March/April 2015 Edition - St. Charles East High School

SAINTS’ HAPPENINGS
MARCH/APRIL 2015
PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER
ST. CHARLES EAST
HIGH SCHOOL
MARCH/APRIL 2015
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SAINTS’ HAPPENINGS
OFFICE OF THE PRINCI PAL
The winter season brought many accomplishments from our academic clubs that I wanted to share with
everyone:
The Math Team won the Upstate 8 River Division Conference and took 4th in Regionals.
The Scholastic Bowl Team finished 1st in the Upstate 8 Conference.
The Mock Trial Team finished top 8 in the State competition.
Science Olympiad finished 4th in State in the large school division.
The Symphonic Band performed at the Illinois Music Educators Association Conference in Peoria, Illinois.
We are so proud of our students and their respective teams/groups for a successful season. The hardware
that was accumulated during the winter is currently displayed in the Main Office to share with all visitors. A picture
of the Scholastic Bowl Team taking on the Faculty Team was included on the cover of the Principal’s Newsletter.
Testing was a big part of March for many of our students at East High School. We tested all juniors on
March 3 and 4 for the ACT/Work Keys and tested all Algebra I and English 9 students for PARCC during the week of
March 9th. The last wave of tests for PARCC, End of Year Assessments (EOY), will be during the week of April 26. All
students taking English 9 and Algebra I will have one last wave of PARCC testing. More information will be shared
as we get closer to testing from the Office of College and Career Readiness inside the Principal’s Newsletter.
The Finals Schedule is posted in the Principals Newsletter and on our web page. We believe we got through
the worst of winter and the final day of school for the 2014-2015 school year is Thursday, June 4th. Finals will start
on Tuesday and end on Thursday at 12:50p.m. The Class of 2015 graduation will be on Sunday, May 24 starting at
12:00p.m. at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. Senior letters will be sent out next week with more details about
the senior events leading up to graduation.
Lastly, the Hope Club decided to host the Inaugural Hope Hustle on Saturday, March 21. The event was designed to be the culmination of Prevention Week where faculty, staff, students, parents and community members
could run or walk the 5K course on the St. Charles East Campus. We had over 300 people register, run and walk the
Inaugural 5K. There was a young run where students ran a mile, competitive run and a fun run/walk. I decided to
run with the competitive group and quickly noticed I was out of my league. It was a huge success raising money for
prevention activities for St. Charles East High School. We shared some of the pictures from the Hope Hustle on the
cover of the Principal’s Newsletter. We hope to see many of you at the 2nd Annual Hope Hustle next March.
Remember to follow us on Twitter (@StCharlesEast) and like us on Facebook to stay connected to the happenings at East High School. Have a safe and relaxing Spring Break and come back reenergized for a successful 4 th
quarter.
Charlie Kyle
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SAINTS’ HAPPENINGS
OFFICE OF INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS
Viewing Grades on HAC
With 4th Quarter starting, it is important to follow these steps in order to see your student’s cumulative (3rd and 4th Quarter
combined) grade on HAC. The screen shot below will help guide you to the location of the buttons to click:
Make sure VIEW CLASSWORK FOR REPORT CARD RUN is set to 4
Click on CLASSES
Click on FULL VIEW
Click on SHOW ALL AVERAGES
A pop-up will appear that will display the grade for all work entered this semester. As always, contact your student’s teacher if
you have any questions.
Parent Think Tank on Grading and Assessment
We are looking for parents who are interested in joining a parent group for next school year to learn more about the grading
and assessment discussions our staff has been having over the past few years. We will determine meeting dates and times once
the group is identified to best accommodate the group’s schedules. If you are interested in participating or have any questions,
please email Jim Richter, Assistant Principal for Instructional Programs, at [email protected].
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ATHLETICS
On behalf of the Rising Stars Skating School, Kati McElroy competed at the Oak Lawn Ice Arena, Reach
for the Stars, Figure Skating Competition on February 21, 2015.
Spring is here, but its time to reflect on a tremendous winter season. Boys Bowling had its best season,
culminating in a 3rd Place State Trophy. Drill Team made a return trip to State. Boys and Girls Basketball
both had 20 win seasons where the boys were co-Conference champions and the Girls defeated St.
Charles North for the Regional Championship. Wrestling captured the Conference Tournament and sent 3
wrestlers down state. Cheer made its fourth consecutive trip down state and captured another Conference
title. Girls Bowling added a second consecutive Conference championship and Boys Swimming sent 7 to
State. All in all, that was 5 Conference Championships and 5 send-off breakfasts! Congratulations to all
our winter coaches and athletes! Good luck to our spring athletes as they begin their seasons as soon as
the snow melts.
GO SAINTS!!
SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
The class of 2015 is asking for unwanted pairs of shoes. We are collecting them to benefit the AID organization, who works with adults with developmental disabilities. By bringing in any shoes that you are emptying out of your closet and placing them in the bins around school, you will be helping AID provide work to
those adults in our community, and AID will earn 25 cents for every pound of shoes collected.
So, if you are planning on cleansing your closet of shoes, give them to us and know that people in our
community will benefit greatly. We will begin collecting right after Spring Break on April 6th.
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NEW! Read & Write Gold
FREE! Literacy support software for your home computer!
In D303 we have the literacy support software Read & Write Gold (RWG) on ALL computers.
RWG provides ALL students with multiple tools to support reading, writing, and organization.
The discreet toolbar floats on top of most Microsoft software; the toolbar can support reading,
writing, research, and study skills. It also works with Google Chrome Drive but requires a free
extension to be installed. Directions for this installation are provided below.
ALL D303 students and staff can download it on his/her personal Windows/PC computer.
To download the software and the accompanying support documents follow these directions:
The Read Write Gold Software is now available for home use to all students,
grades K through 12. We have placed the downloadable software on Blackboard
in a course called 'Read Write Gold Software Download'.
The course can be found by Browsing the Course Catalogue and searching
for 'Read Write Gold'.
Once you have located the course in the Course Catalogue, you will need to
enroll. To Self Enroll simply click the down arrow/chevron to the right of the
Course ID, then click Enroll and respond to the prompts.
The download file is a .zip file and is quite small. Users will need to have internet
access when downloading and installing this software.
To install the Google Drive Extension (for those using Google Docs):
Open RWG first. Open Chrome. You should be prompted to install the
extension. Click Install. When you open a document in your drive you will
be asked to allow RWG access. Click Authorize.
We do not offer any tech support at home, but if you have basic questions you can contact
Maureen Joy, D303 Assistive Technology Specialist, via email at [email protected]
Additional information on this software can be found at http://www.texthelp.com/North-America/
Our-products/Readwrite
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BREWING OPPORTUNITIES
Brewing Opportunities—a STCE micro-business
Visit the BRIDGES Program at work during 2nd hour at STCE. Brewing Opportunities is the BRIDGES program’s micro business. Every morning the classroom converts to a coffee house. STCE staff can purchase a
fair priced, excellent tasting cup of coffee from a customer friendly, skilled workforce. The purpose of Brewing Opportunities is to enhance the learning and independence of the BRIDGES students through on-going,
practical, and on-the-job opportunities. They practice their communication, customer service and job training skills daily.
Recently, an aunt of one of our workers, Johnny Guckien, made sure our student workers looked sharply
dressed while on-the-job. Here they are in their new Brewing Opportunities aprons.
Thanks Aunt Gretchen!
SCHOLASTIC BOWL HIGHLIGHTS 2015
The Scholastic Bowl completed at very successful season. Accolades were earned by both the team and
individuals. The novice team qualified for the NAQT state tournament by taking second in the Rockford Auburn 16 team invitational. In an exciting match, the varsity capped off the regular season (25-8) and won
the Upstate 8 Conference tournament. They beat Geneva, Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley, and then on
the last question in the championship round, beat Metea Valley for the championship.
Co-Captains senior Danial Toor, and junior Andrew Park received several accolades. Danial finished in the
top ten scorers at the 32 team Homewood Flossmoor Invite, 6th in conference scoring, and was named to
the prestigious All Sectional Team (32 schools including all Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora, and Tri-cities area).
Andrew Park finished 3rd in conference scoring and was named to the All Sectional Team.
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FACS
Culinary Arts
Students in the culinary arts classes have been working with fractions, yield percentages, and even creating
their own standardized recipes for salsa. While enjoying their creations, they were able to calculate the cost
per serving as well as create the menu-price, which would be used if they were to sell their product at a restaurant.
Baking and Pastry
Students have been hard at work making various batters and doughs. Mastering the various mixing techniques has allowed them to create many delectable products. Items such as muffins, sourdough bread, and
pizza dough have been well received and the students are hungry for more.
Early Childhood Practicum
Little Saints Preschool is well underway! We have three sections of ECP that rotate through planning, teaching and observing the preschoolers. Themes such as: colors of the rainbow, numbers, shapes and using my
senses help us create age appropriate activities that promote skill development.
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FACS
Teaching & Learning Practicum
Students are excited for their A Day in the Life of a Teacher opportunity where they will spend the entire day
with their cooperating teacher at either the elementary or middle school level. Student interns are also working on resumes and cover letters for their end of the year mock interviews for teaching positions.
