ZBE Parent Bulletin
Hello ZB East Families,
April showers have brought May flowers along with warmer weather and longer days. However, that means the closing of another school year is upon us! This will be the final parent bulletin for the 2023-24 school year in which you will find important end of the year information. Senior finals, events and graduation will all take place in the coming weeks, so please check your calendars to ensure you stay up-to-date on pertinent information. The New Tech Graduation Ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 12:00 pm in the ZB Performing Arts Center -- doors open at 11:00 AM. Final exams for seniors will take place the week of May 13th, with all other grade levels taking finals on Tuesday, May 21, Wednesday, May 22, and Thursday May 23. Please see the bulletin and our website for details about all relevant end of the year events.
As I reflect on this year, I am proud of the diligence and perseverance our students and staff have displayed throughout the year. This school year we implemented our final Reimagination Plan initiatives with success, that are bringing excellent options and opportunities to our students. One major change will begin July 1, 2024, with the official name change to Zion-Benton East High School.
I hope every family gets the opportunity this summer to spend quality time together. Time really moves quickly, and I encourage all to slow down and enjoy one another over the summer months! It has been a pleasure serving this community as the principal of New Tech for the past three years and as always, I look forward to creating more great days for students and staff!
In partnership,
Bonnie Felske
Contact Information
NHS INDUCTION CEREMONY
The National Honor Society (NHS) is a group of Juniors and Seniors that participate in a variety of school and community service projects. In addition, these students also work to embody the four NHS pillars of leadership, scholarship, service and character. The club meets bi-weekly to share ideas, plan events, and learn about each other! Our largest projects this year have been the Adopt-a-Highway clean-up and serving at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. On April 24th, seventeen new members were inducted into the ZBE NHS Chapter. Our congratulations go to:
Davin Braden-Springs
Shanon Braden-Springs
Hayden Castela-Vazquez
Marleen Castellanos-Guifarro
Lizbeth De La Cruz
Tatiana Fleming
Mariah Guzman
Chloe Hernandez
Rebecca McFarlin
Yvette Moore
Dayanara Morales-Secundino
Camila Ochoa
Stephanie Reyes
Jacob Smith
Kendall Wallace
Elliott Weiss
Nathan Wesenberg
-------------------------------
Ms. Biddle - NHS Sponsor
YOUNG MEN OF CHARACTER
Zion-Benton East took a moment to hold an impromptu celebration with three young men who displayed a high level of character and tremendous Z-B P.R.I.D.E.
Kingston Ruiz, Jomarion Balkcom, and Jamar Willis were outstanding examples of what Zion-Benton East students represent when they were able to help a fellow community member in need.
Pictured below with Mr. Waters, Mr. Isaacs, and Mr. White (L to R).
CLASS OF 2024
Graduation is quickly approaching and year-end events are underway! To stay up-to-date on the most current information, please check the link on our ZBE website's homepage regularly.
Many of our Seniors were honored on April 25th at the District 126 Community Honors and Awards Ceremony. Please join us in congratulating New Tech (ZBE) academic excellence to the following:
Faith Akaba - Cum Laude
Anthony Angeloff - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/IL State Scholar
Celeste Ardon - Summa Cum Laude/IL State Scholar
Tristan Balay - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/NHS/IL State Scholar
Amy Becerra - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/NHS
Nahshon Bolden - Cum Laude
Kingsley Brown - Summa Cum Laude/NHS
Mia Carias - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award
Jordan Daily - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award
Bryan Dussault - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/Class Leader/NHS
Juan Garza - Magna Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/NHS
Jimena Giles - Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award
Cheyenne Green - Cum Laude/NHS
Anthony Guerrero - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/Class Leader/NHS
Aaron Gutierrez - Magna Cum Laude
Melanie Hernandez - Cum Laude/Presidential Achievement/SAT Excellence Award
Israel Hernandez Garcia - Magna Cum Laude
Rosemary Iles - Cum Laude
Liliana Jimenez - Cum Laude
Greco Juarez - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/NHS
Azariah Kennard - Cum Laude
Darien McClain - Cum Laude
Alexa Norman - Magna Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/NHS
Chris Portillo - Cum Laude
Hailey Pulido - Summa Cum Laude/NHS
Caitlin Robinson - Cum Laude/NHS
Xavion Rogers - Cum Laude
Colin Schultz - Summa Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/NHS
Justin Ultes - Magna Cum Laude/SAT Excellence Award/NHS
Alexis Vaughn-Knuckles - Magna Cum Laude/Class Leader/NHS
You can view the event on the ZBTHS D126 YouTube channel.
Summa Cum Laude - GPA of 4.0 and above
Magna Cum Laude - GPA of 3.75 - 3.99
Cum Laude - GPA of 3.5 - 3.74
2024 YEARBOOKS ARE IN!
The 2024 yearbooks have arrived! Students that pre-ordered a copy received theirs today during 9th period. Students that wish to get a copy will have an opportunity next week during lunch to purchase one -- while supplies last.
