Recognition
School newspaper, yearbook staffs win awards for 2020-21 productions
The publication courses earned awards for their 2020-21 work on the student-produced newspaper The Mustang and the school yearbook the Obelisk.
The 2020-21 newspaper staff earned an International Second Place Award for Quill & Scroll’s 2021 News Media Evaluation.
“Getting professional criticism from actual journalists is one of the best opportunities a student staff can have,” Mustang Co-Editor-in-Chief Tress Dorfler ‘22 said. “I’m very grateful for the chance to improve and proud of my peers and me for placing second in an international competition.”
This was the first year the staff entered the contest for a comprehensive review of its online presence since the staff did not produce print editions given the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The staff received an excellence for its general journalism practices and a rating of good in the categories of “Writing & Editing,” “Visuals” and “Digital.”
“Given the inability to create print issues last year, we placed all our focus on our online platforms,” Mustang Co-Editor-in-Chief Ashley Cline ‘22 said. “This included creating an Instagram account to promote our articles (@mhsnewseditors) and placing more emphasis on the layout and effectiveness of our website. Although we have returned to being a hybrid publication, the improvements we made last year will leave a positive impact on the program moving forward.”
The 2020-21 yearbook staff earned awards in eight out of nine categories in the Illinois Journalism Education Association Division 5 Yearbook Contest, taking second place in the category of “Overall General Excellence.”
“Coming into the 2020-21 school year completely virtual, I honestly wasn’t sure if we were going to pull it off, but I knew I wanted to stick with it,” Yearbook Editor-in-Chief Avery Refka ‘22 said. "As editor-in-chief, I knew it was important to come up with ways to make the book a success while working completely from home. That’s what last year was all about—brainstorming ways to make the book a success despite the world circumstances.”
The yearbook staff also received first places in the “Divider Pages,” “Best Use of Photography” and the “Copy Writing” categories.
“One of our mottos was ‘Tell the story of the year no matter what that story looks like,’ and I definitely think that’s what the book shows,” Refka said. “It’s times like last year that really show you what can happen when you push through challenges, which is why I love the journalism program at MHS; perseverance and problem-solving are huge strengths that can be both positive impacts and takeaways from last year. I’m really proud of the staff's dedication and the final product.”
Additionally, the yearbook staff received third place in “Sports Coverage” and “Coverage of the Year” categories.
“The pandemic really took a toll on being able to get in-person coverage; however, our goal was to meet a certain percentage of students covered no matter the circumstances,” Yearbook Sports Editor Brianna Richards ‘22 said. “Coming in third place for ‘Coverage of the Year’ is huge. Staff members played a huge role in this by being able to get out of their friend bubble and reach out to people who typically would have strayed from being in the yearbook. Getting coverage from multiple events whether sports, clubs and assemblies, was a very hard task to complete at the peak of the pandemic and eLearning. We relied heavily on parents, students, staff members and Visual Image Photography to get [us] pictures to get as much coverage as possible. Yet, the staff remained positive during many stressful moments, such as a shortage of pictures, people not answering emails for interviews and many student activities not running. The goal for every yearbook is to capture the year in a book, and our 2020-2021 yearbook covered it perfectly.”
Finally, the yearbook staff took honorable mentions in the “Graphics” and “Theme Development” categories.
“All these awards are quite the accomplishment for both journalism staffs given all the creative solutions they had to implement last year during the COVID-19 pandemic remote and hybrid learning,” said Michelle Didzbalis, adviser to both the student-produced newspaper and the yearbook. “They never lost their visions or passions for telling the stories of the year no matter what that year looked like.”
Activities
5Essentials Parent Survey
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.
We value your opinions about the operations of the high school and are looking for your input. This is your chance to provide input concerning your children’s education. MHS benefits from a strong response rate from parents in order for us to access to the data from the survey. The survey is available to MHS parents now and the deadline to complete the survey is March 22 but we encourage you to complete it as soon as you can.
2022 Illinois Parent Survey
Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
- Does my student demonstrate specific strengths in your class?
- How is my student doing in your class: Grades, attendance, missing assignments
- How can my student improve his/her grade?
- Is there some way that I can check my student’s progress in class?
- Are there any upcoming projects or assignments my student should be working on?
Employment
MHS Career Discovery
Are you looking for a job? Would you like a summer job, employment after graduation, an internship or another employment opportunity?
MHSCareerDiscovery.com is our career web page. The purpose of this page is to connect interested students with part-time employment, seasonal and internship opportunities - as well as career after high school opportunities. It also includes information about upcoming career fairs, employer open houses, and various industry specific promotional events.
