Thursday, September 24, 2015

MHS Celebrates College Week for All Students!


Each year, MHS deliberately focuses on a college going mindset for all students.  College Week is dedicated time with specific activities which provide students with information and opportunities to promote a college going culture at MHS.  It is an exciting week planned for the 4th Annual College Week.    Below is the schedule for the week.  Take time each night to discuss the day's events with your child.

All week
  • Staff  are encouraged to wear College/University gear to promote College Week.
  • Literacy Center is open and will assist with College Essays and Personal Statements. 
Monday
  • Teacher Talk - First 5 minutes of each class period 
  • College Acceptance Video During HR after announcements.
Tuesday
  • Study Abroad Presentation in the Auditorium during Homeroom with Beth Tinkham CLC Study Abroad Coordinator
  • Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) Representative - Ivonne Uquillas will be available in the CCRC 9am-2pm
Wednesday
  • Application Completion Day in the CCRC – Counselors will be available all day to assist students
  • Financial Aid Video (FA Process) during HR after announcements.

Thursday
  • College Rep Panel during lunch - class attendance required
    • Jill Sutherland- FIDM
    • Jim Pierson- University College Dublin
    • Tiffany Dallas- Colorado State
    • Sarah McLean- Northern Michigan
    • Ziggy Blackwell - Illinois College
  • College Evening Presentation at 7pm in MHS Auditorium
Friday
  • Career Panel Periods 1-2
  • Financial Aid Video (Grants and Scholarships) during HR

Photos from the week

MHS Wellness classes learning how to golf @ Countryside.



3600lb air handler is placed on top of the new building structure.

Recognition

MHS senior AVID student, Ryan O’Rourke was selected for the competitive Penwasciz Health Careers program at Advocate Condell Hospital.  Penwasciz has been an active student-volunteer program at Condell Medical Center for over 50 years.  Penwasciz interns learn about a variety of health care careers through direct patient interactions and observations. Experience in an actual medical setting as a Penwasciz Intern has inspired many graduates of the program to pursue careers as medical professionals.

Ryan used the Literacy Center after school hours for input on a timed essay submission.  MHS is proud to have been able to help Ryan and look forward to the Literacy Center supporting other students who are seeking help with essays for extracurricular programs as well as their course assignments.


Jacqueline Vasquez
MHS senior, Jacqueline Vasquez, was highlighted in the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office
[SAO ]monthly newsletter since she is currently completing an internship.  Vasquez is working through the SAO’s Knowledge is Power Program and the MHS DOORS Program [Doors of Opportunity Relevant to Students]. Both programs share similar ideals involving reaching out to students to begin exploring career paths while still in high school.
MHS DOORS brings real-world work skills and environments to students participating in the program. The interns choose from a variety of career fields that interest them. The Knowledge is Power Program gives students throughout Lake County an insight into careers within the criminal justice system. Student interns are placed at their work sites for one school term [nine weeks] per year. They work at the site several times each week for about 90 minutes.  Vasquez is interested in a future career in public relations. Her MHS internship advisor is Kent Meister


Three of Mundelein High School’s publications earned Awards of Excellence from the Illinois Chapter of the Illinois School Public Relations Association [INSPRA]. The awards were presented at a state recognition luncheon held Sept. 18 in Oak Brook.
The awards were presented for the District newsletter, The Messenger; for the 2015 Graduation Booklet; and for an eight-page brochure about the new building addition and the MHS emphasis on career education. Public relations experts from several states served as judges for the hundreds of entries into various categories.
Evaluating The Messenger, one of the judges remarked “I feel like I know your school priorities based on this publication:  great staff, tech emphasis, community involvement and student achievement … the overall classy look of the product, story topics, graphics and layout make me want to read this cover to cover.”
Ron Girard is the editor of the three publications. He and Superintendent Kevin Myers attended the luncheon and accepted the awards.

Announcements

21st Century Automation Night will be held in the MHS auditorium on November 3, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  Students and parents are invited to learn about the new careers in engineering and manufacturing.

The brand new Literacy Center is hosting an ACT Bootcamp! Students will receive tips and practice for the English, reading, and writing portions of the ACT. Don’t let the test stress you out, the bootcamp will help you master the ACT.  All interested students should sign up in the Literacy Center (north end of the Media Center) for either the October 8 at 7:30 am or the October 21 at 3:25 pm session.



