August 2016 District 156 Newsletter

McHENRY
HIGHSCHOOLDISTRICT156
Volume8Issue1August2016
For more District information
visit:
www.dist156.org
DearDistrict156Family,
Ihopethismessagefindsyourfamilywellaswebeginpreparationsfora
newschoolyear.MynameisRyanMcTagueandI’mhonoredandexcited
tobeginmytenureasyournewSuperintendentofSchools.I’mconfident
thatwewillcontinuetobuildontheamazingsuccessMcHenrystudents
achievedbothinsideandoutsidetheclassroomduringthe2015-2016
schoolyear.Weareveryproudofallourstudents’accomplishmentsand
lookforwardtoevenmoreoutstandingachievementsthisyear.
WeAreWarriorsandWeAreRising
Overthesummerandthroughouttheyearwewillcontinuetoexamineour
currentcurriculumandinstructionalpracticesinordertoensurearigorous
andchallengingacademicenvironmentthatwillaffordourstudents
multipleoptionsandopportunitiesupongraduation.Iencourageyouto
haveconversationswithyourchildandtheircounselorconcerningposthighschoolplanstoensuretheyareselectingcoursesthatwillhelpthem
achievetheiracademicgoalsandpost-secondarydreams.
Nothingismorevitaltothesuccessofourstudentsthantherelationship
betweenourparents/guardiansandschoolpersonnel.Togetherweforma
powerfulpartnership,andIlookforwardtoyourparticipationandactive
involvementinourschoolcommunity.Nothingismoreimportanttome
thanbuildingandmaintainingastrongsenseofcommunityandthe
overarchingbeliefthatwearealwaysstrongertogether:asoneschool–
onecommunity–onefamily.Onlybyworkingtogetheras“one”through
articulationandcollaboration,willweachievetheBoardofEducationgoals
andthoseweestablishforourschoolcommunity.
MyprimaryobjectiveasSuperintendentofSchoolsistofacilitateasafe,
positive,andsupportiveacademicenvironment,onebuiltuponasolid
foundationofmutualrespect,academicexcellence,andequalopportunity.
Itisanhonorandprivilegetoservethestudents,parents,andstaff
membersthatmakeMcHenryDistrict156sucharichandvibrantschool
community.Ihopeyouenjoytherestofyoursummer,andIlookforward
tomeetingyouwhenwereturntoschoolonAugust17th.
Pleasecontactmeifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcerns815-759-2022.
TakeGoodCare,
RyanMcTague,Ph.D.
WelcomeBackLetter
NewsfromDepartments
FirstThreeDaysofSchool
SATInformation
CareerExpo/A.I.M
PartneringforPrevention/
HomecomingSavetheDate
1
2-3
4
5
6
7
DistinguishedWarrior
ExtremeWeather,Calendar
8
9
TheMissionofDistrict156–
Wearecommittedtoprovide
allstudentswiththeskillsthey
needtobelifelonglearnersand
productivecitizens.
McHenryDistrict156
StaffDirectory
ROSCenterforEducationalServices
RyanMcTague,Ph.D.,Superintendent
DavidLawson,CFO/CSBO
CarlVallianatos,Ed.S.,Dir.ofCurriculum
andInstruction
BeckyCovalt,DirectorofSpecialEducation
BarryBurmeister,AthleticDirector
JosephZelek,Dir.ofNetworkTechnology
Services
EastCampus:
EricBlake,Principal
KyleHobson,AssociatePrincipal
NatZunkel,DeanofStudents
WestCampus:
MarshaPotthoff,Principal
TerryFitzgibbons,AssociatePrincipal
AmberBowgren,AssistantPrincipal
PaulDyer,DeanofStudents
NEWSFROMDEPARTMENTSPAGE2
FINALEXAMINFORMATION
MAKE-UPDATES
AllareWelcomeatParent
Mini-Schedule
District #156 will not provide
exams earlier than the scheduled
exam days.
Allparentsandguardianswillhavetheopportunity
to“walkintheshoes”oftheirsonsanddaughters
onWednesday,August31.
• Attendclassesinthemini-scheduleformat
andmeetteachers.
• Pickupclassschedulesatthebackentrance
West/cafeteriaEastandbereadywhenthe
“firstbellrings”at7PM.
