HEHS Principal's Newsletter
October 2024
From the Principal's Desk
Scheduling Information for 2025-2026
Though we are just three months into the 2024-2025 school year, planning for next year is already underway. During November and December, all students will meet with their counselors to discuss course requests for the 2025-2026 school year. This is a crucial step in their academic journey, and we encourage you to be informed and ready to guide your student(s) in making decisions about their future.
One of the key factors we consider is ensuring that course requests meet the District 211 graduation requirements. We also emphasize the importance of aligning courses with students' plans, whether they intend to pursue higher education or enter the workforce immediately. Additionally, we strongly recommend that students take at least one Advanced Placement (AP) or Dual Credit (DC) course during their junior and senior years.
Parents play a vital role in this process. We encourage you to engage in discussions with your son or daughter and urge them to thoughtfully consider their course choices. To further assist, HEHS will host a meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 6 PM in the Media Center to review the course request process. College planning information will also be available. Below are two resources for both students and parents to support these important conversations:
District 211 College Planning Guide
Please encourage your student(s) to consult with their teachers and counselor if they have questions. Your son or daughter will be meeting individually with his or her counselor to request their courses. Beginning in late November, students will start their course request process. During this time, the counselor will review graduation requirements, share any teacher recommendations, and collaborate with your student to finalize their course requests.
Initial student course requests will be viewable in Infinite Campus on or near January 22, 2025. This is an opportunity for you to review the courses that your son or daughter has requested and to make any final changes to their selections for the 2025-2026 school year.
If you wish to change your student’s course requests, please submit this change request in writing to your student’s counselor. The deadline to make changes to your student’s course requests is Friday, January 31, 2025; after this date, no other schedule changes may be made until the summer 2025 via counselor appointment and space will be limited.
If at any time you have questions regarding the course request process, please contact your son or daughter’s counselor at (847)-755-5630.
Principal's Spotlight
What's Attendance Have to Do With It? (Part 2)
HEHS is working to encourage better attendance through student recognitions for both consistency and improvement while promoting a Class Challenge. When receiving this newsletter, we will have recognized 17 students for perfect attendance and another 8 students for improving their attendance.
Here are the current standings for the class competition:
High school attendance plays a key role in shaping a student’s academic and personal success. It fosters responsibility and sets the stage for future opportunities both in and beyond high school.
Community Connections
HEHS Multilingual Parent Meeting
HEHS hosted the first Multilingual Parent Meeting of the year on September 5th. We hosted over 60 Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian speaking families! We will host monthly meetings covering a variety of topics including post-secondary planning, mental health, community resource and college fairs and immigration among others. Our next meeting will be on October 3rd and we will cover topics related to Post-Secondary Planning. If you are interested in learning more or attending, please reach out to David Maya at dmaya@d211.org.
HEHS Hawk Boosters
Let’s Get Involved!
The purpose of the Hawk Boosters is to support school curricular and extracurricular activities, bringing home and school into a closer relationship.
Thank you to our many Booster volunteers for their time running the concession stand, spirit wear tent and membership table at our first 3 home football games!
Learn more about Boosters and how you can be involved here.
Here is a link to the most recent Booster Newsletter for August.
HEHS Classroom Focus
Wellness Puts Their Strength Training to the Test!
This year was the second “Annual Homecoming Wellness Tug-of-War Battle."
The Wellness Staff continues a great new tradition to kick off the Homecoming Game Day! Each wellness class is invited to participate in a Tug-of-War challenge, starting with grade-level challenges. It was a really fun way to bring classes together, show determination, teamwork, and build a stronger community within our wellness cohort. The students had a great time competing and showcasing their efforts from their fitness units.
The Chicago Bears Recognize HEHS Faculty
We are excited to share that Math teacher Ms. Koch was recognized as a Chicago Bear Classroom Legend earlier this school year. This recognition was initiated by the football team and culminated with Ms. Koch being recognized at the Bear’s August 17th game. In addition, Head Football Coach Time Heyse was recognized as the Chicago Bears Coach of the Week for the week of September 22. Coach Heyse will be recognized at a future Chicago Bears football game. GO HAWKS!
Student Activity Spotlight
In each edition of this newsletter, a student extracurricular group(s) will be put in the spotlight for the HEHS Community to meet and learn about.
HEHS Congressional Debate
HEHS Congressional Debate is off to a great start in their competitive season taking 1st Place at the Grayslake North Invitational September 21st. HEHS competed in the Large School division against the likes of Highland Park HS, Stevenson HS, Fremd HS, Naperville Central HS, IMSA and Schaumburg HS. Congratulations on a GREAT start to the season!
Athletic Spotlight
Boys Golf
The boys golf team competed against the Bartlett Hawks for a chance to win the annual HAWK CUP. Bartlett High School’s mascot is also the Hawk. This year our HEHS Hawks won the cup!
Senior Specific
Senior Meetings
All seniors should have met or will be meeting with their school counselor.
This meeting may include the parent when arranged. In this meeting, a student’s work towards graduation is reviewed through a transcript evaluation which includes courses taken, FAFSA completion, SAT compliance, Driver’s Education compliance and passing the Constitution Exam to name a few. In addition, an assessment of a student’s post-secondary plan occurs which includes resource identification in support of the post-secondary plan. This focus, attention and review drives the student’s path to graduation in their senior year.