Future Educators Association
Future Educators Association members have been busy! In early March, we partnered with Norton Creek, to
celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday by reading Oh the Places You’ll Go. We read the story and completed a craft
with five classes, Kindergarten through 2nd grade. We also celebrated the start of spring with the children at
Kensington. Reading books about spring and creating crafts was a great way to spend the afternoon. To wrap
up the year, 16 students are going to shadow teachers at Wredling, Fox Ridge or Munhall. Students will
spend the day with a teacher to gain a clearer understanding of what it’s like to be an educator while experiencing one “typical” day through the lens of a teacher. Our end of the year You’ve Made a Difference Banquet
will be the 5th annual teacher appreciation celebration recognizing invited teachers who have made a difference in our lives. Thank you teachers for all that you do!
FCCLA
STAR Culinary Competition was held at Robert Morris University on Thursday January 29 where three East students competed. Regional Competition was held on Friday, February 7 at College of DuPage where 18 East
students competed in various child development, culinary and fashion related events. We are excited to be
taking 11 students to the State Competition in Springfield Illinois in mid-April. Good luck Saints!
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FACS
Child Care Portfolio
Rachel Macek
GOLD
Maggie Wyszynski
GOLD & Most Outstanding
Early Childhood Education STAR
Carrie Kmet
GOLD & Most Outstanding
Cake Decorating
Abby McSkimming
GOLD & Most Outstanding
Cookie Decorating
Nicole Grondin
GOLD
Kristin Dula
GOLD
Rachel Grondin
SILVER
Culinary Arts STAR
Abby McSkimming
BRONZE
Nick Creekmore
BRONZE
Jeff Gongaware
BRONZE
Professional Career Image Portfolio
Sydney Hollman
GOLD & Most Outstanding
Charlize Tan Lim
SILVER
Promote & Publicize
Nicole Klose, Anastasia Anastopoulos &
Celina Diciaula
GOLD & Most Outstanding
Interior Design STAR
Milly Wojcik and Haley Knudsen
BRONZE
Apparel Construction
Jessica Lee
GOLD
AnnaMaria Toth
GOLD
Kate Knight
SILVER
Jasmine Gordon
BRONZE
Fashion Design STAR
Jessica Lee
GOLD
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BUSINESS EDUCATION
SCHOOL STORE INTERVIEWS
Is your student interested in gaining hands-on business experience while earning internship credit and a
scholarship opportunity? Does he/she have new ideas for candy and spirit wear to sell at the School Store?
The School Store is now accepting applications for interviews for next year’s staff. Students must be a current
sophomore or junior with a full hour lunch available in next year’s schedule. Interviews are taking place on
Thursday, April 23rd and students who are interested should visit the School Store today to pick up an interview packet and reserve an interview time. Email Ms. Ruck ([email protected]) or Mr. Boyer
([email protected]) in the School Store with any questions.
DECA
On March 12-14, eight students represented St. Charles East at the Illinois Career Development Conference
in Decatur, Illinois. Our students joined over 1,300 hundred Illinois DECA members for three days filled with
fierce competition, building their professional skills, networking and having fun. Congratulations to the following students who competed:
Sasha Singh, Hotel and Lodging
Brendan Benvenuti, Sports and Entertainment Marketing
Alex Whitley, Principles of Marketing, Top10
Alexis Ortiz, Business Services, Top 10
Sierra Shafer, Anoosha Menon, Kyle McLean, Sports and Entertainment Promotional Plan, Top 10
Nick Stellon, Sports and Entertainment, 4th Place
Best of luck to Nick Stellon who moves to the next level of competition at DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida April 25th.
SkillsUSA
Congratulations to SkillsUSA members on a fantastic Region Competition that was held on January 30 at
Technology Center of DuPage. Next, SkillsUSA will compete in State Competition in Springfield, Illinois.
Good luck!
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BUSINESS EDUCATION
SkillsUSA Region Competition Results
Erandy Padilla
Customer Service – 1st Place
Prepared Speech – 1st Place
Job Interview – 2nd Place
Jessica Lopez
Job Skill Demo – 8th Place
Job Interview – 11th Place
Promotional Bulletin Board – 1st Place
Creative Photography BW – 2nd Place
Beatriz Romero
Job Skill Demo – 9th Place
Job Interview – 14th Place
Promotional Bulletin Board – 1st Place
Jessica Lee
Job Interview – 3rd Place
Elizabeth Nguyen
Job Interview – 8th Place
Sara Moosvi
Job Interview – 5th Place
Kesha Patel
Job Interview – 7th Place
Jesal Patel
Job Interview – 10th Place
Yahaira Padilla
Job Skill Demo – 4th place
Job Interview – 9th
Promotional Bulletin Board – 1st
Jeofrey Perez
Job Interview – 13th Place
MaKenna Andersen
Job Interview – 4th Place
Priya Patel
Job Interview – 12th Place
Malay Anoukak
Job Skill Demo - 5th Place
Job Interview – 6th Place
Megha Nayyar
Job Interview – 1st Place
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BUSINESS EDUCATION
MARKETING & ADVERTISING 2
Do you want a taste of the newest burgers in town? Join us for our 5th annual Burger Challenge! Our Marketing and Advertising 2 (MA2) students are developing some unique and delicious burger creations that will go
bun-to-bun against North’s MA2, on Tuesday, April 21st from 3-10 pm. This year’s challenge will take place at
Colonial Café (on Randall Road) once again.
