SUMMIT HILL JUNIOR HIGH

The Spartan 300

Volume 2, Issue 3 7260 North Ave. Tamara Gibbons Frankfort, IL 60423 Editor & Producer Third Quarter 815-469-4330 Late January- www.summithill.org March, 2009

Beth Lind, Eighth-Graders Enjoy Trip to Principal Washington, D.C.

Paula Sereleas, Story & Captions by Mrs. Rachael McSpaden Quotations as told to Spartan 300 reporter, Gina Capperino Assistant Principal From February 27-March 1, 80 eighth-graders Jim Letsos, from SHJH spent the weekend doing a whirlwind Dean of Students tour of Washington, D.C. On the first day, we visited the inside of the Capitol building and went up in the Washington Monument. Then we saw the war memorials for Important Dates WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where we stood in the same place MLK stood for his “I have a dream” March 25 speech. After a filling dinner at Buca di Beppo, we Report Cards Issued Erin Miner and Ryan Jelderks in front of the were escorted around old town Alexandria and Capitol building. heard many ghost stories. One group met Helen April 10-17 Thomas, reporter and White House press correspondent since Kennedy, on the plane to Spring Break D.C. We also witnessed Marine One helicopters deliver President Obama to the White

House after his trip to Camp LeJeune. April 20 Day two started early, and we headed for Arlington National Cemetery. After stopping Classes resume after Spring Break (Continued on page 17)

May 2 Progress Reports Issued So Many Trophies... May 22 As if it wasn’t exciting enough for our 7th Grade Teachers’ Institute— No School Girls’ Volleyball Team to take fourth at state—our 8th Grade Team did it, too! May 25 Memorial Day— No School

June 5 Last Day of School— 1 hour attendance/ Two volleyball teams in the Final Report Cards Issued Four within weeks of each other!

For additional activities & Loyal fans rode the buses to cheer events, see calendar link. the teams on. See pages 15 & 16 for the full story!

Principal’s Message

As we approach our final quarter of the 2008-2009 school year, we continue to beam with pride. Our students continue to be active in many areas and receive accolades for their achievements. Some of our most recent examples include building and dis- trict Spelling Bee, IGSMA Festival, Solo and Ensemble Contest, Guitar Club, Strings, Diplomacy Club, Science Club, Chess Club, Video Club, Art Club, Drama Club, boys , girls volleyball, mathletes, yearbook students, NJHS, 8th grade trip to Washington D.C., students vs. staff basketball game, Scholastic Bowl as well as their NWEA winter scores. SHJH teachers continue to prepare their students to perform at optimal levels not only on assessments but also on their day-to-day academic performance. Large numbers of students continue to be involved in co-curricular activities, music, drama, and athletic pro- grams. We congratulate all of our outstanding students for their accomplishments!

It is important to remember that the academic success of our students is directly related to the emotional and social well being of our students. While all schools need to place an added emphasis on higher learning standards, it is important not to neglect the affective needs of our middle school students. To this end, we continue to emphasize positive character development and anti- bullying. Motivational messages are read to our students each morning. We spend time during advisory conducting reflection and discussion to reinforce this message each week. Please inform us if your child needs assistance in dealing social/emotional concerns.

Communication is a key component to your child’s academic success. The partnership of parent, teacher, and student is critical in fostering progress and growth for our students. We hope that your child continues to experience a year of growth academi- cally, socially, and emotionally. Our support staff, teachers, and administrative team remain available to answer your questions or concerns. It is vital that we all stay on top of grades and progress. As always our website contains updates on classroom plans and PowerSchool has updates on grades. Please feel free to contact us.

Beth Lind—Principal of Summit Hill Junior High

Nurse’s Notes: Stress

Memos All of us are under STRESS. Admitting to it is half the battle. My fa- vorite doctor told me once; get rid of it. The problem is that it tends to follow us. There are many things we can do to handle stress.

1. Admit that you are under stress. Do Relaxation Therapy (Breath in through your nose & out through your mouth.) Congratulations to 2. Exercise, the endorphins and serotonins in our brain are activated and increased in a greater number. These are chemicals that make us feel Señora Nicole Dunnill and good and happy normally. her family on their newest 3. Eat nutritious meals (in all the food groups) meat, vegetables, fruit, addition! bread, milk and sweet groups. Three meals a day is normal. 4. Drink 8 oz. of water four times daily. Rowen Ruth Elaine Dunnill 5. Get 8 hours of sleep a night. was born February 4, 2009 6. Talk it out with someone you trust (Mom, Counselor, Minister, etc.) at 7:55 a.m. 7. Keep a journal or write letters on how you feel. 8. Read the comics for laughs, or watch a comedy. She weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. 9. Remind yourself that most hard situations are temporary--focus on and measured 21” long. today. 10. Get involved in a sport, extracurricular activity, or volunteer services.

Thank you in advance for being the best students that I know. Stay healthy. Mrs. Lucy Perz, R.N.

