Web Version Summer 08 - D128

LHS
Paw Prints
News and Information from
Community High School District 128
Summer 2008
End-of-Year
Celebrations in
District 128
VHH
S
District 128 Information
2
Superintendent’s Message
Looking Back and Looking Forward
Administrative Offices
50 N. Lakeview Parkway, Suite 101
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061
847-247-4500
Libertyville High School
708 W. Park Ave.
Libertyville, Illinois 60048
847-327-7000
Vernon Hills High School
145 N. Lakeview Parkway
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061
847-932-2000
http:www.d128.org
Board of Education
Anne Landgraf, President
Judy Sugarman, Vice President
Alexander Delli Paoli
Jan Foreman, Secretary
Pat Groody
Ellen Mauer
Marsha Oberrieder
Student Representatives
Kelsey Guglielmi, VHHS
Omar Jamil, LHS
Administration
District
Dr. David L. Clough, Superintendent
Prentiss Lea, Associate Superintendent
Yasmine Dada, CPA, Asst. Superintendent for
Business
Deborah Larson, Director of Curriculum and
Instruction
Mary Todoric, Director of Communications
Libertyville High School
Brad Swanson, Principal
Eric Maroscher, Assistant Principal
Diane Phillips, Assistant Principal
Ron Bjurstrom, Director of Student Support Services
Vernon Hills High School
Dr. Ellen Cwick, Principal
Jean Aucutt, Assistant Principal
Jon Guillaume, Assistant Principal
Sue Butler, Director of Guidance
With my retirement "just around the corner," I am writing my final Superintendent's Message for Paw Prints. I
have been honored to serve as your superintendent for
the past 10 years and have been privileged to witness,
first hand, the success and achievements of our incredible District 128 students. They have been a constant
inspiration to me and to all of our dedicated staff members.
Looking back, much has been accomplished in the past
ten years. When I arrived in the summer of 1998 Vernon
Hills High School was just a field of dirt. There was a
lot of hard work that ensued over the next few years to
address the infrastructure, leadership, staffing, and psychological and political
challenges to move us from a one to a two high school district. That early
Transition Team was driven by our mission statement,
Community High School District 128 will create two quality schools that will
maintain high standards and provide effective educational opportunities and
resources for all students, parents and community members. Each school will be
encouraged to develop an identity and culture within the district. A collaborative
process incorporating teamwork, shared leadership and continuous communication will ensure timely completion of this process.
Those of us who toiled in those earlier years take great satisfaction today in
knowing that our students and parents have come to expect that we have two great
high schools in District 128.
Looking forward, much work is yet to be done. Our School Board adopted the
current Strategic Plan in 2006-07. We are working hard to see that the District
makes wise use of its financial resources, that all of our students meet District academic standards, and that we make the best use of available technology to accomplish our goals.
This work will be led by my successor, Prentiss Lea, our current Associate
Superintendent, who will assume the Superintendent's chair on July 1st. Prentiss
will become only the fourth superintendent in District 128 since its inception in
1964, continuing a 46 year legacy left by Walter Johnson, Don Gossett and, now,
myself.
In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins describes the Level V leader, evidenced
in our most successful U.S. companies, as one who is disciplined both in thought
and action. Prentiss is a Level V leader who brings a clear direction for our next
steps in District 128. He will serve you well, just as I have strived to do for the
past 10 years.
Thank you for the opportunity you have given me to serve. District 128 will
always have a special place in my heart. Farewell.
Community Education Program
Dr. Lester “Buzz” Perry, Director of
Community Education and Grants
Paw Prints is published quarterly during
the school year for District 128 families.
Questions and concerns should be
addressed to Paw Prints Editor Mary
Todoric, Director of Communications at
847-247-4513.
D av id L . C l o u g h , Ph . D .
S u p e rintendent
3
SAP News
Crash Re-Enactment Challenges Students to Make Wise Choices
by Margaret Pither, VHHS SAP Coordinator
On Friday, May
16, the juniors and
seniors of Vernon
Hills High School
observed the preprom crash re-enactment that demonstrated what could
happen when a person is under the
influence of alcohol
or other drugs and
gets behind the
wheel of a car. The
assembly, which is
presented in alternate years at each of
the District 128 high
schools, was a powerful illustration of
the most visible and
tragic consequence
of underage drinking
or drug use.
Students were chalphoto by M. Todoric
lenged to make
healthy choices as they celebrate prom, graduation, the end of the school year, and beyond.
The assembly was presented through the cooperative efforts of the Vernon Hills Police Department, Countryside Fire
Protection District, Libertyville Fire Department, the Lake County Coroner, and Condell Medical Center. Student
actors included Amy Burton, Adam Corrado, Michelle Krueger, Cliff Nelson, Lindy Randall, and Sonal Singh. Judge
Daniel Shanes spoke to the students about the legal consequences of underage drinking and how families can be affected.
Chet and Cathy Stanley told about the death of their youngest daughter and her fiancé due to a drunk driver and the ongoing
affect that has on their lives.
Although student surveys and personal contacts demonstrate that the majority of VHHS students are alcohol and drug-free,
the presenters stressed the fact that students might find themselves in a situation where those around them are participating in
risky behavior. They told the students that they can make a difference and intervene in those situations by taking away the
keys, calling a taxi, involving a parent or other adult, and most importantly by being themselves and not drinking.
Senior Transition Presentations
by Margaret Pither, VHHS SAP Coordinator
On April 24, the VHHS Cass of 2008 met as a group for the senior transition assembly. During the assembly, the students
filled out the Senior Exit Survey, saw an entertaining and informative video depicting college life, and heard returning alumni
Anna Genchanok (Illinois Wesleyan University), Lauren Hansen (Carthage College), and Ani Rangarajan (Northwestern
University) recount their experiences as college freshmen. The event ended with a talk by Felicia Ganther, Executive
Director of Student Life at the College of Lake County, who spoke about how to make the most of your college experience.
The video, produced by CRC Counselor Scott Birtman and Social Worker Doug Dusthimer and "starring" VHHS faculty,
students, and alumni, creatively presented the various aspects of college life - the "drop-off" (the first day on campus), skills
needed (laundry, cleaning, etc.), roommate relations, homesickness, time management, substance abuse, Greek life, and campus safety. A special thank-you to all staff and students who participated in the video production.
In addition, during physical welfare classes on April 30, seniors were given an opportunity to hear a presentation on sexual
assault and safe dating. Georgia Vasquez, a prevention specialist from LACASA Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center, spoke to
the girls on the myths and facts of sexual assault and offered prevention strategies and resources. Gregory Krumes, community volunteer, defined sexual assault and talked to the male students about cultural factors that push men toward violence.
The Student Assistance Program and the College Resource Center hope that through these presentations seniors will take
away the information needed to make a successful transition to college life. Good luck, Class of 2008!
SAP News
4
LHS SAP Update
by Nancy Dick, LHS SAP Coordinator
Senior Lunch and Learn Series
LHS seniors were offered four opportunities during their lunch hours to listen to college representatives speak share information for attending college in the fall. Jill Sangl of Texas Christian University spoke on April 10 about, "How do I protect my
laptop, sound system, game station" and other safety issues on campuses. Chris Blackwell of Saint Louis University came on
April 16 to speak about "Roommates." Bob Quane of Southern Illinois University came on April 17 to talk about, "Who Are
These People? and Money in College." He was able to share the resources available on a college campus as well as the pitfalls
of credit cards. From the College of Lake County, Felicia Ganther came on April 21 and spoke about, "Decisions on
Campus." She elaborated about getting involved in activities on campus, taking time to get to know your professors, and
ways to stay successful in college. We want to thank all of our speakers and to the many seniors who attended.
Senior Assembly
The Student Assistance Program Team was pleased to bring in Sharon Purdom, a flight for life nurse, who spoke to seniors
about how alcohol can shatter lives. Through a multi-media presentation, Ms. Purdom shared personal stories from her own
life through being a flight for life nurse and through her own family. Seniors were encouraged to remember that life is precious.
Silent Protest . . . Maybe Not so Silent!
Members of ACE, SPARK, and NHS created posters that they held during the Silent Protest which took place on Thursday,
May 15 from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 a.m.. The student's posters asked those who drove into and by the high school to rethink
drinking and drug use. Many posters asked motorists to “Honk for Reducing Underage Drinking.”
In addition, a crashed car, compliments of the Libertyville Police Department, with a sign reminding students not to be a statistic, was placed in the circle drive. Students from the three clubs would like to encourage all students to think about their
choices and remain safe. (photo courtesy of LHS SAP)
New for 2008-09: Fall Parent Coffee Program
This fall, the Community Partnership for Healthy Youth (CPHY) is excited to be launching a new Parent Coffee Program
for parents and community members. This program is designed to foster conversations in the Libertyville and Vernon Hills
communities around underage drinking. In September, parents will have an opportunity to learn about hosting a coffee or
becoming a trained facilitator.
Parent coffees are usually hosted in an individual's home with the invitation going out to parents of their children's friends
and other adults the host knows. The group is then able to network and talk about strategies to prevent underage drinking in
their children's peer group, as well as work out a plan for dealing with a situation if one arises.
To become involved in these important discussions, please visit the CPHY table at open house this year! If you would like
to sign up, or you have questions, please contact either Margaret Pither (SAP Coordinator - VHHS, 847-932-2158) or Nancy
Dick (SAP Coordinator - LHS, 847-327-7030).
5
CRC News
Admission Trends on the LHS and National Levels
by Ole Stevens, LHS College Counselor
As the 2007-2008 school year comes to a close, I find that I am
writing my last Paw Prints article as the LHS college counselor.
Effective July 1, I will begin my tenure as the LHS director of
student services. I have really enjoyed working with LHS students in the CRC over the last four years, and I will be leaving it
in the very capable hands of Patricia Finnerty, who will be
coming on board later this summer. To close the year, I would like
to highlight a few admission trends.
National Admission Trends
(According to the June 2008 issue of College Bound)
This summer more students will be pulled off the wait lists at
highly selective schools than there have been in the past few
years. This will create a domino effect that will be felt all summer
long, as highly selective colleges will be taking students from one
another. This will eventually trickle down to less selective
schools, including public, state flagship institutions.
