Falcon Focus
October 23, 2020
From the Desk of Mr. Biscan
Dear Falcon Families,
The goal of having some of our students return to the building was achieved this week as we welcomed our hybrid students back to Wheaton North. While we all know that school looks different at this time, the interactions and positive energy that was infused by their presence were palpable. I'm so grateful for the incredible work done by our entire staff and district leadership. Their steadfast efforts made this opportunity happen for our students who chose the hybrid or remote learning option.
Our students continue to navigate through their classes and the various learning experiences that are offered. While many students are excelling, there are many students who need additional support. Our goal is to meet all of our students where they are in their learning and help them progress. Therefore, we have created a virtual resource center to help in that learning process. You can find more information about this new opportunity below. I would encourage all of you to become familiar with this beneficial learning support.
I hope you and your family are safe and well.
Have a great weekend.
We are Falcons. We are Proud. We are North
From the Desk of Mr. Venckus, Assistant Principal of Student Services
Free, Take-Home Breakfasts and Lunches
Any student can pick up free, take-home breakfasts and lunches on their way out of school each day. These are meant to be consumed during the remote learning days. They are located at the main entrance (Door 1), bus doors (Door 34), and back of the building/student parking lot (Door 16).
Student Drop-Off Time/Entrances
Doors open at 7:07 a.m. each day. The only doors that will be open are the main entrance (Door 1), the bus doors (Door 34), and the student parking lot doors in the back of the building (Door 16). After school begins at 7:20 a.m., the only door that will be open will be the main entrance.
Student Pickup/Exits
School ends at 2:15 p.m. each day. Students can exit through any doors, but our pick-up areas are the main entrance (Door 1), fieldhouse entrance (Door 7), back of building/student parking lot (Door 16), and east side of building/Papworth (Doors 28 & 31). The main entrance is the most congested, so we encourage you to use the other exits.
Late Arrival Students
Doors open at 8:07 a.m. each day. The only door that will be open is the main entrance.
Student Deliveries
We do not allow student items (e.g., Chromebooks, lunches, homework, athletic gear, etc.) to be dropped off at school for safety and security reasons. All medical exceptions need to be prearranged with the school nurse. We understand that lacking a missing item can be frustrating, but school safety must take priority over convenience. Thank you for partnering with us on this effort in keeping our buildings safe and secure.
Attendance for Hybrid Students
If your student will not be in person for their assigned in-person day or a portion of it, and he/she will be participating in classes remotely, please call our attendance office (630-784-7334) to let us know. He/she will not be marked absent on those days.
Buses
Students who live 1 ½ miles or more from school are eligible for bus service. Our bus routes are posted on our website (wnhs.org). Students must board buses from back to front and wear masks at all times on buses and at bus stops when there are other students present.
TCD (Technology Center of DuPage) Students & Buses
Mondays - All TCD students ride their regular WN bus to WN and then board the TCD bus at WN. They will not be allowed to enter WN in between buses. When TCD ends, one bus will take the A-L students to WN for their hybrid classes, and the other 3 buses will take the M-Z students and those who are fully remote back home. The From TCD bus routes are posted on our website (wnhs.org).
Tuesdays - All TCD students ride their regular WN bus to WN and then board the TCD bus at WN. They will not be allowed to enter WN in between buses. When TCD ends, one bus will take the M-Z students to WN for their hybrid classes, and 3 other buses will take the A-L students and those who are fully remote back home. The From TCD bus routes are posted on our website (wnhs.org).
Wednesdays - No bus transportation since all TCD programs and WN classes are remote
Thursdays - No bus transportation to TCD since all TCD programs are remote. WN remote day for the M-Z students. The A-L students ride their regular WN bus to WN and then go directly to the library where they will work remotely until 5th Period.
Fridays - No bus transportation to TCD since all TCD programs are remote. WN remote day for the A-L students. The M-Z students ride their regular WN bus to WN and then go directly to the Library where they will work remotely until 5th Period.
Please contact Jim Venckus, Assistant Principal of Student Services (james.venckus@cusd200.org or 630-784-7348), with any questions.
Parking for Seniors & Juniors
If you haven’t picked up your student parking pass yet, they are available for pickup Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m. in the Deans’ Office. Please contact Mrs. Sherri Andersen (sherri.andersen@cusd200.org, 630-784-7335) with any questions.
