Principal's April/May Newsletter
Final Newsletter 22-23 School Year
Hi, this is a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have a student at, or have expressed an interest in, Glenbard East High School. Communication between Glenbard East and our families and community is very important to us. Don't forget to add ge_news@glenbard.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox! Please email any questions directly to Glenbard Staff, we are happy to respond.
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May 2
Glenbard Film Festival
5PM – Glen Art Theatre in downtown Glen Ellyn
May 5
Choir Storybook Concert
7PM – Biester Auditorium
&
Ram Records Album Release
8:30PM - Auditorium Foyer
May 9
Local Scholarship Award Night
7PM – Biester Auditorium
May 10
Orchestra Celebration Concert
7PM – Biester Auditorium
May 11
Senior Honors Convocation
7PM – Biester Auditorium
May 12
Senior Celebration
Seniors' Last Day
Prom
May 15
Annual ESPY Awards
May 17
A Little Night Music
7PM – Auditorium Foyer
May 17 - 19
FINALS
May 22
Student Non-Attendance Day/Finals Makeup Day
May 23
SUMMER RECESS BEGINS
GLENBARD EAST COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY - CLASS OF 2023
The Glenbard East Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2023 will take place at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn on Wednesday, May 24. The Ceremony will be held in the indoor arena of COD's P.E.C. building, and begin promptly at 7:00PM. Doors will open for guest seating at 6:00PM. However, graduates need to check in for a mandatory rehearsal at 4:45PM.
For more information on Commencement, please refer to the Glenbard East website. On the homepage you will find a link posted under both the “Student” and “Parents/Families” tabs that is titled “Graduation 2023.” Of particular interest would be the Commencement FAQ document and the list of Important Dates for Seniors. These documents address items such as tickets, handicapped seating, parking, graduation attire, etc. For your convenience we have also posted the PowerPoint utilized during the senior meeting on April 27.
As always, we look forward to a dignified and memorable ceremony.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
CAFETERIA SERVICE: There will be limited food service on exam days. The Cafeteria lines will be open to serve our students during the following times: 7AM -7:30AM, 8:45AM-9:15AM, 10:15AM -10:45AM, 12:00PM.-12:30PM.
BUS ARRIVALS: There will be regular bus service on all exam days.
BUS DEPARTURES: End of school buses will depart at 12:15PM on May 17 & 18 and 10:40AM on May 19. There will be a Late bus departing at 1:30PM each day as well as an Activity/Athletic Late Bus departing at 4PM each day.
EXAM MAKE-UP: Students who have an excused absence from an exam may make arrangements with their teacher to make up the exam during the Exam Make-up Session on May 22. Students may also arrange with teachers to make up exams during Resource Periods.
TECHNOLOGY CENTER OF DUPAGE: There will be no TCD classes for students on exam days.
QUIET STUDY AREAS: Supervised quiet study areas will be available for those students who wish to study during the exams, when they have a free period. All Physical Education and Driver Education classes WILL MEET ON EXAM DAYS. There are to be no students in the halls without a pass during the exam periods. All students are to remain in their classes during the entire period.
OUTSTANDING SCHOOL FEES
All outstanding financial obligations must be paid by Tuesday, May 9. Payments can be made online through PowerSchool (School Pay) or in-person through the Bookstore which is located near the cafeteria (students only).
SAVE THESE DATES FOR BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK AND FIRST DAY OF 2023-24
July 3 - On-line registration opens in PowerSchool
August 1 - On-line registration closes & payment deadline
August 7 - Freshman parent meeting at 6:00pm
August 8 - Freshman & Sophomore Back-To-School Day*
August 9 - Junior & Senior Back-To-School Day*
August 11 - Freshman Orientation*
*watch the website and look for the July Principal's newsletter for more details on times of these events
August 17 - First Day of Student Attendance
2023 - 24 SCHOOL CALENDAR
SUMMER READING
We pride ourselves on creating a community of readers and writers, and one important facet of that literary community is growing your personal reading practice during the summer. Remember, reading is a muscle; it needs continuous practice to stay strong! The English Department encourages all incoming freshmen and future sophomores, juniors and seniors to read at least one book during the summer. However, with this amazing list of titles chosen to meet the needs and interests of our Glenbard East student community, we certainly encourage you to read as many titles as you like.