Rob Seltzer, Director of Admissions at University of WisconsinMadison summed up this domino effect by saying, "We're finding
increasing uncertainty in the college admissions process. The economic downturn, the growing population of high school seniors,
record number of applications, students who…deposit at multiple
institutions-all of this makes it harder to predict and project how
our admissions cycle will play out." The net effect is that colleges
may be forced to rely more heavily on their wait lists to build
their incoming classes than they have in the past.
The use of the Common Application rose by 40% over the previous year. This has added to the growing number of applications
that colleges are facing every year.
The current state of the economy has created a situation where
state legislators are forced to make significant budget cuts to institutions of higher education in their states. Public universities will
continue to be forced to raise their tuitions.
States have spent more on prisons then on higher education.
Since 1987, spending on corrections has risen 127%, while state
funding for higher education has only increased 21%.
Libertyville High School Admission Trends
(From data collected via Family Connection)
Mirroring the national trend, the number of applications submitted by students was up for the fourth year in a row. The Class of
2008 submitted over 200 more applications than the Class of
2007. As noted by Mr. Seltzer above, more applications along
with current conditions make it difficult to figure out the admissions process.
LHS students applied to more colleges (347 different institutions)
than in each of the previous four years. This is an increase of 17
colleges more than in 2007.
For the first time in four years, the number of LHS students
attending four-year institutions declined as the number attending
two-year colleges rose.
2008 had twice as many students enlist in the military this year
than in previous years.
The number of students going out-of-state dropped, while the
number of students going in-state increased. This broke a threeyear trend.
The number of students choosing to attend the University of
Illinois broke a two-year decline and the percentage of students
who were accepted and decided to attend, rose by 17%. This indicated to me that the economy played a part in the decision making
process, as more families decided to stay in state.
Looking at the national as well as the local admission trends, I
can see that the college admission process is as confusing as ever
and that Mr. Seltzer's thoughts above summarize the pattern very
well. In the future, the economy will continue to play a significant
part as well as the ever growing number of applications. To help
you sort through all of this, I encourage you to continue to utilize
your friendly neighborhood CRC. District 128's College Resource
Centers have amazing people, helpful resources, and informative
programs designed to help you make the best possible post-high
school decision. Have a great summer and we will see you in the
CRC!
A Look at the Test Prep Industry
Scott Birtman, VHHS College Career Counselor
I must touch on the Test
Preparation industry. Just last
week, I received three different
brochures selling "test preparation" to the school, I was
shocked and dismayed. I subsequently compiled a list and
realized the students at Vernon
Hills High School have over
18 different options for test
prep! These programs range in
price from around $400 to
almost $4,000 and more! This
enormous "growth" industry
has targeted the high school
population by helping to promote the fear associated with a
low ACT/SAT score.
More and more colleges are
reviewing applicants through a
holistic lens. They are not simply looking at a test score and
a GPA to determine admissions. They are looking to
admit a class that is reflective
of society as a whole. They
want students who will "bring"
something to their campuses.
They look for intelligence,
leadership, diversity, unique-
ness, integrity and determination to learn. The director of
admission at Smith College
wrote, "Recognizing potential
across a range of dimensions
ensures that we will continue
to admit the exceptional…"
They simply do not care about
a single score on a Saturday for
four hours! This may come as
a shock, for much of our
emphasis is on improving test
scores. However, if one were
to contact each of the over
3,700 colleges and universities,
one would find the most
important factor in college
admissions is not a test score.
It has been and will continue to
be a student’s overall performance, including GPA and the
strength of schedule.
VHHS offers a test prep program which runs FebruaryMarch. Last year the cost was
$145. There were over 120
students who participated in
the class. The "average" score
gain was 1.8 points on the
ACT taken in April.
Seniors: Include College Visits on
your Summer To-Do List
Scott Birtman, VHHS College Career Counselor
Seniors, can you believe it?
I'm sure it seems as if only
yesterday you walked through
the doors as freshmen!
Where did the time go? Are
you ready for the next step?
Summer-time is a great time
to focus your attention on the
college search process. Your
summer agenda and "to do"
list should include the follow-
ing: campus visits, refine
personal statement, review
essay questions and college
applications on-line and make
your summer count. If you
have the opportunity to participate in any unique and
rewarding summer experiences, don't miss the chance.
The college campus visit
cont. on p. 10
Fine Arts News
6
April Showers Bring . . . Art Show Season
Spring is art show season and, as always, District 128 student artists enjoyed another award-winning season. Below is a
recap of the season, which was not only successful for the students, but was also enjoyed by the District 128 community
and beyond.
The LISA Show
The LISA show is sponsored annually by The Great
Frame Up and is hosted locally for each school by The
Great Frame Up in Vernon Hills.
Best of Show winners:
(LHS)
Painting: Kristina Nennig-Watercolor painting;
Drawing: Nick Heupel-Pastel drawing; Photography:
Steve Sullivan-B/W Photograph; Graphic
Communications: Ian Harris-Adobe Illustrator Poster;
3D: Kendall Covek-wedding dress made from popcorn.
(VHHS)
Kelsey Wall - Ceramics; Melanie Lecaroz - Graphic
Design; Angela Choi - Painting; Tina Chen - Drawing;
Erin O'Donnell - Photography
These Best of Show winners advanced to the Best of the
Best show at the Thompson Center in Chicago. Their
work was on display at the Thompson Center the week
prior to the show.
North Suburban Conference Art Show
This year’s NSC Art Show was hosted April 9 by
Wauconda High School.
LHS Best of Show winners:
Alexis Kadonsky - Charcoal Drawing; Emily Mertz Mixed Media; Mandy Sheaffer - Jewelry; Ashley
Koziol - Photography; Ian Harris - Computer
Graphics/Design; Carly Pickens - Oil Painting; Nick
Heupel - Pastel Drawing; Nicole Hamil - Ceramics;
Lauren Laspisa - Digital Photography; Hadallia
Bergeron - Monotype Printmaking
VHHS Blue Ribbon winners:
Lexi Hoffman - Photography; Kylie George Photography; Greg Harmon - Photography; Maggie
Sharapan - Printmaking; Kelsey Wall - Ceramics;
Jessica Kim - Painting; Tina Chen - Figure Drawing;
Angela Choi - Wash Drawing; Alec Milgi - Graphic
Design; Melissa Jozwiak - Photography.
Best of the Best Show Results
The Best of the Best Show was held at the Thompson
Center in Chicago on Sunday, May 18. The show was
judged by nine judges and featured 130 winning pieces
from the individual school shows.
LHS students captured two of the top five Best in Show
awards. Kendall Covek won a 1st place in the 3D category for her dress made of popcorn. Ian Harris won a
1st place in the Graphic Design category for a poster created in Photoshop and Illustrator. Both students received
a $2,000 scholarship. Ian's piece was also chosen to compete in a National Competition sponsored by The Great
Frame Up this summer.
4 x 5 Show
The 9th Annual 4x5 Show was hosted May 9 by Fremd
High School in Palatine. Over 1,100 pieces of artwork
were judged from over 30 schools in the northern Illinois
area. The show is limited to works measuring 4 inches by
5 inches.
(LHS)
1st Place-3-D: Danielle Kopera; 2nd Place-Photography:
Erin Boucher; Honorable Mention-Photography:
Holleigh Herchenbach, Lauren Bock; Honorable
Mention-Drawing: Alexis Kadonsky
(VHHS)
1st Place-Printmaking: Maggie Sharapan; Honorable
Mention-Printmaking: Allison Kmichik; 2nd PlacePainting: Jessica Kim; Honorable Mention-Painting:
Angela Choi; Honorable Mention-Photography: Alisa
Grin
7
LHS News
From the Principal’s Desk . . .
by Brad Swanson, Libertyville High School
As I reflect on my past three years at LHS, I am very thankful for my time here. The Class of 2008 has been a very special class to
me personally, and I will miss them. Collectively, they should be proud knowing that they have made LHS a better place.
In a world of instant gratification, media blitzes, and political spin, it may be hard to slow our pace to be able to focus on what is
truly important in our lives. Summertime may offer us this opportunity of reflection.
In his book A Season of Life, Jeffrey Marx shares the qualities needed to create a "Life Built for Others." These qualities ring very
true to me, and I have used them to encourage LHS to be a "School Built for Others." As I reflected on some of these qualities this
spring, I realized that the Class of '08 embodies these qualities extremely well.
A "Life Built for Others" begins with quality relationships. They may be meaningful friendships between students that will last a
lifetime, or respectful and inspirational relationships between students and teachers. Another area of relationships that must always be
strong is with our families. I encourage all of us to recommit to the relationships in our own families. Class of 2008, your relationships with your families may change as you venture out on your own - as you seek new experiences, your create your own independence and make new decisions - but be sure to nurture your family relationships so they always grow and improve.
"A Life Built for Others" must also enact justice. This means that you find the right times and places to show up - stand up - and
speak up. Sometimes these actions will go unseen to the public eye, but they will make all the difference to the people involved in the
moment. It may be as simple as standing up for someone in the hallway or cafeteria that is clearly being left out or victimized. It may
also be as significant as the difference made by the National Honor Society as they worked to build a library in Ghana or the ONE
Benefit Concert's support of Africare. When we are open to recognizing the injustices throughout our common day we see more
clearly the injustices around our globe, and we can't help but make a difference for others.
And finally, a "Life Built for Others" will serve a cause greater than ourselves. Identifying what we believe in, what we will sacrifice
for, and what we will commit to helps to determine what our cause may be - or even greater - our life's purpose. Being committed to
a cause, or understanding our purpose, will energize us to accomplish the greatest of feats with others that we could never accomplish
alone. There are nine young men and women from the Class of 2008 who have made a significant commitment to a cause greater
than themselves as they will be joining the military to serve and protect our country and our freedoms. I am proud to recognize
Andrew Dalton, Army Enlistment; Hester Wong,
Army Enlistment; Amber Fleming, Navy Enlistment;
Derek Montgomery, Marine Corps Enlistment; Julian
Tolbert, Marine Corps Enlistment; Robert Becker,
Marine Corps Enlistment; Paul Marqui, Marine Corps
Enlistment; Alex Rhind, Merchant Marine Academy
Appointment; and Chase Guarnaccio, Air Force
Academy Appointment. On behalf of the entire
Libertyville community, I thank and commend them for
their anticipated service to our country.
