Principal's Newsletter

Hello - this is a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have a student at, or have expressed an interest in, Glenbard West High School. Communication between Glenbard West and our families and community is very important to us. Don't forget to add gw_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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Glenbard West Community,

After today, we have only thirty-two school days until final exams. Despite the snow this week, the end of the school year is within sight!

This upcoming Wednesday and Thursday will be testing days. On Wednesday, our juniors will take the School Day SAT. This is an important test and a graduation requirement in the state of Illinois. Wednesday is a non-attendance day for freshmen, sophomores, and seniors. On Thursday, our freshmen and sophomores will take the PSAT 9/10. This is a non-attendance day for juniors and seniors. You can find more information on final exams, the (P)SAT testing days, and AP tests below.

This month we have many end-of-the-year events and performances. Below you’ll find dates and information on concerts, our art show, Prom, and the spring production of Romeo and Juliet.

As always, thank you for reading our newsletter. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns.

Go West!

Ben Peterselli

630-942-7473

ben_peterselli@glenbard.org

April 5

Cabaret Nite

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Cafeteria

April 8

Solar Eclipse

1:45 - 2:15 p.m.

April 10

SAT

Juniors Only in Attendance

April 11

PSAT

Freshmen and Sophomores Only in Attendance

April 18 - 20

Spring Play

7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

Auditorium

April 22

Art Show

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Auditorium and Audtorium Foyer

April 23

NHS Induction Ceremony

7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Auditorium

April 24

D87 Chamber Orchestra Festival

9:15 to 1:30 p.m.

Glenbard East High School

April 24

Student Recognition Convo

7:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Auditorium

April 25

Spring Band Concert

7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

Auditorium

April 27

Prom

7:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Bobak's Signature Events

Post Prom

11:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Ackerman Sports Complex

Student Services hosted the March Matter of Pride Ceremony on March 21st, 2024. For those that are not familiar with our Matter of Pride Award, it was created over 30 years ago at West as a way to recognize students with outstanding character. This is the only award at West that focuses on a student's kindness, willingness to help others, going above and beyond for their school and/or community, and positive attitude. Basically, Matter of Pride recipients are what makes West the Best!

Abigail Herbold, Elle Flanagan, Sergio Arredondo, Jacob Blew, Christian Nesslar, Leo Apostolou, Braeden Groszek, Sumbul Mateen, Brooke Esquivel and Cayce Westbrooks.

Congratulations to Glenbard West and Directions student Ian Cortes, a member of the Technology Center of DuPage ProStart culinary team, for earning first place at the state competition. Cortes’ team will compete at the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore next month.

Congratulations to the following students on qualifying for the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) state finals: Steven Hockett, Gabe Shapiro, Angela Jaeger, Sadie Jewell, Tate Mastin, Charles MacDonald, Joanna Piczak, Dylan Gasaway, Ishaan Gupta, Henry Heller, Maanav JaJodia, James MacDonald, Betrand Ngong, Shaan Patel, Colton Nikols and Aleksander Wrobel.

On Sunday, March 10th, eight Glenbard West students volunteered in Go Green Glen Ellyn's SportSwap held at Ackerman SFC. At the SportSwap, gently used sporting equipment is traded or purchased, helping keep items out of the landfill and in play. The spring SportSwap raised $1200 for the Park District Scholarship Fund and Go Green Glen Ellyn and kept hundreds of items out of the landfill and in play! Volunteering were West Key Club volunteers Grace Garvy, Marian Dent, Addie Williams and Emma Eltzroth, plus Freshman English Honors students Connor Rowley, Duncan Rowley, Ben Hambell and Jack Geils.

Each Quarter, teachers across the various departments at Glenbard West choose the one student who best exemplifies excellence within their discipline. The Glenbard West community remains strong because of these students. We congratulate the Departmental Recognition Award Recipients and we thank the families and teachers who have helped them along the way.

