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Superintendent's Message
Dear RBHS Students, Families, Staff, and Community,
We are starting the last quarter of this school year. It seems that this year has passed far too quickly. It has been exciting to see how our students evolved. The freshmen feel "at home," and the seniors are anxious to move on to their next path in life. The 2016-2017 school year will be here in a blink of an eye, and our curriculum and staffing plans are nearly complete. The great news is that graduation will be held in the new stadium, weather permitting of course! I hope you take the time to encourage your students to stay focused during this last quarter of the school year so they can finish the second semester strong.
Cordially,
Kevin Skinkis, Ed.D.
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2016-17 Staffing and Class Sizes
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At the March 8 Board of Education meeting, the Board approved a staffing plan provided by the administration that would add an additional four teachers to the certified staff count at RBHS for the 2016-17 school year. The addition of this staff will continue to support the Board's goal to lower class sizes in the core academic areas and continue to offer a rich variety of elective courses. Courses that did not have enough students sign up will not run next school year but will be listed again during the course selection process next fall.
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School Year
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Enrollment
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Certified Staff
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2012-2013
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1461
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85.9
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2013-2014
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1514
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88.9
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2014-2015
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1586
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94.4
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2015-2016
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1633
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97.3
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2016-2017
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1635
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101.3
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A settlement has been reached between the Village of Brookfield and District 208 in regard to the "stop work order" on the track events located behind the home bleachers. Final construction on the long jump and pole vault runways is underway. Our track and field teams will soon be able to use our facilities, and our spring sports coaches and athletes are very excited.
We will continue to move forward with the litigation regarding the School District building a parking lot on its own property. The next court date will be in late April. The District continues to believe that a solution should be found that permits parking on both School District property and Rockefeller Avenue, so as to adequately serve the needs of the school community and refrain from pushing visitors to the School District onto residential streets.
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The Life Safety/Capital Improvement Projects
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The punch list for the outdoor athletic complex is down to a very few items. As soon as the construction and parking litigation is completed, the District plans to allow the community to use the track during non-school hours and events. Rules for track usage will be posted and will be enforced. Following these guidelines will ensure that our track will be in top shape for everyone to enjoy for years to come.
The Life Safety items to be addressed in the summer of 2016 (main building roof section replacement and new main gym bleachers and floor) will begin in early June. Bids were approved at the March 8 Board meeting.
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The Board of Education and the Riverside Brookfield Education Association (RBEA) are involved in 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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First Avenue - Sewer Rehab Project
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The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) will start a sewer repair project on April 1, which runs from roughly Roosevelt Road south down First Avenue. At the same time, work will also commence at the intersection of First Avenue and Forest Avenue. This project is expected to last 16 months, and will impact traffic and travel plans. Please plan accordingly.
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The next Board meetings will be April 12 and 26. Both beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Please check the RB website under the Board of Education tab or you can watch the meetings on
www.rbtv.tv.
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Principal's Message
Next year as we continue to roll out our 1:1 initiative, freshman students in the Class of 2020 will receive Chromebooks to take home. The Chromebooks help us fulfill our mission of preparing students for constantly evolving technology and creating futures in education and employment that we cannot forecast. Through the use of Chromebooks this year, the 1:1 learning environment has helped strengthen the critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity of our current freshman students. We are excited that half of our students (Class of 2019 and 2020) will have the opportunity to learn in the 1:1 learning environment next year. Visit the
Technology tab
on the RBHS website for additional information regarding this initiative. Current freshman students (Class of 2019) who have a Chromebook will be permitted to keep their Chromebook over the summer break. Additional information about this will be sent home to families later this month.
With only weeks left in the 4th quarter, summer is just around the corner. Below you will find information about the summer opportunities available for students at RB.
Due to the generous donations from the RB Educational Foundation's annual telethon, the Foundation is able to provide students with grants to help offset any summer opportunities including those outside of RB that students may be interested in. To apply for a grant, visit the RB Educational Foundation website.
