Principal’s Notes by Mike Nekritz
Below is the STATE OF THE SEQUOITS from the second semester of the 2008-09 school year. The following represents a small portion of the many accomplishments of our fine students and staff. Enjoy!
STATE OF THE SEQUOITS ANTIOCH COMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL – JUNE 2009
1) We value commitment to creating a positive/safe school environment for students and faculty that is inviting, promotes creativity, and acknowledges success.
Student and Staff Success
FCCLA celebrated their 2 gold and 2 silver medals at state at their end of year celebration: Gold medals: Tyler Heischberg - Pastry Arts Cookie and Sarah Balza - Fashion Apparel Display. Silver medals: Felicia Farella - Pastry Arts Cookie and Marina Small - Food Production - Salad Demonstration
Ten Accounting 1 students attended the Accounting Contest sponsored by College of Lake County on April 14. Kevin Lawrence was the top scoring student from ACHS. Spanish Club fundraised with Chupa Chups suckers from Spain, for their annual scholarship contribution of $200 to the Suraya Brooks scholarship fund. The highest sellers, Rachel McNelis and Dylan Gorski, won a prize for their efforts.
33 ACHS students took the National German exam with 1 scoring above the 85th percentile and 3 above the 90th percentile! In addition, 16 ACHS students ranked in the top third in the nation of 23,000 students. Randi Beyer was awarded a scholarship to attend Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, MN, for her outstanding performance on the National German Exam and the interview process.
The Literary Magazine Production class produced its 28th volume of Finesse. This year’s theme was “To Whom It May Concern” and the editor was Jordan Palmer.
The Tom Tom earned a "First Place with Special Merit" from American Scholastic Press Association.
The yearbook staff finished the 2009 book on schedule under the leadership of two-time editor Jordan Palmer. Next year’s editor, Cheyenne Sullivan, and her team of editors have already started brainstorming ideas to make the 2010 volume memorable.
Tom Deichsel is the coach of the Academic Team, which placed in the top half in conference competition for the season.
In our Art classes, the following received formal recognition at the NSC and Antioch Woman’s Club Show 2009:
NAME/YR.:
Tiffany Mallery- 10
Natalie Moore- 12
Katelyn Ring- 10
Ellen Eames- 11
Megan Macek-10
Robert Kay- 10
Kyle Dionne-11
Nick Wisch-12
Dan West-12
Tim Horan-12
Macy Swierczynski-10
Crystal Rodriguez-9
Rachel Tokarczyk-9
Emily Precht-11
Cody Sullivan-9
Megan Caron-11
Kaitlyn Trusky- 11
Sabrina Babik- 11
Louis Schultz- 12
Kevin Futterer- 10
Carlie Michmersuizen-12
Mark Haley-11
Travis Wiese- 10
• Macey Swierczynski and Shannon Haras received the Illinois Federation of Woman’s clubs art scholarship to the summer art workshop at Eastern Illinois University.
• Over ninety students were involved with the production of Guys and Dolls with enormous crowds cheering for more.
• Drama Awards Night recognized a great number of theater students achievement including:
Best Character Actor Erik Peters
Best Character Actress Noelle Bruce
Best Supporting Actor Dylan Zobel
Best Supporting Actress Jessica Chelmecki
Best Actor Andrew Livermore
Best Actress Heather Bednar
State of the Sequoits 2
Best Thespian Greg Geddes
District Music Festivals went very well, with 461 current and future Eagles and Sequoits perfoming side by side. The Guest Clinician was Dr. James Ripley from Carthage College. The District Choral Festival, under the baton of Beth Best, the State ACDA president-elect performed for a huge crowd at ACHS.
The Music Awards recognized several musical students. Erik Peters was selected the Outstanding Music Student, and Jessica Chelmecki, Lindsay Unick, Ashley Meyer, Brandon Schneider, and Dylan Zobel all received the Five Star Award. Jessica Chelmecki was given the highest award, the national Arion Award for outstanding leadership, talent, and effort.
The Jazz Choir performed twice in Branson, MO in professional venues, with very positive results.
2009-10 Marching Sequoit Leadership Team:
Teri Klobnak is working with Steve Schoenfelder to create a Girl’s Physical Best “Hall of Fame Wall” to recognize conference, regional, sectional and state qualifiers as well as all conference selections.
The girls’ track and field team won two invitations, took second place in the conference (highest conference finish since 1981), won the IHSA sectional and saw seven girls qualify in 10 events for the IHSA State track and field meet. 3 of those qualifiers medaled in four events: Erin Poss (3rd 3200m and 5th 1600m), Brittany Deem (4th Discus) and Erin Schoenfelder (8th 100m Hurdles). These were the first girl state track and field medalists in the history of the school. 8 school records were broken during the year.
The boys’ track and field team took third place at the sectional meet. Four athletes qualified in seven events for the state meet. Three of those athletes medaled: Brent Jones (6th Triple Jump), Tyler Woolard (6th Shot Put), Cameron White (7th 200m).
The girls’ softball team won the Prairie Division, NSC and IHSA Regional Championship. Head Coach Jeff Tylka was voted the ICA Softball Sectional Coach of the Year.
The boys’ tennis team finished in second place in the Prairie Division.
Coming into the 2008-2009 school year, ACHS athletes had won a total of 28 medals at IHSA State Meets during the history of the school. This year 10 athletes won medals.
At this time, approximately 22 athletes are looking at continuing their athletic careers at the college level, with seven of these having received athletic scholarship offers.
Four winter and spring varsity teams qualified for the IHSA Team Academic Achievement Award: Girls’ Basketball, Girls’ Track, Girls’ Soccer, and Girls’ Softball. Since the program’s inception during the 2001-2002 school year, Girls’ Volleyball and Girls’ Cross-Country have achieved this award every year.
Seven seniors distinguished themselves by being part of IHSA Team Academic Achievement award winning teams for every varsity team they were members of throughout their careers at Antioch: Jen Precht, Ashley Mysliwiec, Katie Budd, Katrina Holm, Erin Schoenfelder, Jen Naegele, and Brittany Deem.
CLC students nominated Donna Corcoran, Jon Salaban, and Frank Chikos to be included in the "Lake County High School Teachers Honor Roll."
