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VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
9001 West 171st Street
Tinley Park, IL 60487
Phone:708-342-5800
http://andrew.d230.org
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 11
ORLAND PARK
V I C TO R J. A N D R E W H I G H S C H O O L N E W S L E T T E R • MARCH 2015
Connor Burns, Chicago White Sox’s
Kenny Williams, Dan Sivak, and Joe
Scott volunteer with emphasizing the
benefits of college to inner-city high
school students.
Dan Sivak, Joe Scott, MTV’s Sway
Calloway, and Connor Burns volunteer
with emphasizing the benefits of college
to inner-city high school students.
Cadaver Camp, January 7-10, 2015
Students of Mrs. Julie Johnson's Honors Anatomy & Physiology Course spent 3 days (2 of which were while everyone else was home for school
closings) applying their first semester knowledge and skills dissecting the extremities (arms & legs) of two human cadavers at Northern Illinois
University's Cadaver Lab.
CONSOLIDATED HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 230
THOUGHT MEANING ACTION
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
2014-2015
School Calendar
Dates to Remember
March
5 Parent/Teacher Conferences
12 - 8 pm
No Student Attendance
6 School Holiday - No School
April
2 Early Dismissal 1 pm
3 School Holiday
6-10 Spring Break
13 Classes Reconvene
24 Institute Day - All Staff
School Prom
No Student Attendance
May
25 Memorial Day - No School
27, 28, 29 Final Exams*
29 Last Day of School*
*Changed due to inclement weather days used.
Subject to change if additional inclement
weather days are needed.
CONSOLIDATED
HIGH SCHOOL
DISTRICT 230
Rick Nogal, President
Patrick O'Sullivan, Vice President
Kathy Quilty, Secretary
Susan Dalton
Melissa Gracias
Kate Murphy-Peterson
Tony Serratore
Dr. James M. Gay, Superintendent
Robert Nolting, Principal
Andrew Pride is published by the Consolidated
High School District 230 School Board.
"An equal opportunity employer"
Printed on Recycled Paper
30% Total Recycled Fiber
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Andrew High School Community,
MUSIC BOOSTERS
Spring is in the air and we hope March is a time where we awake from our winter slumber and
remind ourselves how wonderful it is to be outside without the risk of frostbite - especially for our
spring athletes! We are also preparing for the longest March - from a student perspective - in
years, since Spring Break has been moved to April. However, March offers a full range of activities
for our school community.
The Music Boosters Annual Spring Craft Fair was a terrific suc-
Music Boosters fundraiser is our Pancake Breakfast on Sunday,
cess! Without support from the students and parents, this event
March 15th. Come join us for pancakes and entertainment by
- our second largest fundraiser, would not happen. We whole-
our very own band and choir. You may even get a chance to
heartedly thank each and every one of them for their time and
take your picture with the Easter bunny!
March is a great month for parent engagement. We open the month with our spring ParentTeacher Conferences. This event allows for our parents to get a snapshot of their son’s or
daughter's progress before the end of the semester. Also, March brings our 5th Annual Spring
Parent University. This event is well attended and provides up to 12 different sessions (parents
choose three) to provide important information for parents of all grade levels. For our Prom
attendees, our required Pre-Prom Parent Meeting is scheduled that evening. This event contains
important Prom details, but also some guidance for parents about Prom activities. For seniors,
we will also host a graduation informational meeting. Additional topics include a graduate
forum to discuss life after high school, the role of the IEP in college, dealing with teen stress,
and numerous topics that are beneficial to parents. Please look for more information about
this great event.
The Andrew Chorale performed in two festivals in February.
Kaitlyn Bauman, Todd Bentson, Nick Buckner, Claire
The first was the SWSC Festival hosted by Lincoln-Way East.
Cavarretta, Pauline Fittanto, Jane Folliard, Mia Folliard, Mason
Choirs from the Southwest Suburbs met and performed for
Garcia, John Hahn, Rebecca Keate, Megan Kinnerk, Elizabeth
each other and were able to work with top clinicians from the
Kochniarczyk, Elisabeth Lang, Jaclyn Nicasio, Alex Pedersen,
Midwest. Dr. Karyl Carlson from Illinois State University worked
Martin Polkowski, Justin Rauman, Vivian Reyes, Julia Ricker,
with Andrew's Chorale and gave great insights into furthering
Mike Rickey, Joe Siano, Karl Suarez, Tyler Tebo, Vince Upreti,
the pieces for our Prism Concert. The District 230 Choral
Luke VanKleek, and Liam Yore) had much success at the WGI
Festival took place on Tuesday, February 24th at Stagg High
(Winter Guard International) Regional in Indianapolis on
School. Top choirs from Andrew, Sandburg and Stagg met to
Valentine’s Day. They head to an IPA competition in Warsaw,
share their talents and rise up in song for a culminating per-
Indiana on Saturday, March 7th and a WGI Mid-South Regional
formance. Dr. Richard Rossi, Choral Director from Eastern
in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the weekend of March 20-22nd.
Illinois University, was our guest clinician. Students and direc-
Mark your calendar to come out and see this World Champion
tors had a fun and educational afternoon.
group perform their show “When Forever Ends” on Saturday,
This March also brings us state testing changes. The Junior ACT is scheduled for March
3rd. This is a test required of all juniors, free of charge. The ACT includes all four
subject tests, plus the writing exam, which allows all of our students to use this for
post-secondary entry. On March 3rd, we will also be testing our freshman on the
PLAN, a predictive exam for the ACT (sophomores and seniors do not attend
school). New for this year, the PSAE for juniors is no longer an assessment
required by the State of Illinois. However, we will be implementing the
PARCC assessment for all freshmen instead. This is a new exam that is
aligned to the Common Core and should allow for tracking student growth
over time. The details are still forthcoming from the state - parents of freshman
should look for information coming soon.
At the time of this letter, I am proud to announce that we have crowned two
conference champions (Girls’ Bowling & Boys’ Swimming and Diving) and
two state qualifiers (Boys’ Bowling and Competitive Dance/Poms). Many
winter sports are winding down in late February and we hope more
success is to come. We also wish the best of luck to our spring sports and
know that our teams will be successful. We also look forward to the Fine Arts
events in March. Our art students begin their series of shows, beginning with
the SWSC Art Showcase at Governors State University. Andrew's Got Talent
will showcase student performances on March 4th at 7 pm. Band and Choir,
as well as our new Orchestra program, will host the Prism concert which is an
amazing combination of all music disciplines on one stage! Project Diversity
will also host their annual show on March 13th and 14th. It is truly a
magnificent month for events and we hope you consider attending these
performances..
Thank you for the continued support of VJA and its programs.
As always, please share any questions, comments or suggestions
at [email protected]
Robert Nolting
Principal
effort in making this event a continuous success.
This year's Jazz Concert, featuring the Andrew Jazz Band, VJA
Cappella, and Jazz Ensemble will be held on Thursday, March
12th at 7 pm in the Andrew High School Performing Arts Center.
Admission is free and open to the public! Come hear some
great jazz and pop tunes and support our specialty groups.