Kristin Smetana
Principal
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Sign-Up Now for Summer Academics/Workshops and Athletic Camps
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Summer academic and athletic offerings for 2016 are posted on the RB website under the Student tab, "Forms and Documents." The academic offerings include several academic workshops and camps as well as credit recovery opportunities. The non-credit academic workshops will assist students in transitioning to Advanced Placement (AP) or pre-AP courses. There are also academic camps to provide students with opportunities to participate in band, prepare for the college application process, experience RBTV, and become familiar with Chromebooks. There are several athletic camps throughout the summer.
Registration is currently being taken in the Business Office through May 27. Forms are available online and in the Business Office. Currently enrolled students will be given priority for registration. All tuition and fees must be paid at the time of registration. Click here to link to the program booklet.
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Important Testing Information
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School-wide Test Day
On April 19, freshman, sophomore, and junior students will take a standardized test, as outlined below. All students should bring #2 pencils and a calculator and report to their testing location by 7:50 a.m. Closer to the testing day, r
oom assignments will be posted for all students. Dismissal time for this test day will be 12:35 p.m. for any student not receiving accommodated testing support.
Each grade will be taking the following tests:
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Freshmen
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PLAN Test
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Sophomores
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Practice ACT
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Juniors
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State ACT (funded by RBHS - parents do not have to register their children for this test.)
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Seniors
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College Visit Day (non-attendance day)
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AP Testing
All students registered to take an AP exam must attend a pre-administration session to fill out demographic information on their AP answer sheet in advance of their exams. This pre-administration session is being offered Thursday, April 7, at 3:15 p.m. in the Student Cafeteria or Friday, April 8, at 7:00 a.m. in the Student Cafeteria. It should take about 45 minutes to complete. Please bring a #2 pencil with you.
Any student, submitting a portfolio for AP Studio Art and not taking any other AP exams, does not need to attend a pre-administration session. If your student can not attend one of these two sessions, please email Mr. Baldus or Ms. Carey to make alternate arrangements.
MAP Testing for Freshmen Students
As part of RB's commitment to academic excellence, students in grade 9 will be taking a series of tests known as the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). These web-based assessments cover reading, science, and mathematics and are administered throughout the year. Students will be scheduled to take the spring administration of these exams during their English, science and math classes April 6 - April 8.
The purpose of these exams is to measure individual student growth and needs. This is the third year that MAP testing has been administered at RB, and it has proven to be a useful tool for teachers to inform their instruction. By knowing exactly what students already know and what they are ready to learn, teachers can develop targeted instructional strategies that increase learning for all students.
Illinois Science Assessment
All RBHS students that are enrolled in Biology or Honors Biology classes will be taking the Illinois Science Assessment this spring. The assessment will only be administered via the computer, and the test window dates have not been determined. The target window is middle to late April through May. Click on
ISBE Science Assessment Information
for additional information. More information will be released when available.
ACT
The National ACT test will be hosted at RBHS on Saturday, April 9. Please note that this is not the ACT exam being funded by RB that all juniors will be taking at RBHS on April 19.
If you have any testing-related questions please contact Kevin Baldus at 708 442-7500 x2203 or [email protected]
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Prom Tickets are on Sale!
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The Class of 2017 proudly presents the RB 2016 Prom: Masquerade Ball on Friday, April 29, at the Hyatt Lodge on the McDonald's campus in Oak Brook. Prom tickets will be on sale at the Bookstore during all lunch periods from April 4 - April 15. Prom tickets will be sold for $80.00 per ticket. Students will be required to show their ID at the time of purchase
and approved outside guest form for any non-RBHS students at the time of purchase. A
ll outstanding fees must be paid to purchase a ticket.
On March 24, student expectations for Prom were emailed home to all junior and senior parents and guardians. They are also posted on the
RBHS website
. Please note that P
rom attendees are expected to ride a chartered bus to the venue and back to RBHS following the dance. Students must arrive at RBHS with their Prom ticket by 5:30 p.m., and all students will return to
RBHS by 11:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Mannon, Assistant Principal of Student Affairs,
[email protected].
