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Gillette, Gorski participate at All-State music conference

Two aspiring music educators who have experienced great success in the LCHS Music Department attended the Illinois Music Educators Conference last weekend. Tim Gorski and Charley Gillette both qualified for the highly competitive opportunity after submitting applications with the help of choral director Diana O’Connor and Matt Kastor, director of bands.

“In speaking with Tim, he thought this was such a worthwhile event for him – life changing, in fact,” said O’Connor, who directs Gorski in aCappella Choir.

Gorski was one of about 30 students in Illinois to participate in the Future Music Educators Seminar. There, he attended workshops and discussion groups led by current music students and young and experienced teachers that addressed issues pertaining to selecting the right school, being a music education student, landing and keeping your first job, and achieving a healthy and happy career as a music educator.

Gillette’s experience at the conference involved serving as first chair percussionist in the 150-piece All-State Band, Kastor said. He participated in two days of rehearsal with Dr. Richard Fischer of Concordia University, culminating with a concert on the Saturday of the conference.

International Fair 2012 promotes diversity education

Preparations for the second annual International Fair on March 10 are underway. Many groups already have committed to perform, and more are invited to help fill the program by representing their ethnicity, region, or religion, Co-superintendent Mike Nekritz said.

"It's really about promoting diversity and encouraging people to be proud of what they stand for," he said.

About 350 people attended the 2011 fair — a number Nekritz said he hopes to double this year. Attendees have the chance to sample food, hear music, and watch performances and demonstrations, such as Filipino dancers, Assyrian dancers, and Irish dancers. Germany and Poland are other countries expected to be represented at the fair so far.

The International Fair is one of the district's initiatives to achieve its goal in diversity education. The goal states, "...we are committed to developing students who are knowledgeable and capable of recognizing differences and acting in a way that demonstrates acceptance, tolerance, and democratic principles."

This year's fair will be held in the ACHS main gym from 5-7 p.m. Contact Rachel Morales or Amy Skonberg for more information.

Open House draws students from LCHS's Class of 2016

Soon-to-be LCHS freshmen attended the Class of 2016 Open House on Wednesday night. In addition to simply exploring the building, students and their parents had the opportunity to browse the school's many academic, athletic, and extracurricular offerings. Sports teams set up displays in the cafeteria and small gym to offer information about their summer camps and programs. Meanwhile, representatives from student clubs and organizations as well as each academic department were available to answer questions in the main gym.

Administrators and counselors also hosted a presentation in the auditorium to introduce themselves and explain the EXPLORE test and the upcoming enrollment process. Members of the Class of 2016 will be assigned one of two enrollment dates and times in early February.

"A student's high school experience should truly represent some of the very best years of his or her life," Principal Steve Plank wrote in the evening program. "We intend to make the high school years just that and look forward to working with you to make the high school years meaningful and fulfilling for all of our students."

Seniors selected as State Scholars for academic achievements

Forty-six seniors have been named State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. These members of the Class of 2012 earned the honor because of their high ACT scores, class ranks, and grade point averages. Approximately the top ten percent of graduates from approved high schools are announced as State Scholars each year. The State Scholars received a congratulatory letter.

The recipients include Erik Anderson, Jenna Baker, Michael Banks, Mark Beadle, Sara Berry, Chase Binkley, Tyler Booth, Katherine Brinser, Joshua Camp, Patrick Chen, Christina Cherry, Savannah Clements, Alexandra Costa, Taylor Craig, Sean Donovan, Daniel Duncan, Jamie Dykstra, Logan Edwards, Kaitlyn Fritz, Sean Graham, Kyle Hill, Matthew Hirsch, Eric Hyla, Raquel Jackson-Stone, Allen Johnson, Jennifer Knowles, Anthony Krajca, Nicole Laczewski, Mallory Lindstrom, Megan Massie, Conary Meyer, Shannon Miller, Anthony Osuma, Zachary Ptasienski, Adrianna Rajwa, Stephanie Reuse, Anne Safron, Brandon Schlaeger, Weston Schroeder, Ryan Silvola, Charles Sokolovsky, Robert Thompson, Darius Tumminello, Trevor Vacala, Sarah Webster, and Hannah Wittman.

Summer school will be held at both high schools this year

Parents and students should be aware of a few changes to summer school this year. Summer school will be held at LCHS and ACHS this year, for one. Additionally, classes only will be held during the month of June, Monday through Friday. Read the summer school brochure for more information, including cost and registration deadlines.

Booster Club jumpstarts alumni events with luncheon

With five graduating classes under its belt, LCHS is beginning to boost its efforts to keep in touch with alumni. The Lakes Eagles Booster Club has formed an alumni committee designed to provide communication, volunteers, and, when possible, funding for class reunions and other alumni events.

January 5 marked the first-ever alumni event, a luncheon during which 43 former Eagles from as far back as the first graduating Class of 2007 returned to LCHS to visit with each other and with their former teachers in the commons. The Booster Club provided sandwiches, salads, chips, drinks, and desserts.

The Booster Club also maintains a Facebook page specifically for alumni. So far, about 115 former students and other members of the LCHS community "like" the page.

Student Government invited alumni to return on January 6 to participate in an alumni forum. Seniors were invited to attend the forum during their lunch periods to ask questions to a panel of graduates about their experiences in college.

District 117 students show big growth in test scores

Community High School District 117 is bucking the state trend of lower standardized test scores and has instead seen substantial growth. Both Antioch and Lakes High Schools saw their scores in all subgroup categories of students statistically improve. The growth seen from last year’s PSAE scores ranges from 3.72 percent to 26.1 percent increase. The percentage of students meeting and exceeding state standards in reading went from 56.2 percent to 63.4 percent, a 12.8 percent improvement. In math the percentage meeting and exceeding jumped 15.96 percent, growing from 57 percent to 66.1 percent. Not surprisingly, ACT scores have improved as well.

Data from ACT clearly shows that District 117 student growth greatly exceeds national averages. Normal growth from the PLAN exam given to sophomores to the ACT given to juniors is approximately 2.4 points. District 117 averaged an increase of 3.2 points for students in that took both exams. This represents a 33 percent greater growth than students throughout the rest of the country achieved. The district’s students, staff, and community share equal credit for these successes.

“We are extremely proud of the growth our students have demonstrated on the high stakes tests, but we are more excited about how we are achieving these improvements,” said co-superintendent Mike Nekritz. “Our students understand the importance of learning and succeeding in school, while our faculty has been committed to developing curriculum and instruction that are better preparing students for success beyond high school.”