East will be presenting the following burgers:
The Royal- A 1/3 lb. hand-pressed Angus burger, layered with two slices of smoked bacon, crowned with
crispy golden fries, drizzled with creamy cheddar cheese sauce, and topped with a dash of classic
ketchup. All wrapped-up on a gourmet brioche bun. (Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles and Red Onion on the
side). A burger fit for a King or Queen!
The Southern Sizzler-The complete feel of a Southern meal! 2 sizzling bacon slices with a hint of spice
from the Chipotle Mayo. The spice is complemented with avocado, shredded cheddar jack cheese,
and caramelized onions. The Southern Sizzler will leave your taste buds speechless.
Clear your calendars, and take the family out for a night filled with great food, excellent company and a
chance to give back (15% of the nights proceeds will go towards charity). See you there!
Virtual Enterprise Celebrates Trade Show Success
Virtual Enterprises is our capstone business course open to juniors and seniors. In VEI, students start and
run an online virtual business within a network of thousands of other student run business throughout the
country and abroad.
VEI students recently attended the first ever Great Lakes Trade Show held at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. At this trade show students bought and sold products and networked with
other VEI firms from the Midwest Region. Additionally, East firms Clever Contraptions and Extreme Comfort
took home numerous awards and recognitions. Congratulations!
At this time, VEI students are busy planning and preparing for the San Diego Trade Show. April 9-11, nineteen East students will travel to California to participate in the VEI San Diego Trade Show. Goals have been
set to top previous sales figures and award placements in such competitions as Video Commercial, Financial
Statements, Marketing Plan, Impact Marketing, Booth Design, and Salesmanship. Good luck VEI students!
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TECH EDUCATION
Auto Technology
All of the Auto Tech classes (I, II, and III) are busy working with cars in the shop on a near-daily basis.
Auto I is just getting underway with vehicle inspections and oil changes, Auto II is working on engines and electricity,
and Auto III is getting started with the opening of our simulated auto service business, “East Side Autos”. Thanks to
St. Charles Suburban Tire and Autopractor, Inc. for hosting our kids on a research-oriented shop tour for this project.
The biggest 3rd quarter event has been the Chicago Auto Show in February. Auto Tech II and III classes attended the
show as a field trip where they conducted research for classroom projects. The cars and the experiences were fantastic for all who attended.
Auto Club
Projects/Activities
This year, our club began working on a go-kart project. The students started with a used frame and began modifying
it to better fit their needs. They are lengthening the frame and then adapting the brake and steering systems to
match the changes. Our goal is completion in time for the big car show, May 16! (Auto Club Go Karts.jpg)
We also did a little celebrating by attending the World of Wheels custom vehicle show in Rosemont. Students experienced the custom car culture first hand as they viewed hundreds of custom, rare and historically significant cars,
trucks, and motorcycles.
11th Annual STCE Auto Club Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show
Mark your calendars for May 16 from 1 – 4 pm, as the Auto Club is hosting this very fun and entertaining event. Last
year, 89 vehicles registered, and over 100 students from many different clubs participated in the planning, organizing
and running of the show.
This is a great annual event with entertainment, music, food, and games for the whole family. Come out and join us
this year. It only costs $10 to enter a vehicle in the show (trophies awarded), and it is free to just come out and look.
For information on the Automotive Technology program, Auto Club, or the Auto Show, contact Tom Straiker at [email protected] or Lee Portokalis at [email protected].
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TECH ED
Engineering (PLTW) Courses
As the robotics industry continues to grow, so does the demand for software engineers. In the past 6 months tech
giant Google has started building a robot army. Google spent nearly 100 million dollars acquiring companies and
their engineers to help prepare for the future.
One of Project Lead the Way’s main goal is to help prepare these students for the workforce. They are introduced to
programming in Principals of Engineering (POE) and continue these skills through Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), Digital Electronics (DE), Aerospace Engineering (AE) as well as Engineering Design and Development
(EDD). Currently, CIM students are working directly with robotic arms and how they assist the manufacturing world.
Come on down to D-140 to see the robots in action!
FINE ARTS
Drama Department News
The Drama Department is hard at work on the spring musical The Sound of Music, which will be presented at 7:30 on April 24th and 25th and at 2:00 on April 26th. Please join us for one of these performances which will include over 100 students in the cast, crew and pit orchestra. Contact Vicki Schlinder
in the Student Activities Office at 331-228-5712 for tickets.