Parking Lot Safety
Parking Lot Safety is Everyone's Responsibility
Parking Update: Since our last communication, the designation of staff and student spaces has changed due to curricular need. Automotive student’s (who were originally designated for parking in the front of the building) have been shifted to the north west lot (to be near the Automotive Lab). In turn, a redesignation of staff parking spaces has been shifted from the northwest lot to the parking lot near the pool. Read the full letter and see a map here…
School Bus Stop Arm
Let’s keep everyone in our parking lot safe…Illinois Vehicle Code under 625 ILCS 5/11-1414 requires a driver to stop before meeting or overtaking (from either direction) a school bus stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading students. Please do not pass a school bus with its stop arm extended. The bus is indicating it is in the process of loading or unloading students.
Student Drop-Off Reminder
Morning student drop-off prior to 7:15am - I’d like to encourage parents to drop off in the designated parent drop-off lanes near the media center (the drive north of Higgins). Parents should not drop off along the curb near the marquee as it provides a safety hazard both for pedestrians and other vehicles entering the parking lot off Higgins.
At 7:15am student drop-off by bus concludes and you may use the bus lanes to drop your student on the sidewalk nearest the building.
On late start days the bus lane will be open at 8:40am and I strongly encourage drop-off using the bus lane to avoid creating traffic congestion at the entrance to the main lot.
Student Pick-Up Reminder
After school pick-up I’d like to encourage parents to pick up in the designated parent pick-up lanes near the media center (the drive north of Higgins). Parents should not pick up along the curb near the marquee as it provides a safety hazard both for pedestrians and other vehicles entering the parking lot off Higgins. After buses depart (typically at 2:57pm), the bus lane may be used for pick up.
Evening student pick-up can occur in the bus lanes except for the following times:
3:50 – 4:10 p.m.
5:05 – 5:25 p.m.
*Athlete pick-up is preferred at Door 9 (Athletic Entrance)
Be Aware: Swatting
We want to briefly address a concerning trend that has impacted schools across the nation: swatting. Swatting refers to making a false malicious report or threat (sometimes AI- or computer-generated) involving a specific building or area. These are unfounded threats, but can easily create a deep level of concern; disrupt learning; and divert critical resources from real emergencies.
The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. Threats of any nature will not be tolerated.
The situation is significantly further complicated when individuals use social media to repost, share or in any other way further the spread of the threat. When threatening posts are shared, spread, or re-posted it can make investigations extremely complicated and distract and divert school and police investigative resources.
We encourage you to talk with your student about swatting, emphasizing the importance of reporting anything they see or hear that causes concern and refraining from perpetuating the spread of a message they see on social media channels or hear from friends. Students who see a concerning post or have other concerns should immediately report the matter to their parents, school administration or directly to law enforcement, or use the Safety Reporting Form on our school homepages and District iPads.
D211 Communications Advisory
District 211 again is seeking interested parents, staff and community members to discuss the District's communications priorities, focusing on what is communicated and how best to do it.
This group will meet three times during the 2024-2025 school year in person (Administration Center, 1750 S. Roselle Road in Palatine) and will help advise on a variety of specific topics, including the website and newsletters. Those interested in participating should complete this form:
Important Events
October 1 Directions College and Career Fair (Special Education College and Career Night)
Harper College - 6PM-8PM
October 3 Multilingual Parent Meeting
HEHS Media Center - 6PM
October 14 Columbus Day (No School)
October 15 Student Late Start
Classes begin at 8:50AM
October 16 Parent Principal Meeting
HEHS Media Center - 6PM-7PM
October 19 Cupcakes with Friends
11AM-2PM
October 21 Happy Birthday Hoffman Estates High School - 51 Years Old
October 29 Sounds of the Stadium Concert
HEHS Main Gym - 7PM
October 30 HEHS Community Halloween Event
HEHS - Various Locations in the Building - 4:30PM-6PM
November 3 Daylight Saving Time Ends
November 5 Election Day (No School)
November 6 End of 12-Week Grading Period
November 7 Latino Parent Meeting
HEHS Media Center - 6PM
November 7 IHSA State Soccer Host
November 8 Early Dismissal - IHSA State Soccer Host
11:50AM
November 12 Student Late Start
Classes begin at 8:50AM
November 13 Parent Principal Meeting
HEHS Media Center - 6PM-7PM
November 15 Fall Play - A Walk with Bard: Shakespearean Season of Love and Tragedy
HEHS Auditorium - 7PM
November 16 Fall Play - A Walk with Bard: Shakespearean Season of Love and Tragedy
HEHS Auditorium - 7PM
November 27 Non-Attendance Day
No School
November 28-29 Thanksgiving Holiday
No School
December 3 Student Late Start (8:50AM)
December 5 Winter Concert Series
HEHS Auditorium - 7:30PM
December 10 Winter Concert Series
HEHS Auditorium - 7:30PM
December 11 Incoming Freshman Night
HEHS - Various Locations 6PM
December 10 Winter Concert Series
HEHS Auditorium - 7:30PM
December 13 Madrigal Dinner
HEHS Student Cafeteria - 8PM
December 14 Madrigal Dinner
HEHS Student Cafeteria - 6PM