Thursday, December 15, 2016

Have a Wonderful Winter Break! December 16, 2016

It is amazing to think about all the events, lessons, and activities our students and staff have participated in during Semester 1.  The fall has turned (unfortunately) to winter and MHS is ending the first half of the 2016-2017 school year.  I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!  Enjoy the time off and spend it together as much as possible.  I look forward to seeing everyone on January 5!

The District will be closed on Friday, December 23, Mondy December 26, Friday, December 30, and Monday, January 2.

Recognition


MHS gymnast alum qualifies for Maccabi Games in Israel
Keith Kohn, a 2013 MHS graduate, has recently qualified to represent the US at the Maccabi Games
in Israel this summer. The Maccabi Games are the third largest international athletic competition in the world. Kohn has been involved in gymnastics since he was five years old.
Currently, Kohn is the team captain of the UIC Flames Men’s Gymnastics team. He took silver on rings in the international qualifier. With a degree in Communications and also studying Management, Kohn plans to work in public affairs and relations as well as some sort of management. Kohn has an intensive academic schedule along with organizing events and working part time as a state senator’s press aide.

“I do plan to continue to train gymnastics after graduation, although it remains to be seen for how long,” he explained.

While in high school at MHS, Kohn earned silver and bronze medals at the 2013 Men’s Junior Olympics National Gymnastics Championships in Portland, OR. He finished 12th all around while earning a silver medal on pommel horse and a bronze on rings. He also earned an Academic All-American award in recognition of academic excellence at the event.

“My most vivid memory of MHS is eating those little sandwiches that consist of two cookies of some sort of chocolaty paste...incredible.”


Activities


Term 2 Final Exams and Winter Break
Term 2 Final Exams will be held on Monday, December 19 and Tuesday, December 20. We are on a Exam “D” Schedule. Student dismissal will be at 12:45pm both days.
Winter Break will be December 21 through January 3.
January 4 is a Teacher Institute Day-No classes.
Term 3 will begin on Thursday, January 5.
Thursday, January 5 will be a Regular “A” schedule. Classes will begin at 7:45am.

Northwestern physics professor to meet with astronomy class
Dr. Shane Larson, of Northwestern University’s CIERNA [Center for Exploration and Research in Astrophysics] will visit students in Mark Michalski’s Astronomy Class at Mundelein High School
Friday, Dec. 16, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. The class will engage in an exercise on gravitational waves that will help them to better understand how LIGO works. LIGO is a gravitational wave detector that has already identified gravitational waves from a black hole. Larson will also discuss his background and field questions about gravitational waves and astrophysics.

Larson holds a bachelor of science degree in physics from Oregon State, and master and doctoral degrees in physics from Montana State University. One of his questions to pose to students is are there others like us or are we alone in the Universe?

MHS joins other districts to host Mental Health Symposium
Mundelein High School District 120, along with a number of other school districts who are part of the Transition Action Network for Mental Health, [TANMH] hosted a Mental Health Symposium held Dec. 7 at Oakton Community College. Five MHS staff members attended as did several staff members from Mundelein School Districts 75 and 79. About 250 people attended the all-day event.
“Based on feedback from the past year, TANMH decided to look at addressing how to support students with mental health needs and their families from kindergarten through transition,” said Jamie DiCarlo, MHS director of special education.  “We want to remove the stigma and provide open dialogue, strategies and support,” she said.

According to the TANMH, the number of students requiring intensive mental health resources is increasing in most school districts. This interactive symposium aimed to raise awareness, explore common challenges and share resources to support the schools’ shared goals of supporting students with mental health needs across their school years.

Topics covered included recognizing emerging mental health issues, emerging brain-based research, considerations and implications for schools, de-stigmatization as a barrier to treatment and support, current landscape in schools and empowering staff to individually and collectively transform their work to support a seamless transition from kindergarten to young adulthood.
Other schools who sponsored the event include Highland Park and Deerfield high schools, Vernon Hills and Libertyville high schools, Lake Forest High School, Palatine area high schools, Glenbrook, Arlington Heights, Niles high schools, Stevenson, New Trier, Maine Township, NSSED and NSSEO cooperatives.

