Dear Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center Families,
As principals of BUGC, it is our pleasure to welcome new and returning families to a great year at Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center. We are excited to have students back in our classrooms and hallways filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning. It is our mission to help every student feel welcomed, connected, and part of the BUGC family. Additionally, we strive to challenge each student to grow in their academic abilities each and everyday. At BUGC, we have great teachers who spend hours planning and creating classroom activities to engage our students in learning. Our mission is simple, we are creating tomorrow’s innovators.
We hope that you will find our website helpful and informative. All of our information for our upcoming school year will be located online or communicated via email.
Upcoming Dates
BUGC Open House: Monday, August 21st from 6-7:30 p.m. 7th grade students will be able to see their teachers and classrooms from 6-6:45 p.m., and 8th grade students will be able to see their teachers and classrooms from 6:45 - 7:30 p.m. Please check your child’s schedule before arriving. When you arrive at BUGC, please report directly to your child’s 1st hour class. Your child’s teacher will have a physical copy of their schedule for you to see and use to tour the building that night. Please be respectful of the times for each grade level as we are trying to limit the number of people at our facility for parking purposes. A flier is attached for your reference.
First Day of School: The first day of school for students is Wednesday, August 23rd. This is a full day of school. Students will be in attendance from 8:10 - 2:55. Doors for students will open at 7:55 every morning. For students taking Zero hour PE, doors will open at 7:05 a.m. Zero Hour PE goes from 7:10 A.M. to 7:55 A.M.
Schedules
Schedules will be live next Monday, August 14th and available for access on Skyward. Due to our changeover to the new Skyward, we are still in the process of verifying student placements and as such, schedules are subject to change.
New Staff: We are proud to welcome the newest members to our BUGC community:
Mr. Steve Chorak - Dean of Students
Ms. Maggie Racine - 7th/8th Grade Band
Mr. Joe Talluto - 7th Grade Social Studies
Mrs. Shanelle Lara - 8th Grade Social Studies
Ms. Kaitlyn Caddell - 7th Grade Language Arts
Mrs. Devi Pappas - 7th Grade Language Arts
Mr. Michael Pope - 7th/8th Grade Social Worker
Other Items:
BUGC Student Handbook - The 2023/2024 Student Handbook is attached. Please review it for your records.
Spiritwear - School spiritwear will be available to purchase online and information will be shared soon.
Vaping Policy - Per the Village of Bourbonnais ordinance, possession of tobacco/vapes and tobacco/vape products by minors is prohibited. Any violation may be punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00.
Dress Code - To promote student safety and success, BUGC has a dress code for our students. Please review these guidelines in the handbook with your student when you get a chance. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Cell Phone Policy - Cell phones are not permitted for use by students during school hours (7:55 - 3:05). Students are welcome to use their phones before/after school. Please note that a student who needs to use a phone will never be denied that right to use one as every classroom as well as the main office is equipped with phones. In the event that a student is in possession of their cell phone during school hours, their phone will be held in the office for the student to pick up after school. If a second incident occurs, the phone will be held in the office and we will ask that parents/guardians to pick up the phone from school. A third incident could result in further disciplinary action.
Drop-Off & Pick-Up - If you are picking up your child after school, please use the large lot across from the Bourbonnais Public Library to pick up your child. A map will be attached. Please do not enter the circle drive between 7:45 - 8:15 and 2:45 - 3:05. Thank you!
Picking Your Child Up - In the rare occurrence of you needing to sign your child out, you will need to come into the main office to physically sign out your child. When doing so, we will require that proper identification be presented upon signing out your child.
Food Delivery - Parents/guardians are permitted to drop off lunches for their child during the school day. However, food delivery services including, but not limited to Grubhub, Doordash, Uber Eats, etc… will not be permitted at the Upper Grade Center.
Drinks and Drink Containers - Water bottles are permitted at the Upper Grade Center as long as the container is sealed and spill-proof. Drinks other than water including, but not limited to Starbucks, Dunkin, Polar Pops, etc… are permitted at the Upper Grade Center however, they must be consumed in the MPR only during the allotted breakfast time which goes from 7:55 AM - 8:05 AM. These drinks must be disposed of before students are permitted to class.
Class Terminology: You will note that on your child’s schedule there is a class titled Enrichment and Intervention (E/I). E/I class happens right in the middle of your child’s day. Every teacher at BUGC, regardless of grade level, has this class at the same time. E/I time is driven primarily by our grade level teams. This can be a period where students can make-up assessments, seek extra help from their teachers, or can be utilized as a study hall. This class will also feature many SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) concepts as well and the class is designed to be more fluid as a way to give our students every opportunity for success.
We are excited for the upcoming 2023/2024 school year and what it will bring. We will provide valuable learning experiences and a chance to find a love for school and learning. Your questions, suggestions, and comments are important to us. Please keep the lines of communication open with your child’s teachers, our specialists, and the administration. We truly believe that only by working together can we maintain the highest caliber of education for our students! Thank you for sharing your children with us! We enjoy spending time with them and watching them grow as 7th and 8th graders!
Semper Tigris
Mr. Jeremy Outsen, Principal
Mrs. Jenn Longtin, Associate Principal