Principal's Newsletter

Hello - this is a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have a student at, or have expressed an interest in, Glenbard West High School. Communication between Glenbard West and our families and community is very important to us. Don't forget to add gw_news@glenbard.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox! Please email any questions directly to Glenbard Staff, we are happy to respond.

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Hilltopper Community,

First, a thank you to all of the students, staff, families, and community members that joined us for our Homecoming festivities last week. Participation was high, the weather was (mostly) good, and several of our sports teams won—including home victories by Field Hockey and Football on Saturday. I’m especially grateful to all those that volunteered their time to make this a memorable experience for our students.

At their meeting last Monday, our Board of Education received an update from the architects and construction team about the scope of work planned for each of the four Glenbard schools over the next several years. On Wednesday, October 16th we will share West-specific plans with any interested families and community members at 7 PM in the Elliott Library. Our presentation will be about fifteen minutes long, and I’ll be joined by representatives from our district office and Wold Architects. There will be time for questions and feedback as well.

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find several student recognitions, as well as information about our upcoming production of The Addams Family, state testing dates in October, and how to opt-in to text messages from the school. Additionally, you’ll find everything you need to know to sign up for parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday, October 23rd and Thursday, October 24th. We value the opportunity to strengthen the home-school connection, but please do not feel obligated to sign up for a conference with each of your student’s teachers—especially if your student is doing well academically. If you have any questions about conferences, please contact our Assistant Principal for Instruction, Ms. Sara Kush: sara_kush@glenbard.org.

Student Safety and Upcoming Lockdown Drill

The safety of Glenbard West students and staff is our top priority. Part of staying safe is being prepared for emergencies. Glenbard West conducts all required drills in accordance with the Regional Office of Education, the Glen Ellyn Police Department, and the Glen Ellyn Fire Department. On October 4th during Glenbard Hour, we will be conducting a fire drill followed by a lockdown drill. During the drill, students will move to an area of the classroom where they are not visible. Lights will be turned off, and doors will be secured. Administrators and police officers will check each room for visible students, noise, or open doors. Once the building has been checked, the all-clear will be announced and classes will return to normal.

This year, in collaboration with the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, District 87 is adopting an updated protocol for emergency situations. This protocol includes five possible actions in response to an emergency situation at school: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. I encourage you to watch our emergency actions video for a quick overview and to take a moment to speak with your child about the importance of taking this and all drills seriously. If for any reason you do not want your child to take part in the lockdown drill, please email your request to our Assistant Principal for Operations, Ms. Stacy Scumaci: stacy_scumaci@glenbard.org.

In an effort to ensure the safety and security of our building, we now ask students to show their physical ID any time they enter the building—in the morning, when returning from Biester or when returning from lunch. It is important that all students carry their physical ID with them at all times. If they do not have an ID, they can get a new one printed in our library at any time.

Finally, as we review safety protocols and practices, we would like your feedback on this brief survey. I greatly appreciate your partnership in helping to keep Glenbard West as safe as possible. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns.

Go West!

Ben Peterselli

630-942-7473

ben_peterselli@glenbard.org

October 1st

Fall Band Concert

7:30 to 9:00 pm

Auditorium

October 10th

Fall Choral Concert

7:30 to 9:00 pm

First United Methodist Church

424 Forest Avenue, Glen Ellyn

October 15th

Freshman PLC

2:23 to 3:05 pm

October 16th

Senior Yearbook Photos

10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Auditorium

October 17th

District 87 StringFest Concert

7:30 to 9:00 pm

Beister

October 23rd

Early Dismissal

1:00 pm

Underclassmen Photo Retakes

7: 30 am to 3:00 pm

Elliott Library

Parent Teacher Conferences

4:00 to 8:00 pm

Online - Zoom

October 24th

Early Dismissal

1:00 pm

Parent Teacher Conferences

2:00 to 6:00 pm

Glenbard West Classrooms

October 24th

No School

Juniors - Optional PSAT/NMSQT

8:00 am to 3:00 pm

October 29th

Practice ACT

Juniors

October 31st - November 2nd

Fall Musical

Auditorium

Congratulations to the following students who have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition: Megan Antonacci, Morgan Baedke, Syeda Zahra Baqhari, Emily Overtoom and Allison Penley. Semifinalists must advance to finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards, receiving a recommendation from their principal and earning SAT scores that confirm the earlier qualifying test performance.

