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Superintendent's Message
Dear RBHS Students, Families, Staff, and Community,
As we begin our second semester of the 2016-2017 school year, the District is already busy planning for the 2017-2018 school year. The next phase of Life Safety and construction projects, the budget, and staffing projections are just a few of the major items we are addressing.
Cordially,
Kevin Skinkis, Ed.D
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2017-2018 School Calendar
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At the January 10, 2017, regular meeting, the Board of Education approved the school calendar for the 2017-2018 school year. The
calendar
can be viewed on the RBHS website.
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Tennis Court and Parking Lot Update (Settlement Agreement)
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As reported in the last newsletter, the District has reached a settlement agreement with the Village of Brookfield regarding the zoning litigation. The District has to complete the formal zoning process with the Village before construction can commence. The first Zoning hearing was held on Thursday, January 26. We are pleased to report that Village of Brookfield Zoning Board of Appeals approved the plan (6 Yes - 0 No). Now the Village Board will need to take formal action on the plan agreed upon in the settlement agreement. The first meeting in front of the Village Board is Monday, February 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Village Hall. Please plan on attending to show your support for the agreement and this project. To view a rendering of the plan, use this link:
Conceptual Rendering.
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The Illinois State Board of Education issues a Financial Profile Score each year for all school districts in the State. The State uses five indicators to determine each district's financial profile designation. The designations are Financial Recognition, Financial Review, Financial Early Warning, or Financial Watch. For fiscal 2016 Riverside Brookfield scored 3.7 out of 4.0 which resulted in the highest designation: "Financial Recognition." We received a perfect score in four of the five categories. District 208 has received the "Financial Recognition" designation for the last five years from 2012-2016!
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Life Safety/Capital Improvement Projects
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Work on Entrance G, which includes the stairs, handicap accessible ramp, and railings, is complete except for a few minor details that will be addressed in the spring. As planned, the entrance was open for the beginning of the second semester. The work on the tennis courts, parking lot, and sections of roof repairs is in the planning stages and pending zoning approval from the Village of Brookfield.
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Track Update (Public Use)
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Our track should be available for the public this summer once construction is complete on the tennis courts and parking lot. Guidelines and restrictions will be posted at the entrances to the athletic complex, and the track will be monitored by staff and local authorities.
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Weather and School
Cancellation
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As always, we need to be mindful of our "Chicago" weather, which can change at a moment's notice. Please have your students dress appropriately for their trips to and from school. Any school cancellations will be announced on the RB website, Skyward, and local news stations.
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We are back on schedule with two Board meetings per month. The next Board meetings will be on February 14 and 28. The meetings will be held in Room 201 beginning at 7:00 p.m. 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
On January 18 the class of 2021 and their parents came to Riverside Brookfield High School for Future Bulldog Night. In addition to receiving course placements, students and their parents toured the halls of RB to learn about the wide range of extracurricular activities. As you can see below, current RB students were excited to share their passions with future classmates.
Through grade level assemblies, our building administration met with all students to review academic and behavior expectations, in addition to important upcoming standardized testing information (see below for additional information). These presentations are located on the
RBHS website
. Please review these expectations with your student to ensure that the second semester is a successful one!
Kristin Smetana
Principal
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The PTO Announces the New Summer Academic/Leadership Enrichment Grant
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The Summer Academic/Leadership Enrichment grant is to assist students with the costs of attending camps/workshops during the summer of 2017, which provide academic enrichment and/or enhance their leadership skills. This grant is not for athletic or music programs. It is for individual, not group use. The grant is open to current RB freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who will be enrolled at RB in the fall of 2017.
The completed applications must be placed in an envelope labeled 'PTO Grant' and dropped off in the Main Office for placement in the PTO mailbox no later than Monday, April 17. Applications are now available on the PTO website (see link below).
Grant applicants will be notified by Wednesday, May 10. To view the application, please visit the website below:
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RB Boutique Flash Sale
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The PTO is looking for gently worn, clean, short and long dresses,
 jewelry, and handbag donations for the RB Boutique Flash Sale that is to be held on Saturday, March 4.
