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Hi, this is a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have a student at, or have expressed an interest in, Glenbard East High School. Communication between Glenbard East and our families and community is very important to us. Don't forget to add ge_news@glenbard.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox! Please email any questions directly to Glenbard Staff, we are happy to respond.
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Important Dates
March 29 - April 2
No School - Spring Break

April 5
Classes Resume
Return to 5 days of instruction

April 13
SAT Testing

April 27 & 29
Sr. Swag Bag Pick-up
All Lunch Periods
-or-
3PM-4PM
Top of the Hill - Door 24

April 30
Course Change Deadline

May 1
Sr. Swag Bag Pick-up
10AM-2PM
Glendale Heights Sports Hub


A Message From the Assistant Principal for Athletics
Assistant Principal For Athletics
D'Wayne Bates
It’s an honor and great privilege to serve as Assistant Principal for Athletics at Glenbard East High School. I appreciate District 87’s investment in students (athletes) and staff (coaches), and a clear mission towards student achievement. Speaking of achievement, the Rams just completed an overall successful winter season (badminton, boys & girls basketball, boys & girls bowling, cheer, dance, girls gymnastics, and boys swimming). Highlights include badminton completing an undefeated conference season (IHSA postseason still to come); Lauren Huber broke the all-time scoring record in girl's basketball, just shy of 1,300 points; boys bowling repeated as conference champs and completed an undefeated season; cheer qualified for the IHSA State Final and finished 12th place overall; and girls’ gymnastics repeated as conference champs – Becca Honig and Kali Kartheiser respectively finishing 1st & 2nd place in All-Around.
 
So many THANK YOUs, but want to mention a few: Phyllis LiFonti and Sean Neary, thank you for the behind-the-scene planning and innovation, as it is a beautiful thing when we get to see it come to fruition; Chris Murphy and all of our medical professionals, thank you for developing a sound protocol that helps us better understand and adhere to COVID19 safety guidelines; All Coaches, thank you for your patience, flexibility, and thank you for creating a safe environment for our student-athletes as well as making lifetime memories through these shortened athletic seasons; Families (Parents), thank you for entrusting Glenbard East Athletics with the opportunity to coach and develop your child during this pandemic – without your support none of what we are doing would happen; and a special, special thank you to our Student-Athletes, your commitment to putting TEAM before self has helped to ensure everyone’s safety, and we all truly enjoy the privilege of watching the Rams compete.
 
The spring seasons are underway including Football (March 3), Boys Gymnastics (March 15), Boys Soccer (March 1), and Girls Volleyball (March 8). The next seasons after that, summer season include Baseball (April 5), Girls Soccer (April 5), Softball (April 5), Boys Tennis (April 5), Boy/Girls Track & Field (April 5), Boys Volleyball (April 5), and Wrestling (April 19).
 
Course Change Deadline: April 30, 2021
Enrollment for all students has been completed. We appreciate all of the planning that you and your students have conducted to complete this process, and we thank those of you who took advantage of the online format to complete this process at home. Over the next few months, the guidance staff and administration will be busy attempting to design the school’s Master Schedule for next year based on the requests that the students made during enrollment. Courses will be calculated and created based on this information during an extremely complex process. Therefore, please remember to check PowerSchool to confirm your student’s course requests. If you find an error, please contact your student’s School Counselor immediately. Due to the complexity of this process and School Board Policy 6:310-R7, all corrections and changes need to be completed by April 30, 2021. After that date, no changes will be made.
Seniors: College Applications
If you still need to complete any remaining college applications, please see your counselor immediately. It is not too late to apply to some colleges, but time is quickly running out. Springtime is the time to get the financial component of the college decision process worked out before finally choosing what college you will be attending next year. Check the financial aid page on the website for each of your schools to see what types of scholarships they offer. All families are encouraged to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by going to www.fafsa.gov. Colleges require the FAFSA to determine the amount of financial aid for which you may be eligible. Financial Aid does run out, so complete this form today if you have not done so already. Also, make sure you are reading all of the correspondences you are receiving from your colleges. Once you have filed your FAFSA and are awaiting your financial information from the colleges, it is not uncommon that they may ask you for additional documentation. If your FAFSA gets "flagged for verification", this does not mean you have done anything wrong, but your schools may require additional documentation to fully process your financial aid package. If it has been a while since you filed your FAFSA, and you are still waiting on your financial aid package, we encourage you to contact the Financial Aid Office at your prospective school to check on the status of your Financial Aid offer. Remember that you have until May 1, 2021, to officially commit to whatever school you plan to attend in the fall. Take the time to find out how much it will cost you before committing!
 