State of the Sequoits 3
ACHS athletic volunteer Lynn Judson was awarded the Friends of Athletics Award at the IADA State Conference in May. This award recognizes the volunteer that the state organization honors as the individual who contributed the most as a volunteer for high school athletic programs in the state of Illinois.
Students helped collect over 100 lbs of toiletries and paper products to donate to the Open Arms Mission as a Mother’s Day promotion by the students.
Creativity Spanish II students creatively developed their own storybooks encompassing the newly acquired past tenses as well as their comprehensive Spanish I and II vocabulary. Spanish IV classes wrote movie scripts and made creative and technologically-challenging movies to share with their classmates. German II students were exposed to a variety of culturally-relevant German musical groups including Max Raabe, Silbermond, Christina Stürmer and Rammstein. Spanish Club and German Club rivaled one another in their annual soccer match. Spanish Club won! Many students attended and it was fun for all.
In conjunction with the Literary Magazine class, the library had its second annual coffee house this year. Tying it to the National Library Week theme of “Worlds Meet,” an international feel was encouraged. Kerri Elliott taught a song in Swahili, Sana Jafri read a poem from India, and Sofia Farooq taught students how to write Arabic calligraphy. Many students read poems or sang songs and there was an increase in classes and individual students attending the event this year.
Author Simone Elkeles came to talk to the dance team, which had read Simone's How to Ruin My Summer Vacation and Leaving Paradise. The author gave an excellent presentation, (the same presentation she usually charges thousands of dollars for), signed copies of her books, and gave great advice about following your dreams. The presentation was coordinated by student Keeley Thode.
Julie Kenney incorporated a Dr. Seuss lesson with her Spanish II Honors classes to celebrate the success of Dominique Bessette winning the Foreign Language slogan contest. Mrs. Shari Demeritt coordinated with a local t-shirt company so students and staff could purchase them with the winning design. It was a Dr. Seuss celebration for all!
Our Calculus students attended “Calculus, the Musical” to see application of their subject matter. Jazz Band traveled to Baxters to play for their holiday party. Our Kind of Town was presented by the band and choir students and was well received.
Band and choir students performed at Grayslake North for the IHSA Solo & Ensemble Festival. We had 22 instrumental events and 34 vocal events. Students scored very well, with many students bring home Division I ratings.
2) We believe that the leadership at ACHS must ensure that the district’s guaranteed and viable curriculum is effectively taught by the faculty and learned by the students as measured by academic growth.
Thirteen CWT students were certified by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) agency in the 10-Hour General Industry Safety course. OSHA’s CareerSafe program is an interactive, Y2Y (Youth to Youth) online program that trains teens regarding their rights and responsibilities in the workplace and how they can protect themselves and others. Spanish classes finished reading various novels including “¿Dónde está Eduardo?”, “Don Quijote de la Mancha”, and “Pobre Ana”. AP Spanish V students completed and presented a literary project involving a variety of important Hispanic authors.
State of the Sequoits 4
After reading a story in German IV classes about a Turkish girl living in Germany, Dani Katz invited Sofia Farooq to shed some light on the sensitive issue of religion in some cultures.
All math classes participated in celebrating Pi Day; students made t-shirts and posters and, of course, ate pie!
The math department gave 12 common assessments second semester. Flex scheduling was implemented in the math department to allow seniors to take their semester exams in an appropriate setting without interrupting the flow of other classroom activities.
A summer class is being offered to incoming freshmen to bridge the curriculum between Algebra 1 and Geometry Honors.
The Social Studies teachers have made a commitment to promoting student work. Classroom and hallway displays of student work are present on a regular basis.
Work begins this summer to better organize the U.S. History II curriculum. Our focus will be to vertically align themes in U.S. History to the major themes presented in Global Studies, while also focusing on more advanced themes presented in U.S. History.
In Global Studies a collaborative effort in both schools resulted in the inclusion of a study on the Holocaust which culminated in the showing of Schindler’s List.
• Students in Geography created orienteering maps around the gym area and outside on the fields as they learned how to use the compass in the Orienteering unit.
• In Driver’s Ed. the students are learning to use a portable GPS unit.
• A 50 question fitness-based common assessment test was given to all sophomore, junior and senior students as part of their final PE exam.
• Girl’s Physical Best classes designed summer conditioning programs. Four girls were recognized for their three year participation in the class. Registration for this class has risen from 16 girls the first year to 80-90 girls for next fall.
All English I, II, and III students are taking two second semester common assessments: a timed writing and a multiple-choice exam covering reading, vocabulary, and writing mechanics.
All English I, II, and III students are completing an end-of-the-year portfolio reflection sheet. They and their teachers are assessing their key writing skills, reflecting on different writing assignments, and setting writing goals for next year. Co-teaching is taking place in six sections of Life Science and Physical Science. Two instructional science courses are also being taught.
Common assessments were written and given in Music Theory 1, Music Theory 2, 2D Art and 3D Art.
The Fine Arts Department completed the curriculum writing for Music Theory 1, 2 and 3, and has begun mapping Ceramics, Drawing, Beginning Drama and Stage Craft curriculum.
rant Murray, Amy Skonberg, and Stephen Rose are currently working with English teachers Kristin Paul and Mary Easton to explore and implement more co-curricular activities between Social Studies and English.
3) We value the ability to realize our School Improvement Plan. Dani Katz created and shared a contract for the purpose of establishing expectations for success with struggling students with department members. The contract requires student, parent and teacher signatures, and has encouraged struggling students to meet expectations in the courses. FCCLA enjoyed a cross-curricular enrichment activity as they visited the Lincoln Museum in Springfield when they attended the state competition Foods 3 provided AP Biology with samples of herbs as part of the Herb unit for each class.
The Food and Fitness class did an extensive research project comparing various diets. The project included a poster presentation to the class and peer evaluations.
In conjunction with the principles in the “SPARKS” book, the PE department offered students 6:30 am aerobic workouts the three mornings of final exams. Sixty-two students participated during the 3 days.
State of the Sequoits 5
Reflective questions were emailed to them about their experience and how they did on their finals after the workout.
• All Fit for Life and Physical Best classes exercised 25 minutes before taking the final exam.