Donations can be dropped off, through the end of February, at the following locations:
Riverside Brookfield High School: Door A, front entrance located off of Golf Road during school hours, 8:00 a.m.-3:05 p.m. Walk in and drop at the security office right inside the doors.
3126 Arthur Avenue, Brookfield, IL: Drop off anytime
125 Bloomingbank Road, Riverside, IL: Drop off anytime
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All Freshmen Students - PSAT 9 on Tuesday, April 4
All currently-enrolled RBHS freshmen will be sitting for a PSAT 9 exam on Tuesday, April 4, in the East Gym. No cell phones are allowed in the testing facility. Please make sure that you bring an approved calculator, pencils, and your student ID. More information about the PSAT can be found at
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9
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All Junior Students - SAT on Wednesday, April 5
The state-funded SAT exam will be given to all students that are of junior status on Wednesday, April 5. Testing will take place during the school day. Parents do not have to register their children for this test.
School Wide Testing Day for Freshman, Sophomores,
and Juniors - April 19 (Early Dismissal)
Students testing with regular testing time will finish around 12:00 p.m. More information regarding this testing date will be shared at a later date.
- Freshman will be taking NWEA MAP tests and the Illinois Science Assessment
- Sophomores will be taking a practice ACT exam
- Juniors will be taking a district-funded ACT exam
- Seniors will have a non-attendance college visit day
Illinois Science Assessment
All RBHS students that are enrolled in a Biology class will be taking the Illinois Science Assessment this Spring. The assessment will only be administered via the computer, and the test will be administered on Wednesday, April 19. Students should bring their fully-charged Chromebooks for the exam. More information will be released when available.
ACT
RBHS will host a national ACT exam on Saturday, April 8. The registration deadline for this exam date is March 3.
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 8 ACT exam should register at
www.actstudent.org
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The RBHS-funded state level ACT exam will be given to all students that are of junior status on Wednesday, April 19. Testing will take place during the school day. Parents do not have to register their children for this test.
All sophomores will be taking a practice ACT exam on Wednesday, April 19, in the Main Gym. Testing will take place during the school day. Parents do not have to register their children for this test.
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.
PSAT10/11/NSMQT
Information on how to access PSAT scores online was sent via email by College Board to all students that took the PSAT exam back in October. Please access those scores online. Paper copies of the scores will also be handed out to students in February. Students should listen to the announcements for the exact date and time.
For testing-related questions, please contact Michelle Bauer, Testing Director, at
[email protected]
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College Board SAT Suite of Assessment Information for Parents
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Bulldog Book Club
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This year we have started hosting a morning book club in the library. Each month, book club participants get together to discuss one book that has been chosen by club members. So far, the Bulldog Book Club has read three novels: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and Unwind by Neal Shusterman.
 Our next book, to be discussed in February, is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This is the story of Cadence and her summer spent on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a boy named Gat. Parade.com calls it "A rich, stunning summer mystery with a sharp twist that will leave you dying to talk about the book with a pal or ten." There are several copies of this book available for checkout from the RB Library and the Book Club will meet on February 9, to discuss We Were Liars.
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Rouser is Recognized and Turns 100
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Recently the
Rouser staff earned first place in the American Scholastic Press Association yearbook competition. They earned this recognition by creating a memorable yearbook that shows excellence in the fields of writing, photography, and page design.
The Rouser Class has been working on the 100th edition of the yearbook. Don't miss out on the legacy! You can reserve your copy of this milestone yearbook at
www.jostens.com
or in the business office. Contact Mrs. Marsh with any questions.
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Extracurricular Activities Update
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Speech Team Wins at Willowbrook
The RB Speech Team competed at the Willowbrook Invitational on
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(Front) Nicole Bajerek, Elona Selenica, Casey Whisler, Kenna Howorth, Cameron Winkler, and Rachel Lemont (Back) Taner Guzeldereli, Johnathan Wells, Ian Baartman, Derek Johnson, Nick Grigoletti, Ivan Astorga, Galen Alaks, and Madeline Hunt
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Saturday, January 14, and walked away with nine medals.
