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P a l at i n e H i g h S c h o o l
NEWSLETTER
A Recognized School of Excellence
GARY STEIGER
PRINCIPAL
January/February 2015
From the principal:
Welcome Parents of the Class of 2019!
With the start of a new year, it is already time to start thinking
ahead to next fall. For our veteran parents, this newsletter comes
along with your sons’ or daughters’ first semester grades. For
our new parents, this is the first issue of the newsletter you will be receiving
approximately every 4 ½ weeks. I hope these provide you with some of the
necessary information you need to keep up with what is going on at the high
school. Welcome to Palatine!
Hopefully you have already had a chance to review first semester grades
with your student. Take a moment to congratulate successful efforts and
encourage hard-earned progress. If grades were not quite what your student
had hoped for, encourage him or her to remember that the new semester is
a time for a fresh start. Remind them that there are many resources available
here at PHS to help them be successful and that there are certain privileges tied
to academic success. Work on setting both long-term and short-term goals
for second semester; make sure the goals are clear, reasonable and achievable.
Students will soon be working with their counselors to select courses for
next year. Be sure to talk with your student about future educational plans
and possible career goals. Keep these plans and goals in mind as you review
the course selection sheets and curriculum guide together. Palatine has over
200 courses in its curriculum, with many new ones being offered this year. I
encourage students to take advantage of the many elective classes PHS offers
in addition to the required courses -- they are a great way to round out and
enrich the educational experience. The elective classes are a great way for
students to take a class that might help them pick out a possible future career
or just learn more about something that interests them. Our Curriculum
guide is available on-line at http://adc.d211.org/pdf/curriculum_guide.pdf.
A new feature of the guide is the information on the last few pages about
career clusters that may assist you and your student in planning and course
selection. If you have any scheduling questions, please feel free to contact
your child’s counselor or teachers.
Gary Steiger
Principal
Guided Study Hall and the Student Success Center
At Palatine High School, we have high expectations for all our students to
succeed in reaching their academic potential. For those who are struggling,
we offer a variety of programs to help them succeed. In the Student Success
Center, math, English, and science teachers provide academic support to
students every period of the day, as well as before and after school on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday. Students are encouraged to drop in for help with
homework, test preparation, or for a little extra help with something they
didn’t completely “get” in class.
At PHS, students who failed an academic course in the previous quarter
may be assigned to the Guided Study Hall program. Students have a Guided
Study Hall during an open period in their schedule or the first half of their
lunch hour. During the assigned Guided Study Hall, students have time to
work on homework and study in an academically supportive environment.
The Guided Study Hall teacher monitors the students’ academic progress and
has regular grade check-ins. Students in Guided Study Hall may also visit
the math, English, and science tutors in the Student Success Center during
their study hall time.
If you require assistance while visiting our school, please contact the
principal’s office at (847) 755-1600.
Scholarships Available
Did you know that the High School District 211 Foundation awarded
scholarships last year? Check the D211 website for a list of this year’s available
awards. The applications will become available during second semester. Other
scholarship applications, such as the VIP, Rotary, and other local awards are
available through the PHS Student Services website which is accessible via the PHS
homepage. Click on the “Academics” tab on the homepage, click on “Student
Services”. Information pertaining to scholarships, financial aid and such is under
the “College Planning” tab which also includes an up to date listing of scholarships.
All scholarships on this link are posted in order of deadline date. Most scholarship
applications must be submitted on-line, however if a paper application is required
these will be available to print from the scholarship link or the through the
student’s counselor. Please check the “Scholarship” link often throughout the
school year as new postings are always added. It is essential that students meet
all application requirements, deadlines and follow all directions carefully. Keep
in mind that scholarship applications may require recommendation letters and
a transcript. Transcript requests for scholarship applications are processed when
the student completes & submits a transcript request form through the Registrar’s
Office. Seniors planning to attend a college/university need to complete the online
FAFSA form after January 1st of their senior year and before March 1st to best be
able to access financial aid opportunities; the earlier the better. Financial Aid is a
3-tiered system, and colleges/universities use FAFSA application information to
award campus merit-based awards as well as financial aid to students. The link
to file your family’s FAFSA report is http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Additionally, there are
other national scholarship search websites that can be accessed from the “College
Planning” tab on the Student Services website. Also under the “College Planning”
tab is a financial aid link that gives a comprehensive overview of all things related
to financial aid.
Guidelines for Senior Final Examinations
District 211 allows seniors who meet appropriate criteria to apply for
exemptions from second semester examinations.
