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Superintendent's Message
Dear RBHS Students, Families, Staff, and Community,
Spring is just around the corner and also a very busy time for District 208. We will be beginning the budget process for 2016-2017, staffing, and the Life Safety work for this summer to name a few items. I hope all our Bulldog families enjoy the upcoming spring break and soon-to-be warm weather.
Cordially,
Kevin Skinkis, Ed.D.
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On February 18 the District participated in a settlement conference with the Village of Brookfield, facilitated by Judge Mikva, in an effort to resolve the pending zoning litigation. The conference was initiated by the District. Despite efforts from both parties, no settlement on the parking lot and tennis courts was reached. The Village did agree to a process which should allow the District to resume construction on the long jump and pole vault runways. This is good news because it will allow our track and field team to practice and compete on campus this spring.
One additional matter that was not resolved was the Village's willingness to continue to rent the parking spaces on Rockefeller Avenue to the District following the end of the lease term in August 2017. At this point, the Village continues to use the threat of taking away parking on Rockefeller Avenue to try to force the District into dismissing its lawsuit. The District continues to believe that a solution should be found that will permit parking on both School District property and Rockefeller Avenue, so as to adequately serve the needs of the school community and not push visitors to the School District onto residential streets.
We will continue to move forward with the litigation to ensure that the needs and rights of our students, parents, staff, and community members are met and that we are able to provide safe and necessary facilities on our campus.
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The Life Safety/Capital Improvement Projects
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There are still items that need to be completed at the outdoor athletic complex. There have been inquiries regarding if the track will be made available for public use. Public usage of the track during non-school hours and events should be available late April-early May once the stop work order is lifted by the Village and all striping and site work can be completed.
Life Safety work for summer 2016 is underway. The bid process for the gym project and roofs has begun with the recommendations for bid approvals scheduled to be presented at the March 8 BOE meeting. The work is scheduled to commence in the first week of June 2016.
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The Board of Education and Riverside Brookfield Education Association (RBEA) have started contract negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement for the Teachers and Support Staff. The current contract expires on June 30, 2016.
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The next Board meetings will be March 8 and 22. Both beginning at 7:00 pm. Please check the RB website under the Board of Education tab or watch the meetings on www.rbtv.tv.
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Principal's Message
During the week of February 22, the RB halls came alive with college fight song music and activities sponsored by our Student Services Department as a part of college week to encourage 2-and 4-year colleges as post-secondary options to RB students. Earlier this month, the Riverside Brookfield Educational Foundation (RBEF) raised over $27,000.00 in pledges during their annual live telethon! Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and hard work to air the live telethon and to the many individuals and families who have supported RBEF education scholarship funds by making monetary or gift donations. Because of these donations, RBHS students and staff are able to attend and participate in amazing educational opportunities that they will remember for a lifetime! We have included some summer opportunities later in this edition, and the RBEF grant application will be available on their website.
Also highlighted in this edition are upcoming spring standardized tests. From PARCC to Advanced Placement to MAP, these tests provide students, parents, and teachers important information about an individual's academic progress. Engage in conversation with your student about the importance of these tests and encourage your child to give his or her best effort, to get a full night's sleep, and to eat a healthy breakfast before taking these assessments. More details about these upcoming assessments are included later in this edition.
Kristin Smetana
Principal
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PARCC
All students enrolled in English 10 and/or Geometry (both regular and honors levels) will be taking the PARCC exam at RBHS during the week of March 14. Students that are enrolled in these two courses will be instructed of their testing locations by their teachers. Students can access some online tutorials and practice through the online PARCC website:
Practice Tests
Advanced Placement (AP) Testing
For those students that will be taking an AP test this spring, the AP Student Bulletins have been distributed in AP classes. If your student did not receive their AP Student Bulletin, please have them see their AP class teacher or they may stop in Student Services for a copy.
All students taking an AP Exam must register for the exam they are planning to take in order to have an exam ordered for them. This must be completed online by March 4 and takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Please use the following link to complete the process:
AP Registration.
Students will still need to attend an AP pre-administration session before or after school on a TBD date in April.
PSAT
Paper copies of the scores have been distributed to students. If your student did not pick up their score sheet and test booklet, please have your student see Mr. Baldus before school in Student Services, Room 100.