Beginning-of-the-year activities in all English classes will allow students myriad opportunities to share their thoughts and demonstrate understanding of the title(s) they read. In order to fully engage in these opportunities, you might find it beneficial to use post-it notes or make margin comments as you read with connections, questions, thoughts or to mark important sections. As our Glenbard East community includes the wonderful partnerships we have with our families, we also encourage parents/guardians to read alongside their students and engage in discussion.
All summer reading titles will be available to current students in the Sora app by June 1st! Future GBE Rams will be able to access titles on their school-issued iPad as soon as they complete registration and receive their device in the mail. Additionally, all community libraries have been informed of our summer reading titles. Please review the graphic above to begin your summer reading journey, starting with checking out our summer reading website which houses the list of titles and all other necessary details
SENIOR CELEBRATION - CLASS OF 2023
Plans are in the works for Senior Celebration! We plan to celebrate our Seniors on Friday, May 12, from 9:45AM-12PM. We will host our Senior Celebration on the football field consisting of a Senior class photo, graduation ticket pickup, food, games and a DJ!
We are looking for a few parent volunteers to join us in helping the event run smoothly. We need help with grilling, wrapping food, and setup (starting at 8:30AM). If you are available, please send your full name, cell phone number, and your student's name to Taylor Murphy (Taylor_Murphy@glenbard.org) by Friday, May 5. More information will be sent, once signed up.
Thank you for helping Glenbard East celebrate the Class of 2023!
LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS NIGHT
The Local Scholarship Committee is planning an awards night for students who won a Glenbard East Local Scholarship. Student winners received an email through their Glenbard Gmail on April 25. The email includes an invite for students and their families to attend the Local Scholarship Awards Night on May 9 in Biester Auditorium at 7PM. Congratulations to the Class of 2023.
YEAR END CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS: EXIT WITH CLASS
The Glenbard East Administration and faculty have always been very proud of our students and their behavior. We expect this outstanding behavior to continue. As a warning, any student who participates in year‐end pranks or vandalism will face serious consequences, which may include arrest, suspension, and non‐participation in graduation, prom and/or other senior events.
We take pride in our school and pranks are unacceptable. Students have been reminded of these expectations throughout the year and most recently at our senior assembly.
On behalf of the Dean’s Office and the Assistant Principal of Student Services, we would like to thank parents, guardians, and our staff for their efforts throughout the year.
FINISH STRONG everyone!
MAY AP TESTING
AP testing begins on Monday, May 1. All students enrolled in an AP course were registered for their exam(s) through their AP course(s). Information regarding the AP examination program has been emailed to students and parents according to the email address they have on file. It can also be found here.
Reminder: All students should review the AP Terms and Conditions (linked here) before their test day. Students receiving accommodations should contact Mr. Bryan Witte in the counseling office with any questions. For all other matters regarding the exams, please contact the AP Coordinator, Beth McNett.
GLENBARD FILM FESTIVAL
The Glenbard Film Festival is a district wide celebration of the films created within our schools. It features films created both from our classroom curriculum and passion projects. Awards will be given out to films in a number of categories including: Dramatic/Comedic Short, Music Video, Stop Motion, and School Project. The participants from the District short film contest will also be featured. This year the Festival will take place May 2 at 5PM at the Glen Art Theatre in downtown Glen Ellyn.
GEMA NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
Support the Glenbard East Music Department & Students by volunteering with GEMA today! GEMA provides moral & financial support to the music staff & students throughout the year. This spring, there are lots of events and performances occurring where parent assistance would be appreciated. Please consider lending a hand. Volunteer here. Find out more about GEMA here.