The Prism Concert technical rehearsal will be held in the
Andrew Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 17th from 68:30 pm. All Andrew music students should be in attendance to
prepare for the concert that takes place two days later.
Andrew winter percussion (Jacob Badagliacco, Antonio Balestri,
March 28th at 7:30 pm in the Main Gym at Andrew High School.
Winter percussion will finish off their season in Dayton, Ohio
April 9-11th at the WGI World Championships. They hope to
bring home another gold medal!
Andrew winter guard members (Jeanine Akai, Angel Chan, Desi
Contreras, Natalie Dizon, Stephanie Dreher, Jessica Escalante,
Kyle Gonzales, Sarah Karrson Fitzpatrick, Reilly Marino, Sol
Morales, Katie Packer, and Martina Razo) are going strong.
The team had such an outstanding season last year winning
first place in the Midwest Regional that the group has grown in
This year's Prism Concert, featuring all of Andrew High School
music ensembles, will be held on Thursday, March 19th at 7 pm
in the Performing Arts Center. Come witness a slice of collegiate-style performing with a stunning grand finale!
size and has moved up into a higher level of competition.
Winter guard performed their show “Words Won’t Bring Us
Down” at the regional competition in Indianapolis on February
21st & 22nd. They are headed to LaPorte, Indiana, for the
This year's spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, has audi-
Midwest Circuit Competition on March 28th & 29th and will fin-
tioned, is cast, and is now into rehearsals! The performances
ish up their season at the WGI Color Guard World
will be on April 30th at 7 pm, May 1st at 7 pm, and May 2nd at
Championships the weekend of April 16-18th in Dayton, Ohio.
3 pm. Come out and see this Disney classic brought to life
Come out and watch the guard perform at the community show
before your very eyes!
on Saturday, March 28th at 7:30 pm in the Main Gym at Andrew
Thanks to everyone who came out for the first Andrew Winter
High School.
Percussion and Guard Community Show of the season. As a
Between newsletters you can keep up with the VJA Music
fundraiser we collected donations of clothing, shoes, linens and
Parents by visiting our website at www.vjamusic.com. Don’t
many other items that were delivered to Savers in Orland Park.
forget our next Parent Meeting is scheduled for March 10th at
We raised over $500 for the general music fund. The next
7:30 pm in the Choir Room.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
Andrew Athletics Update
When March arrives, the spring sports’ teams
look for places to practice and yearn for the
warmer weather that is to come later in the
spring. Sports in the spring have to fight
through the toughest conditions that we place
on our teams. They normally start when
there is snow on the ground, play in freezing
cold, dodge raindrops and gusty winds, and
then when it finally does get nice, the season
is over. This year with the later spring break
and the weather anything but predictable, it is
time to gear up for the season and get ready
for conference runs. When May arrives, our
Thunderbolts will be competing for greatness!
season as of this writing. Boys’ basketball is
still in the IHSA state series and will look to
make it difficult for teams who want to
continue into regional play. Boys’ swimming
and diving has the depth and talent to send
some athletes into the state finals and have
high hopes of making the final day in a
couple of events. Girls’ hoops, cheer,
gymnastics, and girls’ bowling all made
Andrew Nation very proud this winter with
their style of play, dedication, and
determination. The grapplers look to
continue to improve as they head to
sectionals and hopefully state!
A few updates from the winter season. The
boys’ bowling team again qualified for the
state finals in O’Fallon and found the
competition fierce! The boys battled and they
bowled very well, but could not put the big
games together. However, we are very proud
of their efforts and how well they represented
the school and conference. We also want to
congratulate the varsity poms team for
qualifying for state as well.
Just a quick reminder about the Andrew
Athletic social media options:
www.athletics2000.com/andrew is the
location for daily updates, scores, and
cancellations. Additionally, you can find
rosters, pictures and articles about all of our
varsity teams. On the front page is a link to
directions to our playing sites throughout the
year using a Google map. Simply click on a
location, type in your address, and it will find
a route for you to take. Another site to visit is
Other winter teams have not completed their
the SouthWest Suburban Conference
(SWSC) site at ww.athletics2000.com/swsc.
Here you will find the conference standings
for our varsity and sophomore teams, as well
as the rest of the conference schedules. You
can also look through our archives and find
results form the varsity conference seasons
and champions. We are on twitter as well
@vjabolts. Finally, a site that has all of the
information about all high schools in the state
is the Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
website at www.ihsa.org. Here you can
follow all high school teams through the state
series, and find information and directions for
every high school in the state in the school
directory. These sites will help you know
faster and more accurately where and when
the athletes participate. They have a lot of
information to offer.
Summer camp information will be coming
soon, so look to sharpen those skills and
prepare for greatness this summer with our
programs and coaches! A great way to keep
active and enjoy the weather that we know
will turn for the best!
ATHLETIC BOOSTERS
Plan to attend our monthly Athletic Booster
Club meeting. All members are invited. It is
also a great way to become involved. All
spring sports team reps are encouraged to
attend. This is how we know about your sports
team. Our meetings are the first Tuesday of
the month. Our next meeting is on Wednesday,
March 11th at 7:00 pm in the teachers’ lounge.
Our April meeting is April 15th.
Wanted: New Directors for 2015-2016
Season. We are currently looking for next
year’s Scholar Athlete Awards Director,
Team Rep Director, Concessions Director,
and Variety Show Director. Please contact
Rena Sheehan at [email protected] if you
are interested.
Please Join 8to 18: Please join our 8to 18
Cashback program. To raise money for this
season, we have partnered with 8to 18
Cashback, which is now part of the same
company which operates the school’s athletic
website. Register now for 8to 18 Cashback
that directly benefits Andrew Athletic
Boosters. We can earn Cashback every time
one of us makes an online purchase from
among thousands of merchants. Just go to
http://cashback.8to18.com and register.
Spirit-Wear: We have Lawn Signs for all
Sports. Also, we have a wide variety of
t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, lanyards,
socks, hats, mittens and scarves. For more
information, please contact Keri Malone at
[email protected] or 708-334-1795
or contact Stacy Summers at
[email protected] or 708-8023703. Winter program books will be for sale.
Market Day: INTRODUCING Fresh Produce
Assortments now available at
marketday.com. You will enjoy "farmer's
market fresh" quality produce with the
convenience of ordering and picking it up with
your regular Market Day order. There are 3
assortments to choose from; Family,
Gourmet, or Organic produce assortments.
Look online to see what each holds. Also if
you purchase $90 worth of Market Day
products in March you will receive a FREE 4
pack of chicken steaks, just put MARBONUS
in at checkout. Place your order online and
make sure you check out the clearance
items, great bargains on food, and other
items they carry. Never ordered before,
please add NEWFIVE at check out with an
order of $25 and receive $5 off your order.
Order $40 or more from February thru April
and then in May receive a free set of
collapsible storage bowls at the May sale.
Market Day pick up is Saturday, March 14th,
from 9 am-10 am. Make sure you order for
your spring holidays. Questions please call
Ruth at 708-403-0369.