Off Campus Lunch Privilege
Beginning January 5th 2017 students with off campus lunch privileges (juniors and seniors) will not be allowed to leave the school  unless they show security staff the FRONT of their Mundelein High School issued ID. If a student does not have a current ID they simply can head  to the security office, room B151, and a new one can be printed on the spot!  Replacement ID’s are $5.00.  Bus drivers are now also checking ID’s. Please make sure your student’s bus number is correct on the ID.

The Security Team thanks you for your cooperation and helping MHS be a safe school for all.

Parent Group to welcome middle school students and parents
The Mundelein High School parent group, known as the MHS Ambassadors, will visit each of the middle schools that send students to MHS to welcome them as the MHS Class of 2021.
“The purpose of the parent group is to build bridges with parents, sender schools, the community and the MHS faculty,” said Kevin Myers, MHS superintendent. “Our goal is to promote MHS and to educate our future Mustangs about their upcoming high school experience,” he explained.

The meetings will take place at the various middle schools. Eighth graders and their parents will see a short video about student life at MHS, they will hear about paths of study and they will learn about the new STEM lab, Project Lead the Way and the Business Incubator Lab. The Class of 2021 will be only the second class to have these options available to them for all four of their years. The new three-story building addition just opened this fall.

While parents will hear from building administrators and faculty, the students will meet separately with an MHS student group, Link Crew. New freshmen each year meet regularly with Link Crew students who help the new freshman class navigate through their first year of transition from middle school to high school. The student meetings will conclude with the MHS students teaching the incoming freshmen the MHS Fight Song.

The MHS Mustang Ambassadors will meet with eighth graders and their parents on the following evenings:  Carl Sandburg Middle School, Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.; Hawthorn Middle School, Tuesday, January 10, 7 p.m.; Fremont Middle School, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 6:30 p.m.; West Oak Middle School, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m.; and Frassati Catholic Academy, Thursday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m.

5Essential Parent Survey
Beginning November 16, students, teachers and parents across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the fourth annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

Effective Leaders
Collaborative Teachers
Involved Families
Supportive Environments
 Ambitious Instruction

Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.

All teachers and 6th through 12th grade students will be responding to this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in March 2017 and will also be included in the State School Report Card.

Additionally, your district has chosen to provide the optional 5Essentials parent survey. If at least 20 percent of District 120 parents complete this survey, a parent supplement will also be generated. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card.

Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be conducted November 16 through January 16, 2017. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/  and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://illinois.5-essentials.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.


Athletics


Boys Basketball at the United Center
The Mundelein Boys Basketball team will be playing Chicago Schurz at the United Center on Saturday, January 21st at 3 pm. The Bulls play the Sacramento Kings at 8:00 pm that evening. You may order your ticket now and have until January 9th to do so. There are limited tickets and anyone going to the HS game must purchase one. See the Flyer attached if interested.

Football
Congratulations to Aaron Woolford, named Pioneer Press All-Area 1st team defense. Sammy Escobar & Mitch Sharer were named Honorable mention.

Gymnastics
Mustangs captured 3rd place @ Hersey this past weekend.
Taylor Shanahan won 1st place All-around.

Boys Swimming
This past Saturday, JV swim team took 3rd place at the Deerfield sprint classic.

Photos from the Past Week:

Before taking  a quiz on Acids and Bases in 1st period Chemistry, on Thursday Dec. 15, Angelica Gonzales '19 and Diego Valencia '19, they study hard to memorizes important information. " Gosh this is really stressful because since we are in finals, we have to finish very quickly" said Angelica. Photo taken by Brian Hernandez

During the gymnastics meet on Wednesday, Dec. 14, Katie Miller '19 watches as her teammate performs her beam routine in the Main Gym. Miller stresses the importance of motivating her teammates. Miller said, "It is important for me to cheer on my teammates during a meet because I always want them to know that no matter how they do and what score they get, they will always be a part of the team." Photo taken by Sophie Fiore

