What’s recently happened?
December was a time to give to those in need. The National Honor Society’s (NHS) Project of the Month, “Stockings for Paws,” aimed to give back to local animal shelters, including the Humane Society of Hobart and Northwest Humane Society. These shelters were in need of supplies such as toys, dog food, treats, paper towels, blankets, leashes, collars, and trash bags.
To raise donations, the NHS hosted a competition between the high school and middle school, encouraging students to contribute. The class that donated the most supplies earned a special pizza party with its SRT class. The NHS dedicated much time and effort to advertise and promote the event, ultimately collecting over 600 items for the shelters. The winners were U.S. History Teacher Jim Weiztel’s SRT class for the high school.
Congratulations to the winning classes, and thank you to the NHS for organizing this wonderful event!
What’s coming up?
The annual River Forest High School (RF) Turnabout dance is just around the corner at the end of January. With the school’s basketball season wrapping up, there’s no better way to celebrate than with a Spirit Week and a Pep Rally to close out the season. For RF seniors, this will be their final spirit week and basketball season, followed up with a Senior Night to honor the class of 2025’s last game.
Throughout the week, the daily themes will include Meme Day (dress as your favorite meme), Alphabet Day (dress according to the first letter of your name), Hero vs. Villain (choose your favorite character), Rhyme Without Reason (pair up with a friend and rhyme your costumes), and, of course, Spirit Day. Good luck, RF, and have fun showing off your school spirit!
Staff spotlight:
Bridget Flory is RF’s very own band director/teacher. She teaches both middle and high school students and leads various clubs and classes, including sixth–12th grade band, seventh grade general music, jazz band, pep band, marching band, and AP Music Theory.
Flory graduated from Valparaiso High School, then went on to Ball State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. This degree qualifies her to teach any music class, K–12, including instrumental, choral, and general music.
Flory’s interest in music began in sixth grade.
“I immediately knew that I wanted to grow up to be a band director. I was telling everyone I wanted to be a band director after playing my first few notes,” she said.
She claimed that from that moment on, she always knew what she wanted to do.
“I had very great band directors, especially my high school band directors,” she said.
She credits the foundation of excellence she received from them as the driving force behind her success at Ball State, where she earned her degree. She has been teaching music for 26 years.
Flory was inspired to attend Ball State because both of her high school band directors had graduated from there as well.
“I loved going to Ball State. I met lots of friends who I still keep in touch with, and I learned a lot from several truly great professors,” she said.
Before coming to RF, Flory applied to many jobs. She first taught choir at Clark High School. Becoming a band director was highly competitive due to the limited positions available. She then taught for 12 years at Thomas Edison High School in Lake Station after spending one year teaching in Hammond, Indiana.
After her time at Edison, Flory took a break to stay home with her sons for a few years. When it was time for her to return to work, she found an opportunity at RF.
“I never thought in a million years that I would be back in this area, nor did I think I would be accepted at RF,” she said.
Flory has now been teaching music at RF High School for 11 years. Thank you for all your hard work, Flory!
Student spotlight:
Hunter Wayne Kapitan is a junior at RF and is well-known for his incredible musical skills, particularly his amazing solos. He has also received awards for his talent, having played in the percussion ensemble last year, where he went to State and won a gold medal. Kapitan excels academically as well, ranking in the top 10 of his class. He has maintained a 4.0 GPA since middle school and has earned a spot on the principal’s honor roll every year. Outside of school, some of his hobbies include writing music, playing video games, and spending time with his pets.
Kapitan has been part of the RF band since middle school, an interest sparked by his uncle, who introduced him to different types of music. His passion for music grew even more when he started high school and his friend Sam Fine took him to a music festival in Ohio. This experience further fueled his desire to learn more about music. He first started with the saxophone.
“Almost right after that, I started playing bass guitar,” he said.
Kapitan enjoys and encourages others to join the band.
“I enjoy the environment; it’s like a little family inside the school that you know you can rely on,” he said.
One of his biggest role models is RF’s band teacher, Flory.
“She will always have your back, and she’s a good role model,” he said.
He emphasizes the importance of students joining clubs and finding an interest, such as music, where they can find a supportive group of people. Other role models who have greatly influenced him include his mom, his grandma, and his teacher, Weitzel. He shared that he always feels comfortable and seen by them.
Kapitan is interested in attending a school close to home, with Valparaiso University and Purdue University Northwest as potential options. He is eager to continue pursuing his passion for music. He encourages underclassmen to find a club or group where they feel they belong
“I felt really lost during my first year of high school and all throughout middle school until I clicked with band class,” he said.
He is grateful to have a group of friends and band members who support him whenever needed.