BRE ME N
G O O D
DI S TRI C T
NEWS
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R E PO R T
APRIL 2015
BREMEN HIGH SCHOOL
Academics & Activities
At the April faculty meeting, two students and their parents were
recognized as “Someone you Should Know.” Alex Tucker was
recognized for his dedication to BMX biking. Alex is in
contention to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. He recently
finished eighth out of 160 in the country at Grand Nationals and
top five in the state. Dorelle Curtis will be graduating this
semester. Although he had some rough patches along the way,
Dorelle was recently recognized on the honor roll. He confesses
he had to make some significant changes in his life especially
when the obstacles were stacked against him. His teachers are
quite proud of his commitment and determination to excel.
Bremen Theatre is excited to present their spring play Lady
Dracula. Shows are April 23 and 24 at 7pm and April 25 at
5pm. Tickets are $5.
The final Honor Assembly of the year will take place on April 28
at 9am. Students in the areas of academics, activities and
athletics will be recognized. The Bremen Jazz Ensemble will also
conduct a special performance.
On April 30 at 6pm, the annual Bremen AP Art Show and Open
Mic Night will feature a plethora of talented students
demonstrating their verbal, visual and musical talents.
On May 7 at 12:30pm, Bremen administration and PPS will host
its annual Senior Signing Day. Each senior in attendance signs a
certificate of commitment to a post-secondary institution to
continue his or her education or service.
On April 17 more than 220 students participated in the
Gay-Straight Alliance Annual Day of Silence, in conjunction with
the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. This national school initiative
is an opportunity for students to work toward improving school
climate for all students.
The District Communication Arts and Technology program
recently competed in the Eighth Annual Video Competition at
South Suburban College and came home with plenty of
hardware. In the category of Commercial, First Place went to the
team of Moises Montano, James Beaver and Doug Bulow, and
Third Place went to the team of Efua Richardson and Timothy
Rhodes. In the category of Public Service Announcement, First
Place went to Thomas Parchem. In the category of Short
Subject, First Place went to the team of Thomas Parchem and
Michelle Rodriguez, while Second Place went to the team of
Michelle Rodriguez, Jose Ambrosio and Thomas Parchem.
On April 18, several student groups participated in the Annual
Global Youth Service Day throughout the Bremen Township
Community. Students served the community in various facets,
including: adopting a grandparent for the day and teaching healthy
lifestyles to middle school students. Senior Houston Weatherly was
a lead voice in the events, along with Mr. Terry Stephens, Mrs. Gina
Arguelles, Mrs. Amanda Chelepis and Mr. Craig Cappel.
Chemistry students recently took a “dive” into gas laws. Mrs.
Jessica Rucinski’s chemistry students participated in a field trip to
Scuba Emporium in Orland Park, to experience real-life application
of gas laws, a unit in Chemistry they have been studying. It
provided direct instruction from certified divers, all of which had a
strong science background, along with hands on learning as it
relates to the study of gases.
With the leadership of sophomore Cheyenne Moore, Bremen
hosted band members Kyle Dee and Stevie Mac of Fall Four to do
a meet and greet with students, as well as promote a new teen
social networking group called YOLOBE, that connects students
and the workforce, with the possibility of internship opportunities.
The Fall Four have made appearances on the hit T.V. show Empire
and lead singer Kyle Dee traveled to Hollywood on season 11 of
American Idol.
Twenty-two band and choir students were awarded South
Suburban All-Conference Honors. Students that received this
honor were: Dakari Bass, Nyrasia Beal, Noah
Boots-Kalamotousakis, Demiah Boyd, Samantha Bravo, Marlene
Chavez, Martin Garcia, Lavell Hughes, Gabriel Jeronimo, DeBrias
Lake, Emily Leal, Julissa Leal, Alexis Meadows, Krysta Patterson,
Adrian Perez, Ashanti Perkin, Brianna Snyder, Margarita Tiscareno,
Amparo Villanueva, Nikia Watkins, Cierra Williams and Heather
Zubko.
Athletics
Congratulations to the District 228 Girls’ Water Polo Team for being
crowned champions at the Bremen High School Tournament.
The Boys’ Baseball Team is off to an 8-6-1 start, beating a plethora
of non-conference opponents.
The Girls’ Track Team will be hosting its annual invite on April 25
with 14 schools in the competition. Additionally, the girls will host
the SSC Conference on May 7.
