Storm Tracker - Unit School District #304

IN THIS ISSUE:
Homecoming happenings
p. 4
Ryner returns to state
p. 6
Cheerleaders’ new look
p. 11
Storm Tracker
THE United High School NewsLine
Volume 13, Issue 1
STORM ALERTS
Calendar notes
Senior named Commended Student
There will be no
classes on Monday, October 10, in observance
of Columbus Day.
A 1:00 p.m. dismissal is scheduled for
Thursday, October 27
and there will also be no
student attendance on
Friday, October 28, as
teachers will be involved
in a regional institute in
Galesburg.
November sees a
1:00 p.m. dismissal on
Thursday, the 10th, and
no school on Friday the
11th in observance of
Veterans’ Day.
A 2:00 dismissal
schedule will be in effect
on Tuesday, November 22, and there is no
school November 23-27
for Thanksgiving.
United High School senior
Marshall McDorman has been
named a Commended Student in
the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program.
McDormand is the son of Mick
McDorman and Lisa McDorman
of Cameron.
Approximately 34,000 Commended Students throughout the
nation are being recognized for
their exceptional academic promise.
Although they will not continue in the 2017 competition
for National Merit Scholarship
awards, Commended Students
placed among the top five percent
of more than 1.6 million students
who entered the 2017 competition
by taking the 2015 Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship
Medical news
High school faculty and
staff were subjected to an
“armed” assault on campus
on Thursday, September 22,
as part of an active shooter
training conducted by local
law enforcement.
The training was the first
of its kind in the United
School District with future
sessions scheduled for the
coming months at the two
elementaries and the junior
high.
The training was held
during the teachers’ institute that day. A future
session involving students
A number of students
district wide are not in
compliance with the immunization laws regarding school attendance.
In particular, there are
a number of high school
senior students who are
missing the Meningitus
vaccination required for
attendance.
Please make arrangements to meet this
requirement as soon as
possible.
Monday, October 17,
is the school’s deadline
for state compliance
and also the deadline to
exclude students from
school for not being in
compliance.
Qualifying Test in the fall of
2015.
“The young men and women
being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic
success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These
students represent a valuable
national resource: recognizing
their accomplishments, as well
as the key role their schools play
in their academic development,
is vital to the advancement of
educational excellence in our
nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their
educational opportunities and
encourage them as they continue
their pursuit of academic success.”
High school undergoes active shooter training
is tentatively set for this
spring.
In the active shooter
training, one law enforcement officer acts as an
active shooter breaking into
the school building while
carrying a high powered
rifle.
Blank shots were fired
throughout the building as
the school went on lockdown and teachers were
forced to evacuate the
school through whatever
means were possible.
Training dictated that
teachers try to avoid using the school’s hallways,
so many teachers were
forced to flee their rooms
via windows to escape to
a secure, designated safe
zone location.
Officers from the Warren County Sheriff’s
Department and Monmouth
Police were on hand to
supervise as well as conduct their own search and
assault on the gunman, firing both blank rounds and
paintballs at the assailant,
mimicking their actions in
the event of an actual
school shooting.
“After 25 years of
teaching, it saddens me
to have these kinds of
drills, but I’m thankful for the training that
will help us deal with
the situation if it arises,”
high school business
teacher Joel Zink said.
Much of the scenario
was similar to the 2012
Sandy Hook Elementary
shooting in which 20
children and six adults
were killed by a single
assailant.
The State of Illinois owes the United School District...
$333,275.23!
Source:
Illinois State Board of Education (9/30/2016)
STORM TRACKER
1905 100th Street
Monmouth, IL 61462
(309) 734-9411
The Storm Tracker is published
monthly, wth additional issues as warranted, by the journalism students of
United High School, and is distributed
online via the World Wide Web. The
material published does not necessarily
reflect the viewpoint of the administration
of United School District #304.
While every attempt is made to
determine the validity of advertising
contained herein, the advertising in the
Storm Tracker is not to be construed
as endorsement of a specific product or
service. The Storm Tracker assumes no
responsibility of liability resulting from
the content of paid advertisements.
The Storm Tracker does not knowingly accept advertsements that discriminate
on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion,
color, handicapped status, veteran or
sexual orientation, nor does it knowingly
print ads that violate any local, state, or
federal laws.
Parties interested in advertising in
the Storm Tracker should contact Mr.
Kozelichki at the address and/or phone
number listed above.
Letters to the editor must be mailed
to the address above and cannot be more
than 350 words. The author’s name and
phone number must be included for verification purposes. The Storm Tracker
only edits letters in cases of timeliness
and obscenity and does not guarantee
publication of all letters.