They will be sold outside the cafeteria (JR/SR lunch) and in the Media Center (FR/SO lunch) for $55--CASH or CHECK (Please make checks payable to: ZBTHS).
INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Blood Spatter Lab - students explored the question 'How does height affect blood spatter?' by dropping 'blood' from various heights and then measuring the diameter of the blood drops. After completing 3 trials, they calculated the after diameter at the various heights and developed an answer to the question.
Earlier in the semester, students researched individuals who had been exonerated by The Innocence Project after being wrongly imprisoned. They created banners that tell the individual's story.
Looking ahead, Forensic Science students will be completing the fetal pig autopsy next week. They will take on the role of a forensic pathologist, using fetal pigs to represent human bodies and complete the autopsy process. Students will complete a virtual autopsy first, then proceed with the steps of the autopsy. They finish up the week by learning how to suture the pig back together and creating a death certificate.
Senior chemistry students are wrapping up their final unit on Gas Laws and will complete various lab activities next week to review the various gas laws including Charles' Law, Boyle's Law, and Gay-Lussac's Law.
It looks to be another fun week of scientific exploration!
YEAR-END HOUSEKEEPING
MATERIALS:
As our school year wraps up, it is time for students to return items that have been borrowed from the Media Center. This may include library books, Chromebook loaner devices, or Chromebook loaner chargers. Overdue reminder notices will be distributed next week. Materials are due by May 15, 2024.
LOCKERS/LOST & FOUND:
Students need to begin clearing out their lockers (including PE lockers) and take all their belongings home prior to the last day of school. Encourage them to check the Lost & Found for missing items as we have acquired a large collection of coats, hoodies, and water bottles.
SENIOR CHROMEBOOKS:
Upon graduation, students are able to keep their district-issued device. The district will deprovision the device and remove the school filters around mid-June. The former student will need to perform the Chromebook Wipe Procedure to complete the process.
FEES:
Please check your student's Skyward account through Family Access for any outstanding school fees. We would appreciate any outstanding school fees being paid in full.
CLASS OF 2025 - PORTRAITS
Households with a rising Senior will soon receive a postcard from Prestige Photography, part of Lifetouch, regarding appointments for photo sessions. These can be booked online at www.prestigeportraits.com.
ZBE Portraits are scheduled to take place on July 16th and 17th. No purchase is necessary, but students must be photographed by the school’s company to be included in the yearbook. If families are not available on those days, there will be make up days at the end of August.
SUMMER READING
Rising Freshmen will be receiving a complimentary copy of Voces sin Fronteras: Our Stories Our Truth this May while in 8th grade. This book is a summer reading requirement before beginning at ZBE in August. Their English course will use this book as source material for lessons at the start of the new school year. It is a wonderful book of hope, encouragement, and bravery they will thoroughly enjoy.
At this time, students entering grades 10-12, do not have a summer reading requirement. However, we encourage all students to read during the summer because reading is good for your health!
Did you know daily reading can:
- Reduce stress
- Build robust vocabularies
- Improve cognition, focus, and concentration
- Helps build and maintain memory
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Promote better sleep
- Help us deal with grief and tragedy
- Boost your mood
And...books are just great fun! Visit the Zion-Benton Public Library for a stack of great reads this summer. Students can also access eBooks 24/7 using the district's subscription to Boundless.
(Image source: https://school.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=63574)
FREE COMMUNITY SERVICES
Grocery Distribution
There are multiple locations and dates in the Lake County area for anyone in need of free groceries. Details are available on the Get Groceries page of the Northern Illinois Food Bank's website.
Zion-Benton East (1634 23rd Street) is a designated Mobile Market location. Stop by the next distribution date: Saturday, May 18th from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM.
Health Screenings
Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol (fasting), health education, COVID & flu vaccine (when available) and questions about medication, review lab results, connections to primary care. Learn about community resources by calling 847-578-8451 or 847-578-8670.
Offered through Rosalind Franklin University Health Clinics.
Check the schedule for dates/times/locations.
IMPORTANT DATES AT-A-GLANCE
- Saturday, 5/11/24 - Prom
- Sunday, 5/19/24 - NTZB Commencement Ceremony - 12:00 PM - ZBTHS Performing Arts Center (this is a ticketed event)
- Tuesday, 5/21/24 - Exams - Student Early Dismissal (1:04 PM)
- Wednesday, 5/22/24 - Exams - Student Early Dismissal (1:04 PM)
- Thursday, 5/23/24 - Exams - Student Early Dismissal (11:25 AM)
- Friday, 5/24/24 - Teacher Institute Day - No Students
CALENDAR & WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
ABOUT US
Website: www.zb126.org/zbe
Location: 1634 23rd Street, Zion, IL, 60099
Phone: (847) 731-9800