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Superintendent's Message
Dear RBHS Students, Families, Staff, and Community,
It seems like school just started, and now we find ourselves at the end of the first quarter of the school year. It was great to see parents interacting last week with the staff at parent-teacher conferences. One of the advantages of being a smaller high school is that we are able to offer opportunities to interact and support students and their families. We have a talented and supportive staff that cares about our students' success.
The School Board and I have been very busy with construction, contract negotiations, and litigation. Our main gym has gone through Life Safety upgrades and looks amazing! Students have resumed using the facility this past week for PE classes and practices.
The Thanksgiving holiday is just a few weeks away. On behalf of the Board of Education and myself, I would like to wish our District 208 students, families, staff, and community a healthy, safe, and happy holiday season.
The following are some recent items of interest from our District.
Cordially,
Kevin Skinkis, Ed.D
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The District has heard the frustrations expressed by those who use our school building about the lack of parking at the school. We have been working very hard over the past two years to add parking to school grounds so that our staff, parents, students, and community members can use all of the resources our school has to offer. The District does not presently have its own parking lot and leases parking from the Village (Rockefeller) and from the Brookfield Zoo (gated lot) at a substantial cost to the District each year. The Village has advised the District that it does not intend to renew the Rockefeller lease next year.
The District was encouraged when the Village recently offered to resolve the ongoing zoning litigation by offering to lease the parking on Rockefeller to the District for $1 per year and to allow for a total of 153 parking spaces on Rockefeller and in the District's new parking lot. The District reached out to the Village to clarify the number of spaces and to seek three additional designated handicapped spaces.
The District has received a response from the Village that it is reviewing. It does not appear that the Village of Brookfield is willing to accept the District's request to accommodate handicapped parking. The District remains hopeful that this matter can be resolved.
Please reach out to the Village Trustees directly and urge them to move forward, not backward, and to resolve this matter once and for all.
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Life Safety/Capital Improvement Projects
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The work in the main gym and on the roofs is complete. The gym has been reopened for students and community use. Work on Entrance G (new stairs, railings, and handicap accessible ramp) should be completed by the end of November. The District is taking some additional measures to secure and maintain the granite panels that were installed in the 1952 Entrance facade when that part of the high school was added on.
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Restrictions are still in place for the track and field facility due to an open construction area. Student and activity use before and after school is allowed with staff supervision. General public use will be possible after the construction can be completed. This part of the project is on hold while the litigation with the Village of Brookfield is ongoing.
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The Board of Education and Riverside Brookfield Education Association (RBEA) have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract for Teachers and Support Staff. The Board of Education is expected to vote on the new contract at the November 8 Board of Education meeting.
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Weather and School Cancelation
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As we get close to the end of the fall season, weather sometimes becomes an issue. Dressing appropriately will safeguard your child's health and avoid unnecessary absences which disrupt the learning process. As we prepare for winter, school cancellations will be announced through our website, Skyward, the auto call system, and the local news outlets. If weather conditions allow the staff to open and operate school, our goal is to have the classes proceed as scheduled.
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The next regular Board meeting will be on November 8, at 7:00 p.m. in Room 201. Going forward, the meetings will all be held in Room 201, unless a large audience is expected. Please check the website for any last minute room changes. Information regarding Board meetings can be found on the RB website under the Board of Education tab or watch the meetings on
www.rbtv.tv.
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Principal's Message
To prepare your student for the upcoming course selection process for the 2017-18 school year, please review the updated curriculum guide with your student and discuss the courses he or she plans to take next year. Encourage your student to explore a new interest by taking one of our elective courses or to embrace a challenge by taking an honors or Advanced Placement course. Additional information regarding the registration process is included below and found on the RHBS
website.
During the last regular season home football game on Friday, October 14, local military men were honored. Prior to the game, football players sold dog tags. Participating faculty and staff members also donated $5 to wear jeans with either a red, white, or blue shirt or any shirt related to the military. All the proceeds were donated to the local Hines VA Hospital. Our efforts to honor our military veterans will continue on November 11 during our Veterans Day program. Additional information can be found below.
I would like
to wish all of our RB families a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving.
Kristin
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The annual school report card for the 2015-16 school year has been released. Riverside Brookfield High School has improved in many areas; namely, student attendance, graduation rate, freshmen on track for graduation, and performance on the PARCC assessment.
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Veterans for November 11 Program
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Students will have an opportunity to honor our military veterans in a personal way at our annual Veterans Day program on November 11 from 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. We are seeking veterans willing to discuss their service with students and answer questions about their experiences.
The program begins with a continental breakfast, followed by a school-wide assembly honoring the veterans in attendance, and ends with more personal classroom question and answer sessions. Interested veterans should contact John Fields at 708-442-9298 or Mary Ann Nardi at
708-442-8275.
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Course Selection for the 2017-18 School Year
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Parents, please ask to see your student's course selection form and review RB's online Curriculum Guide for specific course information.
