Parent Newsletter - John Hersey High School - High School District ...

Parent NewsletterOctober, 2011 Township High School District 214 Vol.IIIHomecoming at John Hersey High School 2011John Hersey High SchoolHomecoming King and QueenKelsey Martin andJoe Sessionshttp://jhhs.d214.org/ 847-718-4800 Fax 847-718-4817

Table of ContentsPagePrincipal’s Newsletter 3 - 4National Merit Scholars 5Emergency Closing Information 6Hersey Orchesis 7Happy Huskie Halloween Event 8Special Awards 9Choral Department Fashion Show 10Board of Education Student Representatives 11Township High School District 214 Budget 11College Career News 12Controversial Issues 13Cafeteria Pre-Pay System 13 - 14Career Exploration Events 15TPC News 16AT&T Public Awareness Campaign 17Village of Arlington Anniversary Celebration 18Career Nights 192

I have selected 16 freshmen students to be the newest members of my Principal’s AdvisoryCommittee (PAC). Representatives from each class come together approximately four timeseach year and offer their perspective on how things are going at school and they bring theirsuggestions for improvement. Over 70 freshmen were nominated by their teachers becausethey showed leadership potential and a genuine interest in their school. In order to be selected,nominated students must complete an essay that addresses why they would like to be a memberof the council. This year’s Freshmen PAC students are:Elise BangHasan BarakatTyler CookeKeandra Dunn-PickettDrew FischerRohi GeorgeDominic HoijerMackensi KarmanPaul KimGretchen LundstrumPatrick MaczynskiKevin MesserKaitlyn RoscoeHannah SchlapiaMaggie SchneiderNorris SmithContinuing students are:Kyle AdamsArne AndersonAlexis AndricopulosWilliam BruceBianca BurnsRachel CampbellRachel ClevenClarissa CruzDrew CurtisColleen CusickCeverena DahnweihBrandt EdgarKelsey HaasExzavior HargroveMorgan HarrisErin HartwigNick HeerenHannah HelminiakOlivia HirtMolly JahrlingTessa JoncasJessica JreisatLucas KanaraAustin KasperRose KatzJoshua KilgoreDan LutschBridget MacaulayAustin MagesEmma MallersAjie MathewShawn McLaughlinMichael MesserHannah MorleyBianca NorrisRadha PatelKasa PomianJordan SaeedZachary SarbekianAnna ScheldrupClaire SchwabaJoe SessionsJoncy YesudasanRoya ZandiJohn Hersey High School is such a vibrant school that offers tremendous opportunities forlearning and achievement. You need to know that your students are polite and respectful andappreciate the culture provided here at school. We continue to celebrate with your students allthe good things that occur on a daily basis. Thank you for your continued support.Sincerely,Tina Cantrell, Phd.Principaltina.cantrell@d214.org4

Congratulations to Hersey’s National Merit ScholarsNational Merit Semi-FinalistsCatherine Kemp Claire O’Donnell Alexander Roznai Grace SinopoliNational Merit Commended ScholarsThomas Cotey Wesley Crim Allison DeFrancesco Michelle GrochocinskiZavier Henry Marie Hoeger Natasha Kalafatis Tyler NocitaChris Pawlowski Peter Saunders Melanie Zagorski5

HAPPY HERSEY HALLOWEENSponsored byJohn Hersey HS Choral DepartmentFriday, October 28WHERE: John Hersey High School1900 East ThomasArlington HeightsTIME: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PMADMISSION: FreeHowever, we would appreciate a donation to the Hersey Family FoodDrive that will take place in November. Items should be nonperishable.Thank you.(This activity is for ages pre-school thru 8 years. only)Come & enjoy a safe Halloween! Trick or Treat, join in games,crafts, see a magician, go on a scavenger hunt, listen to storiesand have your picture taken in the Pumpkin Patch.8

