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Belvidere Central Middle School honors eighth graders, spotlights bilingual program and community awards
Summary
Belvidere Central Middle School held an eighth-grade promotion ceremony that recognized student achievements, community partners’ donations, the dual-language program and National Junior Honor Society service projects; administrators also noted disciplinary referral counts for the cohort.
At an evening ceremony at Belvidere Central Middle School, Principal Casey Getty presided over the promotion of the school’s eighth-grade class and presented awards from community partners, while staff highlighted the school’s dual-language program and recent discipline-referral counts.
"It takes a village to raise a child," Principal Casey Getty said, thanking families, teachers and staff who supported the students through middle school. Assistant Principal Mr. Numis told families the cohort showed measurable changes in discipline referrals: "in seventh grade as a total this group amassed over a thousand referrals... This year we're about 350 total referrals for this grade."
The event combined traditional promotion ceremony elements with multiple community-presented awards and program recognitions. The local Veterans of Foreign Wars post presented citizen and academic achievement awards; the Asa Cottrell chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented its outstanding American history award to Abigail Park; and a representative of the local American Legion presented achievement awards. The Illinois Principals Association recognized Charlotte Robes and Alon Sasser with its principals award, and one student, Kyle Heizer, received a JFK citizenship award following a school trip to Washington, D.C.
Abby Cameron, president of the Blue Thunder Boosters, described the boosters’ recent donations to athletics at both Central Middle School and Belvidere North, saying the group "donated wrestling mats, sideline cheer jackets, soccer nets, and warm ups." She also presented two inaugural student-athlete awards for leadership and sportsmanship, awarded to Lily Binger and Jacob Macias.
Teachers and advisers used the ceremony to note student service and program activity. The National Junior Honor Society adviser said NJHS students organized a schoolwide hat and glove drive for Carpenter’s Place, hosted a book drive to collect books for neonatal intensive care unit babies, sold baked goods to raise money for Belvidere’s sister cities and spent time decorating cookies with students in an essential‑elements classroom. Dual-language teachers Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Cruz asked that dual-language students be recognized and described bilingualism as "a superpower, a bridge between communities, a tool for leadership."
The principal closed by presenting the class as the school’s graduating eighth‑grade cohort and asked families to remain seated while students exited to the field for photos.
Several award winners and program highlights were named from the stage; administrators read the graduating class roster aloud during the ceremony.