Pictured left to right: Mr. Peterselli, Morgan Baedke, Megan Antonacci, Syeda Zahra Baqhari, Allison Penley, Emily Overtoom, and Ms. Culloton.

Congratulations to the following students who have been recognized as National Merit Commended students: Jacob Blew, Chloe Brondyke, Charles Clifford, Liam Grady, William Lafontaine, Camden Marschand, Samantha Moorhead, Blake Noble, Nawra Shaik, Amy Tran, Dylan Vlach, Adeline Williams, and Aleksander Wrobel.

Pictured at right: Jacob Blew

Pictured left to right, front row: Chloe Brondyke, Dylan Vlach, William Lafontaine, Adeline Williams, Samantha Moorhead, and Amy Tran. Second row: Liam Grady, Camden Marschand, Mr. Peterselli, Aleksander Wrobel, Blake Noble, and Nawra Shaik. Not pictured: Charles Clifford

Congratulations to Samantha Moorhead for scoring a perfect 36 on the ACT.

Student Services hosted the March Matter of Pride Ceremony on September 20, 2024. For those that are not familiar with our Matter of Pride Award, it was created over 30 years ago at West as a way to recognize students with outstanding character. This is the only award at West that focuses on a student's kindness, willingness to help others, going above and beyond for their school and/or community, and positive attitude. Basically, Matter of Pride recipients are what makes

West the Best!

Congratulations to our September Award Recipients:

Connor Gowans, Ben Burke, Eli Peterselli, Ben Battisto, Blake Noble, Lo West, Madison

Serna, Haley Rodriguez, Giselle VazquezSanchez, and Khadija Shameem (not pictured).

Picture left to right: Diana Martinez, Class of 1983, John Leonard accepting the award for Fred Leonard, Class of 1954, Nancy Leonard and Chris Wheeler, accepting the award for Ron Leonard, Class of 1956.

Fred Leonard, Class of 1954

Fred is being honored for living his life in service of others. He was the owner and operator of the Leonard Memorial Home since 1958, and was also a Veteran serving with the United States Marine Corps. Fred was beyond dedicated to his Glen Ellyn community. He was a former member of the Glen Ellyn Rotary Club and a former member of the First Methodist Church of Glen Ellyn. He was a Past President of the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce and awarded Citizen of the Year for Glen Ellyn in 1976. He was on a number of advisory boards for civic organizations in Glen Ellyn and served the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire company for 38 years. His sphere of influence extended beyond Glen Ellyn. He was active in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, holding regional directorship for three terms. He received the I.F.D.A. Distinguished Funeral Director Award in 1998. He was a member of the DuPage County Funeral Directors Association and served as President for two terms.

Ronald Leonard, Class of 1956

Ron is being honored for his service to the Glen Ellyn community. After graduating from Glenbard West, Ron joined the Army Reserves and served for about six years. Not long after, Ron began his lifelong career to help people during their greatest time in need by owning and operating, alongside his brother, the Leonard Memorial Home and Leonard’s Ambulance Service until he retired after 50 years. He took great care in helping countless families in Glen Ellyn and surrounding communities. In 1993, he was the recipient of the Glen Ellyn Masonic Lodge Community Builders Award—which recognizes citizens for service to their community. In 2003, Ron was honored as the Glen Ellyn Citizen of the Year. After 63+ years, Ron is the longest serving firefighter of the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company, where he began his service in 1959.