In having a "Life Built for Others" we also run the
risk that when we leave a place - but more importantly,
when we leave the people in a place - we will miss
them dearly. I will miss…
Pouring hot chocolate for students on a cold December
morning…Crazy assemblies and stupid costumes…The
anticipation and the satisfaction of Snow
Days…Playing drums with the Marching Band on a
The LHS April Students of the Month
Friday night…Watching amazing performances on our
(photo courtesy of LHS)
stages, courts, fields, and in our pool…Numerous
friendships with parents, staff and students…And just
feeling proud to wear Orange and Black!
A "Life Built for Others" will never disappoint. So,
may we always commit to a cause, enact justice, and
care for our relationships. May we also define our success by the positive impact we make on other people's
lives.
As I leave LHS, I am reminded of a quote from Dr.
Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over - smile because it
happened."
All My Best and Always a Wildcat,
Brad
Students of the Month
The LHS May Students of the Month
(photo courtesy of LHS)
LHS News
8
St u d e n t a c t i v i t i e s u p d a t e
by Jennifer Paul, Student Activities Coordinator
Student Council
Advisors: Chuck Beach and Sherri Rukes
Prom 2008
"Forever Young" was the theme of this year's prom. Over
400 couples attended and danced the night away to the
sounds of a DJ at Concorde Banquets in Kildeer, Ill.
Students enjoyed a pre-reception of light snacks and appetizers, as well as picture taking in the LHS gymnasium prior to
embarking on coach buses which transported them to the
dance. A wonderful evening was had by all who attended.
Peer Mediation
Advisors: Sharon Stevens and Sarah Kelly
Peer Mediation completed its 4th year of an email advice column for students. They have welcomed many new members,
some of whom were recommended by staff because of their
empathic and leadership qualities. The peer mediators
respond to emails that range from, "how to get from one side
of the building to the other in five minutes" to, "my girlfriend
and I are fighting all the time. Should we break up?" If students or parents have any concerns or questions, please email
us at: http://lhswildcats.org/peermediation.
Along with the website, peer mediators are trained in the
mediation process. Students are taught to resolve conflicts
peaceably, improve their listening skills, and act as role models for their fellow peers. This school year, we held 13 mediations and nine re-checks to make sure the agreements
between the students have been followed. This is one of
many interventions offered by the Learning Support Teams.
U.S. Physics Team Results 2008
Coach: Mike Bush
Each year, AP Physics C students take the qualifying exams
for the United States Physics Team. The students took a preliminary exam in February that consists of multiple-choice
questions. More than 2,800 students took this test nationwide. Based on the results of this preliminary exam, 417 students nationwide were selected as quarterfinalists. LHS students Lisa Branding, Margaret McCall, and Frank Yan
qualified as quarterfinalists. In late February/early March,
the quarterfinalists took a second exam in which they had 60
minutes to complete four open response problems. Of the
quarterfinalists, 158 students advanced to the semifinal exam.
Margaret McCall qualified as a semifinalist.
In mid-to-late March, semifinalists took two 90-minute
exams, each consisting of rigorous open response questions.
These exam scores, in conjunction with scores on the previous exams, are used to determine the members of the U.S.
Physics Team. Twenty-four students were selected from
across the country for the team. The 24 students attended a
one-week training camp in May. Five students will be selected from the 24 to compete at the International Physics
Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam in July. Margaret McCall was
invited to be a member of the 24-person team, placing her
among the best physics students in the country.
Unfortunately, due to irresolvable schedule conflicts Margaret
was unable to attend the training camps.
2008 Physics Bowl Results
Coach: Mike Bush
All AP Physics B and AP Physics C students take the AAPT
(American Association of Physics Teachers) Physics Bowl
test in April. The test is a 40 question, multiple-choice exam.
The top four scores in the school comprise the school score.
Over 4,000 students from approximately 175 schools nationwide took this year’s exam. The schools are divided into 15
geographic regions, with LHS competing in the region consisting of all participating schools in Illinois and Iowa.
On the 2008 test, our Physics B students, who compete in
Division I-1st year students, received second place in our
region. The Physics C students, who compete in Division II2nd year students, received first place in our region and second place in the nation! In addition, seniors Margaret
McCall and Frank Yan earned the highest and second highest scores in our region for Division I. Margaret's score also
tied for third highest individual score in the nation.
The school received certificates honoring each finish, as well
as gift certificates from AAPT and Frey Scientific. Our top
four students in each division received a certificate. Firstand second-place students in each region and division receive
a Texas Instruments calculator.
The four students who contributed to the school score in each
division were: Division I: Hani Awni, Kyle Schory, Sarah
Oswald, and Jeff Goldman; Division II: Margaret McCall,
Frank Yan, Lisa Branding, and Andrew Wang
WYSE
Coach: Pete Dawson
Congratulations to the WYSE Team for finishing 3rd in
Illinois in the multiple choice portion of the JETS - TEAMS
competition (Varsity Division 9 - Largest Public Schools).
The team of Margaret McCall, Frank Yan, Sharon Lo,
Yuli Zhu, Julia Nee, Lisa Branding, Sarah Cheng, and
Eric Li qualified to have their essay answers submitted for
national consideration.
cont. on p. 9
9
LHS News
Student Activities continued from p. 8
Academic Decathalon
Coach: David Kahn
On Saturday, March 15, the LHS
Academic Decathlon team placed 10th
at the Illinois state competition.
Individual winners were: Ryan Green 5th place in math; Billy Fischer - 6th
place in interview; Cassie Hobson - 5th
place overall in improvisational speech
and 6th place overall in prepared
speech; Kevin MacTaggart - 6th place
in improvisational speech; Anna
Pollema - 8th Place in essay; Zach
Chapman - 7th place in math
Math Team
Coaches: Amanda Warfield, Ben
Snyder and Rick Brenner
Overall, the Math Team was 12th in
state for 4AA. The Junior/Senior Two
Person Team of Frank Yan and
Margaret McCall placed 2nd in state.
Frank Yan also received 3rd place overall for individuals in Pre Calculus.
The Pre Calculus Team won 7th overall
Margaret McCall, Erick Yu (alternate)
Julia Nee, Sarah Garren (alternate),
Sarah Pfluger, Frank Yan, Shelly
Birch, Sarah Cheng
The Calculator Team won 6th place
Weiqiao Huang, Jeffrey Goldman,
Scott Ratzer, Frank Yan, Hani Awni
The Junior/Senior Eight Person Team
won 9th place: Leo Kullander, Sarah
Cheng, Jonathan Pfluger, Maragaret
McCall, Shiyi Wu, Sarah Pfulger, Jen
Sliwa, Julia Nee
FBLA
Coaches: Billy Pitcher and Kristen
Shaw
The LHS Chapter of Future Business
Leaders of America (FBLA) attended
the Fifty-Ninth Illinois FBLAState
Leadership Conference at the Decatur
Conference Center & Hotel in Decatur
on Friday and Saturday, April 11-12.
Over 950 members, advisors, and
guests from 63 Illinois FBLA chapters
were in attendance.
State competition results:
Ann Verkler and Kasiani Vlahakis 2nd place business ethics; Jon Gunter
- 3rd place website development;
Austin Gearing, Michael Zhang and
Victor Jacobo - 3rd place global business ; Chris Schweitzer - 4th place
spreadsheet applications; Stefen
Ivanovic, Jacqui Giannini, and
Sumon Manna - 4th place entrepreneurship; Matt Jenkins - 6th place
impromptu speaking; Audrey Pelc 7th place personal finance
Ann Verkler and Kasiani Vlahakis
advance to the National Leadership
Conference and Competition, June 2629 in Atlanta.
Debate
Coaches: Craig Schmidt and Amy
Marske
Diedre Reitz and Omar Jamil were
both state qualifiers for the state debate
meet.
Skills USA
Advisor: Harry Carlson
These SkillsUSA students qualified for
state competition in Springfield April
17-19: John Scharfenberg Architectural Drafting CAD; Mackenzi
Yukus - Architectural Drafting CAD;
Ross Pykelny - Automotive Service
Technology; Kyle Friestedt Automotive Service Technology;
Lauren Gaines - Automotive Service
Technology; James Christian Automotive Service Technology
Dustin Bergstrom - Automotive
Service Technology; Chase
Guarnaccio - Technical Drafting CAD
The following LHS student participated
through Tech Campus: Brendan
Reilly- Job (Action) Skills
Demonstration - 1st place -Qualified for
Nationals, Safety presentation - 3rd
place, Job Interviewing-3rd place
Speech
Coaches: Tom Bizosky and Alice
Leafblad
John Oleksinski ranked as one of the
top 25 speakers in the state for his event
of original comedy.
Omar Jamil and Annie Jaeger finished season as one of the top 75 speakers in the state in their events.
Mock Trial
Coaches: Dennis Duffy and Amy
Holtsford
Congratulations to the LHS Mock Trial
Attention LHS
Class of 2012
Mark your calendars for
Freshman Orientation
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
9:15 a.m. to Noon
More information regarding
Freshman Orientation will follow in the August mailing.
Questions?
Call 847.327.7000
Team that competed at the state tournament. Junior Amanda Muskat won
Best Attorney and sophomore Katie
Mahoney won Best Witness. They,
along with the rest of the team - Tom
Lehn, George Overton, Janessa
Lewis, Amanda Wallace, Max
Perchak and Shan Mei Jones - did a
fantastic job.
LHS News
10
Special thanks to 2008 senior party contributors
The 2008 Graduation Party Committee for Libertyville High School Class of 2008 would like to say THANK YOU!! So
many parents, families, LHS staff and others were instrumental in the success of this event. It would not have happened without YOU. If you donated, volunteered or supported this effort in any way, be proud of what we achieved: a safe, substancefree, all-night party that allowed the Class of 2008 at LHS to commemorate a great achievement in their lives.
The committee would specifically like to thank area businesses for their generous donations and in turn, encourage the community to support these businesses.
10,000 Villages
545 North
A.C. Hair Design
AMG Endoscopy Center Ltd.