Greg Godellas '17 works on his TV video based on "someone you should know", "I might have to stay after school to finish this video." he said as he hurries to perfect little details in the video by the end of the day. Photo taken by Leslie Cuna

 While taking a breather and ready to go score points, Charles Binz '20 get's ready to to go out and help the team out and bring home the win on Tuesday Dec.13, 2016 on an away game vs Carmel High School. The boy's had been preparing themselves for the game and never lost faith. Charles said. " As being a member on the team I never lose faith, even though we lost a the game a  two week's ago, I still believe we can beat them. " Photo taken by Erika Lara

As Voices is underway, Nicole Casler '17, Janet Perez '17 and Ashley Flores '20 all watch the artwork displayed to vote on for the end of the year magazine, which displays the most voted on student artwork submitted. A112 12/8/16. Photo taken by Henry Fiocchi


Thursday, December 8, 2016

Mustang News - December 9, 2016

Your thoughts are important to us! 
This is a reminder to participate in the parent survey of the Illinois 5Essentials Survey.  You should have received a letter by mail in early November detailing the purpose of the survey. We guarantee that survey responses will never be connected to the identity of you or your child. School reports will only present aggregated information of how parents and students responded as a whole.

A parent survey report will be generated if at least 20 percent of parents respond to the survey. While the parent data will not be made public, the parent report will be made available to the principal, Dr. Anthony Kroll and the superintendent, Dr. Kevin Meyers and will enable them to make considerations based on the responses given by Mundelein parents. Your participation in the parent survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Again, your identity and individual survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

Teachers and 6th through 12th graders throughout Illinois are taking the teacher and student 5Essentials Survey.  School-level 5Essentials Reports will be generated if teachers and/or students meet their 50 percent response-rate thresholds. These research-based reports will be sent to schools and districts in May and will also be included in the State School Report Card, released statewide in the fall.

 Please visit  https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ to take the parent survey.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact 5Essentials Customer Support at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.


Recognition



Seventy-two MHS students named Illinois State Scholars
Mundelein High School Principal Anthony Kroll is pleased to announce that 72 MHS students from the Class of 2017 have been recognized as Illinois State Scholars. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission [ISAC], the state agency committed to helping make college accessible and affordable for Illinois families, confers this recognition annually to top Illinois high school students.
“We’re very proud of our students who have earned this recognition,” Kroll said. “We know they work hard to earn their high academic standing.”

“I applaud all the scholars for their hard work and outstanding academic performance,” said Eric Zarnikow, ISAC executive director. “Students have a lot to contend with as they move through high school – from increased testing to extracurricular activities to highly competitive college admissions. Kudos to these students and also to the teachers, parents, coaches and other mentors who contributed to their success and helped them navigate a path towards college and career success,” he said.

The 72 new Illinois State Scholars from MHS are:
Sarah Angelbeck, Ryan Antenore, Anna Balla, Reilly Brandt, Bradley Brokamp, Daniel Brokamp, Sidney Brunkow, Brendan Callas, Eleanor Ceisel, Aman Cerny, Dylan Cline, James Corbin, Nicholas Corrado, Payton Cousins, Jasmine Cuasay, John Dahlinger, Grayson Danciu-Masini,
Michael Del Rosario, Anna Desfor, Katherine East, Paige Eifert, Sam Eugenis, Linden Ewing, Allison Faulkner, Jessica Faulkner, Jacob Franzen, Alexander Frumkin, Jisel Gomez, Sydney Grade, Eric Gross, Kyle Guzzio, Rachel Hansen, Shannon Heiberger, Jacob Horvat, Kyle James, Kyle Klauss, Shane Kosmach, Benjamin Krauss, Joseph Kreis, Joshua Larson, Mackenzie Linane, Alexander Loding, Tristan Louria, Julia Loverde, Sheridan McGuire, Angel Montero, Colin Mooney, Sean Naughton, Nicholas Oleinik, Jack Olorvida, Natalia Ozymko, Emily Parduhn, Tess Pribyl, Lucy Renz, Marco Rosales, Emma Roswick, Megan Schlebecker, Jacob Schroetter, Maya Seskiewicz, Christopher Shannon, Samantha Slaughter, Jackson Steiner, McKenzie Theis, Joseph Van Belleghem, Steven Van Belleghem, Emily Vastis, Julia Vicik, Nathan Walter, Kaitlyn Watkins, Tyler White, Mitchell Zaprzalka, Zachary Zentz.


