January/February 2014 Edition

 January/February 2014 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
January/February 2014
Dear Parents: Office of the Principal I moved from Pasadena, California to Illinois in 1986 and I have to say that this is the winter that keeps on giving. As I type this Principal’s Newsle er, I am looking out the window and watch more snowflakes pile on top of an already deep layer of snow. Today, we actually started school two hours late due to the overnight and early morning snow. I wanted to thank the facul‐
ty, staff, students and parents for making the 2 hour delayed start a safe and successful day. This will be something we will look into in the future to try and avoid the cancella on of school when possible. We have already had four cold days pushing our end of the year to Friday, June 6th. The last day of school can change in case we have more snow or cold days. Gradua on is s ll on Sunday, May 25 star ng at 3:30p.m. at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. On Tuesday, February 4 we had our third annual Illinois Special Olympics (ISO) Basketball Game versus the St. Charles East Boys Varsity team. The gym was as packed as I have seen in the three years as principal. The en re student sec on extended to the top of the bleachers. The cheerleaders, girls basketball team, drill team, and the band were also in a endance to watch the ISO beat our Varsity team. The event was the highlight of the year for me and anyone who a ended. It was an example of all that is good about St. Charles East. I want to thank all sponsors, faculty, staff, referees, administra on, coaches, students, and parents who made the event special. Proceeds raised from the event will go to the ISO teams and special camps. I just got the totals in from the night and we raised $1,606.60. Here is a list of sponsors for the event: Anna Marie Almase‐Medina, DDS. Chavez Family Classic Cinemas‐Charlestowne 18 Giordano’s, St. Charles Jenny’s Nails Kane County Cougars McQuillan Family O’Neal Family Sbarra Family Schweizer Family Tilges Family Wester Family Bronec Family Chipotle, St.Charles Dunlap Family Guckien Family Jersey Mikes Mason Family Mr. Marcos Jewelers Sandlund Family Sleep Innova ons TCBY, St. Charles Trademan Photography Zimmerman Ford Our ISO team is so talented they are heading to State on March 14‐16. The D303 Survey data came back from the week in December of 2013. Students, parents, faculty and staff were asked to fill out a survey about St. Charles East High School. The Reader’s Digest overview of the data showed improvements for St. Charles East in all categories. The data is used to help find areas of improvement that we need to make at St. Charles East. I am half way through the narra ve por on of the data and plan to share all data with my East High School Leadership Team, Lead Teachers, faculty and staff during the month of February. We appreciate everyone who took the me to give us feedback. I will have a de‐
tailed breakdown of the data in the March/April Principal’s Newsle er. Lastly, I want to take the me to recognize Sena Drawer, a former faculty member at St. Charles East and our current Varsity Girls Tennis Coach for the past twenty seven years. I am wri ng about Sena because she was inducted into the Illinois Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame on Friday, January 24. This elite organiza on has been induc ng candidates for around 50 years now and the inductees’ number less than 100. The current tennis coaching staff looked at all of the inductees’ and realized Sena is the ONLY member within the West Suburban Area. We are proud of Sena and look forward to many more years of success on and off the tennis court. Charlie Kyle, Principal
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Each year the State of Illinois reviews immuniza on requirements to determine if school aged children are adequately protected for communicable diseases. At mes addi onal doses of a required immuniza on are added to the State requirements due to the number of “break through” cases iden fied in the U.S. One new requirement for the fall of 2014 is that all students, K – 12, must have received 2 doses of each of the following immuniza ons: measles, mumps and rubella. Generally these immuniza ons are given togeth‐
er as the MMR in the U.S.; however, students who have lived abroad during their life may not have received 2 doses of each immuniza on. I will be reviewing your child’s immuniza on records and I will contact you by mail if your child will need another MMR immuniza on prior to school star ng in the fall of 2014. Another new requirement for those of you that have a child who will be entering 9th grade, 6th grade or kin‐
dergarten this fall is that they will need 2 doses of the Varicella (chicken pox) immuniza on or a documented history that they have had chicken pox. Please feel free to contact me if you have any ques ons regarding your child’s immuniza on status. Wishing a healthy and safe 2014 Donna Priest – School Nurse R
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Accurate student a endance is important at St. Charles East! Regular a endance at school results in greater academic success. If a student is going to be absent or late, his/her parent or guardian must telephone the A endance Office as soon as possible. The A endance Office number is 331‐228‐4100. Voice mail is available 24/7. Please leave a detailed message with the date of absence, the student’s name, their Id number, and the reason for absence. Thank you! A