Ace Hardware
Advanced Eyecare
Consultants Robert A.
Levine OD
Affiliated Dental Specialists
Aldridge Electric Inc.
Allure Designs in Beauty
American Legion Post 329
Arpino & Wollney
Orthodontics
Artistic Hair Salon
Associated Research Inc
Audio Consultants
Bagels by the Book
Ben & Jerry's
Berry Tire
Best Buy
Bill's Pizza and Pub
Body Mind Dynamics
Boehm & Ray Insurance
Brochu, Dr. Richard
Brunswick Zone Hawthorn
Burkey, Dr. Paul
Burnette Dane Funeral Home
CDW
Centre Club
Citgo, Libertyville North
College of Lake County
Community Yoga (Michael
Kaplan, parent of student)
Concepts Hair Design
College Visits
Country Thunder
Cousin's Subs
Culvers
Cuneo Museum Gardens
Curtis Fame Back Alley
Dairy Dream
Dairy Queen
Dance Academy
Dominick's
Dunkin Donuts/Baskin
Robbins
Duxler Libertyville Tire
El Famous Burrito
Employer's Claim Service
Eve Nails
Fair Haven Bowling Lanes
FAST c/o Karin Lundstedt
Fast Frame
Firkin's
Fodrak's
Forest Bootery II
Full Package Athletics, Inc
Gale Street Inn
Gastroenterologists Ltd.
Geib & Company
Gino's East
Grill 21 Restaurant
Guerriero, Joe and Terry
Gurnee Mills (Allison Patz)
H R Imagine Photography
Harris Bank
Home Depot
Hong Kong Chop Suey
Hoogwegt U.S. Inc.
Jewel Osco Libertyville
Jiffy Lube
Jo Jo & Me Salon
Kaisers Pizza
Kakenmaster & Associates
Kathy Horton Designs
Lake Forest Pediatrics
Lake Minear
The Latitude Shop
Libertyville Bank & Trust
Libertyville Citgo
Libertyville Cyclery
Libertyville Dental Assoc
Libertyville Insurance
Agency
Libertyville Parks and
Recreation
Libertyville Sewing Center
Libertyville Sports Complex
Linens 'N Things
Lloyd, Dr. David
Lorenz Home Improvements
Lou Malnati's
Massage Motu
McMurrough Chapel LTD
Mike Gattone Personal
Training
My Girlfriend's Closet
Orthodontic Specialist
Parent Cats
Picnic Basket, The
Potbelly Sandwich Works
Present Moment, The
Re/Max Suburban - Leslie
McDonnell Team
Rollands Jewelers
Salton c/o John Stewart
Sandi's Florist
Scrappin' Bee, The
Second Time Around Thrift
& Gift Shop
The Serendipity Shop
Shur-Way Moving
Silo, The
Six Flags Great America
Sports 11
State Farm Insurance - Cary
Salm
Sunrise Rotary of
Libertyville
Sunset Foods Libertyville
Sysix
Tan Lines
Target
Tavern, The
Tell Two Friends
Touche Hair Salon
Townee Square Restaurant
Trobe, Babowice, & Assoc.
Turner, Mr. and Mrs. Ron
VFW - Libertyville
Viccinos
Weil
Weppler, Terry
Ya Ya's Boutique
Zengler Cleaners
cont. from p. 5
continues to be a source of parental anxiety and questionable
student benefit. A parent often asks, "Is it really worthwhile
to drive all the way there? Can't we get the same information
from the computer?" The answer is a resounding and definitive yes and no! There is truly no better way to determine a
"fit" with an institution than to visit that campus. A student
can investigate residence halls, dining options, work-out facilities, stadiums and the neighborhood. As a parent, you looked
to the community of Vernon Hills and determined this was the
place you wanted to live. You drove around, looked at houses,
read about important data and finally moved here. Use the
same lens for your child. It is so very important they get a feel
for the campus and a sense that State College University
(SCU) is the right place for them!
As the process of college admissions gets ever more competitive, here is a little trick of the trade. Demonstrated Interest is
a term used more and more by colleges across the country.
Essentially it means that a student has visited the campus
and/or e-mailed/telephoned the college representative or the
admissions office. Colleges are tracking this information. In
other words, each phone call, e-mail, text, etc. are documented
in a student’s file. That certainly does not mean they are
assured of admission, but many colleges have suggested if all
things are equal, admissions staff will admit the student who
has shown more than a passing interest in the school. Please
keep this in mind as you randomly send a "text" to the rep.
Watch what you say and how you say it . . . They may be
keeping a record!
11
VHHS News
News from the Hills
Principal’s Report
by Dr. Ellen Cwick
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Dave
Clough, who is retiring this June after serving 10 years as
our Superintendent in District 128. Vernon Hills High School
is successful and where it is today due to his vision, high
expectations for excellence, and love for always wanting
what is best for students. I truly have appreciated his steady
leadership as he strongly guided us through a decade of
change and growth. The Cougars of VHHS wish him the
best as he ventures off to a new chapter in his life.
The 2007-2008 school year proved to be a very exciting and
successful year. The Class of 2008 graduated in a dignified
and respectful manner enjoying three major events at the end
of the school year: Senior Breakfast and Honors Day
Assembly on May 30, Graduation on June 5, and Senior
Party on June 6. At graduation, Josh Brickman and Haley
Bosco gave the keynote students speeches. Amanda Carroll
and Steve Korney were the teachers who read the names of
the graduates.
This February during a Teacher Institute Day, our staff
watched a fabulous video called, "Celebrate What's Right
with the World.” Dewitt Jones, a 20-year photographer for
National Geographic talked about having a vision for your
life that gets you excited every morning and keeps you open
to new possibilities. He used his magnificent photography to
illustrate taking yourself to the edge and being the best for
our world.
This is how I feel about the Class of 2008. They are what's
right with the world. They have given back to our school,
community, and world. Cougars Caring for Cougars, Relay
for Life, First Class Lessons, and Best Buddies Prom are just
some of the ways they have given back. They forever will be
the class remembered for the Light a Candle Campaign and
partnership with COVE Alliance to build an elementary
school in Uganda. Next school year we will build the school.
I can't wait for them to come back in 10 years and see all the
further work we have done with OUR school in Uganda.
The Class of 2008 has also been one of our most talented
classes here at VHHS. They are diverse in their talents
across the board: 2nd place state WYSE science team and
1st in the nation JETS team; an NSC conference championship in girls’ bowling and boys’ volleyball; a boys’ and
girls’ sectional championship in bowling; and our largest
number of state championships ever at VHHS: District
Special Olympics State Champions in Basketball and Floor
Hockey, Math Team 2008 State Champions, Dance Team
State Champions and IHSA Music Department State
Champions.
We all will miss the Class of 2008 and wish them best!
Remember, they will always be Cougars!
Lastly, don't forget two important dates: Freshman
Orientation, Aug. 12 and the first day of school for studentsAug. 20 (half day) . The 2008-09 school year will be here
before we know it!
Vernon Hills High School 2008 Senior Honors
Awards for Excellence in Department 1
Applied Technology Award
Business Education Award
Family and Consumer Science Award
Christian Larsen
Joey Nichols
Berenika
Stachurska
Awards for Excellence in English
Bill Weber English Scholar Award
English as a Foreign Language Award
Claire Snyder
Agnieszka Kirpa
Awards for Excellence in Fine Arts
Art Award
Band Award
Choral Award
Orchestra Award
Theater Award
Jingyu Lee
Robert Kelly
Michelle Krueger
Haeran Lee
Lindy Randall
Awards for Excellence in International Language
French Award
Lindsay Abbassian
German Award
Laura Romberg
Spanish Award
Allie Qiu
Award for Excellence in Mathematics
Award for Excellence in Physical Welfare
Jingyu Lee
Robert Kelly and
Brianna Skeens
Award for Excellence in Science
Kazuma Gunning
The Bob Levy Award for Excellence in Social Studies
Nikki Desai
Continuum Yearbook Award
Colleen McDonnell
Scratching Post Award
Kelsey Kind
Production Services Award
Kaitlin Donelon
TV Club Award
Matthew Shanahan
Orchesis Award
Samantha Wagner
The CAST Fine Arts Award
Emily Macy and
Lindy Randall
Teachers’ Choice Award for Mathematics
Tracy Pettersen
Illinois Science Teachers’Association Award
Evan Kozil
Outstanding First Class Leader Award
Elina Chertok and
Heather Gray
National Honor Society Scholarship Award
Lindsay Abbassian, Allyson
Bain, Elina Chertok, and
Heather Gray
Student Council Outstanding Service Award
Anastasia Guletsky and
Kelsey Kind
cont. on p. 17
VHHS News
12
St u d e n t a c t i v i t i e s u p d a t e
by Deb Beagle, VHHS Student Activities Coordinator
Anime Club: Advisor-Monica Tolva
Anime Club focuses on Japanese culture. The lure of Japanese culture draws in
members of Anime Club, who already share a love for Japanese animated films,
called "anime," and comics, called "manga." Anime Club meets twice a month.
Students organized activities, served as teachers and shared their knowledge of all
things Japanese. In short, all admitted to being "otaki," or obsessed with anime and
manga.
Club president Angela Wang taught many Japanese words and phrases. Club members often prefer watching anime in Japanese with English subtitles, so it is helpful to
understand words that are common to anime. For example, "chibi" is "cute,” and
"Itai!" is "Ouch!" Club members now understand that name ending in "-san" are honorific, like Mr./Mrs., but names ending in "-chan" are more informal nicknames.
Club members Christian Larsen and John Ruttle shared their knowledge of
Japanese mythology. Mythical creatures and symbols often appear in anime storyAnime Club members enjoy the flavors
lines, and students benefited from some background knowledge. Although many stuof mochi, a Japanese ice cream treat
dents will later come to rely heavily on Ramen Noodle soup as a college food staple,
served at the club's May 20 end of year
their love for this salty, Japanese snack might be said to have originated at Anime
party.
Club. Allen Ni has also treated his fellow club members to the more refined taste of
miso soup, featuring pieces of toasted tofu. Anime Club members definitely have a
sweet tooth for Japanese candy like Pocky, a candy treat resembling a graham cracker
straw partially dipped in chocolate; light candy chews called Kasugai gummies; and Ramune, soda that is sealed with a marble
which must be popped out of place to release the carbonated, lemon-lime drink.