Colleges may be sending you a request for a final transcript in the next few months. This transcript cannot be produced until all grades for the entire year are posted in June. Counselors will be surveying seniors in May asking where they want their final transcript sent. Please disregard senior transcript requests when you receive them from the colleges…we have it covered!
AP Testing
Families may already be aware that the College Board recently announced a change in their schedule for the annual administration of Advanced Placement (AP) exams.  The College Board has provided multiple testing windows, as well as a digital testing option this year. Glenbard District 87 will administer AP exams to all students following the primary test schedule from May 3 - May 17 in a traditional paper and pencil format. District 87 has decided to offer the exams during this test window using a traditional paper and pencil format for the following reasons:

  1. This testing window best fits our students’ school calendar. Seniors' last day is May 14, and even with this test schedule, some will need to return to school on Monday, May 17, to complete the AP Statistics and AP Computer Science Principles exam.
  2. The online version of the AP test is not compatible with student iPads.
  3. Last year all AP exams were completed remotely at home. Many students had issues with uploading their tests, which led to considerable frustration on the part of both students and families.
  4. The AP World Language and Music Theory tests are only able to be administered at school sites and are not available in the electronic version.

We currently plan to conduct all exams on campus, but due to recent changes to the school schedule, specific locations within the building are yet to be determined. We will provide greater details as we approach the testing dates.

Registration for exams was conducted at the start of each semester when each student joined their class in the AP Classroom website, and exam fees were collected via your PowerSchool registration over the summer. If you have concerns about testing in person and would like to test remotely using the College Board’s digital format, please contact our AP Coordinator, Mr. Scott Lilly at scott_lilly@glenbard.org. Please note that AP exams are not iPad compatible and technology or technology support will not be provided for students attempting to test at home.

The current schedule of AP exams is as follows:
Senior Celebration
Plans are in the works for a Senior Celebration! We look forward to having a space and place for our Class of 2021 to celebrate the completion of their senior year on Friday, May 14, 2021. We are anticipating this event will take place in the morning. Details are being worked on and we thank you for your patience.  
 
We are looking for a few parent volunteers to join us in helping the event run smoothly. If you are available on the morning of May 14, 2021, please send your full name, your student's name and phone number to evelyn_schneider@glenbard.org.  
From The Deans' Desk
Welcome Back, Again, And Our New Normal!

We are resilient and strong! Together, we have all navigated through a pandemic, and we are beginning to see a hint of the normal we never knew we missed until now. Although this “new normal” requires some additional measures like masks and saliva screening, we can and we will continue to successfully do this together. Some important guidelines for our new normal for the remainder of the school year are:.  
 
Return to 5 Full Day Instruction: We are truly excited to have students return to the building for full five day in person instruction! Please refer to this document for our traditional bell schedule.
 
Saliva Screening & Health Protocols: The following procedures must be followed on a weekly basis by the student for in-person attendance and any in-person activities for remote only students:
  1. A clean student saliva sample must be provided weekly. Please make sure the sticker is secured to the tube, so we are able to identify the student that turned it in. Only one sample is required for each week of attendance. If a sample is forgotten, it must be provided the next time the student is on campus. 
  2. For bus entry and entry at Door 1 at GBE, all students need to provide a completed daily self- certification green check. 
  3. All students must provide a current school ID upon entry into the building.
  4. Upon entry, students must remove hats/hoodies/sunglasses for the temperature screening.
IMPORTANT: Students who fail to provide a saliva screener sample by the end of their attendance week will be switched to temporary remote learning status until a sample has been submitted AND the student's results have been received.

Attendance Reminder: Please continue to call your child into the Attendance Office at 630.627.2595 if they are sick or will not be able to attend in person or synchronous remote learning for the day.

Health Protocols: Please continue to contact the health office at 630.424.7133 for any student or family COVID-19-like symptoms or positive test results. 
 
Temporary Remote Assignment: Students may be assigned to temporary remote status for COVID like symptoms or exposure, lack of providing COVID documentation post quarantine, missing immunizations or physicals, and saliva screener non-compliance.
 
Virtual After School Help: STRIVE, our FREE after school homework help, is here to assist!  STRIVE takes place virtually from 2:45-3:45, Monday through Thursday. When school is in session, students can click the subject area Zoom link they need in Schoology, and the teacher in the Zoom will assist them with their homework help needs. 
 
Glenbard East Student Support Services: For student wellness, social, or emotional support, check out the Student Support Services one-pager. For additional support from the community, click here.
 
