NTZB Parent Bulletin
December 4, 2023
Hello New Tech Families,
This will be the final bulletin of 2023! It is hard to believe that we are bringing our first semester to a close on Thursday, December 21, 2023. I am so proud of the dedication and effort our students and staff are putting forth to finish strong. The school community has been bustling with activity lately and New Tech students can be seen all around representing our school with pride, whether it be excelling in athletics, NJROTC, singing in the choir, or engaging in community service activities. I encourage all parents to talk to their students about the importance of being involved in extracurriculars and staying connected to our school community. This is how we build a strong school culture and climate, where all belong and feel valued!
Did you know that regular daily attendance is the key to school success? I ask all parents and guardians to help ensure school success by seeing that our students are at school each and every day. It is critical that our students attend school, be on time every day, and remain engaged and focused on their academics. It is exciting to be in partnership with our parents, as together we are preparing our students for a successful, thriving future!
It is also the time of year in which we begin thinking of the incoming class of 2028! The district will host a freshman night at the ZB campus on December 13, 2023, followed by Zion-Benton East hosting four Orientation Nights in January 2024. The same material is presented at each one, giving flexibility for attendance,
- Thursday, January 11 - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, January 16 - 6:00 PM
- Monday, January 22 - 6:00 PM
- Wednesday, January 31 - 6:00 PM
Zion-Benton East (NTZB) continues to bring enhanced dual credit core classes though CLC, tech elective courses and new science offerings. (Complete information regarding the application process, attending one of the required orientation nights, and course offerings will be coming soon.)
Please continue reading this bulletin for important information on Final’s week, recruitment, absence reporting and other programming items. I wish everyone a safe, happy holiday season and Happy New Year! As always, I look forward to creating more great days for our students and staff as we move into second semester and 2024!
In partnership,
Bonnie Felske
SEMESTER 1 FINAL EXAMS
Semester 1 is quickly coming to a close. Students that do not have an "A" in any course are required to take a final exam. Students will be given some flexibility regarding arrival and dismissal times if they are exempted from a final; however, parents are required to contact our Attendance Office at (847) 731-9813 in order for the absence to be excused. Students will not be allowed to leave and then return to campus on the same school day if they have an exempted final in the middle of the day. Accommodations will be made in the Media Center for students that are not required to report for a period final throughout exam days. Transportation and meal service will be available to students all three days of finals.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
Did you know that attendance at school is one of the best indicators of success in school, and is also one of the most employable skills? Currently, District #126 is making investments in student attendance because being in school is how students succeed in school. Current daily attendance rates by grade level are as follows:
- Freshman - 96.14%
- Sophomores - 95.80%
- Juniors - 90.26%
- Seniors - 93.48%
Be on the lookout for more attendance related information, tips, and strategies in future newsletters! Encourage your students to:
BEE PRESENT. BEE IN SCHOOL.
NTZB BECOMES ZBE
You may have noticed a change in references to our campus. On October 24, 2023 the Board of Education accepted the recommendation to change our school name from New Tech High @ Zion-Benton East (NTZB) to Zion-Benton East (ZBE). This name change is the culmination of several years of hard work from our administration, staff, and students to create a new, improved learning institution while maintaining all the positive aspects of the original school design.
Watch for more information regarding the change, the official launch, and our updated logo in the coming months!
ZBE STUDENTS ACCEPTED TO TECH CAMPUS!
"The Tech Campus is an extension of many area high schools for high school students to attend classes in a specific career training program. The Tech Campus is regarded as one of the best career and technical education training facilities in the Midwest with a highly qualified staff dedicated to excellence in career and technical education." (techcampus.org)
Please join us in congratulating the following Zion-Benton East (NTZB) students on their acceptance into a Lake County Tech Campus program for the upcoming school year:
For more information regarding the programs offered at the Tech Campus, please visit their site. The program is open to Junior and Senior students, with Sophomore and Junior applications being accepted the year prior to them reaching Junior and Senior status. Questions regarding the program can be directed to Mrs. Peterson, D126's Tech Campus Liaison. ana.peterson@zb126.org or (847) 731-9342.
FEEDING THE COMMUNITY
In partnership with the Turkey Giveaway organized by the D126 Girls and Boys basketball teams, students at Zion-Benton East (NTZB) donated non-perishable side dishes to accompany the turkeys. Held as a grade-level competition, over 400 items were collected with the Junior class winning the challenge. Last week they were rewarded with a special treat--donuts and cider--for their generosity!
Donuts and cider await the winning Junior class!
Special recognition was given to Junior, Yadhira Sandoval, for donating 106 items! Pictured with Mrs. Felske and Mrs. Walker-Hakeem.
Thanks to Aramark for preparing the delicious treat!
DON'T MISS THIS HOLIDAY EVENT!
INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Ms. Ray's Anatomy students learned about the muscular system--the different muscle groups, how muscles work in pairs, and how muscles contract--culminating in a chicken wing dissection. During this lab, they were able to identify the biceps and triceps and make the wing move by pulling on one or the other. Next, they removed the muscles to view the bones as their previous unit of study was the skeletal system. Based on some of the student's expressions, it may not have been their favorite lab.