National ACT
A national ACT test will be hosted at RBHS on Saturday, April 9. The registration deadline for this exam date is March 4.
Please note that this is not the ACT exam being funded by RB that all juniors will be taking at RBHS on April 19. Students interested in the April 9 ACT exam should register at
www.actstudent.org.
If you have any testing-related questions please contact Mr. Baldus at 708-442-7500 x2203 or
[email protected].
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The Hero system was implemented in February, and we have had a great response from our student body regarding on time arrival to school and to class. We continue to encourage students to make efficient use of their 5-minute passing period as well as with their efforts to arrive to school on time. For the remainder of this school year, the Deans' Office will continue to scan the I.D. cards of tardy students and will notify parents and guardians through an automatic email update once a scan has taken place.
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 This semester, the Office of Student Affairs welcomed Lunch Buzz TV to the Cafeteria. The Lunch Buzz TV is located on our Engagement Wall, which is utilized to promote upcoming events and activities for our students.
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The Addams Family Comes to RB
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Rehearsing for their production of The Addams Family Musical are Maddie Harrahan as Wednesday, Tom Loftus as Uncle Fester, and Jonathan Wells as Lurch.
Riverside Brookfield High School will be presenting The
Addams Family
Musical in the Auditorium on Thursday, March 3, at 7:00 p.m. and Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each if purchased in advance and $12 if purchased at the door. Please contact RBHS at 708-442-7500 for ticket information.
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Clarion
recently published their second print issue of the year - their Valentine's Day issue - and had their largest ever online viewership during the month of January at
rbclarion.com
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French Students Establish a Pen-Pal Exchange Program
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Ms. Laurence Forberg's French 3 and French 4 and AP French classes have established a Pen-Pal exchange with a high school in France. Our students have enriched their French studies by exchanging letters, videos and cultural information with the Lycée Voltaire in Paris this year.
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RBHS Tech Crew Volunteers at RBEF Telethon
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Front Row Seated: Mr. Matt McConnell, Auditorium Manager.
Second Row Seated: Vivian Retana. First Row Standing: Anisa Selenica, Clair Finnigan, Clare Payne, Danny De Leonardis, Two members of guest band, All The Wine, Schuyler Poss, Natalie Baiocchi. Second Row Standing: Will Gmitro, Two members of guest band, All the Wine, Makenna Walsh, Jacob Ringo.
The RBHS Tech Crew had a long and productive 14 hour day maintaining the on-stage performances and acts in the auditorium during the RBEF live-aired Telethon. They were asked by the final band, All the Wine, to join them on stage for the last song of the evening.
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The February issue of the
Certified Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor Newsletter
can be viewed on the
RBHS website
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The focus of this month's issue focuses mainly on trends with prescription pill abuse
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College Planning Tips for Junios
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On March 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium, Jim Franko will give some helpful tips for parents of juniors on college admission and financial aid.
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Local Scholarship Applications for Seniors
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The local scholarship applications are available on the Student Services website. The deadline for most applications is March 11. Please see your counselor with any questions. Click here to access the list of scholarships.
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PTO's RB Boutique Winning Website
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 Congratulations to the following business marketing and web design students in Mrs. Sarkady's class for their amazing RB Boutique website designs. Twenty-two students competed in the website design contests with their vision of the RB Boutique website. All sites were reviewed and voted by the public over a four-day period with a comments section for feedback for the students.
The winning site chosen by the PTO for the RB Boutique was: Michael Rosa, Freshman.
The fan favorites from the voting were:
1st place: Zachary Schejbal
2nd place: Michael Rosa
3rd place: Sara Siffermann
The Riverside Brookfield High School PTO hosted their annual  "RB Boutique" on Saturday, February 27, 2015, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at The Hollywood House in Brookfield. The boutique provided high school girls in the western suburbs the opportunity to purchase beautiful designer dresses and accessories for prom without the designer costs. This was their second annual event where The Hollywood House was turned into an exclusive boutique with hair and floral demonstrations. The proceeds will go back to RBHS to benefit students who may not be able to afford or attend prom.