RAMS OF THE MONTH: APRIL/MAY
Our Rams of the Month are outstanding students who display our District 87 Profile of a Graduate tenants which include evidence of communication, critical thinking, embracing diversity, creation, collaboration, or self-empowerment within their classrooms or extracurriculars. These students were nominated by staff and are deserving of our recognition. Mr. Broderick Booth, Assistant Principal for Student Services, personally recognizes these students each month. Congratulations to all!
Margaret Lebeau
Maggie is a consistent communicator and advocates on behalf of herself and historically marginalized communities. She is a deep and critical thinker who asks poignant questions and elaborates on her ideas in class. She is a self-empowered student who really does her best to pursue excellence in all she does. - Ms. Yi
Will Schultz
Will goes above and beyond what is expected of him in class. He constantly wants to learn new techniques and concepts to prepare him for the future. Will always stops what he is doing to help out others in class and sets a great example for the younger students. - Mr. Bair
Rustam Balushka
Rustam consistently gives 110% every day on all assignments. Despite the personal struggles of a Ukrainian refugee in a new country, school and classmates, Rustam is always prepared to learn. He works diligently and submits quality work on time. He is respectful of others and willing to share a smile. I am grateful for his hard work and good attitude! - Ms. DeVasto
Kennedy Britt
Kennedy is so kind to all classmates and is always encouraging them to exceed. She steps up in all challenges and initiatives in Adventure Challenge. She is attentive and really puts forth a lot of effort. - Ms. Miller
Tahani Ajmeri
Tahani thinks critically about the questions and problems we work through in AP Government, examining all angles and perspectives. She routinely demonstrates her own resilience and commitment to growth and improvement. - Mr. Jaffe
Tessa Welninski
Tessa Welninski is a positive and productive demonstration of creative artistic leadership! As a first-year student in the Fine Arts Department, Tessa is enrolled in Theatre, Guitar, and Intro to Art as well as participated on the tech crews of each of our 2022-2023 mainstage productions. Tessa embodies the tenants of Glenbard's Profile of a Graduate, including a strong ability to be both creative and collaborative! Tessa is a self-empowered young artist who critically thinks about technical tasks and effectively communicates directions to her team. Tessa is an incredible addition to our program and continually strives for artistic excellence! We are so excited to see what she'll accomplish in her time in the GBE Fine Arts department! - Mr. Bero
LIVINGSTON AWARD RECIPIENTS
In honor of former Superintendent Raymond W. Livingston, the Board of Education has instituted a human relations award. This award is bestowed upon ten students from each Glenbard High School annually who have demonstrated real concern for others and have promoted positive, caring relationships among social groups regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, economic level, physical ability, or academic prowess. The following students were selected as the Livingston Human Relations Award recipients for Glenbard East and will be recognized by the Board of Education on Monday, May 9:
Adeeb Baig
Marcos Chavez
Kaylee Choi
Jasmine Dhamers
Raul Garcia
Hannah Hadraba
Tyler Johnwick
Madeline Michelon
Julianna Partida
Ynez Toth
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MATH TEAM
Congratulations to our Math Team State Qualifiers who competed at Illinois State University April 22-23: Jason Cisnero, Phoenix Fodrey, Madi Shoemaker, Adeeb Baig, Kayla Hickman, Joey Burkett and Gabe Polyak.
EXEMPLARY STUDENT RESEARCH PROGRAM AT ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY
Congratulations to our team of students who participated in the Exemplary Student Research Program at Argonne National Laboratory! Glenbard East students Phoenix Fodrey, Jason Cisnero, Luciana Tapia-Gutierrez, and Ellie Brandt worked on a year-long research project at the Center for Nanomaterials (CNM) with the guidance of teacher, Dr. Pamela Skoubis, and mentor, Dr. Sumant, Group Leader of Nanofabrication and Devices/Material Scientist.
This was a special opportunity for these high school students to do hands-on research in a world class facility. After several visits to the CNM to build their device, they analyzed and presented their findings. Their project began in August and culminated with a poster presentation at Argonne on April 19. We are so proud of your dedication and perseverance in this challenging endeavor. Your work is outstanding!