Volume 2, Issue 3 Page 2

8th Grade Academic Teams Team 8-1 The Incredible Iguanas

Advisory Classes Mrs. Hollowell: Science All advisory classes are reading The Devil’s Arithmetic, In 8th grade Science, all students have been given their by Jane Yolen, to coincide with their study of World War II my.hrw.com usernames and passwords at least twice; this in social studies class. allows them to utilize the online version of their text. When a student logs in, they are then able to view the actual book Ms. Greene: Reading/Language Arts pages as well as complete and print out many of their assign- Students have been very busy writing essays and working ments. with ISAT materials. We have been focusing on vocabulary, We will be covering Earth Science (Plate Tectonics, comprehension, supporting responses, various literary de- Earthquakes and Volcanoes) topics in the next few months. vices and reading strategies. In addition, students have been working with sentence structure and the relationship of words in a sentence. Mrs. McSpaden: Social Studies We have made it through the Jazz Age, Great Depres- Mr. McGowan: Reading/Language Arts sion, and World War II. We are doing a WWII research pa- Mr. McGowan’s students have had a crazy, cold, but pro- per in class. Ask your child about what he or she has ductive quarter so far. We are just starting some fantastic learned through research. Next up will be the Cold War Era new novels in our Literature Circles, are looking forward to and the 50s and 60s. There is a lot of material here that fam- writing some more great persuasive essays, and then are ily members have lived through: Korean War, Cuban Missile moving into to some extraordinary expository essays. We Crisis, Vietnam, and Civil Rights. Please ask your family will be turning verbs inside out, peak at some special members to share stories with your child--it makes history clauses, and continue to explore the skeletons of sentences. more exciting! Any stories or pictures that could be shared Keep up the great work, Summit Hill. in class, we'd love to hear! Grandma in a poodle skirt, any- one? Mrs. Furmanek: Algebra On a side note: Remember every Wednesday is either a With ISAT’s behind us, all math classes are currently terms quiz or a map quiz. Students are always told in class covering Geometry topics. Students are discovering the use what is on the schedule. All maps are posted online in case of the Pythagorean Theorem and how to find the area, pe- the paper version gets lost. Terms are also online. Study rimeter, volume, and surface area of various figures. Soon Guides for tests are always posted one week before. There students will be moving to circles, circumference, and the are no surprises, so students should be reviewing a little world of pi (π). every night!

Counselor’s Corner

It’s hard to believe that we are entering the final quarter of the year! Stress/Anger Management, Nutrition and Divorce groups will be concluding by Spring Break. Service and Grade Check groups will continue through the end of the year. As always, I am available to see students individually, as needed. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Email: [email protected] or phone 815-469-4330 ext. 308. You may use both 24-7 and expect to hear from me within 24 hours.

Mrs. Madonia, School Guidance Counselor

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Team 8-2 The Fish

Language Arts with Mrs. to prevent anyone from being Miller & Ms. Rodgers; lit on fire. Being responsible students, they were given Social Studies with permission to light their own Mr. Chrusciel matches. She distributed one When you hear the words pack of matches per group, novel study, your immediate and they were told only to reaction is to roll your eyes and light one match per person. groan in agony. Now, imagine After making the concoction hearing that the novel is a heart of vinegar, alum, and gelatin, wrenching account of a young which produced a gas that boy’s life during the Great De- acts as a fire extinguisher, pression. Most of the students in Mrs. Miller’s and Ms. they lit one match each and dropped it into the solution. They Rodger’s reading classes expected nothing more than a lengthy timed how long it took for the match to be completely extin- tear-jerker that would only depress them. However, No Promises guished. Of course, they lit more and more matches until Mrs. in the Wind by Irene Hunt overcame their expectations. The riv- Szymanski walked around and saw the heap of used matches eting story taught the students lessons about survival, strength, saying, “No more matches.” The written portion of the lab was and family bonds. They were able to connect the struggles of the then begun. Even though the students may have had a little too characters living through the Depression to current issues that much fun lighting matches, no one was hurt, and the lab was are affecting our own generation today. successful. The students learned about how chemicals can react In addition, the students learned the true history behind the in many ways, one being the production of gas. As you can see, Great Depression in Mr. Chrusciel’s social studies class. They many fun and exciting experiments go on in the science lab. went more in-depth than ever before and discovered why the Depression completely changed the way our country lived and Written by Caitlin Broderick and Lauren Sajewich worked. They were introduced to the perils and hardships that Americans went through during the 1930’s. For the first time, Math with Mrs. Zayed students could understand the overall idea of the era that was so Mrs. Zayed would like to recognize the follow students for important to our nation’s history. Conclusively, the students participating in Math-a-thon this year. agree that it is important to understand the problems of yesterday Rachel Lahr Nick Lindsey Amber Huppert to make a better tomorrow. The novel study on No Promises in Brett Wiltjer Ashley Lindsey Libby Doubrawa the Wind succeeded in teaching students that lesson. Lauren Sajewich Caitlin Broderick Matt Muszynski

Written by Marissa Rubino Together these students help raise over $500 for St. Judes Hospital. Your kindness is appreciated. Science with Mrs. Szymanski Also, Mrs. Zayed would like to recognize two of her students When you think of fire, you would never dream about using for participating in the National Young Leaders Conference in it in school. However, a few weeks ago, students in Mrs. February. Michael Lanigan and Matt Murray participated in a Szymanski’s science class did a lab involving the use of four day workshop that enhanced and nourished their existing “dangerous” chemicals. Mrs. Szymanski made sure the students leadership skills while challenging them to acquire new were decked out in protective goggles and indestructible aprons ones. Congratulations, gentlemen.

Fire fascinates chemistry students

Students in 8-2 and 8-3 got to light matches several times this quarter. Here, team 8-3 is finishing their “Flamin’ Cheetos Lab,” an 8th-grade favorite. Basically, you burn 5 Cheetos to a crisp, then measure and calculate how much energy is released. Hot stuff!

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Team 8-3 The Cougars

Mrs. Schlesselman--Science Ms. Bottomley--Algebra Students have been busy studying atoms, the Periodic Table, Students have completed the Geometry unit and applied their chemical formulas and chemical equations. The students really knowledge in a variety of math center activities. We also pre- enjoyed the chemical reaction involved in making and testing a pared for ISAT by taking practice tests, and practicing short, as CO2 fire extinguisher in lab. Presently, we are looking at the well as, extended responses. The students learned and applied different types of chemical reactions and will be rounding out math test taking strategies. our chemistry tour with energy and rates of chemical reactions. Now that ISAT is finished, Algebra 1A students will be graphing linear equations and functions, Algebra 1 B students Ms. Marinucci —Language Arts will be exploring exponents and exponential functions, and Hon- Spring is on its way, but although we're in the final stretch, ors students will learn about quadratic equations and functions. learning continues. This March, we're beginning expository re- Happy Pi Day!! (March 14 = 3.14 = first 3 digits of pi)  port writing and completing our Vocabulary Workshop book. Please remember to use quizlet.com to study for our cumulative Mr. McGuckin—Social Studies test on the spelling and definitions of our words. We are also We are currently discussing the major leaders of World War beginning novel studies that will examine comprehension tech- II and will dive full circle into major battles, events, people, niques, symbolism, and figurative language. places, and themes of WWII during March and the beginning of April. The end of March marks the beginning of Mr. Chrusciel Ms. Canter—Language Arts and Mr. McGuckin’s Holocaust research project. The students We’ve strengthened our writing skills in both persuasive will be given a specific topic pertaining to the Holocaust, and writing and narrative writing. We’ve also spent a great deal of they will be asked to research the topic through our school li- time learning how to appropriately respond to literature. With brary, EbSCO database, and the internet. Students will then these enhanced skills, the students were ready to conquer the write a report on it and present the information to their ISATs! Following ISAT testing, we will continue analyzing classes. Exciting times in Social Studies and more fun to come. poetry, and students will even perform “dramatic interpreta- Don’t miss out! tions” of poems that they’ve selected. We will also begin ana- lyzing the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and we will explore mood, tone, theme, and symbolism, all in a deeper manner.