• The English I Seminar students have grown in their reading ability. At the beginning of the year only 11 students were reading at the 8th grade level or above; now 23 students are reading at the 8th grade level or above. Also, 34 out of the 50 students tested through the seminar program have significantly increased their reading scores from the beginning of the year.
• Updates to the English Department’s website highlight student writing, photography, and artwork which are on display through pages of the newspaper, literary/art magazine, and yearbook. In addition, two handbooks are available for download to help students with class assignments.
• Our Algebra 1 team has been working with the Science Department to determine how best to align the curricula of Physics First and Algebra 1.
• Different math courses created extended response portions to common assessments to provide multiple means of assessing student progress in many of our math classes.
• The Physics First curriculum has been implemented to all freshmen, emphasizing essential science skills. The Chemistry curriculum has been chosen for the sophomore class.
• From the 8th grade EXPLORE test to the April practice PLAN test, the freshmen class average score increased by 3.5 points. The expected growth between the 8th grade test and the sophomore PLAN testing is 3.0 points.
• We have lots of enthusiasm for the Staff Book Club and hope that the club will continue next year.
• All teachers have cited as a goal in their evaluation plan to focus on differentiation in assessing students. This will be a continued emphasis in 2009-2010. Teachers will continue to work on creating lessons that focus on using a variety of activities.
4) We value the willingness to seek assistance as we try to improve.
To improve technology integration into our curriculum, teachers from ACHS have volunteered to serve on the District Technology Committee. The team will design in-service opportunities for our staff. Barbara Mason attended two workshops:--Wiki Basics and Beyond - by the North Suburban Library System and Tech Forum Midwest 2008 - by Tech Learning. Topics included: Web 2.0 Best Practices, Digital Storytelling Showcase, Google Secrets, and Creative Collaboration Using 21st Century Tools. Marcia Zboril attended the National Business Teachers Conference in Chicago and a 2-day Quickbooks training. The Quickbooks software will be used in Accounting 1 beginning next school year. Foreign Language teachers attended state conferences on teaching language, paying particular attention to the use of reading stories to help develop proper language skill development.
Freshman English teacher Mary Easton and Global Studies teachers Steve Rose and Grant Murray have met several times to discuss ways that the two courses could share objectives and assignments. Next year they plan to focus on helping students write an effective paragraph guided by a clear main idea.
Junior English teachers Kristen Paul and Michele Todd and American History teacher Amy Skonberg have met and will continue to meet about developing a combined project for juniors. At this point they plan to coordinate their study of the colonial period in history with The Crucible in English.
A professional library of books was created in the Science Department to broaden teacher’s understanding of both curricular content and methodology, books are being purchased and loaned by staff members.
The science department is actively involved in three professional associations: American Association of Physics Teachers, National Biology Teachers Association, and American Chemical Society.
Advanced classes in 2D Art (drawing and painting) include portfolio examinations for their final exam which entail class critiques and presentations in preparation for college level classes.
Student/athletes, head coaches, and parents from both Antioch and Lakes sent recommended revisions for the student/athlete handbook for the School Board to review.
State of the Sequoits 6
Parent satisfaction surveys were handed out at the spring sports end of the season banquets as we have done at the conclusion of every season.
5) We value accountability and ownership throughout the school.
We thoroughly examine our common district assessments for virtually every course taken by students. These results help us determine our effectiveness, best practices, and direction for future improvement.
We are currently utilizing past passages from ACT/Plan tests to prepare students for upcoming tests. We also continue to practice skills inherent to the test in each of our courses.
We continue to work on our military display in order to honor those ACHS graduates who have gone on to serve our country and put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom.
365 students attended after school PE makeup sessions second semester. Last semester 222 students attended.
332 students attended Driver Ed. makeup this semester. Last semester 227students attended. Audrey Nagel and Wanda Teddy will create a script for the book Thirteen Reasons Why that drama students will perform next year. The English department hopes to make this book the first in a student book club next year.
Freshmen through seniors in our core English classes will again be reading a book this summer and writing a brief response. This year teachers created bookmarks and brochures that provided background information on the books. Math department chairs continued the work of Dr. Wholeben in the analysis of data from our semester exams.
We have established a Math Department/Math Team bulletin board to maintain an open line of communication with students. A bulletin board outlining our departmental initiatives and our progress on each goal is also evident. AP teachers Amy Skonberg, Nancy Fenton, and John Walker have conducted after school and late-night tutoring for students taking AP tests in Government, Psychology, and U.S. History. These tutoring sessions began early in the semester and continued through the day of the tests. Leadership Council and Captains Committee provide input into the training rules revisions and the development of a scholarship for a male and female senior athlete which will be donated by Deli-Source, a local business.
Spring-Athletic eligibility:
Date
Number of Athletes D/F
Number of Athletes Ineligible
April 6
123
7
April 13
117
8
April 20
111
7
April 27
108
9
May 4
113
9
May 11
102
14
6) We value the efficient use of resources.
We appreciate the cooperation of three area car dealers that supply Driver Ed. vehicles to the department: Raymond Chevrolet, Kuhn County Ford, and Antioch Dodge. It is a difficult economic time for these dealers, yet they continue to support or program.
Almost $5,000 additional “wish list” money was provided by the CTW/Perkins grants and spent on materials for the Applied Tech department.
State of the Sequoits 7
Students in Computer Applications 4 – Video Production Class (the capstone course in the Computer Apps sequence) finalized a personal video project utilizing our new software, Adobe Premiere CS3. The class also completed a 3D project using Google SketchUp 7 software. Consumer Education students are analyzing credit card applications and learning to do the math associated with finance charges. By doing so they will become better informed consumers by knowing what they should look for when applying for credit cards in the future.
Students unable to purchase their own graphing calculators were able to “check-out” Math Department owned calculators for the year.
The CWT, Sales and Marketing, Business Management and Marketing, and JILG classes teamed with the Lake County Department of Health Department to conduct the 2nd Annual Reach Out and Read book drive. The Reach Out and Read’s mission is to make books a routine part of pediatric primary care so that children, ages 6 months to 5 years of age, grow up with a love for reading. This year’s book drive was an outstanding success. 2,057 books were collected. This is an increase of 706 books or 34% over last year.
Unlike past years, this year students will pay for their summer books. The English department has created a method for collecting the money and recording the payment. This step will save the district considerable money.