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Music Department Updates and Performances
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The Music Department took 135 music students to New Orleans over Presidents Day weekend. Students who participated had the opportunity to tour a plantation, a swamp, the city of New Orleans by bus, and a ghost tour of the French Quarter. They also had the opportunity to hear great music from the Jazz National Park, a zydeco band at Mulate's, wonderful street musicians in the French Quarter, and a live band for our final bowling party at the Rock and Bowl. Beyond what we took from New Orleans, we gave a wonderful performance at the Washington Artillery Park featuring the RB band, orchestra, choir, and jazz band. To top it all off, the food down in New Orleans was amazing!
Tri-M is planning a recital for March 8 at 7:00 p.m. in RB's Little Theater. The recital will raise funds for a music charity. Tickets are $5.
On March 11 at 7:00 p.m. in RB's Bulldog Inn (cafeteria), we will be hosting the Big Band Blast. This evening will include performances by the Hauser Jazz Band, the RB Jazz Band, the RB Jazz Ensemble, and Shout Section Big Band. Tickets will be sold at the door for $5 for students and at $10 for adults. Included in the price of Admission is a swing dance lesson beginning at 7:00 p.m. Come dance the night away with four great bands!
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SPRING SPORTS ARE HERE!
Make sure you sign up in the athletic office. All required athletic forms are on our
website.
Girls and Boys Track have started indoor practices for a short indoor season that concludes with an Indoor Conference Meet on March 18 and 19 at Glenbard South HS. The outdoor season will begin the week of Spring Break on March 28. Athletes are encouraged to come out early for the indoor season if they are not in a Winter Sport; otherwise they can join the outdoor season.
Tryouts begin February 29 for badminton, girls soccer, softball, baseball, boys and girls water polo, and boys tennis. Tryouts for boys volleyball start March 7, 2016.
WINTER SPORTS RECAP!
- Boys basketball currently sports an overall record of 18-4, with a record of 10-0 in the MSC Conference. They are currently ranked in the top 15 in the State for Class 4A and are hoping to win their 15th consecutive Conference Championship. We will also be hosting the IHSA Sectional Boys Basketball games March 8, 9, and 11.
- Girls basketball finished their season with a record of 20-10 and finished 10-2 in 2nd place in the MSC.
- Wrestling finished their season with an overall dual meet record of 18-2 and finished in 2nd place in the MSC. The Wrestlers had three Sectional Qualifiers, Joey Giurini, Justin Blanco, and Chris Colvin.
- Girls Gymnastics concluded their season at the Sandburg IHSA Regional.
- Boys swimming had a strong 4th place finish at the Independent Conference Tournament at DeKalb HS.
- Diver, Mac Catrambone, has finished 1st at four dual meets,
 1st at Conference, and 5th at Sectionals where he qualified to compete in the State competition. His highest score of the season was 412. He will be competing at State February 26.
- Competitive Dance concluded their season at the Andrew IHSA Sectional.
- Competitive Cheerleading concluded their season by qualifying as a team for the IHSA State Finals at Normal Illinois. The 18 girls competed at the Medium division to complete a very successful season.
Top row: Alissa Rojas, Madelyn Hopek, Julia Kurth, Mackayla Reilley, Hunter Soumar, Cayley Stanislaw and Coach Huedepohl.
Middle row: Isabella McGuire, Heidi Wolfer, Karen Garvey, Christie Wackrow, Mary O'Callaghan, Brittney Paeth, Keeley Scalise and Haley Wolfer.
Front row: Katelyn Antos, Jessica Bajerek, Sophia Traeder and Sam Culific.
 To help keep the Bulldog Community connected, sign up and follow us on TWITTER, @rbhsathletics
Our new Website is called 8to18.com, which we launched in early August to communicate Athletic information to the public. It continues to grow and has many links and school forms for parents and the community. Please check it out at
http://il.8to18.com/RBHS
and sign up now for e-mail alerts from the athletic department regarding important information about our athletic contests. RB "Athletes of the Week" are highlighted on this site. The latest winners are:
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Samantha Bloom - Girls Basketball
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Michael Georgopulos - Boys Swimming
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Joey Giurini - Wrestling
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Jessica JnoBapstiste - Girls Basketbal
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Alexia Kingzette - Girls Gymnastics
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Ryan Cicenas - Boys Basketball
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Repertory Dance Ensemble Accepted in the Illinois State Dance Festival
The repertory dance ensemble auditioned for the Illinois State Dance Festival on February 20 and was accepted! The dancers will be performing a student-choreographed dance in the festival at LT at the end of April. More info is to come about the festival and performance!