Encore: Music & Spanish

The Spartan Chorus re-invented itself and became the Spartan Chamber Choir for the Solo & Ensemble contest on Febru- ary 14. This meant performing a challenging 3-part a capella piece. The Chamber Choir exhibited discipline, musicianship and energy, which earned them a Division I rating. 7th graders Savanna Steck and Lauren Vitiritti each earned a Division I rating for their respective solos. Students in Encore Music are discovering that, yes, anyone can play the piano! Everyone receives a mini-lesson with guaranteed performance time in class. Automatic ear-training is a bonus. The objective is for stu- dents to approach a simple piece of written music and have the confidence to be able to play it.

Bienvenida, Señorita Bell! Señora Ferrer and her students would like to welcome Señorita Bell to Summit Hill Junior High. Señorita Bell is a student teacher from Trinity Christian College. Beginning February 23, she will be working with Señora Ferrer and her Spanish classes for the next ten weeks. We are excited and proud to welcome her to our school and show her our wonderful Spartan spirit!

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7th Grade Academic Teams Team 7-1 The Learning Llamas

Mrs. Christensen—Math sonance, haiku, and alliteration, we share though the 7th-grade Language Arts stu- Team 7-1’s math classes have been full what we learned without hesitation. In dents have been very busy, they have been of geometry activities! First, to graphi- addition to all this we have each been able to have some fun as well. cally organize different types of polygons, reading good books like Twilight by such as triangles, quadrilaterals, penta- Stephanie Meyer and Diary of a Wimpy Mr. Smalter—Social Studies gons, etc., we drew Polygon Concept Kid by Jeff Kinney. We’re looking for- Mr. Smalter’s seventh grade social Maps. Next, we constructed and catego- ward to writing some of our own poems studies classes are learning about manifest rized polygons, and we also arranged pop- and starting on a unit of persuasive writing destiny, “from sea to shining sea”. The sicle sticks into shapes of rhombi, trape- in the next few weeks. stock market game continues to excite and zoids, and regular pentagons. Also, using baffle us most of the time. Good thing it masking tape on the floor to form parallel Mrs. Bergmann—Language Arts is “monopoly” money! lines and transversals, we mastered the The Language Arts students in Mrs. concepts of alternate interior angles, alter- Bergmann’s 7th-grade classes were espe- Mrs. Ostrowski—Science nate exterior angles, and corresponding cially busy preparing for ISAT testing. The students finished up their Paper angles by placing our feet in the correct The students worked in groups as well as Tower Labs which required them to build angle. independently to complete lessons in the the tallest tower using two sheets of copy In addition to geometry activities, we ISAT Coach books to review the skills and paper, 30 cm of tape, scissors to cut, pen- prepared for the ISAT by playing a team concepts necessary for success on the cils to write, and a ruler to measure. The game to practice the multiple choice ques- ISAT Reading test. Meanwhile, the stu- students needed to have the tower free tions. We also practiced short responses dents also had some fun in completing two standing for at least 10 seconds on the and extended responses. special projects. The Black History Month clock. While most students struggled to Project was composed of three parts: a get their project to stand there is a group Mr. Evenhouse—Language Arts group computer webquest to identify nota- of girls who took this competition to the In Mr. Evenhouse’s honors class right now ble African-Americans, a summary of one next level. Congratulations to Nicole we are starting a novel unit on The Chosen of the selections in the Reader’s Compan- Suhm and Elizabeth Montalavo whose by Chaim Potok. It is a story about the ion authored by an African-American, and tower stood a shocking 145cm. Great job struggles of two Jewish students in the the production of either a mural, a booklet, to all the students. 1940’s. In other classes we are in the or trading cards of notable African- midst of a poetry unit. This unit teaches Americans. This project was followed by a about rhythm and rhyme, it certainly Poetry Center Project which will prepare seems like a good use of time. With con- students for writing their own poems. Al-

Jammer’s Book Buddies Reading Program

Summit Hill Jr. High will be participating in the Joliet Jackhammers “Jammer’s Book Buddies Reading Pro- gram” this spring. Students who between March 9th and May 1st read 80 pages have hit a homerun with the Joliet Jackhammers and have earned a voucher for a free general admis- sion ticket to a home game. Students can earn up to 7 general admission tickets during this eight-week program. Students should see their language arts teacher for more information on how they can be one of Jammer’s Book Buddies.

Mrs. Condon and Miss O’Neill, Reading Specialists

Volume 2, Issue 3 Page 6

Team 7-2 The Crafty Squirrels News

Students in Mr. Barnas’ language arts classes spent a lot The students in Ms. Trotta’s 7th grade honors social stud- of time preparing for the ISAT examination. Students have ies class just finished up presenting some fabulous Constitution been doing a wonderful job writing their reader’s response Internet Research Projects on February 6th. Students were given essays! Students were given the opportunity to analyze their four project options; they chose the project that appealed to their essay under the Elmo and have their classmates critique their learning styles, in order to learn more about the U.S. Constitu- writing. Students said they have dreamt about writing the tion. Some students created storybooks, which illustrated how we reader’s response essay in their sleep because they practiced elect our president. Other students chose to make a brochure on writing their essay by listening to Kelly Clarkson’s song, five of the amendments that they felt are most important. Power- “Since You Been Gone!” Now that ISATS are completed, Point Presentations were also given, in order for students to learn about the lives of famous American politicians both past and students will begin a creative writing unit. present. Students put much time and effort into these projects, Currently, in reading class, we are exploring figurative while learning much about our nation’s government. language and poetic devices in our poetry unit. Soon, students will begin reading, writing, and analyzing different types of poetry. When we return from Spring Break, students will have a really bad case of spring fever! We will be reading our sec- ond in-class novel, Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson! Students are getting excited to bring social studies into their reading class!

