Dear New Tech Families,

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! It is with great pride and excitement that I write this letter of introduction to you as the new Principal of New Tech High @ Zion-Benton East. I bring 26 years of dedicated service to students in Zion and am I eager to continue serving in this leadership role. In 1995, I began my career teaching 7th and 8th grade social studies in this community. I have served District 126 since 2010 as a Dean of Students and Assistant Principal at New Tech High. I earned my bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Lake Forest College and master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and School Leadership credentials from Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois.

I am thrilled to have students return to our classrooms to engage in exciting learning opportunities and participate in various student-centered activities. As we return to in-person instruction, we will continue to implement protocols as necessary to ensure that safety and well-being remain the priority for our students and staff. This year we will commit to excellence in all that we do. We will provide exceptional instruction and enrichment opportunities, that will prepare our students to graduate college, career, and life ready. As we get ready for the return of our students and staff, there will be an intentional focus on their emotional well-being. As the new principal, I plan to examine the current programs and practices at New Tech and work with all stakeholders to improve or create new learning opportunities to ensure our students are future-ready!

It is my belief that the education of our children is best accomplished through strong partnerships with parents and the surrounding community. I encourage our parents and guardians to become active participants in the education of our students by getting involved in school activities and keeping in contact with teachers and school staff. I recommend staying connected to the school by having an updated phone number and email address in Skyward so we can keep open communication, and you can visit our website and social media platforms regularly for news and updates.

I am honored to serve as principal of New Tech High @ Zion-Benton East and excited about all the possibilities this new school year has to offer. I look forward to working collectively as a family to ensure our students thrive in our global society and graduate college, career, and life ready. If you have questions or concerns, or would simply like to connect, please feel free to email me at felskeb@ntzb.org.

This is going to BEE a great year!

In partnership,

Bonnie Felske

Principal

New Tech students should register at the New Tech Main Office; however, the online portion of the registration should be completed through Skyward Family Access.

Complete registration instructions in English and Spanish can be found through this link. Questions? Please call the New Tech Main Office at (847) 731-9800.

Please click the link to view the details for your first day back on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

Throughout the pandemic we have been committed to ensuring the safety and wellness of our school community. Following the state mandate issued by the Governor of Illinois, ZBTHS D126 will require all persons entering the building to wear a mask effective immediately regardless of vaccination status.

Exceptions for staff: while eating, when alone in a room or in small groups of vaccinated people that can maintain more than 6ft of social distance.

District 126 worked diligently last year to implement multiple mitigation strategies to keep students, families, and staff healthy and well. These mitigation strategies worked well in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and the following will continued to be implemented during the 2021-2022 school year, including:

• Daily cleaning and disinfecting;
• Contact tracing in conjunction with quarantining;
• Promoting good hand hygiene;
• Increased airflow/ventilation in school buildings;
• Maintaining social distancing of at least 3 feet in classrooms to the extent possible.
• Staying home when sick
• Directional Traffic Flow (stay to the right, please)
• Exploring Onsite Covid Testing Options

_________________________________________________

Cynthia Moreno
Director of Communications & Talent Management
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126

Stay up-to-date on the latest school events!

• Weekly announcements from each campus
• Official school calendar (For a downloadable full year calendar, click here.)