet Acting
Jaylon Muchison – first place in Humorous Interpretation
Annabelle Brown and Reily Wills – second place in Dramatic Duet Acting
Owen Buescher – third place in Radio Speaking
Danyelle Scott – third place in Poetry Reading
Kaylon Brown – fourth place in Original Oratory
Emma Koontz – fourth place in Special Occasion Speaking
Armoni Willis – fourth place in Original Comedy
The team coaches are Mr. Adam Jenkins, Mr. Russ Reidelberger, Ms. Julie Schloesser, and Mrs. Leigh Reidelberger. Congratulations on a great weekend!
Book Club Members Meet for January Discussion
Members of the Belleville West Book Club met on Wednesday, January 9, to discuss Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Students in attendance, who loved the book, had in-depth conversation about the theory of multiple universes and the importance of even the little choices we make each day.
English Department Welcomes Student Teacher for Second Semester
The BW English Department welcomes Ms. Ariel Enlow this semester. A student at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Ms. Enlow will be working this semester with Ms. Ashley Mims and Mrs. Ashley Short. Welcome to West!
English Classes Prepare Students for College and Careers
This week, Belleville West juniors will begin the process of selecting English electives for next year. The BW English department offers a wide array of electives in literature, writing, speaking, media literacy, and theatre. Students are required to complete two English electives as seniors, but students often choose additional English courses to pursue personal interests during the senior year. English courses provide students with strong preparation for both college and careers.
Click through the slides below to learn more about senior English electives at Belleville West.
Belleville West Students Share their Favorite Books
Throughout this year, Belleville West students are sharing their favorite books with the school. This week features recommendations from Mr. Lodle’s seniors.
BW Book Club Meets this Week
The Belleville West Book Club will meet this Wednesday, January 9, to discuss Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter. The discussion will begin at 4:00 p.m. at The Abbey, located at 5801 West Main Street. Any student who has read the book is welcome to join.
DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch
“Are you happy with your life?”
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
Speech Team Starts the New Year with Another Victory
The Belleville West Speech and Acting Team started 2019 with a victory at the Waterloo SISAL Tournament on Saturday, January 5.
The following students won individual awards in the varsity division:
Kaylon Brown – first place in Oratorical Declamation
Delaney Holliday – first place in Poetry Reading
Jaylon Muchison – first place in Humorous Duet Acting
Naja Taylor – first place in Prose Reading
Savannah Tiemann – first place in Informative Speaking
Kaylon Brown – second place in Original Oratory
Delaney Holliday – second place in Dramatic Interpretation
Alex Johnson and Reily Wills – second place in Humorous Duet Acting
Max Juhas – second place in Extemporaneous Speaking
Jaylon Muchison – second place in Special Occasion Speaking
Emily Bechtold and Max Juhas – third place in Humorous Duet Acting
Annabelle Brown – third place in Prose Reading
Owen Buescher – third place in Radio Speaking
JoJo Holm – third place in Original Comedy
Isa Karathanos – third place in Original Oratory
Danyelle Scott and Naja Taylor – third place in Dramatic Duet Acting
Emily Bechtold – fourth place in Humorous Duet Acting
Ben Hawking – fourth place in Radio Speaking
Emma Koontz – fourth place in Oratorical Declamation
Jayden Touchette – fourth place in Informative Speaking
Armoni Willis – fourth place in Original Comedy
Annabelle Brown and Reily Wills – fifth place in Dramatic Duet Acting
JoJo Holm – fifth place in Special Occasion Speaking
Danyelle Scott – fifth place in Dramatic Interpretation
JoAnna Bauza and Zara Thompson – seventh place in Dramatic Duet Acting
Elise Moore – seventh place in Radio Speaking
Aidan Schweitzer – seventh place in Informative Speaking
The following students won individual awards in the next-in varsity finals:
Savannah Tiemann – first place in Original Oratory
Elle Malacarne – second place in Poetry Reading
Jayden Touchette – second place in Impromptu Speaking
Paige Goodrich – third place in Impromptu Speaking
Elise Moore – fourth place in Poetry Reading
Aidan Schweitzer – fourth place in Radio Speaking
Sophia VanLith –fifth place in Impromptu Speaking
Alex Johnson – sixth place in Humorous Interpretation
Anaya Tammons – sixth place in Oratorical Declamation
The following students won individual awards in the junior varsity division:
Armoni Willis – first place in Oratorical Declamation
Abby Barger – second place in Original Oratory
Jordan Sinkler – second place in Special Occasion Speaking
Gabe Kurfman – third place in Informative Speaking
Elle Malacarne – third place in Dramatic Interpretation
Jordan Sinkler – fifth place in Impromptu Speaking
Sarah Hauser – sixth place in Poetry Reading
The team coaches are Mr. Adam Jenkins, Mr. Russ Reidelberger, Ms. Julie Schloesser, and Mrs. Leigh Reidelberger. Congratulations to the team!
English Department Offers SAT Prep Sessions this Semester
On April 9, all juniors at Belleville West will take the SAT. You’ve already had some practice with the three SAT English assessments (reading, writing and language, essay) in your English 5-6 class, but you might like some extra practice to help you earn the final exam exemption in your senior year or to help you earn the best score possible for college applications.
This year, juniors interested in additional SAT preparation have the opportunity to attend a weekly session for customized practice through the Khan Academy site.
Here are the program details:
Participating students will attend a half-hour lunch session (3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, or 5B) during just one day each week (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday).
Sessions will begin the week of January 14 and run through the week of April 1. This will be a total of twelve sessions.
Students may not skip another class (music, CTE, etc.) in order to attend the SAT preparation session. However, any student with a half-hour class opposite his/her lunch is welcome to eat lunch in the tutoring classroom during the test prep session.
Students with full-hour lunch may choose to attend the A or B session of the hour. Depending on session registration, though, the first choice may not always be available.
In the first four sessions, students will take short diagnostic tests that will allow the Khan Academy program to customize their practice. In the remaining eight sessions, students will work through individualized practice sessions to strengthen specific skills.
Students must arrive in the assigned room by the time the bell rings to begin the session.
At the discretion of the tutoring teacher, students who do not use the session productively will not be permitted to continue in the program.
Students are encouraged to attend all 12 sessions. Any student who attends at least 10 sessions will qualify for a special off-campus lunch day. Any student who attends all 12 sessions will be eligible for a prize drawing.
If you are interested in participating in this program, speak with your English 5-6 teacher to register for a day and time. Students will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will close on Friday, January 11.