Most of these jobs do not require prior experience. Instead, local companies are seeking students who are eager to learn, dependable, committed and willing to work hard. That’s what Mustangs are all about; so companies want to work with you!
You can access it from the MHS web page under the STUDENTS link, or go directly to this page. Some of the current available jobs include:
- Discovery Day Camp Counselor
- Von Miller Kennels Clinician
- Libertyville Manor Dietician
- Mundelein Park and Rec Lifeguards
- Kumon Assistant Math and Reading Tutor
And more…..
Jobs are added all the time, so keep looking.
See Mrs. Fiore in the CCRC with any questions.
Check it out today!
College & Career
College scholarships for Seniors are in full swing, so be sure to catch up on any of the scholarships that are being offered through Naviance.
Click on This Link for Next Week's Scholarship List
Also check out our Twitter and Instagram accounts for upcoming events.
As a reminder, if you have not yet done so, please take a moment to review and bookmark the Virtual College and Career Resource Center. (Virtual CCRC)
Remember, if you have questions at any time you just have to schedule an appointment with Mrs. Rusk, our College Counselor, and we can connect via Zoom to talk through any questions or concerns you may have!
Or, you can just stop by The College & Career Resource Center (CCRC) - Room B105 Monday through Friday from 7:25 a.m. until 3:25 p.m.
Athletics
Girls Bowling
Coaches Corner: Vanessa Prorok
Mundelein Varsity Girls Bowling competed at Conference this weekend. Although we did not place in the top 4 qualifying teams, we earned 7th place. A huge accomplishment and look forward to next year as we will only graduate one senior from the Varsity squad. Congratulations to Sophomore Samantha Sciortino who will be moving onto Sectionals by placing 3rd overall. She will bowl at Arlington Lanes on Saturday for her shot at going to State.
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| Sam Sciortino 1st place Sectionals (Individual) by 57 pins! |
Congratulations to the following wrestlers headed to IHSA Sectionals: Bryce Durlacher (113), Eric Nova (145), Henry Ortiz (220), Ethan Thomas (132) and Miguel Hernandez (285).
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| Bryce Durlacher 1st Place |
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| Eric Nova 1st place |
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| Henry Ortiz 1 place |
Gymnastics
MHS hosted the IHSA Sectional meet this past Tuesday evening. A great night was had by all and the IHSA Sectional Champs were the Cougars from Vernon Hills.
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| Welcome to sectionals gymnastics with Sectional qualifiers Isla Rehm (25') and Megan Oates (24') |
Girls Basketball
Congratulations to Brenda Mondragon on her NSC Sportsmanship award.
Also, congratulations to all the seniors that were celebrated. Alyssa Cheverette, Paulina Castaneda Hurtado, Madison Werner, Brenda Mondragon and Allison Binz. We appreciate your dedication to the girls basketball program.
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| Girls Basketball NSC Sportsmanship winner Brenda Mondragon |
Photos From the Week
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| Finishing up their project, French 4 students Jamie Ketchum '22, Jessica Hebior '22, and Shane O'Malley '22 play their role for a French play titled "Berenice" during second period in the auditorium on Tuesday, Feb. 8.- Avery Refka ‘22 |
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| During strength class Feb 9 Thomas Russ ‘24 and Tyler Coomans 23 work on their backward lunges in the weight room.- Jalen Lewis “24 |
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| After school during the Stand Up meeting, student Seleste Orellana '24 represents the club with a poster about relationships.- Ivana Rosillo ‘24 |
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| Celebrating senior night at their home gym on Friday Feb. 4, the girls basketball team seniors are accompanied by their families and mentors on the court to be recognized.- Ashley Wolverton ‘23 |
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| On Friday, Feb. 4 before the varsity girls basketball game, Alyssa Cheverette '22, her coach, and her mom celebrate senior night in the main gym.- Adrianna Nuzzo ‘22 |
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| Space to Earth: Haydn Nuttall '23 uses the Electron Microscope to further study and analyze the metals in a meteorite from Mars for her Nanotechnology Research Project on Tuesday, Feb. 8 during 8th period.-Brianna Richards ‘22 |
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| During the varsity girls basketball game on Friday Feb. 4 the varsity cheer team lines up as our band plays the national anthem in the main gym.-Adrianna Nuzzo ‘22 |
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| Ready to win against the Warren Blue Devils, the Mundelein Mustangs JV girls basketball team plays hard against their opponents on Wednesday, Feb. 9 in the main gym.-Jenna Santos ‘23 |