Based on usage reports from the library, we will discontinue the following journals: Threads, Interior Design, Clay Times, Pottery, Astronomy, Cooks Magazine, Dance, Upfront, Business Weekly, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Parents, Atlantic Monthly, and ChemMatters. We will continue to have popular magazines in the leisure seating area of the library for students and staff.
Our library applied for and received the Picturing America grant and has hung many American classic pictures around the school.
The Fine Arts Department utilizes different guest conductors to assist and aid our performing arts students.
The PE department graciously allowed these groups to use our facilities during the school day: Freshman advisory, election/polling, AP testing, I-Search speeches, Earth Day celebrations, Grandparents’ Day lunch, and the district Band and Choir Festivals.
ACHS outdoor athletic facilities were used by Antioch Upper Grade School, Emmons, Grass Lake, St. Peter’s, AYSO, AYLL and Boader Town Bandits, and Antioch area developmental athletic programs.
To help Antioch area developmental athletic programs meet state AED requirements for usage of ACHS facilities after July 1, the Antioch Rescue Squad has been working to secure AEDs at a reasonable price and Wanda Sobczak, ACHS school nurse, has volunteered to set up AED/CPR certification classes for organization members.
In an effort to conserve paper, teachers are submitting year end check out procedures online instead of paper format and we have changed protocols with our copying procedures to save paper, energy, and money. Collectively we have been able to alter our budgets and cut thousands of dollars from the budget without disrupting or influencing classroom instruction.
GOOD TO GREAT AT ACHS
With the weather finally changing, we can enjoy nature’s rebirth and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. We
can easily forget how simple pleasures can inspire us. Spring symbolizes growth, energy, and hope. The young
people at ACHS inspire these same sentiments. ACHS students have been busy in the classroom, in extracurricular
activities, and within the community. Their actions have continued to promote a great school climate
where success leads to personal growth and more success. Enjoy the recent happenings described below. Every
day is a good day to be a Sequoit.
ACADEMICS:
Our school improvement plan continues tp direct our efforts. Departments have focused on ‘one sentence summaries’ and interpreting charts and graphs, while some students have developed and administered a climate survey to our student body. This group, led by Dalton Lukasik, Luke Toczek, Kelsey Green, Amber Dalgaard, Ariel Pontikes, Mignon Rademan, Blythe Roberson, Amanda Rominiecki, Katie Brito, and Nikhita Gupta, will present their findings to our faculty in late April.
All honors math students took part in American Mathematics Competition this past February. In the past only a select group had participated in the exam.Our Math and Science Departments have been working together to better align our Algebra I and Physics First curriculum. Their efforts led to the fewest failures by freshmen in these departments.
Finesse, our award winning literary magazine, is almost ready for production. The group is led by editors Jordan Palmer and Chelsea McCurry and key staff members Natalie Moore and KathrynKowalczyk. Alyse Mercereau has provided exceptional editing.
Over 150 students will be taking over 250 Advanced Placement exams in May. We are happy to see some growth in this area. Enrollment for next year continues this positive trend. A few individual have received some great awards as well. Blythe Roberson and Mignon Rademan are National Merit Finalist and Blythe is also a finalist for the Presidential Scholarship Award. Katie Budd and Katrina Holm will be recognized by the Illinois Principals Association for their positive contribution to the school climate.
Seniors have been busy applying to college with Northern Illinois, Loyola, University of Illinois, and Illinois State University being the top choices of four-year institutions. We have seen an increase in our projected enrollment at College of Lake County with many citing financial limitation as a major factor.
The English Department offers kudos to Brook Witt for her outstanding presentation in Ms. Todd’s class infusing great technology with her speech, and to Ericka Bubolz and Fritz Go for their culture project onlife in the Philippines in Ms. Taylor’s class.
Academic clubs have also thrived with DECA leading the way. Cody England qualified for the National Competition in Automotive Service while John Ottinger, Zach Wilfert, Greg Geddes, and Cade England also performed well at the state meet. Model UN will compete for the first time in April. ACHS will be representing Pakistan at the competition while our WYSE club will have its science competition in May.
To promote diversity, ACHS held its second annual blues concert. Students read about Chicago and the civil rights movement and learned about the history of music. The professional band then spent time with the ACHS musicians to discuss the industry and life as entertainers.
ATHLETICS AND THE ARTS:
The IHSA announced its fall All-academic teams andACHS qualified in Girls Cross Country, Girls Volleyball, and Girls Tennis. Individual North Suburban All-Academic Athletes for the winter include Alyssa Alvarez, Allie Antilla, Martha Arntson, Helena Bernardo, Katie Budd, Brennan Casey, Hannalee Go, Andy Green, Katrina Holm, Rebecca Huebner, Samantha Kraft, Miranda Linco, Samantha Paddock, Megan Petty, Jen Precht, Erin Schoenfelder, and Keeley Thode.
Spring athletic participation increased 11% from last year. There are more students participating in virtual every activity over last year’s high numbers.
The speech team placed fifth at the IHSA regional competition. Cara Lamusga, who placed third in Radio Speaking, and Andrew Livermore and Sammi Abear, who placed third in Humorous Duet Acting, advanced to the sectional tournament on Feb. 14th.
After winning the sectional, senior wrestler Tom Gerstner captured second place at the IHSA State Wrestling Tournament. Seven other wrestlers advanced to the sectional with junior Kevin Knutson finishing fourth.
The Cheerleading Team continued its dominating ways, capturingseventh at the state meet. This marks the fourth consecutive year they have finished in the top eight teams. Captains for the team were Brittany Geweke, Karissa Kolle, and Jamie Tindall.
The DanceTeamalsoqualified for the IDA State Tournament finishing fourth in kick and seventh in hip hop categories. Emily Ortiz, Miranda Linco, and Keeley Thode are the captains of this impressive group.
Girls bowling won first place at the sectional tournament, rolling past 15 other teams to advance to the state finals in Rockford where they placed thirteenth. Symantha Rolph, Alyssa Alvarez, Kaitlyn Trusky, and Kim Childress were among the top bowlers in the tournament. Junior Kaitlyn Trusky was the NSC tournament medalist.
