Tracy Hulley didn’t plan on pursuing a teaching career until midway through college. But once she chose that path there was no turning back, not even when an exciting detour with great views came along.
At the end of June, 35 years after she traded her job as a United Airlines flight attendant for the classroom and 30 years after coming to Buffalo High School, Hulley is retiring with no regrets and a reservoir of gratefulness that welled up into tears as she reflected on three decades at BHS.
Over countless hours spent in labs on the way to earning three degrees in life science, earth science and general science, a few themes emerged that clarified Greg Hygrell’s future path: he loved science, and he had a knack for teaching.
This summer Hygrell is retiring after 34 years in the classroom, including 30 at Buffalo High School. During that time he taught nearly every course in the science department catalog, from ninth-grade physical science to College-in-the-Schools Human Anatomy.
Students from a wide variety of backgrounds received honors at the WEST Adult Education Consortium’s Graduation and Awards Ceremony in Discovery Auditorium on Tuesday, June 11.
For the first time since 2019, Buffalo High School has a National Merit Scholar.
Senior Yiqian “Lexi” Zheng was named a semifinalist for the rare honor in September, became a finalist over the winter months, and received word on Monday, May 20, that she was one of only about 7,000 students to receive a National Merit Scholarship out of 1.3 million students from 21,000 schools who took the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
That means she earned her way into the top 0.5% of students who took the test nationwide.
“Although a band had long been a desire of Buffalo High School, it was not until the fall of 1923 that this dream was realized. Then, under the leadership of Mr. Melby, a band was organized ... We now have the material, and a capable leader - all that is necessary is hard work.”
So began the story of the BHS band program, as recorded in the 1924 BHS yearbook.
Last Thursday, May 2, students in three large ensembles and Director Scott Rabehl put a triumphant accent on 100 years music with the program’s Centennial Band Concert. The Repertory, Varsity and Concert bands took turns entertaining an enthusiastic near-capacity crowd in the Performing Arts Center before combining forces for the grand finale, the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Thanks to meticulous preparation that enabled an outstanding performance at regions, the Buffalo High School Repertory Orchestra gained a statewide audience and critical acclaim earlier this month.
The ninth-grade ensemble under the direction of Kristine Wiese took the stage for the State Festival Honors Concert at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on April 15. Only eight ensembles from around Minnesota were chosen for the showcase based on their performances at regional competitions, and the 2,085-seat auditorium was filled to capacity for each school’s performance.
“It felt surreal, almost, just being in that big of a space that was that important,” said Cora Smiglewski, a viola player.
United for Youth (UFY) grant applications are now open!
UFY is a community initiative established in Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose to help children and families grow to be healthy, caring and responsible. Projects must provide or enhance an early intervention or prevention service. Grant applications will be accepted through May 10, 2024.
After two days of intense State Knowledge Bowl Meet competition, Buffalo High School came away with a fifth-place finish out of 17 teams in the AAA big school division last week.
“It was a fantastic experience for all involved,” said BHS Knowledge Bowl Coach Brandon Aldrich. “I'm so glad this team was able to experience state, and since they are all juniors, I really hope they are able to come back next year to compete at state.”
Action, adventure and intrigue drive the classic “Treasure Island” story, told with a few fresh adaptations by the Buffalo High School drama department in its upcoming spring play.
Three performances are scheduled, each at 7:30 p.m. in the BHS Performing Arts Center, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 18-20.
In a world awash with information, it is vital that students learn to discern reliable sources from those that are questionable, and to research historical information effectively.
Buffalo Community Middle School students took part in the History Day showcase and competition on Feb. 22, an event that challenged sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in the Quest program to address the theme “Turning Points in History” as part of the National History Day in Minnesota event. Students chose a topic related to that theme, conducted extensive research, and presented their findings via dramatic performance, exhibit, documentary or website.
“I was really excited with how this year’s school event turned out,” said Quest English teacher Danielle Kelm. “It’s the first year we’ve had an in-person competition since 2020, and it was great to be able to hold this event for our students.”
