Congratulations Class of 2018!

Congratulations to the Mundelein High School Class of 2018!

As our seniors end their high school careers this week, the staff of Mundelein High School wishes each student the best in the future.  It has been an honor to watch each student grow and mature into young men and women who will be leaders of their generation.

Congratulations to the Valedictorian Abigail Lukas who graduates with a weighted GPA of 4.55.  Abbie has been recognized as Academic All American Water Polo athlete, all time leading goal
scorer for MHS, top 10 goal scorer in IHSA season and individual game, MHS female scholar athlete of the year, MHS most outstanding female senior athlete and many more athletic accomplishments.  Abbie has been a member of the Student Athletic Leadership Team, Math Team, and National Honor Society.   Abbie will be attending George Washington University and will study Biomedical Chemical Engineering.

Valedictorian Abigail Lukas and Salutatorian Kristin Lay

Salutatorian Kristin Lay graduates with a weighted GPA of 4.398.  Kristin has been involved in marching band and concert band all four years at MHS.  Kristin was a member of the Honors-level Band for 3 years, switched from playing the clarinet to playing the bass clarinet during senior year to help fill instrumentation needs of Honors Wind Ensemble, and served as the Band Librarian this year.  She is a member of National Honor Society,  Linkcrew, Asian Culture Club, and has volunteered at Condell.   Kristin will be attending Case Western Reserve University and will study Biochemistry and Political Science.

Both seniors will give formal speeches during the MHS Graduation Ceremony to be held Sunday, May 13 at 3 p.m. at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. Hannah Adams was chosen through an audition process to be the senior class speaker at the event. Four hundred fifty-four MHS seniors are slated to graduate on Sunday.

We’re very proud of our valedictorian and salutatorian as they set their personal bars very high and worked very hard during their four years to achieve that. Congratulations to them both.

Mundelein High School to graduate 454 on May 13
Mundelein High School will hold its Graduation Ceremony Sunday, May 13, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. Four hundred fifty-four seniors are slated to receive their high school diplomas at that time.

Following opening remarks by Superintendent Kevin Myers and Principal Anthony Kroll, the audience will hear from Ricky Rodriguez, school-wide president. The event will include musical selections from the Combined Honors Band and a combination of Master Singers, Concert Choir and 2018 Choir graduates.

Key speakers will include Valedictorian Abigail Lukas, Salutatorian Kristin Lay and Hannah Adams who earned the Senior Speaker honor through an audition process. Senior Class President Sabrina Lee will offer closing comments and direct the Class of 2018 in the “moving of the tassels.”

The MHS Class of 2018 has been offered millions of dollars in scholarship opportunities and military appointments.

Graduation is always an enjoyable event for educators who have spent the past four years working with these young people. It is a time for us all to celebrate the accomplishments of the past and also look forward to the many new adventures these students will experience. Congratulations to the MHS Class of 2018!

Recognition

MHS junior earns perfect ACT score
John Lay, a Mundelein High School junior, recently received word that he scored a perfect score of 36 on the ACT Test. He took the test on April 14 this year.

John Lay

“I didn’t really study a lot for the test,” Lay explained. “I did a few practice tests beforehand and that was about it. I had taken it once before, a few months earlier and scored a 34 but didn’t finish every section. I figured I’d probably do better the second time!,” he said.

After graduation Lay hopes to major in computer science at the University of Illinois where his father graduated from. His current course load at MHS includes Advanced Placement [AP] Government and Politics, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language, Honors Spanish 4, Honors Physics and Honors Wind Ensemble.

Lay plays the bassoon in Honors Wind Ensemble and he is a member of a computer and byte club.
“Now that I don’t have to worry about the ACT test anymore I plan to be involved in more extracurriculars during my senior year,” he concluded.