Pre-Course Selection Meetings with Counselors
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November 2 & 3
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Class of 2019 - Sophomores (English)
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November 21 & 22
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Class of 2020 - Freshmen (PE & Band)
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January 10 & 11
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Class of 2018 - Juniors (Science)
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Course Selection Appointments with Counselors
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November 4-18
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Register Class of 2019 - Sophomores
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November 29-December 14
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Register Class of 2020 - Freshmen
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December 15-19
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Make-ups for the Class of 2019 & 2020
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January 12-27
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Register Class of 2018 - Juniors
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January 31-February 1
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Make-ups
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Information for the Class of 2021
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Future Bulldog Night (for Parents & Students)
Important pre-registration instructions and information on extra-curricular activities
7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Registration at Riverside Brookfield High School
(for Parents &Students)
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Appointment times TBD
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Report Cards
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If you were unable to attend Parent-Teacher conferences on October 27, your student's report card will be mailed to your home the week of November 1.
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Fall Play - The Iliad, The Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less
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Rehearsals for the play are going great! The crew is the most excited about the mobile Trojan horse, which appears in the production. The play is directed by Ms. Colleen Stahnke and assisted by Ms. Kim Baratta. In addition to the 43 actors on stage, there is one student director, Shaniah Alexander. Mr. Matt McConnell leads the tech crew of 15 students.
The tech crew is in control of the lighting and sound and will make each performance look fantastic. Under the direction of Mr. David Weishaar, the set crew is involved in everything from building, painting, set designing, construction, and stage managing
. Performance times are Thursday, November 10, at 7:00 p.m., Friday, November 11, and Saturday, November 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and $5 for students and seniors. Advanced tickets can be purchased in the Business Office.
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Important Yearbook Information
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Order Your Yearbook! Prices go up from $45 to $50 starting in November, so order now at
www.jostens.com
or through the Business Office.
Senior Recognition Ads are on sale now through February 16. Create a special message to honor your senior at
www.jostensadservice.com.
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Student Association Update
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The positive Homecoming Spirit has carried over into the initiation of more Spirit Days throughout the school year. We will continue our monthly Blue and White Spirit Contests in 5th hour classes, but are now working on more spirit-themed days throughout the school year, with our first one on Halloween.
The first Blood Drive of the year was held on Wednesday, November 2, in the East Gym. We hope to surpass our goal of 100 pints (each pint of blood can help save three lives). Donation requirements for students: in good health, 16 years old with parent permission, and over 110 pounds.
With the holiday season approaching, it's one of Student Association's busiest times helping in the community. We are again taking part in three community projects: Thanksgiving Baskets, Santa Anonymous, and the Coat & Blanket Drive. We work together with Community Support Services and churches in the area to guarantee that local people will be helped this holiday season. We will be collecting coats, blankets, hats, gloves, and scarves of all sizes as well as monetary donations in November and early December.
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| Color Guard Performs in Style |
 The Riverside Brookfield Color Guard team is one of the great prides at RB with their precision routines, dedication to perfection, and crowd-pleasing performances at the football games. This year we have a fresh new team that is full of enthusiasm and energy, and they displayed their brand new flags for the football season.
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Information from the Office of Student Affairs
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As the seasons change so does the temperature. Students, please dress accordingly and provide enough time to get to school in the mornings.
When visiting RB, p
lease park in a designated spot in either the South East Staff Lot, Rockefeller Avenue, or on Ridgewood Road during designated hours. Parking along the north end of the school alongside the gravel road is prohibited.
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Upcoming December National ACT and SAT Exam Registration Deadlines
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Students interested in taking either the national ACT or SAT in December may do so at any neighboring school that will be hosting the exam on those dates. RB will not be hosting any December national test dates.
The national ACT will be offered on December 10. Interested students should register by November 4 at
www.actstudent.org.
The national SAT and SAT Subject Tests will be offered on December 3. Interested students should register by November 3 at https://sat.collegeboard.org/home?navid=ap-sat.
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Student Services Events and Information
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College Planning Kick-Off Night for Juniors & Parents
Tuesday, December 6, at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
A panel of college admission experts; Annie Kremer from Drake University in Iowa, Nate Barger from the University of Cincinnati, Julie Nelson from Xavier University in Cincinnati, and Sujith Zachariah from Triton will provide you with a number of helpful planning tips as you begin the college search process. This is a night college-bound juniors and parents should not miss.
Attention Seniors - Transcript Request Deadline
All transcript requests to be sent before the holiday break must be received by your counselor by Friday, December 9. Requests received after the deadline will be processed in January 2017.
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Technology Spotlight
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The Parent Technology Series is in full swing having held two sessions with two more scheduled for second quarter. A prior session allowed parents to become more aware of and fluent with technology to support student success. The last session in the Parent Technology Series was held at Parent-Teacher Conferences and was an opportunity for parents to stop by, as their schedule allowed, and ask questions.
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RBHS welcomes Jennifer Venezia, from Rosecrance as the new Alcohol and Drug Counselor
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Jennifer comes to RBHS from San Francisco, California, where she practiced in drug and alcohol treatment programs, schools, and private practice. She looks forward to working with both students and parents regarding any substance abuse issues challenging our adolescent community. She will be on campus Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can be reached at
708-442-7500 x2169
or [email protected].
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Athletic Department Updates
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Fall Sports are concluding and here is an update of their seasons as of October 25.