To qualify, a senior student must have at least a “C” average in the class;
have fewer than six absences from the class; have never been suspended or
truant from the class, and not be incomplete on assignments required by the
teacher. Seniors who qualify for exemption may elect to take final examinations
to improve grades. Seniors wishing to take final examinations or those who do
not qualify for exemption will take their examinations on June 3, 4, and 5 after
graduation ceremonies scheduled for May 31, 2015.
PARCC replaces ACT Exam as State Assessment
The Illinois State Board of Education has determined that the ACT will no
longer be used as the assessment to determine student growth. In place of the
ACT, school districts will now administer the PARCC (Partnership of Assessment
of Readiness for College and Careers) test. PARCC is an interactive, computerbased benchmarked assessment of applied knowledge that is designed to measure
students’ performance on the Illinois Learning Standards.
As the State transitions to PARCC, District 211 will still offer the ACT Plus
Writing free of charge to every junior at their high school on Tuesday, March
3, 2015. The March 3rd test will count as an official ACT score to use as part
of future college and career plans.
On March 3, while juniors are participating in the ACT, any student enrolled
in E101 English, E102 English, and E108 English (almost entirely freshmen)
will participate in the PARCC English Language Arts I tests. Junior students and
English students (E101, E102 and E108) will be dismissed from school after the
approximately 4-hour testing window. Bus transportation will be available to
and from the test. Sophomore and senior students will not be in attendance on
March 3, but should take this opportunity to pursue educational opportunities
independently.
After the March 3rd test, all other PARCC assessments will take place during
the normal school day, and students who are participating in the tests will be
excused from one to two periods of class to take the exam. This will include
students enrolled in E101, E102, E108, M113 Algebra 1, M114 Algebra 1, M117
Algebra 1, or M147 Advanced Algebra 1. Details of the testing schedule will be
available in early spring.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE & NEW AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL
dates to remember
Jan. 16
Jan. 19
Jan. 20
Jan. 22
Jan. 27
Feb. 10
Feb. 16
Feb. 20
Feb. 21
Feb. 24
Teacher Institute (No School)
Martin Luther King Jr. (No School)
2nd Semester
Report Cards Mailed
LATE START
LATE START
Presidents’ Day (No School)
Early Dismissal –State Girls’
Gymnastics Meet
(dismissal 12:35 p.m.)
State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet
(6:30 p.m.)
LATE START
Mark your calendars !
Back by popular demand
Friday, April 10
Ray Mills Trivia Night
FUNdraiser
Pirate Pride Shout Out
Pirate Pride Winners
1st Semester - 2014-2015 School Year
Zahraa Abbas, Jonatan Alanis, Juan Aldana-Tabares, Lizbeth
Alvarez Mendoza, Roger Amelse, Karla Astudillo, Haley
Azpuru, Morgan Balog, Ethan Banks, Brenden Banuelos,
Sergio Bardesi-Texocotitla, Janie Becker, Jose Benitez, Philip
Berlow, Timoteo Bonilla, Cristina Bravo, Taylor Brzezinski,
Kenneth Buffo, Iqra Burney, Gilberto Bustamante, Ian Cabral
De Barros, Giovanni Calderon, Ana Campa, Colin Campbell,
Karen Campos, Brandon Cardenas, Maria Carmona, Jesse
Carson, Jose Maria Cisneros-Martinez, Fegie D’great I
Cruz, Renata Cruz, Karlee Darow, Anna Maria Decheva,
Simmi Dhami, Amairani Diaz, Rhea D’Mello, Ryan Dowd,
Victoria Drabik, Breena Easterling, Lisa Edwards, Terraya
Edwards, Jamiel Eggleston, Mitchell Erickson, Erick Flores,
Noe Flores, Karla Garcia, Yozelyn Garcia, Juana Iveth Garcia
Guerrero, Jodi Garcia-Penalosa, Kelly Gimmler, Jesus
Gonzalez, Ricardo Gonzalez, Martin Gorgonio, Armaan
Grewal, Marissa Guzman, Hakem Habahbeh, Trevor Hallier,
Robert Heintz, Crystal Hernandez, Diana Hernandez, Efrain
Hernandez, Erick Hernandez, Lauren Hess, Cortez Hogans,
Danesha Holland, Connor Howard, Ashley Jackson, Jennifer
Jasso, Scott Johnson, Jayla Kackley, Alexandra Kalfas, Grace
Killigrew, Lawson Kosulic, Katelyn Kurrie, Kate lahey, Elvin
Lama Sosa, Samantha Lechowicz, Pedro Leyva, Abigail
Lindert, Ethan Lloyd, Galilea Lujano, Jeffrey Luppino,
Michael Mallory, Larry Martinez, Yoselin Martinez, Madeline
Mathias, Thomas May, Alexander McDonald, Gabriela
Medina Trujillo, Alejandro Mena, Eric Miranda, Fernando
Miranda, Luis Miranda, Victor Morales, Christopher Munoz,
Karly Muntz, Yamilen Navarrete, Quincy Nguyen, Stanley
Ochwat, Kelly O’Kane, Brian O’Mahoney, Andrea Ori,
Eduardo Orozco, Mathew Padgett, Cinthia Patino, Carla