Nicole Bajerek won 1st in Oratorical Declamation
, Elona Selenica won 2nd in Humorous Interpretation, and Casey Whisler won 7th in Dramatic Interpretation.
They dominated the Improv Duet Acting category. Ivan Astorga and Nick Grigoletti won 5th place
, Elona Selenica and Nicole Bajerek won 3rd place, and Taner Guzeldereli and Casey Whisler won 1st place.
 Spring Musical, Annie
RBHS will present the Spring Musical, Annie, Thursday, March 2 through Sunday, March 5. The production will include over 60 students from our partner elementary and middle schools who will play members of the orphan chorus.
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Student Association Update
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Student Association recently visited the Ronald McDonald House. They baked holiday cookies for them, and some students who were new to the house got a tour. They had another successful Santa Anonymous fundraiser, helping 35 individuals through CSS in Brookfield. They also enjoyed the Spirit-themed day - Ugly & Tacky Holiday Sweater in December! Custodian Appreciation Day was celebrated on Thursday, January 26.
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Information from the Office of Student Affairs
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We welcomed the reopening of Door G in January! Students will now be able to access Door G (the entrance on Ridgewood) when entering and or leaving the south end of the building.
Due to construction on First Avenue and due to traffic patterns on Ridgewood and Golf Roads, students should give themselves additional time to get to school in the morning. Hero un-excused tardies will be enforced for all periods second semester.
Students who are staying after school for a related activity or athletic practice need to be in a supervised location with their coach or sponsor. Students hanging out unsupervised after school in the Commons will be asked to leave the building at 3:15 p.m. daily.
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Auto Shop Produces Top Service
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Auto 1 had the opportunity to service over 35 different vehicles during the first semester. The shop is now reopen for second semester, and they look forward to servicing more vehicles.
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Student Services Events and Information
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College Week - A Yearly Tradition
RB will hold our annual College Week February 27- March 3. To encourage two- and four-year colleges as a post-secondary option, Student Services will organize several activities during the week. More information will be shared via e-mail and on the RB website.
Local Scholarship Applications for Seniors
Local scholarship applications will be available on the Student Services website on February 10. You can access the applications by clicking on the following links: Students, Student Affairs, Student Services, College & Career, and Local Scholarships. The deadline for most applications is March 10, although a few scholarships have a different deadline. Please see your counselor with any questions.
College Planning Tips for Sophomore Parents
February 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
Jim Franko will give some helpful tips for parents of seniors on admission, college applications, and financial aid.
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English teacher, Mrs. Lee, participates in virtual collaboration with teachers at Elk Grove High School.
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| Zoology Gone Viral |
For the past 13 years, Zoology teacher David Monti has invited a former Fish and Wildlife agent/herpetologist to come to speak to his Applied Zoology classes in December. Mr. Monti's guest brings in reptiles and
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Jalen Brooks
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amphibians as well as a variety of other animals, which add up to making the experience the highlight of the year for the students. One student videotaped the young man across from her, capturing his reactions every time the herpetologist brought out a new animal. The video subsequently went viral with over 27 million plays on Facebook, 125,000 retweets on Twitter, it has been picked up by several online news sources (including BuzzFeed), and was even picked up by GOOD MORNING AMERICA. The hashtag for both Twitter and Facebook is
#montizoology
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Winter sports are coming to an end!
- Boys Basketball currently sports an overall record of 8-9. The Boys played State ranked St. Joseph's HS in the Batavia HS "Night of Hoops" Tournament on January 28 and also in the Proviso East IHSA Boys Basketball Sectional. Jalen Clanton recently scored his 1,000th point.