MHS student journalists earn multiple IJEA awards
Mundelein High School’s student newspaper, The Mustang, recently received nine awards for materials entered in the Illinois Journalism
Education Association’s [IJEA] 2018 News and Digital Media Contest. Michelle Didzbalis is The Mustang staff advisor.
Students earned the following awards:
Best News Story: First place to Madison Parola
Best Sports News Story:  Honorable Mention to Tyler Yakimisky
Best Sports Feature Story:  Second place to Paige Novander
Best Sports Commentary:  Third Place to Isaiah Wellman
Best Review:  First place to Allison Nick
Best Sports Photo:  Third Place to Maggie O’Donnell
Best Alternative Storytelling:  Second Place to Maggie O’Donnell
Best Photo Story:  First Place to Gianna Scibetta, Madison Parola, Tyler Yakimisky, Sydney Blackmer, Kendall Job and Kyle Ehemann
Best Hybrid Publication:  Honorable Mention

MHS to honor employees for reaching milestones of service
Mundelein High School will hold its annual Staff Recognition Ceremony Tuesday, May 15 at the Hawthorn Woods Country Club. A social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Kevin Myers, superintendent and Dr. Anthony Kroll, principal will host the event.

Joan Hornby - 40 yrs service to MHS

The award ceremony will begin with the “Mustang Star Awards” which are given annually to recognize staff members who have made a significant difference in MHS life. These awards are usually not announced in advance of the program.

Listed below are the milestones and those staff members who have earned their places in them:
Granted tenure:  Julie Block, Michelle Billone, Valerie Riley, Janette Swanston
Ten Years of Service:  Ernie Billittier, Jamie Brongiel, Stephen Douglas, Rosalina Esmez, Samantha Fehrman, Ryan Heidner, Cynthia Henrichs, Melissa Schaefer, Melissa Sethna
Fifteen Years of Service:  Kent Meister, Julie Wheeler
Twenty Years of Service:  Victoria Alex-Howard, Jean Davis, James Doyle, Alexander Kapotas, Diane Risdon
Twenty-five Years of Service:  Diane Covert, Stacey Darcy, Jennifer Franco, Anthony Kroll
Thirty Years of Service:  Lynn Dowell, Christine O’Toole
Forty Years of Service:  Joan Hornby

MHS grad lands job with ESPN
Gabriella Scibetta, a 2014 Mundelein High School graduate who worked as a sports editor on the MHS student newspaper The Mustang, will graduate this weekend from Southern Illinois University and is looking forward to her new career.  She will be a member of the ESPN Production Department.  She studied journalism at SIU and was a member of The Daily Egyptian sports news staff.

This past fall, she spoke to the MHS newspaper class about her journalism experiences in college and how working on the high school newspaper prepared her for her chosen career path.

“Gabriella knew exactly what she wanted to do job-wise as a sophomore in high school when she first took Introduction to Journalism. It’s been amazing to see her pursue that goal so passionately and to watch all her hard work pay off with a dream job,” The Mustang Adviser Michelle Didzbalis said.
Scibetta’s sister Gianna is the current editor-in-chief of The Mustang and will also graduate this weekend.

World War II Veteran Visit to MHS
Jim Drier’s English Honors 1 student book club choice of “Nazi Hunters” inspired a visit from World War II veteran Don Carter, who served from 1944 through 1945 in the Army’s 44th Field Artillery Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. Carter detailed his combat experiences including landing at Normandy beach. When his tank maneuvered into the town square in Cherbourg, France, Carter set his sites on the Burgermeister’s headquarters which was decorated with a sizable Nazi flag. Carter seized the flag and sent it to his hometown of Hormel, New York, where it was proudly displayed in a department store window. Here Carter shows the flag to students.

Activities

Text-A-Tip
The summer offers a break from routine, but also can increase teenagers’ feelings of disconnection. That is why today, we sent a reminder email to students about Text-A-Tip. We also want to make sure that you, as parents, know that Text-A-Tip is a resource that is available to everyone in the community, 24/7, all year round.

With Text-A-Tip, teens can use their preferred method of communication - text messaging - to reach out for help for themselves or friends. The resource allows teens to find anonymous, immediate help for themselves if they are struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, depression, difficult family situations, bullying, or any of the many challenges they face today. The service is available 24/7, is completely anonymous, and is staffed with local counselors to support teenagers (and others) who have a concern or a crisis.