As a culmination of their coursework, the students enrolled in the Actor’s Workshop class will present
their production of The Good Doctor by Neil Simon on Friday, May 15th at 7:00 pm in the Koeppl Black
Box Theatre. Please join us for this free event.
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FINE ARTS
Orlando Bound
Members of The Marching Saints and a festival orchestra made up of students from all levels of the orchestra
program will be traveling to Orlando, Florida immediately following the conclusion of the school year. The students will spend five days in Orlando and visit The Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and
Epcot Center at Disney World, as well as Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The Marching Saints
will do a parade performance at the Magic Kingdom and the orchestra will present a concert on the Waterside Stage at Downtown Disney.
Student Art
The St. Charles East High School Student Art Show will be on display in the gallery of the Norris Cultural Arts
Center beginning April 14th. There will be reception in the gallery honoring all the students represented in this
show starting at 2:30 on Wednesday, May 13th.
Performance Calendar:
Friday, April 24
The Sound of Music (admission charge)
Saturday, April 25
The Sound of Music (admission charge)
Sunday, April 26 (2:00 pm)
The Sound of Music (admission charge)
Tuesday, April 28
Band Concert
Thursday, April 30
Band Concert
Thursday, May 7 (7:00 pm)
Choir Concert
Monday, May 11
Jazz Choir Concert
Tuesday, May 12
Band “Pops” Concert
Monday, May 18
Jazz Band Concert
Tuesday, May 19 (7:00 pm) Orchestra Concert
All performances are free and begin at 7:30 in the Norris Cultural Arts Center unless otherwise noted.
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ENGLISH MEANDERINGS
National English Honor Society will host our first Open Mic Night on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:00pm in the Little Theater. All students are invited to perform original poems, read selections from their favorite literature,
dazzle the audience with an acoustic musical performance, or simply enjoy an evening of literature, art, and
fun.
National English Honor Society is sponsoring a book drive from April 6th- April 17th for Bernie's Book Bank.
We are looking for new or gently used books for children ages birth through grade 6. Please consider donating to this wonderful cause! The community's goal for this year is to collect 35,000 books! Book donations
will be collected within East's LRC along with other locations throughout the community. Please consider
Paying Lit Forward during the month of April!
Speech Team, coached by Court Burkhart and Stephanie Lally, finished its competitive season in February.
Thirteen team members competed at the regional tournament: Mutaz Abdin, Zaina Abdin, Austin Born, John
Born, Sean Clemens, Shannon Dohr, Jody Holtz, Max Kurinsky, Manny Lewis, Erin Newman, Andrei Patano,
Ankit Rastogi, and Madeline Smith. The team advanced one member who competed at the sectional tournament: Austin Born in Radio Speaking. Over the course of the season, four team members were tournament
champions: Mutaz Abdin, Jody Holtz, Erin Newman, and Ankit Rastogi. The team held its annual public performance on February 26.
On March 11, four classes of AP Language and Composition students visited the Holocaust Museum in Skokie. During the visit, students viewed permanent and temporary exhibits, featuring artifacts from Holocaust
events, victims, and survivors. The highlight of the trip for most of the students was the “survivor speaker” Adele. Adele was a child survivor. After her presentation, several of our students went up to thank her for her
story and gave her hugs. It was a very special moment. Below are some comments written by students as
they reflected on their day.
When we stepped into the box car and my classmates were standing centimeters away from me, that’s when
it hit. Nobody should be pushed into a car like cattle sent off to their deaths. Nobody should be killed for who
they are. No one should be made to feel like they are inferior and unwanted. --T.F.
[ABOUT THE SURVIVOR SPEAKER] ...to hear her story was very touching. Her ability to find humor in saying she hoped the SS officers got Chicken Pox [from the children]...illustrated how strong this woman is. She
followed in the footsteps of Elie Wiesel in believing that as a survivor, she needed to tell her story in order to
educate the youth…. --N.H.
Before the speaker talked, the woman presenting her said something that had a great impact on me. She
said that we are the last generation to experience the survivors’ firsthand and hear their stories. I never really
thought about how privileged I am to hear … about their personal experiences. --E.W.
Adele (the survivor speaker) also said that newspapers became socks and wood was carved for shoes. This
made me realize how much I take for granted. Adele didn’t have one pair of socks or one pair of shoes, yet I
have multiple pairs of socks...and shoes. --M.H.
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NEWS FROM THE NURSE
Parents of Seniors: A copy of your student’s immunization records will be sent to you during April . Immunization records are an important document similar to a social security card or driver’s license. I suggest that these records be kept in a safe location. Please make copies before sending the immunization
records to anyone.