STORM TRACKER
Reporters:
Hunter Butler, John Dunn,
Hanna Dunton, Loren Fox,
Bailey Johnston, William
Kane, Hanafin Miller, Bailee
Olson, Sydney Orth, Alyssa
Schneider, Kealy Simkins
“Some material courtesy
of American Society of
Newspaper Editors/MCT
Campus High School
Newspaper Service.”
WEBPAGE ADDRESS
www.u304.org
The webpage contains
links to each district building and office, as well as
access to the online grading
system and calendar.
page 2
School district’s budget in the black
By William Kane
The United Board of
Education has passed a balanced budget.
The September 8 regular
meeting followed a budget
hearing in which there were
no comments.
Revenues are estimated
at $10,853,065; expenses
are projected at $9,494,807.
Education, Operations
and Maintenance, and
Debt Service will all have
surplus budgets this year.
Transportation will be a
deficit budget again with
$109,178 in the hole.
United’s Enrollment of
this year’s 978 students will
be the highest it is going to
get in a long time.
The North Campus has
270 students, West Campus
has 203 students, and the
junior high will have 202
students. The high school
has 303 students. Plus, 10
students from last year have
moved to different schools.
United projects in the
next five years there will
only be an average of 950
students attending United.
The school board had
some more discussion on
what to do with wrestling
as an extracurricular activ-
POSITION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Board of Education of the United Community Unit School District #304 is accepting
applications for the following positions:
Licensed Position:
Cross Cat - elementary (potential immediate)
JH/HS Science ­for the 2017­/2018 school year
Support Positions:
Junior High Paraprofessional
License required - Open immediately
High School Assistant Softball Coach
Junior High Cheer (Open Immediately)
All letters of application inquires and credentials are to be sent to:
Jeff Whitsitt, Superintendent
United Community School District #304
1905 100th St. Monmouth, IL 61462
The Superintendent of Schools will screen all applications. The administrative staff will conduct
interviews. Applicants are not to contact board
members.
UNITED CUSD #304
contact numbers
Superintendent’s Office
734-9413
FAX 734-0223
Follow the
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United High School
734-9411
FAX 734-6090
Type Storm Tracker
in Search Box
United Junior High
734-8511
FAX 734-6094
United Elementary North
482-3332
FAX 482-3341
United Elementary West
734-8513
FAX 734-8515
DAVID REID CLARK
STEVEN R. GLASGOW
MICHELLE SPERRY, Paralegal
309-734-8464
MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS
ity.
The board is considering
a co-op with MonmouthRoseville if multiple
students are willing to take
part in wrestling.
The school board has
agreed it is not going to
start or fund a wrestling
program. A final determination is forthcoming.
The school board has
also discussed about multiple projects for this year
in the district.
Superintendent Jeff
Whitsitt hopes to have security cameras be put in the
high school by next summer, but needs more information on how they will all
be installed.
The west elementary is
having problems with its
water heater. The pump has
problems stopping which
leads to high chlorine levels. This is a top priority for
the school board.
Mr. Whitsitt stated he
is considering construction of a baseball field in
the southwest corner of
the high school grounds.
The board is seeking cost
information.
In personnel news, the
board accepted the resignations of Kelly Fox as an
aide at north elementary
and Lisa Gartelos as assistant softball coach.
Upcoming college visits
The following colleges will be represented by recruiters this month. Students should see Mrs. Shaver to arrange for a visit:
October 4 at 2:00
October 5 at 2:00
October 6 at 2:00
October 12 at 2:00
October 20 at 2:00
October 20 at 1:45
October 21 at 2:00
October 21 at 2:00
Lincoln College
Monmouth College,
Southeastern Community College
McMurray College,
St. Ambrose University,
Capri College of Cosmetology,
LaJames Cosmetology,
Knox College
CURTIS COTTAGE
435 W. Jackson, Macomb
Open Weekends as follows:
November 4, 5 & 12
December 2, 3 & 10
X-Mas Eve (Dec. 24)
Join Us for a Ladies Weekend hosted by Cow Patty
Friday, Nov. 18 (3-6 pm) & Saturday, Nov. 19 (10am-4pm)
210 N. Main Monmouth
734-6100
Open 11am-11pm Daily
Delivery Available 4:30-11:00 pm
page 3
High school and junior high welcome new teachers
By Bailee Olson
United is now introducing Robb Richardson as
one of their newest additions to the teaching staff.
Richardson is the current PE teacher along with
Lisa Gartelos. He replaces
Jim Noonan, who resigned
ever the summer to accept
a position at Farmington
High School.