Activities



MHS music department to host Concerto Competition December 8
The Mundelein High School instrumental music department will host its annual Concerto Competition Thursday, December 8, beginning at 4 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. Admission is free.
The competition features MHS students performing solo works with accompaniment. The competition is adjudicated with the winner and runner-up performing a solo with one of the ensembles at a spring concert.

Students competing this year include: Colin Hogan, flute; George Stedman, trumpet; Hannah Speer, trombone; Christine So, oboe; Anna Desfor, xylophone; Isaac Walker, tuba; and Dustin Clegg, flute.
Andy Sturgeon and Jerald Shelato direct the instrumental music program at MHS.


Best Buddies
The Best Buddies club has a few fun activities planned for Best Buddies this month. The first event is our Holiday party which will be held Friday, December 9th in room B120 from 3:30-5:30. There will be tons of food and a little gift exchange. If interested please contact: Maureen Baker  mbaker@d120.org. Best buddies is a great way to get involved in the community and meet new friends. Please come out and join us!


Toys 4 Tots
SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) facilitates Toys 4 Tots this year. Students, staff, and community members can bring in new, unwrapped toys to the boxes at the main entrance. These toys get distributed to kids in need through the U.S. Marines.


Cocoa and Cram
Link Crew will be hosting the second Cocoa and Cram of the year on Thursday, December 15th from 3:30 to 4:30 in the Media Center. Cocoa and Cram is a study session hosted by the Link Crew leaders to help the freshman prepare for final exams. Snacks and Hot Cocoa will be provided for students to enjoy while they prepare for final exams. All students are invited to attend and there will be Link Leaders available to help students study.



Cafeteria News
The cafeteria is selling hot chocolate with marshmallows! The featured flavored syrup for December is Peppermint.


MHS Bands, Choirs combine for Holiday Concert; perform Hallelujah Chorus
Mundelein High School’s bands and choirs will combine for a Holiday Concert Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. Admission is free but donations will be accepted. A highlight of the show will involve the Honors Wind Ensemble and the entire choral department singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus to conclude the concert.

The Jazz Ensemble will perform Angels We Have Heard on High and First Circle; Honors Symphonic Winds will offer Music from The Nutcracker and Radetzky March; and the Wind Ensemble will do Greensleeves and Sleigh Ride.

The Master Singers will perform Psallite, I Wonder as I Wander, Hanerot Halalu and Caroling, Caroling. The Concert Choir’s numbers include Shalom Chaverim and Alleluia, Gloria in Excelsis Deo. The Treble Choir will perform Hodie, Candlelight Song and Let is Snow! Bel Canto will do In the Bleak Midwinter, The First Snowfall and S’Vivon.

Jerald Shelato and Andy Sturgeon direct instrumental music groups while Cory Thompson and Stevee Bellas direct the choral groups.




College & Career Center



PSAT Scores Available Soon
Students who took the PSAT will be able to view their scores through www.collegeboard.org this coming Monday, December 12.  If your student does not yet have an account created, we recommend that they create an account to view their scores and link their account with Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/sat) to create a personalized study plan for the SAT. See more HERE.


If you are interested, join Kaplan Test Prep on Sunday, December 18th at 4pm CT as Terry McMullen, Director of Kaplan Pre-College Programs, explains the newly released PSAT score reports & reviews the possible next steps for your child's college admissions process. Space is limited, RSVP now: www.kaptest.com/parents


SAT Prep Resources
As you are likely aware, the State of Illinois has determined that the annual standardized test administered to juniors is now the SAT, created by College Board, instead of the ACT as it was in past years.  Students who still wish to take the ACT can register individually at www.actstudent.org.  Colleges and universities across the nation will accept either of the standardized tests.  These tests are an important benchmark used by colleges when selecting students for admission.


