Principal's October Newsletter
October 2021
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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Important Dates
October 20
College Planning Seminar
VIRTUAL
October 21
Halloween Orchestra Concert for Kids
7PM - East Gym
October 22
Jostens Graduation Cap/Gown Ordering
Lunch Periods
Cafeteria Hallway
October 27 & 28
1:05PM Early Dismissal
&
Parent/Teacher Conferences
by Appointment
October 29
NO SCHOOL
November 4
AP Parent Night
VIRTUAL
November 17
Gratitude Day
after school - Cafeteria
November 17 - 20
Fall Play
7:30PM - Rider Hall
A Message from The Assistant Principal for Athletics, D'Wayne Bates
First of all, it’s an honor and privilege to serve as Assistant Principal for Athletics at Glenbard East High School. I appreciate District 87's investment in the students and staff, and a clear mission towards student achievement. I have worked with a few great educational leaders, but Dr. Larson and our Central Office lead in a way that empowers and inspires. Our building principal, Mr. Antoine Anderson, is very student-centered and people-focused, and fully supports our athletic program vision. I am blessed to work with staff, including over 100 athletic coaches, who demonstrate passion to positively change student lives through education and sports. We could not do our jobs as educators without support from our families, the Athletic Booster Club, led by current President Mrs. Jerri Gapistione, as well as our community members.
We continue to build and live by our athletic motto: Students First: VICTORY Will Happen…as victory is way more important than just simply winning. 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 including college, jobs/careers, military, or wherever their life's path may take them.
Athletics is an essential aspect of the total curriculum, pertinent to the school and community. There is no doubt athletics shaped me into the person I am today. I have an extensive experience in athletics starting with my own high school (Silver Bluff High School, Aiken, SC), where I was a four-sport student-athlete, member of the band (trumpet), and spokesperson for D.A.R.E. I then went on to four years of football at Northwestern University and six-years experience with the National Football League (NFL), where I played with the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and a pre-season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I retired from the NFL mostly healthy, and was very excited about my next chapter in life: utilizing education and sports to motivate students and staff to pursue their highest potential.
I annually attend seminars, talk with many NCAA coaches as well as local business owners/CEOs, and I continue to hear them state the same message, “We are looking to recruit/hire well-rounded students, who participate in multiple sports and activities, but also pursue academic achievement to the highest of their ability.” Glenbard East offers 25 IHSA sports and over 60 student activities and clubs. Please take advantage of the invaluable opportunity to participate.
We enjoy supporting our student-athletes and coaches as they compete and we enjoy having our families and spectators attend these events. We continue to encourage ALL to wear masks (particularly indoors), wash your hands, socially distance (6ft) when possible, and get vaccinated if you can.
Halloween Concert For Kids - October 21
Looking for a fun, pre-Halloween activity for your family? Check out the Glenbard East Orchestra's Halloween Concert for Kids on Thursday, October 21 at 7:00 pm in the East Gym. (Note that this is a time change from what was previously announced.) We will take a magical journey through fantasy and folklore, with music about dragons, horsemen, trolls, and ancient myths. This one-hour event is appropriate for kids of all ages. 100 students from Concert Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and EaStrings will perform together on this concert. Students will perform in costume, and audience members are invited to wear costumes as well! Join us for a fun, exciting, and magical night.
Admission is $3 for adults and free for everyone under 18. Tickets can be purchase at the door or ahead of time at https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accounts/gefinearts/buy-tix.
For more information, please contact Tim Fawkes at 630-424-6752 or timothy_fawkes@glenbard.org.
News From The School Counseling Office
In lieu of our annual mini college fair, students and families looking to gain information on college options are encouraged to visit the website for the Illinois Association for College Admissions Counseling and view their “Virtual College Exploration” series. Colleges and universities from around the country participated in this program in which they held sessions of 45 minutes or less to share information about their schools and admissions processes. Schools also had the opportunity to partner with each other to provide presentations on general college topics. All presentations were recorded giving families access to over 370 videos on a variety of college topics. Start exploring here: https://www.iacac.org/virtual-college-exploration/
We also encourage all families to visit colleges throughout the school year to see their options first hand. Most colleges and universities offer a wide variety of visit programs that are convenient to schedule around your availability and comfort level. We recommend the following schedule for when to visit colleges:
- Sophomore year: Attend at least two college visits with dramatically different environments, such as one large university and one small liberal arts school. Start to understand what your family values in the college experience and what type of general environment will be most conducive to your student's collegiate success.