GOOD NEWS REPORT
Page 2
TI NLEY PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Academics & Activities
The Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary Club hosted its annual Top Ten
Gala at Tinley Park High School. The speaker was Tinley Park
Village Clerk, Pat Rea. His message was one of following
dreams and taking risks. The evening concluded with the
awarding of four $500 scholarships to students in attendance
from each of the four high schools. Congratulations to our very
own Jesalem Garnica, who won the scholarship for Tinley Park
High School.
Hard work has paid off for seniors Claudia Chayer and Brett
Lauer. They are the 2015 recipients of the Mark and Moira
Schmidt “Most Improved” Scholarship. Each of them will be
awarded a $1,000 college scholarship by the Bremen High
School District 228’s Education Foundation. The students are
being awarded based on their remarkable improvement during
their four years of high school.
Tinley Park High School counselor Ms. Dori Neven and English
teacher Ms/ Tammie Schultz, along with 28 other Chicagoland
educators had the opportunity to experience five days of Marine
Corps life throughout some of the Marine Corps’ Southwestern
installations, March 30–April 3. Known as the Educator’s
Workshop, these teachers, counselors, coaches and
administrators had the opportunity to experience the Marine
Corps by watching and participating in a variety of events that
encompass the Marine Corps’ way of life. Our two staff
members commented on how eye opening the experience was
and they were very grateful for the opportunity.
Congratulations to the Band Program for their continued
success. They hosted the annual Jazz Café on March 29 and
welcomed over 350 people for an evening of jazz music, food,
raffles and fun. The Symphonic Band displayed its talent as they
competed for a spot in the Super State Concert Band Festival.
They were successful and earned an invitation to perform at the
University of Illinois campus on May 8.
Congratulations to the 494 Titans who made Honor Roll, High
Honor Roll or Distinguished Honors for the Third Quarter.
The Drama Group will be performing The Great Gatsby for its
Spring show. A matinee performance will be held on April 23 at
10am for the eighth grade students at Arbor Park Middle School,
followed by performances April 24 and 25 at 7pm. We will
conclude with a April 26 matinee performance at 2pm.
April 18 was Global Youth Service Day. A number of students
participated in various community service projects as a way to
highlight our overall concern and care for our community. There
was a Teen Expo that was sponsored by our teen group, YOLOBE;
Amber Holup organized a WW2 Veterans Appreciation Breakfast
(which was well attended) and Kira Feliszak along with the Tinley
Park Girls’ Soccer Team made quilts to donate to local shelters.
Athletics
Junior Eric Schultz has been named to the Daily Southtown
Wrestling All-Area Team! According to Logan Malloy of the
Southtown, Schultz is, “A premier athlete and All-Area
wrestling selection.”
The Varsity Baseball Team took their show on the road over
Spring Break, competing in the Derby City Classic in Louisville,
Kentucky and the McDonald’s High School Challenge in Gary,
Indiana. Our Titans went 3-0 over the break, beating Owensboro,
Kentucky; Mullenburg County, Kentucky; and Lafeyette Central
Catholic, Indiana. Contributing to the overall success of the team
were the following players: Connor Ceglarz, Steven Gonzalez,
Drew Hall, Quinn Kelly, Andrew Joren, Mark Suarez and Brandon
Williams. The boys’ continued their winning streak on April 13
with a two game sweep over Conference rival Bremen.
Congratulations to the Varsity Boys’ Tennis Team on their 3-2
victory against Shepard High School. All three Doubles Teams
won to pull out the victory. Leading the way was Harold
Taylor, Patrick Nolan, Nolan Jasek, Daniel Pascual, Jake Jelderks
and Justin Coyle.
Congratulations to the Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team for their 6-1
victory over Eisenhower High School. Carolina Carillo led the way
with one goal and two assists. Casey Crusius, Elizabeth Carillo,
Karina Rodriguez, Morgan Sniegolski and Emily Lilly also netted
goals for the Titans. Stephanie Nichols helped push the offense
with two assists, while Emma Alderman and Katie Kopecky
maintained a solid defense.
APRIL 2015
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HILLCREST HIGH SCHOOL
Academics & Activities
Congratulations to the DECA Chapter members that participated in
the State Career Development Conference in Decatur. At the
conference, students utilized a variety of methods and models to
measure their knowledge and skills through the process of
completing multiple-choice economics and career cluster
examinations. In addition, participants engaged in two problem
solving-based role plays in the various business environments.