Forthe2016-2017schoolyear,firstsemester
examsarescheduledforDecember19and
20.Studentswhoareunabletoattendthose
dateswillhaveoneopportunity,onSaturday,
January7,2017,tomakeupexamsfor
credit.Second-semesterexamsarecurrently
scheduledforMay22and23(thesedaysmay
changeifemergencydaysareused),andtheone
makeupdateforthoseexamsisFriday,June14,
2017.Second-semestergradeswillbeavailableat
thestartofthe2017-18schoolyear.
Wefeelitisinthebestinterestofallstudentsthat
theytakeexamsonthescheduledexamdays,so
thattheycandemonstratemostaccuratelytheir
achievement.Weencourageallfamiliesto
carefullycomparetheschoolcalendartotheir
familycalendars,especiallyattheendofthe
secondsemester.
SUPERINTENDENT/PARENT
ADVISORYCOMMITTEE
MEETINGS
ALLparentsandguardiansareinvitedtoattendthe
meetingsofthecombinedSuperintendent/Parent
AdvisoryCouncil.Thepurposeofthesemeetingsisto
provideanopportunityforfamilyinputonmajor
schoolinitiativesandprovideforahealthytwo-way
communicationsystembetweenschool
representativesandfamilies.(ThisisNOTa
fundraisingorganization!)
EastCampus–Theater
September28,20166:00PM
&
WestCampus–Library
February15,20176:00PM
MAINOFFICE
TI-83orTI-84calculators,which
arerequiredforallmathclasses,
areavailabletorentfor$35for
theyear.Studentswhoare
interestedinthecalculatorloan
programcanpickuptheloan
agreementsinthemainofficesof
eithercampus.Allcalculatorsmustbereturnedat
theendoftheyearinworkingcondition.
MCC hosts College Fair on
Thursday, October 6, 2016 from
6 to 8 p.m.
This is your chance to meet with
representatives from over 120 colleges and
universities. Free, no registration required.
See which institutions are attending the
College Fair: at:
http://www.mchenry.edu/collegefair/
Call Kellie at (815) 455-8670 for more
information. This list of colleges may not be
complete. Please contact
kcarper@mchenry.edu if you are looking for
a college and it is not on the list.
Special Financial Aid presentation
Looking Ahead: Plan for Your Financial Aid
and Improve Your College Financial Literacy
Luecht Conference Center at 7 p.m.
NEWSFROMDEPARTMENTSPAGE3
NURSE’SNOTES
SarahOrzehoskie MandyFranz KoriHart
EastCampus
WestCampus WestCampus
SchoolNurse
SchoolNurse Nurse’sAssistant
The Health Office personnel for the district would like to welcome
you to McHenry High School. We encourage all families to
familiarize themselves with the location of the nurse’s office. If you
receive a letter or a phone message from this office asking for a
physical or immunizations documentation, please get back to us as
soon as possible. Illinois school code requires that all students have
valid physicals and compliant immunization records. The state
deadline is October 15. Any student not in compliance by that date,
will be sent home until they are in compliance. You can have
a physical and/or immunizations done by your doctor or at an
immediate care clinic. If cost is an issue, the Family Health
Partnership Clinic may be able to help. Their number is 779-2209300. They can do physicals and immunizations. The McHenry
County Department of Health holds immunization clinics at many
locations on different days and times. Please call 815-334-4500 and
schedule an appointment. Take a copy of your immunization
records with you. All sixth through twelfth grade students are
required to show proof of one shot of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and
pertussis). All ninth and tenth grade students are required to show
proof of two shots of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, or proof of prior
varicella disease. Twelfth grade students are now required to show
proof of two shots of meningococcal (meningitis) vaccine. Only one
dose is required if the first dose was given at 16 years of age or
older.
“THE CANTEEN
CONNECTION”
Welcometo“TheCanteenConnection”,
McHenryDistrict156FoodService
Department’snewsfeed.TheFoodService
departmentprovidesnutritious,homemade
mealstothefaculty,staffandstudentsat
EastandWestCampuses.Weparticipatein
theNationalSchoolLunchProgramand
SchoolBreakfastProgram.TheWarrior
Canteenisopenschooldaysstartingat6:50
a.m.forbreakfast,andisopenforalllunch
hours.
Ourstateandfederalgovernmentprovides
reimbursementrevenuestoMcHenryDistrict
156foreverycompleteschoolmealserved.