On Wednesday, April 5, all MHS juniors will take the SAT here at MHS, this is a four-hour exam that includes the essay portion. There will be no classes on this day.  Students may choose to use results from this free exam to submit to colleges when applying or may choose to register to take the test again individually through www.collegeboard.org.  Families who are facing financial hardship may contact your student’s counselor as assistance may be available for both the SAT and ACT.

Considering the importance of the exam score when applying to colleges, Mundelein High School is offering a variety of support options to assist our students to prepare for the SAT.  Please click HERE to view and register for the opportunities that your student will have at MHS to prepare for the test.


Preparación para el SAT Disponible en MHS
Como usted probablemente ya este consciente, el Estado de Illinois ha determinado que el examen estandarizado anual administrado a Juniors (estudiantes de grado 11) es ahora el SAT, creado por College Board, en lugar de la ACT como lo fue en años pasados. Los estudiantes que todavía desean tomar el ACT pueden inscribirse en forma individual a www.actstudent.org. Colegios y universidades de todo el país aceptará cualquiera de los exámenes estandarizados. Estos exámenes son un punto de referencia importante utilizado por los colegios al seleccionar estudiantes para la admisión.


El miércoles, 5 de Abril, todos los Juniors de MHS tomarán el SAT aquí en MHS, es un examen de cuatro horas, que incluye la porción de ensayo. No habrá clases en este día. Los estudiantes podrán usar los resultados de este examen gratis para enviar a las universidades en la aplicación o pueden optar por registrarse para tomar el examen otra vez individualmente a través del www.collegeboard.org.  Las familias que se afrontan a dificultades financieras pueden comunicarse con el consejero de su estudiante como la asistencia puede estar disponible para ambos SAT y ACT. Teniendo en cuenta la importancia de la puntuación del examen cuando se aplica a las universidades, Mundelein High School está ofreciendo una variedad de opciones de apoyo para ayudar a nuestros estudiantes a prepararse para el SAT.  Haz click AQUÍ para ver y registrar para las oportunidades que sus estudiantes tendrán en MHS a prepararse para el examen.


Athletics



Girls Gymnastics
Mustangs opened their season with a conference win over Libertyville 140.4 - 126.65. Nice Job.

Dance
Both levels will be traveling to Waubonsie Valley this Saturday and then to Stevenson on Sunday. Good luck to both teams

Cheer
Both levels will be traveling to Stevenson High School this Sunday. Good luck to both teams.

Boys & Girls Basketball Double Header
Come support both programs this Friday as the Mustangs take on Stevenson High School
Varsity girls tip off @ 5:30 followed by Varsity boys @ 7pm. Let’s cheer these two teams to victories.


Photos from the Week:


With a smile on his face, Alexis Chavez '19 anticipates his first show choir performance of the season on Saturday Dec. 3, 2016. This is his second year doing show choir. Chavez said, "I really enjoy performing and I'd say show choir is really fun for me.” Photo taken by Rosie Gomez

Caleb Engelhardt, 19' plays a match of “Super Smash Bros” on the Gamecube in gaming club. Every week many people play the same game in a mini-tournament for fun. "This is the first time I'm not playing as player 1!" C210 on December 7, 2016. Photo taken by Henry Fiocchi

Just before the third girls varsity basketball game hosted at home on Wednesday, Dec. 7, Kendall Wald ‘17, Alana Goodson ‘17, Taylor Parola ‘17, Sarah Ouimet ‘17, Kelsy Austwick ‘18, Hannah Buscher ‘18 and manager Lizeth Mora ‘18 line up to face the flag before they play against Zion-Benton High School. With her high school career coming to an end, Goodson has participated in girls swim and dive and girls water polo for the last two years but has enjoyed playing basketball for the last seven years. Goodson said, “I look forward to every game because it’s a chance to see all of our hard work come to life.” Photo taken by Sydney Blackmer