Diana Martinez, Class of 1983

Diana is being honored for her contribution to the arts, and now the Glen Ellyn community. Right out of college, Diana was hired as the director of entertainment and marketing for the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles at 22 years old. As her career progressed, Martinez, along with the Aurora Civic board ran a capital campaign to raise $6.5 million for an expanded lobby at the Paramount Theater. Then Diana took her talents to The Second City, serving as Director of Operations, and later the President of Second City International for Chicago, Toronto, and LA. Currently, Diana is the Director of the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. Most recently, she has inspired our community’s artists, musicians, actors, and so many of our neighbors to experience culture and the arts in DuPage County. From the tunnel mural at the underpass to the walls downtown that boast Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol, Diana’s love for art and culture has transcended Glenbard West High School’s halls of ivy.

Please save the date(s) for this year’s Parent-Teacher Conferences. Like last year, families will have two options for conferences: virtual conferences through Zoom on Wednesday, October 23rd from 4:00 until 8:00pm and in-person conferences at Glenbard West on Thursday, October 24th from 2:00 until 6:00pm. Students will be released at 1:00pm on both conference days. There is no school on Friday, October 25th. Detailed information on how to register for conferences can be found here.

Families will be able to schedule conferences between 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6th and 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20th. Your final conference schedule will be emailed to families on October 22nd.

Congratulations to the following graduated students for earning the AP Capstone Diploma: Moira Ahern, Elayna Boeh, Vivian Burtis, Lilly Carroll, Molly Creech, Anne Crum, Abby Davis, Lorelai Francis, Abigail Herbold, Jack Humble, Olivia Janninck, Avery Krudop, Audrey Sawyer, Megan Semple, James Shasteen, Peyton Smith, Ivy Toth, and Andriy Zajac. The AP Capstone Diploma is awarded to students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research, in addition to four additional AP Exams of their choice.

Every fall, the AP Program recognizes high school students who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through their performance on multiple AP Exams. The AP Scholar Award is granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. The AP Scholar Award with Honors is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The AP Scholar Award with Distinction is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Click here to view the full list of recipients. Congratulations to our incredible AP students!

It is important to note that, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the state of Illinois will require students to take the school-day ACT as a graduation requirement. This will necessitate some changes to the testing calendar for the class of 2026:

• Friday, October 25, 2024: Optional PSAT/NMSQT. There is no additional cost for this exam.

• Tuesday, October 29, 2024: PreACT for Juniors. Students will be automatically registered at no additional cost.

• Wednesday, April 9, 2025: preACT testing for freshmen and sophomores.

• Thursday, April 10, 2025: School-day ACT for Juniors. Students will be automatically registered at no additional cost.

We are confident this plan will help students to both prepare for the ACT in their Junior year and understand their own strengths in the knowledge and skill targets that are central to the exam. Both the ACT and SAT are aligned with Glenbard West’s curricula.

If your student is planning to take any AP courses this year, please be sure to read and familiarize yourself with Volume One of our AP Guide for Families in English and Spanish. You’ll find all relevant information about exam registration for year-long and first semester AP courses, as well as answers to frequently asked questions. For any other questions, please contact the office of the Assistant Principal for Instruction: 630-942-7471. For AP-related updates, please join our Remind by texting @gbwaptest to the number 81010 or clicking here.

Schoology is our learning management system where students access course materials, submit work, and access Groups (for athletics and activities). Parents and guardians can create their own Schoology accounts and be able to view their students’ course materials, submitted work, teacher comments on work, and group information. Please refer to the guide here for directions on how to access Schoology as a parent.

Our Glenbard West Related Services Team is dedicated to providing interventions and support for all students. If your child is struggling from emotional barriers that are preventing them from succeeding in class, please do not hesitate to contact any of our dedicated staff members. I am excited to introduce our team!

