October 2014
Volume 13 Issue 2
The Voice
A Mt. Carmel High School Publication
Mr. Pat Cheesman
Principal
Fall has arrived! Students had fun at the Homecoming Dance but it was
hot in Gym 2. There are several items that parents need to be aware of at
this time of the year.
Friday October 10th is a Teacher’s Institute day, so there is no school for
students. Faculty members will be a series of workshops and not available for any meetings. A reminder about getting touch with teachers or
administrators, e-mail is a good way to communicate the need for a meeting or a phone call. Every teacher/administrator also has voice messaging on our phone system and it is available 24 hours a day. There voice mail extension
is the room number.
If you are not satisfied with your son/daughters pictures, retake picture day is October 8th first period. Students need
to sign up in the main office to be called to the auditorium for retakes. Please have your child bring their pictures on
that day.
You freshman, sophomore and junior student is being tested in both Math and Reading every other month by STAR
Assessment. The student will receive the information on these tests to show them their growth in both subjects.
Teachers will use this information to plan ways to improve student’s skills. If a student is recommended to RTI
courses, the student will be tested more often.
Do you know that the end of the first grading period will be October 9th? That is in about two weeks. Grade cards
will be distributed in the students 7th period class on October 17st, but as always their grades can be accessed through
Lumen. If you have lost the password for Lumen please contact Mrs. Kennard, Mr. Brewer or Mr. Cheesman.
Parent-Teacher conferences will be on Thursday October 23th from 5 to 7:30 pm or Friday October 24th from 8 to
11:30 am. Please call the main office and ask for Ms. Dillard to make an appointment. There will be a global connect
phone message sent to remind parents to sign up for an appointment. We would like to share information about your
child. This is an excellent way to stay in personal touch with teachers.
Finally, I encourage you to become involved with school activities. We always talk to students about finding an activity, club, or sport to become involved, it makes high school fun. We can work together to help your son/daughter. If
you have a question or concern about a class, make a phone call or send an e-mail to the teacher. Contact your child’s
counselor or coach. Mount Carmel High School is always looking for volunteers for committees or other groups
please contact Pat Cheesman if you are interested.
Mr. Pat Cheesman
Principal
[email protected]
201 Pear Street
Mt. Carmel, IL 62863
(618) 262-5104
www.mchs.wabash348.com
Mr. Michael Brewer
Assistant Principal
[email protected]
October 2014
Volume 13 Issue 2
The month of October will bring the first quarter of the 2014-2015 school
year to a close. One area we would like to focus on at this time is student
Mr. Michael Brewer
tardiness. Tardiness is an issue that affects all of our students, not just those
who are late to class. Often, students come in late which can be distracting
Assistant Principal
to other students in that class or can result in the teacher having to stop
what they are doing to make sure the tardy student is brought up to speed.
Being a few minutes late for a class can result in a larger loss of time than
students realize. Parents/Guardians please discuss this issue with your student if you receive a tardy letter in the mail.
We would also like to encourage our students to stay up-to-date with their coursework. There are several ways students can do this, mainly by communicating with teachers and completing daily assignments, but we would also
like students to do so via Lumen which allows students to check grades and lesson plans. We would also encourage
parents to view their student’s grades on Lumen. Parents can access Lumen at their home; if you would like access to
Lumen to check your student’s grades but do not have a login and/or password please contact Mt. Carmel High School
at 262-5104.
Mrs. Kim Mandrell
Music Instructor
The MCHS Music Department is in full swing as the leaves begin to
fall! Choir students are busy preparing for upcoming performances,
“Singing 7” auditions are about to be held, IMEA singers are preparing for auditions, the marching band is in full competition mode, and
the beginning sounds of the spring musical “MARY POPPINS” can
be heard through the hallways. It has been an exciting school year so
far as music students at MCHS continue to strive for excellence each
day in both rehearsal and performance.
The annual “Christmas Concert” will be held on Tuesday December 2nd at 7pm in the MCHS Auditorium. This concert will feature solo and small group performances in addition to the MCHS Choir & MCHS Concert Band. Admission is free and donations will be accepted. Also, don’t miss the annual dessert auction!
The Marching Aces will compete this month at four competitions; EIU, McKendree, Carbondale, & Oblong. This
years’ marching show “Postcards” has been a real crowd pleaser at the home football games and students have had a
great time!
Disney’s “Mary Poppins” will be the MCHS Music Department’s winter musical. Auditions will be held on Saturday
Dec. 13th and the production will take place on March 5-8. Tickets will be available online soon at www.wabash348.
com
So as you can tell, we’re “Fall-ing Into Music” at MCHS. Music students are working very hard and continue to grow
musically each day.
Best wishes,
Kim Mandrell
October 2014
Volume 13 Issue 2
THE COLLEGE APPLICATION
Mrs. Regina Paddick
Director of Guidance
The college application is oftentimes the deciding tool by which a student is evaluated for acceptance into a college or university. In order to assist admissions
officers in the process of differentiating one student from other qualified applicants, it is crucial the application be complete, on time, and accurately reflects
the student.
FOLLOW DIRECTIONS: If you have given your best effort to understand what is being requested and continue to have concerns or questions, contact the Admissions Office of the college to which you are applying for more information.
If two letters of recommendation are requested (consider a request a requirement) then provide those two letters only. If you
believe a third recommendation would make a difference, contact the college to ask whether a third letter would be well received,
or problematic in that the directions were partially ignored.