Several ACHS athletes recently signed their national letters of intent to play college sports on full scholarships. Cameron White will football for Eastern Illinois University; Ashley Mysliwiec will pitch at Iowa Wesleyan.
At the IHSA Music Solo & Ensemble Contest, ACHS students performed very well. We had 50 solos and ensembles, involving around 100 students. We received an impressive 27 Division I and 21 Division II. The Jazz Choir followed up these contests with performance in Branson, Missouri opening for two main stage acts.
All state track athletes traveled to compete in the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic. Erin Schoenfelder finished fourth in hurdles, Brent Jones placed fourth in the triple jump, TylerWoolard finished sixth in the shot put, and CameronWhite finished eighth in the 55m sprint. The 4x200m relay team of Jay Hagert, Devonte Miller, Oscar Segura and Cameron White placed fifth in the state.
Under the direction of Wanda Teddy and Debbie Rummel, ACHS students performed Endangered Speciesbefore the entire student body. The play depicts the realities of teenage choices and sexuality. The show was incredibly well received by the whole school. Outside groups have even asked the crew to perform the show for them. Cast members include Dylan Zobel, Mark Ano, Erik Peters, Nancy Bell, Brittany Hartl, Scott Segal, Andrew Livermore, Sam Gutsmiedl, Heather Bednar, Sarah Aiello, Tiffany Stella, and Taylor Coull.
SETTING THE TONE FOR THE COMMUNITY:
The Reach Out and Read Book Drive surpassed its goals and collected more than 2,000 children's books, exceeding last year’s total of 1,351 books. Students from four different classes joined forces to carry out the drive, which aims to promote reading by giving away books to children five years old and younger at pediatric primary care facilities. Cooperative Work Training students collected the distribution boxes on Friday and began counting and sorting books. Sales and Marketing classes devised the theme for the drive last semester, while Business Marketing and Management students carried out the plan this spring. JILG students coordinated fundraising offering prizes as incentives to donate.
The Blood Drive continues to exceed all expectations with the latest day bringing in over 330 pints. Nicole Worswick, Joe Utter, and Ashley Mysliwiec served as student volunteers for the event.
Our efforts to promote active citizenship seem to have resonated with students and community members. Congresswoman Melissa Bean visited ACHS to discuss her experiences in Congress, while government students have been holding mock congresses in class. ACHS senior ErikPeters, vying for Antioch mayor, is currently the youngest official candidate in Illinois.
ACHS coaches have been busy promoting their sports in the community. Baseball, basketball, and wrestling have all held coaching clinics.
During our spring musical, Guys and Dolls, we are hosting our first ‘Grandparents Day’ on April 30th. Juniors and seniors can bring a mentor with them to school to share their experiences and see the musical. Student Council will be holding its annual Sharing is Caring ‘dinner and a show’ for area retirement communities.
We are extremely pleased that less than 1% of all hair tests for drug use have been positive.
ACHS is once again taking part in the Federal Reserve’s Money Smart Week. From 7:00-9:00 pm on April 20th, we will hold an event entitled Understanding Basic Finance in which students, parents, and community members are invited to discuss with professionals the key ideas in maintaining and building financial success. State Bank of the Lakes is our partner in this endeavor.
Book Clubs continue to thrive at ACHS with twenty seven staff members reading and discussing The Book Thief. Many students read and collectively examined the best seller Twilight. Stay tuned for our next community book choice.
For more information about ACHS, visit our website at www.sequoits.com.
ACHS 2008-09 “Good to Great”
The past few months have been a trying period for our country, state, and local communities. Economic times are tough, the state is in political turmoil, and we worry about maintaining a positive balance for our students at ACHS. Despite these situations, the staff and students of Antioch continue to impress. While there are areas where we would love to see improvement, this article demonstrates the depth and variety of success the Sequoits are enjoying. Please continue to talk with our students about the importance of hard work and the goal to be great.
STATE OF THE SEQUOITS- June 2009!
ACADEMICS:
The sophomore class took the PLAN test in November, and we recently received its results. The Class of 2011 surpassed all other PLAN results since the exam has been given. If this development continues, this class will set ACHS records for achievement on the ACT exam next year. Students will receive their individual scores in late January. Congrats to the Class of 2011.
More than 200 students from seven area grade school tested their skills at the math department’s eleventh annual math fair. ACHS students created and ran the 80 game booths. Math teacher Tim Hildner and Kelly Rose coordinated with math team members led by Carissa Kurz, Peter Olejnik, Daniel Jovanov, Katherine McNatt and Michelle Wojnarowski.
Thirty-three students received recognition as Illinois State Scholars. To be eligible for this honor, seniors must have qualifying grades and score very well on high stakes tests. Congratulations to Martha Arntson, Heather Bednar, Nancy Bell, Kirstin Crichton, Brittany Freundt, Kelsey Green, Brittany Harrison, Brittany Hartl, Lauren Hoadley, Ross Houslander, Christopher Inciardi, Elyse Jares, Logan Kent, Juline Lamusga, Shannon LeClair, Ryan Lulofs, Steven Mapaye, Clea Marsh, Shelby McMahon, Thomas O'Brien, Ashley Okrzesik, Alex Pechauer, Svetlana Peykova, Ariel Pontikes, Mignon Rademon, Blythe Roberson, Amanda Rominiecki, Erin Schoenfelder, Joshua Schwenk, Jeff Sprague, Tiffany Stella, Zachary Wilfert, and Thomas Zeien.
Jessica Chelmecki was recently recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and is eleigible for special scholarships, while Erin Schoenfelder received special mention by the Daily Herald as part of their Leadership Team.
The 2008 edition of the ACHS yearbook earned the highest possible honors from the Kettle Moraine Press Association. Earlier this fall, National Scholastic Press Association judged the ’08 yearbook as First Class and awarded Marks of distinction in the areas of concept and coverage. The 2008 book was edited by current senior Jordan Palmer and advised by Mark Thompson. The Newspaper staff members also received
awards of distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association. The Tom Tom current editor is Ashley Meyers and advisor is Michael Gordy.
The school climate continues to be positive with our daily attendance averaging slightly below 95% with suspensions were down 35% over last year. Behavior referrals have also decreased by 10%. There were 91 students with perfect attendance (no absences and no tardies to any class). Keep encouraging our students to be great in these areas. Roughly 250 students were recognized for their excellent attendance and have been rewarded with free skiing and other prizes.
