Principal's Blog #12

Mustang Families,

Classroom attendance is considered to be an integral part of the student's course of study. When absences occur, it is important to note the following:

• Time lost from the classroom is essentially irretrievable; the experiences, discussions and the uniqueness of the classroom learning process require school attendance.

• Establishing good attendance habits better equip young people toward being productive members of society.

• Once a student misses eight full days of school, the school may require a doctor’s note on file in order for each absence to be excused.

• If a student has more than eight days of excused absences, the student support teams are actively providing the student and family with appropriate intervention.

As we enter this month of gratitude, I’d like to take a moment to thank:

• Our students and families for making daily attendance and learning a priority.

• Our fantastic instructional staff who pour their energy into making each classroom an exciting place to learn.

• Our nurses and security team who take the precautions necessary to keep students healthy and safe.

• Our certified staff and student support teams who provide the extra hands and attention our students need.

Dr. Alexandria Rios Taylor

Principal, Mundelein High School

847-949-2200 x1257

www.d120.org

ataylor@d120.org

The MHS staff will tell you this is one of our most popular events of the year - the annual Adaptive PE Basketball game versus Warren Township HS. The fans were loud and proud and the smiles on the faces of the players was priceless.

Thank you to all who participated in making this event such a great success.

Mundelein High School is celebrating a significant achievement as one of its dedicated teachers, Manny Aldana, has been awarded a generous $15,000 grant from Technology & Manufacturing Association (TMA) in Schaumburg, Illinois. This grant enabled the school to purchase a state-of-the-art desktop mill, greatly enhancing the resources available to students in the Manufacturing and Engineering pathways. The grant serves as a testament to the Mr. Aldana’s commitment to fostering innovation and providing students with hands-on experiences in the field. It's a promising development that will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the education and future careers of Mundelein High School's aspiring engineers and manufacturers.

Twenty-two students earned entry into the Illinois Music Education Association District VII Honors Ensembles this past month! Students prepared rigorously on musical excerpts, etudes, scales, and improvisational techniques to compete against peers for limited spots within each ensemble. MHS will have 4 choir students, 7 band students, 2 orchestra students, and 12 jazz band students participating in this month’s festivals. The band, choir, and orchestra students will perform this weekend at Glenbrook South High School at 3pm while the Jazz students will perform on November 18th at Lake Zurich High School at the same time.

Students in Geometry in Construction classes hear how their classroom lessons apply to the work done at Larsen Manufacturing located in Mundelein.

Ten students were honored at November's Mustang Pride breakfast, including their parents and staff members who nominated them.

Students are nominated for demonstrating one of our D75/120 Profile of a Learner tenets (agile, self-assured, proactive, information-seeking, resilient, and empathetic.)

This month’s honorees and their nominating staff members include:

Isla Bonnie Nuttall - Presented by Kent Meister

Kameal Nia Myrie - Presented by Jonathon Pruc

Diego Alvarado Flores - Presented by Heather Ryan & Heather Demuth

Daniel Cansino - Presented by Mike Dayton

Alina Vasyliuk - Presented by Mary Plucinski

Ayarhan Khidriev - Presented by Andrew Hood

David Martinez Sanchez - Presented by Gissele Drpich

Deandre Nathan Manzo Villalobos - Presented by Gissele Drpich

Adair Cortez Vargas - Presented by Blair Winter

Lia McKenzie Koski - Presented by Susan Theotokatos

Congratulations to the following students who were nominated as "Student of the Quarter" by their Tech Campus instructors:

Kameal is a talented and dedicated artist who has shown exceptional progress and creativity in their work this year. They are always willing to experiment with new techniques and materials, and their passion for art is evident in everything they create.

Students have 90 minutes to complete a finished design based on the prompt given at the start of the contest. Out of 50+ students, we are proud to announce Jaxon Wasseluk received an Honorable Mention, this amazing achievement!

We take education seriously, but we have fun doing it. Take this team for instance...

Our heroes VISION (Alexander Kapotas) and THE SCARLET WITCH (Jenny Lipske) wield the powers of THE MIND STONE to help student create VISION BOARDS, secret weapons to help them navigate THE MULTIVERSE of CAREER POSSIBILITIES!

Here are some fun pictures from our Department Halloween contest. Adults and students had a blast voting for their favorites. This year's winner is the Fine and Applied Arts Department who dressed up as students! Honorable mentions go to the World Languages Department and Special Education. Congrats to all!

The kids had a great time at our lunchtime Wellness Boo Bash! It was such a success! We are grateful to the Goodman Foundation who provided the Cebrin Goodman Center grant to support prevention initiatives such as the wellness boo bash!

