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Events this week:
- Monday, November 2: Boys Soccer plays in the IHSA Supersectional at 5:00pm on Bennett Field
- Tuesday, November 3: No School due to Election Day
- Tuesday, November 3: Girls Volleyball plays in the IHSA Sectional at 7:00pm at Argo
- Thursday, November 5: Fall Orchestra Concert at 7:30pm in the Reber Center.
- Thursday, November 5: Girls Volleyball IHSA Sectional Final
- Friday, November 6-Sunday, November 8: Snowball Weekend
- Friday, November 6: First Slice - First Generation Celebration during lunch periods in the South Campus Library
- Friday, November 6 & Saturday, November 7: Boys Soccer IHSA State Finals
- Saturday, November 7: ILMEA District 1 Music Festival - Good luck to those musicians who will be participating!
- Saturday, November 7: Girls and Boys Cross Country IHSA State Meet in Peoria
- Saturday, November 7: Girls Swimming and Diving at IHSA Sectional at LT (Diving at 9am and Swim at 1pm)
- Saturday, November 7: Football in the IHSA Playoffs at Bolingbrook at 7:00pm
2026-27 Quarter One Student Attendance & Behavior Update
Student attendance and behavior remains a top priority and focus area during the 2026-27 school year. Attendance and behavior expectations are reinforced through principal communication to students/families as well as special events (Assistant Principal talks at Freshman Experience Day & AP Talks with all students during the first full week of school). Assistant Principals and Student Support Teams continue to implement attendance interventions/communications during the 2026-27 school year.
LTHS continues to implement our attendance campaign - We are Present. We are Engaged. We are LT! We are focusing on attendance related communication which includes the following:
- Regular Progress Report Emails to Parents/Guardians for All Students
- Attendance Roadmaps
- Importance of Attendance Highlighted within Presentations/Meetings
- Attendance Handbook and Website
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Regular Communication Regarding Importance of Attendance
- Quarterly Attendance and Behavior Updates
- 3 Day Emails/7 Day Emails/Letters
- Quarterly Progress Communications
- Referral to Student Support Teams
- Parent/Student conferences & meetings
LTHS continues to focus on building a restorative culture of belonging by implementing both proactive and responsive restorative practices within our classrooms, Student Services, AP Offices, Restorative Intervention Rooms, and all throughout our school community. As a school community, we have committed to many proactive community building efforts: Developing shared norms, agreements, and expectations, using affective and affirming language, implementing welcome week, developing athletics/activities core values, welcoming students to class and greeting them by name, learning about students interests, utilizing icebreakers and connection activities, implementing circles, etc. Additionally, we implement responsive practices in order to support students in learning from mistakes, repairing harm and restoring relationships.
The purpose of this update is to share an overview of our overall student behavior data after one quarter of the 2026-27 school year.
Quarter One Attendance Data:
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LTHS students attended at a 94.3% attendance rate during the first quarter of the 2026-27 school year. For comparison purposes, LTHS students attended at 95% during the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year.
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84.3% of all LT students attended at least 90.1% of all days in the first quarter of the 2026-27 school year. For comparison purposes, 86.2% of all LT students attended at least 90.1% of all days in the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year.
Quarter One Tardy Data:
- There is a decrease in the total number of tardy incidents (407) and students receiving a tardy (159) from quarter one in 2025-26 to quarter one in 2026-27.
- Classes 2027 and 2028 had a decrease in the total number of tardy incidents and students receiving a tardy when comparing quarter one of 2025-26 to quarter one of 2026-27.
- Class of 2029 has an increase in the total number of tardy incidents and students receiving a tardy when comparing quarter one of 2025-26 to quarter one of 2026-27.
- The data reflects significant decreases in the number of tardy incidents and students receiving a tardy during quarter one for the second consecutive year.
- There were 2,101 tardies to first period during Q1 of the 2026-27 school year. For comparison purposes, there were 2,148 tardies to first period during Q1 of the 2025-26 school year.
- We are in year three of using a scan system to record 1st period tardies for any student who arrives at school between 7:45 and 7:55. The process is more efficient for teachers and results in less missed instructional time. While we observed a significant increase in first period tardies during the 2024-25 school year, we have observed decreases in first period tardies for quarter one over the last two school years.
Quarter One Referral Data (Attendance & Behavior)
- Attendance Referrals: There is an increase in total number of attendance referrals (8) and a decrease in the number of students receiving an attendance referral (19) during the first quarter of the 2026-27 school year as compared to the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year.
- Behavior Referrals: There is an increase in the total number of behavioral referrals (48) and students receiving a behavior referral (21) during the first quarter of the 2026-27 school year as compared to the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year.
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The most notable area of increase within behavior-related referrals when comparing the first quarter of 2026-27 to the first quarter of 2025-26 is the category Inappropriate Behavior which has increased by 46.