(A Special Project for Important Re
red Educators, or others) Do you want to make a difference in a child’s life? ASPIRE (A Special Project for Important Re red Educators, or others) is a great way get involved. We know that students experience greater success in their lives when they have posi ve connec ons with caring adults. You also will gain sa sfac on from knowing that you are making a difference in the lives of our students. There are many ways in which you can par‐
cipate in ASPIRE. For more informa on please contact Pam Turriff, St. Charles Educa on Associa on President, at 331‐228‐5229. 3 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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A D The 45th edi on of Government For A Day, a student led city council simula on, was held on Monday, De‐
cember 16, 2013 at St. Charles City Hall. Six presenta ons were made regarding Foxfield Theater, First Street Development, Valley Shopping Center, Old St. Charles Mall, Charlestowne Mall, and the Downtown Partnership. Mayor Ray Rogina swore in the student aldermen and mayors. The following students served as Public Officials for Government For A Day: Mayors: Jasper Koenen and Eric Woodard Mayor Pro Tempore: Anwuli Onwuta Parliamentarian: Rosheen Baig Aldermen: Sophie Bishop Sarah Collal Sarah Ditch Megan Mar nez A.J. Schmid Amber Schmi Sam Schweizer Connor Sherrill Alex Siemianowski Jason Weber The Spring edi on of Government For A Day is scheduled for Monday, May 19th, 2014. D
The Drama Department will present Neverwhere on February 14th, 15th and 16th. This urban fantasy, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, follows a man’s journey through the dangerous and mysterious London Below as he tries to return to our me and world. Following these performances, the drama students will immediately begin rehearsals for this year’s spring musical, Shrek the Musical, which will be presented April 25th, 26th and 27th. Other upcoming performances: February 18, Freshman Concert Orchestra and Symphonic Orchestra Concert February 20, Freshman Concert Band Concert (7:00 start) February 24, Symphonic Band Concert February 25, Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble Concert March 4, Chamber Orchestra Concert (7:00 start) March 11, Choir Concert March 13, Jazz Band and Jazz Workshop Concert All concerts take place in the Norris Cultural Arts Center and begin at 7:30 unless otherwise indicated. 4 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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Students Par cipate in the Illinois All‐State Music Conference St. Charles East High School had five students selected to par cipate in the Illinois Music Educators Associa on All‐State Conference which took place in Peoria from January 23rd through the 25th. Senior guitarist Zach Nunnery performed with the Honors Jazz Combo, sophomore violist Morgan Fanning and junior bassist Peter Hatch performed with the Honors Orchestra, senior vocalist Jack Lindberg performed with the All‐State Chorus, and senior clarine st Emily Johnson performed with the Honors Concert Band. This experience for these students concluded a four month process that began in early October with IMEA district
‐level audi ons. The students then par cipated in district fes vals in mid November where they rehearsed and performed with the top high school musicians from the west‐suburban area. These students were a small number that were then selected from the district groups to con nue on to the state level. At the All‐
State Conference they again audi oned for placement in the state‐level ensembles, rehearsed for two days with the best high school musicians from the state under the direc on of top music educators and professional musicians. The conference culminated with performances by these ensembles on Friday night and Saturday a ernoon Congratula ons to these five students on their musical accomplishments! S
ISO Basketball Update The Saints ISO Basketball team finished their regular season with a spectacular win over the East HS Varsity Boys Basketball team on February 4, 2014. All ISO team members contributed to the 73‐44 win. The evening included concessions, raffle prizes and spirit wear sales. The BIG Game event raised over $1600. Profits will be used to support further ISO ac vi es as well as Special Camps for Special Ci zens based in Winfield, IL. The SAINTS ISO basketball team will finish their season at the ISO State Basketball Tournament in Bloomington‐Normal, Illinois, March 14‐16th. In other news, The SAINTS ISO teams will also par cipate in the Area Swim Meet on March 6th at Neuqua Valley HS, the Area Spring Games (Track & Field) at North Central College on April 27th, and the Area Bowling Tournament on June 1st at the Brunswick Zone in Naperville. GO SAINTS! W
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Although the weather has been frigid, our Saints have been red hot. This winter season we have captured conference championships in girls bowling, wrestling, and cheerleading. Our drill team qualified for the IHSA State Finals for the first me as well. The Cheerleading team qualified for state this weekend and finished 9th overall! Our boys swim team as well as our boys and girls basketball teams are finishing their season strong as they head toward their state tournaments. Good luck to all of our athletes! 5 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