Not only does Richardson teach at the high
school, but he is also
coaching outside linebackers and the special teams
for Monmouth College’s
football team.
Once a football player
for Evangel University in
Springfield, Missouri, he is
now using his learned skills
for the better when it comes
to not only the students at
United but also the football
players at the college.
Richardson works
towards “being a positive
force in young people’s
lives.”
As a previous project
manager in marine construction for 15 years, he
did not plan on teaching
until later on in life.
Richardson can not only
help you with improving
your athletic ability, but
he can also tell you how to
build a bridge.
Richardson mentions
that even though it was not
his original plan to teach
this early he is perfectly
content at the moment and
does not plan on going anywhere after United.
By Hunter Butler
The United Junior High
School acquired some new
teachers over the summer and have some young
blood mixed in with some
of the more seasoned faculty.
With the loss of PE
teacher Donald Smith to
Rock Island in 2013 left a
single teacher in charge of
PE, but now with the hiring of former professional
baseball player
and AbingdonAvon head
baseball coach
Jeremy Pickrel,
a new chapter is
developing.
Pickrel, an
Illinois State
University
graduate, was
drafted by the
Minnesota Twins
in the 10th round
of the 2004 MLB
draft.
He was
primarily an
outfielder and
played five seasons in the
minor leagues for various
teams before ultimately
giving up the sport to find
another career, teaching.
Breanne Christian,
a United graduate, was
Left without a teacher, physics students
go online to further their education
By Alyssa Schneider
This year, instead of
having the physics course
in a classroom, it has been
moved to an online environment.
This decision was made
due to a statewide teacher
shortage and finding a qualified candidate who held a
physics certification..
Tayler Kuenneth was the
physics teacher last year but
due to her leaving, there is
no longer a physics teacher
employed.
Mr. Ben McIntosh,
retired United math and
physics teacher, comes
to the high school to help
students with their physics
assignments. He acts like a
teacher to the students and
holds lectures during eighth
hour.
The students in the
online physics course this
year seem to be struggling
more than normal which
could be due to the change
in learning environment.
Unlike a physical classroom, an online learning
environment has been
teaching students higher
critical thinking and better
3317 Agency St
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(319) 754-7975
time management.
The online course recommends at least five hours a
week to be spent reviewing
the material. That time does
not include labs, quizzes,
and tests.
“There’s no real teacher.
Mr. McIntosh tries to help
us but it doesn’t really
work,” sophomore physics
student Cheyenne Brownlee
said.
It seems even with athe
dded help, students continue to struggle.
“It’d be so much easier
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if we had an actual classroom with paper and a
teacher. The online instructors can only give you so
much information, and a
physical teacher can help
you understand it,” Brownlee said.
brought to the junior high
from the North Elementary
to teach 6th grade math.
Her career at the elementary consisted of being
a librarian and tech aide but
her main goal was to teach
math at United.
Christian, a Monmouth
College grad who also attended the University Of
Illinois, played softball
and basketball at United
and hopes to continue her
United career for many
years to come.
Now with the addition
of these new teachers a new
legacy is born, a legacy that
will grow for many years
to come and will prosper
into the foundation of the
futures of the kids they will
teach.
page 4
SCENES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE
2016 homecoming dives “Under the Sea”
By Sydney Orth
United High School
hosted another bonfire this
year for the district’s community. Parents Shanda
Brownlee and Melissa
Bushong organized the
bonfire with the help of
Farmland Foods, which
donated hot dogs for the
bonfire.
The theme of this year’s
homecoming was “Under
the Sea.”
The theme.dress up days
Stoplight Day on Monday
with red, green and yellow as the clothing dress:
Tuesday was Netflix Day,
where students dressed as
their favorite TV character;
Wednesday was Hundreds
Day in which students
dressed as old people;
Thursday was Under the
Sea Day, with sea-themed
clothing the norm; and,
finally, Friday was Spirit
Day with students opting
for their favorite United
gear.
Friday’s festivities
consisted of powder puff
football and power buff
volleyball games, a class
lip sync contest, and tugof-war in preparation for
the football game against
the Mid-County Cougars, a
Students nominated for homecoming royalty
game the Red Storm won to
included seniors Ian Allaman, Claire Wynne,
notch their first victory of
Dante Hemphill, Emma Marshall, Sam Brown- the season.
lee and Rachel Watson; juniors Zeb Stein and
The homecoming King
Hanafin Miller; sophomores Nathan Clark and for 2016 was Ian Allaman and Queen was Claire
Savannah Ballard; and freshmen Cade WhitWynne. The runners up
sitt and Shalyn Lucas.