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All graduates will be receiving a total of six graduation tickets. Four tickets will be issued for the Kennelly Stadium or Main Gym (in the event of bad weather) and two for either the Little Theater or the Auditorium where the ceremony is being broadcast live. Any student with outstanding debt needs to contact the Business Office to discuss payment arrangements. Only one ticket will be issued to any student with any unpaid fees.
Please note that due to safety concerns, no heels of any kind can be worn on the turf. All female students must wear flats or wedged shoes to participate in the graduation ceremony.
If you have purchased a Graduation Package for the 2016 Graduation please email Mr. Mannon at
[email protected]
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Additional details about graduation will be emailed home to all senior families and posted on the RBHS website later this month.
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________________________________________________________________
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Digital Citizenship Day took place on Thursday, March 24, through an extended 2nd period schedule. Formerly known as Internet Safety Day, Digital Citizenship Day is designed to help students understand what it means to be a conscientious participant in the digital world and how to make safe and smart decisions with regard to the internet.
Before the end of the year, all students will take a technology survey through Bright Bytes as a way to assess the scope of technology use at RB. Parents will also have the opportunity to take the technology survey. Additional details will be emailed to parents this month.
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The School of Business 3rd quarter newsletter, which highlights the events in our business classes, is hot off the press and can be viewed on the
RBHS website
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Club and Activity Updates
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The Day of Silence
RBHS will be participating in the "Day of Silence" on Friday, April 15.
"The Day of Silence is a national day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. The Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment and effective responses. The goal of the Day of Silence is to make schools safer for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.
In a Harris Interactive study on bullying, students said two of the top three reasons students are harassed in school are actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression. Additionally, nearly nine out of ten LGBT students experience harassment at school. Students across the country participate in The Day of Silence to bring attention to this problem, let students who experience such bullying know that they are not alone, and ask schools to take action to address the problem."
The day is a positive educational experience, and it is an opportunity for RB students to work toward improving school climate for all of our students. For information visit
www.dayofsilence.org
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J. Kyle Braid Leadership Group
 The J. Kyle Braid Leadership Group organized and sponsored the 5th annual RBHS Dodgeball Tournament. The tournament was held on Friday, February 26, following the RB vs. LT boys' basketball game. The purpose of the dodge ball tournament is to provide students with a safe environment to have some friendly competition on a Friday night. The tournament also serves as a fundraiser to local charities. This year's tournament was the biggest yet with over 25 teams participating in the tournament. Around 200 students signed up to play dodge ball! The "Senior No Name" team pulled out a close, overtime victory over the Barnyard Fowl in the championship game. The "Senior No Name" team was made up of seniors Mikah Patil, Nathan Juarez, Cooper Lesniak, Eduardo Jimenez, Adrian Castro, Ike Jebb, James Kaczmarczyk, and Jeremiah Clarkson.
Repertory Dance Ensemble
Student Association
On February 24, the Student Association held their second blood drive of  the year and collected 122 pints of blood, which can help save 366 lives! This is the second highest collection on record since 2008 when 123 pints were collected. On Saturday, March 19, the Student Association hosted the Turnabout Dance. This dance was brought back after three years. The students seemed very excited to have another dance this year. In the month of April, Student Association will be collecting pop tops to benefit the Ronald McDonald House at Loyola. It will be a 5th hour contest with rewards such as a dessert party, candy, and the grand prize of a pizza party for the entire 5th hour class!
Tri-M
Tri-M had a very successful benefit recital on March 8. The club had eight performances and raised $300 dollars for the charity "Hungry for Music".
 Yearbook (Rouser)
It's not too late to order your copy of the 2015-16 yearbook! Yearbooks can still be ordered in the Business
Office for $55.00.
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Upcoming Student Services Events
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"What I Wish I Had Known" - April 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 201
Juniors and sophomores and their parents are encouraged to attend this yearly event to hear advice on the college admission process from a panel of current RB seniors and senior parents. The panel will share their experiences regarding the application process, college visits, essay writing, scholarship opportunities, completing the FAFSA, and more.