(Top Row L - R) Donna Bolsunovska - Social Studies, Drew Denenberg - Physical Education, Keaton Peter - Science, Heide Brazier - English, Michael Interlandi - World Languages

(Middle Row L - R) Jacquelin Houghtaling - Music, Emmie Kotarba - Art, Andrew McCluskey - Excellence at West, Elizabeth Luarca - Math, Andrew Ricci - TCD

(Bottom row L - R) Nate Williams - Speech, Yenifer Amezquita - E.L.L., Justin Bradfield - Physical Education, Arielle Sims - F.A.C.S., Avery Flores - Health,

(Not Pictured) Victoria Creswell - Driver’s Education

Glenbard West recently held its world languages honor societies’ induction ceremony.

Students inducted into Société Honoraire Français include Jane Adduci, Jordan Ademuyiwa, August Allaway, Issta Bah, Heide Brazier, Eden Chan, Sully Church, Charles Davis, Marian Dent, Josephine Dibben, Thanh Dinh, Elle Flanaghan, Chloe Germain, Nathan Gissing, Eliza Gordon, Isaac Guerrero, Kate Gusanders, Kate Harvey, Lucy Hewitt, Kain Hunziker, Christian Jones, Brianna Kaptur, Scarlet Kirmis, Sam Kroening, Hedia Kutrolli, Sam LaPalm, Matteo Loffredo, Matthew LoGalbo, Xander McCallum, Charlotte Mikolajczyk, Norbel Nguyen, Humza Raja, Annalise Ricci, Jack Rice, Sophia Rizko, Jack Seagraves, Ava Sochacki, Alex Stamatakos, Ella Thompson, Hailey Tran, Kelly Tran, Sophia Vardalos, and Jacqueline Wilkinson.

Students inducted into Delta Epsilon Phi include Joey Beiermeister, Kai Chiang, Reese Clements, Victoria Creswell, Delaney Davis, Leah Fenske, Boden Haber, Elizabeth Harrod, Laila Horvath, Sophia Nilsson, Joanna Piczak, Olivia Smith, and Elissa Zaimi

Students inducted into Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica include Abrianna Ademi, Griffith Albrecht, Madison Allen, Maeve Atkinson, Corey Beard, Maddie Beaudoin, Gabbi Bertrand, Luke Brennan, Diego Cano, Olivia Denman, Sophia Fanella, Grace Garvy, Daniela Gawle, Lucas German, Ryan Gritis, Mariia Iurchenko, Angela Jaeger, Katrina Jakubczyk, Erika Jensen, Sadie Jewell, Grace Jewell, Brennan Lloyd, Eric Lowrie, Atty McClowry, Mia Niforatos, Rizwan Panjwani, Gabi Parke, Keaton Peter, Aubrey Phillips, Patty Prescott, Jacob Quintos, Diana Reynaga, Ella Sawyer, Natalia Susan, Lillian Svach, Alexa Trybus, Will Walter, Lily Wiedholz, Eli Witcher, Sameer Yamala, and Julian Yeh

Students inducted into Chinese Honor Society include Brian Bare, Matthew Billings, Gavin Breede, Madeleine Chiang, Haadiya Chishty, Jack Farrell, Holden Glibkowski, Halcyone Grant, David Herrero, Cynsere Jones, William Kotarba, Chase Laubinger, Kavion Moore, Madeline Petersen, Kamila Raczka, Scott Segebarth, Kiara Strickland, Jack Walti, and Isabella Xie

Congratulations to the Glenbard West recipients of the district’s Inspire … Empower … Succeed Awards: Mike Hofland (instructional supervisor), Stacy Scumaci (assistant principal for operations) and Abbey Skidmore (teacher and department chair for business and family & consumer science). The award recognizes faculty and staff members who: demonstrate exceptional levels of initiative or innovation; exceed expectations and make a positive difference for students; demonstrate outstanding student service or achievement.

Glenbard West Theatre will present “Romeo and Juliet” at 7:30 p.m. April 18th, 19th, and 20th in the Larry Shue Auditorium.

An age-old vendetta between two powerful families erupts into bloodshed. Romeo and Juliet’s love is sprung from their only hate. The iconic story of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers is the powerful conclusion to the Glenbard West theatre season.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at this link.

Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.

The final exam schedule for the second semester can be found below. Please note that students are not allowed to take early final exams due to a pre-arranged absence or family vacation. If these situations arise, students can either take their exam(s) during our makeup periods or receive an Incomplete and make up the exams over the summer. If you know that your student will miss final exams, please alert our Deans’ Office as soon as possible.

Students who miss an exam due to an unexpected absence can make arrangements with their teacher to take the exam during the Makeup Exam slot on Friday at 10:45 a.m. or Monday at 7:35 a.m.

Students who have three exams on Day One or Day Two may elect to change or move one of their exams to the Makeup Exam slot on Friday at 10:45 a.m. A rescheduled exam form must be completed and approved at least one week prior to the exam (Wednesday, 5/15). Students can pick-up the form in the Dean’s office.

The bus schedule for our final exam days is as follows. You can find pickup locations and times here.

AP exams are less than one month away. Please read Volume Three of our AP Guide for Families in English and Spanish. You’ll find important information about our AP exam schedule, testing locations, and answers to frequently asked questions. Please contact the office of the Assistant Principal for Instruction with questions: 630-942-7471. For AP-related updates, please join our Remind by texting @gbwaptest to the number 81010 or clicking here.

As in years past, Glenbard West will provide students the opportunity to experience the College Board Suite of Assessments in April. One of the key advantages of the Suite of Assessments is the availability for students to receive free, high-quality exam preparation through Khan Academy online. You can access Khan Academy's SAT support here.

Please note that the PSAT and SAT testing dates will be non-attendance days for students who are not testing. Details below.

School Day SAT Test for Juniors

Test Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2024

All juniors will be automatically registered for this test and must take it on this day (or the designated make-up day) as a graduation requirement. This is a non-attendance day for freshmen, sophomores, and seniors.

PSAT Test for Freshmen and Sophomores

Test Date: Thursday, April 11, 2024

Freshmen will take the PSAT 8/9 and sophomores will take the PSAT 10. This is a non-attendance day for juniors and seniors.

As testing scores become available throughout the year, students may access their scores in their very own College Board portal. Click the link for Student Directions to Access Scores in the College Board Reporting Portal.

Dear Seniors and Parents:

Glenbard West High School will hold its Commencement for the Class of 2024 at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Our teachers and administrators are looking forward to this ceremony that will recognize the accomplishments of the Class of 2024. We know how hard they have worked to achieve their goals and prepare themselves for life beyond high school. Most have built relationships and connections within the school that will last a lifetime. We would like to emphasize the importance of exiting with pride and acknowledge that the most important tradition is for our seniors to end the school year with positive memories and enriching experiences. Our faculty and staff are hard at work planning a commencement ceremony that will allow your graduate and family members the opportunity to celebrate this special moment.

The administration, faculty and staff at West believe that it is important to make the end of the year special for seniors. We know that our seniors and their parents share this objective. We have worked with student leadership and planned a number of activities that are designed to maintain expectations, celebrate the accomplishments and recognize the achievements of our graduates.

As we look forward to this year’s culminating activities, we will maintain our expectations for serious work and proper behavior through the last day of student attendance. There have been unfortunate times when a graduating senior used poor judgment during these last days in high school and engaged in campus vandalism or improper conduct. Please realize that such behavior could jeopardize that student's participation in the commencement ceremony and/or result in more serious consequences. This year we have held meetings with senior leaders to hear their concerns and make sure our expectations are known and clear. Also, remember that there are NO "Senior ditch days" and students who miss school for unauthorized reasons will face academic and disciplinary consequences. We appreciate the support we receive from parents in maintaining a respectful and safe environment for all students throughout the school year.

We look forward to sharing this commencement with our families and the Class of 2024. Commencement will be an occasion where we reflect the significance of their accomplishments and the pride we all feel on their behalf. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Peter Baker

Assistant Principal for Student Services

Tuesday, April 2, 2024- Graduation information with required forms will be sent to all senior families via email.