Athletic Scholarship Forms: Students
whose family has joined the Athletic Boosters
by December 1st can be considered for
scholarships. Attention SENIOR ATHLETES:
pick up, fill out, and turn in your scholarship
application for the Booster Club’s scholarship
drawing. The forms are in the Guidance Office.
April 1st is the deadline for scholarship forms.
Student Council gets ready for Just Dance "Candy Land" edition.
Matz Family Scholarship: Attention
SENIOR VARIETY SHOW CAST MEMBERS:
pick up, fill out, and turn in your scholarship
application for the scholarship drawing. The
forms and requirements are in the Guidance
Office. April 1st is the deadline for scholarship
forms. Two-$500 scholarships will be given,
one to a girl and one to a boy.
Special Thanks: Thank you to the directors
for their help in all our winter sports
concessions. Athletic Boosters is also grateful
to the parents and teams who helped with VShow, basketball, cheer and poms
concessions. We very much appreciate you
volunteering your time. We could not be a
success without parent involvement. We
hope to continue our success with your help
in the future. If you have any questions or
would like to volunteer, please contact Rena
Sheehan at [email protected]. Our website
is: www.andrewathleticboosters.org. There is
a link on VJA main website or:
http://www.athletics2000.com/andrew/.
Student Council hosted their annual Veteran's Day Luncheon.
This year's attendance exceeded all previous years.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
Getting Into College–
Some Helpful Tips
Whether your child is trying to get into
Harvard or any other college, admissions
committees will be asking five basic questions. How difficult was the curriculum
chosen by the student? How well did he
or she do in that curriculum? How did the
student do on college entrance exams?
What activities outside the classroom did
the student join? What was the quality of
the involvement in those activities? While
the questions are simple the answers may
be complex. Helping your child stay
focused on these questions will ensure the
greatest number of options after high
school. If you have questions about college planning please contact your child’s
counselor.
Passing Required
Classes
As Summer school approaches, parents
are reminded that students must pass
both semesters of a required class in
order to move on to the next level. For
example, students who fail either semester of Freshman English must repeat the
failed semester before moving on to
Sophomore English. Summer school is
strongly encouraged for students in this
position.
Scholarships Awarded
If you have been awarded a scholarship,
please let Mrs. Driscoll know by emailing
her at [email protected].
Include the following information:
1. Name of University or organization awarding the scholarship
2. Title/name of the award or
scholarship
3. Amount of the award for
each year over 4 years
(if applicable)
The amount of the awards will
be kept confidential. The district uses the totals for statistical data. You are not
required to share the
financial information
if you do not wish to do so.
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
Scholarship Opportunities
Scholarship applications continue to arrive in
the Guidance Office throughout the spring
months. Students are encouraged to stop in
and review the latest announcements.
Many of these awards have specific require-
ments. If you meet the requirements you
should consider applying. Scholarship information is also on the VJA website under
Guidance.
Prime Time for College-Bound Juniors
March is a great month to have your junior
son or daughter make an appointment with
his or her counselor to discuss college
plans. Students interested in selective colleges are especially encouraged to make an
appointment to begin preparing for the application process that will begin next August.
Parents are always welcome to join students
for this appointment in order to discuss the
college selection and financial aid process.
It takes time and energy to find the right col-
lege match. Counselors recognize that this
is a family decision. However, they can be
helpful in sorting out the priorities and finding colleges that are the best fit for each
child. Remember, when your child returns
from summer vacation, he or she will be
expected to have a short list of colleges
ready for application. Most applications
should be completed by the end of October
of the student’s senior year.
Juniors and Spring Break
If you haven’t already made plans, many
families find that Spring Break provides the
perfect opportunity for juniors to visit college
campuses. Often, families who plan ahead
can visit four to five schools in the same
geographical area over two to three days. It
is important to call schools in advance. In
many cases (especially at private schools)
the college may offer free housing to students who want to stay overnight for a sample of dorm life. Because many schools are
not on break at this time, a visit now is much
better than during the summer when campuses are relatively vacant. If you need a
list of questions to ask when you visit,
please see your counselor.
Should You Sign Up To Take The A.C.T. More
Than Once?
The simple answer to this question is YES!
Statistics show that students who take the
test more than once usually improve their
test scores. We strongly encourage juniors
to sign up for the test administered on April
18th at Andrew. Students can sign up on
line at www.act.org.
Summer School
Summer School registration is currently in
progress. Registration information and
course approval may be obtained from the
Guidance Department. Whether your student is getting ahead or catching up, it is
wise to register now in order to reserve a
spot in the class. Classes will only be
NHS
Andrew’s National
Honor Society
members have
been focusing their
year with the act of
service. In the fall,
NHS represented
Andrew at the
Northern Illinois
Food Drive. NHS
officers precisely
packaged potatoes
for families in dire
need of food. At
Connor Burns explains the criteria for acceptthe end of the day, ance into the National Honor Society.
over one thousand
meals were sent to
low-income households.
The weeks leading to
Christmas, NHS members
helped Santa write to children who sent him letters.
On December 6th, nearly
160 NHS members volunteered at the Crestwood
Providence Nursing Home.
NHS members sang, disNHS members explain the criteria for
tributed gifts, and conNHS acceptance.
versed with elderly residents in order to spread the
holiday cheer and the beginning of the New Year. On Martin Luther
King Day, NHS volunteered in Chicago’s “Get Connected Program”.
NHS students traveled to Malcolm X College to help celebrities
including Kenny Williams, Sway Calloway, and Chance the Rapper
stress the importance of a college education to inner-city high school
students. On January 25th, NHS informed incoming freshmen on
the rigorous guidelines of acceptance in the National Honor Society.
Students must have a 3.8 GPA, participate in at least two activities,
demonstrate leadership, and complete all twenty-four hours of community service by sophomore year.
Congratulations DECA!
offered if there are enough students who
enroll. Summer school will be offered at
Sandburg High School this year, with the
exception of a few courses to be held at
Andrew. For more information please ask
your student to pick up a summer school
brochure from the Guidance Office.
Children at Risk
Parents are reminded that they are always
welcome to share their concerns regarding
the welfare of children with the Guidance
staff. Prevention is the important word on
this topic. If you have a concern, please do
not hesitate to contact your child’s counselor. The Guidance staff is always willing
Co-Curricular Updates
to contact teachers, speak to their students,
or facilitate a meeting or referral to specific
services when necessary. We work in partnership with parents and students to provide
the best possible learning environment for
the children and families that we serve.
10 Andrew H.S. DECA students
qualified for State at the Regional
competition at Moraine Valley held
on January 22. Qualifiers include:
Connor Brogan, Adrian Duenas,
Kevin Garripoli, Stephen Harrison,
Alex Harrison, James Kut, Brittany
Lewis, Bea Mungal, Peyton O'Neill,
and Brett VonFeldt. Students were
required to take a competency
exam, an economics test, and perform in a role-play business/marketing scenario with a judge. Good
luck at State everyone!
Speech Team Gives Back with Angel Tree
Philanthropy
As part of the 2014-15 season, the Speech Team decided to support
the Angel Tree outreach program. This program benefits the children of prison inmates and their families. The goal is to meet some
of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the children. For
many children these gifts may be the only ones under their
Christmas tree. The gifts are purchased, wrapped, and given to
Angel Tree Volunteers who then deliver the gifts to churches or
organizations that sponsor the children. The gift givers are not
named; instead, the gifts the children receive are from their parents.