Local Scholarship Ceremony on Monday - April 25
All students that are awarded a local scholarship will be invited to attend this event with their parents. The ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium followed by a light reception. Invitations will arrive mid-April.
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Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC) Newsletter
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The March 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 is mainly on the effects legalized marijuana has had on some states and facts/stats on medical marijuana.
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P.T.O. Annual Day of Service - Adult Volunteers Needed
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Join the P.T.O for a day of beautifying Riverside, Brookfield, and North Riverside at RB's 4th Annual Day of Service, Saturday, April 23! This year we are "Making a Splash" by focusing on cleaning up the many waterways that run through our community.
Don't want to volunteer to work outside? Volunteers can help set-up, clean up, or to serve food. Check out the different volunteers needed and sign-up to help today by
clicking here
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Sign-up deadline is Friday, April 8.
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In the tradition of RBHS excellence, District 208 is proud to offer an opportunity to become part of a new legacy of "Bulldog Pride and Honor." The Tribute Walkway is an elegant way to preserve the spirit of your RBHS graduate. Strategically placed at our school's new entrance, your custom engraved tribute paver will honor an individual, family, or event for many years to come. The tribute paver comes in three sizes and makes a great gift! Please
click here
for additional information.
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Spring Sports Have Begun!
Spring sports are waiting for the good weather! Check the
Athletic website
for daily changes and cancellations. Also visit the website to sign-up for e-mail alerts for up-to-the-minute cancellations and make-up dates, because spring weather can cause many changes.
2015-16 Winter Athletics Summary
Please visit the Athletic website for a detailed list of accomplishments by our winter teams and athletes.
Athletes of the Week
RB "Athletes of the Week" are highlighted on the
Athletic website
. The latest winners are:
Lyndsey Hoyd
- Girls Basketball. She also qualified for the IHSA State 3pt Shooting Finals at ISU.
Mac Catrambone
- Boys Dive and Swimming. He also qualified for the IHSA State Diving Championship.
Dean Zigulich
- Boys Basketball
Join the RB Boosters
 To help keep the Bulldog Community connected, sign up and follow us on TWITTER, @rbhsathletics
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Clarion Receives National Recognition
The Clarion staff is proud to announce that they have been recognized as a finalist for the 2016 National Scholastic Press Association Online Pacemaker Award. The Clarion is one of only 50 online student newspapers in the country, and one of just six student news sites in Illinois to be considered for this prestigious award. The winners will be announced in Los Angeles in mid-April at the national NSPA convention.
Chess Team
On Saturday, February
27, the Bulldogs hosted the inaugural Metro
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Pictured L to R: Mr. Kyle Boyd (volunteer assistant), Tadas Kunickas, Jacob Bell, Luke Graham, Collin Taylor, Megan Sroka, Coach Monti
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Suburban Conference Chess tournament.
Individual results are as follows:
Sophomore Luke Graham took 3rd Place overall out of 41 players; Senior Jacob Bell finished 4th overall; Senior Collin Taylor finished 9th overall; and Senior Tadas Kunickas finished 13th overall. Freshman Megan Sroka finished 20th overall, 2nd overall for JV, and 3rd overall in the Girl's Division. All five Bulldogs who competed did an outstanding job!
IHSA Solo and Ensemble Concert
On March 5, the RB Music Department participated in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble contest. The 77 division 1 ratings were earned from 160 participating events propelling us to 14th in the State, 2nd in our regional contest!
Rachel McLean, received a Best of Day Award for her piano performance at the IHSA Solo and Ensemble Concert.
Math Team Goes to State!
On February 27, RB students competed in the ICTM (Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Regional Math Competition at Concordia University in River Forest. There were five schools competing in our regional. Students who win the regional or meet a minimum qualifying score move on to the State competition on May 7 at the University of Illinois. Please congratulate:
- Jackson Hajer - 2nd Place-Geometry; 2nd Place-Freshman/Sophomore Two Person Competition; and Qualified for State in Geometry.
- Jason Kenny - 4th Place-Geometry and 2nd Place-Freshman/Sophomore Two-Person Competition.