- Junior year: Visit multiple schools throughout the year as you further develop your list of potential schools.
- Senior year: Visit the schools you have applied to a second time to affirm your interest and prepare for your final decision before May 1.
Our school counseling team is available to assist students at any point in their college exploration and application processes. Parents and students are encouraged to reach out to their assigned counselor at any point in the process and/or seek additional support from our College Counselor, Mr. Scott Lilly at scott_lilly@glenbard.org.
*Parents of seniors, don’t forget to file your FAFSA application starting October 1, 2021, at www.fafsa.gov. The FAFSA is a graduation requirement for the Class of 2022. You can learn more by watching this video from our Financial Aid Night.
G.E. Theatre To Present The Edge Of Peace
Mark your calendars for G.E. Theatre's fall main stage production: The Edge Of Peace.
This new drama is set in a small Illinois town at the end of World War II and shares how each character's life is about to change with the coming peace.
Performances are November 17, 18, 19 & 20 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $8.00 and may be purchased online by going to the website: gefinearts.org. or reserved by calling 630/424-6640.
Preparing for Course Enrollment for the 2022-23 School Year
Once again, this year students of all four of the Glenbard High Schools will be selecting their courses for the 2022-23 school year online through their Power School accounts. With an online enrollment process, parents have an opportunity to be more involved in the course selection process and better prepare students for engaging in a similar process during their college years. Students will be able to select their courses between December 13th and January 4th. After January 4th, students will continue to be able to view their choices in their PowerSchool accounts, but any changes will need to be requested through their school counselors. Counselors will meet with all students individually between January 10th and February 1st to ensure that student selections address the remaining graduation requirements. Please continue to monitor your student’s PowerSchool account during that time to note any changes. Please be sure to review your student’s course requests! Course changes and adds for the 2022-23 school year will not be permitted after August 9th.
Students will receive instructions on how to complete the online enrollment process on December 13th through their Schoology account. They will also receive course recommendations from all of their teachers at that time. For any questions regarding particular course options in a particular department, please contact your student’s teacher or the department chair who oversees that course for additional information. For questions regarding your student’s progress toward graduation, please contact your student’s assigned counselor. For any questions regarding the enrollment process, please contact Selina Lepsi, the Director of School Counseling, selina_lepsi@glenbard.org.
Semester Graduation Meeting
Students who have completed all graduation requirements by the end of the first semester are invited to attend a semester graduation meeting taking place in November. Early grads will have the opportunity to learn about the logistics of finishing mid-year, including participating in the annual graduation ceremony held in May. A representative from the Admissions Office at the College of DuPage will also be on hand to answer questions and assist students interested in transitioning to the College of DuPage for 2nd semester. Invitations will be sent out to all students who have informed their counselor of their intent to graduate mid-year. For questions about your student’s eligibility for semester graduation, please contact your student’s counselor. You may contact Mrs. Ramirez in the School Counseling office (630-424-7144) with any questions about this event.
Confused About Financial Aid?
The School Counseling Department hosted our annual Financial Aid Night for parents and seniors through a live virtual Zoom webinar on Wednesday, September 30th. The presentation included an introduction about the FAFSA Completion, which is a graduation requirement for the Class of 2022. A guest presenter from Elmhurst College presented on helping families complete the financial aid forms, which opened on October 1st. Click here to watch the Financial Aid Night Webinar Recording.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE RECOGNIZED STUDENTS!
National Merit Commended Students: Sebastian Gray and Sofia Logacho
National African American Recognition Program Scholar: Aria Smith
National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars: Alejandra Galvan, Louis Grobart and Sebastian Gray
RAMS OF THE MONTH: SEPTEMBER
About Rams of the Month
Our Rams of the Month are outstanding students who display our District 87 Profile of a Graduate tenets 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. Ms. Alexandria Taylor, Assistant Principal for Student Services, personally recognizes these students each month. Congratulations to all!