Octogenians rule! One of homecoming week’s
dress up days was devoted to students coming
clad as their “best” old person.
for King and Queen were
Dante Hemphill, Emma
Marshall, Sam Brownlee,
and Rachel Watson.
Junior attendants were
Zeb Stein and Hanafin
Miller. Sophomore attendants were Nathan Clark
and Savannah Ballard.
Freshman attendants were
Cade Whitsitt and Shalyn
Lucas.
The homecoming dance
was held in the gym at
United High School on
October 1.
“This homecoming was
a lot of fun because the
football team came off the
field with a win and that
was the first time that has
happened since I have been
playing high school football,” senior John Dunn
said.
Student musicians audition for ILMEA
By Alyssa Schneider
Every first Saturday in
October, ILMEA Auditions
take place in Geneseo.
ILMEA, or Illinois
Music Education Association, is an organization of
teachers across the state
that divide up into districts.
Each district has its own
concert choir, jazz choir,
jazz band, orchestra, and
concert band.
To have the opportunity
to perform in the concert
band, the student must perform an audition consisting
of two challenging pieces
of music, scales, and some
sight-reading. Sight reading is playing a piece of
music that the musician has
never seen before and with
no preparation.
This is a year unlike the
others because this summer Madeline Wood, the
school’s band director,
decided to go on a longawaited and well-deserved
vacation.
Normally, she spends
her summer giving lessons
to band students needing
help with their audition
pieces.
Even during her vacation, she was hard at work
preparing for peech season,
as the speech coach, later in
the year.
Her temporary leave had
students feeling anxious
and scared for auditions.
“At first I wasn’t too
thrilled because I knew
I’d have to practice on my
own. Doing it on my own
is a lot harder because her
guidance makes me confident in myself as a musician,” junior trombonist
Darrin Ross said.
After the initial worry,
the students auditioning set
to work on their audition
pieces.
“I put in a lot more effort
through the summer and I
think I’ve become a much
better musician, Ross said.
“When I audition this year,
I think it’ll go as smoothly
as it does any other year.”
Students auditioning for
ILMEA have grown into
more independent musicians due to this temporary
change during the summer.
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FOR
ALL
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GRAIN
AND
ROCK
HAULING
NEEDS
WAYNE PIERCE
and
DENNIS HIGGINS
2076 U.S. Hwy 67
Monmouth, IL
Phone
309-734-2218
Cell
309-221-6171
page 5
CSC Presents THE COLLEGIATE CONNECTION
Stories, clues and hints to help you prepare for life after high school
Changes to FAFSA to have huge impact on financial aid
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — If you plan to go to
college next year, you need
to know about two changes
to the nationwide financial
aid form.
The Free Application
for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) is the form that
every U.S. college student
needs to fill out in order to
be eligible for any needbased financial aid. That
includes federal grants and
loans, scholarships from
the state and school, as
well as college work-study
jobs.
Here’s what’s new:
Change #1: You can now
submit the FAFSA as early
as October 1, rather than
January 1. This isn’t the
deadline, but it’s best to get
the form in early because
some aid awards are distributed on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Change #2: The FAFSA
asks for financial information reported on your federal tax return. Now, you can
base your answers on your
return from the previous
year. This new policy is
referred to as “prior-prior
year” and should make it
easier to answer the questions. You’ll be able to
use your 2015 federal tax
returns this year, and you
won’t have to go back and
update your form next
spring when you file taxes
again.
These changes aim to
make the whole financial
aid process a bit easier
for you, but it remains a
tedious and sometimes
confusing task.
Here are some tips:
Where do I start?
Go to fafsa.ed.gov. If
this is your first time filling
out the form, you’ll have
to create an FSA ID. This
basically acts as your user
name and password for
each year you apply — so
don’t forget it.
What documents will I
need?
Yours and your parents’
Social Security numbers,
driver’s licenses, federal
tax returns, W-2 forms, and
current bank and investment statements.
Does applying cost any
money?
No, it’s free. Don’t get
duped into paying for a
service that helps you fill
out the form.
My family is middle class.
Should I still apply?
Yes. There’s no income
cap. And if you don’t apply, you won’t be able to
get any financial aid. You
Dual credit students now qualify for Pell grants at CSC
Students taking dual
credit classes through Carl
Sandburg College now
have the opportunity to apply for Federal Pell grants
during their high school
years.
Sandburg has been
selected as one of only 44
postsecondary institutions
in the country to take part
in an experimental program
that allows dual enrollment
students to access Federal
Pell Grants during their
high school careers.
About 200 institutions
applied to take part in the
program.
Sandburg is one of only
three colleges in Illinois to
have been selected, joining Illinois Central College
and Southwestern Illinois
College.