Ourcafeteriasserveavaluemealthatisin
compliancewiththeguidelinesrequiredby
theUSDA.Weservefavorites–pizza,salads,
burgers,chickenpattiesdaily,aswellasa
dailylunchspecial,andaMadetoOrderDeli.
Studentsarerequiredtotake½cupfruitor
vegetablesfromourOfferingsBarwiththe
valuemeal.
The“SmartSnack”regulationsallowusto
providesnackfavoriteswhilefollowingthe
USDAregulations.
Pricesforthe2016-2017
schoolyear:
SPECIAL EDUCATION
All MCHS teachers
meet the
No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) highly
qualified status.
If you have a
question regarding
your child's
teacher’s
qualifications,
please contact the
Board of
Education Office
where these
records are held.
Special education and related
services are available to meet the
individual needs of a student with a
disability and are available for all
qualifying students in McHenry
Community High School District 156.
These services are provided under
the Individuals with Disabilities
Services Act (IDEA) P.L. 101-476
and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act. Further information can be
obtained by contacting Becky Covalt,
Director of Special Education at the
Board of Education Office (815) 3857900.
FullPayBreakfast:$1.60
ReducedBreakfast:$.30
FullPayLunch:$2.75
ReducedLunch:$.40
IfyouqualifyforFreeorReducedLunch
program,youalsoqualifyforFreeor
ReducedBreakfast.Everydaybreakfastis
offeredintheWarriorCanteenatEastand
Westcampusfrom6:50a.m.tothe
beginningoffirstperiod.Breakfastatschool
couldbeoneofthebestacademicboosts
youcangiveyourchild!
Setupyourstudent’sFoodServiceaccount
todaytoloadmoneyontotheiraccountto
purchaseitemsintheWarriorCanteen.
It’sourmissiontoprovidehealthynutritious
mealstoyourstudent!
CalltheMcHenryDistrict156Foodservice
Departmentwithquestionsandconcernsat
815-759-2962.
FIRSTTHREEDAYSOFSCHOOL
PAGE4
Schedule for First Three Days of
2016-17 School Year
Parents and Students:
The 2016-17 school year will open with a late start schedule day on
Wednesday, August 17.
Wednesday, August 17th - Late Start Schedule
The late start on Wednesday, August 17th is specifically for ALL FRESHMEN. They will report to their
campuses for introductory activities planned by staff and student leaders. Other students who need
transportation will come to school at the regular times and remain in the cafeteria like a normal Late Start day.
All students will report to Period 1 based on the LST schedule below. All freshmen should report to the
theater at East and the auditorium at West Campus by 7:25 a.m. for their introductory activities.
East Campus
West Campus
Thursday, August 18th and Friday, August 19 - First Regular Scheduled
Days with AIM period
Thursday, August 18th and Friday, August 19th will be the first “regular” days of the year and the first days
with the AIM period. AIM will be on every regular scheduled day of the school year (M, W, TH, F). As a
reminder, the regular MCHS schedule is noted below.
East Campus
West Campus
SATINFORMATION
PAGE5
MCHS to give the SAT in 2016-17
A Message from Carl Vallianatos, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Welcome back for an exciting year at MCHS!
We are excited to announce a change to the
college and career readiness test that our
students will be using to open future doors of
opportunity. In 2015, the State of Illinois sent
out a request for proposal to two providers to
bid for a multi-year contract on the state college
entrance examination. College Board SAT and ACT were the two providers. In early Spring
2016, it was announced that SAT had won the bid by being the top provider in the overall
scoring process. Since the announcement, schools all over the state have been researching
the similarities and differences between the two assessments and the associated resources,
services, and prep materials. There is no doubt that SAT offers a more comprehensive
product and service than ACT and will meet the needs of the students of MCHS to a far
greater degree moving into the future. McHenry High School, like most other schools, has
been developing and implementing a transition strategy that will lead to success for our
students and teachers. This strategy will result in our students having ample opportunities to
adjust to the new tests and the teachers opportunities to learn about the tests and what the
change means to our curriculum, instruction, and classroom assessment.
MCHS will be offering the complete suite of assessments through College Board (SAT) for
all students grades 8-11. This will include the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of the junior year that
can qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship and a variety of other scholarship
opportunities. Grades 8,9,10, and 11 will take a Fall assessment with only the 11th graders
taking the SAT assessment provided by the State of Illinois on April 5th 2017.