Anime Club hosts two all-school parties featuring Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and, lately, Guitar Hero. The club's usual ice
cream buffet this year included mochi, Japanese ice cream in flavors of strawberry, mango and green tea covered in rice dough.
Cougar Guard: Coach-Jim Pardun
Thirty-five VHHS students belonging to the Cougar Guard Club taught swim lessons to over 300 families during the 2007-08
school year. The Saturday morning Swim
School will continue throughout the summer months as well. Over 800 people in
our community took advantage of the
Sunday morning open swims held
throughout the school year. The VHHS
pool will be open to the public again
beginning in September 2008. Students
who will be teaching the summer swim
school, which will be supervised by Barb
Dovel, are: Robert Wood, Kevin Lenz,
Kelsey Kind, Jane Chen, Vanessa
Ceballos, Genaveve Lopez, Maryam
Lopez, Dana Breen, Ellie Silver, Kevin,
Gray, Mark Genchanok, and Alex
Porter. For more information about the
aquatics program, please visit our website, www.vhhscougars.org/aquatics.
FBLA: Advisors-Amanda Carroll, Sean Crevier
FBLA members competed in the State Leadership Conference in Decatur, Illinois. Billy Tabrizi and Sonal Singh placed 4th in
Business Presentation, RR Liu placed 5th in Computer Problem Solving, Jonas Sileika placed 5th in Introduction to Business
Communications, Vesselina Pentcheva placed 7th in Job Interview, Brandon Warren placed 6th in Personal Finance, and Alex
Guletsky placed 10th in Public Speaking I. Two individuals qualified for the National Competition in Atlanta, Georgia this June;
Eshaan Arora and Liza Xu. Eshaan placed 2nd in Accounting II and Liza placed second in Business Calculations!
Congratulations to the following FBLA members who will be serving the 2008-2009 school year on the FBLA Exec Board: Billy
Tabrizi - President, Sonal Singh - Vice President, Liza Xu - Treasurer, Vesselina Pentcheva - Secretary. We look forward to a
very successful year!!
Interact: Advisors-Sean Kelly, Kelley Whitescarver
Interact, service above self, has been really involved this year! From our regular AJ's tutoring Mondays, to our two outstanding
doggy bake sales for CCI, we have really been involved in our community and in our school this year.
cont. on p. 13
13
Student activities
VHHS News
continued from page 12
On May 21, we had a Senior Prom at the Park, a nearby retirement home, where we entertained the seniors with an exciting
dance, lots of food and good old tunes! Everybody really enjoyed themselves and it was fun to see all of the seniors dancing with
us. Thank you to all that came and made the night a success! We want to congratulate our new executive board for next year,
Shruti Kumar, Publicist; Lara Terry, Photographer; Janice Kim, AJ's coordinator; Mimi Lu, Treasurer; Nancy Shen,
Secretary; Ancy Skaria, Vice-President; and Vesselina Pentcheva, President. We are really looking forward to expanding our
club and getting everybody involved next year. (Article submitted by VHHS student, Vesselina Pentcheva)
International Club: Advisors-Jodi Cusick-Acosta, Megan Geltner
In February, we celebrated Chinese New Year with food and traditional games. In May, the VHHS International Club raised
$260 for the Smile Train, an organization that provides free surgeries to children with cleft palate in developing countries. We
have also been active in corresponding with a school in the Netherlands. So far, we have exchanged Power Point presentations
about our respective communities, and have learned a lot about life in that country. In addition, our members have prepared projects about other countries, which they have presented at club meetings. Thanks to those members, we learned about India,
Iceland, Turkey, and Iran. This was a great year for International Club, and we are looking forward to the next one.
Math Team: Coaches-Cheryl Ballenger, Jessica Roller & Wilbert Stroeve
Congratulations to our 2008 Math Team State Champions! All 13 VHHS teams placed somewhere in the top six in state giving us
a huge 70 point lead over the second place
team. Special congratulations to Moya
Chen who placed first in the state on the
Algebra I test. Also, congratulations to the
first place Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra
II teams led by high scorers Moya Chen,
Brynan Qiu, Paul Juhn, Max Candocia,
and Daniel Fong. The Frosh/Soph 8Person Team of Sean Hogan, Paul Juhn,
Angela Cao, Bryan Maldonado, Kenny
Shaevel, Moya Chen, David Kim and
Brynan Qiu took first place honors. Also
taking first place was the Relay team of
David Kim, Brynan Qiu, Parin Kadakia
and Paul Juhn. Our Junior/Senior 8-Person
and Relay teams both took second in state. Congratulations to the entire Math Team for a great finish to the year!
National Honor Society: Advisor-Wendy Meister-Louria
Congratulations to the following students that were selected for membership into the VHHS National Honor Society:
Mark Arganias, Lauren Batson, Divya Bhagavatula, Amy Black, Stephanie Borgman, Stephanie Cho, Anna Christensen,
Erin Christensen, Lauren Clatch, Marcy Cohen, Adam Corrado, Sanjana Das, Neil Desai, Natalie Didier, Estafania
Donahue, Mallory Dunn, Margaret Foley, Disha Gandhi, Lindsay Goldberg, Matthew Goldberg, Marysa Greenawalt,
Kirsten Groody, Catherine Haberstroh, Hana Hashim, Lorena Infante-Lara, Min Ji Kim, Ryuna Kim, Megan Kubacki,
Michael Kulvaranon, Binet Lee, Monica Lee, Samantha Lee, Ethan Lindauer, Mi Lu, Stephanie Malick, Patrick Marsek,
Sarah Milligam, Allen Ni, Mark Palace, Matthew Peterson, Colleen Rhoades, Jessica Rigwood, Danielle Rizzo, Jamie
Rucks, Stacey Sabu, Khusbu Shah, Nikita Shah, Bhagyalaxmi Shastry, Nancy Shen, Sonal Singh, Gordon Skeoch, Brian
Smith, Ian Sonnenberg, William Tabrizi, Jessica Wells, Hanna Woo, Liza Xu, Jennifer Zellner.
Newspaper: Advisor-Melissa Malmed
Congratulations to the newspaper staff, which won the Illinois
Woman's Press Association's annual Silver Pen Award. This prize
signifies that VHHS students collectively scored more points for
their winning entries than students from any other high school in
Illinois. Journalists from The Scratching Post placed in 9 of 12
categories. Judges for the contest this year came from
Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism,
Columbia College, University of Illinois and from The Chicago
Tribune, The Daily Southtown, The Rock Island Argus, The State
Journal Register, Crains Chicago Business and Chicago Lawyer
magazine. Anna Nelson's first-place winning entry for an opinion
article will be entered into the national competition to be held by
the National Federation of Press Women this summer.
cont. on p. 14
VHHS News
Student activities
14
continued from page 13
Senior Class Council: Advisors-Ben Horwitz, Rebecca Ulz
Senior Class Council sponsored the annual Mr. Cougar contest on April 12. This years sold-out performance was spectacular,
with the boys entertaining an excited crowd of students, staff, and community members. This year's contestants were: Brian
Petersen, Bryan Dougherty, Brandon Palmer, Matt Grobis, Josh Park, Josh Brickman, Zach Wheeler, Aaron McMinn,
Moe Bahrani, and Bobby Marciniak. Senior Class President Maddie Kleinhample emceed the event. The boys displayed
their talents on stage through musical performances, stand-up comedy, self-directed videos, and choreographed dance numbers.
At the end of the night, Moe Bahrani was crowned Mr. Cougar 2008.
SPARK: Advisor-Margaret Pither
During prom week, SPARK (Supporting Peers and Reaching Kids) and ACE (Athletes Committed to Excellence) members
offered an opportunity for all students to sign a pledge that they would abstain from using alcohol and other drugs. Students
bought woven bracelets to communicate their decision to be drug and alcohol-free. Members of the SPARK executive board for
2008-2009 are: Jill Becker, Adam Corrado, Kushbu Shah, Nikita Shah, Sonal Singh, and Gordy Skeoch.
VICA Skills USA (Technology Campus)
Congratulations to Claudia Rodriguez for placing 1st place in the Nail Care State Competition for VICA Skills USA. She will
move on to the National competition in Kansas City this summer.
VIP: Advisors-Margaret Pither, Rebecca Ulz
This spring, 30 students from VIP (Voices in Prevention) performed prevention skits for the 5th grade students at Hawthorn
Elementary North, Hawthorn Elementary South, and Townline Elementary. The prevention skits, centering on the themes of bullying and online safety, were followed by small group discussions led by the VIP members. The students personalized the topics
by sharing their own stories.
On April 24, 12 VIP students presented "The Myths of High School Life" to all 8th grade students at Hawthorn Middle School
South. The presenters answered questions and addressed the anxieties middle school students feel as they transition to high
school.
The new VIP club executive board for 2008-2009 school year includes: Tierney Darden, Natalie Didier, Sonal Singh, Gordy
Skeoch, Billy Tabrizi, and Amanda Zusman.
WYSE: Advisor-Josh Ravenscraft
The WYSE team had an outstanding finishes to this year's competitions. In April
the WYSE team took 2nd at the Academic
Challenge State even hosted by the
University of Illinois. Of the 14 team
members, 11 took home individual place
award. University of Illinois offers immediate scholarships to its engineering
department of either $1,000 or $2,000 for
the first- and second-place winners of each
topic. VHHS students Mike Wagner,
Sean Hogan, Evan Kozil, and Colleen
Rhoades received these scholarships.
In addition to the Academic Challenge, 16
students competed in the Junior
Engineering Technical Society TEAMs test. There were eight students on the varsity team and eight on the JV team. After
advancing to the National competition, the varsitys took home 1st place in the Nation for Division 7, while the JV team took
home 9th place. The varsity team consisted of seniors Diana Chen, Jason Lee, James Hallendorff, Evan Kozil, Kaz
Gunning, Zach Wheeler, Josh Brickman, and Thomas Bersano. The junior varsity team consisted of juniors Brian Smith,
Gordy Skeoch, Cliff Nelson, Erin Christensen, Anna Christensen, Liza Xu, Max Candocia, and Binet Lee. This is the first
time in the history of VHHS taking this test that the team placed first in the nation.