This marks the first
time dual credit students —
those who are enrolled in
postsecondary coursework
while still enrolled in high
school — will have access
to Pell Grants. An estimated 10,000 high school
students will have the
opportunity to use approximately $20 million during
the 2016-2017 academic
year in federal financial aid
through this experiment.
Pell Grants are awarded to
low-income students and
do not have to be repaid.
During the 2015-2016
academic year, 438 students from 12 high schools
in Sandburg’s district were
enrolled in dual credit
courses and 12 of the 14
high school districts within
Sandburg’s area have more
than 40 percent of their
students classified as lowincome.
“To be selected for this
program is an incredible
opportunity for us and for
high school students in our
district,” Sandburg President Dr. Lori Sundberg
said. “Dual credit students
are and will continue to
be an important piece of
our enrollment. Allowing
them to have access to these
federal grants expands that
opportunity to even more
students and puts them in a
position to be more successful in college once they
graduate from high school.”
The College’s objectives
as part of the plan are to:
• Expand access to dual
enrollment courses for lowincome, first-generation
students
• Increase postsecondary
education enrollment for
students who participate in
the dual enrollment program
• Increase persistence rates
for students in the program
Increase collaboration with
high school district partners.
Research shows that
participation in dual enrollment courses can lead
to better grades in high
school, increased enrollment in college after high
school, higher rates of persistence in college, greater
credit accumulation and
increased rates of credential attainment.
can use the White House
College Scorecard or the
online calculator that each
college must post on its
website to get an idea of
how much financial aid you
might receive.
What is the deadline?
There can be multiple
deadlines. To receive federal grants and loans, you
must submit the FAFSA by
June 30, 2017. But colleges and states might have
earlier deadlines — and
you could miss out on their
money if you wait to apply.
I filled out the FAFSA last
year. Do I have to do it
again?
Yes. You have to resubmit the FAFSA with updated financial information
each year you’re going to
college.
My parents are divorced.
Do I list both of their
incomes?
No. The parent you
live with the most is the
one you’ll report financial
information about. If that
parent is remarried, you
must include his or her
income, too.
When do I find out how
much money I’ll get?
Your financial aid award
letter will be sent to you
from the college. This usually comes in the spring,
after you’ve been accepted.
CSC CALENDAR REMINDERS
Midterm October 13
Fall Break October 14
Fall Session Ends December 8
Final Exams December 12-15
page 6
October North Campus Lunch Menu
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
3
Crispito
Lettuce and Tomato
Spanish Rice
Pear Half
4
Breaded Chicken Sandwich
French Fries
Peach
Rice Krispie Treat
5
Sausage Pizza
Green Beans
Fruit Cocktail
Pudding Cup
6
Hot Dog
Tator Tots
Mandarin Oranges
Cookie
7
Hamburger
Sweet Potatoes
Applesauce
Fruit Snack
10
NO SCHOOL
Columbus Day
11
Taco Tator
Lettuce and Tomato
Tropical Fruit
Cookie
12
Italian Chicken Sandwich
Pasta Salad
Carrots
Pineapple Tidbits
13
Chicken Nuggets
Baked Beans
Teddy Grahams
Apple Crunch
14
Stormburger
Chips and Salsa
Corn
Peach
17
Chicken Fajita
Lettuce and Tomato
Red Beans and Rice
Applesauce
18
Hot Dog
Coney Sauce
Tator Triangle
Mandarin Oranges
19
Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce
Green Beans
Garlic Stix
Pear
20
BBQ Rib Sandwich
French Fries
Pineapple Tidbits
Pudding Cup
21
Tenderloin
Baked Beans
Tropical Fruit
Cookie
24
Chicken Strips
AuGratin Potatoes
Peach
Fruit Snack
25
Cheeseburger
Chips and Salsa
Peas
Applesauce
26
Chicken and Biscuit
Mixed Vegetables
Pineapple Tidbit
Cookie
27
Taco Stack
Lettuce and Tomato
Mandarin Oranges
28
NO SCHOOL
Teachers’ Institute
31
Mummy Wrap
Hot Stones
Tombstone
Witch’s Hat
Senior Brooke Ryner captures Illinois State Fair honors
By Kealy Simkins
Senior Brooke Ryner
got the privilege to show
her wether in the Coliseum
at the Illinois State Fair.
Ryner was chosen for
the championship drive
due to the fact she received
Reserve Grand Champion
for her breed.
Ryner received fourth
overall in the wether division, which Ryner was very
thankful for.
“I felt honored for winning fourth overall in the
State of Illinois,” Ryner
said.
Ryner got to show with
people she knew, which
made her experience more
memorable.