If your student has not received the HPV vaccines or the meningitis vaccine I would encourage him/her to
discuss these vaccines with their healthcare provider. If you have any questions regarding your student’s
immunization records please contact the Nurse’s Office before the last day of school. The Nurse’s Office
is closed during the summer.
Parents of Juniors: A new immunization requirement goes into effect in the fall of 2015. Students entering grade 12 in the State of Illinois must be immunized for meningitis. Even though many students have
received one meningitis vaccine the new law states that 12th grade students must receive two meningitis (MCV4) vaccines to be fully protected.
However, one dose of the MCV4 is sufficient for students entering 12th grade if the first dose was administered on/after the child turned 16. According to District 303 policy, students without proof of receiving the MCV4 vaccination will be excluded from school. The only exceptions are students with an approved medical or religious exemption on file with the school nurse.
Parents of 9th – 12th grade students – Medication Pickup Reminder
Please have a parent or responsible adult stop by the Nurse’s Office on or before the last day of school to
pick up any medication(s). Students are only allowed to pick up emergency medications: inhalers, Glucagon and EpiPens.
The last day to pick up medication is Thursday, June 4th . Office hours are from 7am to 2:40pm. All remaining medication, including inhalers and emergency medications, will be discarded after that date.
If your child is to receive medication during the school day next year, please have his/her health care provider complete and sign the CUSD 303 medication form. A parent signature is also required. The form
and policy associated with taking medication are located on the District 303 web site under “For Parents”. Click on Forms. On the Forms page click on Health Forms.
If your child has asthma and carries their inhaler with them, we like to have an inhaler in our office in
case they might forget to bring their inhaler or it would run out. Please bring medication to school before
the first attendance day if possible. Call to arrange a time to drop off the medication and forms to the
Nurse’s Office any day after August 13th.
Donna Priest, School Nurse
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STUDENT NEWS
Congratulations to Caitlin Johnson who was selected as Student of the Month in the MET program for the
month of January, 2015!
Congratulations to Cadet Mitchell Wilcox who was selected to travel to Washington, DC to meet with members of Congress. Mitchell will speak to our representatives one-on-one to acquaint them with the Civil Air
Patrol and support our programs.
Congratulations ISO!
Area Meet at Neuqua Valley
Thursday, March 5, 2015 results:
Chris Chavez received a Gold medal in the 50 free.
Alaina Zocher received a Gold in the 25 free assisted.
Dylan Dunlap received a Gold in both the 25 back and 50 free.
Janna Blowers received a Silver in the 25 back and 4th in the 50 back.
Tommy Vargulich got a Silver in the 50 free.
The 4x25 relay team came home with a Bronze medal. Some of these Gold medal winners are State
bound!
A special thanks to: Hannah Pryor, Nathan Morrow, Jordyn O'Leary, and Kyle Dunlap for helping out at the
Area Meet and to all the Peer Partners who came out early on Sunday morning to practice with the team.
Way to go Saints!
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STUDENT NEWS
Greater Fox River Valley Operation Snowball:
"A place where I can just be myself." "A group of people who think like I do and make the differences in peoples' lives that I want to make." "A community of caring." What is Operation Snowball? The first question is always the most difficult to answer; many of us have taken the easy way
out of describing it by saying, "Its indescribable, you just have to attend." But that does not do the
program or what we do justice. Operation Snowball gets its name from the idea that human beings, much like snowflakes, are unique; we come in different shapes, sizes, and personalities. When many snowflakes come together they form a snowball, and if you give that snowball
some momentum it grows and grows and grows. That momentum works among people as well;
when people of like minds and aspirations for a better future for ourselves and our community
come together, then we are Operation Snowball. We are a teen-led drug and alcohol prevention
and leadership group. The Greater Fox River Valley Chapter of Operation Snowball meets every
Thursday night at the Kane County Regional Office Of Education in Geneva from 7 p.m until 9
p.m. This is a place for any high school students who are looking for a community in which they
can be themselves free of judgment. If you are looking for more information it can be found at
our website: www.gfrvos.org or you can contact the St. Charles advisor at [email protected].
DEBATE 2014-2015 WRAP UP
This year, in addition to Congressional Debate the team added a new form of debate: Public Forum. Congressional
Debate is modeled on the United States Congress. Students create the bills (public welfare, foreign affairs, and economic) and research and then debate. Public forum is similar to the television show Crossfire. It consists of a team of
two who are required to debate both sides of the issue and then defend their position several times.
Congressional Debate team completed their season with a successful state meet. Junior Jack Williams was awarded
third place speaker in his chamber. Junior Matt Jacquot, as a result of a perfect score for one speech was nominated
for best speaker in the championship chamber.