AP Psychology students had model brains displayed in the library. They were made available for students and staff to inspect and vote on. The winning team of students was Kaci Thompson, Emily Precht, and Amber Schmitt. Second place went to Blythe Roberson and Eimile Fitzgerald.
Students helping students – Not only are Jordan Palmer, Lindsay Unick, Corrine Berhrendt, Kelsey Green, Derek Goldman, Jake Anderson, and Brittany Harrison senior advisors helping with our Advisory Program, but they also donated their time to prepare freshmen for finals. Thanks for modeling great behavior.
The ACHS band and choir pack the house at the Holiday Concert.
The Bowling Team is undefeated in conference play.
Spanish and German club members create ceiling tiles representing countries around the world.
ATHLETICS and The Arts:
The Speech Team is enjoying great successes in its second year. Taylor Coull, Sammie Abear, Andrew Livermore, Juli Leprich, Cara Lamusga, and Erik Peters have earned their Merit Degree for the National Forensic League while Noelle Bruce advanced to the Honors Degree.
The fall play Shadowland,s starring AndrewLivermore and Jessica Chelmecki, had the audience examine the life of famed writer C.S. Lewis. The cast and crew augmented their performances by reading Lentin Lands, a book about the Lewis-Davidman family.
Other performances by our Fine Arts Department included the sold out Holiday Café, led by Brandon Schneider, Noel Bruce, Andrew Livermore, and Becca Fowler.
Sophomore Dominiqe Bassette was the first Sequoit to place at the state swimming finals. She competed in both the 200-yd medley and the 100 yd. butterfly, capturing tenth place in the medley. Junior Erin Poss made her second consecutive trip to the girls’ cross country state finals earning a seventh place finish. Last year she captured eighteenth in Illinois. Amazing job by these Sequoits.
Others also had enormous team successes including Boys Soccer (a Regional Championship) and Girls Cross-Country (division champs). The Dance Team has already qualified for the state tournament with its impressive performance at the Lakes Invitational, winning kick and open dance.
The ACHS Football Team advanced to the State Semi-finals after a PERFECT regular season. The Sequoits had a record nine all-conference players including Cameron White, Matt Romani, Steve Lorenzini, Vinnie Holm, Louis Schultz, Jake Anderson, Alec Paramski, Tom Gerstner, and Travis Kwielford. Cameron White was named to several All-State teams setting many ACHS scoring and rushing records.
Coach Glashagel participates in a fundraiser to help send ACHS students to the Presidential Inauguration.
Erin Poss runs for 7th at State.
Dominque Bassette sets ACHS records.
GIVING BACK:
During these tough times for many of our families, we have seen a continuous effort to assist people less fortunate than us. This great work by ACHS faculty and staff should be recognized:
The American Cancer Society delivered a Certificate of Recognition plaque to ACHS for our participation in the Daffodil Days 2008 Campaign. Not only were we #1 for all contributors in Lake County. We were the #1 School in the State of Illinois! The National Honor Society sponsored this event. NHS collected 174 hat and mittens for Kids Hope United and NHS participated in an adopt-a-family drive in cooperation with Open Arms Mission. NHS is led by Erin Schoenfelder, Brittany Hartl, Heather Bednar, Ashley Meyer, and Mignon Rademan.
Jobs for Illinois Graduates completed two service learning projects for the Open Arms Food Pantry. Students collected canned goods and over $500 for the Adopt-A-Family program.
Student Council’s annual “Help Out for the Holidays” had students distributing collection bags to local needy homes, while DECA sponsored Toys for Tots collecting numerous unopened presents for area families in need during the holidays.
On Veterans Day, the Advanced Wind Ensemble performed for a community assembly at Antioch Elementary School. The event was combined with a Blue Star Memorial Dedication by the Antioch Garden Club at the Antioch Historical Society.
Even the weather can NOT stop ‘Sequoit Fever’.
ACHS 2008-09 “Good to Great”
During my four years as principal at ACHS, I have never experienced such a smooth and positive beginning of the school year. I am very excited that our students and staff have answered the challenge to continue to improve. We have seen growth in attendance and discipline, academic skill development, and in our school climate. There is a great buzz in school that has everyone showing their Sequoit Pride. Please join us at any of our athletic competitions, fine arts events, or school programs. You are bound to catch Sequoit fever!
ACADEMICS:
In an effort to promote active citizenship, we are having a mock campaign and election at ACHS. We have candidates representing both parties and a series of activities to promote voting. To date we have registered over 30 new voters and trained 43 election judges. October 14th was Politician Day where students heard from State Treasurer Alexi Giannulios, Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross, Representative JoAnn Osmond, and Congressional candidate Steve Greenberg. Congrats to our student leaders Eric Peters and Logan Kent (McCain/Palin)and Blythe Roberson and Jeff Sprague (Obama/Biden).
Thirty students enrolled in our new Ethics in Contemporary America course. These students give up their lunch hour to engage in real discussion about values.
Congratulations to TimHildner and the Math Department for receiving a grant from Wal-Mart supporting our calculator drive. This grant will enable ACHS to purchase a classroom set of graphing calculators for our students to utilize.
As of October 7th, the Guidance Office has already sent out over 200 college applications. By the end of November we expect another 600 to be distributed to universities throughout the country.
Eighty juniors signed up to take the PSAT exam. This test will determine National Merit Scholar recipients next year. We had three students recognized as National Merit Scholars. Blythe Roberson, Mignon Rademan, and Joshua Schwenk all were recognized, while Blythe and Mignon are still candidates for National Merit Scholar Finalists.
Attendance and Discipline statistics for the year have improved from the positive results of last year. Attendance is well above 94% for the year with unexcused absences and suspensions down considerably. Well over 300 students have perfect attendance with no tardies or absences.
ACHS is proud to recognize StephaniePatterson (Culinary Arts II) and JessicaChelmecki (Television/Digital) for being selected for the Lake County Technology Campus Student Ambassador Program. These students are selected to represent the Tech Campus, explaining the program and its importance to students and assisting students new to their program.