Pereyra, Andrea Perez, Christopher Perez, Michael Petrenko,
Kenneth Piasecki, Diego Placencia, Spencer Poklop, Michelle
Prochownik, John Puntos, Michael Quinones Rivera,
Shakeel Raja, Gregory Jaye Reynolds, Isabella Rivera, Jenny
Rodriguez, Victor Rodriguez, Cheyenne Rohland, Ana
Romero, Stephanie Rouette, Catlyn Ruddle, Tyler Ryan,
Andres Salinas, Evelyn Sanchez, Angel Serna, Ada Sieminski,
Joseph Smearman, Jennifer Sobkowiak, Guadalupe Solano
Valle, Raymond Soto, Emily Steinbrey, Thomas Stevens,
Maricarmen Tamariz, Fabian Tovar, Emily Truong, Bianca
Vargas, Guadalupe Vargas, Alyssa Wheat, Brianna Woodfork,
Sydney Wynter, Abigail Zuercher, Jason Zych.
Greetings from the Mathematics Department:
What can you do as a parent or guardian if your child
is struggling in math class? One of the most common
phrases a Math teacher hears on the phone from
parents is “I can’t help them”. That is simply not true.
First talk positively about school and math. Math
may not have been one of your favorite classes in
school, but that should not give your child a reason
not to try their best to succeed. This includes doing
the assignments, asking questions and seeking help
when necessary.
Ask to see your child’s assignments and sit with
them as they log onto Infinite Campus or Math XL to
check grades and assignments. Some of our courses
use a program called Math XL to assign homework to
help prepare for tests, so having the student log into
Math XL in front of you and asking them to show
you what assignments are complete would be the
digital version of checking their paper assignments.
Just this action alone will signify that you think the
assignments are important and can quickly prevent
some problems. Math class is known for daily
assignments. If your child consistently states, “I
don’t have any homework,” this should be a signal
to investigate more into the situation.
Initiate contact with the teacher directly. A phone
call or an email can go a long way to help a student
increase their grade in math class. Communicating
with the teacher directly prevents information from
being filtered, and the classroom teacher will share
their insight with you. It is better to be preventative
verses reactionary. Take advantage of grades being
posted on line on a regular basis. The sooner a
problem can be encountered the less that student has
to do to make up for the problem.
Now, I want to take a moment to let you know
about some of the services we offer at PHS to help
your student be successful in math class. First we
have 24 extremely dedicated teachers and 5 fully
trained teacher assistants that are willing to answer
any questions you or your child have. We staff our
Student Success Center (SSC), in room 191, with
a classroom teacher and a teacher assistant every
period every day. In addition to meeting with their
classroom teacher, a student can come to the SSC to
check homework, ask clarifying questions, and get
extra help as needed. Some students like to start their
assignment in the SSC and ask questions as they arise.
This is perfectly acceptable and is encouraged. This is
a free service and a great alternative to hiring a private
tutor. Students are expected to bring materials and
class notes to the SSC and, at times must be patient,
as in most cases there are multiple students using
the SSC at the same time. This is a great opportunity
for students to get some extra help as needed. The
SSC also has math tutoring available Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays before and after school
and Friday before school.
What’s up with the Boosters?
Happy New Year! With the holidays behind us and a new year upon us, consider a resolution to get
more involved with the PHS Pirate Booster Club. Together, we can form friendships while working towards
our goal of enhancing all PHS students’ school experience. To learn more please contact our volunteer
coordinator, Joan Scovic, at volunteer@phspirateboosters.com, and she will find a role that suits your talents,
interests and schedule.
Donna Schneberger, our Ways and Means Chair, was busy during the holiday season arranging Dine
and Share nights, Amizon/Fundico purchase rebates and other fundraising programs.
In late November and early December your Pirate Boosters planned and executed a series of successful
fundraisers for injured student athlete, Ryan Kissane. I’d like to thank our quick acting PHS Pirate Booster
Board of Directors, our many volunteers, and the supportive PHS faculty. I’d also like to give a special
“shout out” to Joan Scovic (publicity), Frank Vitucci (website) and Jerri Helms (Facebook) for spreading
the word quickly and effectively. The boosters wish Ryan and his family well, as he continues to heal.