The National Scholastic PressThe National Scholastic Press Association willhonor seven advisers who show exceptionaldedication to improving journalism programs intheir schools at the national JEA/NSPA conventionin November. Janet Levin, the adviser for TheCorrespondent, published at John Hersey HighSchool in Arlington Heights, IL, was selected toreceive the NSPA Pioneer Award.Levin was chosen as one of the foremost leaderswho commit time outside of job requirementsfor the betterment of scholastic journalism. “It’sinspiring to know that she is being rewarded forreaching out beyond our room to make an impact onso many others,” junior Ashley Hawkins said of heradviser.Levin was recognized and nominated by three pastPioneer award winners, Susan Tantillo, CandaceBowen, and Randy Swikle.“Those three people are amazing journalism teach“It’s an honor because it’s about my whole career,”Levin said about the Pioneer status.Through her leadership she has guided many ofher students to receive individual national and stateawards as well.The National Council of Teacher ofEnglish Achievement Award in Writing toa Hersey StudentJohn Hersey High School is proudto announce that senior MonicaBurckhardt has been named arecipient of The National Councilof Teacher of English (NCTE)Achievement Award in Writing. The AchievementAwards in Writing program was established in 1957to encourage high school students in their writingand to recognize publicly the best student writersin the nation. Assessments of student writing arebased on student’s samples of their own best proseor verse and on impromptu themes that are writtenunder supervision. A team of English teachersjudges the writing, looking especially for writingthat demonstrates effective and imaginative use oflanguage to inform and move an audience.This year, more than 1,600 students from across theUnited States, Canada, and the Virgin Islands werenominated by their teachers, and Burckhardt wasone of 520 chosen for recognition. She was one ofapproximately 40 Illinois students to achieve thisdistinction.Illinois Principals Association HoraceMann 2011 Innovative Education AwardWinner - Dr. Tina CantrellCongratulations to Dr. Cantrell who has beennamed IPA/Horace Mann Insurance Company 2011Innovative Education Award winner. This awardrecognizes an outstanding program that has beenspear-headed and directed by an Illinois Principal.Dr. Cantrell has provided the vision and directionof the Partnering to Develop Global CitizensProgram. The purpose of the program is todevelop global citizenry by preparing students forthe global business and engineering world. Byteaching Mandarin Chinese, this program preparesstudents for successful opportunities that require theability to communicate, collaborate, connect, makecomparisons and understand the diverse culture ofthe Chinese people.9

Hersey’s Student Honored by Board of EducationClarie O’Donnell, center, is recognized for receiving a perfect score of 36 on the2011 ACT. This is quite an accomplishment, especially in relationship to the averagescore of 20, 9 in Illinois and 21.1 nationally.Township High School District Notification ofBudget for 2011-12Section 17-1.2 of the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/17-1.2) requires school districtsto post the current budget, itemized by receipts and expenditures, on their websiteand to notify parents/guardians that the budget has been posted and the address ofthe website. The budget does not have to be on individual school websites, only on thedistrict website.• http://www.d214.org/district_information/budget.aspx11

Controversial Issues in the ClassroomTownship High School District 214’s primary mission is to enable all students to learn theskills, acquire the knowledge, and develop the behaviors necessary for them to reach theirfull potential as citizens who can meet the challenges of a changing society. In a democracythat openly confronts acute and pressing political, social, economic, and moral problems, itis likely that such issues will be evident in classrooms. Discussions about these issues providestudents with the type of learning experience that will help prepare them to meet thechallenges of a global changing society.District 214 provides its parents/guardians an opportunity to grant permission for their son ordaughter to participate in a class or to request an alternative assignment when study materialsare deemed controversial. Parents/guardians with concerns regarding controversial issues,materials, and curricula should contact the school’s principal.CAFETERIA LUNCH PRE-PAY SYSTEMJohn Hersey High School’s Food Service Department is now using myLunchMoney.com, a newsecure service, to prepay for your student’s breakfast, lunch and a la carte purchases in theschool cafeteria using your credit card. To enroll, go to https://www.myLunchMoney.com andclick “register for an account” and follow the prompts to set up your student’s account. You canalso enroll by phone by calling toll free 1-800-479-3531. There is a fee for using this serviceeach time you deposit money in your student’s account. For more information on using thisservice, please contact Christine Frole, Food Service Supervisor, 847-718-7639.You can still utilize the prepay system by sending a check or cash to the Cafeteria Office alongwith a completed prepayment form. You may also find the Prepay FAQ page on the next page formore information on establishing and using prepaid accounts.13