Congratulations to the following RB dancers (choreographers are denoted with a *):
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Maddie Ackerman
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Nida Aleska
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Rachel Bakalich*
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Elena Bowie
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Sarah Brom*
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Dylan Dreilich
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Lilly Dziagwa
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Julianna Fields
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Naomi Galindo
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Kailee Gilhooly
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Lily Jerz
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Maddie Nakis
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Grace Rock*
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Catie Sinn
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Olivia Weimer
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Caroline WIllinger
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Christine Xu
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FCCLA Qualifies for the State competition!
FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps students become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through family and consumer sciences education.
This is the first year RB has had fifteen students qualify for the State competition! Congratulations to the following FCCLA state qualifiers:
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Sydney Barrueta
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Isabelle Echevarria
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Sarah Gentile
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Stefani Gonzalez
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Sylvia Harvin
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Campbell Hayes
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Zoe Jacquat
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Alexandra Kusnierz
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Rachel Magee
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Isabella Martucci
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Liz Murphy
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Kara Nedvar
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Alyssa Peralta
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Jacky Servin
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Lizbeth Servin
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RB Day of Service T-shirt Design
The PTO and Student Leadership Committee would like to thank the  students who entered the t-shirt design contest for the Day of Service this year. There were many great designs entered, and the student committee had a really tough time choosing the one to use. The winner of this year's design contest is Senior Paul Kritikos. Paul's design will be featured on the t-shirt that participants will receive for working at the Day of Service on Saturday, April 23. Look for sign-ups in March!
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Inaugural English Speaking Union sponsored Shakespeare Competition
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Performing a Shakespearean monologue and sonnet, the following students
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Pictured L to R: Isabel Hughes, Isabella Eliopulos, Collin Taylor, Tristan Kotlicky, Kaitlin Krivak, Elania Raffensperger-Schill , Cameron Bolton, Julia Buffo, and
Natalia Jandura.
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participated in our inaugural English Speaking Union sponsored Shakespeare Competition on February 4: Cameron Bolton, Isabella Eliopulos, Isabel Hughes, Natalia Jandura, Tristan Kotlicky, Katilin Krivak, Elaina Rafensperger-Schill, and Collin Taylor. Congratulations to the following students who won awards:
1st Place:
Isabel Hughes, who will represent RBHS on February 22 at the regional hosted by the English Speaking Union at Roosevelt University.
2nd Place:
Isabella Eliopulos
3rd Place:
Cameron Bolton
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RB Varsity Scholastic Bowl Team
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Congratulations to the RB Varsity Scholastic Bowl team for their performance at the Masonic Regional on February 20. The team finished in 4th place in an extremely competitive field and was awarded a plaque and medals, as well as a small monetary prize of $100. The team consisted of co-captains Alec Frank and Marly Santora, with team members Henry Scheffer, Remy Doornebos, Emma Strand, and Erik Robertson. We look forward to our final competition in March.
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Metro Suburban Band & Jazz Festival
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Congratulations to the following students who were selected to participate in the Metro Suburban Band and Jazz Festival on February 17 at Ridgewood High School. These students rehearsed all day with the festival conductors and performed a concert at 6:30 p.m.:
Alec Frank, Alexandria Hodges, Amelia Haugland, Antonio Jimenez, Joey Kinnan, Kristin Picard, Manny Sida, Natalie Lisle, Rebecca Perry, and Tommy Kelliher.
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Finalist in the 2016 Competition for National Merit Scholarships
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The National Merit Scholarship Program has now determined which of the 16,000 Semifinalists named in September 2015 have met all requirements to advance to Finalist standing in the competition. All Finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarships to be offered in 2016.
Congratulations to RB students:
Lukas Kulbis,
David Pribyl-Pierdinock, and
Marlene Santora.