Areej Binmahfooz
Areej is an incredible asset to our first period English class. She regularly demonstrates her ability to think critically and her annotations in our first unit demonstrates a keen insight and ability to understand the nuances of the stories we read. Her strengths also extend to group dynamics where Areej is ready to contribute to discussions, but is also quick to bring others into the discussion, posing questions and encouraging further explanation. A stellar student for sure.
Sean Fisher
It is without hesitation that the Business and FaCS department honor Sean Fisher as our first “Ram of the Month” this school year. Sean exudes each characteristic that makes up a quality “Ram of the Month.” He leads by example both socially and academically. Specific to the Business and FaCs departments, he has taken a variety of the courses offered since his freshman year and has excelled in all of them. Sean will be sorely missed next year when he graduates.
Angel Garret
Samantha Johnson
Jorge Parra
Jorge is a hard working student who goes above and beyond to be successful in his classes. Jorge does a great job of advocating for himself and working with teachers outside of the class time. Jorge is also polite and courteous. He makes it a point to say hello and goodbye to teachers each day. He gets along well wtih other students during group work and in the lab setting. Jorge is a great person to be around.
STAFFULTY OF THE MONTH: SEPTEMBER
About Staffulty of the Month
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 this month's honorees!!!
Gariecia Rose
Gariecia Rose was nominated by seven students for exhibiting the following Profile of an Educator competencies: Advocates, Empathizes, Thinks Critically, Embraces Diversity, Innovates, and Collaborates. Here is what they had to say:
"She is a very nice teacher and I enjoy being in her classroom."
"I believe Ms. Rose deserves this honor for the reason that she cares about her students mental health and well-being. Not only that, but she can manage time between different tasks in the classrooms. She’s very good at problem solving different issues we may have in the classroom. She embraces the different cultures in the classroom and is always open to new ideas."
"I think this because Ms. Rose is so helpful to everyone and she does so much for us. She listens and helps us and gives us advice when we need it."
"Ms. Rose is an overall amazing teacher. She makes sure she helps us with everything, our mental health, our work, just everything. She lets up work in teams because she knows it helps us all. She does class discussions all the time because it helps all of us engage in the work. It’s an overall fun way to learn. She’s also really understanding."
"I think this because Ms. Rose always has something to make our day less stressful and she always understands us and helps us."
"She loves and takes care of her kids/students."
"She is a very nice teacher and she always makes class fun. She also is very supportive and checks up with us to make sure we’re alright. She also teaches us in cool ways and that’s what’s cool about her."
Khamari Truman
Khamari Truman was nominated by nine students for exhibiting the following Profile of an Educator competencies: Advocates, Empathizes, Thinks Critically, Embraces Diversity, Innovates, and Collaborates. Here is what they had to say:
"He’s a good English teacher!"
"Mr. Truman thinks of new ways to get his class's attention and each day I look forward to his class."
"Very good teacher and is good at keeping the class engaged about learning and cares for students."
"He always makes class fun and enjoyable while still teaching. He’s very understanding and encourages learning. He always answers your questions thoroughly and correctly."
"Great teacher!"
"Teacher takes time to ensure each student understands the material fully. Makes every class enjoyable, doesn’t have a rigorous and monotonous teaching style, adds his own flair to every lesson."
"Extra help in e-learning via zoom after school."
"He is always there for his students, even outside of the classroom. He preaches “everyone loves everyone”. He is a phenomenal teacher and takes time out of his day to help students who need help, and he’s a very kind, genuine person, which makes class more fun."
"He’s super chill and is a fun teacher. He makes all the lessons fun."
Congratulations to Students Earning a 5 on Spanish AP Test
Congratulations to these students who earned a 5 on the Spanish AP test!
Mildred Fernandez
Sebastian Macias
Amy Toniellli
Sofia Logacho
From The Deans' Desk
The Deans are so excited to have our students back in the building and want to wish everyone a successful school year! Please feel free to reach out to your child’s Dean if you have any questions or concerns.