Class News . . .
Writing Contest Winners: Did you know that some of the best student writers in Illinois are right here at VHHS?
Congratulations to Zach Nakashian, Diana Chen, Lauren Clatch, Ethan Lindauer and Alex Padovano, all of whom earned
recognition in the statewide Best Student Prose and Poetry writing competition sponsored by the IATE. May we have a drum
roll, please.... First Place went to Zach Nakashian for his narrative, "To Forget," which will be published next fall in the volume,
Illinois Best Student Prose and Poetry. Runner-up recognition went to Diana Chen for "The Yellow Rose of I-H Ville" and
Lauren Clatch for "How All Things Work." Honorable Mention recognition went to Ethan Lindauer for "Strong Feelings on
Steroids" and Alex Padovano for "Bella Figura." VHHS is one of only seven high schools in Illinois to have a student writer
published as a result of this competition. Congratulations to these outstanding student writers! (Article submitted by Paul
Kemp)
cont. on p. 15
15
VHHS News
Student activities
continued from page 14
CTEC Film Festival
Congratulations to Matt Goldberg for taking 3rd place in stop
motion animation for his "Rocky 5000" entry at the CTEC
Film Festival.
Special Olympics Coaches: Andy Compton, Jim Rogers
and Jenni DelVecchio
Physics Bowl
VHHS annually enters its physics students in a national
physics contest held in April called Physics Bowl. This year,
VHHS took 1st place in the Midwest region for the 2008
Physics Bowl. A special congratulations goes to the top scoring VHHS students; Cliff Nelson and Allen Ni. Great job
cougars! (Article submitted by Jay Walgren)
Cougar Class Act Award Winners
This spring, seven athletes have qualified for the State Summer
Games which will be held at Illinois State University in
Bloomington, IL. We will be competing in swimming, bocce,
and track. Seven athletes also qualified for the State Winter
Games held in Galena, IL in early February.
Of the 14 athletes on this year’s roster:
12 athletes qualified for state in at least one sport this year
Eight athletes have qualified for state in two sports
Six athletes have qualified for state in three sports
Five athlete qualified in four sports
Two athlete qualified in five sports
May Cougar Class Act Award winners:
(photo courtesy of VHHS)
This year has been a good one for all of our athletes. Although
a few of our athletes graduated and moved on, we have welcomed new and wonderful student/athletes to our team. As
always, it has been an uplifting year and I would like to thank
all those that made it possible, especially my assistant coaches,
Jim Rogers and Jenni DelVecchio whose devotion to our
team has no boundaries. The team and I appreciate all they
have done for the program. We will be back next year looking
to reach new heights.
Attention VHHS Class of 2012
Mark your calendars for
Freshman Orientation
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
(Buses will be provided)
Presentation
Entertainment
Tours
More information regarding Freshman Orientation will follow in the August mailing.
Questions? Call Marla Pierce at 847.932.2002
VHHS News
16
Thank You to Those Who Made the VHHS Senior Party a Success
The Vernon Hills High School Graduation Party Committee would like to thank the following businesses for their support
and generous donations provided for our party hosted for the Class of 2008. Please show your appreciation by supporting
these fine establishments:
Affiliated Dental Specialists
American Hotel
Baker's Square
Baskin Robbins, 346 N. Lake St.,
Mundelein
Baxter Credit Union
Ben & Jerry's
Dr. Scott Brenner
Buffalo Wild Wings
Dr. Paul Burkey
C & M Auto Service
Caribou Coffee
Cheesecake Factory
Cold Stone Creamery
Cuneo Museum
Dairy Queen at Hawthorn Mall
Dental Care of Vernon Hills
Dominick's, Vernon Hills
Eloise's Bake Shop
Ernie's Wrecker Service
Garden Fresh Market
Jewel, Mundelein
Kaiser's Pizza
KidSnips
Liberty Restaurant
Mambo Italiano
McCarthy's Restaurant
Mitsubishi Electric Automation
Nikko's Gyros
Olive Garden
Opa Restaurant
Pepsico Food & Beverage
A special thank you is also extended to all of the parents who supported
our fundraisers and made donations to the Senior Party for the Class of
2008. Your time and generous donations helped to make this a wonderful
event for your graduates who have worked so hard over the last four
years. We could not have done this without you!
A glimpse at the senior party
(clockwise from above) Seniors are mesmerized by a hypnotist; Seniors pose by the photo opportunity backdrop from
the MTV show Pageant Place; seniors pose in front of the
Two-A-Days backdrop. (photos courtesy of J. Monteith)
Pizza Italia
Quizno's, Vernon Hills
Red Lantern
Rosati's Pizza
Sam's Club
Schnitzer Family
Sunset Foods, Libertyville
TGI Friday's
Village of Vernon Hills
Wa-Pa-Ghetti's Pizza
White Castle
17
VHHS News
Senior honors continued from page 11
Cougar Pride Coaches’Award
Haley Bosco and Jeffrey Epner
Senior Scholar-Athlete Award
Lauren Bryant and Zachary Wheeler
The Al Janulis Outstanding Senior Athlete Award
Robert Kelly and Brianna Skeens
American Association of University Women
Angelina Koleva
Century 21 Kreuser & Seiler Award
Heather Gray
Chicago North Shore Alumnae Panhellenic Council Scholarship
Heather Gray
Chick Evans Scholarship Jeffrey Achler
CLC Superintendent’s Scholarship
Amanda Acevedo and Cynthia Espinosa
Daily Herald 2007-08 Leadership Team
Heather Gray
Daughters of the American Revolution
Irene Ginakakis
Erwin Einhorn Student Council Award
Kelsey Kind
Illinois State Scholars
Lindsay Abbassian
Taryn Abbassian
Jonathan Ahn
Matthew Allen
Eshaan Arora
Mahmoud Bahrani
Allyson Bain
Thomas Bersano
Ariel Block
Joshua Brickman
Lauren Bryant
Diandian Chen
Elina Chertok
Richard Danilkowicz
Nikki Desai
Daniel Downey
Melanie Echales
Sarah Elms
Matthew Fijalkiewicz
Ryan Flis
Thomas Flynn
Irene Ginakakis
Luke Gorski
Heather Gray
Colleen Grimes
Kathleen Grimes
Matthew Grobis
Kelsey Guglielmi
Anastasia Guletsky
Kazuma Gunning
James Hallendorff
Ahmad Hassan
Layla Khayr
Sylvia Kim
Madeleine Kleinhample
Carrie Kliver
Kimberly Kohout
Evan Kozil
Illinois General Assembly Legislative Scholarship 59th District
Steven Choi
Maclean-Fogg Company Scholarship
Elina Chertok
Mundelein/Vernon Hills Rotary Scholarship
Heather Gray
United States Air Force Academy Recognition
Thomas Wang
VFW Americanism Award
Jeffrey Epner
Student Assistance Program Scholarship
Amanda Acevedo and Lilli Partyka
District 128 Federation of Teachers
Christina Mazza
VHHS ESP Social Committee Scholarship
Cynthia Espinosa
Joyce Kolton Scholarship Award
Allyson Bain
James R. Whittington Principal’s Leadership Award
Anastasia Guletsky
Alyssa Krizmanich
Eugene Kuzmin
Jason Lee
Jingyu Lee
Pauline Lee
Roman Levit
Ronald Richard Liu
Herman Lynn
Emily Macy
Christina Mazza
Colleen McDonnell
Samantha Mead
Kelly Nagle
Erin O'Donnell
Timothy Piotrowski
Allie Qiu
Lindy Randall
Allyson Rumzis
Elizabeth Schapiro
National Merit Scholarships Finalists:
Commended:
The Honor Graduates:
Lindsay Abbassian
Sarah Elms
Taryn Abbassian
Irene Ginakakis
Matthew Allen
Heather Gray
Eshaan Arora
Colleen Grimes
Mahmoud Bahrani
Kathleen Grimes
Thomas Bersano
Matthew Grobis
Ariel Block
Kelsey Guglielmi
Joshua Brickman
Anastasia Guletsky
Lauren Bryant
Kazuma Gunning
Diandian Chen
James Hallendorff
Elina Chertok
Ahmad Hassan
Nikki Desai
Layla Khayr
Daniel Downey
Sylvia Kim
Madeleine Kleinhample
Carrie Kliver
Kimberly Kohout
Evan Kozil
Alyssa Krizmanich
Haeran Lee
Jingyu Lee
Pauline Lee
Roman Levit
Emily Macy
Christina Mazza
Colleen McDonnell
Samantha Mead
Salutatorian:
Valedictorian:
Kazuma Gunning
Arjun Shah
Amy Shen
Melissa Sher
David Siegel
Daniel Smith
Claire Snyder
Berenika Stachurska
Myranda Tillis
Alexis Olivia Ty
Samantha Wagner
Angela Wang
Thomas Wang
Robert Watson
Zachary Wheeler
Kelsey Wolff
Zhouyu Wu
Ashton Youngquist
Joshua Brickman, Kasuma Gunning, Evan Kozil
Elina Chertok, Melanie Echales, Samantha Mead, Claire Snyder
Kelly Nagle
Allie Qiu
Allyson Rumzis
Elizabeth Schapiro
Melissa Sher
Daniel Smith
Claire Snyder
Berenika Stachurska
Alexis Olivia Ty
Zachary Wheeler
Zhouyu Wu
Joshua Brickman
LHS Athletics
18
Athletic Director’s Corner
by Briant Kelly, LHS Athletic Director
LHS Athletic Department - Athletic Forms
In an effort to reduce paperwork and streamline the operation, the athletic paperwork has been revised for the 2008-09
school year. Information on LHS Athletics and the Athletic
Participation Card was mailed at the beginning of June to all
LHS Athletes and incoming freshmen students.
The Athletic Participation Card includes: Student
Information, Adult Contact Information, Insurance Waiver,
Medical Consent, and Physician Examination Information.