More than 1,300 students participated in this year’s event! The
following Hillcrest students competed: Buying and Merchandising
Team, Marchand Henderson and Jorge Reyes; Quick Serve
Restaurant Management, Lea Farhoude; Marketing Management,
Christian Hammond.
Key Club members traveled to the Victory Centre of Sierra Ridge
assisted living center in Country Club Hills to celebrate St. Patrick’s
Day with the residents. The Key Club members led the festivities
with “Lucky Bingo.” All the prizes were donated by the Hillcrest
faculty, staff and supporting clubs. The residents enjoyed their
prizes consisting of gift cards from McDonald’s, picture frames,
stationery, lotion and bath sets, puzzles, sports memorabilia, and
much more. The Key Club members enjoyed reaching out to their
community and sharing their talents.
During National Foreign Language week the Family and Consumer
Arts teacher collaborated with the French program to create a
mouthwatering culinary experience for the students. Ms. Jean
Sweeny provided a stocked culinary cart and a traditional French
crepe recipe. Ms. Erin Johnson’s French students were able to
“taste” a little part of France. The two teachers integrated rich
culinary experiences with foreign language skills to enhance
learning. Not only did the students complete their oral
demonstrations in French, but they acquired a firsthand look at
important aspects of French cuisine and culture. Students were
able to mix batter to perfection, learned to achieve a “perfect” flip,
and practiced final preparation techniques. This was the perfect
exercise in using French conversational and communication skills
through cooking.
On March 24 we hosted our Fourth Annual College Fair. The fair
featured over 50 universities. In addition, Regency Beauty
Institute, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Elite Ambulance,
and the Art Institute of Chicago sent representatives. The fair
offered a great opportunity for juniors and seniors to receive
assistance with their decisions. Students and parents were able to
meet with the representatives to discuss everything from
academics to campus life.
Eight Hillcrest advanced placement Spanish IV students were
driven to northern Minnesota to spend three days in Concordia
College’s Immersion Village. Students were chaperoned by
Spanish teacher Mrs. JoEllen Lee. Students enjoyed used their
“passports” to enter the country, exchanged their money for pesos,
used the pesos for purchasing, and “swore off” the English
language for four days. The students really enjoyed immersing
themselves in the sights, sounds, tastes and experiences of the
Spanish-speaking world.
The Drama Group performed the award-winning “Antigone Now,” a
modern re-telling of the classic Greek tragedy by Sophocles, at the
South Suburban Conference Drama and Group Interpretation
Festival. Seven conference schools participated. This is the first
year the Hillcrest performers participated in this competition
under the direction of Mr. Gregory Fitch, Mrs. Jamilah Adebesin
Mason and Mr. George Macabobby. Noteworthy performances
were given by actors Jesse Craig, Kalila Hunter, Nylle Graham,
Robert Wilk, and Maurice Edmonson. Hillcrest received the
“Tech-cellence” award for “Best Small Dramatic Performance.”
Senior member Jesse Craig was awarded the All-Conference
Drama Performance medal for individual accomplishment. The
talented Technical Crew included Devin Turner and Art Society
members, Kennedy Warfield, Christopher Shivers, James Thompson and Jacklyn Porter.
Six seniors took Second Place at the Fourth Annual Financial
Literacy Bowl, which was hosted by the Illinois College Advising
Corps at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Robynn Alsup, Kim
Chi Dang, Kendria Jenkins, Constance McCullah, Symone
Varnado and Kendra Warfield each received a $750 college
scholarship! In addition to their scholarship money, Kendria
Jenkins won a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 4, and Symone Varnado
won a Kindle as raffle prizes. Students prepared for the event
throughout the Fall and Winter by attending financial awareness
training workshops facilitated by their ICAC advisor Ms. Jessica
Schraft.
Athletics
The Athletic Department would like to congratulate the Boys’
Basketball program on another outstanding season. The Varsity
Boys’ won their twenty-seventh CONSECUTIVE Conference
Championship with an undefeated record. They also won the
Regional and Sectional Championships. The Boys’ lost a tough
one to Morgan Park in the Super-Sectional. Special
congratulations is also extended to Coach Don Houston for
earning Co-Coach of the Year in the Illinois Basketball Coaches
Association.
Congratulations to Varsity Softball team for opening the season
with two victories over St. Francis De Sales and Seton Academy.
Congratulations Luther Newburn for placing second in the Triple
Jump at the Illinois Top Times Meet. This meet is the indoor
equivalent to the outdoor State meet.
The outdoor Track season is finally underway after the weather
forced cancellation of the first few meets. Both the Boys’ and
Girls’ Teams are looking forward to the season.