Back row: Max Hufnagle, Nisa Gabbidon, Jaclyn Reeves, Pam Hagstrom, Deandra Bass

Front row: Lisa Cunningham, Jessica Walters, Peter Baker, Amanda Meyer, Bridget Mazzone

Left to right front row: Beatriz Ferreria, Mary Yangas, Rhiannon Sieck, Natalie Rubino, and Lissete Ochoa. Second row: Patty Fanella, Kate Culloton, Jeremiah Weincek and Matt Brodhead. Back row: Tad Keely, Mike Neberz, and Tony Bergantino.

Hello seniors and families! I’m Ms. Dedic and I am Glenbard West’s College Financial Aid Counselor for the 2024-2025 school year. Get to know me and how I’ll work with seniors!

This year, I am offering office hours all day on Fridays in my office in the MURC (303). You can also contact me via email at katie_dedic@glenbard.org. Expect to hear from me as I share information about upcoming financial aid events in future communication. Go West!

Prestige Lifetouch will be at Glenbard West High School for our Seniors one last time for the Senior Yearbook Only session, on Wednesday, October 16, from⋅10:00 am – 3:00 pm in the GW Auditorium. This is for the yearbook pictures only. No appointment is needed. Please note, that all seniors must be photographed by Prestige Portraits to be included in the yearbook. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Prestige Portraits at (800) 736-4775.

Prestige Lifetouch will be at Glenbard West High School for Underclassmen retakes (Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors Only) on October 23rd from 7:30 am - 3 pm in the Elliott Library. No appointment is needed. If you have any questions, contact Prestige Portraits at (800) 736-4775.

Glenbard uses the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages to your mobile

phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more.

You can participate in this free service by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our

school’s short code number, 67587.

You can also opt out of these messages at any time by replying to one of our messages

with “Stop”.

It has been great to see so many of our Hilltopper student athletes competing this fall with great weather for the majority of the fall season. As we move into October, Glenbard West is proud to host the following postseason events:

• IHSA Regional Boys Soccer at Glenbard West Memorial Field- Tuesday October 22 and Saturday October 26

• IHSFHA Sectional Field Hockey at Glenbard West Memorial Field- Wednesday October 23 and Friday October 25

• IHSA Regional Boys and Girls Cross Country at Camera Park in Glendale Heights- Saturday October 26.

The Glenbard West Athletic website will have more information to follow with specific times for these events.

Also, a special congratulations to Coach Karen Judge who notched her 250th career victory as Head Coach of our Varsity Field Hockey program. Coach Judge has led the program for its entire 20 year history and we are so grateful for her leadership at West.

We are excited to announce the following dates for the start of winter sports at Glenbard West:

• Competitive Dance and Competitive Cheer- Monday, October 28
• Boys Bowling Coop with Glenbard North (Girls are welcome)-Monday, October 28
• Girls Basketball- Monday, November 4
• Boys Basketball, Girls Gymnastics, Boys and Girls Wrestling- Monday, November 11
• Boys Swimming Coop with Glenbard South- Monday, November 25

Anyone interested in participating must register on PowerSchool. All physicals must be current within the last 13 months in order to participate. Physicals can be dropped off in the Athletic Office or emailed to ellen_reifel@glenbard.org. Ms. Reifel.

Please check our athletic website at https://schools.snap.app/glenbardwest for current schedules. Please remember that athletic schedules change daily and the Glenbard West 8 to 18 site is the ONLY schedule that is updated daily.

The mandatory winter parent athlete meeting will take place on Saturday November 16 at 10:00am in Biester Gymnasium.

GO WEST!

Superintendent shares tips on ways to support students

High school is filled with new learning opportunities and limitless possibilities for students. There are a variety of ways families can support and guide students throughout high school.