Friday, April 5, 2024 - Mandatory Senior Meeting in the Auditorium during Glenbard Hour

Friday, April 26, 2024 - All Graduation Forms Due

Monday, May 6 - Friday, May 10, 2024 - Seniors that attended a Glenbard District 87 school for less than 4 school years need to complete an iPad Buyout request or return their iPad to the Help Desk.

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Senior Honors Convocation 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - All financial obligations due

Friday, May 10, 2024 - Complete Senior Survey

Friday, May 17, 2024- Senior Picnic/Last Day

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 - Mandatory Graduation Practice 11:30 a.m. in the Field House - Caps, Gowns and Ceremony tickets will be distributed.

Thursday, May 23, 2024- Commencement Day. Graduates report to the Field House by 5:00 p.m.

Friday, May 24, 2024 - Ceremony rain date if necessary

• Mandatory Senior Meeting (April 5th): During Glenbard Hour in the Auditorium, Seniors will hear important graduation and end of the year information.

• TextBooks/iPads - Seniors need to return all rented library books May 10th. Seniors that attended a Glenbard District 87 school for less than 4 school years need to complete an iPad Buyout request or return their iPad to the Help Desk. Students who do NOT return books/iPad will be fined the replacement cost of the item. Students with outstanding fees may not be able to participate in graduation.

• Cap, Gown & Commencement Tickets - Seniors with all obligations resolved will be issued their cap, gown and commencement tickets after Graduation Rehearsal on May 21st. If you have not ordered a cap and gown, please contact Herff Jones immediately at (815)756-4743 or www.highschool.herffjones.com

• Commencement Video - Communication Resource Management will be providing a Digital Download of the Commencement Video for all interested parties. Watch the High Definition video on any video streaming device including desktop, mobile, tablet, and Smart TVs. To order your Digital Download please visit: http://mygraduationvideo.com/

• Live Streaming of the Ceremony - The ceremony can be seen live using THIS LINK. Please note you will need to create a free account to view the ceremony. This can be done at any time before the ceremony.

• Photographs - Gradimages is the official photographer for the Commencement Ceremony. Each graduate will be photographed and the proofs will be available for viewing soon after the event at www.gradimages.com.

• Senior Picnic - Starting period 6 (12:00 p.m.) on May 17th the entire senior class will come together to enjoy sharing memories, looking forward to graduation and eating some delicious picnic food. Seniors are encouraged to wear their senior shirts to the picnic. “Senior Most” awards will take place at the end of the picnic and Seniors will leave campus by 2:00 p.m.

• Tickets - Each senior participating in commencement will be issued four (4) tickets. Students can request up to two (2) additional tickets by completing the extra ticket form by April 26th. More ticket information will be sent via email April 2nd.

Glenbard West Summer School Registration Is Now Open!

Summer school registration is available HERE. You can also review our course offerings at https://glenbard.formstack.com/forms/summer.

We encourage all students to enroll in a course this summer. Credit courses are available to satisfy graduation requirements and if a course needs to be repeated. Also, our noncredit (Bridge) courses help students prepare for a course they plan to take and provide an opportunity to explore areas of interest.

Please note: Summer credit courses for incoming freshmen will only be available during Semester 2 due to technology and registration. The only summer credit courses available for incoming freshmen students are Speech and Consumer Management. If you have any questions, please contact our in-year Summer School Principal, Lillie Blackmon: lillie_blackmon@glenbard.org or 630-942-7477.

Back Row: Tony Bergantino, Tad Keely, Jeremiah Wiencek, and Mike Neberz

Front Row: Peggy Mirka, Beatriz de Ferreira, Chris Gladish, Kate Culloton, Natalie Rubino, Rhiannon Sieck, and Lissete Ochoa

August 5th & 6th

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Library

This two-day summer school enrichment course is for rising seniors. Students will finalize their college list in SchooLinks, begin their Common Application and get a jump start on their college essays. Come join the school counselors for this hands-on workshop and get ahead of the college selection process before the school year begins. Advanced registration required. Visit the Summer School website to register HERE.