How It Works: Anyone who sends a text message “LAKECO” to 1-844-823-5323 will receive an immediate text response from a trained, professional counselor.  Counselors are provided by LEAD (Linking Efforts Against Drugs), a non-profit organization focused on promoting healthy family relationships and preventing alcohol and drug use and other risky behaviors by youth. The response team consists of licensed/certified mental health professionals from The Child, Adolescent, and Family Recovery Center in Lake Bluff. They are local clinicians who already understand the needs of our communities.

Thanks to a system that routes calls through a cloaking server, texters are completely anonymous, allowing teens freedom to reach out for help without fear. In the case of a life-threatening condition, emergency responders will be notified and be given as much information as is available to help the person in need.

Who Should Use Text-A-Tip?  Text-A-Tip is available for communication of any kind of concern, though it is primarily intended for community members to use when they need immediate mental health assistance or have a drug/alcohol abuse concern for themselves or a friend. Adults can use the service as well to report concerns.

As this is a true community partnership, you will see Text-A-Tip posters and signs in public spaces and businesses.

Athletics

Baseball
Congratulations to Ryan Patel who has committed to Saint Louis University to continue his academic and athletic career.

Congratulations to Mason Schaller who has committed to Triton College to continue his academic and athletic career.

Girls Soccer
Congratulations to the varsity soccer team for winning the Conference! First time in history. We are all very proud of you

Volleyball fundraiser for MHS family members
The Mundelein High School Boys Volleyball Program will play Wheeling Thursday, May 10 at 5 p.m. in the North Gym dedicated to the memory of Patrick Zepeda, father of freshman Nate Zepeda, who is a member of the MHS freshman volleyball team.

Patrick Zepeda leaves behind his wife Noemi, an MHS graduate, and four children. “This close-knit family is involved in the Mundelein community and local sports organizations,” said George Dressen, head volleyball coach. “The oldest, Lucas, played football for MHS and is finishing his freshman year playing football and earning a degree at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.”

The Zepeda Family Fund was created to help with expenses and the future education of his children. It has raised more than $24,000 to date.

A 50/50 raffle will take place during the game and donations will also be accepted to raise funds for the family.

Donations will also be accepted on the gofundme page at www.gofundme.com/patrickzepedafamily.

Congratulations to the Freshman B volleyball team for taking 1st place at the Zion Benton tourney.

Kelly Delgado sportsmanship winner for Girls Track

Congratulations girls track _ field

Boys Lacrosse sportsmanship winner Nathan Carland with Coach Moony

Girls Lacrosse sportsmanship winner Kelsy Austwick

Post-season play-offs (Regionals/Sectionals/State)
Boys Water Polo @ Buffalo Grove 5/9, 5/11 & 5/12
Girls Water Polo @ Buffalo Grove 5/10, 5/11 & 5/12
Girls Track/Field @ Palatine 5/10
Boys Gymnastics @ Hoffman Estates 5/11
Tennis @ Lake Forest & VHAC 5/10, 511 & 5/12
Girls Soccer @ Mundelein 5/15 & 5/18
Boys Track/Field @ Grayslake North 5/17
Boys Lacrosse @ Mundelein 5/19
Girls Lacrosse @ Carmel 5/21
Boys Volleyball @ TBA 5/21
Softball @ Mundelein 5/22 & 5/26
Baseball @ Mundelein 5/23, 5/24 & 5/26
Please view times for above events at http://as3.rschooltoday.com/public/genie/632/school/632/

Photos from the Week

On Tuesday May 8, Julia Anderson '18, paints a water-colored owl. Julia is working to complete her portfolio of 24 pieces for her Ap Art class. Photo taken by Myah Strokosch

Waiting for the next serve, Senior Nathaniel Morris and his partner Alexander Golebiowki compete on a very damp evening against Jakob's High School losing 4-8. Golebioski admits that if they were to play the team again they would play with more focus and possibly return to beat them. Photo taken by Diana Orozco

Sharing laughs, Khari Thompkins '19 and Brianna Martin '21 attend one of the last meetings for Black Student Union on May 10, 2018. During this meeting, the members discussed their thoughts and ideas on a new influential music video. Photo taken by Katie Staroszczyk