January 10, 2025

Hello MHS Families!

It's been a terrific first week back from break. I'm glad to see everyone so refreshed and ready to tackle second semester.

Sophomores! Monday begins course selection for you! Be prepared by visiting the course guide before your scheduled meeting.

Monday is also the start of ACCESS Testing for our ELL Students.

On Thursday, January 16th, we are excited to welcome our future Mustangs and their families to Class of 2029 Night. Keep scrolling to get the complete schedule.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Stay warm and ...

Go Mustangs!

Dr. Alexandria Taylor

Principal

Mundelein High School

847-949-2200

www.d120.org

ataylor@d120.org

Jan 10 - Building Leadership Day

Jan 13 - Sophomore Course Selection Begins

Jan 13-14 - Searching for Scholarships Presentation

Jan 13-Feb 6 - ACCESS Testing

Jan 14 - 8th Grade All Stars

Jan 14 - Baseball Fundraiser at Luke's

Jan 15 - FAFSA Drop-in Assistance

Jan 16 - Theme Thursday - Neon Day

Jan 16 - Class of 2029 Night

Jan 20 - MLK Jr. Day - No School

Jan 22 - Jazz Concert

Jan 23 - Building Tour

Jan 24 - Late Start

Jan 30-Feb 1 - Winter Play

Benefits for youth:

• Increased high school graduation rates
• Lower high school dropout rates
• Healthier relationships and lifestyle choices
• Better attitude about school
• Higher college enrollment rates and higher educational aspirations
• Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence
• Improved behavior, both at home and at school
• Stronger relationships with parents, teachers, and peers
• Improved interpersonal skills
• Decreased likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use (MENTOR, 2009; Cavell, DuBois, Karcher, Keller, & Rhodes, 2009)

Learn more at Youth.gov

January breakfast and lunch menus are now available.

Click here to take a look.

Hope Squad is an evidence-based, peer-to-peer youth suicide prevention program, dedicated to spreading hope and creating a school culture that promotes connectedness and inclusivity. The Hope Squad is composed of students selected for their kindness, approachability, and trustworthiness to help prevent mental health crises among their peers.

We are excited to announce that our parent calendar has gone electronic. The MHS 2nd Semester calendar is now online in both Flipbook and PDF downloadable format.

A big thank you to Kameal Myrie, Class of 2025, who designed this semester's calendar! Very nice job! You can see more of Kameal's work at www.artisticallymira.com.

The course selection process for the 2025-2026 school year will begin in the coming weeks. Please take a moment to read through all of the information and links below to ensure that you are well-informed of this process.

Counselors will be making presentations in developmental guidance lessons to inform students and will begin meeting with individual students on the following dates:

• Juniors: December 2nd - Completed
• Sophomores: January 13
• Freshman: January 27

If you have any questions about this process you can reach out directly to your school counselor for more information.

We look forward to working closely with you and your student to plan for an exciting and challenging 2024-2025 school year.

Thank you to our amazing Building Administrators!

More information coming soon.

Juniors and Seniors! Register in SchooLinks and join us in the CCRC on January 13th or 14th to find out how to search for scholarships.

The MHS Bands host all of our incoming 8th graders this coming Tuesday, 1/14, at 7pm in the auditorium for the annual 8th Grade All Stars concert. Students from West Oak, Carl Sandburg, and Fremont will rehearse and receive clinics from Mr. Sturgeon and Mr. Shelato throughout the afternoon leading up to the concert. We hope to see you attend what promises to be a great night collaborating amongst our districts!

Support MHS Baseball at Luke's of Mundelein on Tuesday, January 14th, from 10:00am-9:00pm! Mention the flyer/fundraiser and Luke's will donate 20% of sales to the baseball teams in support of their upcoming season! Go Mustangs!

Seniors! Register in SchooLinks and join us in the CCRC for FAFSA help. Available all class periods.

Today is Neon Day! Wear your best and brightest!