From the Desk of Dr. Pavlini, Assistant Principal of Support and Enrichment
Testing Update
A huge thank you to the over 450 Juniors and Seniors who participated in testing last week, following all of our safety guidelines. There will be more upcoming testing opportunities for various grade levels; please see the details below:
Class of 2021
Upcoming School-Day SAT - On Tuesday, April 13, the IL State Board of Education will be sponsoring another school-day SAT; all Seniors who did not test in October will be automatically registered for this exam, so no additional steps will be required. For those who qualify, testing with accommodations over multiple days will also be available during this test administration.
For additional paid Saturday test dates, students can register directly on the act.org and sat.org websites. Students who are eligible for a fee waiver can contact their counselor for those details.
Class of 2022
Upcoming School-Day SAT - Also on Tuesday, April 13, the IL State Board of Education will be sponsoring a school-day SAT for Juniors; all Juniors will be automatically registered to test at North.
Upcoming PSAT/NMSQT - This is an entirely optional test; the fee is $25. An additional administration of the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Exam will be held on January 26. More details regarding registration will be available in November, and there will be a limited number of testing seats available. Students who were registered for but were absent from the October administration will be able to transfer their testing payment to this test administration. Details regarding transportation and testing times will be distributed in January. NOTE: This January administration is NOT open to students who tested for the PSAT/NMSQT in October.
Hybrid Students
To maximize collaboration between in-person and remote classmates, students are encouraged to bring a headset with them on their in-person learning days. The headset helps both the teacher and students hear each other more clearly as they communicate and collaborate. Students are encouraged to test out their headset with their D200 Chromebook as teachers will not be able to troubleshoot technical issues in class.
If a family or student would like to purchase a headset, here are some features that are ideal:
Headset covers the user’s ears
A boom microphone is preferred
USB powered headsets are recommended
A noise-canceling feature is ideal but not a must
If your student’s teachers have indicated a headset would be helpful but your student does not have access to a headset, students can request one by completing this form. Please note form submission requires the student to be logged in with their CUSD 200 Google account.
Our Virtual Resource Center is Available to All Students -- ONLINE and Open Now!
Please encourage your student(s) to attend our Virtual Resource Center to get help from staff and peer tutors. Follow this link to access instructions on how students can submit questions to peer tutors and connect with teachers virtually.
We hope your student will utilize this support, as needed!
Parent-Teacher Conferences - Going Virtual
Like other events, this year’s fall parent-teacher conferences will be held virtually. Teachers will be scheduling 10-minute virtual conferences via Zoom during the week of November 16. More details about the sign-up process will be shared in the upcoming weeks. As always, please don’t wait until conferences if you have a specific question or concern you’d like to discuss. Our staff are always just an email away! For questions about conferences, please contact Dr. Julie Pavlini, 630.784.7306, julie.pavlini@cusd200.org
From the Desk of Mr. Fisher, Athletic Director
As the information for high school athletics is changing more now than ever, we would like to direct you to our Athletics page under the Wheaton North website. In particular, please take a look at the Athletic Announcements segment for the most up to date information on registration, seasonal information, accolades, and more.
On the right of many of the Athletic pages is a Quick Links section which will direct you to frequently asked questions such as coaching info, schedules, and live streams. On the schedule page, you’ll be able to pull up various sports by season, year, and find additional info such as course maps, and current team photos.
Please check back often and be sure to follow us on Twitter for headlines: @AthleticsWNHS
Please go to our website for Winter Season Athletic Registration All registration is online through FamilyID and opens November 1, 2020.
AP Exams for the 2020-2021 School Year
For the 2020-2021 school year, AP Exam registration for 1st semester only and yearlong AP courses opens this fall. Students will follow a two-step process in order to register for exams this year. Exams must be registered and paid for by 11:59 pm, October 30, 2020. For the 2021 AP Exams, the cost $102 per exam. There will be a separate spring registration for students enrolled in 2nd semester only AP Courses.
The two-step process involves:
Students will access the College Board website with each of their AP classes before October 1, 2020. After accessing the College Board website, students will need to indicate if they would like to register for an AP exam. If a student indicates they want to take an AP exam, they will then have to go to the Total Registration website to register and pay for the exam.
Students and families must access the Wheaton North Total Registration website to register and pay for the exam. Students must answer all of the questions on the Total Registration website in order to complete the exam registration. A confirmation page indicates that the exam registration process has been successfully completed. The Total Registration site goes live on October 12, 2020.
College Board has not yet definitively said how tests will be administered this year-in person or online. That information will be sent out as soon as it’s released. However, it will likely not be decided until sometime in Spring 2021.