Reminder: Glenbard West summer camps are being offered through the Glen Ellyn Park District once again. The complete list of camps can be found on our website along with the Glen Ellyn Park District website at www.gepark.org. We look forward to all of our current and future Hilltoppers being involved and staying active during the summer in a wide variety of sports and activities.

GO WEST!

Back Row: Mary Yangas, Gracie Schendel, Griffin Ross, Darlene Yamane, Jessica Walters, Amanda Meyer, and Deandra Bass

Front Row: Nisa Gabbidon, Pete Baker, Claire Leoni, Jaclyn Reeves, Pam Hagstrom, and Max Hufnagle

Sometimes things are bigger than we can handle on our own. If you need a safe person to talk to or are concerned about your mental health or that of a friend, please reach out to one of us below.

The application for student parking was shared with all West students via Schoology on Monday, 3/18. It will remain open until April 12th. You can use this link as well. Please be aware that the application will take between 20 and 30 minutes. Students will be informed whether they are receiving a parking spot or if they are placed on the waitlist for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year via email by May 10th at the latest. All information about the process is detailed on the application, but if you have any questions, please email Mr. Billone at nicholas_billone@glenbard.org.

We have another submission to our Beyond the Hill Recognition program. Senior Annika Bhagwakar has been serving her community by tutoring students at Hadley Junior High in Math each week. We’re glad you are out there representing the West Way beyond the Hill!

If your student has a tremendous accomplishment, volunteers, or any other noteworthy achievement beyond the hill, let us know! Complete this brief survey and get them the recognition they deserve!

ENRICHING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Academics ・ Activities ・ Athletics

We encourage every parent, alum, and family to join and sponsor Glenbard West Boosters. Membership fees and sponsorships go directly to assisting academic, athletic, and extracurricular activities. Family memberships, Pride of Glenbard and Tower level sponsorships include an activity pass that provides admission to most district-wide music and sporting events. Your support contributes to the Pride, Excellence, and Tradition that are the hallmarks of Glenbard West High School.

To join or sponsor the Glenbard West Boosters, please visit www.gwboosters.com

GO WEST!

Glenbard District 87 is pleased to partner with OrganicLife as our new food service provider. Organic Life menu offerings and nutrition/allergen information here. We encourage you to visit www.pushcoin.com to sign up for the prepayment option with their easy-to-use system.

Our school newspaper, the Glen Bard, offers students a platform to share their passions in writing, art, film, and photography. Here, students share ideas and work together to provide relevant and entertaining information about the school, current events, and pop culture. Their most up-to-date information can be found on their link below!

You can keep up with Glenbard information throughout the year by signing up for Glenbard News, our district-wide enewsletter, at this link.

Each week, you will receive district-wide news about students’ achievements in school-sponsored activities; upcoming events; fund-raisers; school board information and more.

Schools across the nation are experiencing more and more students who have latex allergies. Often, students with this allergy can have severe and even life-threatening reactions if exposed to latex resins and powders. For their safety, there are certain latex products we no longer allow on campus. Latex balloons and “Silly String” pose a significant health threat to students with a latex allergy. These products are not allowed on campus at any time, including after school, evening, and weekend events. With this in mind, we request your help: Please talk with your children about this health and safety issue. Some students might not understand the reason for a “balloon ban.” At West, we want all parents to know that their children are safe on campus.

Crisis Text Line - Text REACH to: 741741

This sends information to a Crisis Counselor, a real-life human being trained to help individuals return to a healthy/stable level of functioning.

Safe2Help Illinois Call 844-472-3345 or Text 72332(SAFE2)

Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. This program is intended to get students to “Seek Help Before Harm.”

Students who wish to report a potential act of school violence at Glenbard West may also leave an anonymous message with our School Resource Officer at (630) 681-3177 or call the Bullying Hotline Call (630) 942-7406

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call/Text 988

This number has trained staff to answer calls and respond to texts from individuals at risk for suicide as well as those experiencing other mental health and substance use-related emergencies. Specialized services will be available for veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other groups.

Email: gw_news@glenbard.org
Website: glenbardwesths.org
Location: 670 Crescent Blvd.
Phone: 630-469-8600
Twitter: @GWHilltoppers