Here are a few ways to support students:

Provide support at home

• Help your teen get organized
• Share time management tips
• Encourage good study habits
• Discuss assignments
• Be interested
• Offer specific praise for hard work
• Watch for frustration
• Establish a regular time for homework
• Choose a place to do homework and remove distractions

Tap into resources, opportunities of Glenbard Hour

The Glenbard Hour is a valuable resource in students’ schedule. This dedicated time each week allows students to access their teachers for the support they need to experience academic success. During the twice weekly Glenbard Hour, students are involved in making choices; seeking help; getting involved in physical activities; learning new concepts and gaining new skills.

Encourage your student to tap into the many resources and opportunities available through the Glenbard Hour each week.

Take advantage of free GPS Parent Series events

We are so fortunate to have the GPS Parent Series, which provides families with free support and tips from national parenting experts and local educators. Each week, GPS speakers discuss a range of topics that all families face as teens make their way through adolescence to adulthood. GPS also offers programs relevant to families of children in early childhood education and elementary school. Check out the list of free GPS programs and get the webinar links on the GPS Parent Series website.

Participate in extracurriculars

Also, encourage your student to get involved in events at school and participate in clubs, sports and activities. Students who get involved at school have a greater sense of belonging and do better academically and emotionally.

High school is a growing experience for students and their families alike. We partner with families to support students and prepare them to achieve their goals.

Glenbard District 87 is pleased to partner with OrganicLife as our new food service provider. Information regarding OrganicLife, menu offerings, and nutrition/allergen information will be available on your high school’s website this summer.

Visit www.pushcoin.com to sign up for the prepayment option with their easy-to-use system.

Please note that for the 2024-2025 school year, free meals will be available to those who qualify. Please see the “Residency, Fees, and Financial Assistance Information” page for more information.

Glenbard West Boosters is primarily a fundraising organization with more than 350 members and 125+ Board members that plans various Booster-sponsored events and fundraising activities. The funds raised enhance academic programs, athletic programs and extra-curricular activities that enrich the student experience at Glenbard West.

West Nation proudly supports Glenbard Parent Series (GPS). Visit www.GlenbardGPS.org for information on the nationally recognized speaker series for parents, students, educators and community members. The series is free and open to the public.

Please visit www.gbwnation.com to purchase a membership, make a donation and to volunteer. We invite all students and parents to be a part of WEST NATION!

Follow us on Twitter/@GWWestNation or Facebook/GlenbardWestNation

You can keep up with Glenbard information throughout the year by signing up for Glenbard News, our district-wide enewsletter, at this link.

Each week, you will receive district-wide news about students’ achievements in school-sponsored activities; upcoming events; fund-raisers; school board information and more.

Schools across the nation are experiencing more and more students who have latex allergies. Often, students with this allergy can have severe and even life-threatening reactions if exposed to latex resins and powders. For their safety, there are certain latex products we no longer allow on campus. Latex balloons and “Silly String” pose a significant health threat to students with a latex allergy. These products are not allowed on campus at any time, including after school, evening, and weekend events. With this in mind, we request your help: Please talk with your children about this health and safety issue. Some students might not understand the reason for a “balloon ban.” At West, we want all parents to know that their children are safe on campus.

Crisis Text Line - Text REACH to: 741741

This sends information to a Crisis Counselor, a real-life human being trained to help individuals return to a healthy/stable level of functioning.

Safe2Help Illinois Call 844-472-3345 or Text 72332(SAFE2)

Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. This program is intended to get students to “Seek Help Before Harm.”

Students who wish to report a potential act of school violence at Glenbard West may also leave an anonymous message with our School Resource Officer at (630) 681-3177 or call the Bullying Hotline Call (630) 942-7406

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call/Text 988

This number has trained staff to answer calls and respond to texts from individuals at risk for suicide as well as those experiencing other mental health and substance use-related emergencies. Specialized services will be available for veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other groups.

Email: gw_news@glenbard.org
Website: glenbardwesths.org
Location: 670 Crescent Blvd.
Phone: 630-469-8600
Twitter: @GWHilltoppers