Incoming Freshmen families! We are very excited that you will be joining the MHS family and we are looking forward to assisting your student in making the important transition from middle school to high school. On Thursday, January 16, 2025, we are hosting our Class of 2029 Incoming Freshmen Night at Mundelein High School for both families and students. The program will include an overview of our academic programs, course placements, information on the day-in-the-life of a ninth grader, and extracurricular opportunities at MHS.

6:00pm - Last Names A through L

Parents/guardians and students with last names A-L arrive at the MHS auditorium by 6:00 PM for a 45-minute presentation.

7:15pm - Last Names M through Z

Parents/guardians and students with last names M-Z should attend the 7:15 PM session in the auditorium.

Both presentations will be offered in Spanish in the cafeteria. Spanish-speaking families can also use translation headphones for the presentation in the auditorium.

Click here to see the schedule and learn more.

MHS wishes you a meaningful Martin Luther King Jr. Day as we honor his legacy of equality and justice for all.

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.

Our next tour is on January 23rd at 4:30pm. Click here to register.

Classes begin at 9:40am.

Buses will run one hour later than usual.

Click here for late start schedule.

Save the date. More information coming soon.

To learn everything you need to know about graduation and download a handy checklist to keep you on track, please click here.

Senior yard signs are now available for $15 each! Each sign comes with yard stakes. All proceeds to benefit the MHS Student Support Fund!

The CCRC offers assistance with all aspects of the college application process:

• Narrowing down college choices
• Working through applications
• Checking essays
• Discussing financial concerns and scholarships
• Talking about standardized tests
• Working with potential college athletes
• Discussing military options
• Helping students connect with people at university

Click here to learn more.

www.studentaid.gov

STEM Explorers Application is due April 13, 2025

Experiential Education describes all opportunities offered to students to give them a chance to explore the world of careers and professions. These include classes like Dual Credit Student Internship, Business INCubator, and Geometry in Construction as well as career treks and featured guest speakers.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Dual Credit Student Internship course or any of our Experiential Education programs, contact Alexander Kapotas at akapotas@d120.org or at (847) 949-2200 x1092.

Check out this promo video that captures the spirit of the experiential education program here at Mundelein High School. Your epic future awaits, Mustangs!

Athletics events week of 1/13/2025

Winter Athletic Department Newsletter

Submitted by Coach Dart

Girls Wrestling competed in the Rickover Rumble at Rickover Naval Academy on Saturday 1/4/25. The Lady Mustangs had a very successful day with two class champions, as well as 2nd and 3rd place finishers. On top of that, Vanessa Osorio was voted Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for the 100-130 lb weight classes.

Vanessa Osorio - Champion @ 115lbs & Outstanding Wrestler

Khloe Heerdegen - Champion @ 140lbs

Stefany Rodriguez-Betanco - 2nd @ 125lbs

Svendja Dealmonte - 3rd @ 235lbs

Submitted by Coach Badgley

On December 14th, the boys basketball team won a thrilling overtime road game vs rival Stevenson. The boys kept it close for the entire game and took their shot when it mattered most. With 1 minute left in regulation, Johnny Weiss gathered a lose ball and immediately threw it ahead to Derek Bishop to tie the game at 42. They boys held off a Stevenson's attack and sent the game into overtime. At the end of overtime with :40 left and trailing by 1 point, the Mustangs forced a turnover. The boys entered the ball and Derek Bishop attacked the basket, drawing a foul and injuring himself. Derek remained in the game and made 1 of 2 free throws to tie the game. With :06 seconds left, the boys forced another Stevenson turnover and Bishop raced downcourt to score a go ahead layup with 1 second remaining and to assure victory. Pacing the scoring for the Mustangs was Bishop with 20, Hauf with 13, and Salvador with 9.

The Mustangs played 2 more games before the holiday break, splitting the outcome by beating Wauconda and losing a close game at home vs Zion-Benton.

For the holiday trip, the Mustangs again travelled to Collinsville (near St. Louis) for 4 games at the prestigious Prairie Farms Holiday Classic. The Mustangs finished 1-3 while losing 2 close games to powerhouse Lincoln and also in overtime to Granite City. The boys bounced back after a 2 hour break and defeated historically strong Carbondale. The next day was a tough game vs. Rockford East.

