Thursday, October 8, 2015

Programs of Study and the Road to Success

As part of the Mundelein Experience, all students should explore and have exposure to their potential post-secondary plans.  This means students should be able to experience how their coursework interacts with the real world careers.  In order to better prepare students for their post-secondary lives, Mundelein High School has organized and aligning our course offerings into a Programs of Study connected to the 16 national career clusters.

The career clusters include:

Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Architecture and Construction
Health Science
Hospitality and Tourism
Manufacturing
Education and Training
Human Services
Government and Public Administration
Information Technology
Finance
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
Business Management and Communication
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Arts, Audio Visual Technology and Communication
Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security
Marketing

The MHS Programs of Study are described fully in the Course Selection Guide distributed to students in November.  For every pathway, the required and elective coursework are identified.  Next, college majors are identified as options within each pathway.  This is useful information for conversations with college representatives who visit MHS.  Finally, certification and degree programs at the College of Lake County are highlighted within each pathway to assist students in their coursework.  The Programs of Study are designed to help your student make educated decisions about the kinds of courses he/she will take and help them finish high school with college credits in their pocket.

I invite parents to review the Programs of Study section in the Course Selection Guide and have a dinner discussion about their child’s post-secondary plans.  Parents can review the current coursework of their children and what careers and degree programs are available to them.  This is a wonderful opportunity to be deliberate in preparing for the next education and career steps.

If at any time parents need assistance using the Programs of Study, MHS guidance counselors will gladly assist in how to use the tool.  The road to success has been mapped out and a great tool to explore the future self!

Announcements


Calendar Reminders
Monday, October 12 - No School, Columbus Day
Thursday, October 15, and Friday, October 16 - Term 1 final exams. Student dismissal at 12:45pm

Pancake Breakfast
The MHS Girls Basketball program will host a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, October 17, from 6:30am until 12:00pm in the high school cafeteria. Cost is $5 for all you can eat.  $4 for residents of Grand Dominion and Glen Gardens.

All funds collected will go towards the Girls Basketball program.


Mundelein High School Raises Awareness and Funds for Artists in Central America
From October 19 to October 23, Mundelein High School's Spanish & Diversity Clubs will be selling hand-woven bracelets, or ‘pulseras’ in Spanish, to empower the artists who make them in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Uganda. The sale was organized through the Pulsera Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers and educates young people in the U.S. and Central America through pulsera sales. Student and teacher volunteers raise funds that benefit fair trade jobs, worker rights, sustainability, and education, while learning about the culture, lives, and struggles of Central Americans. The Pulsera Project’s goal is to create a more just and colorful world by encouraging conscious consumerism and social enterprise.  Contact Caroline Gully at cgully@d120.org for more information.

Photographs from the week:

IHC construction manager shows Dell Webb residents current science classrooms.
Julia Harbison talks about how she is excited MHS will offer new opportunities through the new STEM building and curriculum.

Claudia Uribe Padilla talks tells audience how new STEM curriculum will help her to achieve her career goal of being an architect.

Ulysses Hagedorn '16 is running in the September 15th Cross Country race versus Stevenson and Lake Zurich.

Freshman Badim Hernandez shares his "family tree" with Dr. Kroll.

Freshman Sam Hutter displays his Family Tree in Mr. Drier's English 1 class.




Recognition


Illinois Reading Council
MHS science, English, and social studies teachers presented literacy projects at the Illinois Reading Council conference in Peoria last week.  MHS staff members have been incorporating literacy tasks into courses building wide for several years.  These presentations demonstrate some of the excellent work faculty have created.

Science teachers Alyssa Wiltjer, Jamie Brongiel, and Katie Giambeluca present “Building Independence in Science Through Reading and Writing”.  They provided participants with a variety of strategies they can use to enhance literacy in Science.  Participants obtained strategies on creating a solid summary, conducting literature circles, and developing a claim with evidence.

English teachers Diane Covert, Melissa Sethna, Mike Dayton, Ryan Buck, and Beth Willis present, “Let it Go:  Transforming the Traditional English Classroom with Student Choice”.   The group discussed the benefits of allowing students more choice in their reading.  It was amazing to see how many book students have read under this new approach compared to what they were reading in former English classes.  Students are also stretching themselves in what they are choosing to read.  These teachers are incredibly passionate about helping students become lifelong readers. They ARE changing the culture of reading in this building.  Reading is cool!