Mrs. Heiden's classes have been busily preparing for the ISAT tests during the 3rd quarter. They have gone over many reading and writing strategies. The honors class also just fin- ished the novel, The Pigman. They will complete a courtroom scene for their culminating project for The Pigman. After that is complete, they will begin reading The Outsiders.

Mrs. Blevins’ math classes will have a substitute teacher Honors students that completed a brochure th Back Row, L-R: Bryon Nush, Cole Claypool, Morgan Parkinson, Jacob during the first part of 4 quarter due to her maternity leave. Cooke, Joshua Mathew. Front Row: Colin Lietz. The students will be working out of their algebra books to th prepare for 8 grade.

WELCOME TO THE STEMEN ZONE Mrs. Stemen’s science students have started the new text- book on Cells. Students will know every part of a Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cell and its function. They will also have a good understanding of DNA and how a punnett square works.

Ms. Trotta’s social studies students will be learning about many interesting topics in the upcoming months. Stu- dents will be learning about how the changed during the Industrial Revolution. Students will also be ana- lyzing how our Government differs from our U.S. Government. They will be taking an IL Government Test in the 4th quarter. They will be investigating the many differ- Honors students that completed a storybook Back Row, L-R: Katherine Reynolds, Kurt Edwardson, Bryanna John- ences among the Northern and Southern States and how that son, Breanne Peacock, Kylene Kincade, Katherine Sheehan led to the Civil War. Front Row, L-R: Mandy Chmieleski, Erin Bugajski

Volume 2, Issue 3 Page 7

Team 7-3 Kingpin Penguins

Social Studies—Mrs. Lane also participated in different labs doing over the This quarter students will be from a Stations Lab on identifying the last quarter or so. I’m happy to report, studying the Industrial Revolution! various mixtures and solutions to though, that the students have all We will take a look at how the inven- teacher demonstrations that illustrated risen to the occasion when it comes to tions of important machines like the how a compound can be chemically writing “grabber” openers, using Cotton Gin changed America. We separated into its individual elements. voice, and including vocabulary will simulate what it is like to run an We have gone from the states of mat- words posted around the classroom. assembly line by working at a “paper ter to the Periodic Table of Elements. As I always tell them, “You know airplane factory”. Students will also We are now just beginning Cells. how to write, so do it!” begin to study the first transcontinen- The students started off the book by Looking ahead at the rest of the tal roads and the Erie Canal! We will classifying various “Creepy Critters” year, we’ll be getting into persuasive look at how travel across America into various groups and giving them a writing, finishing up with poetry be- began to change. Students will start genus and species name. We then fore moving on to more short stories/ the Illinois Government unit. What moved on to the awesome movie clip drama, and reading one of my favor- an interesting time to look at how our of “Mr. DNA” in “Jurassic Park” to ite novels, The Outsiders. government is set up! We will highlight the start of the various cells closely watch how our state legisla- and their functions. The students Reading and Language Arts— ture handles the Rod Blagojevich completed making Plant or Animal Miss Rhodes scandal and we will learn who all of Cells and labeling their different or- Students have finished reading the Illinois’ new policy makers are and ganelles. We are now studying each novel Fever, 1793 and completed Tic- what they are up to down in Spring- organelles role and look forward to Tac-Toe projects. Stop by room 159 field! Mitosis, Genetics and the Classifica- to see the lovely drawings and col- tion of the Kingdoms. lages that they have completed. Math – Mrs. Kelly Lastly, we prepared for ISATS on Miss Rhodes’s reading and Eng- Algebra and Pre-Algebra: In a regular basis. I am proud of our lish classes have also been studying classes for 3rd quarter students fin- Junior Biologists and look forward to poetry while preparing for the up- ished the chapters they were working many more labs, activities, varied coming ISAT tests. “The Highway- on and started the Geometry Unit. note-taking strategies and future pro- man” by Alfred Noyes is definitely Students have been working really jects in Cells. GREAT JOB TEAM the class favorite so far. In the up- hard on concepts that range from 7-3–KEEP WORKING HARD! coming weeks we will create wanted number sense to volume to distance posters for the narrative poem. We and midpoint. We will continue to Language Arts – Mr. Sullivan will also read “The Cremation of Sam work on the Geometry Unit through Edward Arlington Robinson once McGee” and write epitaphs for the the ISATs. After the Geometry Unit said, “Poetry is a language which tells characters. students will be back in their books. us, through a more or less emotional Over the past weeks, we have be- reaction, something that cannot be come masters at writing extended Science– Mrs. Hartley said.” With that in mind, we have response essays. The Pocahontas Our team has explored Matter and embarked into the vast realm of po- essays turned out particularly well! our students just completed their Ele- etry! We’ve been discussing the We have also finished a narrative ment Baby Books. They did a won- mindset needed when first listening to writing unit where the essays high- derful job on these that incorporated a poem, as well as all the elements lighted the best and worst days in the various factors from adopting an ele- that a poet uses to get his/her message life of the seventh graders. Great ment, giving a brief history of it, across. work this quarter! Keep it up, and drawing the Bohr model, a birth cer- I think our hand cramps are finally good job on ISAT’s! tificate on it to its future career. We gone after all the writing we’ve been

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Here are some of the students who proudly participated in last year’s induction ceremony. National Junior Honor Society

If you are a 7th or 8th grader that is interested in becom- ing a part of the NJHS keep up your progress at school. Students who meet a 3.75 cumulative grade point average received an invitation to apply with their 3rd quarter report card. Please keep in mind that in order to be accepted into the NJHS students must also meet the following criteria; have a clean discipline file, be active in at least 2 extra curricular activities at Summit Hill Jr. High School, and be approved by the faculty council.