Thank you for all of your support navigating this challenging school year! The Dean Team is truly grateful for our RAM fam, and we wish you all a safe, healthy, and happy summer!

 DEANS:
Jordan Carrero - Jordan_carrero@glenbard.org
Jorge Sánchez - Jorge_sanchez@glenbard.org
Stacey Welton -  Stacey_welton@glenbard.org
Ryan West - Ryan_west@glenbard.org
 
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Classes
Master Robotics!
PLTW kicks into full gear. With in-person students being a couple months deep into our PLTW classes, Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering, they are gaining quite a bit of experience and confidence in the field of robot building and coding. Our Introduction to Engineering and Design (IED) students are building and coding their Vex IQ robots while incorporating engineering design elements and 3-D printing into their build. They are working in teams of 4, which are comprised of coding specialists, build and design specialists, 3-D designer, and lead engineer.

The Principles of Engineering (POE) group is designing and building real world warehouse collectors and accumulators. POE is working in the mindset that they must win a proposal from a major company in order to incorporate their robot in the company’s manipulation and storage process. They are working in teams of 4, where each team is competing for the rights for distributing their robot to the major company. They are working with the complex Vex V-5 robotics systems. Each team must have a deep understanding of mechanics, coding, and 3-D design. 
Peter Luchetta-Stendel
Tomas Matulis
Lauren McKeown
The Show Goes On in Fine Arts!
The students and teachers in the Fine Arts classes and ensembles have used all of their creativity to power through and share their talents and art.

Congratulations to Speech Arts!
Glenbard East Forensics Team and Fine Arts had an awesome weekend at the competition for the Upstate Eight Conference for Group Interpretation and Contest Play.  Congratulations to our All Conference Cast Medal winners:  
 
For Contest Play- The Shadow: The Silent Avenger
Acting: Ricky Stachura, Linaea Walsh, Katie Pruyn, and Gia Dagenhart
Tech Crew: Ray Hemmer, Ben Judd
 
For Group Interpretation- The Lorax
Acting: Anthony Nichols, Samantha Rotar, Fiona Bilkey, and Corinne Petiprin

View both productions at gefinearts.org/theatre

Music News
Extracurricular ensembles have returned to the building after school. Honors String Ensembles, Jazz Band, WAVE and Eastwind are filling the halls with music! Marching Band is performing at the home football games. We are still in the planning stages for performance opportunities this Spring.

Be on the lookout for our Senior Honors Recital to be posted on March 24 at gefinearts.org/music

Congratulations to Art Students!
East was well represented at the Upstate 8 Conference Art Show! Congratulations to these students on their award winning art:
 
First Place, Digital Illustration – Cassie Hefner
Second Place, Digital Photography – Alice Tolkin
Third Place, Digital Illustration – Eileny Gomez
Honorable Mention, Drawing – Keri Hrouda
 
View the art show at gefinearts.org/art
Eileny Gomez
Cassie Hefner
Keri Hrouda
Alice Tolkin
Congratulations TCD A-Team!
Julian Ramirez Campos – Automotive Technology
Benjamin Burr – Computer Information Systems
Jacob Netzley – Construction Trades
Vivian Galvez - Cosmetology
Vanessa Reynoso - Cosmetology
Alyssa Villarreal - Cosmetology
Colin O Meara – Criminal Justice
Allette Shaji – Criminal Justice
Julie Berg – Early Childhood Education & Care
Evelyn Valenti – Early Childhood Education & Care
Gianna Covelli -Emergency Medical Technician
Stephen Andrusyk – Fire Science
Nativida Alfaro – Professional Cooking & Baking Service
Ingrid Beckham – Professional Cooking & Baking Service
Congratulations TCD Student of the Month!
Congratulations to Glenbard East student Julian Ramirez Campos, in TCD's Automotive Technology program, who was nominated as Technology Center of DuPage (TCD) Student of the Month for February. Nominations are based on citizenship, attitude, leadership, motivation and academics. Congratulations to Julian Ramirez Campos!
Congratulations to East
Chess Team & Club!
The Glenbard East Chess Team & Club shifted to an online format this season to continue to offer competitive chess for our students. Our season went from August through February, ending one of 100+ teams to compete in the IHSA Chess Team Tournament. Our state qualifiers for this year's IHSA Chess Team Tournament were: Sam Gronwold, Jeet Patel, Anthony Kindness, Tan Banh, Joshua Maida, Krisna Khan, Caleb Johnson and Chris Sotirovski.
 
Sam Gronwold finished his fourth and final season as our top player, and his 2nd year as team captain. Jeet Patel and Anthony Kindness earned the All Conference award for their performance in both the Upstate Eight Conference season and team tournament. 
 