The agencies listed below also joined us for the event:

Omni

Nicasa

Stand up

Honey B Wellz

A Safe Place

Human Performance Project (Omni)

Law Enforcement (JT)

Leslie Randolph Confidence Coach

We just wrapped up our second Town Hall Meeting.

Please continue to visit our website for further developments: d120.org/mhs-facilities/

A copy of our recent mailing and fact sheet can be found below. Should you have additional questions, fill out our online form or email at: mhsbuildingplan@d120.org.

We’ll continue to keep you informed along the way.

Native American Heritage Month

"In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating the month of November “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Proclamations have been issued each year since 1994. On Monday, the White House released President Joe Biden’s National Native American Heritage Month Proclamation, "America has not always delivered on its promise of equal dignity and respect for Native Americans ... But despite this painful history, Indigenous peoples, their governments, and their communities have persevered and flourished. As teachers and scholars, scientists and doctors, writers and artists, business leaders and elected officials, heroes in uniform, and so much more, they have made immeasurable contributions to our country’s progress.”

During Native American Heritage Month, it is important not just to celebrate the legacy that Indigenous history makers have left, but also to celebrate those who continue to shape our society, lead their communities, and impact our culture today.

Text and Image from: Native News Online

Nov 1-10 Turkey Drive

Nov 7 Blood Drive

Nov 9-11 Mundelein Theatre Presents - Becoming Juliet

Nov 10 Veteran's Day Breakfast and Honor Walk

Nov 20-24 Thanksgiving Break

Nov 27 Senior Cap and Gown Orders Due

Dec 8 Late Start

This coming Tuesday (Nov. 7th) MHS will be hosting a blood drive from 8 am to 2 pm in the north gym. Students will have to schedule an appointment to donate, and they may only schedule a time during their PE class, study hall, or free period. Students may not schedule an appointment during any other class period. Our goal is to have all students back in their next class after donating, however, there might be some that need extra time to recover. Students who are held back will be sent to class with a pass.

Click here to schedule an appointment.

Cap and Gown orders are due by November 27th. Order your cap, gown, and a variety of other terrific items by visiting the Herff-Jones website.

Click here to see more important dates and benchmarks along the road to Graduation.

From the National Association of School Psychologists: “During the week of November 6-10, 2023 schools throughout the United States will celebrate National School Psychology Week (NSPW) to highlight the important work school psychologists and other educators do to help all students thrive. This year's theme is "Let's Grow Together," inspired by the importance of both personal and shared strengths in our growth as individuals and school communities in every season of life. The theme recognizes every aspect of growth, as fundamental to effective learning environments and to school psychologists' role in supporting student well-being and learning.”

Thank you to our wonderful Psychologists who work tirelessly to help our students and school community grow every day. The impact they have on the lives of our students, inside and outside the walls of our school, are far-reaching and critical to ensuring our students thrive. Thank you for your work to strengthen the individual student experience, overall school climate, and systems that support every student. This week, we celebrate you!

Make sure to swing by the SPED office and Transition Center to give an extra thank you to our wonderful psych team this week! Thank you to Marisa Graham, Michael Lowe, Krysta Penuel, Maria Tovar, and Thomas Wierenga for all the important and impactful work they do for our students each day.

THEME THURSDAY: “Camo Day” - Dress in camo patterns or colors.

THEME FRIDAY: “Red, White, and Blue Day” for Veterans’ Day. Military Week sponsored by CCRC

If your student still needs a locker, please click here to fill out the locker request form. Locker information will be sent to the student’s school email account with the locker location, number, and combination.

If you have any other questions please contact the Security Office at ext. 1041.

Junior Student Leadership is excited to begin their Kindness Drive next week, Monday, November 6th which runs until Friday, November 17th. We are working with The Annex to collect gently used or new KIDS’ clothes, particularly winter clothing. The flyer below specifies what types of items we are looking for.

We are holding a contest between 2nd-hour classes. The class that collects the most items will receive a donut party!

Next week Mundelein High School will be honoring all of our military branches during our annual Military Week. This week will highlight ways that students can choose to further their education while serving their country along with thanking our military veterans for their service. Please read on to learn more about the events we will be offering.

Students are asked to pre-register for any event they would like to attend in their Naviance account. Registration will occur the same way it does for any college visit. After logging in, select “Colleges” at the top of the screen. Then select “College Visits” and scroll to the event you would like to attend. Click “Register” and confirm your registration! Be sure to put a reminder in your calendar so that you don’t miss it. Head straight to the CCRC (B105) at the beginning of the class period and your attendance will be excused.