After team members sold World’s Finest Chocolate to raise the
money needed to purchase gifts, a highly qualified group of shoppers hit the stores! Is there anything more fun than buying a gift for
someone with other people’s money?
When shopping bags were filled with scarves, pajamas, board
games, basketballs, Barbie dolls, coloring books and crayons, it was
time to get the whole team together to start wrapping. We ordered
pizzas, put on Christmas music, and broke out the scissors and
scotch tape. Is there anything more enjoyable than watching a
friend try to wrap a basketball?
The Speech Team looks forward to making our support of the Angel
Tree outreach program an annual event.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
PE Is Going Polar...With Polar Heart Rate Monitors
This school year, all Sophomore Physical Education classes and Fitness classes have been
using new heart rate monitor technology as a method of assessing their heart rates during
class. Andrew Physical Education has always used the Polar Heart Rate Monitors but upgraded to a new program called Polar GoFit.
Polar GoFit uses bluetooth smart technology allowing the teacher and student
to follow the student’s heart rate online
during a PE lesson. Using this technology, teachers provide direct feedback to
students and students use self-assessment during their workout. Data is
saved automatically online for later
analysis and evaluation. Using heart
rate monitors individualizes workouts for
students and helps students of any ability reach their potential. To learn more
about Polar Heart Rate Monitors,
please visit www.polarusa.com.
Deans’ Office
Monitoring Social Networking Web Sites
As of January 1st, 2012 a new Illinois state law went into effect. HB
3281/PA 97-0340 allows a school board to suspend or expel a student who has made an explicit threat on an Internet website against
a school employee, student, or any school personnel. Like the state
of Illinois, District 230 and Andrew High School feel strongly about
social networking harassment and more importantly, educating students on appropriate use of these sites.
Facebook currently has 1.23 billion active monthly users worldwide,
and social media like Instagram, Twitter and Snap Chat continue to
reshape the way businesses market and how our students interact.
Unfortunately, some students choose to use social networking sites
to verbally abuse peers or create a negative digital footprint through
inappropriate comments or posts. As educators, we stress the importance of making positive decisions when using social networking sites
and we reinforce to students how they are responsible for words they
type. Deans also highlight how businesses and universities are looking to social networking sites to determine the best fits for their
organizations. These preventative teachings do not always stop students from becoming verbally aggressive on social networking sites;
therefore, educators look to work with parents as a way to stop inappropriate use of social networking sites.
Parents are the number one resource
when it comes to monitoring students on
social networking sites. Below are
resources available for parents on how to
monitor their student’s use of social networking sites. Also, these resources provide parents information on how to
approach a situation when their student is
being harassed or doing the harassing.
http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/children/internet.html
This website provides videos, articles, and general tips about how to
instill appropriate use of social media by young adults. The site also
connects to EBully411, which focuses on cyberbullying. EBully411
provides help for students who feel they are being harassed through
technology. The Attorney General’s website also provides additional
links to valuable resources about internet safety for parents and
students.
http://andrew.d230.org/resources/digital-citizenshop-resources/
This link provides information and tip sheets on how to better discuss
and monitor the use of social media. This website provides various
information including cyberbullying, digital relationships and privacy of
our digital footprint.
https://www.staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/parentresources/
This website provides various resources including sections on identity
theft of children. Many interactive tools provide for various ways to
communicate with your students regarding the issues identified
through this website.
Prom Parent Meeting
If your son or daughter is planning on attending Prom, a parent
MUST attend Andrew High School’s Prom Parent Meeting on
Wednesday, March 18th. Please set aside time to join us as we
begin to discuss aspects of positive choices in connection to Prom.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
Video Game Club
The VJA Smash Society was originally a Facebook
group started by Jake Badagliacco and Dan Wojtowicz.
They wanted to meet up with other people in the area
who played Super Smash Bros. on the Game Cube.
With Administrative approval, Mr. Weis (Applied Tech
teacher at VJA) agreed to be the faculty sponsor for the
new club and they met to decide what should be the
club’s purpose. Through the club, the students agreed
they wanted to promote equality, teamwork, strategy,
leadership, and charity. They agreed that the club
should be open to anyone who has a passion for video
games, especially those who play Super Smash Bros.
This is the game they are currently focused around, but
are expanding quickly to
play Local Area Network
(LAN) games on the computer. Through the months
and years of this club, we hope to
expand to various different games
depending on student interests.
At the end of the school year, the club will
be hosting a charity event in which all the
money raised will be donated to Child's Play Charity. Child's Play is
a charitable organization that donates toys and games to children's
hospitals worldwide. Check them out at www.vjasmash.com and
watch live streaming of tournaments live on twitch.tv/vjasmash.
Interested in being a part of this great new club? See Mr. Adam Weis
for information.
Students Helping Students
From The Nurse’s Office
Got conflict? Who doesn't!! Try peer mediation! The Peer Mediators are trained and ready to help. We all have disagreements, but mediation
is a way to sit down, hear each other’s' sides and reach a solution. It's confidential, voluntary, and no one tells you what to do. No teachers or
Deans are involved - just students communicating and solving their own problems. We make it easy to sign up. Just contact Guidance or ask a
teacher. Pictured, from left to right: Peer Mediators Nowal Shalash, Alyssa Corona, and Hannah Michalczak at Eighth Grade Open House.
All Junior Students
Beginning with the school year 2015-2016, any
child entering 12th grade in the State of Illinois shall
show proof of having received one dose of
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine on or after their
16th birthday. If you child received a dose of
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine before their
16th birthday, he/she will need a second dose.
Special Olympics Basketball took 4th place
in their recent competition!
The following action is needed from you at this
time:
● If a dose of Meningococcal vaccine was given
on or after your child’s 16th birthday, ask your
doctor to verify that your child has received the
Meningococcal vaccine and the date it was
given. All Junior students were sent a form in the
mail that needs to be filled out by the physician
Bass Fishing
Students from Andrew and
Sandburg are building fishing cribs
for a community service project in
an effort to build up the fish habitat
in Lake Sedgewick. Bass Fishing is
looking forward to an opportunity for
students to pair up with veteran fishermen at an event coming in May.
● If your child did not receive the required
Meningococcal vaccine on or after their 16th
birthday, he/she will be required to have the
immunization prior to the start of school in August
2015.
Proof of having received the Meningococcal vaccine should be submitted to the School Nurse as
soon as the vaccine is given. Failing to complete
this process prior to Schedule Pick-Up in August will
result in your child being unable to receive a schedule or begin the school year on the first day of
class.
Members of Andrew's newest club, Gay- Straight Alliance (GSA) greet
parents and students at the 8th Grade Open House Night. From left to
right: Kayla Doody, Leo Borak, Maggie Havlin, Marykate Green, Sofia
Ceballos, and Jake Renje.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
Video Game Club
The VJA Smash Society was originally a Facebook
group started by Jake Badagliacco and Dan Wojtowicz.
