The district is considering an alternative daily schedule to replace the current 4x4 Block Schedule that has been in place since 1996. A committee made up of staff and administration has been studying various schedules for over a year. Their most important finding has been that students are at a disadvantage under the current schedule because of what is called “gap time.” The committee has determined that gap time has had a negative effect both on ACT test scores and Advanced Placement [AP] scores as well as student grades in general. The administration is looking for a schedule that is year-long based so that the majority of courses are 36-weeks long. Currently, the Block Schedule has 9-week and 18-week courses only.
Of the 20 Lake County High Schools, 17 are on traditional 8-period day schedules while three are on modified block schedules. MHS is the only Lake County high school on a 4x4 Block Schedule.
Residents will hear a short presentation about the alternatives to the Block Schedule that the administration is considering and there will be time for questions and answers. An official recommendation is expected to be made to the Board of Education in September. If the bell schedule is changed, it would go into effect in the 2017 – 2018 school year.
Please consider attending the remaining meeting for further information regarding a recommendation to the District 120 Board of Education. The last meeting will be held Wednesday, August 31 beginning at 6 p.m. in the MHS auditorium.
Announcements
Back-to-School Bash
Student Leadership will be hosting the 3rd Annual Back to School Bash. This event takes place in conjunction with the soccer and football program's fall scrimmages, the Scarlet and Grey Game. The Back to School Bash will include a 40 foot inflatable obstacle course, a chance to dunk your teachers and community police officers in the dunk tank, and a life-size human foosball court. There will be plenty of food, drinks, music, and fun for all. The cost for admittance into the Back to School Bash is $2 which includes food, drinks, and activities. All students are invited to attend which will take place on Friday, August 19.
The times of events are as follows:
5:00pm – 6:00pm: Varsity Soccer Scrimmage (Stadium), Freshmen Football Scrimmage (Baseball field)
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Varsity Football Scrimmage (Stadium), Freshmen Soccer Scrimmage (Baseball field)
7:00pm – 9:00pm: Back to School Bash (North Field and North Lot)
Hope to see you there!
Annual Open House at MHS Aug. 24; tours of new building addition included
Mundelein High School will hold its annual Open House for parents of MHS students Wednesday, August 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. An optional part of the program will be tours of the new building addition from 5 to 7 p.m., led by MHS students.
The formal program will begin in the Auditorium at 7 p.m. where parents will hear a brief overview of programs and basic information. Following that presentation, parents will follow an abbreviated schedule of their children’s classes. In class, the instructor will discuss course expectations, grading, content and more. The program will conclude after the final class period.
Prior to the formal program, parents may pick up a copy of their children’s schedules in the cafeteria if they don’t already have one. Also in the cafeteria, freshman parents may receive their PowerSchool passwords.
If your student has a balance on their MHS account, an invoice will also be available to pick up in the cafeteria. Please remember that all student accounts must be in good standing (paid in full, or up to date on an approved payment plan) in order to participate in extracurricular activities (Homecoming dance, athletics, etc.).
Throughout the evening, student leaders will be available to help parents locate their classrooms.
Mundelein Ambassadors
Who we are: Parents of Mundelein High School students who want to support our school and community.
Purpose: To build bridges with parents, sender schools, community and MHS faculty.
Commitment: One meeting a month 90 minutes
2-3 hours per activity
Events:
- Freshmen Families BBQ
- Meet with all sender school future 9th grade families
- Served snow cones at Freshmen Orientation
- Supervise senior Graduation Night
- Supervise Back to School Bash
- Assist with Mr. Mustang
- Organize Teacher Appreciation Week
If you want to be part of the group and help out once in awhile contact
Lisa Brandt: jlre.brandt@gmail.com
College and Career Resource Center
Naviance: The “Colleges” Tab
All MHS students have access to Naviance – a program that offers a variety of supports to them including college planning resources, test prep materials, interest inventories that can link them with potential career choices and more! This week I would like to provide an overview of what one portion of this program has to offer.
Within the “Colleges” tab all students (freshmen through seniors) have access to do college research. The SuperMatch college search allows students to respond to questions about what they are looking for in a college to start narrowing down potential choices. These searches can then be saved to review in the future with their counselor. They can also make use of the scattergrams to get an idea of how likely they are to be accepted at an institution based on data gathered from GPAs and ACT scores of past MHS students.
When a student has found a school they are interested in, they can save it to their “Colleges I’m Thinking About” list. This is an extremely helpful list to start at any time as it will eventually lead to the list that seniors use to request transcripts and connect MHS to their college applications (the “Colleges I’m Applying To” list).