Helping pack lunches for the local PADS homeless shelter, Jake Antenore '17 counts out 40 bologna and cheese sandwiches. Interact club packs and delivers 40 sack lunches on the first Wednesday of every month. Antenore says "It's a great opportunity to give to those who are less fortunate, it's a simple task but makes all the difference." Photo taken by Gabby Antenore

Before their first basketball game performance, Jessica Franzen '19 practices her winter guard routine on Tuesday, December 6. This is her second year participating in winterguard. Franzen said, "I like being able to perform because it's so much fun."  Photo taken by Claire Kim

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Your Thoughts Are Important To Us...5Essentials Survey

Your thoughts are important to us!  This is a reminder to participate in the parent survey of the Illinois 5Essentials Survey.  You should have received a letter by mail in early November detailing the purpose of the survey. We guarantee that survey responses will never be connected to the identity of you or your child. School reports will only present aggregated information of how parents and students responded as a whole.

A parent survey report will be generated if at least 20 percent of parents respond to the survey. While the parent data will not be made public, the parent report will be made available to the principal, Dr. Anthony Kroll and the superintendent, Dr. Kevin Meyers and will enable them to make considerations based on the responses given by Mundelein parents. Your participation in the parent survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Again, your identity and individual survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

Teachers and 6th through 12th graders throughout Illinois are taking the teacher and student 5Essentials Survey.  School-level 5Essentials Reports will be generated if teachers and/or students meet their 50 percent response-rate thresholds. These research-based reports will be sent to schools and districts in May and will also be included in the State School Report Card, released statewide in the fall.

 Please visit  https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ to take the parent survey.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact 5Essentials Customer Support at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.

Recognition



MHS senior selected as a National Hispanic Scholar
Mundelein High School senior, Jisel Gomez, has been selected as a National Hispanic Scholar,
sponsored by the College Board. The selection is similar in level to the National Merit Scholar program and is recognized by universities who will provide scholarships much like they do for National Merit finalists.

Gomez has been involved in a number of activities during her four years at MHS. She is the co-president of Link Crew which she has been involved with for two years, she is the vice president of the Mundelein After School  Coalition which she has been on for four years, and secretary of Interact, another of her four-year commitments. She also was a member of National Honor Society, Student Leadership and Best Buddies.

Outside of school, Gomez went on two Mission trips to St. Louis and Detroit Lakes, MN working with the Catholic Heart Workcamp. She was a guest services volunteer at Advocate Condell Medical Center and currently works as a high school page intern at Cook Memorial Library.
Gomez is considering Loyola, Northwestern and the University of Illinois where she will be a  pre-med bio major.

“One of my favorite memories from MHS is being part of Link Crew for the past two years and to participate in freshman orientation,” Gomez explained. “There is so much school spirit and excitement among the upperclassmen and incoming freshmen on that day,” she said.


Senior earns full ride University of Alabama Presidential Scholarship
Mundelein High School senior, Jack Olorvida, was recently notified that he is receiving the
University of Alabama Presidential Scholarship worth $107,000.  He will major in biology on a pre-med track with a minor in music. Olorvida chose Alabama to allow him to pursue musical opportunities during the summers and eventually enter medical school debt free. He is also looking forward to trying out for the Million Dollar Marching Band, smaller class sizes and many research opportunities within the Honors College. In addition, he will appreciate “a beautiful campus and warmer climate.”

While at MHS Olorvida has spent a majority of his time in music groups including the honors wind ensemble, marching band [drum captain his senior year], jazz band, percussion ensemble, No!se Combo, pep band and orchestra pit for the school musical Shrek. He is also the co-editor of Mark Times, a satirical marching band newspaper.

Outside of music, Olorvida was a member of the math team, member and vice president of the philosophy club and he has worked for two years at the Kumon Tutoring Center.
On his MHS experience, Olorvida said “My fondest memory is having the incredible opportunity of contributing to so many different bands and sharing those experiences with the best people in the school.”


Boys Basketball players volunteer at Feed My Starving Children
Several members of the Boys Basketball team volunteered their time on Wednesday, November 30th packing meals specifically formulated for malnourished children. Meals are shipped to nearly 70 countries around the world.