They wanted to meet up with other people in the area
who played Super Smash Bros. on the Game Cube.
With Administrative approval, Mr. Weis (Applied Tech
teacher at VJA) agreed to be the faculty sponsor for the
new club and they met to decide what should be the
club’s purpose. Through the club, the students agreed
they wanted to promote equality, teamwork, strategy,
leadership, and charity. They agreed that the club
should be open to anyone who has a passion for video
games, especially those who play Super Smash Bros.
This is the game they are currently focused around, but
are expanding quickly to
play Local Area Network
(LAN) games on the computer. Through the months
and years of this club, we hope to
expand to various different games
depending on student interests.
At the end of the school year, the club will
be hosting a charity event in which all the
money raised will be donated to Child's Play Charity. Child's Play is
a charitable organization that donates toys and games to children's
hospitals worldwide. Check them out at www.vjasmash.com and
watch live streaming of tournaments live on twitch.tv/vjasmash.
Interested in being a part of this great new club? See Mr. Adam Weis
for information.
Students Helping Students
From The Nurse’s Office
Got conflict? Who doesn't!! Try peer mediation! The Peer Mediators are trained and ready to help. We all have disagreements, but mediation
is a way to sit down, hear each other’s' sides and reach a solution. It's confidential, voluntary, and no one tells you what to do. No teachers or
Deans are involved - just students communicating and solving their own problems. We make it easy to sign up. Just contact Guidance or ask a
teacher. Pictured, from left to right: Peer Mediators Nowal Shalash, Alyssa Corona, and Hannah Michalczak at Eighth Grade Open House.
All Junior Students
Beginning with the school year 2015-2016, any
child entering 12th grade in the State of Illinois shall
show proof of having received one dose of
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine on or after their
16th birthday. If you child received a dose of
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine before their
16th birthday, he/she will need a second dose.
Special Olympics Basketball took 4th place
in their recent competition!
The following action is needed from you at this
time:
● If a dose of Meningococcal vaccine was given
on or after your child’s 16th birthday, ask your
doctor to verify that your child has received the
Meningococcal vaccine and the date it was
given. All Junior students were sent a form in the
mail that needs to be filled out by the physician
Bass Fishing
Students from Andrew and
Sandburg are building fishing cribs
for a community service project in
an effort to build up the fish habitat
in Lake Sedgewick. Bass Fishing is
looking forward to an opportunity for
students to pair up with veteran fishermen at an event coming in May.
● If your child did not receive the required
Meningococcal vaccine on or after their 16th
birthday, he/she will be required to have the
immunization prior to the start of school in August
2015.
Proof of having received the Meningococcal vaccine should be submitted to the School Nurse as
soon as the vaccine is given. Failing to complete
this process prior to Schedule Pick-Up in August will
result in your child being unable to receive a schedule or begin the school year on the first day of
class.
Members of Andrew's newest club, Gay- Straight Alliance (GSA) greet
parents and students at the 8th Grade Open House Night. From left to
right: Kayla Doody, Leo Borak, Maggie Havlin, Marykate Green, Sofia
Ceballos, and Jake Renje.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
PE Is Going Polar...With Polar Heart Rate Monitors
This school year, all Sophomore Physical Education classes and Fitness classes have been
using new heart rate monitor technology as a method of assessing their heart rates during
class. Andrew Physical Education has always used the Polar Heart Rate Monitors but upgraded to a new program called Polar GoFit.
Polar GoFit uses bluetooth smart technology allowing the teacher and student
to follow the student’s heart rate online
during a PE lesson. Using this technology, teachers provide direct feedback to
students and students use self-assessment during their workout. Data is
saved automatically online for later
analysis and evaluation. Using heart
rate monitors individualizes workouts for
students and helps students of any ability reach their potential. To learn more
about Polar Heart Rate Monitors,
please visit www.polarusa.com.
Deans’ Office
Monitoring Social Networking Web Sites
As of January 1st, 2012 a new Illinois state law went into effect. HB
3281/PA 97-0340 allows a school board to suspend or expel a student who has made an explicit threat on an Internet website against
a school employee, student, or any school personnel. Like the state
of Illinois, District 230 and Andrew High School feel strongly about
social networking harassment and more importantly, educating students on appropriate use of these sites.
Facebook currently has 1.23 billion active monthly users worldwide,
and social media like Instagram, Twitter and Snap Chat continue to
reshape the way businesses market and how our students interact.
Unfortunately, some students choose to use social networking sites
to verbally abuse peers or create a negative digital footprint through
inappropriate comments or posts. As educators, we stress the importance of making positive decisions when using social networking sites
and we reinforce to students how they are responsible for words they
type. Deans also highlight how businesses and universities are looking to social networking sites to determine the best fits for their
organizations. These preventative teachings do not always stop students from becoming verbally aggressive on social networking sites;
therefore, educators look to work with parents as a way to stop inappropriate use of social networking sites.
Parents are the number one resource
when it comes to monitoring students on
social networking sites. Below are
resources available for parents on how to
monitor their student’s use of social networking sites. Also, these resources provide parents information on how to
approach a situation when their student is
being harassed or doing the harassing.
http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/children/internet.html
This website provides videos, articles, and general tips about how to
instill appropriate use of social media by young adults. The site also
connects to EBully411, which focuses on cyberbullying. EBully411
provides help for students who feel they are being harassed through
technology. The Attorney General’s website also provides additional
links to valuable resources about internet safety for parents and
students.
http://andrew.d230.org/resources/digital-citizenshop-resources/
This link provides information and tip sheets on how to better discuss
and monitor the use of social media. This website provides various
information including cyberbullying, digital relationships and privacy of
our digital footprint.
https://www.staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/parentresources/
This website provides various resources including sections on identity
theft of children. Many interactive tools provide for various ways to
communicate with your students regarding the issues identified
through this website.
Prom Parent Meeting
If your son or daughter is planning on attending Prom, a parent
MUST attend Andrew High School’s Prom Parent Meeting on
Wednesday, March 18th. Please set aside time to join us as we
begin to discuss aspects of positive choices in connection to Prom.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
Getting Into College–
Some Helpful Tips
Whether your child is trying to get into
Harvard or any other college, admissions
committees will be asking five basic questions. How difficult was the curriculum
chosen by the student? How well did he
or she do in that curriculum? How did the
student do on college entrance exams?
What activities outside the classroom did
the student join? What was the quality of
the involvement in those activities? While
the questions are simple the answers may
be complex. Helping your child stay
focused on these questions will ensure the
greatest number of options after high
school. If you have questions about college planning please contact your child’s
counselor.
Passing Required
Classes
As Summer school approaches, parents
are reminded that students must pass
both semesters of a required class in
order to move on to the next level. For
example, students who fail either semester of Freshman English must repeat the
failed semester before moving on to
Sophomore English. Summer school is
strongly encouraged for students in this
position.
Scholarships Awarded
If you have been awarded a scholarship,
please let Mrs. Driscoll know by emailing
her at [email protected].