Students can also view all upcoming college visits and sign up to attend through their Naviance account. This allows them to speak with our representatives in person, which is a huge benefit to the application process! (Parents can view the upcoming college representative visits beginning in September here: http://www.d120.org/academics/ccrc/default.aspx)
Finally, in the scholarship section students can research ways to find extra money to help pay for colleges. At this point in the year our local lists are not fully updated as we generally receive word of the scholarships that will be offered locally throughout the year and into the Spring and add them as they come, but the links are still functioning for national scholarships!
Students have access to their Naviance account through the d120 website. Their login and password are the same combination that was originally assigned to them for PowerSchool. If they no longer remember this they can receive a new copy from their counselor at any time.
Activities
MANE TV Broadcasting Team
Students! Come to an information breakfast meeting on Thursday, August 25, 8:50am in room A213 to learn how to get involved in the MANE TV Broadcasting Team. There is something for everyone - whether you are interested in operating the sound board or being on the other end of the microphone providing the play-by-play and color announcing. Maybe you want to be on the field behind a camera or enjoy being in the TV control room /TV Truck directing the camera people. MANE TV records a variety of school events including football, baseball, volleyball games or performances in the theatre.
Come for the food, get involved, and join us for our first home football game September 2nd. No experience is necessary. Attend productions that fit your schedule and interest level.
Powder Puff Football
The annual Powder Puff games during Homecoming Week will happen on Wednesday, September 7 at 5:30pm in the football stadium.
Freshman Girls (coached by Mr. Packowitz) vs. Sophomore Girls (coached by Mrs. Mendez)
Junior Girls (coached by Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Ryan) vs. Senior Girls (coached by Mr. Garcia)
Be on the lookout for information regarding practice. Any girl interested should see their respective grade level coach for more information.
Game shirts are $10 each (due by Wednesday, August 31) – forms can be found and payments can be made at the Bookstore.
Recognition
Future Leaders of Chicago (FloChicago)
 |
| Alicia Ramirez |
FloChicago. The session, held in late July/early August, offered seminars on good governance and visits to Chicago City Hall and the Chicago Public Housing Authority. Students researched and presented case studies on organizational leadership. Highlights included presentations by Don Thompson, former CEO of McDonald’s Corporation, and David Axelrod, chief strategist for President Obama and University of Chicago Distinguished Senior Fellow.
Ramirez, a senior and AVID student, gained skills to measure leadership impact, saying, “We visited Little Village and learned how ineffective government can create larger social problems.”
Students pack food boxes to help others
Twenty-seven students in Nicole Malham's Current World Issues course volunteered two hours of their time August 17 at Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville. They helped pack a total of 148 boxes of food which would help to feed 87 children for an entire year!
"Through this experience, MHS students were able to see that they can make a positive impact on the global issues we are studying in Current World Issues," Malham explained
Athletics
Athletics are up and running
Please check the website for times and locations. Click HERE for more information.
Fall team pictures
Fall team pictures were taken Thursday, August 18. If you wish to order a team sport picture call VIP at 1-800-577-9570.
North Suburban Conference Promotional Video
This is the first year of the "new" North Suburban Conference. Waukegan High School joins the conference as six smaller schools left the conference over the summer. The video below showcases Mundelein and the seven other schools in the NSC. Enjoy! (Mundelein starts at 8:30)
Please check the website for times and locations. Click HERE for more information.
Fall team pictures
Fall team pictures were taken Thursday, August 18. If you wish to order a team sport picture call VIP at 1-800-577-9570.
North Suburban Conference Promotional Video
This is the first year of the "new" North Suburban Conference. Waukegan High School joins the conference as six smaller schools left the conference over the summer. The video below showcases Mundelein and the seven other schools in the NSC. Enjoy! (Mundelein starts at 8:30)
Photos from the Week:
 | |
| Alexander Loding ´17 catches a breath after an intense football practice. Photo taken by Jessica Marvin |
 |
| On the fourth day of school, Denise Gonzalez '17, Alexandara Maldonado '17, Kayla Lentch '17, and Katelyn Clup '18 are wandering through the halls of MHS in hopes to find their next clue for Psychology class. Photo taken by Sydney Blackmer |
 |
| Mitchell Zaprzalka '17 attended a leadership conference at Stevenson High School on Sunday Aug. 14th, along with other sports who involved students to represent our school in the North Suburban Conference. Photo taken by Myah Strokosch |
 | |
| Stephanie Villagomez '17 and Josselin Rodriguez '17 review for an upcoming math quiz, using the new white boards provided by the building addition in room B130. Photo taken by Gabby Antenore |
 |
| Megan Rastrelli ´19 and Maggie Lukas ´19 enjoy a few extra minutes after lunch on Aug. 17 to do some work in their Honors English 2 class. Photo taken by Stephanie Rivas |