Activities



Mental Health Awareness Week
Mundelein High School is committed to helping every student grow academically, socially, and
emotionally. We understand and appreciate that student well-being is vital for personal success, and we strive to ensure that students develop the social-emotional skills that will help them manage their emotions and navigate their environments.

The week of December 5-9 will be Mental Health Awareness Week at MHS. The theme for this week is Be the Voice, which is the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention’s theme for this year. Our goal is for all students to take away three key messages:

You are not alone
You have support, and
Be the voice

Throughout the week, students will take part in various activities.

You should have received a separate email outlining the activities for the week and sharing resources.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s social worker or counselor.

You may also reach out directly to any of the following administrators:
Jessica Herrmann, Systems of Support Coordinator x 1420 jherrmann@d120.org
Tom Buenik, Director of Guidance 847.949.2200 x 1262  tbuenik@d120.org, and
Jamie DiCarlo, Director of Special Education   x 1414  jdicarlo@d120.org


Jerri Craven Memorial Cookbook and Scholarship fund
To fund a scholarship in her name, Jerri Craven’s friends and family organized the lessons and
recipes that Jerri taught into a cookbook. Countless former students have commented that they still use some of the recipes from class, but they’ve forgotten many others.

This book has a threefold purpose:

  • To organize all the unit lessons and recipes that Jerri taught
  • To serve as a loving memory of a wonderful teacher and friend, and
  • To raise funds in Jerri’s name for an MHS scholarship.


This book is dedicated to all Foods students, past, present and future, at Mundelein High School.
Cookbooks can be purchased online through RevTrak, https://mundelein.revtrak.net/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=45,  in the school bookstore, or Saturday, December 3 at Santa’s Workshop, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the high school for $10.00. Online purchases can be picked up in the bookstore or main office, or shipped for $5.00.










Nanotechnology & Research class field trip
Wednesday, November 9, the MHS Nanotechnology and Research class took a fieldtrip to visit Northwestern University’s nanotechnology laboratories.  They talked with faculty, staff and students as they operated various research grade nanotechnology.  They discussed how the instruments work and how they are applied to research topics.  After the tour the students interacted with a panel of undergraduate and graduate students who talked about how they became involved in research projects and life as university students.  Dr. Karl Hagglund, a parent of an MHS student, assisted in making the arrangements with Northwestern University.


Orchesis Clinic, December 4 and Recital December 5
Mundelein High School’s Orchesis Dance Club will present its Winter Recital Monday, December 5
at 7:00 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. Cost is $4 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. The show will feature performances by the MHS Orchesis Dance Club, the PE dance classes and community members who attend the kids clinic Sunday, December 4 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. The clinic is open to all girls and boys from preschool through eighth grade. Participants will dance in the Monday evening show.
Nancy Toland is the Orchesis Dance Club advisor.


Village, schools to host Information Night; Babysitting service available
The Village of Mundelein, Mundelein Police Department and several Mundelein School Districts will host an Information Night on Monday, December 5, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Washington School, 122 S. Garfield Ave. Local legislators, immigration attorneys, and representatives from the Mexican Consulate will address public policy and immigration concerns which may help school district parents make informed decisions.  A free babysitting service will be offered at the school so that parents may attend the event.

District 75 Superintendent Andy Henrikson said, “We hope that the December 5 meeting will provide parents real information with which they can make decisions concerning their children and their family’s futures.”

Mundelein High School District 120 Superintendent Kevin Myers said, “We are looking forward to healthy dialog with our residents and hope to help share information and resources with them,” he said.

The event is free of charge.