New this year is the signature line that the parents and athlete have read and reviewed the District 128 Code of
Conducts. Your signature on the Athletic Participation Card
is confirmation that you have read, understood and agreed to
the Code of Conducts. Also new, on the reverse side of the
form, is the IHSA Steroid Testing Policy, Consent to Random
Testing. All of the athletic paperwork and information can
also be found at the LHS Athletic webpage.
IHSA Board Approves Performance-Enhancing Drug
Penalties
The Illinois High School Association's Board of Directors
moved forward with a proposal to implement a random testing program for performance-enhancing substances used by
athletes who compete in IHSA state series, beginning with
the 2008-09 school term. The action was taken after results of
a survey of member schools showed that school principals
strongly support such a program.
"With its action, the Board has taken an important step
toward protecting the integrity of the interscholastic experience for high school students in Illinois," said IHSA
Executive Director Marty Hickman. "It is clear our membership understands the serious health risks associated with
the use of performance-enhancing substances. Our new test-
ing policy will protect the health of our youth and give students a reason to say no when the pressures mount to take a
shortcut.”
The IHSA Board of Directors also approved the penalty to be
applied to a student who tests positive for performanceenhancing drugs. The student would be ineligible for 365
days from the date the test results were reported to the student and the school. The student may then apply for reinstatement of athletic eligibility after 90 calendar days, following the successful completion of an approved educational
program and a negative test for performance-enhancing
drugs.
The Board determined that any team penalties would be
determined by the Executive Director on a case-by-case basis
under the provisions of Article 1.460 of the IHSA
Constitution.
The Board also approved the National Center for Drug Free
Sport to provide testing services when the program is implemented in the 2008-09 school term, and approved the language of the random testing consent form that each student
and his/her guardian will be required to sign to maintain athletic eligibility.
"We are pleased with the action taken by the Board in regards
to our drug testing program," said IHSA Assistant Executive
Director Kurt Gibson. "Our Sports Medicine Advisory
Committee believes the experience Drug Free Sport has with
athletic drug testing will be invaluable in the implementation
our program, and we're excited to have an opportunity to
work with them. Our committee felt that their experience,
expertise, and commitment to education on the use of performance-enhancing substances were the best match for the
needs of our program."
Spring Sports 2007-2008
„102 LHS athletes participated in three sports this year
„10 LHS senior athletes participated in three sports all four
years of high school
„58 LHS athletes were named NSC All-Academic
„29 LHS athletes were named NSC All-Conference
„10 LHS athletes were named NSC All-Conference
Honorable Mention
„23 LHS athletes were NSC Medalists
„Nine Individual State Qualifiers
„NSC Lake Division Champions: Girls Track
„NSC Conference Champions: Boys’ Lacrosse, Girls’ Track
„IHSA Regional Champions: Girls’ Soccer
NSC All-Academic Athletes
Baseball
Leland Gough, Chase Guarnaccio, Timothy Matheson,
Mason Reiff
Boys’ Gymnastics
Sean Hamlin, Jackson Kontny, John Lorenz
Boys’ Lacrosse
Eric Bialek, Daniel Dickson, Robert Griffiths, Douglas
Houser, Jacob Painter, Scott Penny, Colton Pierce,
Matthew Pistella, Michael Rinella, Matthew Steplyk
Girls’ Lacrosse
Andrea Freberg, Elizabeth Henderson, Pauline Ripchik,
Jennifer Weidner
Softball
Julie Gilkison, Alissa Haws, Amanda Pecucci
Girls’ Soccer
Leigha Bystol, Amanda Skul, Erin Waehner, Haley
Walton, Hannah Walton, Lucille White
Boys’ Tennis
Tyler Chaitoff, Jonathan Isaac, Steven Marks, Preston
Thom, Neil Thomas
Boys’ Track
Ben Grozier, Nathaniel Johnson, Daniel King, James
Murnik, Thomas Nield, Bryan Rafferty, Alexander Rezell,
Kevin Wolf
Girls’ Track
Kimberly Ackley, Lisa Branding, Alyssa Corrigan,
Danielle Kopera, Margaret McCall, Keely Neville, Anne
Strychalski
Boys’ Volleyball
Andrew Cramer, Weston Moser, Christopher Risley,
Zachary Sesterhenn, Gregory Vente
cont. on p. 21
19
LHS Athletics
Wildcat Profiles:
2008 Newsom Award Winners Ali Haws and Tom Nield
Ali Haws -- During the past four years at Libertyville High
School, Ali has participated in volleyball, basketball and softball. Ali is one of the few athletes at LHS to compete in 12
sport seasons. Her contribution as a varsity athlete for seven
seasons has been instrumental to the success of our athletic
program. Ali's outstanding athletic talent has been showcased by her success in the North Suburban Conference, area
and state.
Her accomplishments as an individual and team member in
volleyball, basketball and softball are worth noting. The volleyball team won the IHSA Regional and Sectional in 2006.
The 2007 volleyball team's accomplishments are one for the
history book. Titles during the season included Prospect
Champs, Cross Town Classic Champs, Lake Division
Champs, North Suburban Champs, IHSA Regional Champs,
IHSA Sectional Champs, IHSA Super Sectional Champs and
IHSA 4A 4th Place in State. She was a member of the NSC
All-Conference Volleyball Team in 2007, Daily Herald
Player of the Year, All-Lake County 2007 Team, various all
area teams and honorable mention all-state. While Ali was a
member of the basketball team, she was chosen to the NSC
All-Conference, Daily Herald and News Sun Team. She was
also chosen to the Mundelein Holiday All Tournament Team.
Her contributions to the softball program have not gone
unnoticed, as she was selected to the All-Conference Team.
Being named to the North Suburban All-Conference Team for
all three sports is quite an accomplishment.
Besides her athletic talents, Ali's assets as a person rise to
the top. She is an outstanding individual. Hardworking, dedicated, responsible, motivated, competitive, perfect role model
and a desire to excel are characteristics that exemplify her.
Her tremendous work ethic provided excellent leadership for
all teams. She is truly a coach's dream. As LHS Volleyball
Coach Chris Trzyna states, "Ali is an outstanding team player who loves to be challenged and strives for excellence. She
is one of the most competitive athletes I have enjoyed watching grow into a successful volleyball player. Ali blended her
intensity to excel with the element of fun." As Coach Kathie
Swanson states, "Ali has distinguished herself as a leader
both in the classroom and on the playing court, qualities that
make her stand out among her peers. These traits, along with
her hard-working and good-nature personality, have made her
a role model for her teammates and future LHS girls basketball players." Coach Mary Tiegs states that, "Ali is a true
competitor."
Ali’s ability to meet the challenges of academics and athletics serves as an excellent role model for other athletes. She
is a fine representative on the North Suburban Conference
All-Academic Team in 2006-07 & 2007-08 for volleyball,
basketball and softball, and a member of the National Honor
Society. We wish Ali the best in whatever she pursues in life.
Tom Nield -- During Tom's four years at Libertyville High
School he participated in football, wrestling and track programs. Tom participated in 11 athletic seasons while he
attended LHS. During that time, he received varsity awards
in seven seasons. His accomplishments as an individual and
team member in football, wrestling and track are outstanding.
Most notable were the team wrestling accomplishments in
2007-2008, which included NSC Lake Division Champs,
IHSA Regional Champs, IHSA Sectional Champs and IHSA
4A 4th Place in Wrestling Team State. As an individual, Tom
was a two-time NSC All-Conference wrestler and a two-time
IHSA Sectional Qualifier. In football, he was named NSC
All-Conference as a senior. During track season, he also
received All-Conference medalist honors in Discus. There
are very few athletes that have achieved NSC All-Conference
in three sports.
In addition to being a successful wrestler, Coach Dale
Eggert comments, "Tom has been a great team member. He
was always willing to help the younger wrestlers. He cleaned
the mats before practice nearly every day." This type of hard
work and dedication does not go unnoticed.
Coach Ray Albin describes Tom’s hard work as "a take
your lunch pail to work athlete and that his hard work in the
weight room and attention to detail in throwing technique
caused him to experience great success at the end of the track
season."
Coach Randy Kuceyeski states, "Tom was one of our most
dedicated players, both on and off the field. Tom is also a
very sincere and caring person who always strived to be the
best. He is an outstanding role model who could always be
trusted to do what was best for our team. Tom's work ethic,
integrity, and character will definitely be missed."
Tom’s ability to accept and meet the challenges of both athletics and academics is an excellent role model for our
younger athletes. Besides his All-Conference accolades, he
received the NSC All-Academic Honors in 2006-2007 and
2007-2008 in Football, Wrestling and Track. As Coach Albin
states, "I am certain that because of Tom's intelligence and
strong work ethic he shall experience uncommon success in
all of his future endeavors."
LHS Athletics
Wildcat Athletes Sign Letters of Intent
20
21
LHS Athletics
LHS Announces 2008-09 Varsity Poms
The 2008-09 Libertyville High School Pom Squad. (photo courtesy of N. Sesterhenn)
Spring Sports cont. from p. 18
Boys’ Water Polo
Daniel LeJeune, James Palac
Girls’ Water Polo
Melanie Blair
NSC Honorable Mention Athletes
Baseball
Jeremy Butler, Chase Guarnaccio
Boys’ Lacrosse
Matthew Easton, Jacob Painter
Softball
Toni Kintzel
Girls’ Soccer
Haley Pike
Boys’ Volleyball
Tom Hannum
Boys’ Water Polo
John Blankenhorn, Reed McCann
Girls’ Water Polo
Katie Ahlgrim
NSC All-Conference Athletes
Baseball
Joe Aiello, Troy Barton, Jacob Booden, Tom Jacobson,
Jeff Jenkins, Tim Matheson
Boys’ Lacrosse
Jordan Blazer, Daniel Dickson, Tom Piazzi, Austin Powell
Girls’ Lacrosse
Lauren McGuire, Pauline Ripchik, Kelsey Rupsch, Emily
Smith
Softball
Alissa Haws, Leanne Kaczmar, Katie Larson, Katy Pfund
Girls’ Soccer
Jamie Babetch, Leigha Bystol, Caitlin Wagener, Haley
Walton, Hannah Walton
Boys’ Volleyball
Chris Risley, Zach Sesterhenn
Boys’ Water Polo
Danny LeJeune, James Palac, Zach Leboza
Girls’ Water Polo
Sarah Cull
NSC Conference Medal Winners:
Boys’ Gymnastics
Reed Stewart
Boys’ Tennis
Erik Scanlan
Girls’ Track
Lisa Branding, Alyssa Corrigan, Sarah Farish, Marissa
Hollingsworth, Maureen Jones, Danielle Kopera, Bridget
Loucks, Hannah Reilly, Anne Strychalski, Kate Tunnicliff,
Callan Turner, Samantha Zoellick
Boys’ Track
Jeremy Birck, Pat Callan, Christian Cacciatore, Pat
Filipek, Nate Johnson, Tom Nield, Tim Skurski, Mark
Updegraff, Damarqus Wilson
VHHS Athletics
22
From the Cougar Den
by Brian McDonald, Athletic Director
It was a terrific Spring Season for the Cougars with some
pretty impressive individual and team accomplishments.