STAFFULTY OF THE MONTH: MARCH
The Glenbard East Staffulty of the Month Award has been established to recognize outstanding people for their dedication, professionalism, and work. Those receiving this award are nominated by administrators, colleagues, and students for exhibiting our D87 Profile of an Educator tenants.
Each month, we recognize two staff members based on their advocacy for students, empathy for others, critical thinking, embracing diversity, innovation, and collaboration.
Congratulations to March and April/May honorees!
Armando Cabral
Armando was nominated by a staff member for exhibiting the following Profile of an Educator competencies: Thinks Critically, Embraces Diversity, Innovates, Collaborates. Below is what they had to say:
"No matter how menial my IT request or question seems, Armando takes the time to explain how to fix it myself, comes to my office to help make something happen or he can even take over my computer and I can watch as he maneuvers around my computer to fix the problem! He never loses his patience in explaining how or why something can/should be accomplished, even if he has to repeat himself more than once or twice! He never leaves until he is sure my expectations are complete. He is a gentleman, a cooperative leader and a fantastic person to have around when computer glitches happen."
Glen Manak
Glen was nominated by a staff member for exhibiting the following Profile of an Educator competencies: Advocates, Empathizes, Thinks Critically, Embraces Diversity, Innovates, Collaborates. Below is what they had to say:
"Glen has been an indispensable part of my classes. His math and science skills and teaching techniques are understood by students. He has tutored students from the regular sections making it possible for many of them to pass the class when they had given up hope of doing so. In my self-contained sections he is more of a co-teacher than an assistant, bringing fresh ideas to the lesson plans, helping me to develop creative lessons and labs. He is a calm, gentle presence and in the time I have spent with him, ours is one of the rare classrooms where there never seems to be conflict or outbursts from students, in spite of the vast range of disabilities. On the days when I am absent, even though there is a substitute in the room, he always steps up to teach the lesson since the students feel more comfortable with him and his knowledge. I can depend on him to help me with lesson plan ideas, gather materials (often from his home) and even bake brownies for students. Teaching during the pandemic and post-pandemic has been difficult on students and staff. Without Glen’s help, my students and I would have had a difficult time. While many aides tend to take a more passive role in the classroom, Glen is always involved in instruction, assisting me to monitor students, circulating around the room, helping them with labs and answering questions. I asked my self-contained students how Mr Manak has helped them and here are a few of their responses:
“Mr. Manak helps me by giving advice and instructions”- K.E.
“Mr. Manak helps me with understanding if the teacher says something confusing. He also helps me with homework.” -A.R.
“Mr. Manak is the coolest person and he helps any time. He is super nice.” -D.H.
“Mr. Manak has helped me with everything, mostly math, and I appreciate what he has done for me.”- A.J.
“Mr. Manak has helped me understand the classwork and questions in general.”- B.T.
“Mr. Manak has helped me a lot. I feel like having him in class makes me do more work because he always checks if I’m doing work, keeps me on track, and always gives me something to write with.” -R.V.
“Mr. Manak has helped me with homework, questions, and personal problems. He is a little shy but such a good person to talk to and have around.” -S.H.
“Mr. Manak has helped me understand things in physics.” - F.C.
“Mr. Manak helps me understand what we are learning better and he is very kind to everyone he meets. He is an amazing teacher.” - A.P.
“Mr. Manak helps me with my schoolwork and tests.” -R.Z.
“Mr. Manak is a good teacher. He always helps all the students with classwork and he’s a very chill person.” - J.M.
“Mr. Manak really helped me through work I got confused on.”- A.W.
“Mr. Manak helps students of all grades.” G.T.
“Mr. Manak has been really helpful in class.” -N.C."