January/February 2014
ACT P
National English Honor Society will host two ACT Practice Sessions this March for both the English and
reading portions of the ACT. At each session, students will take the test in a quiet, timed environment. Afterward, National English Honor Society tutors will go over the test answers, offering guidance and
advice for success. Below are the dates, times, and locations of the scheduled practice sessions:
English Section: Tuesday, March 11th - 2:30pm in F183
Reading Section: Tuesday, March 25th - 2:30pm in F183
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FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES Child Development 2 The high school students enrolled in Child Development 2 have completed orienta on and are excited to run Li le Saints Preschool. The high schoolers are planning and teaching lessons based on each of our weekly themes and will con nue to do so un l the middle of May. We welcome 11 Li le Saints! Intro to Teaching Students in Intro to Teaching are half way through their internship at our local elementary and middle schools. They con nue to observe, teach lessons, help students and gain valuable hands‐on experience in the teaching profession. A big thanks goes out to the teachers and principals at Anderson, Davis, Fox Ridge, Munhall, Norton Creek, Thompson and Wredling for mentoring these students as they explore the roles and responsibili es of being a teacher! FCCLA Students in FCCLA (Family, Career & Community Leaders of America) competed on Thursday, January 30 at Robert Morris Dupage Campus for STAR Culinary Events. Students in various Child Care, Culinary and Fashion related events competed on Friday, February 7 at the Sec onal Compe on at College of DuPage. We’re extremely proud of their hard work and dedica on as they represented St. Charles East as young professionals. Congratula ons! Bay Area Trade Show The virtual experience becomes “real” again in March when the VEI employees a end the Bay Area Trade Show in San Francisco, where they have an opportunity to meet employees from other virtual firms, net‐
work, and buy and sell products. Addi onally, a endees will be compe ng in numerous business compe ‐
ons throughout the event. The en re class works to prepare a booth, catalogs, brochures, business cards, a sales presenta on, and promo onal items. While at the trade show the employees’ set‐up the booth and work to sell their products to the other firms that are in a endance. The Bay Area Trade Show opportunity allows VEI students to develop sales and presenta on skills, leadership skills, and network. We are busy rais‐
ing “real” funds for our virtual businesses to a end. Let us know if you can help! 6 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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nued TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY The auto shop at East has been a busy place this year. As our students have learned new skills, they have ap‐
plied them to a large number and wide variety of repair projects. In Auto Tech I 1st semester students have learned and prac ced “bumper‐to‐bumper” maintenance of the car and gone on to a new class for the second semester. A new group of students started in January and their training has just begun. The Auto II students are focused on the engine. They are breaking down automo ve engines and learn‐
ing the parts and func on as they go. Finally the Auto III students are ge ng ready to open up our shop as their own simulated “business.” We call it East Side Autos, and through this unit of study, the students are learning the basics of opera ng an automo ve business. Auto II and III Auto II and III students are also looking forward to a field trip to the Chicago Auto Show in February. During the trip, students will research new technologies and car buying strategies while taking advantage of a world class new car showcase. As the semester moves ahead, the lab experiences will only increase as these hard‐working students gain more skill and confidence. 7 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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nued Auto Club The Auto Club con nues to meet on Fridays a er school throughout the year. Through this club, we provide a place where students can work on their cars and trucks and meet other students interested in doing the same. Club members have completed oil changes, re service, brake jobs, and various electrical projects on their vehicles. We also have community service goals during the year. One of our annual events is the “Labor for Lazarus House” service project. On March 1, the Auto Club will be invi ng cars in for maintenance‐type service and asking for dona ons in lieu of labor charges. All of the proceeds are forwarded to Lazarus House shelter in St. Charles. Let me know if you would like to bring your vehicle in. Lastly, on May 17 from 1 – 4 pm, we will be hos ng our 10th annual Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Show right here in the school parking lot. Please bring your special vehicle to show, and tell your friends, too! It is a fundraiser for the Auto Club. For informa on or ques ons about any or all of the above, please contact Tom Straiker at Thom‐