D120 Welcomes Debbie Reuter, M.S., LPC, Director of the Center for Students with Disabilities and member of the CARE Team at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Debbie is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and Wisconsin and has worked in higher education for twenty-five years and is an active member of the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD and WIAHEAD).

Invited: Families / individuals that have an IEP or 504 plan that are looking for information on accommodations at the college level.

When :Thursday, December 7th 6:30 pm-7:30 pm

Where / Zoom

Click here to learn more.

Join MHS Staff for another fun month of self-care activities.

Schedule week of 11/6/23

Submitted by Coach Rahul Sethna

Congratulations to the Girls Swimming and Diving team for their 3rd place finish on both the Varsity and JV level at the NSC Championships this past weekend. The ladies had a bevy of award winners led by Amelia Willis who won the 100 Butterfly while breaking the school record and placing 2nd in the 100 Backstroke. Other Top 6 finishers on the V level included: Gracyn Gigiano- 2nd place 200 IM, 3rd place 500 Free, Karina Schwalbach- 4th and 6th place in the 100 Breaststroke and 200 Freestyle, Paige Robertson-6th place 500 Free, Amelia, Karina, Gracyn and Lauren Tableman- 4th place in both the 200 Medley Relay, and Amelia, Gracyn, Lauren, and Ruby Puerzer-4th in the 200 Free Relay. On the JV level Olivia Bartusch, Sophia Colvin, Gracie Greenfield, Addie Hagel, Hayden Hilgart, Lily Madison, Phoebe Miles, Isla Nuttall, Allison Rogers, Darby Schwerman, and Camryn Sheehan were all Top 6 finishers in various events!

The team next competes at Lake Forest this weekend at the IHSA Sectional meet with State berths on the line.

Submitted by Coach Rutz

A very solid finish to the season today at Sectionals. Despite a soft course our 3 guys ran some very respectable times at Busse Woods. Senior Tom Russ, in his final HS cross country race, took 62nd in 16:00. Sophomore Elijah Mendoza ran a PR of 16:04, taking 67th and moving up the entire race. Sophomore Nathan McCreight, despite being a bit under the weather, ran 16:37, equaling his Regional time, and taking 107th. A good finish to the competitive season. Way to go, Mustangs

Submitted by Coach Winter

Girls Tennis had a terrific season with a record 10 dual meet wins and 1st and 2nd in Saturday invites, 36 players in the program all had terrific experience.

The teams MVP award winner was Gabi Lipske with 25 wins, the rookie of year winner was Freshman Alina Ahmed, MIP award winner was Holly Scaramella and Mustang award winner was Mikaela Sosa.

If anyone is looking to play next season please contact Gwinter@d120.org girls will look to play indoors and summer camp.

Submitted by Coach Rodriguez

A drizzly but great practice at Busse Woods last night! First a workout to feel comfortable and fast around the course, then our traditional Portillo’s dinner with some pre-dinner parking lot abs! Great memories made!

Great effort from Brooklyn as she finished 80th. From not even running in the top 7 at Conference last year to qualifying for Sectionals this year, we are so so proud of her growth & can’t wait to see what she does in the next 2 years! Big thanks to her teammates who supported too!

Each week we will feature a student, staff member or department at our school (Or all three at once), to give Mustang Nation a closer look at these wonderful folks! “We are MHS”! To nominate yourself or others for this feature, please email Mr. Gonzalez – hgonzalez@d120.org

The Mundelein Foundation is seeking new members! Do you have one night a month to make a difference? Contact Jennifer for more information on how you can have some fun helping the next generation: 847-987-7955 or brunkow4@sbcglobal.net

ASPIRE

Our MHS Portrait of a Learner tenets affirm student identity through schoolwide values, expectations and practices.

Student Supports

MHS has many supports to offer students. Students can access a quick-reference guide of all supports available on this page. Available is everything from social-emotional support, to financial support. Check it out!

Click here to see all the student support areas we have to offer.

Monthly Building Tours

We are proud to host visitors to learn more about our programming and facilities. In order to minimize the impact on the educational environment, we have chosen to host visitors on select days throughout the school year.

Therefore, to secure a visitation time, please select from the following options so we are able to provide the necessary information and personnel during your visit.

Click here to schedule your tour.

Go Mustangs!

Past blogs are available at:

https://www.d120.org/about-mhs/principals-newsletter/

Email: ataylor@d120.org
Website: www.d120.org
Location: 1359 West Hawley Street, Mundelein, IL, USA
Phone: 847-949-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mundelein-High-School-District-120/100095401983567/
Twitter: @MundeleinHS