Upcoming Dates to Remember  April 27, 2009 NJHS induction and pin ceremony rehearsal in the large gym until 3:30  April 27, 2009 NJHS Induction and Pin Ceremony in the large gym at 7:00pm

@ Your Summit Hill Jr. High Library Ms. Noonan – School Librarian

February was a month of great celebration. “We The People – Created Equal” is a grant that we had received from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. We have an elaborate display featuring books, posters and audio visual materials celebrating the bicentennial birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Posters are mounted outside the library with facts regarding Lincoln’s life and the many contributions he made to our society today. During library classes, we discussed many of these materials enabling students to check out these wonderful books and even take Accelerated Reader quizzes on many of these titles. Daily an- nouncements encouraged students to bring in an interesting fact and commemorative bookmarks were distrib- uted to students. At 9:30AM on February 12, the entire school read the Gettysburg Address aloud; a two minute speech that has gone down in history as one of the greatest speeches ever written.

Black History Month was also celebrated with special Sun-Times newspapers deliveries and distributions to classes in celebration of the wonderful accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King and other great Black Americans.

March was a great month with continued online EBSCO database research for various classroom topics. Our featured displays included Women’s History and Teen Tech Week. Go Green!

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Spartan Show Choir: Singing and Dancing are So Much Fun!

Show choir members were part of a “Step-Up Day” held at Lincoln Way North High School on Monday, Feb- ruary 9 for all show choir and choir members. Students had the opportunity to learn to sing a new song along with the Lincoln-Way North Concert Choir and perform it that same evening.

The Show Choir has been learning two wonderful new songs and dances that will be performed at the District 161 Spring Choir Concert on April 7 at 7:00PM. The concert will be held at Lincoln-Way North High School. Everyone’s singing and dancing skills have improved since the beginning of the year and will be featured in their upcoming performance. See you then!

Seventh Graders….start thinking about joining Show Choir next year as our experienced 8th Graders. Talk to friends who sing and dance so they can have fun with you in Show Choir next year. You will also have fun working with new incoming students!

Mrs. Goddard – Vocal Director Ms. Noonan – Dance Director

Spelling Bee Winners No Name Calling Contest Winners

Congratulations to 7th graders Alyssa Marchal, Mike Do- The results are in! Summit Hill would like to throw out a herty, Kari Steinke and Brett King who placed 1st, 2nd, big congratulations to the following No Name Calling 3rd and alternate, respectively in our Spelling Bee. In Contest winners: Kevin Norris, Crystal Niemeyer, Haley eighth grade, the winners from 1st to alternate, respec- Collins, Tammy Choi, Brandy Benak and Peru Rao. They won a $25 gift certificate to Best Buy and a certificate of tively were: Christian Gorski, Laurel Harnett, Nick Ris- recognition. Thanks to all the teachers and students who poli and Ahmer Farooqui. These students represented participated. There were some really creative and inter- SHJH at the District Spelling Bee at Hilda Walker School esting entries. With all your support, we can make a dif- on February 2nd. ference in the fight against name calling and bullying.

Someone You Should Know The Spartan 300 recognizes that many of our students shine outside of SHJH, and we want to acknowledge their outstanding accomplishments whenever we can. One such eighth-grader is Alyssa Lombardi. Alyssa and her horse, Dublin did very well for their first AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) show together. According to proud mom, Val Lombardi, there were “...a few ups and downs but she pulled it off. She actually won two all- around titles!” For the 4-day show, under 4 judges, Alyssa was Novice Youth All-Around Champion and the Youth 13 and Under All-Around Champion. The novice youth category was for ages 18 and under so she did amaz- ing against the older, more experienced kids. Quite an accomplishment, Alyssa—congratulations!

Scholastic Bowl Begins Scholastic Bowl competitions are underway and going Young Authors Winners well—we will have a full report in our next issue. Until Congratulations to the Young Authors then, good luck to the following team members: Kevin Norris, Christian Gorski, Michael Lanigan, Alec Arvia, winners, who were announced in Feb- Calvin Duong, John Larson, Nick Bielanski, Matt Murray, ruary: Paige Kurkechian (7th grade) Jehangir Muhammad, TJ Gaertig, Ryan Nolan, John Scott, Alex Zaplatosch, Nicole Suhm, Conor Grove, and alter- and Katie Conterio (8th grade). nates Steven Kurena and Kaitlyn Leone.

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Our band members are continuing to provide many wonder- Our Concert Band will be traveling to VanderCook Col- ful experiences through their many concert and performance lege in Chicago during the day on Tuesday, March 24th for a presentations. Our motto for the band program, “Respect. performance and clinic. Our students will perform and then Pride. Success.” is leading us in many positive directions this have a college professor work with them to help improve their year! skills, not only as individuals, but as a group. This should be a fun and rewarding experience for our Concert Band! On March 21st, our junior high Jazz Ensemble will be mak- ing their first appearance of the year at “Art Works” at Lin- Do you like percussion? If so, you won’t want to miss our coln-Way East. “Art Works” is an annual event held to show- “Night of Percussion” Concert to be held on Tuesday, March case the visual and performing arts, including such musical 24th at 7:00 pm in the band room. Featured will be all three of groups as bands and choirs, plus drawings and paintings. Most our Percussion Ensembles. Our finale will be everyone’s fa- of the local schools in the Lincoln-Way feeder system take vorite, “Fresh Trash”, where our Percussion I students rock part, and our Jazz Ensemble will represent the music depart- away on giant metal trash cans! ment of Summit Hill JH. We will be performing pieces in a variety of styles, including Latin, rock and swing.

In February, we hosted the Illinois Grade School Music Association Solo & Ensemble Contest here at Summit Hill Junior High. Students from fifteen different schools competed for either a first, second or third division rating. Our band had 55 entries participate, with groups ranging from soloists to duets, trios and quartets. Our results were phenomenal: 49 events received First Division Ratings! In addition, we had three entries receive perfect scores: a flute solo by 8th grader Emilee Gerk, a snare drum duet by 8th graders Lauren Adolfino and Valeri Hooper, and a flute/clarinet duet by 7th graders Brandy Benak and Elizabeth Warkocki. Congratula- tions to all who participated, plus the many who helped with the successful hosting of this huge event! Performing at the Day of Percussion in Chicago in February.