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The following are notable areas of decrease within behavior-related referrals when comparing the first quarter of 2026-27 to the first quarter of 2025-26: Electronic Policy Violations (17) and No ID (27).
Student/Family Resources
I am sharing with you information about food resources available through LTHS and one of our community partners.
Fee Waiver/Free Meal Information
Information regarding application for fee waiver/free meals can be found on the LTHS website. I am including the following information regarding eligibility for fee waiver/free meals:
- Documentation must be submitted indicating that your household income falls within the Federal Income Guidelines (see chart on website).
- In order to apply for a fee waiver or to participate in the free meal program, please complete one application per household each school year.
- If you are applying to have your student’s school fees waived, you will also need to provide proof of income from the previous year’s Federal Tax return (1040).
- If your employment status has changed since filing, you are able to complete the form - but we may request further documentation to verify your eligibility status. Examples of supporting documentation may include a current pay stub, IDES benefits statement, notice of termination, SSI benefit statement, etc. Failure to provide documentation will delay the verification process.
- If you received direct-certification for an approved fee waiver, you do not need to fill out this application. Direct-certification emails were sent to families indicating eligibility.
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If you have questions, please contact Travis Hastings at thastings@d204.lths.net (grades 11/12) or Bryan Radavich at bradavich@d204.lths.net (grades 9/10).
West 40 Community Resource Lists
LTHS is lucky to have West40 Intermediate Center as a partner in serving our students. West40 serves 41 school districts and three co-ops in West Cook County, providing programs, services, and resources to students and families. I am sharing a link to food resources with our LT families within this communication. A full list of resources can be found on the West40 website.
LTHS Care Space and Community Resources
I am also re-sharing information on our LTHS Care Space.
The LT Care Space is a community space designed to support the needs of our students. Through the Care Space, students have access to essentials such as hygiene products, school supplies, basic food items, clothing items, as well as gift cards that can be provided to allow students to purchase what they need. We have designed a process that aims at eliminating barriers/obstacles, honors our students’ dignity, and makes it easy for students to access supplies and items that support their needs.
Getting Help/Support
Students can access the Care Space in the following ways:
- Talking to a trusted adult at LT. Any staff member can assist students to access resources from the Care Space by connecting with members of our Student Services Division or Administrative Team.
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Students and/or families can fill out this form to request items the student needs. After students/families fill out this form, a member of our team will follow up to provide support to the student/family.
- Students can stop by the AP Office, Counseling Office, or Main Office at either campus for support
Donations
The Care space has been funded through student fundraisers and generous community donations. We appreciate the generosity of the LTHS community and wanted to share that we are currently accepting donations. Currently we are accepting cash and gift card donations to help support our students during this school year.
Donations are accepted in the following ways:
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Anyone may make a monetary donation via RevTrak.
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If interested in donating gift cards, please contact Greg Gardner (ggardner@d204.lths.net) at SC or Sarah Smith (ssmith@d204.lths.net) at NC.
At this time, we are in need of monetary and gift card donations to support students’ needs. We are not in need of supplies or clothing donations.
College and Career Center Update
There is a lot happening in the College & Career Center this November. Check out this monthly newsletter (https://bit.ly/CCCnews1126) boletín de este mes (https://bit.ly/CCCnews1126esp) to find out more about:
- Military Week
- Upcoming Scholarships deadlines
- Career Planning Night Details
- Events in the Community
- Much more!
Visiting A College Campus? Reminder: Click here for College Visit Excused Absence protocols (in Spanish)
Panorama Student Perception Survey
Students at Lyons Township High School District 204 will complete a 15-20 minute Panorama Student Perception Survey on November 11, 2026. All participants will answer questions regarding overall school safety, climate, teacher-student relationships, sense of belonging, engagement, rigorous expectations, and diversity and inclusion during their 4th or 5th period class.
The results of this survey will help school and district leaders identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth within our school climate and culture. Students will access the survey using their school ID number. Responses will be viewed at the aggregate level to help school leaders ensure the school climate and culture are contributing to a welcoming and supportive educational experience for all students.
The survey is voluntary and parents had an opportunity to opt their students out of the survey during online registration. Students who were opted out of the survey will not be able to log in to take the survey and any student who chooses not to take the survey will be asked to work quietly while others complete the survey. Please direct any questions about the survey to Kristine Zieman, Coordinator of Assessment and Research, at kzieman@lths.net.
Thank you for supporting the district as we work to provide a welcoming and inclusive school community for all students.