After the Regional Math Competition, the contest committee looks at the results from across the State and determines any additional qualifiers. On February 27, the geometry team placed 18th in the State, which qualified the entire geometry team for the ICTM State Math Competition on May 7. Please congratulate Mary Clare Greenlees, Kaitlin Gaynor, Jackson Hajer, Hailey Jurgens, Jason Kenny, and Radoslava Pribyl Pierdinock
School Citizen of the Year (SCOTY) Award
Samantha Miezio, a junior at RB, was recognized by the West 40  Intermediate Service Center as a recipient of the 2016 SCOTY (School Citizen of the Year) Award. Samantha was recognized for her steadfast commitment to her own academic success as well as her positive contributions to her school community through her leadership in and out of the classroom.
Student of the Quarter - 3rd Quarter Recipients
On March 11, we celebrated students who were selected by their teachers and/or administrators as the Students of the 3rd Quarter from each academic department, as well as a Building leader.
These students were nominated by faculty for excelling in two areas: academics and character.
Pictured Front Row: Anisa Selenica, Building Leader; Sydney Selewa, Social Science; Jacob Kreiss, Science; Max Hoadley, Fine Arts; Killian Klotz, English
Back Row: Evan Jones, Math; Erik Hartwig, Applied Arts; William Gmitro, Wellness; Ms. Smetana, Principal; Margarita Munoz, Library
Not pictured: Nick Morrison; Alexandria Hodges, World Language
University of Illinois Chicago German High School Day 2016
On March 11, fifteen RB students who study German participated in the  2016 UIC Department of Germanic Studies German High School Day, where a record number of students (over 400) from 19 area high schools competed in a variety of areas of expertise. The final judges in the trophy rounds included the Consul General of Germany, the Honorary Consuls of Austria and Switzerland, the Director of the Goethe Institute, and the Vice President of the German Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. Congratulations to the following students:
- Henry Scheffer, 3rd place in the UIC essay contest in an AP format incorporating the themes of Global Challenges
- Elvis Begic, Collin Dreilich, and Jemma Perry , 3rd place for their German video
- Evan Dunbar, 1st place for his city guide on Flensburg that he presented in the target language
- Nicole Kural, 1st place in the poetry contest with her amazing German rendition of a Julia Engelmann poem "One Day, Baby, We'll Be Old"
Several more students represented RB well at the event. Congratulations to the following participants:
- Carleen Egan, competed in the German Spelling Bee
- Megan Sroka, presented a second city guide on Augsburg
- Gustas Gladstein participated in the poetry competition with Rammstein's "Zeituhr"
- Amanda Voth and Demar Pearce, entered the cover art competition.
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Staff Recognition
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Pictured L to R: Danielle Delzotti, Kimberly Hayes
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Women's Education League's Distinguished Teacher Award
Kimberly Hayes won the Women's Education League's Distinguished Teacher Award. Kimberly Hayes was selected because of her dedication to the career of education, professionalism, and generous spirit. Danielle Delzotti was selected to speak at the event and shared a favorite moment from the field of education.
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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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School resumes from Spring Break
April 4
P.T.O. Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Lehotsky Room 201
April 7
Jazzapulooza
7:00 p.m.
Band Room
April 9
A.C.T. Testing
7:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
April 12
Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Alumni Lounge
April 13
Vocal Jazz Concert
7:00 p.m.
Little Theater
April 14
Spring Band & Orchestra Concert
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
April 19
Testing Day - Grade 9-11: 12:35 p.m. dismissal; Grade 12: Non-attendance day
April 23
P.T.O.'s Day of Service
Community Sites
April 25
Local Scholarship Recognition Ceremony sponsored by Student Services
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium and Commons
April 28
Bring Your Child To Work Day
April 29
Non-Attendance day for students / Institute Day
April 29
Prom
Hyatt Lodge, McDonald's campus, Oak Brook
May 2 - May 13
AP Testing
May 5
Spring Choir Concert, "Do You Remember?"
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
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Contact Us
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See our website for individual staff email addresses
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