[email protected] or (331)228‐5736. BUSINESS EDUCATION Virtual Enterprises Interna onal (VEI) Virtual Enterprises Interna onal (VEI) is the capstone course offered through the Business Educa on Depart‐
ment. It is an interna onal curriculum in which the students (or employees as they are referred to in the or‐
ganiza on) run a virtual business and interact with over 3,000 other firms in the network. VEI Business Plan Compe on On Thursday, December 12, St. Charles North hosted the 2nd Second Annual Illinois Business Plan Compe ‐
on. All the students did an amazing job and the judges had the most wonderful things to say about our VEI students. St. Charles East Firm Clever Contrap ons, Inc. took 2nd place in the wri en business plan, 3rd place in oral business plan, and 2nd place overall. Congratula on to the en re class with a special thanks to business plan team members Ka e Lombardo, Kahley France, AJ Tolbert, Alyce Tauer, and Connor McCadam. 8 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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nued SkillsUSA SkillsUSA Supports ISO Basketball SkillsUSA members enjoyed an exci ng game as our ISO Basketball Team impressively beat our varsity boys team . SkillsUSA members held signs and fathead posters of the players as well as helped with concessions, raffles, and the half‐ me compe on. Skills USA Region Compe
on SkillsUSA Region Compe on was held on Thursday, January 30. East students brought back many ribbons and medals. Congratula ons to the following champions: Krupa Patel 1st Place Job Interview 1st Place Extemporaneous Speech 1st Place Black and White Photo Erandy Padilla 1st Place Prepared Speech th
4 Place Job Interview 5th Place Extemporaneous Speech Pruthvi Patel 2nd Place Job Interview 4th Place Job Skill Demonstra on Moralee Thakkar 2nd Place Photography 3rd Place Job Interview 2nd Place Extemporaneous Speech 8th Place Job Interview 4th Place Extemporaneous Speech 5th Place Job Interview Hannah Rawson 3rd Place Extemporaneous Speech 7th Place Job Interview Alyce Tauer AJ Tolbert Musa Abdin 6th Place Extemporaneous Speech 6th Place Job Interview Kesha Patel Jeofrey Perez 9th Place Job Interview 10th Place Job Interview 9 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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nued Members of SkillsUSA are currently preparing for State Compe on. State Compe on will be held in Springfield, IL on April 3‐5. Students will compete in events such as Customer Service, Related Technical Math, Auto Service Technology, Job Interview, Quiz Bowl, Promo onal Bulle n Board, and many others. Good luck to the compe tors as they prepare! C
A big congratula ons to the St. Charles East Chess Team for their victories over Elgin and Streamwood on Saturday 1/25 at the Upstate Eight Conference Tournament at Streamwood H.S. The following 5 saints wound up winning medals: (From le to right in photo) Andrew Koval took 6th place on board 2 Duncan Lo Sacco took 4th place on board 5 Chris Pombar took 3rd place on board 7 James Sullivan took 5th place on board 6 Daniel Gonzalez took 6th place on board 8 Go Saints Chess! 10 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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DECA Congratula ons to the following students who placed in the top 10 of their event at DECA sec onals and move onto state compe on in Decatur in March! Adam Finke & Jake McCann 1st place Sports & Entertainment Sasha Singh & Anisha Kalra 5th place Hospitality Services Becca Phelps & Calandria Ynocencio 5th place Marke ng Communica ons Zac Prokop & Will Kennedy 3rd Place Financial Analysis Alexis Or z 10th Place Principles of Marke ng Taylor Hirth & Alyssa Bailey 9th place Travel & Tourism Danny DiLeonardi & Cooper Macek 2nd place Financial Analysis Sam Maze 5th Place Hotel and Lodging F
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Several of the Spanish classes had class compe ons to raise money for the Salva on Army Giving Tree service project. All in all, we supplied about 15 students in need in our community an opportunity to receive a plethora of wonderful gi s during this holiday season. Some classes raised upwards of $200. Winning clas‐
ses were rewarded in some capacity (generally with pizza or something like it), and it built a very generous, compassionate, and somewhat compe ve atmosphere amongst all the students. It was a great way to serve others and have fun together. Sra. Swiderski's Spanish One and Three students par cipated in the Angel Tree project last month. They were very generous as they donated their me and money to the cause. Several students went shopping to purchase all of the items on the student's wish list. We look forward to par cipa ng in a similar project this semester. 11 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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The 2013‐2014 members of the Figh ng Saints Chapter of the Na onal English Honors Society were induct‐