College and Career Resource Center



College to host December information sessions on career programs
Careers in several fields, ranging from dental hygiene to paralegal, will be the focus of information sessions being offered at the College of Lake County in December.
Each session lasts about an hour and includes an overview of duties, a typical day, salary, job outlook and educational requirements. No RSVP is required. Unless noted otherwise, the sessions will take place at the Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington St.:

  • Medical Imaging: December 5 at 2 p.m., Room C136.
  • Nursing: December 6 at 10 a.m., Room T331.
  • Surgical Technology: December 6 at 5:30 p.m., Room D204.
  • Dental Hygiene: December 7 at noon, Room N135, Lakeshore Campus, 111 N. Genesee St., Waukegan.
  • Massage Therapy: December 7 at noon, Room R220, Southlake Campus, 1120 S. Milwaukee, Ave., Vernon Hills.
  • Health Information Technology: December 7 at 1 p.m., Room C136.
  • Paralegal Studies: December 8 at 6:30 p.m., Room T333.
  • Information Technology: December 13 at 6 p.m., Room T335.
  • Mechatronics: December 14 at 6 p.m., Room D209.

View all of CLC’s credit program information sessions by division at www.clcillinois.edu/infosessions. Spring Semester classes begin January 16, and registration is now open. To view course offerings and learn how to become a CLC student, visit www.clcillinois.edu/spring.


Athletics



MHS taps two alums to lead girls water polo teams
Mundelein High School graduate Mike Vukovics has been named head coach of the girls water polo
team beginning this season. Vukovics is in his first year teaching at MHS in the wellness department.
Vukovics graduated from MHS in 2001 and later earned a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University. Since that time he has coached football for eight years, basketball for one year and track for two years. It will be his first time leading a girls water polo team.
“Mike’s years of coaching experience with other sports will serve him well in this position,” said Troy Parola, MHS athletic director.

Vukovics will be assisted by another  MHS alum, Amanda Boothe, who was a member of the girls water polo team during her high school career.


Girls Swimming/Diving
We would like to recognize MacKenzie Strong (2020) for her state showing.
4th and 5th place respectively in the AWD 50 free & AWD 200 Free.
Also competing at state was Maggie Franz Diving-22nd & Angela Bowes 100 Backstroke 24th








Girls & Boys Basketball
Completed their season opener-Thanksgiving tournaments
Girls finished 2-3 and the Boys 1-3

All-tournament team members:
Girls                                   Boys                                  
Morgan Frank               Tommy Marcotte
Sarah Ouimet                 James Willman
Rachel Tipperreiter

Dance Invite
Varsity mustangs danced their way to a 9th & 10th place finish last weekend with over 25 schools competing.  The JV team finished 2nd place in their division.

Wrestling
MHS defeated Zion-Benton in their season opener.



Football
Shout out goes to #21 Aaron Woolford selected to the IHSFCA All-State Team as Honorable Mention. Congratulations to Aaron and Coach Larry Calhoun. High-fives all around!

Photos from the Week:


During the annual MASC turkey delivery, Kelly Delgado '18 and Diana Orozco '18 stop for a photo before leaving the Mundelein Police Department. Every year Mundelein After-School Coalition pack bags of Thanksgiving meal prep and distributes them to families in the community. Delgado says "A generous act can go a long way especially for a family that truly needs the extra help during the holidays." Photo taken by Gabby Antenore

Robotics club meets after school on Nov. 30 as Emily Bauman '20 said, "Come help out while I screw on some more adjustments." Photo taken by Leslie Cuna

Excited for the season, Senior Rachel Tipperrieter warms-up before her game against Highland Park on Monday, Nov. 14. She said she is looking forward to the season with the team. Photo taken by Myah Strokosch


Filled with joy, Nichole Babiez '17 smiles as she pets a stray dog that was roaming around in the parking lot during lunch. Mundelein students started playing with the dog as they came in towards their lunch period. Nicole said, "I stayed with the dog until the police came to come pick it up because I wanted to make sure it finds it's owner.” Photo taken by Tania Gomez
MHS students talk with Lake County companies about post secondary education opportunities and career opportunities in manufacturing.

Lake County has the most manufacturing career opportunities in the state and 5th in the nation!

Many companies will pay for post secondary education to secure a workforce.

Over half the 3.5 million manufacturing and 1.4 million computer science jobs go unfilled because of the lack of educated workers.  Those jobs don't go unfilled, they go somewhere else.  Learn more by talking with your MHS guidance counselor.