Earlier in the season during Public Forum Debate at the 32 team Fremd Invitational, Matt paired with junior Jimmy
Farace and won their division and finished 5th overall. Juniors Leela Menon and Kevin Sobieski each received a nomination for best speaker in their chamber. Congratulations on a successful season.
Coaches: Gary Burgener, Kyle Libberton, Geri Schouba
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SOCIAL STUDIES
Mock Trial News…
The Fighting Saints 2014-2015 Mock Trial Team had a great season! Coached by Amy Eckman and Paul
Sarmiento (with Kelly Tarantino filling in while Coach Sarmiento was on leave and at the state invitational
for Coach Eckman while she was on leave), the team competed against 12 schools during the McLean County Regional Tournament on February 12th. The team finished 2nd overall going up against Normal Community and Bartlett high schools. Senior, Julie Jezek, earned an Outstanding Attorney Award.
On February 18th, the team competed in the Northwest Suburban Bar Association Regional Invitational. In
Round 1, the team faced Willowbrook High School. In Round 2, the team faced Hinsdale South High
School. Overall, the team placed 8th out of 24 teams!
Every year, St. Charles North and St. Charles East host the Kane County Mock Trial Regional at the Kane
County Court House on Peck Road. This year, the tournament was on February 28th. Facing a tough Timothy Christian team and a seasoned Mundelein team, the Saints placed 9th out of 14 teams. Senior Blake
VanKerkhoff won an Outstanding Attorney award.
On Saturday, March 24th and Sunday, March 25th, 42 teams from around the State of Illinois met in Champaign, IL for the 2015 Illinois State Bar Association High School Mock Trial Invitational. The competition
was held at the University of Illinois College of Law on the U of I campus. After defeating O'Fallon High
School in Round 1, and Huntley High School in Round 2, the team faced Guerin College Prep in the Final
Round to place in the Top 8 in State.
Congratulations to Seniors Julie Jezek, Blake VanKerkhoff, Joshua McCray, and Erandy Padilla; Juniors
Katie Cottrell, Samantha Dykhuis and Evan Allen; Sophomores Ashley Cornille, Dom Sciortino, and Max
Retkowski.
Page 21
MATH
Math Team
North Suburban Math League
Throughout the school year, the math team competes in the North Suburban Math League. The
NSML consists of 55 top schools throughout the Chicagoland area. There are 5 meets held during
the school year. The final meet for the year was held at Evanston High School on March 5 th. For
the year, we had several top finishes. Our Algebra I and Geometry teams finished in second place
for our division for the year. Our Algebra II team had a third place finish for the year in our division.
And, overall the St. Charles East Math Team finished in 4th place in our division.
American Math Competition
The American Math Competition is a national contest offered by the Mathematical Association of
America. Interested math students completed the test in our LRC on February 3rd. Freshmen and
sophomores compete in the AMC 10, while juniors and seniors compete in the AMC 12. Congratulations to Alan Koval for being our top scorer in the AMC 10 and to Andrew Park who was our top
AMC 12 scorer.
Upstate 8 Conference Math Meet
On Wednesday, February 18th, the Fighting Saints won the River Division of the Upstate 8 Conference Math Meet. While all team members performed amazing well, many students earned individual honors. In the Algebra competition, Erin McCann came in 4th place, Hunter Godina and Ananya
Yammanuru came in 3rd place, while Severance Graham and Adam Miramontez came in 2nd place.
Alan Koval won the Geometry competition. In the Algebra 2 competition, Stephan Richmann and
Chris Horn came in 4th place, John Born came in 2nd place and Andrew Park won the event. In the
Pre-Calculus competition, Nick Hauptmann and Lauren Britt took 4th place, Lindsay Berkhout and
Palmer Corbett took 3rd place, Steven Michelotti and Austin Born took 2nd place. For the team competitions, every STCE team placed in one of the top four places. The junior varsity team had a third
place finish. Geometry, varsity, calculator, and the junior varsity 2-person team, consisting of
Ananya Yammanuru and Alan Koval had second place finishes. Algebra, Pre-Calculus and the
varsity 2-person team consisting of Austin Born and Andrew Park had first place finishes.
Regional Math Meet
The Fighting Saints Math Team also had a 4th place finish at regionals. Third place finishes were
turned in by the Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculator, and Junior/Senior 8-person teams.
The 2-person varsity team, consisting of Austin Born ad John Born had a second place finish and
qualified to go to the state math meet. The Algebra team also qualified to go to the state math
meet. Algebra team members are Jacqueline Chimienti, Hunter Godina, Severance Graham, Adam Miramontez, and Ananya Yammanuru. Alan Koval qualified for the state meet as an
individual in Geometry. The state math meet will be held at the University of Illinois on May 3rd.
Good luck Saints!
