DGN May Principal Update

Dear North High students and families,

Before I share the news that I had planned to provide today, it is with a heavy heart that I share DGN Volunteer Sophomore Football Coach Peter Lenos (DGS Graduate, Class of 1999) passed away unexpectedly last night. Please keep his family, fellow coaches, players, and friends in your thoughts during this difficult time. Today, we provided an opportunity for our football players to come together and process this news as a team. In addition, our counseling team is available for any student who is struggling with this news; Alpha teams can be found here

As for the May update, we have many things to celebrate and many events to look forward to for students and parents. Please click here to watch my video for May. You also can see a summary of highlights below.

Mr. Steve Ruffolo, science teacher, is retiring at the end of the school year. He has not only been a remarkable teacher, but he has also led our school-wide efforts to be more “green” and environmentally progressive. As many of you know, I am also retiring. It has been my honor to lead this incredible school community, and I wish all of you the very best in the future. 

As always, please feel free to call or email me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at 630-795-8411 or at jschwarze@csd99.org. Students are welcome to email me, talk to me in the hallway, or stop by the main office at any time.

Ms. Janice Schwarze
DGN Principal
Twitter @jschwarzeteach 

DGN Video for May - Video Summary

  • Thank you for your understanding as we continue to follow health safety guidelines and advocate for our students with local and state authorities. I continue to be impressed with how our students and staff have adapted to new challenges. 
  • We’re proud of the 39 DGN students who earned Distinguished Honors this year by receiving a cumulative 4.4 or higher weighted grade point average after seven semesters in high school. Please click here for details and the names of those who have received this high honor, as well as those who received High Honors and Honors. These are impressive academic achievements! 
  • Congratulations to the DGN students who competed at the IHSA State Journalism Competition! Amelia Carlson, Ava Gallwas, Madeleine McGovern, Erin Peters, Madeline Redpath, Madeline Schallmoser, Olivia Shirk, and Maggie Ward. We’re proud to share that Madeleine McGovern received two state medals: 3rd place in Yearbook Caption Writing and 2nd place in Yearbook Copy Writing.
  • Congratulations to the success of our student athletes:
    • Girls Volleyball - Conference Champs (3rd time in 4 years)
  • I invite you to listen to my podcast, “Conversations with Mrs. Schwarze!” In the latest episode, Gwen Casten, Emma Cho and Claire Gorey talk about Empowerment Club and the importance of doing your part to improve our world. Listen to this episode and others at http://bit.ly/3rqpc44.
  • Parents’ Club is meeting virtually Wednesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. Courtney DeMent, the new principal who will start in July, will be the guest. Incoming 9th grade parents are invited to attend as well as all current parents. I’ll also provide an update on all of the senior events, including graduation and prom!
  • The last day of school for students is Friday, May 21. Note that while students may have final exams in some classes, there is NO special final exam schedule.
  • Please check your email for a link to our final parent survey of the school year. Your feedback helps us improve and plan for the future. 
  • The Master Facility Plan continues to be on time and ahead of budget. All projects will be completed and the building will be ready to welcome students back in the fall.

This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.