Principal's Newsletter
September 2024
Hilltopper Community,
It was great to have the hallways and classrooms full of parents last night for our annual Back-to-School Open House. I hope that those who were able to attend enjoyed a taste of the student experience. I want to reiterate just two things from my welcome remarks.
First, thank you to those who volunteered on Tuesday for our Young Hearts for Life event. With your help, we were able to provide free ECG screenings to 1,320 students. As I mentioned last night, it really took the whole Glenbard West community to make this happen, and I was in awe of the support we received from over two hundred volunteers.
Second, Glenbard West is very lucky to have several parent groups whose mission is to support our students and help us run programs throughout the school: Boosters, West Nation, Association of Music Parents, and Friends for Forensics. I highly encourage you to get involved with one or more of these groups to whatever extent you are able.
The staff parking lot on Ellyn Ave is experiencing heavy car traffic from parents—both those using it as a drop-off or pick-up and those using it as a turnabout. This traffic is making it difficult for staff to enter and exit the lot, and I am concerned about pedestrian safety with the additional car traffic. Therefore, we ask that parents not use our staff parking lot for drop-off in the morning or pick-up in the afternoon. This includes not using the parking lot as a turnabout. The safest and most efficient place to drop off or pick up students is Crescent Blvd, in front of the school on either side of the street. Not only are there parking lanes and a turnabout, there are also identified crosswalks for students. I very much appreciate your cooperation with this so that we can maintain a safe campus before and after school.
In this month’s newsletter, you’ll meet Glenbard West’s newest staff members and find information on state testing, parent-teacher conferences, and this year’s Homecoming festivities (September 27th and 28th). There are so many fun ways for West families to get involved in our Homecoming traditions—including joining us for the pep rally and bonfire on Friday night, the pancake breakfast and parade on Saturday morning, and the athletic competitions and performances throughout the day.
As always, thank you for reading. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns.
Go West!
Ben Peterselli
630-942-7473
Brittany Bierly
Math Teacher
Brittany is joining us from being a beloved long-term substitute and previously a mathematics teacher at Evanston Township High School. She is a mom to four kids and loves to read, listen to music, garden and cook when not here at West and is looking forward to getting to know our amazing students.
Melissa Cikesh
Instructional Tech Coach
Melissa joins us, having previously served as an instructional technology coach at West Aurora High School, with a wealth of experience. Outside of school, Melissa loves spending time with family and friends. She is most looking forward to meeting the West staff and working closely with them this year.
Hannah Fiedler
Library Media Specialist
Hannah, having recently graduated from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joins us in the library. She can’t wait to create a library space that feels warm and welcoming to everyone and hopes students and staff will visit the space and have fun while learning. When not at work, Hannah enjoys watching her favorite TV shows, musical theater and puppy snuggles.
Beth Fleming
Head Librarian
Beth joins us from having been an English teacher and Slam Poetry sponsor at Glenbard East. She is most excited about making connections with teachers and students to build literacy skills and a love of reading. When not in the library, she loves to watch her kids play basketball, and enjoys pilates, a great book (of course!) and attending concerts.
Elizabeth Horvat
Social Studies Teacher
Elizabeth will be at Glenbard East in the mornings and with us here at West in the afternoons. She comes from having taught at Neuqua Valley High School and is excited to help students learn about themselves through the study of Psychology. When not at work, Elizabeth enjoys finding local coffee shops and crocheting animals (she’s still learning on this one).
Morgan McLean
Social Studies Teacher
Morgan recently graduated from Illinois State University and is very excited to be able to work with the amazing social studies department here at West and make a lasting impact on students. When not at work, Morgan enjoys spending time with friends and family and traveling.
Aneri Patel
Social Studies Teacher
Aneri is excited to see all of her former students as she joins us from having taught at Glenside Middle School. She loves to travel and is a huge nerd for national parks and learning about new cultures and ways of life. She is most looking forward to being part of a collaborative and supportive team that pushes each other to grow and continue learning as educators.