Wheaton North High School is excited to continue to offer families the ability to pay for their exam fees online at the time of registration. Please be sure to have a credit card or debit card available before beginning registration.
Registrations that are not paid by 11:59 PM, Friday, October 30, 2020 will be cancelled and exams will not be ordered.
Please contact Mr. Matt Schoon, at (630) 784-7312 or matthew.schoon@cusd200.org if you have any questions.
WNHS AP Website: https://www.cusd200.org/Page/17252
From the Counseling Department
General Announcements
Please follow the counseling department on Twitter @wncounseling for up-to-date information on a variety of topics from scheduling to scholarship information.
If students have not joined their counselor's Remind messaging classroom, please have them text their counselor’s class code to the number 81010. Parents are welcome to join the Remind messaging system as well. Click here to access codes.
Students can access virtual college visits on the counseling website. This allows students to go on virtual college visits to some of the top schools that WN students apply to.
Class of 2021
Check out the updated information on the Counseling Financial Aid Page regarding the 2020-2021 FAFSA and Financial Aid.
This year’s first scholarship bulletin has been posted to the counseling office website. Seniors can apply to a number of local scholarships by following the links provided.
The FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) opened on October 1. This application allows students to receive financial aid from a number of resources. All students should complete the FAFSA regardless of the family income level. Many colleges require the FAFSA in order for students to receive any kind of aid, including merit scholarships. For a complete guide to the FAFSA, please check out the counseling website under the Financial Aid link.
Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, in addition to all other graduation requirements, a student must meet one of the following requirements to receive a public school diploma (Public Act 101-0180):
File a FAFSA Application; or
File an Application for State Financial Aid; or
File a waiver/opt out with the school district.
Nothing additional is needed to meet the graduation requirement. Once you file your FAFSA, the state reports back to WN that it is complete.
Class of 2022 and 2023
Both sophomores and junior students can and should be attending virtual college visits by logging into their Naviance accounts. Once they go to Naviance, students can login using Clever and click on > colleges > college visits. Clever allows students to login using their google accounts. We encourage students to attend a variety of visits in order to gain an understanding of the different options that are available to them in the coming years. Students that attend these visits are typically far more prepared when they get to senior year.
Class of 2024
If students have not joined their counselor's Remind messaging classroom, please have them text their counselor’s class code to the number 81010. Parents are welcome to join the Remind messaging system as well. Click here to access codes.
From the LLC
School Yearbook Information
ALL STUDENTS
Interested in purchasing a 2020-2021 yearbook?
If so, have your parent or guardian log in to My School Bucks.
Yearbooks are $50.
Purchase a 2020-2021 Yearbook HERE
Interested in purchasing a 2019-2020 yearbook?
A very limited number of yearbooks are available for purchase starting October 1.
Yearbooks are $50.
These are first come, first serve and can be purchased through the WNHS Main Office in person.
RECOGNITION ADS
- To purchase an ad, please see the attached flyer and follow the online instructions.
- Each ad may feature photos, memories, shout outs, and stories and will take up 1/4 of a page.
- All ad orders are due by January 15, 2021.
Falcon WiNGS
New Signs Now Available!!
Have you seen the Wheaton North yard signs around town that were given to the Freshman Class of 2024? Now, you too can show your Northside Pride by purchasing one for your current, former or even GrandFalcon! For only $10, you can help support the WiNGS in our mission to Help the Falcons Fly! Please order one online.
Falconwear Sales
Thank you to all the freshman parents that purchased gear for the first two Blue and Gold Spirit Days of the year! Have you seen our new sherpa? You should order one, for sher-pa! Show that Northside Pride throughout the cooler months. Please visit us at our new Falconwear Online Store to purchase other gear like puffy vests, mittens and hats.
*Now delivering within WNHS boundary for $5 shipping
*Offering curbside pick up in the front bus circle at Wheaton North on Thursdays from 4:00-6:00pm.
Falcon WiNGS donations
Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors and to everyone who has made a contribution to the WiNGS! To get more information about becoming a Corporate Sponsor or for Corporate Sponsor Donations,, please visit us at http://www.wnfalconwings.org/store/c14/Corporate_Sponsorship_Donations.html
While we have waived all membership fees to the Falcon WiNGS this year, we are gratefully accepting donations to continue our mission of supporting students. Every donation helps, no matter the amount! To make a donation, go to http://www.wnfalconwings.org/store/c12/Donations.html
The Falcon WiNGS next meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday- November 10th at 7pm. Please join us at https://meet.google.com/wwi-wjnc-sov “See” you there!