It’s almost Spaghetti Dinner time! Our band program’s sole fundraiser of the year will take place on Saturday, April 4th at Walker school. Dinner will be served between 3:00 and 8:00 pm. In addition, concerts by our Beginning Band, Walker Wildcat Band , SHJH Concert Band and SHJH Sym- phonic Band will be held throughout the event. Our Concert Band will perform from 6:30-7:00 pm and the Symphonic at 8:00pm. Tickets are only $6 each, so please come support our band program!

Lastly, there are a lot of concerts coming up in May! First, our Jazz Coffeehouse Concert will be held on Tuesday, May th Moira Quealy and Marissa 5 in the cafetorium at 7:00 pm. Next, our Concert and Sym- Rubino preparing to per- phonic bands will present their Spring Concert on Tuesday, form at the Solo & Ensem- May 12th, also at 7:00 pm. Our second “Musical Review”, ble Contest in February. David Smith and Kyle presented by our music department, will be held on Friday, Stanuch take a breather at May 15th at 7:00 pm. These will all be great performances and Solo & Ensemble. we hope our student body and staff will come out to our con- certs to show their support!

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Science Fair News Students who participated in the paper session met at Lindop Jr. High in Broadview on March 14th, 2009. These students pre- sented their science fair projects using only 8 overhead transparencies and note cards and were judged mostly on the writing as- pect of their science fair paper. The students who moved on to the Regional project session met at Unity Jr. High in Cicero on March 21st, 2009. These students presented their science fair projects for 3 judges in a similar way that projects were presented at the classroom level. Top scores now move on to the State competition which is held at the University of Illinois May 7th & 8th. Science Fair Participants 1—denotes those who earned from an Outstanding to 2nd Place at the Paper Session 3/14 2—denotes those who move on to State for the Paper Session *—denotes those who earned from an Outstanding to a 3rd Place at the Regional Project Session 3/21 **—denotes those who are moving on to the State Competition for the Project Session Special recognition to Katherine Reynolds, who also won a special judges award to the Notebaert Science Museum!

 Mike Harrington*—project  Alex Horton*—project  Crystal Thorns1,*—both  Kevin Toman1,**—both  Billy Sherman1,**—both  Emma Cunningham*—project  John Larson 1—paper  TJ Gaertig2,**—both  Samantha Fowler*—both  Nick Rispoli—project  Alyssa Marchal1,*—both  Alex Zaplatosch1,*—both  Elizabeth Montalvo1—paper  Jack Quirk1,*—both  DJ Lee1,*—both  Jenn Bechtold2,*—both  Alex Littleton1,*—both  Katrina Mixon1,**—both  Brittany Friel*—project  Erin Creedon**—both  Jibraan Mohajir*—project  Colin Lietz2—paper  Spencer Town1,*—both  Shoshana McClarence*—project  Mike Miller1,*—both  Katherine Reynolds2,*—both  Kara McCauly*—project

Mardi Gras Celebration Unites Jr. and Sr. High Students

On Tuesday, February 24, French students from Summit Hill and Lincoln Way North ont laisse les bons temps rouler or "let the good times roll" to celebrate Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday New Orleans style. Thirty students, parents, and staff from both schools met in the Summit Hill Cafetorium after school to sample au- thentic gumbo and jambalaya prepared by Dan McGee, owner of Dan McGee's Restaurant in Frankfort. Mask making, Mardi Gras trivia, zydeco music and King cakes completed the festivities. Sponsors for the event include Ms. Peg Bobber, Dept. Chair of World Languages at Lincoln Way North High School, Robert Arentz, French and Spanish teacher, Lincoln Way North High School, and Mary Perrot, French and Spanish Ex- posure teacher, Summit Hill Jr. High.

7th grade students concentrate on their masks.

Mrs. Perrot with Aisha Dillard, Aracely Velasco, and Haakon Skrodal, 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the mask making competition. All Mr. Cruschiel models one are 8th graders in the full year French program. of the masks.

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This quarter, we’d like you to meet the following teachers: Mrs. Katie Goddard, (left) Band and Chorus and Mrs. Sandra Schlesselman, (right) 8th Grade Science.

Who is Mrs. Goddard? Mrs. Goddard is the fun-loving, Years Experience/Years at Summit Hill: This is Mrs. energetic Concert Band director. This is her first year as Schlesselman's first year, but she taught high school a Spartan Teacher. Mrs. Goddard is also involved with before coming to Summit Hill. Show Choir, Guitar Club, and the new Strings Program (see related stories, page 18.) She attended Victor J. Educational Degrees: As a graduate from Lewis Uni- Andrew High School in Tinley Park, and graduated from versity, she has a B.S. in biology and a minor in chemis- the University of Illinois. Go Illini! try. Mrs. Schlesselman is currently working on a mas- ter's degree in education from . What does Mrs. Goddard enjoy about working at Summit Hill? Mrs. Goddard says her favorite part of Family: Mrs. Schlesselman is married with three kids; the job is “interacting with the students”. She loves to be one graduated college last summer and the other two a part of educating young minds about music. Her favor- are still attending college, as a junior and senior. ite thing about working at Summit Hill is how supportive the community is of Fine Arts. She says, “The support Fun Facts to Know and Tell: Before teaching, she had from our community is amazing.” worked at Argonne National Lab for 10 years. In her free time, she likes to be outside, doing activities such as What does Mrs. Goddard do in her free time? Upon skiing, camping, and driving her red convertible with the being asked if she enjoyed sports, Mrs. Goddard’s eyes top down in the summer. lit up. “ is my all time favorite sport to watch,” she smiled. “Go Cubs!” By Gina Capperino

By Marissa Rubino

SHEF

The Summit Hill Educational Foundation is busy getting ready for our 3rd annual fundraiser, which will be held on Friday May 8, 2009 at CD & Me in Frankfort. Through the generous support from the Summit Hill School District community, we have raised over $70,000 in the past two years that went back to the school district for various programs. The foundation is cur- rently accepting donations for this year’s fundraiser. We’re looking for unique items or services that you, personally are willing to donate. Some of the items donated last year were: sports tickets, pizza/movie baskets, jewelry, lending a vacation home and hosting a pool party. If you are interested in making a donation, please contact us at 815-474-9052, [email protected], or by mail at P.O. Box 914, Frankfort, IL 60423. Donations are needed as soon as possible. We are continuing the brick paver fundraiser. The bricks will be placed in the Summit Hill Brick Paver Patio Garden. These bricks are a great tribute to your 8th grade graduate, recognition of your student(s) and their achievements in school, or to be placed in memory of a loved one. Any questions, contact the Summit Hill Educational Foundation at [email protected] or 815-474-9052. Look for Principal of The Day and Fire Truck Ride/Limo Ride raffle forms to be distributed the week of April 3rd. Be sure to purchase your raffle tickets! Summit Hill Under the Stars invitations have been mailed. Please respond by April 20th. Invitations can be found on www.summithillfoundation.org.