MCHS will provide students and parents with a comprehensive implementation path for the
first year of SAT. There is much to learn and become acquainted with for students, parents,
teachers, and administrators. We strongly encourage all parents, but especially the parents
of our 10th and 11th graders, to engage and become knowledgeable about this change!
Please join us to discuss this new and important assessment and how we can help our
students be as successful as they can be.
August 31 – 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm
Prior to Parent Mini-Schedule
East Campus Theater and West Campus Auditorium
CAREEREXPO/A.I.M. PAGE6
MANUFACTURING - TRADES - INDUSTRY
CAREER EXPO
McHenry High School District #156 is planning an exciting new event with
business leaders and McHenry County College. As parents and
students, it is never too early to start asking questions like:
“What kind of career should I have?”
“What kind of opportunities exist locally?”
“What educational pathways will open these doors?”
That is why we are bringing local McHenry County industries to MCHS to help promote their needs
AND the educational pathways that could benefit our students as they seek careers.
All over our county, employers are saying the same thing: “We cannot find enough good, skilled
young people to fill career positions!” We hope that all of our local families and students join us
for an exciting evening of learning, discovery, and career planning!
Manufacturing, Trades, and Industry (MTI) Career Expo
Thursday, September 22 from 6:00-8:00pm in the
McHenry HS - East Campus Gymnasium
All students who attend may enter to win raffles for autographed Bears and
Blackhawks items donated by Jett’s Heating and Air.
All senior students will be able to register for a $500 post-secondary tech scholarship
sponsored by the McHenry Rotary Club – Sunrise!
Words about AIM success
The rollout of our new support period (AIM) became a huge success with students and
teachers in 2015/16. Falling
between periods 2 and 3 four
days a week, all students
and teachers enjoyed a 35minute common period to meet together and work
on academic improvement. Counselors also used
the time to provide a variety of college and career
presentations and class meetings throughout the
year. The graph depicts the additional
student/teacher meetings that took place month by
month, totaling over 35,000 additional contacts
between students and teachers!
Total Logged Student Visits to Teachers During
AIM 2015-16: 35,751
We look forward to the second year of AIM and the continued success of our students as the program
becomes more ingrained in our culture and daily practices! We encourage parents to make AIM a weekly part
of your conversations with students. Ask them questions like “What did you do in AIM this week?” or “How
do you need to use AIM this week to improve academically?” We thank our parents for being active
participants in their students’ lives!
PARTNERINGFORPREVENTION/HOMECOMINGSAVETHEDATEPAGE7
Prevention & Early Intervention is KEY!
McHenry Community High School District 156 is committed to provide all
students the skills they need to be life-long learners and productive citizens.
At its core, this mission means District 156 is dedicated to helping all
2016NaturalHigh
students achieve career and college readiness as a means of living a
Presentations
rewarding and fulfilling life. Sometimes, adolescents stray from this path
&Contest
and experiment with or struggle with substance abuse. Many area schools
are taking measures to prevent this phenomenon and intervene when substance abuse occurs. If
you are concerned your teen is at risk to use substances or may be using substances, services (at
school) are available to intervene.
District 156 has continued its partnership with Partnering for Preventions’ owner, Dawn Nendze
(Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor), to provide prevention and intervention services one day a
week at each building. Dawn is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and has worked in the field
since 1999 providing both substance abuse prevention and treatment services to adults and
adolescents. Not only has Dawn rooted her career in the McHenry area, she is also a McHenry
West Campus Graduate. Dawn is a Warrior at heart and is honored to continue to partner with
District 156, noting, "What an opportunity to Pay it Forward!"
Services are available to students, parents and staff. Dawn can be reached at 224.241.2192 or
dawn@partneringforprevention.net. To make a referral for your teen to be seen, please contact a
school counselor, a building administrator, or Dawn Nendze herself.
SAVETHEDATES!HOMECOMINGWEEKOctober3–8th
Dancing
Powder
PuffFo
otball
DISTINGUISHEDWARRIOR
PAGE8
DISTINGUISHED WARRIORS CLASS of 2016 CONGRATULATIONS!