College & Career Resource Center

The MHS Guidance Department will host its annual College Planning Night Thursday, October 1 beginning at 7 pm. Counselor Jimmy Ku will lead the English presentation in the Auditorium and Counselor Aracely Lawrence will lead the Spanish presentation in the District Meeting Room.  While geared toward upperclassmen, all students and their parents are invited to attend.

During the evening parents and students will learn about the college application process, writing application essays, financial aid, college visits and more. Time will also be provided for questions and answers.

Lucia Lopez, assistant director of undergraduate admissions at DePaul University will speak at the Spanish presentation. George Scholtz, Chicago regional admissions representative for the University of Missouri will speak at the English presentation.

Activities

Spanish Speaking Parents: Universidad de Padres will have its first meeting on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 from 6-8 pm. Please visit the Universidad de Padres page for more information. Hope to see you there. Jesús M. Tirado, Assistant Principal; jtirado@d120.org, 847-949-2200, extension 1405.

Recycling Club is open to all MHS students. Just a half-hour of your time Tuesdays and Thursdays can make a huge difference in doing something good for the environment and keeping our school looking great. The club can be used to record community service hours as well. Anyone can join anytime, just come to room B147 right after school any Tuesday and Thursday, or email Mr. Battista for more info at TBattista@d120.org

Athletics

All winter and spring sport athletes that still need a sport physical for this year, Mundelein Target Clinic is still running their sport physical special for $39.00 until October 2, 2015.  No appointment necessary, open evenings and weekends.  If you need a sport physical form please pick one up that the Athletic Office, Front Office or download a form off  the Athletic Home website.

Staff Spotlight

Gwen Lopez - Guidance Counselor




How long at MHS:  6 years

Insider tips for parents:  Have those difficult conversations about career and college decision early and often. Help your child to explore their options for college by helping them ask good questions and visiting a variety of colleges.

Life before MHS:  I worked at OMNI Youth Services as a Youth and Family Counselor assisting families and youth who have family difficulties with drugs and alcohol and/or legal problems. I also worked at Tefft Middle School for 1 year as a School Counselor.

Hobbies/Interests:  I love reading and spending time with my family!

You may not know… I have visited over 13 countries.

What college/university did you attend?  Crown College, BA in World Missions; Trinity International University: MA in Counseling Psychology; NIU: Certificate for School Counseling

Who or what inspires you?  My faith is what helps keep me grounded and inspires me to be and do better.

What is your favorite part of your job?  Sitting down and speaking with students to assist them in any way possible. It is the highlight of my job to see students exceed beyond what they thought possible.

Good book recommendation:  My reading tends to be in the genre of children's book, so as a family we are reading the Dear America series or My Name is America series, my children have loved these books.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

MHS Cafeteria Food Service - New & Improved!

Welcome to the new look of the Mundelein cafeteria. Our drive is to give each student the food experience they deserve. We are serving made to order paninis, homemade salsa, hummus with flour tortilla chips, made fresh package salads, homemade soups, individual flatbread pizzas and many more exciting changes. As you can see we are making changes to show off what Quest stands for; forging a genuine fine dining lunch experience with fresh ingredients. We appreciate all your support in providing you with a delicious experience.

If you have any questions or concerns about the lunch selections or special lunch programs, please contact Kelly Paschall, Quest Food Service Manager @ Mundelein High School District 120 at 847-949-2200 x1217.

Announcements

ISBE Back-to-School Webinar
ISBE and Illinois PTA will present a Back-to-School Webinar for parents  at 7 p.m. September 23.
State Superintendent and other speakers will address hot topics in education and resources for parents during evening forum.  State Superintendent Tony Smith, Ph.D., and Illinois PTA President Matthew Rodriguez will discuss statewide education initiatives and how parents and schools can work together to help their students thrive.  Register for this webinar by clicking HERE.

Health Requirement
The state of Illinois has made a requirement for all seniors to receive a vaccine before the first day of school to help prevent meningitis.  A suggested due date for this is May 15, 2016 for all current 11th graders.  Please check with your student’s doctor for the administration of this vaccine and submit documentation to the School Nurse’s Office.

Calendar Reminder
No Classes Wednesday, September 23.

Recognition

Mundelein Fine Arts Festival Scholarships
On Saturday, September 12 at the Mundelein Fine Arts Festival, four MHS students won a $500 scholarship for their work.
Mundelein Fine Arts Festival Scholarship Winners: Xochitl Cisneros, Haley Peterson, Michael Del Rosario, and Viviana Torres.


In addition to scholarships, Mundelein Mayor Lentz awarded two MHS students with the Mayoral Purchase Award: Joseph Devito & Monika Bowser.  Joseph and Monika's work will hang in the Village Hall.