Social studies teachers Mary Plucinski, Nicole Malham, and Cynthia Henrichs present  “Prove It:  Developing Argumentative Writing Skills in Social Studies”.  Their presentation focused on strategies to enhance students’ argumentative writing.   They provided strategies on how to help students select evidence, provide context for evidence, and develop a warrant.  The participants were highly engaged and asked a lot of great questions.  Their presentation was even referenced in another session we were in!  It was absolutely excellent.

Letters to Mom Dinner
Last week, the MHS football players honored their mothers and female mentors.  The Letters to Mom dinner was created to help teach our young men to express their love and appreciation of others, to acknowledge the tremendous support they are blessed with, and to promote a healthy respect for all women.  Football players wrote letters to their mothers and read the letters to the audience.  It was a heart-warming event, and our young men did a wonderful job of honoring their mothers and other important women in their lives.






College and Career Resource Center


College Representative Visits:

University of Arkansas
Tue October 13, 2015
9:00 AM

Northern Michigan University
Tue October 13, 2015
9:30 AM

University of Illinois at Chicago
Wed October 14, 2015
8:00 AM

Rockford University
Wed October 14, 2015
9:15 AM

Millikin University
Wed October 14, 2015
10:00 AM

Activities


Autumn Choral Concert
The Mundelein High School Choral Department will present their first concert of the season on Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00pm in the MHS auditorium. The choirs from Fremont Middle School, West Oak Middle School, and Hawthorn North Middle School will be joining the MHS choirs for an afternoon workshop, culminating in their performance at the concert. All of the MHS choirs and show choirs will be performing that night as well. There is a suggested $3 donation for the concert.



Best Buddies 
Informational meeting on Friday, October 9 at 7:25 am in the auditorium on Tuesday, October 13 at 3:25pm in B120. Best Buddies promotes social inclusion, integrated employment, and leadership development for unique individuals and groups. Best Buddies is a great way for students to create lifelong friendships and to get involved with the school and the community. For more information, please contact: Krysta Penuel, Best Buddies Co-Advisor kpenuel@d120.org or call 949-2200 x1258.

Mundelein Idol 
Members of the audience will choose the next Mundelein Idol Saturday, October 17 when the MHS show choirs host the annual event beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. Cost is $8 to participate in the voting rounds and free to those who prefer to attend but not vote. The audience will vote after each of three rounds to eliminate contestants until the champion is crowned. Voters may purchase extra voting packets for $1 for the first round, $2 for the second and $5 for the third. The box office will open at 6:00pm for the sale of voting packets.

Contestants of all ages will represent Mundelein and many other towns and villages in Lake County. The top three vote-getters will earn cash prizes:  $200 for the winner along with the title, Mundelein Idol 2015; $50 for first runner-up and $25 for second runner-up.

Contact Cory Thompson (cthompson@d120.org) or Stevee Bellas (sbellas@d120.org) with any questions.


September Time-lapse Video of New Building Construction


Athletics


Mundelein High School Girls Volleyball will host the Breast Cancer Awareness Match on Wednesday, October 14 at 5:00pm between Mundelein and Lake Forest. This event supports THE LYNN SAGE CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION located at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago.  Last year $2,000 was raised with approximately 94% going straight to Breast Cancer Research and Awareness.

On the night of the event, there will be raffle baskets and a 50/50 raffle. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.  A donation of $5 for Adults and $3 for Children is asked for admission to the match.  Annual Breast Cancer Awareness t- shirts with a new design will be on sale in the bookstore starting Thursday, October 8. Short sleeve shirts are $10 and long sleeve shirts are $15. Both are in limited supply. If you have too many t- shirts, you can buy one and give it to a friend or a student or you can make a straight donation to the CAUSE at the bookstore.

If you wish to making a donation, please make checks payable to: LYNN SAGE CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION..

If anyone would like to HELP with this Event please contact Coach Dressen at gdressen@d120.org.


Staff Spot Light


Jonathan Mahoney – Social Worker 


Life before MHS – I was at Zion-Benton Twp HS for 6 years as a social worker and 3 years as a football coach as well.

What are your hobbies/interests? –  Sports, activities with my family        

Insider tip for parents –  Be aware, take an interest in your students and be aware of their friends and actions.  Don't be afraid to set limits.

Best part of working at MHS? – The people - students and staff!

You may not know... I was a captain of my college track team.

What college/university did you attend? Carroll University - BS in Psychology, Loyola University Chicago - Master of Social Work

How long have you worked at MHS? –  3rd year

Who or what inspires you? – My family - learn from my parents and my brother, work hard and set a good example for my own children.

What is your favorite part of your job? - It's different every day.

Good book recommendation? – From Jailer to Jailed by Bernard Kerik