Connect with us

Community News

Joni Paine explains the high school life to Area Rotary

Published

on

This is her 8th year at Gillespie High School

The guidance counselor of Gillespie High School, Joni Paine, along with Assistant Superintendent Joe Tieman informed the Rotary about the high school life and the preparation for college during a regular scheduled luncheon at Toni’s Family Restaurant in Benld on Tuesday, February 28.

Being her eighth year in the high school, Paine has a strict agenda that not only maps out her day, but also her year. “All students get individual counseling if needed,” Paine opened, “My door is open for anyone.” As a guidance counselor, Paine knows every student by name and some even by career path. Every day is different for Paine as she said, “I am never bored.” She works with a variety of students day in and day out and really enjoys her job.

Her job starts with students who are in eighth grade and she nourishes them until they get their diploma. As an eighth grader, she attempts to spark interest in what the student is interested in learning about or even doing as Gillespie High School offers numerous vocational education courses that many high schools are not able to offer. From their interest evaluation, the student is required to fill out a four year plan to map out their four years of high school classes.

Gillespie High School offers a wide array of classes from college prep to college credit courses to vocational education programs that include welding and electrician classes. “We have students graduate from high school and go on and get a job with just their diploma from utilizing the vocational education classes,” Paine boasted.

Over the course of the four years, students engage in multiple tests. As a freshman and sophomore, students take practice tests to prepare them for the ACT in the spring semester in their junior year. “We try and help them while encouraging them to do the best they can,” Paine stated. Gillespie High School tries to create the ACT style testing for the individuals to get them more familiar with the environment.

The school takes the students off-campus to take a practice ACT test to help prepare them for the actual test in April where they too take the test off-campus.”Research shows every time you take the ACT, you can raise your score by two points,” Paine noted, “Those two points could mean thousand of dollars in college.”

By this time in the school year, Paine is working on scheduling as students have already filled out their fall semester courses. “It is a process that takes the entire spring,” Paine noted, “But trying to make sure students are on the right path.”

On the right path meaning the student is ready to go to college if he or she is a senior. Paine tries to make sure that each senior is taking the right prerequisites for the program they wish to enter during their freshman year in college.

Advertisement

Follow The BenGil Post on Facebook


To help seniors, Paine schedules a senior conference with the student. The part of her job which enjoys most, Paine gets to go over their credits and their standing with the student and their parents. “I ask them what their plans are for the future,” Paine shed light, “And tell them that I can always help them out with that.” Other than the senior conference, the guidance office puts out a monthly deadline list of scholarships that are due. At the beginning of their senior year, students are issued a scholarship packet which was prepared by Paine and the guidance office.

Included in the packet is every scholarship in this area to Paine’s knowledge. She also gives the parent another packet when they are at the senior conference. From the packet, the student can refer to each scholarship and read the criteria needed to apply as well as view deadline dates and what information is needed. “Kids know about the scholarships and come in and ask for applications,” Paine stated, “They are only seniors once, so we really try and push the scholarships and remind them of deadlines while helping them out in any way.”

Other than being a guidance counselor, Paine also serves as the homeless liaison. “There is a federal law called the McKinney Vinto Act and students who do not live with their parents and live with other outside families are deemed homeless,” Paine explained, “They get some free things like lunch and breakfast and books.”

Paine also writes the individual a letter when they are a senior to help them get aid for the college years. More and more of this situation has erupted since Paine has been guidance counselor.

 

 

Advertisement
Share this story

Comments

comments

CUSD 7 News

Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

Published

on

In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.

The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.

From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.

Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.

Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.

Advertisement
Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

Community News

Macoupin County residential fire claims multiple victims on Saturday

Published

on

Tragedy struck in the early hours of Saturday morning in Macoupin County as a residential structure fire broke out in the 200 block of West Dean Street, Virden, resulting in the death of a male victim, the Macoupin County Coroner Anthony Kravanya announced.

The individual was pronounced deceased at 10:06 AM but the identity of the deceased has not yet been released, as authorities await the results of an autopsy scheduled for Monday, February 17, 2025. The coroner’s office indicated that a press release will be issued following the autopsy and the positive identification of the victim.

WAND reported a second victim died after being transported to Springfield Memorial Hospital according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon who confirmed a 13-year-old boy and a 34-year-old male were the victims.

The fire reportedly started around 9:30 a.m. and the home was fully engulfed when first responders arrived. Two people were reportedly rescued and life flight was requested but were not available due to the foggy weather conditions. 

An investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway, involving multiple agencies including the Macoupin County Coroner’s Office, the Virden Police Department, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

Community News

Missions group to host trivia fundraiser on March 30

Published

on

Come and join us for an exciting afternoon of trivia as we support our local 2:18 Missions! Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 30 from 2 to 5 PM for an event that promises fun, camaraderie, and a chance to make a difference in our community. The event will be held at DeStefane Community Center in Benld, 201 East Central Avenue.

Teams of up to 10 people can participate for just $100 per table. Whether you want to reserve your table in advance or simply show up on the day of the event to pay at the door, we welcome all trivia enthusiasts to join in the competition!

Feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks to enjoy during the game—just please remember, no alcohol is allowed. For your convenience, we will have bottles of water available for purchase.

The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce! The first-place team will take home a prize of $150. Plus, bring some dollar bills to participate in “Heads and Tails” games during breaks and to buy mulligans for your team.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support a great cause while enjoying a lively trivia challenge. To reserve your table or for more information, contact Kristin at 217-691-7469.

Let’s make this a memorable event for our community and the 2:18 Missions!

Advertisement
Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

Trending

×

We need your support. If you value having timely, accurate news about your community, please become one of our subscribers. Subscribe