CAFETERIA LUNCH PRE-PAY SYSTEMUse the following processThe Food Services Department of District 214 has a computerized debit system in our schools that allows parents to prepay for school foodservices. This system also allows students eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits to obtain their benefits by bringing their student identificationcard to the cafeteria during meal services. This computerization provides many benefits for students and parents in utilizing the cafeteriaservices. Please review the following information to aid you in better understanding this program.How does the prepaid system work?The computerized system uses the student I.D. card to allow parents to establish a prepaid account for their students. The account may be usedfor breakfast, lunch and snack service. Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will also use their I.D. card for school meals. At the endof the cafeteria line, after the student has selected his/her meal choices, he/she will need to present the student identification card to the cashier.What are the advantages of the prepaid system?Payment can be made by check or credit card on a weekly or monthly basis instead of giving your student cash for meals. This system is convenientfor parents and students. The prepayment system will provide faster service to students while helping students develop budget skills.Parents can also monitor what their students are purchasing regardless of payment method.How is the prepaid account established?There are several ways to establish a prepaid account for your students.By check or cash - To establish a prepaid account for your student, a form may be picked up in the school cafeteria or can be printed from thissite. Complete the form and send it with cash or a check payable to your student’s school cafeteria. A completed form must accompany all payments.NEW - By credit card – To set up an online account at myLunchMoney.com, go to https://www.myLunchMoney.com and click on “enroll now”.Follow the instructions given to set up your student’s account. For assistance in setting up or using an account, contact the myLunchMoney.comsupport team at 1-800-479-3531.How long does it take to post funds to a prepaid account?Payments made using checks or cash will be credited to your student’s account by the next business day.Payments made using credit cards at myLunchMoney.com are generally credited to your student’s account within 24 hours.Is there a fee to use the online system?Yes. In addition to the amount of funds deposited in your student’s account, a convenience fee of $1.95 will be added to your credit card for eachdeposit made per site. If you have more than one student in the same school, you will be charged only one fee of $1.95 if funds are depositedinto each of your students’ accounts during the same transaction session.What cards are accepted for online prepayment?Both Visa and Master Card credit cards are accepted as forms of payment.How safe is my credit card information?Information is stored with the myLunchMoney.com website. To ensure the protection of all information stored on the website, all online transactionsfor myLunchMoney are handled with industry standard SSL encryption certified by Verisign. Additional detailed information can be foundon the myLunchMoney.com home page.What happens when a prepaid account reaches a zero balance?The food service cashier will alert a student when the balance is at or below $3.00. No credit will be extended. Students with a zero balance mustpay cash for their meals until their account is reestablished. Students may ask for the status of their account balance from a cashier any time atransaction is made in the cafeteria. If you are using the online system, you will be notified by e-mail when your student’s account is low.Can students charge meals with their student I.D.?No. This is not a credit system designed to develop a bill or be paid at a later date.Can students receive refunds?Regardless of the method of payment, refunds of unused funds will be made by district check to parents only upon written request. Cash refundswill not be made to students. Unused funds will carry over to the next school year for returning students. Parents can also request in writing tohave unused balances transferred to another District 214 sibling.How much does school meal service cost?An average student can expect to spend $2.75 to $4.00 per day for lunch. Breakfast is also available for $1.25.Questions call, Christine Frole, 847-718-763814

CAREER EXPLORATIONSeptember-November 2011SIGN UP WITH MRS. BEHAR IN THE COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTERROOM 162S! Check out Independent Career Opportunities: www.edcareerpartnership.com/Career Exploration/Search.php. If youhave any questions, contact Mrs. Behar at 847-718-4838 or emailcindy.behar@d214.orgOct.18Oct. 26Nov. 2Nov. 9HEALTH/NATURAL RESOURCESCAREER NIGHT Prospect High School- 6:30 PMARTIMATION ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF ARTSee Mr. MillerENGINEERING/INDUSTRIAL TECHBUSINESS/COMPUTERS CAREER NIGHTWheeling High School – 6:30 pmLUTHERAN GENERAL CAREER NIGHTVariety of medical careers – 6:00 PM- 8:00 PMNov. 8 or 9 MARRIOTT LINCOLNSHIRE TREKSuessical Tech Rehearsal, Actor/Actress, Sound Engineer, DirectorNov. 10Nov. 17IIT CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TREK More details to follow…MANUFACTURING TREK More details to follow…Nov. 18 ENTREPENEUR CONFERENCE TREK Meetprofessionals who started their own business. See Mr. Vesper or Mrs. BeharNov. 30HEALTHCARE CAREER DAY @HERSEYMeet variety of healthcare professionals and college representatives15