Even with the new virtual format, the chess team yet again hosted more chess tournaments than any other team in the state. The chess team also played a key role in the state's change to a virtual season by organizing and running the Illinois Chess Coaches Association's annual coaching clinic with over a third of the coaches in the state in attendance.
RAMS of the Month
Each month Glenbard East recognizes students who are nominated by staff based on District 87's six Profile of a Graduate tenets: communicates, thinks critically, embraces diversity, creates, collaborates, and is self-empowered. We would like to congratulate the following students for being recognized as our February Students of the Month:
 
Viktoriia Stelmakh- Vika is a student that highly demonstrates all the qualities of a Glenbard graduate. She is highly motivated and is one of the most engaging, creative and conscientious students I know. She does not hesitate to speak up in class. Vika is a remarkable young woman with enormous potential and will work hard to achieve her goals.
 
Lucas Logacho- The Music Faculty is excited to honor Lucas Logacho as our Ram of the Month. Lucas is an exceptional musician and has repeatedly put "himself out there" to inspire his peers, whether he was in the room or on the zoom. Lucas demonstrates deep creativity and curiosity as a member of our Ram Records listening club, Open Studio Club, and Jazz Band. As a self-empowered young person, he was one of just a few freshman musicians that participated in the pit orchestra for the fall musical production. Lucas has assembled a long list of new experiences and accomplishments during a very a-typical start to high school. We are excited to see all that he will accomplish during his time at East.
 
Sophia Opila- Sophia represents the tenet of being self-empowered. She always advocates for herself as well as sets goals for her coursework and continually works on growth of herself. She leads and drives discussions and class as a true contributor.
 
Riley Alstott- Riley is self-empowered and collaborates; she is a high-achiever and she is a pleasure to have in class
Left to Right: Dean Carrero, Riley Alstott, Dean Sanchez, Sophia Opila, Dean West, Lucas Logacho
Left to Right APSS Taylor, Viktoriia Stelmakh
Congratulations to East Staffulty of the Month
Each month Glenbard East recognizes staff members based on her/his contributions to the school and alignment with Profile of an Educator competencies: Advocates, Empathizes, Embraces Diversity, Innovates, Thinks Critically, and Collaborates. 

This month we are proud to recognize: Donna Giuseffi (posthumously), Secretary to the Assistant Principal of Student Services, Sean Neary, Teacher and Assistant Athletic Director, and Alyssa Thomas, Department Chair Support, FACS Shopper and FACS classroom Aide. Here is what their colleagues had to say about them:
Donna Giuseffi
Donna has worked tirelessly for our students and our building. She loves working and collaborating with other departments to reach the needs of our students. She is consistent in her drive to make everything work behind-the-scenes so our office and building can shine and operate smoothly in the forefront. She advocates for our students and never hesitates to lend a helping hand. Donna is a beautiful soul who represents the heart of East.
Sean Neary
Sean Neary is a very quiet person, but the Athletic Department wouldn't survive without him. Sean is directly responsible for the scheduling of practice and game areas for all sports at East and also for Lombard Park District and Special Need Events. You can imagine that at this particular time of Covid, trying to make room for everyone, especially all sports out of season, and following to the letter all the safety social distancing guidelines of the State, District and Conference - this has been a nightmare. He advocated for all team levels and found a way to get them all scheduled, not wanting to slight any Student Athlete who wanted to be involved this year. He empathized with teachers and coaches as concessions needed to be made. He had many sleepless nights to think out the details of how all this would play out and checked and double checked the schedule to assure all was workable. He made every attempt to make sure ALL Students at EAST were able to participate if they wanted to, and he found way to reinvent areas for our needs. He always discusses this process with D'Wayne, Chris Murphy and Coaching staff to make sure everyone is satisfied. On top of that, he schedules officials, oversees/moderates Practices, Games and Events and, is D'Wayne's right hand man. He is a wonderful person, and a good man. Students both current and past are always looking for him to say hi too. I feel he should be acknowledged for his hard work and dedication to EAST, the Athletic Department, and our Student Athletes.
Alyssa Thomas
Alyssa Thomas has spearheaded a HECK of a project in creating individual lab kits for all 250+ of our students. This is no easy task... The FaCS department has gone forth to ensure that ALL kids have access to grocery kits in order to be able to cook each week for class. The other Glenbard schools have since followed suite to an extent due to Alyssa's organization and tireless efforts. I have nominated her before, but I truly think she deserves it again due to her hard work. Check out the preschool in Room 277. It is ENTIRELY covered in groceries that Alyssa has shopped for and organized and packaged up for our students. Not to mention, she is a DC Relief for multiple other departments, and yet, is able to manage her time with us so well. Thank you, Alyssa!!
Superintendent Shares Message About Safety, Quality Programming
Superintendent,
Dr. David Larson
Spring break is days away. In this unique school year, the opportunity to relax and recharge is particularly important.
 