Young Community Changemakers (YC2) Leadership Program
Young Community Changemakers (YC2) is a leadership development program designed to educate and empower local youth to become our community’s next generation of philanthropists–those who give their time, talent and treasure for the common good. YC2 is a youth philanthropy program offered to juniors and seniors from LT and as well as other local high schools. Curricula encourages students to explore our local community and its social needs; learn about philanthropic theory; and engage in organizational evaluation and grantmaking. Students will review grant applications from local organizations, conduct site visits, and at the end of the semester-long program, award financial contributions to nonprofit organizations that further the mission and vision of Community Memorial Foundation.
Applications for the 2026-27 YC2 program are due by 5:00 PM on November 20, and can be submitted by completing this form.
Students will be notified on whether or not they have been selected into the program the week of December 7.
This brochure includes important information. Information can also be found on the website: www.cmfdn.org/yc2
Message from the Health Offices’ - Level Up your Gray Matter - Why the Teenage Brain Needs Sleep
Did you know that average middle schoolers get around 8.4 hours of sleep a night, but by senior year of high school, that number drops to just 6.9 hours?
If you struggle to fall asleep early, don't beat yourself up-it’s not just poor discipline. Your biology changed! During puberty, your body’s internal clock naturally shifts to a delayed sleep onset. Your brain literally isn't ready to release melatonin (the sleep hormone) until later at night compared to when you were younger.
Combine this with homework and extracurriculars, afternoon caffeine, extended screentime, and anxiety/stress, this is a perfect storm for sleep deprivation and its consequences.
As your school nurse, I see a lot of students coming in with headaches, body aches, and high stress levels. A huge chunk of the time, the culprit isn’t a flu bug—it’s often lack of sleep. Let’s talk about what’s actually going on in your brain and how you can handle your "sleep budget" without ruining your weekends.
A long-term study done by neuroscientists following young people from ages 5 to 18 showed something incredible: getting enough sleep is directly linked to an increase in gray matter in your brain. Gray matter is the tissue in your brain that controls critical thinking, memory, decision-making, and physical movement. Sleep can help your brain grow!
The "Sleep Bank": Can You Catch Up on Weekends?
You’ve probably tried staying up late all week and then sleeping in until 1:00 PM on Saturday to "make up for it." This brings us to the concept of the Sleep Bank.
- How Sleep Debt Works: Think of your sleep need as a bank account. Every hour of missed sleep during the week is a deposit into your "Sleep Debt."
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Can you pay back the Sleep Bank on weekends? Yes, but with limits. Sleeping in an extra hour or two on Saturday morning or taking a 20- to 30-minute afternoon power nap can help replenish your energy and settle some sleep debt.
- The Weekend Trap ("Social Jetlag"): If you sleep until mid-afternoon on Sunday, you trick your body into a completely different time zone. When Sunday night rolls around, your shifted clock will make it impossible to fall asleep, leaving you exhausted for Monday morning.
- The Golden Rule: Use the sleep bank to deposit an extra 1 to 2 hours max on the weekend, rather than spending half the day in bed!
While it is not always possible to get the sleep you want, here are some ideas you may want to try to help fall asleep faster:
- Set a Caffeine Cut-Off Time: Caffeine stays in your system for 6+ hours. Try making 2:00 PM your cutoff time for coffee, energy drinks, or soda.
- Give Your Brain a 30-Minute Screen Sunset: The blue light from your phone tricks your brain into thinking it's daylight. Turn on "Night Shift" or put your phone away 30 minutes before closing your eyes.
- Keep Your Room Cool: Your body temperature needs to drop slightly to signal to your brain that it’s time to sleep. Aim for a cooler room fan or light blankets.
- Brain Dump Before Bed: If stress or anxiety keeps your mind racing at night, keep a notebook by your bed. Write down tomorrow's to-do list or whatever is stressing you out to clear it from your head.
Take care of your brains and get some rest!
Academic Support - Drop In Centers
Our Drop-In centers are open and available to students seeking additional academic support in Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, and/or Multilingual courses. Drop-In Centers are open and can be accessed during students' lunch study hall time. Attendance will be taken in Drop-In Centers where students will have the opportunity to get additional help from staff or student tutors.
Locations of North Campus Drop In Centers:
- Language Arts - Room 225
- Math & Science / Spanish & French - Lower Level Library
- Social Studies - Room 239
- Multilingual - Room 224
- ASL - Room 318 (4b only)
Locations of South Campus Drop In Center:
- All South Campus Drop In Centers are located Drop at the Top in the upper Commons.
Winter Sports Registration
Winter sports registration is now open on our Athletics Webpage. All students wishing to participate in athletics must have a current physical on file and complete the athletic online registration on the team’s page. The Athletic Department requires each participant to complete the online registration for each sport season. This ensures the safety of the athlete, and also updates the athletic eligibility files. Questions regarding tryouts should be directed to head coaches; general questions about LTHS Athletics should be directed to John Grundke, Athletic Director.
Have a great week,
Jen Tyrrell
Principal
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