Brenen Wilson
Special Education Teacher
Brenen is happy to be back at West where he was previously a student. He joins us from previously having worked as a teacher aide and substitute teacher. He is most excited about learning new teaching methods from his incredible department members and working with his students. When not here at West, Brenen likes to coach, work out, play video games and hang out with friends.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Wednesday, October 23rd and Thursday, October 24th
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. Information about registering for conferences will be sent out in mid-September.
West has had a great start to the school year with so many student athletes involved. This fall, we have over 750 student athletes involved in fall sports who are constantly striving for success in the classroom and on the playing fields. We are very appreciative of the entire West community that supports all of our programs. We have a constant schedule of home events throughout the fall, so please notice the most current schedules at https://schools.snap.app/glenbardwest
Thank you once again to the West Boosters who support all of our students at West in academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Please look to sign up and participate in some way on one or more of their committees. More information can be found at www.gwboosters.com .
Please note the weekend of September 27th and 28th on your calendars. This is Homecoming at West and we look forward to showcase our teams and school that represent pride, tradition, and excellence.
Tentative schedule for Athletic Events Saturday September 16th :
9:00am Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Glenbard South at Memorial Field
11:00am Varsity Field Hockey vs. Edwardsville at Memorial Field
1:30pm Varsity Football vs. Leyden at Duchon Field
GO WEST!
Mr. Billone, Ms. Blackmon, and Mrs. Meister-Norton are thrilled to be back for another year on the hill working with you and your students. The school has been absolutely electric these past few weeks.
Although there have been some significant changes at West this year, the Deans Office would like to revisit some important information that will help make this year run smoothly for you and the students.
First, attendance is the most important factor to your student’s success at West. Being at West whenever possible and being on time not only gives your student the best chance for success in the classroom, it also helps us to create the best school environment and community. Our school is a better place when your student is here.
If your student is absent, please call the attendance line at (630) 858-5060 by 10:30. The voicemail box is always active, so feel free to call anytime prior to 10:30.
Secondly, we have tremendous students doing incredible things in the hallways and classrooms, in the fields, courts, and stages, and everywhere in between. We also have tremendous students doing incredible things beyond the school, and the Dean’s Office wants to hear about it! If your student or a student you know recently accomplished something spectacular, is contributing to the community, volunteering, or anything else you believe is noteworthy, please complete this Google form and let us know about it so we can share it with the community and give them the recognition they deserve!
Before we wrap up, we’d love to welcome Rory Charles Norton to the Hilltopper family and officially welcome Mrs. Meister-Norton back from her maternity leave. Congrats!
Larson urges families to tap into the resources of GPS Parent Series
I cannot say enough good things about the GPS Parent Series. This amazing free resource offers a weekly lineup of highly acclaimed speakers talking about topics for every age and stage of development. Student and Community Projects Coordinator Gilda Ross does a great job bringing in nationally recognized experts for the GPS programs. These speakers recognize the exceptional caliber of GPS and want to be a part of it.
GPS is committed to enhancing the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of children by providing tips, tools and teaching to parents, guardians, students, school staff, professionals and the community at large. I encourage you to tune into one or more of GPS’ free programs. Most of the programs are webinars, and some events are presented in person.
GPS programs cover a wide range of topics, including:
- Instilling character qualities such as resilience, empathy, compassion and grit
- Technology and screen time
- Substance use/abuse trends
- Issues unique to elementary, middle and high school
- College and career readiness
- Typical and neurodivergent brain development
- Emotional and physical wellbeing
- Early childhood development.
This year, GPS has a lineup of more than 50 authors and experts. The webinars are offered at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. Some programs also are offered in person and as a hybrid event. GPS also offers programming presented in Spanish, Gujarati and Urdu.
I encourage you to visit GPSParentSeries.org to view the list of upcoming speakers, add GPS events to your calendar and register to receive weekly reminders.
Tell your friends and family about GPS and encourage them to check out a GPS event. GPS programs are convenient and loaded with information to help young people and their families. In partnership with families, we are empowering students and preparing them for their future.
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.
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.
SAFE2HELP ILLINOIS
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.”
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE/TEXT 988
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.
Glenbard West High School
Email: gw_news@glenbard.org
Website: glenbardwesths.org
Location: 670 Crescent Blvd.
Phone: 630-469-8600
Twitter: @GWHilltoppers