INSPIRE....EMPOWER...SUCCEED RECOGNITION
Congratulations to these Glenbard East staff members who were recognized for District 87's Inspire … Empower … Succeed Award which recognizes faculty and staff members who:
- Demonstrate exceptional levels of initiative or innovation
- Exceed expectations and make a positive difference for students
- Demonstrate outstanding student service or achievement
Mary Laird: Fine Arts
Ms. Laird started her work with us as a volunteer. She had two children come through East, both of which were actively involved in the music program. Eventually, she stepped up her volunteering efforts even more by becoming the President of the Glenbard East Music Association. Mary very successfully led the organization through a strong example of servant leadership and terrific communication. Fast forward a couple of years and the district created a new Fine Arts Assistant position, which Mary was hired for. While Ms. Laird was already a music pro, she embraced the worlds of visual and speech arts. She created countless systems and initiatives to help make the Fine Arts Department function as one collaborative group of teachers.
Staff and students both know that when they need something done or have a question about how to solve a problem, the quickest answer is always with Ms. Laird. She works to build community with each of her interactions. Our parents and community members are no different. Ms. Laird is constantly working with our GEMA officers to help them accomplish their goals. You will often find her on the phone making sure that our community members get just the seats they want for an upcoming play or concert as she is the voice of the Fine Arts Box Office. She also is our resident historian, cataloging our programs and recordings, and tracking down various requests from alumni throughout each year. She manages and schedules our thousands of slots for our practice rooms, balancing the needs of our private music faculty with that of our music students. Ms. Laird is truly the epitome of Inspire... Empower... Succeed!
Marissa McLean - Fine Arts
Ms. McLean’s dedication to Glenbard East is phenomenal and she has proven herself to be an excellent teacher time and time again. She is incredibly innovative and creative in her classroom, but her strongest asset is her ability to build community and self-empowerment in her students. Students start her class every day and have leadership roles throughout each period. There is student choice at every turn, including the music that the students sing. Her attention to equity within our program has been nothing less than outstanding. She has gracefully addressed outdated traditions, and found more inclusive solutions alongside her students.
She has taught guitar at East and West, and is now running the Hip Hop Production program at East. This year she planned and executed the second annual Glenbard Hip Hop Symposium, which brought together Hip Hop students and teachers from across the district to work with several Hip Hop professionals from across the country. Additionally, she created a district-wide student planning team to plan and present the second annual GBXmusicfest, which featured the original music of students from all four buildings! She also just recently released the first-ever volume of the Ram Records Album Project, an album of original music from Glenbard East students released on all major platforms. Ms McLean is an incredible colleague and is ALWAYS willing to chip in and solve a problem. She is a terrific nominee for the Inspire…Empower…Succeed Award.
D'Wayne Bates - Athletics
There is no individual more deserving of the Inspire... Empower... Succeed Award than Mr. D’Wayne Bates. Mr. Bates has served as the Assistant Principal for Athletics for the past 8 years and is the epitome of a Glenbard Educator. Under his leadership, thousands of athletes have been inspired, many coaches have been empowered, and as a result the Glenbard East athletic program has experienced tons of success. His passion for athletics, along with his desire to see student-athletes grow into mature adults shines through on a daily basis. His vision of Students First….Victory Will Happen serves as a reminder of the athletic department’s priority to develop well-rounded student athletes.
Mr. Bates' influence is felt well beyond the fields and courts of Glenbard East. Not only is he a leader amongst the APAs with District 87, he also is very influential within the Upstate 8 Conference, as well as the Illinois High School Association where he serves on the Board of Directors. Because of his leadership, work ethic, and passion for serving and supporting others, Mr. Bates is an easy choice for this recognition and honor. I look forward to seeing him continue to be an inspiration for the East athletic community and beyond.
SUPERINTENDENT, DR. DAVID LARSON: ADULTS' MESSAGE OPPOSING UNDERAGE DRINKING
Traditionally, spring is a season of celebrations. Unfortunately, those celebrations often involve underage drinking. Young people need strong boundaries and guidance, particularly during this season. The signals and messages from adults should be clear and consistent: it's illegal for anyone younger than 21 to drink alcohol.
What Can A Concerned Parent Do?
Parents can help their teens by building a culture of awareness and prevention through materials, resources and events. The Glenbard Parent Series is a great resource for families to gather knowledge and best practices for drug and alcohol prevention and learn parenting skills that will enhance teens’ social and emotional development and encourage responsible decision-making.