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Block her, Mrs. Schlesselman!

The girls crash the lady team’s picture. Coach against team member, this is going to be brutal! Cue the cheering section!

Teachers vs. Students Games Rock! By Alex Horton

So, the games were amazing. In the view of this writer the teachers rocked! The students weren’t that bad either. Just kidding, they were amazing! But seriously, the games were full of suspense. At any one time, I didn’t know who was going to win. Though the lady teacher Spartans didn’t win, you have to give them props. They fought pretty hard. Next came half time. The teacher cheerleader/dance team came out with a bang. Ms. Lane came out with back flips, and they started their dance. It was a hodgepodge of different music and dance styles. The pyramids, I must admit, were pretty cool; the teachers made a funny and lasting memory that will be imprinted on my mind forever. Then, the girls’ game continued. The student girls won, and then the boys had the court. It was fun and we all had a great time cheering of both sides. At half time the cheerleader/dance team came out again, getting us pumped for the next half. The male teachers won this time, showing that age does not matter (I’m not calling them old; it’s just that the students are younger). Overall, it was a great experience and I have to thank the sponsors and fans for packing the stands. Those basketball games were a peak for this eighth grader’s year!

Watch out Mr. E is in the house!

Ah, the lovely cheerleaders!

Go Smalter! Go Smalter! It’s your birthday!

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7th Grade Girls’ Volleyball Takes 4th at State! The 7th grade Summit Hill Spartans Girls’ Volleyball finished 4th in state. Summit Hill beat Lansing Memorial in the first match 25-14, and 25-17 behind the consistent serving of Erin Creedon and Sam Fowler. Alex Hodges had strong passing and Amy Vos, Casey Zimmerman, and Jenna Trojniar all had kills. The Lady Spartans second match against Minooka did not go as well. The Lady Spartans played hard winning game one 25-15, before a heart break- ing loss in game two 22-25 and a 15-25 loss in game 3. The 7th grade team saved one of its best games for last. 7th Grade Girls’ Volleyball Team Accepts Their Trophy at The Lady Spartans battled a 21-2 Nor- mal Parkside JH squad on March 17th Bloomington at Bloomington JH to earn 4th place in state. In the first game Summit Hill had First Row (L-R): Emily Hodges, Courtney Suggs, Niki Wagner, Natalie leads of 9-2, and 18-11 before falling Paolella, Erin Creedon, Natalie Colao 24-26. Normal Parkside led throughout Second Row: Alex Hodges, Jenna Trojniar, Sam Fowler, Elly Waleski game two when a late rally by Summit Top Row: Manager Brad McFarland, Brittany Pappas, Amy Vos, Hill fell short at 21-25. The 7th grade Casey Zimmerman, Shannon Murphy, Coach McGrail Summit Hill JH team finished the sea- Not Pictured: Manager Jake Walenga son with a 15-9-2 record.

Congratulations to Casey Zimmerman, Erin Creedon and Amy Vos (above, L to R) who were named to the All Conference Team.

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8th Grade Girls’ Volleyball: Also 4th Place at State! A fantastic 8th grade girls’ vol- leyball season came to an end March 24 with the Spartans claiming 4th place at the State Finals in Normal. The team faced Bloomington Junior High in a battle for 3rd, but unfortunately came up short, losing two games with scores of 21-25 and 13-25. Our 8th Grade Girls’ Volleyball Team proudly poses with their The girls ended the season 4th Place State Trophy after winning it on March 24. with a school record: 23 wins and only 2 losses! Congratu- Standing, L to R: Serena Shoff, Coach Howard, Lauren Sajewich, Sydney Geary, Taylor lations girls, we are all proud Schissler, Emilee Gerk, Kayla Manthei, Rachel Lahr, Danielle Todd, Cheyenne DeGraff, of you! A special thanks goes Coach McGrail. Sitting, L to R: Leigh LaRocco, Amber Huppert, Becca Morris, Laurel Harnett, Bridget out to all the fans who made Stroh, Michelle Scott. the trip out to Normal for our final contest.

Four of the team members were selected for the All Confer- ence Team (L to R): Leigh La Rocco, Laurel Harnett, Taylor Schissler and Bridget Stroh.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION/HEALTH NEWS In the 4th quarter the students will be learning the skills needed to participate in and track & field, while con- tinuing to improve their fitness levels in the fitness room. Those rotating through health will cover units on the health triangle, nutrition and eating disorders, emotional and mental health, and safety. A highlight of health class is watch- ing the DVD “Super Size Me,” which investigates what happens when a volunteer eats nothing but fast food for an entire month. If you haven’t seen it, rent it and watch it with your teen. It makes for interesting discussion, and maybe even a revision of some of your own eating habits!