Three English teachers will be presenting a workshop at the Illinois Teachers of English state convention in October. Wanda Teddy, Kelly Taylor, and Sarah Ogborn will describe innovative ways for teaching William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
For the second year the ACHS literary magazine received a silver medal from Columbia Scholastic Press. Congrats to HeidiSchoepp (editor), Jordan Palmer, Chelsea McCurry, and Frank Heeg for their efforts.
The Art 3d students have been studying ancient architecture and how it relates to today’s modern structures. They researched a favorite ancient or modern structure, presented on that edifice, and created a small relief sculpture of that building out of clay. The students took a trip to the Chicago’s Loop to see the real things, acting as tour guides to their parent volunteer chaperons.
ACTIVITIES:
New clubs continue to thrive at ACHS with great student participation. We have begun a Model UN Club which will compete in several statewide competitions. This group, led by social studies teacher Sofia Farooq, includes Chris Gotty (representing China), Emily Fitzgerald (France), and Jake Anderson (Germany).
The Speech Team has doubled in size for its second year. Wanda Teddy supervises this up and coming team with Noelle Bruce and Andrew Livermore leading the charge. Stay tuned for some all state performances.
The Ping Pong Club is forty members and growing. These competitive table tennis students range in ability from novice to expert, but fun is had by all.
The Psychology Club continues to combine academics and fun for these seventy plus students. The group is led by student leaders Erik Peters, Logan Kent, Blythe Roberson, and Jeff Sprague and social studies teacher Nancy Fenton.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, students Jose Brito, Dan Medina, and Krystal Velez and Dean Wilbur Borrero taught various dances including the Buchata in the commons during lunch hours.
College planning night (October 21st) provided tremendous opportunities for families to learn about the college application process and what students can do to best prepare for their lives after high school.
Many groups continue to perform great philanthropy work including sending supplies to our troops, adopting an African school, and more.
The “Cardinal Crazies” have been out n full force with great attendance at our football, volleyball, and soccer games. The BBQ have been a success. JeffSprague and MariusValiokus have been instrumental leading the fan base.
LifeSource has awarded $4,000 to ACHS for being one of the top three schools in northern Illinois hosting blood drives. ACHS collected 437 units, second only to Waukegan High School’s 460 units. Eight college scholarships of $500 each will be awarded in the spring to seniors who donate blood this year.
ATHLETICS and The Arts:
Sequoit Football has dominated the conference with an impressive undefeated record. Team leaders Cameron White, Matt Romani, Louis Schultz, Steve Lorenzini, Vinni Holm, and Tom Gerstner are leading the way to Sequoit history.
The Marching Sequoits have had a very successful competitive season. At the St. Rita "Mustang Stampede" Marching Competition, the Marching Sequoits won all five trophies, including: Best Drum Major, Best Color Guard, Best Percussion, and Best Winds. Marching Band was led by Ross Houslander, Anamarie Lynch, and Meghan Krase.
Congrats to BrandonSchneider for making the District IMEA choir. He will now audition for All State chorus.
Romelle Taday, Greg Geddess and Benjamin Small were selected for the elite all state show Hairspray. Performances will be at the state conference.
The Boys Soccer team will be hosting the state regionals this year and received the highest rating at this site. Team leaders include Kyle Sytsma and Noah Bohmann.
Congratulations to the Cross Country Girls Team for capturing the division title. The team is led by Erin Poss, Erin Schoenfelder, Lauren Colette, Jennifer Naegele, and Haedyn Smith.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GOALS:
We have just completed drafting our new three-year School Improvement Plan. Our committee spent months sorting through school data and collecting insight from our stakeholders. Based on our work, we established three goals that will provide focus for our improvement efforts. Here are the goals for the next three years:
We will collaborate across departments to define and meet fundamental learning goals.
We will expect students meet learning goals and intervene when they experience difficulty reaching goals.
We will create a community in which staff, students, and parents have positive relationships that promote intellectual, emotional, and social growth.
Good to Great at Antioch Community High School
In Good to Great, author Jim Collins examines how some organizations have made the difficult leap to excellence. In the end, it takes good people working together for a common mission. I am incredible happy to report we are well on the way at ACHS thanks to community members who have been supportive of our school, parents who advocate strongly for their children, and a staff that sets high expectations for our wonderful student body. The 2007-08 school year was a great success, and we are planning to build upon this to achieve ongoing excellence. Please join the ride!
ACADEMICS: ACHS students are taking advantage of our Advanced Placement course offerings with huge increases in AP enrollment.
At the same time, the unexcused rate has been reduced by over 100% over the past two years.
ACHS received special recognition from the State Superintendent for our
substantial and sustained improvement in high stakes testing.
We were also ranked 4th or 74 suburban high schools for growth of ACT scores
over the past five years.
For the third consecutive year our sophomores surpassed national averages on the
PLAN test, showing great gains in mathematics, while our juniors maintained positive
results on the PSAE.
A solid 89% of the Class of „08 will continue their studies in college. Achievement in the classroom is trending up as well with EVERY CLASS showing a reduction in the amount of D's and F's throughout the year by 7%.
We experienced a 35% reduction in the number of classes dropped classes during 2007-08, while 72 students had “Perfect Attendance” for the 2nd semester, 56 first semester, and 32 students had “Perfect Attendance” for the entire year.
Seventy-three students received academic awards and scholarships at the annual Honors Night program earning deserving scholarships. Kalli Krumpos and Lucas McClain were named Outstanding Students, while Bryant Giorgi, Kaitlyn Fox, Branka Cimesa, Christian Sutter, Jennfier Zak, and Zack Simonini were among twenty-three multiple scholarship recipients.
ACHS PE and Science departments both earned grants that help provide services to our students including our Safety Day pictured above.
Twenty-five students participated with Math Team, highlighted by the success of Miles Kovach, Theresa Phan, and Teodora Diaconescu, who qualified for the state tournament.
Blythe Roberson, Josh Schwenk, and Mignon Rademan qualified as National Merit Semifinalists, an honor to very few high school students.
ACHS took home three awards at the JILG Career Development Conference, more than any other school. Individual winners included Sammy Mohr, Robby Lindstrom and Amber Knutson.
Ross Houslander,Randi Beyer, Samantha Kennedy, and SarahStrack all scored above the 96 percentile in a national German test. Based on his exam and subsequent interviews, Ross was also awarded a three week trip to Germany.