Our boys' teams did very well. The Cougar baseball team
won the NSC Prairie Division Champions for the 2nd year in
a row. Our boys' lacrosse team took 1st place in the Sticks
and Stones Wildcat Classic Tournament. Boys' Tennis took
2nd in the NSC Prairie Division this year and 6th in the NSC
Overall. In addition, senior Josh Brickman received the
IHSA All State Academic team honorable mention award.
Two members of the boys' track and field team, Zach
Wheeler and Moe Bahrani, qualified for the state finals in
Charleston, Ill. Our boys' volleyball team had an awesome
year and finished the season as North Suburban Conference
co-champions, and senior middle hitter Herman Lynn was
named to the Chicago Sun-Times 3rd Team All-State team.
Herman finished his career with 551 kills, a .382 hitting efficiency and 203 block kills (good for 30th in the IHSA AllTime Record Book). Our boys' water polo team took 2nd
place at the Conant Tourney this year.
Our girls' teams did equally well. Our girls' lacrosse team
at one point in the season went on an 11-2 run and advanced
to 2nd round in the playoffs. Senior Taryn Abbassian made
the 2nd Team All State and will be heading to Dickinson
College in Carlisle, Penn. to continue her lacrosse career.
Abbassian and Irene Ginakakis were named U.S. Lacrosse
Academic All-Americans. The entire girls' lacrosse team
won the IHSWLA Sportsmanship award this year as well.
Our varsity girls' soccer team finished with only one loss in
the Prairie Division this year. Our Softball team had a huge
year, winning the NSC Prairie Division Championship and
IHSA Regional Title. Jackie Allen, Alyssa Dougherty,
Marci Pasquesi, Megan Kubacki and Adriana Longobardi
were named to the Daily Herald All-Area Team. Our Girls'
Track and Field team qualified three athletes to the IHSA
State Meet in Charleston, Ill. Jamie Rucks set the VH shot
put record at 38 feet 10 inches, and Brianna Skeens set the
VH discus record at 124 feet 8 inches; both were state qualifiers. Danielle Dickman also qualified for the state meet.
Our girls' water polo team had their best season in recent
memory, winning 10 matches this year and taking 3rd in the
Lake County Invite.
Our Special Olympians won the gold medal this year. Prior
to their march to the gold medal stand, each level of the boys'
basketball program spent a day working on drills and playing
games with the players on the Special Olympics team. Our
Special Olympians and our boys' basketball players learned a
lot about what it means to be a Cougar on those days of practice.
Our wrestling program hosted the 4th annual Brian Kelly
Memorial Tournament this spring. The VHHS wrestling
community came together to raise $3,000 for the Gavers
Community Cancer Foundation in remembrance of Brian
Kelly who was one of our biggest fans before his passing.
Over 300 wrestlers ages 5-18 from the Midwest came to
compete in the tournament. Pictured at the top of the next
column with the check for the Gavers Foundation are three
VHHS wrestlers. A big thanks goes out to the wrestlers, their
parents, coaches from the area, IHSA officials, and students
from the National Honor Society for volunteering their time
to make this event a success. (photo courtesy of J. Miceli)
Our locker room project will be completed by the start of
the fall season which will greatly reduce the overcrowding of
the boys' athletic locker room. We continue to move forward
with the effort to improve our varsity baseball field by raising money to install a synthetic turf infield on the varsity diamond. Anyone who is interested in making a contribution or
donation to this effort should contact our Head Baseball
Coach Jason Czarnecki or call my office.
At the time I am writing this article, our Summer Sports
Camps are all underway. Championship teams are made in
the summer, and we hope that all current and future Cougar
athletes are taking advantage of these opportunities to
improve themselves by participating in summer camps, summer leagues and summer weight training.
Many people ask me what I do over the summer when there
are no sports in season. The answer is, a lot. Mrs.
Catanzaro, Mr. Curry and I prepare for the upcoming sport
seasons and work on projects that we don't have time to do
during the school year when the day-to-day operations take
up most of our time. If you have any ideas how we can
improve the things we do in the Athletic Department, I'd love
to hear from you.
Fall tryouts information is listed on our website.
Alumni News
2003 graduate Ian Peckler finished his volleyball career at
Ball State University being named to the AVCA 2nd Team
All American his junior year and setting the Ball State record
for digs in a career (1052) and digs per game average (2.7).
2007 graduate Chris Kubacki started as a freshman at
Lakeland College in Wisconsin and his volleyball team won
the NIRSA Division 1 National Championships over the
University of Illinois in early April.
23
VHHS Athletics
VHHS 2008-09 Poms Include Newly Added JV Team
The VHHS Cougar Dance
Team made school history at
the end of its 2007-2008 season by bringing home the
school's first athletic state
championship. The Cougars
are making school history
again this summer with the
announcement of the first
Junior Varsity Dance Team
since the school opened in
2000.
Varsity Coach Brittany
Henley had this to say about
the addition of a JV squad,
"Not only will having our JV
team increase the size of our
program it will also help to
heighten the level of our program's ability. By having a JV
team, girls will be able to
work on and perfect their skills
which will hopefully transition
them onto a more technically
difficult Varsity team."
2008-2009 Varsity Dance
Team members are Seniors:
Amanda Baittie (Co-Captain),
Tierney Darden, Lexi
Hernandez (Co-Captain),
Melissa Jozwiak, Danielle
Rizzo (Co-Captain), Danielle
Squires; Juniors: Cassidy
Blair, Jamie Michel, Vanessa
Nagel; Sophomores: Rachel
DeSimone, Cassandra Evans,
Ariana Moraton, Courtney
O'Roark, Kathryn Redig;
Freshmen: Taylor Harris,
Marli Levin, and Michelle
Nussbaum.
The Cougar's first-ever Junior
Varsity Dance Team members
are Senior Brooke
Mahrenholz; Sophomores:
Francesca Bevente, Allison
Pardys; Freshmen: Erica
Baittie, Monique Beird,
Jaclyn Bernas, Elizabeth
Chapman, Jada Garlow,
Kristen Kamman, Zhenni
Lin, Jasmine Rathod, Alana
Rattner, Rachel Roberman,
Amanda Schaefer, Anna
Schapiro, and Liz Slovik.
Members of the 2008-2009 VHHS Varsity Dance Team, and the school's first Junior
Varsity Dance Team, take time out from a family barbecue celebrating the start of a new
season. The team's traditional barbecue allows returning and new team members and
their families an opportunity to meet each other. The squads practice throughout June,
July, and August to get ready for the Vernon Hills 4th of July parade, summer camp, and
the football season, followed by the basketball season and their own competition season.
(photo courtesy of D. Baittie)
New JV Coach Michelle Sawicki joins Henley, a VHHS mathematics teacher, during
Henley's 4th year as coach of the award-winning Cougar Dance Team. Sawicki, a varsity
pommer herself when she attended Palatine High School, graduated from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2008 with a degree in Spanish Education and will be
teaching Spanish at VHHS.
Sawicki notes, "When first presented with the opportunity to be a part of the pom program, I must admit that I was a little nervous, but more than anything, extremely excited.
[The Varsity] girls are great, hard-working, and did their best to make me feel at home. I
am honored to be a part of such a fantastic program and hope that this year, with the addition of our JV team, we may continue to strengthen the wonderful Vernon Hills poms reputation that the Varsity has already established."
"I am excited to have Coach Sawicki on board with us and am excited for our program to
benefit from her expertise and experience as a dancer," said Henley in reference to the new
coaching addition. "I am confident she will do a great job with the JV program and am
anxious to get both our seasons underway."
The Varsity and JV squads will be working together to host the school's first regional
poms competition (Team Dance Illinois) in November. Henley believes that team bonding
cultivated while preparing for the regional and developing the JV squad, along with her
team goals to heighten squad member's dance capabilities while increasing difficulty of
routines, will allow VHHS to expand upon the popularity and growth of the overall program as well as help the Varsity to defend their state championship title.
In other news . . .
24
District Says Good-Bye to Retiring Staff Members
District 128 staff honored this year’s retiring staff members at a brunch held June 7 at Vernon Hills High School. The 2008 retirees
pictured above at the brunch are LHS Director of Student Services Ron Bjurstrom (31 years of service), Superintendent Dr. David
Clough (10 years of service), LHS Social Studies Teacher Dr. John Estep (29 years of service), LHS Support Staff Member Donna
Smith (11 years of service) and LHS Counselor Michele Talley (20 years of service). Not pictured: District Office Accounts Payable
Clerk Claudia Wade (20 years of service) and LHS Custodian Ilias Panagiotopoulos (18 years of service). The District thanks them
for the many years of service to the students of LHS and VHHS, and wishes them all the best as they begin a new chapter in their lives
(photo by M. Todoric)
Front Cover: (clockwise from upper left) VHHS seniors cheer for the class of 2008 salutatorian valedictorian at this year’s honors day assembly; VHHS senior class president (right) passes the ivy to the incoming senior class president at graduation; LHS Valedictorian (right) shares
the podium for remarks with her best friend and class salutatorian; Members of the LHS WYSE team, along with coach Pete Dawson, show
their trophy and check received for being the number one team in the nation in the JETS competition. (photos by M. Todoric)
Community High School District 128
50 N. Lakeview Parkway, Suite 101
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061
Non-profit organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Libertyville, IL 60048
Permit No. 84