BRAG SHEET: The information you provide to the authors of your recommendations will be invaluable in helping your counselor and teachers write the best recommendation possible. A recommendation that introduces a unique person is more valuable
than one that seems to describe every student. A “brag sheet” is a great way to inform the authors of your activities, awards, and
personal interests. A few sample questions would be: 1) What are some examples of your accomplishments in and out of school?
2) What three things do you value most, and why? 3) What are your academic interests and which courses have you enjoyed the
most? A printable “brag sheet” is available on the Guidance web page at www.mchs.wabash348.com/Departments/Guidance/
BragSheet.pdf.
MAKE A STRONG IMPRESSION: Most admissions officers read applications with the intention to accept, not reject the applicant. When reading an application, the two questions foremost in the mind of an admissions officer are: 1) Will this applicant
be successful academically, socially, and personally at this university? 2) What contribution will this individual make to this
university? Often times, the sole opportunity for the student to make an impression on the admissions officer is with a factually
accurate and complete application.
Attend MCHS/WVC Career Night on Wednesday, November 5, 2014, 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. Take advantage of the chance to
introduce yourself. Shake hands, make eye contact, and ask questions to make a strong impression on the admissions counselor
who more than likely will be one of the people who reviews your application. Explore the college thoroughly via internet for
pertinent questions about the schools the admissions counselors represent.
APPLY ON TIME: Whether you apply on paper or online, complete and submit your application as early as possible. Waiting
until the last minute is stressful and can be risky. Rushing may prove to be detrimental. If you choose to apply online, do not
wait until the final days prior to the due date to submit your application. It can take a long time to process an application if the
server is overloaded.
REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS AND MAILING APPLICATIONS: To request a transcript be sent, see the registrar. Complete
the institution address form, and sign your name. Send transcripts when applying online also. Colleges require an “official”
transcript; therefore they must be mailed from MCHS. (Allow 1 week to get the transcript ready)
Have all of the application completed before the guidance counselor reviews it. Be sure to sign the application and make a copy
of the original for your records. Then turn in the application and application fee to Guidance. The counselor will complete
the counselor section and mail the application, fees, and any supporting materials; insuring all materials be kept together. It is
documented when the application packet is mailed and where your transcripts are sent.
October 2014
Volume 13 Issue 2
Medical Intervention Class Being Offered at MCHS
This year the Mt. Carmel High Science Department has add the third class in the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Pathway, called Medical Intervention (MI). MI provides an introduction to the biomedical sciences through
exciting “hands-on” projects and problems. Student work involves the study of human medicine, research processes and an introduction to bio-informatics.
In this course, students investigate the variety of
interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of disease as they follow the lives of a
fictitious family. This class is a “How-To” manual for
maintaining overall health and homeostasis in the
body. It explores how to prevent and fight infection,
how to screen and evaluate the code in our DNA,
how to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, and how
to prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail.
Through these scenarios, students are exposed to
the wide range of interventions related to Immunology, Surgery, Genetics, Pharmacology, Medical
Devices, and Diagnostics. Each family case scenario
will introduce multiple types of interventions and
will reinforce concepts learned in the previous two
biomedical courses, as well as present new content.
Interventions may range from simple diagnostic tests to treatment of complex diseases and disorders. These interventions are showcased across the generations of the family and provide a look at the past, present and future
of biomedical science. Lifestyle choices and preventive measures are emphasized throughout the course as well
as the important role scientific thinking and engineering design play in the development of interventions of the
future.
In unit one of this class our students were introduced to Sue Smith, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Smith. Sue is a college freshman who is presenting symptoms of an unknown infectious disease which our
students identified as bacterial meningitis. Sue survived the infection but was left with a hearing impairment.
Through this case, students explore the diagnostic process used to identify an unknown infection, the use of
antibiotics as a treatment, how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance, how hearing impairment is assessed and
treated, and how vaccinations are developed and used to prevent infection.
The other units that our students will cover this year are as follows:
UNIT TWO:
Students are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the head of the Smith family. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are very excited
because they just found out they are expecting a new baby. Because the couple is in their early 40s, the doctor has
October 2014
Volume 13 Issue 2
suggested genetic screening and testing. Through
this case, students will explore how to screen and
evaluate the code in our DNA, the value of good
prenatal care, and the future of genetic technology.
UNIT THREE:
Students are introduced to Mike Smith, the sixteen-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Mike is
diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that often affects teenagers. Mike’s treatments
put him into remission; in order to remove all of
the cancerous tissue, he had to have most of his arm
amputated and he needs a prosthesis. Through this
case, students will explore the diagnostic process
used to determine the presence of cancerous cells,
the risk factors and prevention of cancer, rehabilitation after disease or injury, and the design process for new medications, prosthetics, and nanotechnology.
UNIT FOUR:
Students are introduced to Mrs. Jones, the forty-four-year-old sister of Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Jones has been struggling with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus for twenty years. Over the years, Mrs. Jones did not take good care of herself
or properly control her diabetes. She eventually began using an insulin pump and changed her lifestyle to regulate her blood sugar levels, but the damage had already been done. Mrs. Jones is now dealing with end stage renal
failure and needs a kidney transplant. Through this case, students will explore protein production, blood sugar
regulation, dialysis, organ donation and transplantation, non-invasive surgery techniques, as well as creation of
a bionic human.
It looks like our Medical Intervention students are in for a fun and interesting school year.