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The Bulldogs Chess Team competed at the 42nd Annual IHSA State Chess Tournament on February 12. It is the largest high school chess tournament in the United States. The team finished 21st Place overall. Because of the size discrepancies in competing schools, the IHSA allows the Illinois Chess Coaches Association to award 1st Place awards for schools grouped in six divisions based on enrollment. RB won 1st Place in the 2A Division out of 33 similar size schools. Congratulations to team members:
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Lukas Kulbis, Senior
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Tristan Kotlicky, Senior
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Jacob Bell, Senior
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Collin Taylor, Senior
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Tadas Kunickas, Senior
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Elvis Begic, Senior
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Raymond Greco, Junior
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Jackson Hajer, Sophomore
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Joseph Vitek, Freshman
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Luke Graham, Sophomore
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Riverside Arts Center (RAC) Exhibition March 4 -April 2
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Riverside Brookfield High School, in conjunction with RAC, presents AP Art 2016. Now in its seventh year, this annual group exhibition features artwork created by the current class of talented RB AP art students. A variety of mixed-media work including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and more will be on display.
Participating Artists: Rumaldo Delacerda, Sara DiFatta, Benjamin Gembara, Kaileen Gilhooly, Nicholas Hamera, Claire Hejna, Grace Hodgden, Ayleen Huerta, Suzana Jukic, Joshua Lemont, Anika Marchan, Julia Mccarthy, Andrejana Misic, Alana Novak, Nathan Perez, Erin Rookus, Elizabeth Rowley, Brianna Spinelli, Katelyn Storage, Zachary Straka, Emma Strand, Emily Temmer, Stephanie Vasquez, and Daniel Wass.
This exhibition is free and open to the public. Please join us for the reception on March 4, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Gallery hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 1-5 p.m. For additional information visit www.riversideartscenter.com or contact Director of Exhibitions Karen Azarnia at
[email protected].
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The following students participated in the 2016 Regional Scholastic Art Competition. Their pieces were on exhibit for the Opening Reception at Downers Grove North High School in early February. This show is a collection of the highest quality high school art work in the region selected from over 20 schools and thousands of entries. Congratulations to:
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Sara DiFatta, Gold Key, Photo
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Kaileen Gilhooly, Gold Key, Photo |
Colin Hughes, Gold Key, Film and Animation |
| Nicholas Hamera, Silver Key, Mixed Media |
Ayleen Huerta, Silver Key, Painting |
Alana Novak, Silver Key, Photo |
| Erin Rookus, Silver Key, Painting, Honorable Mention, Drawing |
Katelyn Storage, Silver Key, Ceramics
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Emily Temmer, Silver Key, Sculpture |
| Claire Hejna, Honorable Mention, Photo |
Suzana Jukic, Honorable Mention, Drawing |
Andrejana Misic, Honorable Mention, Photo |
| Brianna Spinelli, Honorable Mention, Photo |
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Congratulations to RB's Math team, who competed in the Lemont Invitational on February 3.
The freshman/sophomore eight-person team of Noah Hoadley, Andres Resto, Joey Vitek, Elise Wojack, Mary Greenlees, Jackson Hajer, and Jason Kenny placed 5th. The junior/senior eight-person team of Jovita Berzanskyte, Sam Miezio, Maura O'Brien, Melissa Tovar, David Pribyl-Pierdinock, and Marly Santora placed 2nd.
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Congratulations to the RB Speech team for taking away the following prizes at the Yorkville Tournament:
Nicole Bajerek: 1st place, Oratorical Declamation
Derek Johnson and Abigail Schwarz: 2nd place, Humorous Duet Acting
Abigail Schwarz: 5th place, Dramatic Interpretation
Taner Guzeldereli: 6th place, Original Comedy
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Excellence and Ethics
in Education
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Important Dates
Please check our website for the dates and locations of all performances and events.
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Thursday, March 3
Spring Musical,
The Addams Family
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
Friday & Saturday,
March 4 & 5
Spring Musical,
The Addams Family
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium
Monday, March 7
Casmir Pulaski Holiday
Non-Attendance
Tuesday, March 8
College Planning Tips
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
Friday, March 11
Big Band Blast
7:00 p.m.
Bulldog Inn
Friday, March 11
End of 3rd Quarter
Monday, March 14
PTO Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Lehotsky Room 201
Monday, March 14
Chamber Orchestra Recital
7:00 p.m.
Little Theater
Tuesday, March 22
Practice ACT testing for all Junior students
Wednesday, March 23
NHS Induction
8:00 p.m.
Auditorium
Friday, March 25
Non-Attendance Day
Monday, March 28 -
Friday, April 1
Spring Break
Monday, April 4
School Resumes
Monday, April 4
PTO Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Lehotsky Room 201
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Contact Us
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See our website for individual staff email addresses
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