Include the following information:
1. Name of University or organization awarding the scholarship
2. Title/name of the award or
scholarship
3. Amount of the award for
each year over 4 years
(if applicable)
The amount of the awards will
be kept confidential. The district uses the totals for statistical data. You are not
required to share the
financial information
if you do not wish to do so.
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
Scholarship Opportunities
Scholarship applications continue to arrive in
the Guidance Office throughout the spring
months. Students are encouraged to stop in
and review the latest announcements.
Many of these awards have specific require-
ments. If you meet the requirements you
should consider applying. Scholarship information is also on the VJA website under
Guidance.
Prime Time for College-Bound Juniors
March is a great month to have your junior
son or daughter make an appointment with
his or her counselor to discuss college
plans. Students interested in selective colleges are especially encouraged to make an
appointment to begin preparing for the application process that will begin next August.
Parents are always welcome to join students
for this appointment in order to discuss the
college selection and financial aid process.
It takes time and energy to find the right col-
lege match. Counselors recognize that this
is a family decision. However, they can be
helpful in sorting out the priorities and finding colleges that are the best fit for each
child. Remember, when your child returns
from summer vacation, he or she will be
expected to have a short list of colleges
ready for application. Most applications
should be completed by the end of October
of the student’s senior year.
Juniors and Spring Break
If you haven’t already made plans, many
families find that Spring Break provides the
perfect opportunity for juniors to visit college
campuses. Often, families who plan ahead
can visit four to five schools in the same
geographical area over two to three days. It
is important to call schools in advance. In
many cases (especially at private schools)
the college may offer free housing to students who want to stay overnight for a sample of dorm life. Because many schools are
not on break at this time, a visit now is much
better than during the summer when campuses are relatively vacant. If you need a
list of questions to ask when you visit,
please see your counselor.
Should You Sign Up To Take The A.C.T. More
Than Once?
The simple answer to this question is YES!
Statistics show that students who take the
test more than once usually improve their
test scores. We strongly encourage juniors
to sign up for the test administered on April
18th at Andrew. Students can sign up on
line at www.act.org.
Summer School
Summer School registration is currently in
progress. Registration information and
course approval may be obtained from the
Guidance Department. Whether your student is getting ahead or catching up, it is
wise to register now in order to reserve a
spot in the class. Classes will only be
NHS
Andrew’s National
Honor Society
members have
been focusing their
year with the act of
service. In the fall,
NHS represented
Andrew at the
Northern Illinois
Food Drive. NHS
officers precisely
packaged potatoes
for families in dire
need of food. At
Connor Burns explains the criteria for acceptthe end of the day, ance into the National Honor Society.
over one thousand
meals were sent to
low-income households.
The weeks leading to
Christmas, NHS members
helped Santa write to children who sent him letters.
On December 6th, nearly
160 NHS members volunteered at the Crestwood
Providence Nursing Home.
NHS members sang, disNHS members explain the criteria for
tributed gifts, and conNHS acceptance.
versed with elderly residents in order to spread the
holiday cheer and the beginning of the New Year. On Martin Luther
King Day, NHS volunteered in Chicago’s “Get Connected Program”.
NHS students traveled to Malcolm X College to help celebrities
including Kenny Williams, Sway Calloway, and Chance the Rapper
stress the importance of a college education to inner-city high school
students. On January 25th, NHS informed incoming freshmen on
the rigorous guidelines of acceptance in the National Honor Society.
Students must have a 3.8 GPA, participate in at least two activities,
demonstrate leadership, and complete all twenty-four hours of community service by sophomore year.
Congratulations DECA!
offered if there are enough students who
enroll. Summer school will be offered at
Sandburg High School this year, with the
exception of a few courses to be held at
Andrew. For more information please ask
your student to pick up a summer school
brochure from the Guidance Office.
Children at Risk
Parents are reminded that they are always
welcome to share their concerns regarding
the welfare of children with the Guidance
staff. Prevention is the important word on
this topic. If you have a concern, please do
not hesitate to contact your child’s counselor. The Guidance staff is always willing
Co-Curricular Updates
to contact teachers, speak to their students,
or facilitate a meeting or referral to specific
services when necessary. We work in partnership with parents and students to provide
the best possible learning environment for
the children and families that we serve.
10 Andrew H.S. DECA students
qualified for State at the Regional
competition at Moraine Valley held
on January 22. Qualifiers include:
Connor Brogan, Adrian Duenas,
Kevin Garripoli, Stephen Harrison,
Alex Harrison, James Kut, Brittany
Lewis, Bea Mungal, Peyton O'Neill,
and Brett VonFeldt. Students were
required to take a competency
exam, an economics test, and perform in a role-play business/marketing scenario with a judge. Good
luck at State everyone!
Speech Team Gives Back with Angel Tree
Philanthropy
As part of the 2014-15 season, the Speech Team decided to support
the Angel Tree outreach program. This program benefits the children of prison inmates and their families. The goal is to meet some
of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the children. For
many children these gifts may be the only ones under their
Christmas tree. The gifts are purchased, wrapped, and given to
Angel Tree Volunteers who then deliver the gifts to churches or
organizations that sponsor the children. The gift givers are not
named; instead, the gifts the children receive are from their parents.
After team members sold World’s Finest Chocolate to raise the
money needed to purchase gifts, a highly qualified group of shoppers hit the stores! Is there anything more fun than buying a gift for
someone with other people’s money?
When shopping bags were filled with scarves, pajamas, board
games, basketballs, Barbie dolls, coloring books and crayons, it was
time to get the whole team together to start wrapping. We ordered
pizzas, put on Christmas music, and broke out the scissors and
scotch tape. Is there anything more enjoyable than watching a
friend try to wrap a basketball?
The Speech Team looks forward to making our support of the Angel
Tree outreach program an annual event.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
Andrew Athletics Update
When March arrives, the spring sports’ teams
look for places to practice and yearn for the
warmer weather that is to come later in the
spring. Sports in the spring have to fight
through the toughest conditions that we place
on our teams. They normally start when
there is snow on the ground, play in freezing
cold, dodge raindrops and gusty winds, and
then when it finally does get nice, the season
is over. This year with the later spring break
and the weather anything but predictable, it is
time to gear up for the season and get ready
for conference runs. When May arrives, our
Thunderbolts will be competing for greatness!
season as of this writing. Boys’ basketball is
still in the IHSA state series and will look to
make it difficult for teams who want to
continue into regional play. Boys’ swimming
and diving has the depth and talent to send
some athletes into the state finals and have
high hopes of making the final day in a
couple of events. Girls’ hoops, cheer,
gymnastics, and girls’ bowling all made
Andrew Nation very proud this winter with
their style of play, dedication, and
determination. The grapplers look to
continue to improve as they head to
sectionals and hopefully state!
A few updates from the winter season. The
boys’ bowling team again qualified for the
state finals in O’Fallon and found the
competition fierce! The boys battled and they
bowled very well, but could not put the big
games together. However, we are very proud
of their efforts and how well they represented
the school and conference. We also want to
congratulate the varsity poms team for
qualifying for state as well.