Please mark your calendars for our February 27th PHS Pirate Booster Dinner Auction. This event takes
place from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. at the Cotillion Banquets in Palatine and will include a special appearance by
Chicago Blackhawks’ national anthem singer, Jim Cornelison. Visit our website at www.phspirateboosters.
com to learn more and purchase tickets!
Starting this second half of the school year, I can’t help but reflect on all the good work we’ve done.
This makes me hopeful and excited to see what the rest of this school year brings! GO PIRATES AND GO
PIRATE BOOSTERS!!
With pride and gratitude,
Alissa DePue, President, PHS Pirate Booster Club
PALATINE HIGH SCHOOL ILLINOIS STATE SCHOLARS 2015-2016
Aldag, Carl
Anandan, Dhivyaa
Anderson, Morgan
Bank, Rachel
Baran, Jacob
Barrios, Tanya
Beach, Megan
Beck, Logan
Bowman, Charles
Braun, Evan
Breytenbach,
Alexander
Breytenbach, Andrew
Brucks, Samantha
Burke, Kevin
Burton, Kara
Campbell, Ryan
Cervenka, Nicholas
Charlier, Maria
Charlier, Natalie
Choi, Joanne
Chon, Lily
Christiansen, Derek
Chung, Nicole
Conklin, Kaitlin
Dela Pena, Jeremiah
Dileo, Kathleen
Dolen, Mitchell
Ehrenstrom, Conor
Eppley, Gabriella
Erdmann, Rachel
Esbrook, Eleanor
Estes, Aliya
Evtimov, Martin
Fis, Michelle
Gerdes, Quinn
Gordon, Jacob
Grana, Mary
Hedrick, Logan
Howell, Maria
Jasionowski, Nathan
Johnson, Thomas
Judd, Thomas
Kawiecki, Peter
Kehe, Lisa
Kerr, Zachary
Killigrew, Patrick
Kissane, Ryan
Klein, Sean
Koshy, Daniel
Kossmann, Eva
Kosulic, Lawson
Lahey, Kate
Lindert, Abigail
Lundell, Jessica
Mathias, Madeline
Matthew, Jonathan
McCall, Carter
McCall, Taylor
McHugh, Caitlin
Mikkelsen, Alaina
Mobille, Zachary
Much, Jared
Muck, Amanda
O’Mahoney, Brian
O’Meara, Casey
Ocock, Kelly
Oesterlein, Matthew
Okamura, Kristina
Paul, Jennifer
Peters, John
Piasecki, Kenneth
Pisula, Victoria
Plata, Laura
Quiroga, Anamaria
Raymond, Michelle
Riedy, Caitlin
Rilloraza, Rachel
Robinson, Nicole
Rola, Darshan
Ruthe, Alexander
Salas, Taylor
Schlaiss, Ryan
Scovic, Mark
Shaler, Megan
Shiro, Stephanie
Smith, Michael
Smith, Ian
Smola, Karissa
Sonderegger,
Kristen
Stagnito, Olivia
Steinebrey, Allison
Steinman, Katrina
Stitt, Jenna
Sund, Emily
Thomas, Derek
Villarama,
Anacattleya
Weatherton,
Maryrose
White, Colin
Wilson, Crystal
Wojtas, Caroline
Zhao, Darien
This Principal’s Newsletter is computer-designed and photocopied at school on recycled paper for Palatine High School parents.
Palatine High School 1111 N. Rohlwing Road, Palatine, IL 60074-3797 • (847) 755-1600
PHS PIRATE BOOSTER CLUB
31st Annual Dinner & Auction
Join us on Friday, February 27, 2015 to celebrate……..
........and raise funds for ALL Palatine High School students.
The Cotillion Banquets
360 S. Creekside Drive • Palatine, IL
6:00 p.m.
Cocktails and Silent Auction
Guest Appearances by:
Jim Cornelison, Chicago Blackhawks anthem singer
Burton L. Showers, WWII Veteran
Fred C. Hall, WWII Veteran
7:30 - 11:00 p.m.
Dinner, Live Auction and Raffle Drawings
** Casual patriotic or PHS spirit wear suggested **
Get your tickets at www.Events.Org/PirateDinner
$55.00 per person through January 31, 2015 * ($60.00 per person beginning February 1)
To learn more about the PHS Pirate Boosters, visit www.phspirateboosters.com
How Can Cooking Your Family Dinner Help PHS?
By Purchasing Market Day Food & Snacks
ATTENTION: The next Market Day is Feb 6.
You can either go to marketday.com or pick up an order form in the main office for your shopping pleasure.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Market Day chair people — Dawn Shepherd and Colleen Cannon at 847-755-1835