Girls' Volleyball -
MSC Conference Champions
Girls' Cross Country -
MSC Conference Champions and Regional Champions
Girls' Golf -
Placed 5th at the Fenwick IHSA Regional
Boys' Cross Country -
MSC Conference Champions and Regional Champions
Girls' Tennis -
Placed 5th at the St. Ignatius IHSA Regional
Football -
7-2, IHSA State Playoffs Friday, October 29, versus Lake Forest
Girls' Swimming -
We hosted the Conference Meet on Saturday, October 29, at RB.
Boys' Golf -
Placed 5th at the Lyons Township IHSA Regional.
Boys' Soccer -
Won 1st Round of Regionals 1-0 over Whitney Young and lost to Lyons Township in the Regional Championship game.
Winter Sports Will Begin Soon!
We began ONLINE registration this year to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the athletic office. This online process will also assist with increasing parent communication about important athletic events. ALL Registration must be completed ONLINE at
http://il.8to18.com/RBHS
- Boys Basketball - November 7
- Girls Basketball - October 31
- Wrestling - November 7
- Girls Gymnastics - November 7
- Boys Swimming - November 21
- Competitive Dance - October 24
- Competitive Cheerleading - October 24
Athletic Booster Club
The Riverside Athletic Boosters are always appreciative of help. They can be reached at
[email protected]
or visit them online at: www.rbhs208athletics.org/boosters.
Our Website is 8to18.com, which we launched last year to communicate Athletic information to the public, continues to grow and has many links and school forms for parents and 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 regarding our athletic contests.
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Students of the Quarter
On Friday, October 14, we honored ten students representing each academic department, in addition to a Student Building Leader, who exemplify our values of "Excellence and Ethics in all Bulldogs Do!" These students were nominated by faculty for excelling in two areas: academics and character.
Front Row (L
-R):
Nicole Dearcos Villalobos, (Junior) Science Department Recipient; Emma Conway (Senior) Social Science Department Recipient; Ivy Marcucci (Senior) Fine Arts Department Recipient; Grace DiBartolomeo (Freshman) Library Department Recipient; Cynthia Smith (Senior) World Language Department Recipient; and Kaitlyn Gaynor (Junior) Building Leader Recipient.
Back Row (L
-R)
:
Trevor Bork (Junior) English Department Recipient; Nichloas Bisiules (Freshman) Wellness Department Recipient; Ray Greco (Senior) Applied Arts Department Recipient; and Ms. Kristin Smetana (Principal).
Illinois Music Educators Association District I Senior Festival Musicians
Congratulations to the following RBHS student musicians for being selected for the Illinois Music Educators Association District I Senior Festival.
BAND
Natalie Lisle - Clarinet
ORCHESTRA
Luke Dickeson - Violin
Adam Wang - Double Bass
CHOIR
Ian Baartman - Tenor I
Elena Bowie - Alto I
Addyson Haage - Soprano II
Madeline Hanrahan - Soprano I
Eva Harvin - Soprano I
Noah Hoadley - Bass II
Lidija Kutlesa - Soprano I
Ivy Marcucci - Alto I
Coco Murray - Alto I
Grace Pottle - Alto II
Johnathan Wells - Bass II
Recognition for Rouser Staff
The Kettle Morraine Press Association recognized the following students with individual yearbook achievement awards: graduate Karli Rivera earned Best of Show for the Clubs/Organizations category, graduate Kyle Delesctowicz earned Superior for the academic spread category, and Juniors Mary Padilla and Maria Baltierrez earned Excellent for the sports spread category.
Chess Team
On Saturday, October 15, the chess team opened their season at the Argo Invite. Shorthanded with just five players, four Bulldogs finished in the Top 10 out of 29 players overall in the Open Section. Sophomore Joey Vitek won first place with four wins and a draw while Junior Luke Graham took second, losing only to Joey in the final round. Junior Jackson Hajer finished 6th with three wins and a draw, and Sophomore Megan Sroka had three wins and finished 10th. Sophomore Andres Resto also had three wins and finished 13th. Coach Monti also competed in the coaches' speed chess blitz tournament and finished in 4th place out of 8.
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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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November 7
P.T.O. meeting
7 p.m.
Lehotsky Room 201
November 8
College Planning Tips for Freshman Families
7:00 p.m.
Little Theate
r
November 10
Fall Play
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
Tickets are $8 in advance and can be purchased in the Business Office
$10 at the door, $5 for students and seniors
November 11
Veterans Day Breakfast / Assembly
8:30-10:30 a.m.
Alumni Lounge / Main Gym
November 11
Fall Play
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium
Tickets are $8 in advance and can be purchased in the Business Office
$10 at the door, $5 for students and seniors
November 12
Fall Play
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium
Tickets are $8 in advance and can be purchased in the Business Office.
$10 at the door, $5 for students and seniors
November 23-25
Thanksgiving Holiday
Non-Attendance days
December 6
College Kick-Off Night for Juniors
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
December 7
Jostens Class Ring Delivery for Sophomores
Lunch Periods
Student Cafeteria
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Contact Us
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See our website for individual staff email addresses
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