DRUGGED AND DRUNK DRIVING AWARENESS
December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. The week of December 11th-15th, Zion-Benton East's Healthy YOUth will be sponsoring a week of awareness regarding the dangers of drugged and drunk driving. Activities will be held throughout the week, as well as a Spirit Week of daily holiday themes.
- Mon. the 11th - Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
- Tues. the 12th - Santa and His Crew Day
- Wed. the 13th - Dress Up as Your Favorite Christmas Movie Character Day
- Thurs. the 14th - Christmas Lights Day By Grade Level (9th - Yellow, 10th - Blue, 11th - Green, 12th - Red)
- Fri. the 15th-Christmas PJ Day
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provide resources to talk with your teens about preventable deaths due to driving while drugged and/or drunk. As always, remember that as a prominent influence to your children, model the safe, responsible, and appropriate behavior.
IMPAIRMENT BEGINS WITH THE FIRST DRINK.
________________________________
IF YOU FEEL DIFFERENT, YOU DRIVE DIFFERENT.
TECHNOLOGY TIDBIT
Drop the Default on NameDrop
What is NameDrop? Like AirDrop, NameDrop on IOS 17 allows iPhone users to share contact information with other users without having to send a message to them. Created specifically to share contact details, NameDrop allows you to share your own contact card as well as the contact cards of others by holding your iPhone next to other users.
With the new update, this feature is defaulted ON. I recommend you turn this OFF and only enable it if needed. While this feature does require someone to accept the transfer of information, some children may accept without fully understanding what is being asked of them. Be sure to help your children understand this new feature to help keep them safe from sharing their information with the wrong person. To shut this OFF go to Settings > General >AirDrop > Bringing Devices Together > Change to OFF.
Image Source: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2023/10/03/how-to-use-namedrop-on-iphone/
Dr. Cheri Bridge
Director of Technology
COLLEGE & CAREER NEWS
SAT Preparation Classes Offered Through Huntington
These classes offer students an opportunity to prepare for the PSAT and SAT exams that will be given in the Spring. Results have shown an average of 229 point growth! Find all the details on our website (use the link above).
College Visit:
A representative from The American Academy of Art College (IL) will be visiting on Tuesday, December 12th, during 4th period. Students should register to attend using SCOIR.
Career Exploration:
A field trip to CLC to learn about the HCAV (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning), Automotive Technology, and Automotive Collision Repair programs will take place on Thursday, December 7th from 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM. Prior registration is required.
Industrial Technology Micro Career Fair is being held this Friday, December 8th during 3rd period. Students can learn more about careers in construction, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, and more. Prior registration is required.
Dual Credit:
On Friday, December 8th, all 10th grade students will be submitting their first college application to the College of Lake County! Whether students plan to attend college or not after high school, all are required to apply. All students must be CLC students with an active CLC ID# in order to take the dual credit placement test for classes next year. Mrs. Schuda, our School Counselor, will be going into all of Ms. Skinner’s English classes on Friday to give a Dual Credit Presentation overview and walk all 10th grade students through the application process. See the attached flyer "What is Dual Credit? And Why Take It?"
Students should have the following information for Friday:
- social security number (if you don’t have/know it, you will still be able to apply inputting all zeroes)
- correct address
- personal email address (if you have one)
- cell phone number
FREE COMMUNITY SERVICES
Grocery Distribution
There are multiple locations and dates in the Lake County area for anyone in need of free groceries. Details are available on the Get Groceries page of the Northern Illinois Food Bank's website.
Zion-Benton East (1634 23rd Street) is a designated Mobile Market location. Stop by the distribution dates in December: Saturday, December 16th from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM.
Health Screenings
Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol (fasting), health education, COVID & flu vaccine (when available) and questions about medication, review lab results, connections to primary care. Learn about community resources by calling 847-578-8451 or 847-578-8670.
Offered through Rosalind Franklin University Health Clinics.
Check the schedule for dates/times/locations.
IMPORTANT DATES AT-A-GLANCE
- Tuesday, 12/19/23 - Thursday, 12/21/23 - Semester 1 Final Exams
- Friday, 12/22/23 - School Holiday - No School
- Monday, 12/25/23 - Friday, 1/5/24 - Winter Break - No School
- Monday, 1/8/24 - Teacher Institute Day - No Students
- Tuesday, 1/9/24 - Classes Resume (Start of Semester 2)
- Monday, 1/15/24 - Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday Holiday - No School
- Thursday, 2/8/24 - Parent Conferences (6:00 - 8:00 PM)
- Friday, 2/9/24 - Early Dismissal (1:35 PM)
- Monday, 2/19/24 - Presidents' Day Holiday - No School
MAIN OFFICE REMINDERS
LOST ITEMS - Please encourage your student to stop by the Main Office if they are missing any items (coats, keys, water bottles, hoodies. etc.). Periodically these items are donated or disposed of, if not claimed.
LOCKERS - All students are assigned a locker at the beginning of the school year. If your student is unaware of their locker location/combination, please ask them to drop by the Main Office and speak with Ms. McKenzie. Information regarding locker assignments can also be found on their Skyward account.
CALENDAR & WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
ABOUT US
Website: www.zb126.org/zbe
Location: 1634 23rd Street, Zion, IL, 60099
Phone: (847) 731-9800