Just a quick reminder about the Andrew
Athletic social media options:
www.athletics2000.com/andrew is the
location for daily updates, scores, and
cancellations. Additionally, you can find
rosters, pictures and articles about all of our
varsity teams. On the front page is a link to
directions to our playing sites throughout the
year using a Google map. Simply click on a
location, type in your address, and it will find
a route for you to take. Another site to visit is
Other winter teams have not completed their
the SouthWest Suburban Conference
(SWSC) site at ww.athletics2000.com/swsc.
Here you will find the conference standings
for our varsity and sophomore teams, as well
as the rest of the conference schedules. You
can also look through our archives and find
results form the varsity conference seasons
and champions. We are on twitter as well
@vjabolts. Finally, a site that has all of the
information about all high schools in the state
is the Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
website at www.ihsa.org. Here you can
follow all high school teams through the state
series, and find information and directions for
every high school in the state in the school
directory. These sites will help you know
faster and more accurately where and when
the athletes participate. They have a lot of
information to offer.
Summer camp information will be coming
soon, so look to sharpen those skills and
prepare for greatness this summer with our
programs and coaches! A great way to keep
active and enjoy the weather that we know
will turn for the best!
ATHLETIC BOOSTERS
Plan to attend our monthly Athletic Booster
Club meeting. All members are invited. It is
also a great way to become involved. All
spring sports team reps are encouraged to
attend. This is how we know about your sports
team. Our meetings are the first Tuesday of
the month. Our next meeting is on Wednesday,
March 11th at 7:00 pm in the teachers’ lounge.
Our April meeting is April 15th.
Wanted: New Directors for 2015-2016
Season. We are currently looking for next
year’s Scholar Athlete Awards Director,
Team Rep Director, Concessions Director,
and Variety Show Director. Please contact
Rena Sheehan at [email protected] if you
are interested.
Please Join 8to 18: Please join our 8to 18
Cashback program. To raise money for this
season, we have partnered with 8to 18
Cashback, which is now part of the same
company which operates the school’s athletic
website. Register now for 8to 18 Cashback
that directly benefits Andrew Athletic
Boosters. We can earn Cashback every time
one of us makes an online purchase from
among thousands of merchants. Just go to
http://cashback.8to18.com and register.
Spirit-Wear: We have Lawn Signs for all
Sports. Also, we have a wide variety of
t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, lanyards,
socks, hats, mittens and scarves. For more
information, please contact Keri Malone at
[email protected] or 708-334-1795
or contact Stacy Summers at
[email protected] or 708-8023703. Winter program books will be for sale.
Market Day: INTRODUCING Fresh Produce
Assortments now available at
marketday.com. You will enjoy "farmer's
market fresh" quality produce with the
convenience of ordering and picking it up with
your regular Market Day order. There are 3
assortments to choose from; Family,
Gourmet, or Organic produce assortments.
Look online to see what each holds. Also if
you purchase $90 worth of Market Day
products in March you will receive a FREE 4
pack of chicken steaks, just put MARBONUS
in at checkout. Place your order online and
make sure you check out the clearance
items, great bargains on food, and other
items they carry. Never ordered before,
please add NEWFIVE at check out with an
order of $25 and receive $5 off your order.
Order $40 or more from February thru April
and then in May receive a free set of
collapsible storage bowls at the May sale.
Market Day pick up is Saturday, March 14th,
from 9 am-10 am. Make sure you order for
your spring holidays. Questions please call
Ruth at 708-403-0369.
Athletic Scholarship Forms: Students
whose family has joined the Athletic Boosters
by December 1st can be considered for
scholarships. Attention SENIOR ATHLETES:
pick up, fill out, and turn in your scholarship
application for the Booster Club’s scholarship
drawing. The forms are in the Guidance Office.
April 1st is the deadline for scholarship forms.
Student Council gets ready for Just Dance "Candy Land" edition.
Matz Family Scholarship: Attention
SENIOR VARIETY SHOW CAST MEMBERS:
pick up, fill out, and turn in your scholarship
application for the scholarship drawing. The
forms and requirements are in the Guidance
Office. April 1st is the deadline for scholarship
forms. Two-$500 scholarships will be given,
one to a girl and one to a boy.
Special Thanks: Thank you to the directors
for their help in all our winter sports
concessions. Athletic Boosters is also grateful
to the parents and teams who helped with VShow, basketball, cheer and poms
concessions. We very much appreciate you
volunteering your time. We could not be a
success without parent involvement. We
hope to continue our success with your help
in the future. If you have any questions or
would like to volunteer, please contact Rena
Sheehan at [email protected]. Our website
is: www.andrewathleticboosters.org. There is
a link on VJA main website or:
http://www.athletics2000.com/andrew/.
Student Council hosted their annual Veteran's Day Luncheon.
This year's attendance exceeded all previous years.
Guidance
Guidance
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
2014-2015
School Calendar
Dates to Remember
March
5 Parent/Teacher Conferences
12 - 8 pm
No Student Attendance
6 School Holiday - No School
April
2 Early Dismissal 1 pm
3 School Holiday
6-10 Spring Break
13 Classes Reconvene
24 Institute Day - All Staff
School Prom
No Student Attendance
May
25 Memorial Day - No School
27, 28, 29 Final Exams*
29 Last Day of School*
*Changed due to inclement weather days used.
Subject to change if additional inclement
weather days are needed.
CONSOLIDATED
HIGH SCHOOL
DISTRICT 230
Rick Nogal, President
Patrick O'Sullivan, Vice President
Kathy Quilty, Secretary
Susan Dalton
Melissa Gracias
Kate Murphy-Peterson
Tony Serratore
Dr. James M. Gay, Superintendent
Robert Nolting, Principal
Andrew Pride is published by the Consolidated
High School District 230 School Board.
"An equal opportunity employer"
Printed on Recycled Paper
30% Total Recycled Fiber
(708) 342-5800 | andrew.d230.org
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Andrew High School Community,
MUSIC BOOSTERS
Spring is in the air and we hope March is a time where we awake from our winter slumber and
remind ourselves how wonderful it is to be outside without the risk of frostbite - especially for our
spring athletes! We are also preparing for the longest March - from a student perspective - in
years, since Spring Break has been moved to April. However, March offers a full range of activities
for our school community.
The Music Boosters Annual Spring Craft Fair was a terrific suc-
Music Boosters fundraiser is our Pancake Breakfast on Sunday,
cess! Without support from the students and parents, this event
March 15th. Come join us for pancakes and entertainment by
- our second largest fundraiser, would not happen. We whole-
our very own band and choir. You may even get a chance to
heartedly thank each and every one of them for their time and
take your picture with the Easter bunny!
March is a great month for parent engagement. We open the month with our spring ParentTeacher Conferences. This event allows for our parents to get a snapshot of their son’s or
daughter's progress before the end of the semester. Also, March brings our 5th Annual Spring
Parent University. This event is well attended and provides up to 12 different sessions (parents
choose three) to provide important information for parents of all grade levels. For our Prom
attendees, our required Pre-Prom Parent Meeting is scheduled that evening. This event contains
important Prom details, but also some guidance for parents about Prom activities. For seniors,
we will also host a graduation informational meeting. Additional topics include a graduate
forum to discuss life after high school, the role of the IEP in college, dealing with teen stress,
and numerous topics that are beneficial to parents. Please look for more information about
this great event.
