News

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Mr. Ron Koontz 🌟

Today we are excited to recognize and show our gratitude for our incredible Dean of Students, Mr. Ron Koontz!

Mr. Koontz truly wears many hats at Bethlehem, and our school runs smoother every day because of his leadership, organization, and dedication to our students and staff.

He oversees all transportation systems, including coordinating schedules, routes, and working closely with our amazing bus drivers to ensure our students arrive safely each day. He also plays a key role in helping manage bus maintenance systems to keep everything running efficiently.

In addition, Mr. Koontz manages the daily operations of our cafeteria program, supporting our wonderful cafeteria staff who take such great care of our students. He also coordinates all substitute teacher systems, handling scheduling and communication to make sure classrooms are always supported.

Beyond operations, Mr. Koontz also works closely with teachers through instructional coaching using the Danielson Framework in partnership with the Archdiocese of Louisville. He helps support strong teaching practices while maintaining high expectations for both our faculty and our students.

He also coordinates and reports all school safety drills and compliance requirements for both the State of Kentucky and the Archdiocese of Louisville, helping ensure our campus remains a safe and prepared environment for everyone.

Mr. Koontz brings strong leadership, incredible people skills, and a commitment to excellence to Bethlehem every single day. Most importantly, he is the true definition of a team player—always willing to step in, help wherever needed, and support our entire school community.

Thank you, Mr. Koontz, for all you do for Bethlehem! We are incredibly grateful for you. 💙🦅

In celebration of Theatre in Our Schools Month, our students found many creative ways to highlight the importance of theatre in our school community. So far, students have created displays, decorated lockers, promoted our upcoming show on the radio, and learned about the importance of advocating for the arts. They also enjoyed a special outing for cast bonding, giving them time to build friendships and strengthen their teamwork outside of rehearsal. It has been a fun and meaningful way to celebrate the impact of theatre and the talented students who bring it to life at Bethlehem High School. 🎭

🎉 Congratulations, Aiden Ballard! 🎉

Bethlehem High School is proud to congratulate Aiden Ballard on being awarded the Mary Agnes Dugan Clayton Scholarship at Bellarmine University!

This prestigious endowed, full-ride scholarship, covering tuition, room, board, and fees, is awarded annually to one incoming freshman from Bethlehem High School. Established in 2000 by alumnus Joseph P. Clayton ('71) in honor of his mother, the scholarship provides an incredible opportunity for a student from his hometown of Bardstown to pursue their education at Bellarmine.

We are incredibly proud of you, Aiden, and all of your hard work that made this achievement possible. Your Bethlehem family is cheering you on as you begin this exciting next chapter! 👏📚🦅

🎤 AP Government TED Talk Showcase 🇺🇸

Mrs. Craig’s AP Government students recently took their learning to the next level by developing TED Talk-style presentations explaining how presidential power has changed over time. Working in small groups, students competed by presenting their ideas while being judged on theme/storyline, supporting evidence, visual support, and overall presentation quality.

The creativity, research, and ability to build strong claims supported with evidence throughout their presentations was extremely impressive!

A special thank you to our judges who helped evaluate the presentations using the rubric: Mrs. Bell, Mrs. Kremer, Mrs. Stevens, Ms. Hall, and Mrs. Thurmond.

And a huge thank you to Mrs. Craig for continuing to bring high rigor and high expectations to the classroom while teaching students the importance of critical thinking, problem solving, and supporting research with strong evidence.

Students definitely leave Mrs. Craig’s class well prepared for the next level of study! 👏📚

🏀💙 Congratulations, Banshees! 💙🏀

A huge congratulations to our incredible Bethlehem Banshee Basketball Team on their Runner-Up finish in the 5th Region Basketball Tournament this weekend! What an outstanding season!

Coming into the year ranked 8th/9th in the region, this team showed tremendous hard work, discipline, and determination, battling all the way to become one of the final two teams standing in the 5th Region. We could not be more proud of the way these young women competed and represented Bethlehem throughout the entire season.

Even more exciting, this team has no seniors, which means the future is incredibly bright for Banshee Basketball! We are excited to watch this group continue to grow and build on the success they achieved this year.

A huge thank you to our coaching staff for the countless hours, dedication, and leadership they poured into this team to help guide them to such a successful season. We are also incredibly grateful to our players and families for their commitment, support, and belief in this program every step of the way.

Banshee Basketball has a long tradition of excellence, and we are so proud of this team for continuing that legacy.

Congratulations, Banshees, on a fantastic season!

Last Wednesday and Thursday, Mrs. Mudd took our Beta Club students to the Kentucky State Beta Convention, where four of our students proudly represented our school. This year’s theme, “Wired for Success,” brought together Beta members from across the state to compete, learn, and celebrate leadership and academic achievement. Our students participated in a variety of events including Josey Hite in Performing Arts: Solo, Duo, Trio and 10th Grade Math; Rachel Miller in Cake Decorating Division II; Grace Smith and Aleiya Dawson with Josey Hite in Apparel Design; Grace Smith in 10th Grade Spelling; and the Club Scrapbook Committee in Scrapbooking. All four students also took part in the convention-wide scavenger hunt and attended keynote speakers and state officer campaigns. Although our students did not place this year, they represented our school incredibly well, and we are so proud of their hard work, participation, and dedication!

🌷☀️ Hello, Spring! ☀️🌷

We are so excited to welcome springtime here at Bethlehem! To celebrate the warmer weather, several of our classes took learning outside to our outdoor classrooms this week.

Our campus is absolutely beautiful this time of year, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy God’s creation while continuing to learn together. Days like these remind us how blessed we are to have such a special place to grow, learn, and spend time as a school community.

🌿📚 Nothing better than fresh air and learning outside!

Congratulations to Franklin Jardim on being awarded several prestigious scholarships in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements. Franklin’s dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence in the classroom have truly paid off, and this recognition is well deserved. We are incredibly proud of all the effort he has put into his studies and the example he sets for others through his determination and perseverance. Bethlehem is lucky to have such an accomplished and hardworking student, and we can’t wait to see all that Franklin accomplishes in the future!

Students in Ms. Kiefer’s Freshman English class recently wrapped up their unit on Romeo and Juliet with a Hexagonal Thinking Activity that encouraged them to make meaningful connections between key ideas, characters, and themes from the play. By arranging and discussing the hexagons, students explored how different concepts relate to one another and discovered the nuances within those relationships. After completing the activity, students put their analysis into action by writing their final essay for the unit. To conclude their study, the class watched West Side Story and compared and contrasted the modern retelling with the original text, deepening their understanding of the timeless themes found in Shakespeare’s work.

Ms. Kiefer’s AP Literature students are bringing poetry to life in a creative way by playing Poem Jenga! As students carefully pull blocks from the tower, each piece prompts them to analyze a different element of a poem, encouraging deeper thinking about literary devices, themes, and meaning. This interactive activity allows students to collaborate, discuss their ideas, and strengthen their analytical skills while having a little fun along the way. It’s a great example of how Ms. Kiefer makes learning engaging while helping her students build confidence in their poetry analysis.