“I would like to thank
Zach Stuaan for all he does
for me. His support and
his help make me a better
showman,”
She was very thankful
for whoever helped her
wether that day. Ryner also
would like to thank her
grandfather who made her
start showing when she was
a little girl.
By Hanna Dunton
The beginning of the
year has been very eventful for United FFA. The
achievement everyone is
most proud of is that 2016
United graduate J C Campbell has been elected as
Illinois FFA state president.
Following this, the chapter has seen some impressive wins. The Forestry
team placed first with Ian
Allaman ranking top indi-
W. SCOTT JONES, D.D.S.
vidual.
Adding even more to
their early success at the
Section 4 Horse Judging
CDE, junior Jessica Hall
scored second overall individually.
A group of ten also visited the Monsanto Training
Center for an opportunity to
look at the Fantasy Farming
plot they helped design and
plant early last year.
The annual FFA Hog
Roast will return October,
14 ahead of Hall of Fame
Night and the first blood
drive of the school year
will be held October, 31.
235 East Penn Avenue
Roseville, IL 61473
Office Hours by Appointment
(309) 426-2991
Seven Hills Alpacas
206 S Main
Monmouth
734-1992
1134 N. Main Monmouth
734-6701
BOB JON ANGUS
JOHNSON CHI-ANGUS
The Steinbeck Family
Email or visit our website:
217 U.S. Hwy 67 Alexis, IL sevenhillsalpacas@frontiernet.net
Phone: 309-482-3579
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page 7
October High School & West Campus Lunch Menu & Calendar
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
3
Hot Dog w/Chili Sauce
Tator Tots
Carrot Sticks
Mandarin Oranges
4
Fajitas
Lettuce & Tomatoes
Corn
Fruit Cocktail
5
Chicken Fried Steak
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Green Beans
Apples
6
Tenderloin
Sun Chips
Broccoli & Cheese
Grapes
7
Pizza Bake
Romaine Salad
Bosco Stick
Ice Cream
10
NO SCHOOL
Columbus Day
11
Taco in a Bag
Lettuce & Tomatoes
Carrot Sticks
Peaches
12
Chicken Strips
AuGratin Potatoes
Green Beans
Banana
13
Hamburger
French Fries
Macaroni & Cheese
Applesauce
14
Fiestada
Romaine Salad
Spirit Cake
Peaches
17
Storm Burger
Hashbrowns
Cherry Tomatoes
Pears
18
Crispitoes
Corn
Refried Beans
Pudding Cup
19
Chicken Nuggets
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Peas
Strawberries
20
Chili or Chicken Soup
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Carrots & Celery Sticks
Orange
21
Pizza
Romaine Salad
Pumpkin Bar
Fruit Cocktail
24
Cheeseburger
Tator Tots
Lettuce & Tomatoes
Applesauce
25
Super Nachos
Corn
Spanish Rice
Peaches
26
Popcorn Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Grapes
27
Lasagna
Romaine Salad
Cherry Tomatoes
Apple Slices
28
NO SCHOOL
Teachers’ Institute
31
Corn Dog
French Fries
Frankencups
Mandarin Oranges
Member FDIC
Alpha 629-4361
New Windsor 667-2735
•
•
Equal Housing Lender
Aledo 582-3150
•
Viola 596-2189 •
Alexis 482-5511
Woodhull 334-2802
Visit our website at www.fsbwil.comd
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
2
3
VB @ ROWVA
FS FB @ Mid-County
4
Boys Golf Regional
FFA Ag Olympics
JH VB @ Mercer County
5
Fresh/Soph PSAT Testing
Girls Golf Regional
JH VB @ Costa
VB @ West Central
6
Cross Country @ LTC
FFA Land Use @ Mercer
7
FB @ Stark County
8
VB - United Tourney
9
10
NO SCHOOL
Columbus Day
11
FFA Land Use @ BHC
Cross Country @ Illini
West
JH VB vs. Lombard
VB vs. Princeville
12
13
VB vs. Mercer County
14
FB vs. Mercer County
Hall of Fame Night
FFA Hog Roast
15
VB @ Sherrard Tourney
JH VB @ LTC Tourney
Cross Country @
Peoria Heights
JH VB @ ROWVA
FS FB vs. Stark County
16
17
Cross Country @ Havana
VB vs. Wethersfield
FS FB @ Mercer County
18
FFA Greenhand Supper
PTO Meeting
19
FFA National Convention
Junior PSAT Testing
VB @ Southeastern
20
FFA National Convention
VB @ Galva
21
FFA National Convention
FB vs. Ridgewood
Senior Night
End of First Quarter
22
FFA National Convention
Cross Country Regional
23
24
VB Regional
FS FB @ Ridgewood
25
26
FFA Pumpkin Carving @ HS
FFA Sectiion 4 Ag Sales
27
1:00 PM Dismissal
Reports Cards Distributed
28
NO SCHOOL
Teachers’ Institute
29
Cross Country Sectional
30
31
Halloween
FFA Blood Drive @ HS
The Storm Tracker
welcomes Sav-a-Lot as our newest sponsor
200 North Main
Monmouth, IL
Open Daily
8am - 8pm
Check out our weekly ad every Wednesday
http://save-a-lot.com/weeklyad
page 9
Girls’ gold team bags 1st LTC crown in only 3rd year
By Loren Fox
If you were to ask a golf
pro about how many people
have golf memberships, he
would probably tell you
memberships for golf are
low this year.