Culminating Student Success of the DW Program
The Distinguished Warrior Graduate Program was created in 2009 to
become a four-year honor (freshman through senior years) that
promotes overall student EXCELLENCE. More than just an award,
the journey towards achieving the orange stole is a pathway to
personal success during high school and beyond! The Class of 2013
was the first class to earn the honor and saw approximately 25% of
the class attain the identified level of excellence. This year we
saw 28% of the Class of 2016 achieve the honor with students
completing over 5,000 hours of service to the community. In May,
our district hosted the annual Distinguished Warrior Community
Celebration with over 450 people
in attendance to honor our DW
graduates. The
Distinguished Warrior
program continues to be a
source of pride and a
symbol of overall
educational quality as we
seek to prepare all students
for future success.
DISTINGUISHED WARRIOR CRITERIA
McHenry students graduating with this distinction will have met the following criteria:
• Meets expectations on standardized, college and career readiness examinations (ACT, PARCC,
DLM, etc).
• Exhibits involvement in school-sanctioned activities (1 year-long activity or 3 seasonal activities).
• Demonstrates involvement in community service (minimum of 25 hours throughout high school
career).
• Earns a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 or higher.
• Follows athletic or activity code of conduct (no violations).
• Maintains good character/citizenship (no in-school suspensions or out of-school suspensions).
• Demonstrates good school attendance (minimum of 95% during junior & senior year).
• Completes at least ONE Advanced Placement or Capstone course as determined by our academic
departments.
• Maintains the following graduation requirements on time:
Grade Level Academic Credits: 9th Grade 4.5; 10th Grade 9.0; 11th Grade 13.5; 12th Grade 21.25
(23 Credits required for class of 2018 and beyond)
EXTREMEWEATHER/CALENDAR
PAGE9
McHenryCommunityHighSchoolDistrict156willpostallextremeweatherconditionsandother
emergencyschoolclosingsonourdistrictwebsiteathttp://www.dist156.organdontheECC
website.Forinformationregardingweather-relatedclosingpleasevisittheEmergencyClosing
Centerathttp://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com/complete.html.
August 5 ...........Friday ....................West Material Pick-Up All Grades 8:00am-3:00pm
August 5…….....Friday…………...…Freshmen Kick-Off Rally West Campus 9:00am – 12:00pm
August 5…….....Friday…………...…Freshmen Link Rally Day East Campus 9:00am - 11:30am (Materials Distribution
During Rally)
August 5........... Friday ....................East ALL GRADES Material Distribution Day 12:00pm-4:00pm
August 8……….Monday…………....East/West ALL GRADES Material Pick-Up Day 10:00am-6:00pm
August 8……….Monday…………....First Day of Football Tryouts / Practices
August 10..........Wednesday ...........East New Student/Parent Orientation- 7:00pm (Theater)
West New Student/Parent Orientation-7:00pm (Main Gym/Café)
August 10 .........Wednesday ………First Day of All Other Fall Sports / Practices
August 15 & August 16.........Monday & Tuesday ........Teacher Institute/NO SCHOOL
August 17 .........Wednesday............FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR ALL STUDENTS/NOTE: LATE START
SCHEDULE FOR SOPHMORE, JUNIORS & SENIORS
August 18 .........Thursday ...............First Full Day of School ALL Students
August 23 .........Tuesday ................LATE START TUESDAY Begins
August 31……...Wednesday ..........Parent Mini-Schedule East & West 7:00pm–9:00pm Schedule Pick-Up 6:30pm
September 2......Friday ...................Half-Day In-Service 10:30/10:40am Dismissal
September 5......Monday .................Labor Day/NO SCHOOL
September 12,14-16…………Mon., Wed., Thur., Fri… West Freshman Pride Camp
September 13…Tuesday…………...Picture Day West
September 15…Thursday…………..Picture Day East
September 20 - 22 ................Tues., Wed., Thur..…..…East Freshman Pride Camp
October 3............Monday.................Homecoming Rally/Parade 5:00pm – 9:00pm
October 8............Saturday ..............Homecoming Dance 8:00pm -11:00pm (both schools at) West Campus
October 10 .........Monday ................Columbus Day/NO SCHOOL
October 27 .........Thursday ............. Parent Teacher Conferences Both Schools 5:00pm –8:00pm
October 28 .........Friday ...................Parent/Teacher Morning Conferences 8:00am-11:00am/NO SCHOOL
November 11......Friday…….............SCHOOL IN SESSION, Veteran's Day Activities Scheduled
November 23, 24 & 25………Wed, Thurs & Fri............Thanksgiving Break/NO SCHOOL