Page 22
MATH
Math Honor Society
Math Honor society held their annual Pi Day food drive to benefit the St. Charles Salvation Army
Food Bank on March 7th. Students collected 1000 cans of food.
Math Honor Society students celebrated Pi Day with pie, or course, and several games to test their
knowledge of Pi. Austin Born won the Pi Reciting contest and Marco Lelong won the Pi Trivia contest.
The Math Honor Society continues to offer peer tutoring on late start Wednesdays in room E of the
LRC from 7-8 am and after school every Thursday in B121.
Math Help
Math help is always available. All math teachers are available for help before, during and after
school. Students should make an appoint to see their math teacher as soon as they want help.
The math resource room is also open periods 4-7 for extra math help. Students should get a pass
out of their study hall to go to the math resource room for help.
Page 23
COLLEGE AND CAREER OFFICE COMING EVENTS
Illinois Regional College Fair
Wednesday, April 15
Geneva High School
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Meet college representatives and gather information from over 200 colleges.
AP Exams
All students currently enrolled in AP courses will be taking their exams during the first two weeks in May. In
preparation for these exams, students must attend the Pre-administration Session on Wednesday, April 15,
3rd Period, in the NCAC. Please bring several #2 pencils and a book/folder for something firm to write on.
PARCC Testing
PARCC Testing will resume on April 27-29 for all students enrolled in English 9 and Algebra 1. More information to come.
Academy Day
St. Charles East will once again host Academy Day on Saturday, May 9 from 9:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. Individuals who may be interested in learning more about the five Service Academies – West Point, Naval Academy,
Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and the Merchant Marines Academy – are invited to attend.
Graduation 2015
Graduation will take place on Sunday, May 24, 2015 at noon. The event will be at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. Parking is ample and free. No tickets are needed. As many guests as you like may attend.
Page 24
PTO NEWS
The 2014-15 school year is winding down. Our final two main events for the year are the selection of the Senior Awards and hosting of the Post Prom!
Be Informed
On February 13 the Staff Appreciation Committee catered a most delicious Valentine’s Day lunch from Kabobs in St Charles. Then on March 13 the Committee celebrated “Pi Day” by treating the staff to 36 pies of
numerous flavors! Thanks for all the donations.
The 2014-2015 PTO Senior Awards application is online. The PTO is giving away four $1,000 awards to be used
toward post high school education. If you have a student who is a senior and plans to continue their education, please be
sure to have them apply. The student’s parent/guardian must be a current/paid STCE PTO member as of November 1,
2014. The applications are available from Ms. Kobler in the Guidance Office, or at http://east.d303.org/pto on the STCE
web site. Applications must be postmarked by April 3, 2015.
Be Involved
Post Prom 2015 will be hosted on May 2nd from 11:00 pm – 2:30 am. This Saints Below H2O event provides a safe, drug-free environment for all Juniors and Seniors and their guests to continue their Prom celebration. The evening includes games, food, and awesome prizes.
All Juniors and Seniors are invited
You do not need to attend Prom to enjoy Post Prom. Tickets are $15.
Lots of help is needed! Contact the following people in your area of interest:
Co-Chairs
Amy Dillenburg [email protected]
Carie Sanders [email protected]
Decorations
Kris Brandt - [email protected]
Ticket sales
Mary Gerkin - [email protected]
Kendall Tokarski - [email protected]
Prizes
Jody Field - [email protected]
Lisa Carroll - [email protected]
Food
Christine Ewald - [email protected]
Games
Colette Mann – [email protected]
Julie Olney [email protected]
Security
Kym Zylke - [email protected]
Social Media
Kathleen Retkowski [email protected]
Donations
Millie Whitley [email protected]
The PTO will be organizing volunteers to sell tickets for the Senior Barbecue & Breakfast on May 12–15 and
May 18–21. If you would like to volunteer to sell tickets please contact Val Grohe @ [email protected].
The PTO is looking to fill the PTO Board positions for next year. Are you interested? The following board
seats are available at this time: Vice President & Directory
Please submit a note to Michelle Wilcox at [email protected] to express your interest.
Next PTO meetings are Tuesday, April 28 & May 26, 6pm Room B121. Enter through Door 40.
Page 25
FINAL ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE
2014-2015
St. Charles East and North High Schools
Final Assessment Schedule
Second Semester
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Period 1 (exam)
7:30-9:10
Period 2 (exam)
9:20-11:00
Period 7 (exam)
11:10-12:50
Buses Depart at 1:10 p.m.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Period 6 (exam)
7:30-9:10
Period 3 (exam)
9:20-11:00
Period 8 (exam)
11:10-12:50
Buses Depart at 1:10 p.m.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Make-Up Exam Time 7:30-9:10
Period 4 (exam)
9:20-11:00
Period 5 (exam)
11:10-12:50
Buses Depart at 1:10 p.m.