ed into the organiza on in December. Jim Reed and Genevieve Zachas are advising this group whose first class was inducted last year. English 9 students had the opportunity to view Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet performed by A Crew of Patches in our very own Norris Cultural Center. Seeing a live performance brought the famous play to life, and many students appreciated Shakespeare's humor despite the play being a tragedy. What an awesome opportunity for students! The Debate Team, coached by Gary Burgener, Kyle Libberton, and Geri Shouba, is par cipa ng in Congressional Debate, Public Forum, and Lincoln Douglas at schools throughout the Chicago area. The UpState Eight Literary Fes val is coming up soon! On April 11, Crea ve Wri ng Club students (and all other students who submit submissions) will a end Batavia High School to par cipate in a compe on with other Upsate 8 writers. We look forward to a fun day with students and hope to include as many students as possible. Sarah Yerkes and Genevieve Zachas advise this club. The Scholas c Bowl Team, coached by Gary Burgener, is 8‐1 in Conference play and took 2nd in the Upstate 8 conference tournament last weekend. Speech Team, coached by Court Burkhart and Stephanie Lally, is half way through its compe ve season having a ended four tournaments. Team members have earned several top individual awards. The state series started in February. The senior English course Fantasy & Science Fic on already had The Hobbit as part of its curriculum so a field trip to watch the movie the week it came out was a perfect fit. Students enjoyed evalua ng Peter Jackson’s adapta on of Tolkien’s classic text. S
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Mock Trial The St. Charles High School Mock Trial Compe on will be held on February 22nd, 2014 at the Kane County Court House on Peck Road, in Geneva from 8 AM ll 1 PM. All are welcome to a end and observe our St. Charles East and St. Charles North teams compete. We encourage those who are interested in Mock Trial for next year or have an interest in a career in law to a end this compe on as an observer. For more informa on please contact Amy Eckman, [email protected]. 12 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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Math Help The math department has the following op ons available for students who would like extra help with their math skills outside of the classroom. Students should first contact their math teacher about receiving help outside of class me. Peer Tutoring The Math Honor Society offers peer tutoring every STCE morning (late start) in the LRC room E and every Thursday a er school from 2:30‐3:30 in room B121. Students can get help with concepts presented in class or homework problems. Students just need to bring their ques ons and math materials. Math Resource Room (B205) The Math Resource Room is staffed by a mathema cs teacher and is available during the lunch periods 4, 5, 6, and 7. Students can stop in for help on math topics during their study hall. Students should get a pass from their math teacher and check in with their study hall teacher. Blackboard All math teachers maintain a Blackboard page with a variety of resources available to the students. Students should register on their teacher’s Blackboard page. College Preparatory Mathema cs (CPM) All students in Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II have access to an electronic version of their textbook. The textbook site offers tutorials on the math concepts presented in class, online homework help, and selected answers. Students should go to the textbook address given at the beginning of the year coordinated to their class. Students will need their username and password. Students in Algebra, Geometry, Honors Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre‐Calculus can go to www.cpm.org for selected answers to homework problems. 13 PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
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nued ACT Math Prac ce Tests The Math Department is con nuing to offer full length ACT Math prac ce tests a er school. There are three prac ce test dates remaining: February 26th, March 26, and April 7th. Students should sign up with their math teacher before the test. Math Team The math team meets in B126 a er school on Mondays. Any interested student is invited to come by and check out how the team works. The team has competed in three meets so far this year. Math Honor Society Members of Mu Alpha Theta con nue to offer Peer Tutoring on Thursdays a er school in B121 from 2:30‐
3:30pm and on late start Wednesdays from 7‐8am in the LRC Room E. Science Olympiad par cipated at the Libertyville invite. The students did awesome, winning a bunch of med‐
als and the team finished fourth overall. Here are the individual awards: 2nd Bungee Drop (Jake O’Hara, Caroline Beavan) 4th Circuit Lab (Joseph Monroe, Iva Grama kov) 2nd Compound Machine (John Born, Caroline Beavan) 2nd Designer (Iva Grama kov, Shilpa Dhar) 1st Dynamic Planet (Meagan Grama kov, Chris Horn) 1st Experimental Design (Sara Ahmad, Maddalyn Miller, Joseph Monroe) 2nd Geologic Mapping (James McAdams, Chris Horn) 1st Mission Possible (Jake O’Hara, Sophie Wa s) 3rd Scrambler (John Born, Jake O’Hara) 1st Technical Problem Solving (John Born, Joseph Monroe) 5th Water Quality (Meagan Grama kov, James McAdams) ‐‐‐Junior Varsity‐‐‐ 4th Astronomy (Danial Toor, Anna Moritz) 3rd Disease Detec ves (Shannon Dohr, Jan Mangulabnan) 1st Forensics (Jan Mangulabnan, Askar Poudyal)