ATTENDANCE
WE NEED YOUR HELP! The Deans spend a good portion of their day clarifying students’ absences. Please make sure to call your child into the Attendance Office at 630.627.2595 if they will be out of school for the day, are sick, have a late arrival, an appointment, or an early dismissal. Sleeping in, missing the bus, or school refusal are not viable reasons to be late or to miss school. Students will be issued an unexcused tardy or TRUANT for any of these reasons. Detentions and other consequences will be assigned based on frequency and severity of infractions.
HEALTH PROTOCOLS
Please continue to contact the health office at 630.424.7133 for any student or family COVID-19-like symptoms or positive test results.
Students may be excluded from attending school and activities for COVID like symptoms or exposure, lack of providing COVID documentation post quarantine, and missing immunizations or physicals.
Mask Wearing: The current government mandate requires all staff and students in a school wear an approved mask that fully covers the nose and mouth. Please help us remind students that improper wearing of the mask can result in dean consequences if the student is consistently in violation. Thank you for your support!
ACADEMIC HELP
Does your child need extra help with a class or two? Contact your child’s counselor for information about how to get your student signed up to participate in:
STRIVE: FREE before and after school homework help! STRIVE takes place from 6:55am-7:25am, Monday-Thursday and from 2:45pm-3:45pm, Tuesday through Thursday in room 251.
GELI: Glenbard East Lunch Intervention (GELI) is for selected students who are failing one or more classes. Students are required to attend GELI for six weeks during the first 24 minutes of their lunch period until they bring up their failing grade.
RESOURCE: Students get can get help with their academics during their lunch period in Room 251.
BUS CONDUCT
We have had several issues regarding student behavior on the bus. Please remind your child that misconduct on the school bus can result in a school consequence. Thank you for your support.
GLENBARD EAST STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
For student wellness, social, or emotional support, check out the Student Support Services one-pager. For additional support from the community, click here.
DEANS
Jordan Carrero Jordan_carrero@glenbard.org
Susana Held Susana_held@glenbard.org
Stacey Welton Stacey_welton@glenbard.org
Ryan West Ryan_west@glenbard.org
Art Students Learn About Albright & Kahlo
Glenbard East AP Art and Design students visited Warrenville Historical Society to see the Albright Building, which contains artwork and lots of history related to the painter Ivan Albright and his family. It was enriching to connect art history to our community. Afterward, students took a tour of the "Timeless" Exhibition at the McAninch Arts Center. Where they were immersed in Frida Kahlo's artwork and had a chance to be inspired by her story of overcoming hardship. It was an amazing day!
Superintendent Dr. David Larson: Benefits of Dual Credit, Advanced Placement Classes
We offer two ways for high school students to earn college credit even before they graduate from high school: Advanced Placement courses and dual credit courses through our partnership with the College of DuPage.
Please encourage your teen to talk with their counselor about these opportunities. Soon, students will select classes for next year. This is an important time to learn more about these valuable advanced learning opportunities.
Free Advanced Placement Exam
Students enrolled in our Advanced Placement (AP) courses experience the rigor, in-depth understandings and perseverance that they will experience in college, but they do it with the support of their high school teacher. Good news: our Board of Education approved having the district pay for the first AP exam each student takes. This is an important opportunity for students to take the AP exam and have an opportunity to earn a passing grade, which is good for college credit at any Illinois universities and numerous universities across the country.
New Dual Credit Opportunities
Juniors who qualify to take dual credit courses during their senior year can earn college credits for free. The credits are good at more than 100 colleges and universities in Illinois. If your teen is a junior, encourage them to talk with their counselor about our English and math dual credit courses.
Our partnership with the College of DuPage is a significant opportunity for our students to do college-level work while they still have support from their high school teachers and counselors. This dual credit partnership:
- Reduces families’ college costs
- Eases the transition between high school and college
- Speeds up the time to degree completion
It is important for students to challenge themselves to maximize their potential. One of the qualities in our Profile of a Graduate focuses on students being self-empowered. This includes students setting ambitious and realistic goals, as well as having a growth mindset that includes motivation and resiliency.