Upon returning from break, the boys played NSC power Warren. The boys played hard but came up a bit short in a 14 point loss to a top 10 team.

The boys upcoming games.... Friday @ Lake Zurich, Saturday home vs. Addison Trail (5:30), and Next Tuesday, Jan 14 vs. Waukegan.

Before the Waukegan game, we will be inducting former Mustang, Sean O'Brien into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Sean is currently the head video coordinator for the Orlando Magic of the NBA and is intown for a game vs. the Milwaukee Bucks.

Submitted by Coach Inman

Girls Bowling celebrated Senior Night with a victory over Libertyville. We took time to honor our six seniors: Charlotte Niziolek, Brianna Merner, Melissa Orozco, Reena Photopoulos, Naomi Routledge, and Eliana Seleps. Their dedication and hard work have left a lasting impact on the program. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future.

On Wednesday, both JV and varsity took all points against Stevenson. A couple of JV personal bests were thrown this week as well- Addie Hagel with a 159 and Ronnie Anguiano a 122.

PreVenture is a mental health program that screens students for personality related risk factors that may indicate increased risk for future participation in high-risk behaviors, including using drugs and alcohol. This does not evaluate for current high-risk behaviors, rather this is a preventative program to support the development of coping skills and self regulation strategies.

Omni utilizes the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) to screen students for eligibility. To learn more about PreVenture, click below.

English/Spanish

Quest is proud to be your dining partner and we are committed to providing the best experience possible to every student, including nutritious food, a wide variety of choices, and a seamless dining experience. We wanted to share a few important reminders about the dining program and we welcome your questions and feedback. Click here for more information.

New Year, New Look! Elevate Your Mustang Pride! Exciting news! We've expanded our spirit wear lineup with premium brands Under Armour and Champion at Mymustangnation.com.

Customize your gear with official school logos using our state-of-the-art DigiSoft printing for a smoother feel. Shop online 24/7 or see our printed merch at Mundelein High School. Visit us at mymustangnation.com or linked through the d120.org website.

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

English | Spanish

Regular school attendance is required and necessary to develop the academic and intrapersonal skills needed for success. Students are expected to attend each class and be on time. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. If your student is going to be absent, leave early or arrive late, please submit the attendance via the monitor application within Power School in lieu of calling the attendance line and leaving a voicemail.

Please log on to the Power School parent portal at the MHS website https://www.d120.org/ to record your student’s attendance.

Attached you will find instructions on how to submit your students attendance.

Power School Attendance Instructions

Guardians will be receiving an email with your parent Power School log in instructions if needed.

If you need further support please call 847-949-2200.

Would you like to know when your student’s bus is going to be late? For Mundelein bus routes, Lakeside Transportation is using the Bus Bulletin notification system to notify parents and students when there are bus delays and schedule changes.

For more information, or to sign-up and start receiving notifications, please visit Bus Bulletin (Find Mundelein Area Schools when prompted for a district) *Note - This is managed by Lakeside Bus Company and not MHS.

Although we take great pride in a dress code that encourages self-expression, we do want to remind students of our student dress code policy as found in our student handbook.

• Clothing must cover all undergarments (waistbands and straps excluded).

• Fabric covering all private parts must not be seen through.

• Clothing that depicts, advertises or advocates the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other controlled substances is prohibited.

• Clothing that depicts pornography, nudity or sexual acts is prohibited.

With the increased enrollment in recent years, we have been unable to provide a locker for every student at MHS. Since many students do not use a locker, we are assigning lockers to students upon request. Click below to request your locker!

Sign up for a Guardian SchooLinks Account! Be a part of your student’s college and career exploration. Understand more about the benefits of a Guardian Account with this video. If you need assistance creating your Guardian Account, email akroll@d120.org with your student’s name and ID number. A claim code and directions will be provided in response.

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Website: www.d120.org

Location: 1359 West Hawley Street, Mundelein, IL, USA

Phone: 847-949-2200