The Andrew Chorale performed in two festivals in February.
Kaitlyn Bauman, Todd Bentson, Nick Buckner, Claire
The first was the SWSC Festival hosted by Lincoln-Way East.
Cavarretta, Pauline Fittanto, Jane Folliard, Mia Folliard, Mason
Choirs from the Southwest Suburbs met and performed for
Garcia, John Hahn, Rebecca Keate, Megan Kinnerk, Elizabeth
each other and were able to work with top clinicians from the
Kochniarczyk, Elisabeth Lang, Jaclyn Nicasio, Alex Pedersen,
Midwest. Dr. Karyl Carlson from Illinois State University worked
Martin Polkowski, Justin Rauman, Vivian Reyes, Julia Ricker,
with Andrew's Chorale and gave great insights into furthering
Mike Rickey, Joe Siano, Karl Suarez, Tyler Tebo, Vince Upreti,
the pieces for our Prism Concert. The District 230 Choral
Luke VanKleek, and Liam Yore) had much success at the WGI
Festival took place on Tuesday, February 24th at Stagg High
(Winter Guard International) Regional in Indianapolis on
School. Top choirs from Andrew, Sandburg and Stagg met to
Valentine’s Day. They head to an IPA competition in Warsaw,
share their talents and rise up in song for a culminating per-
Indiana on Saturday, March 7th and a WGI Mid-South Regional
formance. Dr. Richard Rossi, Choral Director from Eastern
in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the weekend of March 20-22nd.
Illinois University, was our guest clinician. Students and direc-
Mark your calendar to come out and see this World Champion
tors had a fun and educational afternoon.
group perform their show “When Forever Ends” on Saturday,
This March also brings us state testing changes. The Junior ACT is scheduled for March
3rd. This is a test required of all juniors, free of charge. The ACT includes all four
subject tests, plus the writing exam, which allows all of our students to use this for
post-secondary entry. On March 3rd, we will also be testing our freshman on the
PLAN, a predictive exam for the ACT (sophomores and seniors do not attend
school). New for this year, the PSAE for juniors is no longer an assessment
required by the State of Illinois. However, we will be implementing the
PARCC assessment for all freshmen instead. This is a new exam that is
aligned to the Common Core and should allow for tracking student growth
over time. The details are still forthcoming from the state - parents of freshman
should look for information coming soon.
At the time of this letter, I am proud to announce that we have crowned two
conference champions (Girls’ Bowling & Boys’ Swimming and Diving) and
two state qualifiers (Boys’ Bowling and Competitive Dance/Poms). Many
winter sports are winding down in late February and we hope more
success is to come. We also wish the best of luck to our spring sports and
know that our teams will be successful. We also look forward to the Fine Arts
events in March. Our art students begin their series of shows, beginning with
the SWSC Art Showcase at Governors State University. Andrew's Got Talent
will showcase student performances on March 4th at 7 pm. Band and Choir,
as well as our new Orchestra program, will host the Prism concert which is an
amazing combination of all music disciplines on one stage! Project Diversity
will also host their annual show on March 13th and 14th. It is truly a
magnificent month for events and we hope you consider attending these
performances..
Thank you for the continued support of VJA and its programs.
As always, please share any questions, comments or suggestions
at [email protected]
Robert Nolting
Principal
effort in making this event a continuous success.
This year's Jazz Concert, featuring the Andrew Jazz Band, VJA
Cappella, and Jazz Ensemble will be held on Thursday, March
12th at 7 pm in the Andrew High School Performing Arts Center.
Admission is free and open to the public! Come hear some
great jazz and pop tunes and support our specialty groups.
The Prism Concert technical rehearsal will be held in the
Andrew Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 17th from 68:30 pm. All Andrew music students should be in attendance to
prepare for the concert that takes place two days later.
Andrew winter percussion (Jacob Badagliacco, Antonio Balestri,
March 28th at 7:30 pm in the Main Gym at Andrew High School.
Winter percussion will finish off their season in Dayton, Ohio
April 9-11th at the WGI World Championships. They hope to
bring home another gold medal!
Andrew winter guard members (Jeanine Akai, Angel Chan, Desi
Contreras, Natalie Dizon, Stephanie Dreher, Jessica Escalante,
Kyle Gonzales, Sarah Karrson Fitzpatrick, Reilly Marino, Sol
Morales, Katie Packer, and Martina Razo) are going strong.
The team had such an outstanding season last year winning
first place in the Midwest Regional that the group has grown in
This year's Prism Concert, featuring all of Andrew High School
music ensembles, will be held on Thursday, March 19th at 7 pm
in the Performing Arts Center. Come witness a slice of collegiate-style performing with a stunning grand finale!
size and has moved up into a higher level of competition.
Winter guard performed their show “Words Won’t Bring Us
Down” at the regional competition in Indianapolis on February
21st & 22nd. They are headed to LaPorte, Indiana, for the
This year's spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, has audi-
Midwest Circuit Competition on March 28th & 29th and will fin-
tioned, is cast, and is now into rehearsals! The performances
ish up their season at the WGI Color Guard World
will be on April 30th at 7 pm, May 1st at 7 pm, and May 2nd at
Championships the weekend of April 16-18th in Dayton, Ohio.
3 pm. Come out and see this Disney classic brought to life
Come out and watch the guard perform at the community show
before your very eyes!
on Saturday, March 28th at 7:30 pm in the Main Gym at Andrew
Thanks to everyone who came out for the first Andrew Winter
High School.
Percussion and Guard Community Show of the season. As a
Between newsletters you can keep up with the VJA Music
fundraiser we collected donations of clothing, shoes, linens and
Parents by visiting our website at www.vjamusic.com. Don’t
many other items that were delivered to Savers in Orland Park.
forget our next Parent Meeting is scheduled for March 10th at
We raised over $500 for the general music fund. The next
7:30 pm in the Choir Room.
VICTOR J. ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL
9001 West 171st Street
Tinley Park, IL 60487
Phone:708-342-5800
http://andrew.d230.org
PRESORTED
STANDARD
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PAID
PERMIT NO. 11
ORLAND PARK
V I C TO R J. A N D R E W H I G H S C H O O L N E W S L E T T E R • MARCH 2015
Connor Burns, Chicago White Sox’s
Kenny Williams, Dan Sivak, and Joe
Scott volunteer with emphasizing the
benefits of college to inner-city high
school students.
Dan Sivak, Joe Scott, MTV’s Sway
Calloway, and Connor Burns volunteer
with emphasizing the benefits of college
to inner-city high school students.
Cadaver Camp, January 7-10, 2015
Students of Mrs. Julie Johnson's Honors Anatomy & Physiology Course spent 3 days (2 of which were while everyone else was home for school
closings) applying their first semester knowledge and skills dissecting the extremities (arms & legs) of two human cadavers at Northern Illinois
University's Cadaver Lab.
CONSOLIDATED HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 230
THOUGHT MEANING ACTION