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(Continued from page 1) at Kennedy’s grave, we watched a changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. After the changing, students Gina Capperino, Elizabeth Doubrawa, and Kevin Toman laid a wreath at the tomb. We finished the Arlington trip by stopping at the Marine Corps Memorial. We learned a lot at the Newseum, the National Cathedral, and the Holocaust Museum. We took pictures at the White House (where Obama was preparing to go to the Bulls-Wizards game), and saw the Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials. After dinner and games at ESPN Zone, we headed back to the hotel to get some much-needed rest. Day three was just as busy. We started with the Air Force Memorial, and then spent some time at Washington’s home, Mt. Vernon. We even saw Washington’s teeth, and no, they are not made of wood. After lunch, we finished with time at the Smithsonian Institution’s American History Museum. They had ruby slippers from the “Wizard of Oz”, the flag from the War of 1812 for which Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner”, dresses from first ladies, and so much more. Our flight out of Washington just missed the snowstorm, and we made it home on time. Summit Hill students exhibited excellent behavior on the trip. Flight attendants, other passengers on the planes, tour guides, bus drivers, and security guards all commented on how good the students were. Great job students! Marine One flying by the Washington Monument.

"It was the most fun in years. I never felt so patriotic and American any other day in my life!"—Frank Licka

A very special “Thank You” goes out to Dr. Aaron Wolfe and Dr. Brad Katzmann from Sports & Spine Chiropractic for sponsoring a stu- dent for the trip. We appreciate your generosity.

“It was oodles of fun! I would totally go again if I got the chance. I loved the hotel and everything we learned about." —Emily Chudzik

"I had a blast of fun! I wish I could go again. The hotel room was pleasant. And going to ESPN zone was amazingly fun..” —Alyssa Borsellino

Elizabeth Doubrawa, Kevin Toman, and Gina Capperino lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arling- ton National Cemetery.

"I had the opportunity to lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I had no idea what to do, but it was an amazing experience!” —Gina Capperino

“The ghost tour was spoooooooky! It was a lot of fun. We got a lot of pictures of orbs." -Kalcey Bruen and Amber Glecier

"I had a blast, and it was extrememly fun. Lifetime experiene." -Zach Deliberto

"It was a trip you would remember for a lifetime." -Alex McCurrie

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“A Pirate’s Life...” is a Huge Success!

On Saturday, February 7, Summit Hill Junior High Drama Club presented the musical “A Pirate’s Life for Me.” Chris- tian Gorski and Moira Quealy played Roger Goodman and Sarah Huffington, with Kevin Norris as the trusty servant, George and Alec Arvia as the crusty pirate, Long John Sliver. Twenty-five other supporting cast and crew members rounded out this exciting production. The cast and crew did a terrific job engaging the packed cafetorium with the songs and funny one-liners! We truly appreciate all the parents, students, staff and community members who came out to sup- port our young stars.

Mrs. McSpaden and Ms. O’Neill SHJH Drama Club Directors

Summit Hill Junior High raises $3,465 for the kids of St. Jude

Summit Hill Junior High participated in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon® program and raised $3465 to benefit St. Jude Chil- dren’s Research Hospital®, the premier center for the research and treatment of childhood cancer and other deadly dis- eases. The Frankfort, Mokena, Tinley Park communities sponsored students by pledging an amount-per-problem or a one- time donation. More than sixty-two students participated in this fun, educational event and learned how rewarding it is to help other kids. “It is always exciting to see the dedication of the students,” said Mrs. Rhonda Furmanek, coordinator of the event. “The St. Jude Math-A-Thon not only encourages our students to work math problems, but it teaches the importance of helping others. Students realize that they can make a difference and they are learning math at the same time.” Students also won great prizes upon completion of the St. Jude Math-A-Thon. Prizes ranged from a St. Jude T-shirt to a Math-A-Thon backpack. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Mem- phis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization, through events such as Math-A-Thon.

7th Grade Math Team To prepare for our upcoming math competitions in March and April, the seventh grade math team has been conquering some tough math problems in the areas of Order of Operations, Fractions/Decimals/Percents, etc. This has been our most fun problem so far:

Maria has ordered 27 square yards of fabric. Dresses take 2 ¼ square yards, shirts are 1 square yard, and skirts take 1 1/8 square yards. She plans to make d dresses, h shirts, and k skirts. If Maria uses all the fabric, makes k/2 dresses, and k+1 shirts out of the fabric, then what is the value of k √h/d?

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New! Summit Hill Strings Program

District 161 officially began their first Summit Hill Strings Program in January. There are 12 members total, all lead by Mrs. Goddard. The beginning group meets twice a week during zero hour at SHJH, and consists of 5th – 8th grade students. These stu- dents are learning to play violin or cello. On Friday mornings, the Advanced String group meets during zero hour at Summit Hill. This group also consists of 5th – 8th grade students who all play violin. These string students are all preparing for a spring concert. Please stay “tuned” for the upcoming concert; date still to be an- nounced.

Spartan Guitar Club The first ever Spartan Guitar Club began in January this year with 15 enthusiastic members (most of them are in the group photo below). The group meets on Wednesday and Thursday after- noons with Mrs. Goddard, and will continue through the end of March. On March 26, we will be joined by the Walker Guitar Club and put on a concert in the cafetorium at 6:00 pm. All are welcome to attend this fun demonstration of guitar skills, featuring the song “Stand By Me.” We hope to see you there!

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Summit Hill Junior High

7260 North Ave. Frankfort, IL 60423 Phone: 815-469-4330 Fax: 815-464-1596

We’re on the web

Team 8-2 won the spirit-building trophy for March with their St. www.summithill.org Patrick’s theme, “The Emerald Isle,” which included teaching their students the Irish jig to authentic Irish music. From L to R: Mrs. Home of the Spartans Miller, Mrs. Szymanski, Mrs. Pasky, Mr. Chrusciel, Ms. O’Neill, Ms. Rodgers, and Mrs. Zayed.

The SCO will be hosting another Book Fair this spring. We always need vol- unteers, so please email us @ [email protected] if you can help. This time we will be offering a buy one/get one free evening—to be announced.

 Mark your calendars for the upcoming hot lunch days:  Hot Lunch - April 22nd, May 20th  Treat Day – April 1st, May 6th

 Please attend our SCO meetings beginning at 2:45 pm on these dates:  April 9th - Elections

 If you are not on the SCO Email Blast, please contact us @ [email protected]. This is a great way to get periodic emails with upcoming dates and events.

Coming in our Next Issue: Art Works at Lincoln-Way East (sneak a peek at these 3 photos!) Also Boys’ & Girls’ Track Intramural Basketball Intramural Volleyball