Also, the DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team offers the following suggestions:
- Make it clear to your children – and their friends – that you don’t approve of illegal drug use or under-age drinking and you don’t allow it in your home.
- Be home whenever there’s a non-drinking party on your property. And make sure you’re on duty as a supervising adult.
- If you drink alcohol, make sure your liquor can’t be accessed by under-age people.
- Talk to other parents to make sure that alcohol and illegal drugs are not available at parties in their homes.
- Talk to your children about the laws and liabilities that put you at serious risk if one of their friends drinks or uses drugs in your home.
- Keep the lines of communication open with your children about drug and alcohol abuse. A strong relationship and good communication between parents and children may be the most important preventive measure of all. Stress that you will pick up your child no questions asked if necessary – consider a text code to alert you.
It's critical, particularly during this season, that teens hear a consistent message from the adults in their lives. A consistent message helps young adults make good choices. While our children might not thank us right now for setting limits and saying no, be assured that they appreciate the adults who care enough to say they don’t approve of underage drinking.
APRIL/MAY ATHLETIC NEWS
Remember our athletic motto: Students First... VICTORY Will Happen…as victory in life is way more important than just simply winning a game/contest. We continue to implement the Glenbard Profile of a Graduate transferable life skills and its six competencies: self-empowered, communicates, thinks critically, embraces diversity, creates, and collaborates. We feel these skills will afford our students post-secondary opportunities.
Monday, May 15 is G’ESPYs where we recognize our athletes who have excelled academically and athletically with awards and scholarships.
Click link for info on 2023 Rams Summer Athletic Camps
SPRING SPORTS AND COACHES' CONTACT INFO:
BADMINTON - Head Coach Scott Llorens (scott_llorens@glenbard.org)
BASEBALL - Head Coach Clayton George (clayton_george@glenbard.org)
BOYS GYMNASTICS BOYS – Head Coach Wayne Hill (wayne_hill@glenbard.org)
GIRLS SOCCER - Head Coach Athena Toliopoulos (athena_toliopoulos@glenbard.org)
SOFTBALL - Head Coach Victor Swanson (victor_swanson@glenbard.org)
BOYS TENNIS - Head Coach Steven Hoogerheide (steven_hoogerheide@glenbard.org)
BOYS TRACK & FIELD - Head Coach Daniel Greco (daniel_greco@glenbard.org)
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD - Head Coach Molly LeMark (molly_lemark@glenbard.org) and Interim Jordan Flowers (jordan_flowers@glenbard.org)
BOYS VOLLEYBALL - Head Coach Kelly Markworth (kelly_markworth@glenbard.org)
GLENBARD EAST ATHLETICS ON THE INTERNET
Glenbard East Athletics keeps players, parents, and fans up to date with team news, pictures, schedules, rosters and more. For the most up to date team schedules and announcements, please visit the following:
● Athletic website: http://il.8to18.com/glenbardeast
● Follow us on Twitter: @GEHS_Athletics and Instagram: @GEHS_Athletics
● YouTube Livestream: www.youtube.com, please subscribe to GE_Events
● Click here to view Athletic Wall-of-Achievement, living history of Rams Athletics
ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB
Our Athletic Booster Club attempts to annually raise well over $30,000 that goes directly to our teams and student-athletes, helping to provide essentials to enhance our teams' experience. However, we need more parent volunteers! Please sign up and continue to help enhance our athletic program. The main website is: geramsboosters.org for information about membership, parent volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, concession, purchasing spirit wear, and family activity passes. Any further inquiries please contact Athletic Booster Club President, Mrs. Jerri Gapastione (jgw8@comcast.net). A huge THANK YOU to the community members who attended and contributed to our 2nd Annual Trivia Night. It was completely sold out and the donations will greatly help our athletic programs.
Glenbard East High School
Email: ge_news@glenbard.org
Website: glenbardeasths.org
Location: 1014 South Main Street, Lombard, IL, USA
Phone: (630) 627-9250
Twitter: @GE_Rams