The United High School
golf team is defying that.
An astounding 18 golfers
are out this season, with 10
boys and 8 girls making up
the teams.
A golf team consists of
six golfers and the top four
scores and tallied together
to make a team score.
This year there is a full
boys and girls team. “I’m
excited that our numbers
have gone up and our quality of playing has also improved,” Coach Madeline
Wood said.
Most of the golfers this
season are still pretty new
to the game of golf but
they are working hard to
improve and compete for
those few varsity spots.
“We set goals and do
lots of drills to build our
consistency,” Wood said.
A lot of the golfers
have transferred from other
sports.
“Golf is a sport, and it’s
not that different from other
sports,” sophomore Joey
Jones, who left football for
golf, said.
Starting with only one
golfer several years ago,
the girls are now in their
Sophomore Erin
third year competing as a
team, rather than individuGlisan won the United
als and their progress is
Open and placed
certainly evident.
seventh to help UHS’s
On September 28, the
girls win the LTC
girls’ team captured their
championship
first Lincoln Trail Conference title, besting second
place Princeville 439-461
Hawthorne Woods.
behind four all-conference
Leading the Red Storm
individuals, at the Railsplit- were Brittany Chapman
ter Classic held at Aledo’s
Erin Glisan, who both
carded 108 and finished
sixth and seventh, respectively. Jaci Marshall (110)
and Emily Grodjesk (113)
took ninth and 10th, respectively.
“We’re excited about
how things are going for
us,” said Wood. ``We
had our United Open last
Saturday at (Monmouth’s)
Gibson Woods, and won
that for the first time.”
“Golf takes constant
practice and commitment.
You always have to be
working to improve your
skill,” Wood said.
Another showdown looming?
Hall of famer rejoins former coach
By Hanafin Miller
A legend has returned
to the United volleyball
program.
Courtney Young, 26
years old, is now coaching
United’s junior varsity team
with her former high school
coach, Carrie Clayton.
“I’m really looking
forward to the rest of this
season,” Young said.
The girls she has been
coaching are the two previous grades she also coached
in junior high.
“The girls have come a
long way since 7th grade.
It’s really a big leap from
junior high to high school,”
she said.
Young claims she is
grateful to be passing on
the experience to her team.
The positive impact has
shown her what she’s really
been missing.
“I love that I’m back
here,” Young says.
She wishes to stay local
and continue coaching for
awhile.
United’s volleyball team heads into October
tied with Wethersfield at the top of the conference race. The two will meet on October 17.
United athletic hall
of famer Courtney
Young was a 2012
inductee
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page 10
New addition, same tradition for United football
By John Dunn
The 2016 United High
School football team has
been introduced to a new
member of the coaching
staff.
Defensive line coach
Lyle Pierce is a new face in
the crowd of coaches, but a
familiar face to many.
Pierce coached at Yorkwood High School as an
assistant for one year, head
coach for 15, and two as
athletic director.
He was first contacted
by current head coach of
United football Fred Lucas.
The two had coached
together at Yorkwood previously, and with the loss
of the line coach from the
2015 season, Ben McIntosh, it was an essential ad-
dition to the coaching staff.
Pierce retired from
coaching in 2014 due to
illness in the family, while
he was a part of the Monmouth College coaching
staff.
A short two years later,
he was inducted into the
IHSA Coaches’ Hall of
Fame in 2016.
“I’m very honored, but I
don’t think I’m deserving,”
said Pierce, which shows
his humbleness and sportsmanship, exactly what it
takes to be a great coach.
The United Red Storm
football team has had a disappointing season as they
have yet to win a game.
“Coaching is coaching,
and I love it. I know everyone is pretty disappointed
Soph Yovani
Saavedra
(pictured
right) is
among nine
high schoolers running
cross country this season, seven
are girls
and two are
boys.
but it’s still been fun and
we’ve gotten better. Twenty
years from now you won’t
remember the wins and
losses, or how many points
we gave up. What you’ll
remember are the fun times
you had with your teammates,” said Pierce.