Good Morning Mundelein!
The Village of Mundelein public relations video featuring the MHS Show Choir students.  The video was unveiled this week at the Village Board meeting where MHS students and staff were recognized. Mayor Lentz gave each student a Mundelein t-shirt which was worn in school the next day.

Watch the sites and sounds of Mundelein below!




Homecoming 2015 
Last week was full of awesome Homecoming events and celebrations.  Congratulations to Doug Alberts and Alex Guiritan, this year's Homecoming King and Queen.  More images from Homecoming are posted at the end of this week's blog.

Wondering what happens at MHS during Homecoming?  Thank you to MANE TV for this 10 minute video!




Ironman Wisconsin
MHS Assistant Athletic Director, Jessica Upchurch, competed in the Ironman Wisconsin on this past
weekend.  Jessica successfully completed the event (which contains swimming, 100 mile bike ride, and a marathon) in 16 hours & 52 minutes. Congratulations Jessica!

Coach and Mrs. Calhoun




Chicago Bears High School Coach of the Week
Congratulations to Coach Calhoun and his staff. Coach Calhoun has been named the Chicago Bears High School Coach of the Week. Pat McCaskey of the Bears will recognize coach at a Bears game in December and donate $1,500 to the Mustang Football Program.

Congratulations Coach Calhoun! Great job!! Good Luck on tomorrow against Warren!!


College & Career Resource Center


College Visits 9/21 - 9/25

College of Lake County     Monday, September 21          11:00 AM

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign     Tuesday, September 22            9:00 AM

Illinois College         Tuesday, September 22                    10:30 AM

Illinois Wesleyan University         Tuesday, September 22                    11:00 AM

St. Norbert College            Tuesday, September 22                  1:00 PM

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign With     
College of Lake County (Engineering Pathways)           Thursday, September 24          11:00 AM

Monmouth College        Friday, September 25               8:00 AM

Concordia University - River Forest              Friday, September 25                  9:00 AM

Calvin College             Friday, September 25                      10:30 AM

Activities


Triathlon Club is a new club offered to all students who want to train for a triathlon. Students do NOT have to compete but it is highly encouraged. Students will be given the opportunity to practice swimming, biking ( indoors and outdoors) and running separately and also  in combinations. The goal for this school year is to host an indoor tri as well an outdoor tri at the end of the school year.  See Ms. Toland if you are interested.

Athletics

On Monday, September 21 the Varsity Girls Volleyball Team will honor twelve teachers at their Staff Appreciation Night. Please join us for this special event that will take place in between the Sophomore and Varsity Volleyball games. Sophomore game will start at 5:00 PM and the ceremony will start immediately following the end of the game between 5:45-6:00 PM.




Staff Spot Light


Caroline Gully - Spanish Teacher


How long at MHS?  3 years

What college/university did you attend?  North Central College BA in Spanish

Insider tip for parents:  Travel!  It doesn't have to be international, but take your kiddos to see different people, cultures and experience different ways of thinking.

Hobbies/Interests:  I love coaching/playing lacrosse, going to flea markets, and restoring old homes.

What is your favorite part of your job?   Hanging out with / learning with my top-notch colleagues in the World Language Department :).

Good book recommendation?
I actually have an article (click link): This is What $1,500 a Month in Rent Would Get You in Cities All Around the World

You may not know…  I’m a crazy cat lady!

Who or What inspires you?  I often get my “pinspirations” from Pinterest!

Photos from MHS Homecoming 2015



Friday Flyover w/ABC7 News - the rain moves in!

Mrs. Henrichs trying to stay dry @ the Flyover!

Maverick's last ditch effort to get noticed by ABC7 News!

Baby Mustang!

Homecoming King & Queen:  Douglas Alberts & Alex Guiritan 

Senior Float!










Color Guard of Marching Mustangs












Homecoming 2015 Court

Mr. Lerner in his golf cart!

MHS Cheerleaders

School Board President Joan Anderson, Board Member Laura Mellon, & Peggy Billittier, Administrative Assistant


Class of 1965!


Retired MHS Teacher Linda Spear (driver) and Alumni from Class of 1965






Retired MHS Teacher Frank "G" Gianamore
Senior Katherine Chuma leads the senior girls powder puff team onto the field before the big game against the juniors on Wed., Sept. 9.
Kelly Vander Ploeg ‘16 cheers on with her senior class peers at the Homecoming Assembly. 

MHS theatre walks along, members donning different production t-shirts during the 2015 homecoming parade.