Friday, October 24, 2008 With the first quarter just completed, we are well on our way into the school year! The first quarter at North High School brought myriad activities that engaged students in significant ways and often resulted in exemplary performance for which our students were recognized. Highlights of those recognitions are contained in this newsletter. On a rainy September weekend, our second student leadership overnight came together with sixty-two students and thirteen adult staff members joining the OWLS staff (Outdoor Wisconsin Leadership Synergy) at the George Williams/Aurora University campus on Lake Geneva. Senior leaders’ spirits could not be dampened as they served as key facilitators in supporting underclass peers to participate in team-building activities and focused discussion (in the evening) about how to muster the courage to confront bullying and harassment incidents that may occur at North High. Once back at North, student leaders from the weekend joined other students to prepare for Red Ribbon week and the scheduled assembly, an assembly that spoke to students about the negative effects of bullying and harassment in schools and how to be proactive against this all too common, sometimes subtle, behavior. The last week in September was Homecoming week with the theme of “Pirate’s Cove.” “Dress up” days were included in this week’s daily activities, and Homecoming Olympics kicked off the evening events, involving nearly 800 students on more than 80 teams. The ice cream social at Every Day’s a Sundae offered a “cooling off” for participants while Student Council collected over 21 boxes of non-perishable food items for the food drive. The Variety Show was host to a wide range of superb talent among our students, and the Homecoming Assembly, with recognition and performances by many student groups, along with the coronation of Queen Taylor Fregeau and King Dan Hogan, did not disappoint. Additionally, at the beginning of the assembly, North was awarded a plaque by the Downers Grove Historical Society in recognition of the 80th year of the Forest Avenue entrance. The assembly was followed by a lively Homecoming Parade, and the football game saw hundreds of fans come out to cheer the Trojans to victory. The Homecoming Dance on Saturday was a huge success with over 1200 students “dancing the night away” in the Purple Gym. Finally, although we did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the spring of 2007, WE DID MAKE AYP in the spring of 2008! We believe the collective efforts of our staff, along with the incorporation of several new initiatives, are beginning to make a difference for our entire student population and for our subgroup as defined by No Child Left Behind. We look forward to another year of improvement, particularly as we move ahead with allocated time (15 late arrival days) for professional learning teams to meet. On learning teams, staff members will review student work and make appropriate adjustments in instructional and assessment practices in order to improve learning and achievement for all of our students. Finally, I would like to remind all parents of our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences which will be held next Thursday, October 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. And – an additional reminder that, for the most up-to-date information, please refer to our school website (www.csd99.org/north). We look forward to seeing you in the building! Posted by Maria Ward on FRIDAY, October 24, 2008 ——————————————————————————————————————— Wednesday, August 06, 2008 It is with great pleasure that I welcome all North High families to the new school year. We have been busily preparing for your arrival all summer and are eager to hear the “buzz” of student conversation in our hallways on August 25, the first day of school. The June Notes from North stated that we would have no new administrators for this school year, but, with one of our deans relocating to another state, we found ourselves hiring a new dean, Mr. Omar Davis. Mr. Davis comes to us from Crete-Monee High School where he spent several years as a social studies teacher and a dean. Additionally, thirteen other certified staff members and five support staff members will be new to North this year, and we look forward to the contributions they will make to our students, both in and out of the classroom. As a reminder, all teachers will be providing on-line access to their students’ grades, although the frequency of the postings will vary depending on the teacher/course. Progress Reports will not be mailed out in the first or third quarters, since on-line grades make them obsolete by the time they arrive at your house; the most current grade online is the “Progress Report.” Only those students in danger of failing will receive progress reports in the second and fourth quarters. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher(s) if they have questions about improving their child’s academic status. If Internet access is not available to you in your home, local libraries provide such access. The dates for Parent Open House and Parent-Teacher Conferences are presented in this newsletter, as is the date for our Freshman Parents’ Night. Also, as a reminder from the June newsletter, we will have 15 late arrival days (10:00 a.m. start) for school improvement this year rather than the combination of late arrival and early dismissal days that we have had in the past. The 15 dates will be marked on the calendar you will receive in your packet on August 18; the dates were also included in the June newsletter. We have only two 1:30 dismissal days, the first one falling the Friday after Open House, and the other on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The Attendance Policy, implemented last year, has experienced minor revisions, and the full policy is available in the Student Handbook that you will receive on August 18, Schedule Pickup Day. The policy requires that all excused absences must be verified by a parent/guardian telephone call by 12:00, noon, on the day of the absence. Furthermore, after the sixth excused absence in a semester, parents will be asked to provide supporting documentation about the nature of the absence if they have not previously done so. We appreciate your cooperation with this policy. We are planning for another exciting and productive school year, and we welcome you, the parents, as partners in our work to help every child be successful. Please consider attending the many academic, athletic, and fine arts events/programs that are offered at North High. Your attendance brings much appreciated support for both students and staff members. Together, we can ensure that the 2008-2009 school year is the most fulfilling one yet! Posted by Maria Ward on WEDENESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2008 ———————————————————————————————————————
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