GOOD NEWS REPORT
Page 4
OAK FOREST HIGH SCHOOL
Academics & Activities
Athletics
Oak Forest High School students worked with eighth graders at
Jack Hille Middle School to help ease the transition to high
school next year. The project is named the Husky Project after
Hille’s mascot, the husky. The OF student leaders talked about
the faces that Hille students needed to know at the high school:
deans, principals, secretaries and counselors. Hille students
asked a lot of questions. They wanted to know how big the
lockers were, about the clubs and organizations of the school,
and about various sports and camps. The OF presenters pointed
out the high expectations that high school teachers had for
students and the strict adherence they had for turning in
homework on time. They discussed how some teachers post
assignments online and collect homework. The OF team said
that high school is definitely harder than middle school but
assured students that they would get used to it. As part of the
Husky Project, OF student leaders also participated at the Hille
Career Fair. Divided into two groups, they presented
simultaneously at four separate sessions. OF students that
participated in the Husky Project events were: Jenna Beardsley,
Cassidy Burns, Alexander Joritz, Benita Joseph, Marley Majetic,
Nathan McGovern, Anthony Pelligrino and Sara Valente.
The City Council of Oak Forest honored the Bengal Wresting
Team. Mayor Hank Kuspa presented the Third Place IHSA dual
team with a proclamation, congratulating them for their
tremendous accomplishments this past season. The Wrestling
Team also earned their second consecutive IHSA Do What’s
Right! State Final Sportsmanship Banner, exemplifying the
ideals of sportsmanship at the State Final tournaments in all
team sports. Schools who make the grade receive a banner to
proudly display in their school. The letter from the IHSA stated,
“Your school has set a high standard for other schools to follow
during regular season and post season play.”
Group Interpretation’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off cast earned two
All-Sectional Cast spots at the Sectional Drama and Group
Interpretation Festival. They are: Al Joritz, who played Ferris
Bueller, and Cami Clark, who played Jeanie Bueller. Group
Interpretation is directed by media specialist Ms. Cheryl
Harris-Sumida.
Girls’ Track athletes Lynette Latocha and Alex Lambros recently
competed at the 2015 Illinois Top Times Indoor Championships.
Often referred to as ‘indoor state,’ this competition pits the best
track and field athletes in the state against one another before
heading outside to participate in outdoor track. Lynette was the
only freshman to compete in the event. She placed sixth overall
in the high jump with a leap of 5’3”. This tied the school record
at Oak Forest as well. Senior Alex Lambros competed in the
triple jump and placed fifth overall with a jump of 35’7.25”
breaking her own school record in the process.
Associate Principal Dan Dunne announced that Oak Forest High
School has taken First Place, among the ten schools in Region
One, for the program they called 5 to Drive. This is the sixth
consecutive year that OFHS has won First Place honors. The 5
to Drive Campaign focused on five safe driving habits: no cell
phones, buckle up, no alcohol, no speeding and no extra
passengers. These habits are the ones that teens should avoid
while in a car. As a result of winning the First Place prize, OFHS
wins an additional $2,500 to implement Post-Prom activities
such as a catered breakfast the morning after prom, with
additional prizes and giveaways like Frisbees, beach balls,
t-shirts and cinch bags for the students. OFHS will also be
invited to attend a Ford Motor Company’s Driving Skills for Life
Ride and Drive and will bring a select group of sophomore
students. This is an opportunity for teens to learn critical driving
techniques and skills from professional drivers.
All-State Wrestler Patrick Kristin won the Ken Gerdes III
Leadership Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. This award is
open to all seniors in the State of Illinois that have shown
greatness on and off the wrestling mat. It was awarded to only
seven wrestlers out of hundreds of applicants.
Senior Julian Raczka signed a letter of intent to play collegiate
soccer at Trinity International University in Deerfield. He will play
on Trinity’s team as a forward for Coach Patrick Gilliam. Raczka
plans to study business administration and accounting.
Spring sports have gotten off to a tremendous start. Baseball,
Softball, and Girls’ Soccer programs have started their
Conference campaigns without losses. Softball has raced out to
a 5-0 record, while soccer and baseball own identical 3-0
records. Softball also earned the Consolation Championship at
the Freeport Tournament. The Sophomore Boys’ Volleyball Team
earned Second Place at the Oak Forest JV Invite. Finally,
badminton has made a nice turnaround this year with their
largest participation numbers in the last four seasons.