THE PARENT COUNCILT2011-2012TPC EXECUTIVEBOARDCO-PRESIDENTSCathy Lundstrom847-259-0977AndPam Van DeWalle847-259-4395TPC NEWSTPC sponsored Open HouseThe TPC would like to extend a special thank you to all whohelped make the TPC Open House a success! Thank you toall those parents who helped with baking, set-up, andclean-up in the cafeteria, and those at the membershiptable. A huge thank you to Ms. Lapetina’s food classes whobaked 300 delicious cookies for the night!VICE PRESIDENTStacy Hauser847-699-8915SECRETARYNadine Slosar847-297-4716\\\\\\CO-TREASURERSCathy Busse847-824-4743andAnne O’Mara847-299-8680DIRECTORY PICK UPStudent directories were unavailable for distribution the night ofOpen House due to technical issues and we apologize for theinconvenience. Directories will be available for pickup Oct. 13 thand Oct. 14 th (please mark your calendars) during the lunchperiods. Your student may come during periods 4, 5, or 6 to pickup directories. Please note that directories are only available toTPC members (membership forms are in the office) so studentswill need to present their ID to receive one.Parent/Teacher Conferences are November 9, 2011, 3:30 – 8:30.Look for more information in the mail regarding how to sign-up fora conference!The next TPC meeting is Monday, October 17 that 7pm in the Principal’s Conference Room.Please join us!Calendar Dates for TPC MeetingsOctober 17 Principals Conf Rm 7:00pmJanuary 9 Principal’s Conf Rm 7:00pmFebruary 6 Principal’s Conf Rm 7:00pmApril 9 Principal’s Conf Rm 7:00pmMay 14 Principal’s Conf Rm 7:00pm16

AT&T has Invited John Hersey High School to Participate in aPublic Awareness Campaign Regarding Texting and Driving”AT&T has invited John Hersey High School to participate in a public awareness campaignregarding Texting and Driving. The campaign involves several schools within the state of Illinois.The contest challenges Illinois high school students to become familiar with the dangersof texting while driving and encourages them to take the AT&T “Texting & Driving- ItCan Wait” Pledge. By taking the pledge, students demonstrate their commitment not to textwhile they are driving. Additionally students are encouraged to be advocates for responsibletext messaging by taking this public awareness campaign into their communities and encouragingtheir family and friends to take the pledge as well. Participating high schools that sendthe most text pledges, with their individual school code, will win a prize for an after schoolprogram.The contest has begun and will end November 31st, 2011. Winners will be announced December31st, 2011.Hersey’s school code is 119. This code must be entered by participants when they take theAT&T “It Can Wait” Pledge in order for the pledge to be counted for John Hersey HighSchool. Our schools pledge participants can take the pledge by safely texting WAIT 119 to464329 on their mobile device. Only one pledge per mobile device will be counted for thepurposes of this competition.I am asking every student, staff member, friends and family to text the above mentionedcodes. This is a great opportunity to encourage everyone not to text and drive, as well as givingour school an opportunity to win a prize that can be used for after school programs.Thank you in advance,Office Pete HamrickSchool Resource OfficerJohn Hersey High School847-718-496117

Township High School District 214 presents:“If you truly love your career,you’ll never work another day in your life”AnonymousArts & Communication*Advertising, Journalism, Broadcasting, Author, Art Careers, Graphic Commercial Artist, Interior Design,Theater Careers, MusicianHuman Services*Chef, Lawyer, Cosmetologist, FBI Agent, Fire Fighter, Police Officer, Psychologist, Social Worker,Elementary, High School and Special Education Teacher, ProStartElk Grove High School – October 12, 2011Health*Pharmacist, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Psychiatrist, Physician, Physician’s Assistant,Nursing Careers, Medical Technicians, Athletic Trainer, EMT, OrthodontistNatural Resources*Green Careers, VeterinarianProspect High School – October 18, 2011Engineering & Industrial Technology*Architecture, Construction Management, Construction Careers,Automotive Technician, Engineering - Mechanical / Electrical / Chemical / Bio Medical / Aeronautical / Civil,Advanced ManufacturingBusiness & Computers*Software Engineer, IT Careers, Business Careers, Web Designer, Computer Programmer, Accountant,Sports Marketing, Sales / Entrepreneurship, Financial / Investment Planner, ActuaryWheeling High School – November 2, 2011*Expected SpeakersRegistration begins at 6:30 pm and the evening concludes at 9:00 pm. Please see yourbuilding Career Advisor for additional information and/or questions.For further information or special accommodations please contact: Krista Paul (847) 718-794719