All in all, the United
football coaching staff is
proud and very honored to
have Lyle Pierce as its newest member and hopes for
many more years with him.
Cross Country scrambles to find new
coach after Dennis Mann injured
By: Kealy Simkins
United High School was
in need of a cross country
coach for the new year and
Dennis Mann agreed to
take on the task. However,
during the summer Mann
was in a bicycling accident
and broke his femur.
Principal Amy Schmitz
had to find someone to
take Mann’s place. Physical education teacher Lisa
Gartelos helped the team at
first until Schmitz, a former physical education teacher herself,
stepped up and took
over coaching the
cross country team.
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Mann and Schmitz
decided that since Mann
could not be present at
practices, he would make
the practice plans and
workouts and Schmitz
would manage the team
and control practice.
“Cross country is not
only a team sport but individual as well. The sport
is all about mental toughness and pushing for better
records,” said Schmit, who
was a volleyball player i
“I try to run with the
team sometimes so I understand that the running is
hard but these kids do not
slack,” Schmitz said.
She says she is proud
of the team for the success
they have had this year and
hopes to keep up the good
work.
The cross country team
runs its conference meet
this coming Thursday at
Kewanee.
page 11
Beyond the Playing Field:
United cheerleaders sporting a new look
By Bailey Johnston
For the first time in
United High School’s history, the football cheerleading squad recently upgraded from the previous spirit
jerseys to the full uniforms
they have today.
“We look more professional and they are more
comfortable. Now that we
have sleeves, we can take
them off if we do get too
hot,” senior Courtney Watts
said.
The uniforms are made
of a thicker material and
keep the cheerleaders
warmer during the colder
football games.
United’s varsity cheerleaders show off their new football uniforms.
The girls on the squad
can thank all of the little
girls who participate in the
little girl’s cheer camp and
the monthly pizza sales for
The Concussion Legacy
Fight Concussions, with
the Illinois High School
having enough money to
Foundation has created the
the specific message that Association.
afford these new uniforms. first ever national concusa good teammate looks
On Team Up Day,
“The new uniforms
sion education day, held on
out for concussions in
coaches opened their
look great from the stands
September 13.
their teammates, and
poresentation with a 1905
and make the cheerleaders
On Team Up Day, milhave a responsibility to
speech by Harvard footrball
stand out a lot more than
lions of athletes heard a
speak up to a coach or
coach Bill Reid.
last year,” Mallory Flynn
speech from their coach,
other adult if they think
Reid discusses how the
said.
captain and medical team
their teammate has a
team doctor gave a speech
that encourages them to
concussion.
before the season to the
Team Up & Speak Up to
Organizations repreteam in which he said, “in
senting over 1 million
case any man in any game
athletes signed on for
gets hurt by a hit on the
Team Up Day, and the
head so that he does not
goal is that all 44 milrealize what he is doing, his
ALEXIS FIELDHOUSE CO.
lion youth athletes hear
teammate should at once
EVERYDAY SPECIALS
this message this year.
insist that time be called
The growing list of parPasta Family Feast
and that a doctor come onto
Pizza Family Feast
ticipating
organizations
the field to see what is the
Fieldhouse Sandwich Special
includes the National
trouble.”
Mon-Fri: 4:30-9:00, Sat & Sun: 11:00-1:00, 4:30-9:00
Federation of State High
“One hundred and elevSchool Associations and en years ago, this speech
This year will be cheer
coach Melissa Bushong’s
second season coaching
and she has helped the
squad tremendously with
raising enough money for
the new uniforms and other
equipment they were able
to buy, like rain jackets and
ear warmers.
The new gear will not
only help the squad this
year, but it will help each
squad that comes through
United High School.
IHSA teams up to further concussion awareness
HALF COURT PIZZA
309-482-3900
OLSON BROTHERS TILING
2800 Tenth Avenue Alexis
309-482-9902
Ben Olson
Cell 337-7559
sent a crucial message to
teammates about looking
out for one another, but
somehow that message has
been lost to history,” said
Chris Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
The Foundation encouraged organizations, coaches, parents, and especially
athletes to sign up to participate in order to learn more
about the program and the
speech.
More information can
be found at:
concussionfoundation.org
BRIAN PARKINS
TRUCKING
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Cell 337-3483
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p.o. box 137 roseville
309-426-2725
316 N. Main
Monmouth
734-7829
OPEN
10:00 a.m.10:00 p.m.
7 days a week
309-337-9541