- Girls Basketball is currently 16-8 overall and 5-3 in MSC. Lyndsey Hoyd scored her 1,000th point last week. They will be headed into the Argo Sectional for the IHSA tournament.
- Wrestling has continued their winning ways, and they currently sport an overall dual meet record of 17-5 and finished 2nd in the MSC. The Wrestlers will be heading to the Lemont HS IHSA Regional.
- Girls Gymnastics have reached their highest score of the season, with a 131.7, which is good for 2nd Place at Geneseo. Their IHSA Regional Meet was Monday, January 30, at Hinsdale Central HS.
- Boys Swimming hosted their own invite on Saturday, January 14, and came in 3rd Place. Their current record is 4-1, and they will be competing at the Independent Conference Invite on Saturday, February 4, at Oswego HS at 1:00 p.m. The Boys Swimming Sectional will be held at Downers Grove South HS on Saturday, February 18.
- Competitive Dance participated two weeks ago at the MSC Invite. They also went to Geneva HS for the IHSA Sectional on January 21.
- Competitive Cheerleading placed 3rd at the MSC Conference Invite. All-Conference Athletes were Heidi Wolfer and Maddie Hopek. Their IHSA Sectional Meet will be held at Conant HS on January 28.
Spring Sports are almost upon us!
Prior to trying out, registration must be completed online at
http://il.8to18.com/RBHS
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All athletic forms can be found on the Athletic Website.
- Girls and Boys Track are starting indoor practices and will gear up for a short indoor season before taking it outside at the end of March. Athletes are encouraged to come out early if they are not in a winter sport, otherwise they can join the outdoor season.
- Most Spring Sports start February 27. This includes Badminton, Girls Soccer, Softball, Baseball, Boys and Girls Water Polo, and Boys Tennis.
- Boys Volleyball starts March 6.
 To help keep the Bulldog Community connected, sign up and follow us on
Twitter
, @rbhsathletics.
Athletic Boosters
The Riverside Athletic Boosters are always appreciative of help. They can be reached by going to the athletic website
http://il.8to18.com/RBHS. T
hen go to the Boosters Tab, which will connect you to their web page where you can see all their information. Sign up to help work concessions, buy RB gear, read minutes of their meetings, etc.
The athletic website 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 and receive important information regarding our athletic contests. RB "Athletes of the Week" are also highlighted on this site weekly.
Wrestling Wins!
The Varsity Wrestling Team won the MSC Conference Tournament on Saturday, January 21.
All 13 wrestlers placed. RB led the tournament with 5 champions.
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Student Recognition
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Chess Team Crowned with 2nd Place Again
For the second consecutive year, the Bulldog team won 2nd Place in the
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(Front) Joe Vitek, (Middle) Megan Sroka, Jacob Lams, and Andres Resto (Back) Mr. Monti, Ray Greco, Jackson Hajer, and Mr. Boyd
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Metro Suburban Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs played some of their best chess of the season. The results are below:
- Sophomore Andres Resto won four of his five matches and received All-Conference Honors.
- Junior Jackson Hajer went undefeated with three wins and two draws and finished 6th. He received All-Conference Honors.
- Sophomore Megan Sroka had three tough wins and finished in 10th place. Megan also was the top overall female player out of eight competing and received All-Conference Honors.
- Senior Ray Greco finished 11th overall with three tough victories.
- Sophomore Joe Vitek finished 14th with three victories
- Senior Jacob Lams added two important wins to the team's performance.
- Freshman Nathan Sanchez took 5th Place out of 15 in the beginner category.
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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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PTO Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Room 201
February 7
Winter Band & Orchestra Concert
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
February 9
Winter Choir Concert
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
February 14
College Planning Tips for Sophomores
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
February 17
Teacher Institute Day
Non-Attendance Day for Students
February 20
President's Day
Non-Attendance Day for Students
February 24
Jostens: Graduation Announcement Delivery
March 2 - March 4
Spring Musical,
Annie
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
March 4
RB Flash Boutique
Commons Area
March 5
Spring Musical,
Annie
2:00 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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