Common Assessment results experienced dramatic improvements including: Biology + 20%, Chemistry +3%, Physical Science + 5%, Drivers Ed +1.2%, PE-1+7.7%, Health: +4% English III + 5%. Global Studies, Spanish (I,III), German I, and Government posted impressive results with class averages well above mastery level of 75%
All students in English I, II, and III have kept their writing assignments in portfolios this year. The culminating assignment for the portfolio will be a letter to the reader, asking students to reflect on what they have learned about writing during the year.
ATHLETICS & THE ARTS
The following teams all met the requirements for IHSA Team Academic Achievement Awards (team GPA of 3.0 or above) Boys Golf, Girls Volleyball, Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Bowling, Boys Basketball, Boys Tennis, Softball, Girls Soccer, and Girls Track and Field.
The Dance Team captured SECOND PLACE in the kick competition at the State Tournament. They also won the AA Division in the kick competition at the Lake Zurich and Stevenson Invitational.
The Girls Field Hockey Team rolled to a THIRD PLACE finish in STATE this past fall.
The Cheerleading Team took FOURTH PLACE at the State Tournament. They also took second place in the division and third place over all at the NSC Conference Meet.
In the spring Girls Soccer won the Prairie Division championship while Girls Track, Boys Track, Baseball, and Softball earned second place honors.
FIVE students won the inaugural IRON SEQUOIT AWARD for participating in a sport in EVERY SEASON FOR FOUR YEARS. Lamarr Pottinger, Jordan Melton, Candace Schmidt, and Andy Kloster earned this high honor for ongoing dedication and durability.
Four girls’ track and field athletes qualified for the IHSA State Track and Field Meet including Erin Schoenfelder (14th place in the 300m hurdles), Brittany Deem (discus), Erin Poss (3200m run), and Jessica Long (pole vault). Two boys’ track and field athletes qualified for the IHSA State Track and Field Meet including Lamarr Pottinger (110m high hurdles) and Tyler Woolard (discus).
ACHS competed in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble Contest with some great results including 17 Firsts and 8 Seconds. Perfect scores were earned by Madrigals, and individuals Bonnie Bekersky, Anna Farrell, and Stephanie Basford. The band achieved equal success including a first place showing in Jazz Band (Division I).
SixACHS athletes will be continuing their athletic careers at the Division I level. Susie O'Connor will attend DePaul University to play soccer. Kalli Krumpos received a full ride to Georgetown University to play field hockey. (She was also named Illinois Field Hockey Player of the Year.) Megan Toczak signed with NIU to play volleyball. Katie Lonergan wasawarded a Volleyball scholarship to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Lindsay Callanan will play softball at the University of Northern Iowa, and Lamarr Pottinger will attend Eastern University and run track.
Sophomore Erin Poss medaled at the Girls Cross Country conference meet and placed 18th in State, while freshman Dominique Bessette qualified for the State Swimming Championship in two events.
Ten students were recognized at the North Suburban Conference Art Show including Gordon Coopman, Ellen Eames, Danielle Becker, Derek Dschida, Kate Dornbusch, Heather Gilbert, Tiffany Mallery, Kayla Freund, Kaily Lindstrom, and Shane Zobel. The District/Women’s Art Show 1st place winners included Ellen Eames, Kaitlyn Trusky, Mikal Kowalczyk, Danielle Becker, and Kate Dornbusch.
ACTIVITIES:
We experienced a 5% INCREASE in participation in our extra-curricular activities during the year. Here are a few of the many happenings in this area.
The newly formed Psychology Club brought in many guest speakers to discuss human development. The 70 member group also sponsored a Psychology Club Film Festival.
Seminar for Scholars traveled to New Orleans and helped rebuild schools still impacted by Katrina. The group also met with General Bradshaw to discuss the medical care of our soldiers and state representatives to debate Illinois politics.
Approximately 300 fourth-sixth grade students and families from our sender districts attended the November 12th Math Fair. Nearly 80 games were created and run by all levels of honors ACHS students. This ‘summed up’ to be a great evening.
We promoted love of poetry and the spoken word to celebrate National Poetry Month highlighted by ‘pocket poems’ and a Poetry Slam for approximately 300 students.
The newly formed ‘Gifted Group’ met several times to provide additional opportunities for our students that have tested at the 95% in the country on standardized tests. The group will be expanded in 2008-09.
About 1,500 people showed up for Sequoit Summer, celebrating our new athletic fields and our programs.
PHILANTROPY was an important aspect of ACHS throughout the year with many different groups participating:
Hundreds of pounds of non-perishable food and personal items, collected by social studies students, were donated to Sequoit Ladies Auxiliary and sent the armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our cooperative work training program implemented Reach Out and Read collecting 1,351 books for children.
Global Awareness Group raised funds for Doctors without Borders from their showing of Blood Diamonds.
DECA organized Toys for Tots collecting toys for people in need throughout Lake County.
Student Council hosted its 17th “Sharing is Caring” event where senior citizens of Antioch watched the dress rehearsal of the spring play. Everyone enjoyed the dinner before the play and an ice cream social afterwards.
NHS sponsored The Hat and Mitten Drive, Adopt a Family, and Daffodil Days to collect donations for the American Cancer Society.
The fall Blood Drive collected 183 pints of blood while the spring drive collected 167 pints. Sequoit Summer provided the location for the final drive which collected an additional 65 pints for Life Source.
The Volleyball for the Cure raised approximately $8,000! Between ACHS and LCHS, volleyball players sold more than 1,100 t-shirts before playing for a crowd at ACHS. The IHSA is now looking at the possibility of establishing a similar state-wide program.
EXCELLENCE AT ANTIOCH
Now that we have concluded the 2007-08 school year, we can reflect upon the successes and challenges at ACHS. I am extremely proud of what our students and staff accomplished this year. We have a great group of people who are doing great things for ACHS and our community. Please see the latest STATE OF THE SEQUOITS- June 2008! State of the Sequoits 2007-08
Antioch Community High School 1133 Main Street
Antioch, IL 60002-1899
Phone (847) 4395-1421
Fax (847) 395-2435
Any questions or comments, please call (847) 838-7620