I hope you and your family will take time to rest, get outside and connect with friends and family. Our students have been great about wearing a mask, social distancing and washing their hands; please remind them to continue to adhere to health safety guidance over spring break.
 
Traditional schedule resumes April 5
When classes resume on April 5, we will return to our traditional in-person five days per week, 8-period day schedule. Students will have more direct time with their teachers. Know that families who want their students to remain in our remote learning model have that option. All classes will continue to be livestreamed. Whether in person or remote, students are receiving quality instruction from our exceptional teachers. I am impressed with how our instructors foster a culture of high expectations for students and themselves, and I appreciate students’ continued focus and hard work.
 
Record enrollment in SAT Prep
In addition to the good things happening in classes, students are working beyond class time to empower themselves to pursue the future they choose. Our free 10-week SAT Prep course has the highest enrollment ever with 727 students participating. Students have taken two practice tests and are reviewing their growth in specific areas in preparation for taking the SAT exam on April 13. I am proud of our students’ commitment to preparing for this important exam and appreciative of their families’ support. Students who participate in SAT Prep can boost their score on the exam and expand the number of colleges and universities where they will be accepted.
 
Successful safety mitigation
We continue to emphasize our safety mitigations, including our saliva screening program. Since we began the saliva screening program on Jan. 19, the number of students and staff referred for a diagnostic test has been small: an average of six students district-wide per week and only three staff members in the eight weeks since the screening began.
 
Bookmark our spring calendar
Before students head out for spring break, please bookmark the school day bell schedule and spring calendar, which take effect April 5. I hope you and your family enjoy a happy, safe spring break!
Athletic News: February 2021
VISION: Glenbard East Athletics aims to utilize school and sports to develop “WELL-ROUNDED” student-athletes and establish great pride in our Rams Community.
 
ram facing right white
Student Athletes Fees/Registration
All students/families who participate in athletics will be required to register and pay the $150 athletic fee whether they play one, two, or three sports. Student-athletes should take advantage of this great deal and participate in multiple sports! Fees are due before the first competition. Parents can register and pay online through PowerSchool (Parent Portal only), which has now been made much easier!

MUST HAVES for Student-Athletes:
1)    Register via PowerSchool for your sport(s)
2)    Consent to the Saliva Screening Waiver (located in Parent-Portal PowerSchool)
3)    An up-to-date Medical/Physical Examination, as well as immunizations and any COVID19 mandatory paperwork need by our Health Office (630-424-7133)
4)    Passing at least five (5) classes weekly in order to maintain eligibility
5)    No pending suspensions/athletic code violations
6)    Pay $150 participation fee or apply for PEP waiver
Glenbard East Athletics Social Media
Glenbard East Athletics is now prepared to keep student-athletes, parents, and fans up to date with team news, pictures, schedules, rosters and more: 
Athletic Booster Club Information
Please visit the Glenbard East Booster website www.eastboosters.com for further information, membership, and other volunteer opportunities. Any questions please contact athletic booster club president, Chris O’Brien. email: chrisob1570@gmail.com. Our goal is have 300+ members. Parents/Guardians who have kids in the athletic program have a great opportunity to contribute, simply by becoming a member, joining a committee, and by attending various fundraiser events throughout the year. Also, there is new Glenbard East apparel for sale: https://eastramsboosters.com.
 
SAVE THE DATE(S), more information to come…
Glenbard East Athletic Booster Club Golf Outing, Red & Black Ball at Glendale Lakes Golf Course (Glendale Heights)
Saturday, May 1, 2021
Saturday, May 8, 2021 (rain date)
 
Glenbard East Music Association (GEMA)

The Glenbard East Music Association is comprised of parents, faculty, students, alumni, and community members. GEMA membership is key to continued support of all the music programs at East. GEMA’s budget helps fund items such as student lesson scholarships, student awards, college scholarships, trips, uniform maintenance and upkeep, the gRAMmy’s and other celebrations, Color Guard training, classroom supplies, and guest clinicians.
We are adjusting our budget for 2020-2021 to support the students' virtual enrichment as well as the lessons, awards and scholarships that we regularly support. Please download a membership form here. To find out how you can become more involved please contact GEMA President Colette Luchetta-Stendel at colette@ameritech.net