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Checking out for summer
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District adopts new policy regarding outstanding student fees |
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 Three hundred strong, the Class of 2009 marched into the ACHS gymnasium on May 27, surrounded by their families and friends. They listened as Billy Brown, Student Council President, and Zach Stanley, Senior Class President, welcomed the audience to the commencement ceremony. The graduates listened as student speaker Caryle Kliesner reflected on many of their accomplishments and urged them to continue living the Eagle motto, Respect+Courtesy=Pride. They listened as student speaker Adam Hoeflich encouraged them to find a new place in their lives. They listened as faculty speaker Ben Kalb offered some bits of advice, including to follow the patterns of history's best leaders and to appreciate the journeys in life, not just the endpoints.And at the end of the ceremony, the graduates accepted their diplomas from members of the School Board. Some of them raised their arms in the air and cheered as they stepped down from the stage; others let out a deep breath and smiled as they walked back to their seats.Outstanding Seniors Justin Hotle and Raven Jackson-Stone, who hosted the evening, led their fellow graduates out of the gymnasium as the band played the Fight Song. The Class of 2009 was the third class to graduate from LCHS.Click here to view the photo gallery. Click here to view the Daily Herald's photo gallery.Click here to order pictures of graduates accepting their diplomas.
Click here to order a graduation DVD for $20. Orders are due Friday, June 5. |
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Scott set direction for science, driver education at LCHS
Steve Scott hasn't been counting down the days until his retirement. He doesn't want to become preoccupied with it while he's still in the classroom. But, that doesn't mean he isn't looking forward to a chance to "catch his breath.""I'm flooded with a lot of different emotions," said the science and driver education teacher, who hasn't had a summer off since the Montreal Olympics in 1976 — he always was teaching summer driver education.Scott started his teaching career in 1975 at Union High School in Biggsville, Ill. He joined the ACHS staff the following year, where he stayed until he helped to open LCHS in the fall of 2004. He set the direction of both the science and driver education programs at LCHS and referred to the experience as "a thrill of a lifetime."Scott taught science, driver education, and psychology throughout his time in District 117; he also coached varsity softball from 1977-1981 and various levels of football from 1976-1994. One of his top three favorite memories, in fact, was the 1982 football season, in which his team played at Soldier Field for the Class 5A semifinals. The Sequoits experienced a "heartbreaking loss" with only 49 seconds left on the clock, Scott said.Scott also has been an active member of the association, serving as president for three terms. Although he hasn't had much time to plan his retirement, he knows he would like to go back to work, perhaps at a commercial driving school or for the new Lake County minor league baseball team in Zion, where he already has submitted an application. Additionally, he looks forward to spending time with his family and his chocolate lab Max, and to giving some TLC to his '62 Oldsmobile.Scott says he anticipates that one of the most difficult parts about retirement will be having to step back, to not be on the playing field but instead in the stands. At the same time, he's "looking forward to the change" that retirement brings. |
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Overocker plans to craft, travel, and more upon retiring
Betty Overocker started playing teacher long before she actually was certified. While in elementary school, she asked if she could run the "ditto machine" for the teachers. And in high school, she was in Future Teachers of America.“I guess you could say I have always been a teacher,” said the chemistry and biology teacher, who is about to enter retirement.After earning her degree at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, she held various subbing jobs – including one in Japan for the Department of Defense Schools – before accepting a job at ACHS. There, she was the only female teacher in the Science Department for ten years.“At one point at ACHS, physics was the only science course I hadn’t taught, and I had taught in every science room in the building,” she said.Overocker says that the most rewarding part about teaching is seeing students finally “get it,” and when former students tell her they learned a lot in her class, even if it took hard work.She has many retirement plans, including crafting, spending time with her granddaughter, reorganizing her two homes, and traveling. She's already scheduled her first major trip: a journey to Vaalwater, South Africa for about a month this fall to help at a mission orphanage/school that is being established by some of her friends. Overocker, who helped to open LCHS five years ago, said she will miss the comradery of the students and staff in District 117.“These last five years here have been a wonderful ending to a really rewarding career,” she said. |
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— Summer School Session 1 begins June 9; Summer Enrichment begins July 20 |
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Talon Times Rummage Sale: June 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., student parking lot or cafeteria in case of rain Graduation DVDs available for pick-up in main office, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Football Golf Outing: June 26, noon, Renwood Golf Course, Round Lake Beach; click for info. Schedule and Textbook Distribution: |
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Spring Wrap-Up Boys' Track Girls' Soccer Baseball Girls' Track Boys' Tennis Softball |
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SAT: October 10 ACT: September 12 |