Advanced coursework helps increase student competitiveness into college. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the top three factors in admissions decisions are:
- Student grades
- Student grades in college prep courses like AP and dual credit
- The strength of the curriculum
Our goal is to ensure that all of our students have a clear postsecondary plan for life after high school. Dual credit and AP courses give our students a head start on transferable college credit and a great start at colleges and universities across Illinois. Encourage your teen to talk with their counselor and teachers about these opportunities this week.
Glenbard Parent Series (GPS)
Athletic News for October 2021
VISION: To utilize school and sports to develop “WELL-ROUNDED” student-athletes and establish great pride in our RAMS COMMUNITY.
UPDATES FROM FALL SPORTS
Boys/Girls Cross Country: The team will compete at the UEC Invite on Saturday, October 16, and then at the IHSA Regional on Saturday, October 23, at Proviso West.
Cheer and Dance (Ramettes): Both teams gave dynamic performances at the last home game and the teams are getting ready for winter competitive seasons.
Football: The team has six wins at this point and has automatically qualified for the IHSA playoffs (brackets to be announced on Saturday, October 23).
Boys/Girls Golf: The teams' seasons ended at the IHSA Regional and Sectional respectively
Boys Soccer: The team continues to find its groove on offense and continues to play stellar defense with a few shutouts already this season. They will host an IHSA Regional Quarterfinal on Saturday, October 16, at 11:00am.
Girls Swimming: The co-op with Glenbard North continues to set personal records each meet. They will compete in the DuKane County Conference meet on Saturday, October 23.
Girls Tennis: The team has really good depth, which has helped win some very competitive duals as well as a near top finish in the UEC. They will play in the IHSA Sectional on Friday, October 15, in Lyons).
Girls Volleyball: The team has competed in a few top-level tournaments and has Autumnfest still to come on Friday & Saturday, October 15 & 16.
2021-22 Winter Athletic Head Coaches
Basketball Boys, Al Biancalana (al_biancalana@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Nov 8
Basketball Girls, Nicole Miller (nicole_miller@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Nov 1
Bowling Boys, Steve Bair (steve_bair@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Oct 25
Bowling Girls, Dawn Chantos (dawn_chantos@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Nov 15
Cheer CoEd Sideline, Kelly Dolan (kelly_dolan@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Oct 25
Dance (Poms), Courtney Clay (courtney_clay@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Oct 25
Gymnastics Girls, Jessica Bugajsky (jessica_bugajsky@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Nov 8
Swimming Boys Co-op with Glenbard North, Luke Witteveen (luke_witteveen@glenbard.org), Tyler Buss (tyler_buss@glenbard.org), season starts Mon Nov 22
Wrestling, Donald Pool (donald_pool@glenbard.org), season starts Nov 8
Glenbard East Athletics On The Internet
Glenbard East Athletics is now prepared to keep players, parents, and fans up to date with team news, pictures, schedules, rosters and more.
Website: http://il.8to18.com/glenbardeast
Twitter: @GEHS_Athletics
Athletic Wall-of-Achievement: https://glenbardeast.touchpros.com/Home2.aspx
NFHS Livestream
If you cannot attend in-person, please view our Rams teams that compete in the East Gym-Main Gym and in the Stadium: Click here for Livestream Events
Student Athletic Fees/Registration - $150
All students/families who participate in athletics will be required to register and pay the $150 athletic fee for one, two, or three sports. Student-athletes are encouraged to take advantage of this great deal and participate in multiple sports! Remember, colleges and employers are searching for well-rounded students! Fees and/or confirmed payment plan are due before the first competition. There are fee waivers available for families, please stop by the Athletic Office and inquire. Parents must register and pay online through PowerSchool. Also students must have an up-to-date medical physical examination. FRESHMEN and TRANSFERS must have all immunizations completed with their medical physical examination.
Athletic Booster Club
Our Athletic Booster Club annually raises over $30,000 that go directly to our teams and student-athletes and help provide essentials to support our athletic teams pursuit of VICTORY! We need more parent volunteers! Please sign up and continue to help enhance our athletic program. The main website is: www.eastboosters.com 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).
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