Principal's Blog #32

Dear MHS Families,

Mustangs, I have exciting news to share! There’s a new Mustang joining us this fall! Mr. Souza will take over as interim Principal during my maternity leave.

Have a great weekend Mustangs!

Dr. Alexandria Rios Taylor

Principal, Mundelein High School

847-949-2200 x1257

www.d120.org

ataylor@d120.org

Visit the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to learn more.

MHS is excited for our seniors who participate in the A-Z themed dress-days. To ensure the safety of all our students, please refer to the expectations that were sent home.

The 2024/2025 parking permit lottery begins Monday, April 15th at 8am and runs until Monday, May 6th at 11:59pm. Seniors and Juniors during 2024/2025 school year are eligible (Sophomores will not be accepted). If your student wants a permit to park on the premises next school year, they will need to register for this lottery. We will not have another lottery during the next school year.

La última sesión de La Universidad de Padres para este año escolar se celebrará este próximo jueves 18 de abril en la cafetería de la escuela, de 6 a 8 p.m. En esa noche, representantes de mano a Mano estarán con nosotros para discutir su programa “Familias Saludables”. Para más información, puede comunicarse con Hector Gonzalez al (847) 949-2200, ext. 1269. Los esperamos.

The last session of Universidad de Padres for this school year will take place Thursday, April 18 from 6-8 p.m. in the school cafeteria. On that night, we will be joijed by representatives from Mano a Mano, who will discuss their ‘Healthy Families Program’. For further information, you may contact Hector Gonzalez at (847) 949-2200 , Ext, 1269. We hope to see you there!

Panera in Mundelein, 1575 South Lake St. ALL DAY! Our program receives 20% of all the proceeds from this fundraiser! Let the cashier know you're there for GLAX! Use code FUND4U for any mobile orders! Show up and show out! Flyer attached.

Our last blood drive is Tuesday April 23. Both staff and students 16 and up can donate. If you would like to donate, please click here. They can sign up during their gym period. Every donation can save a life!

This week's Theme Thursday is College Day! Wear your favorite college colors.

The last Parent Ambassador Meeting of the year is scheduled for:

April 25th at 6:30pm

Mundelein High School

District Meeting (up the stairs in the High School and to the left).

Parents of incoming freshmen, we would love to have you, but don't feel obligated.

A Musical Fable of Broadway, based on the story and characters of Damon Runyan. Hailed as the perfect musical comedy, this award-winning classic gambles with luck and love under the bright lights of Broadway. Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser. Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Directed by Jonathan Meier.

April 25, 26 & 27 at 7:30 p.m.

April 27 at 2 p.m.

Adults - $14
Seniors (65 ) - $10
Students - $8

• All seats are reserved
• Online sales stop 2 hours prior to each performance
• Walk-up ticket sales start 45 minutes prior to each performance (cash or check only)
• House opens 30 minutes prior to each performance

Tickets for Guys and Dolls Now on Sale

As the weather warms up, it’s time to get outside and get your yards ready for the summer. Our annual Mulch Fundraiser will be on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 from 8am-4pm. We will be selling bags out of Sawvell's lot, at the corner of 176 and 60 (Across the street from Crossroads and Walgreens). Bags are $4 each. Yes, we are a little bit more expensive (only about 50 cents after taxes) per bag than that big orange store down the street. You're going to get a better product though, and you're supporting a local Mundelein business and MHS. Now for the best part, no need to get dirty, we will deliver and spread it for you! Email me (don’t reply all), if you would like to place an order.

Not sure if you want to order ahead of time, that’s ok. Since we are using Sawvell’s lot, we should always have what you need available. Feel free to also just drive by and pick up what you need on the day of. I have attached our flier with more info.

If it's not too much trouble I would love for you to help us get the word out. Please share our flier on your neighborhood Facebook groups and any other social media platforms. Please reach out if you have any questions. Thanks for your support.

To celebrate educators around the 26th Senate District, I am writing to request your encouragement of Mundelein High School students to participate in the 2023 My Inspirational Teacher Essay Contest. Students in grades 6-12 are invited to write an essay of 250-500 words on their most appreciated teachers. This year’s contest celebrates how teachers positively impact their students’ lives with the theme: How My Teacher Inspires Me. Students must submit their essays by Tuesday, April 30th to be eligible.

PARTICIPANTS: All participants will receive a certificate of recognition from State Senator Dan McConchie’s legislative office.

FINALISTS: Finalists from grades 6-12 and excerpts from their essays will be featured on SenatorMcConchie.com. Finalists and their nominated teachers will also be invited to Senator McConchie’s district office in Lake Zurich on Friday, May 10th, for an awards ceremony and reception from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS: Two grand prize winners (one winner from grades 6-8 and one winner from grades 9-12) will each be awarded a $100 Amazon gift card to be used for educational supplies. (Governmental funds are not used for prizes. Amazon gift cards are donated).

Please send all entries to jmorano@sgop.ilga.gov.

Learn to recognize the signs your child might be vaping. Learn about opioids and other harmful drugs. View a Mock teen bedroom and get tips on how to talk to your kids about drugs!

Date: Tuesday, April 30th

Time: 6:00pm

Location: Mundelein High School

Presented By: NICASA, Stand Up, and the Mundelein Police Department (English and Spanish)

Click here to register.

The College Ambassadors are hosting the Senior Decision Day Celebration on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 9:30am at the parking lot by the pool!

The 2024 Mundelein High School Prom is quickly approaching! Prom will be held Friday, May 3 from 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM at the Marriott Lincolnshire in the Grand Marquee Pavilion. All Mundelein High School Juniors and Seniors are invited to attend. This year’s theme is A Night Under Lanterns.

Tickets will be sold the week of Monday, April 8th to Thursday, April 18th online through RevTrak on the D120 website. All students must be in good standing in order to purchase tickets. The price per ticket is $85.00.

Click here to learn more.

Click here for the special schedule.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Join us on May 14th at 7:00pm in the Auditorium to celebrate our Senior Class. We have a remarkable senior class and we’re proud to celebrate their impressive and unique accomplishments:

• As outstanding scholars earning top grades and honors

• As stars in art, theater, choir and band

• As accomplished athletes - many in multiple sports - spreading Mustang Pride across the state and country

• As compassionate citizens, demonstrating support for your classmates, the community, and our country

Drop off your MHS books and equipment .... and PICK UP your graduation cap, gown and tickets!

Graduation will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 3:00 pm at the NOW Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, IL. Seniors need to report to the NOW Arena by 2:00 pm. Students may drive on their own, however bus transportation to the NOW Arena and back to MHS will be available for any students and their families who need it. Information regarding transportation services will be released in the spring.

Tickets and seating: Each graduate will be issued 15 tickets (wristbands) for guest seating. General seating will begin at 2:00 pm.

Congratulations to Freshmen Carlos Roldan and Yeira Polito !! We received 33 submissions this week! 🙂

On Wednesday, April 10th the MHS Boys Varsity Volleyball Team honored 13 staff members that have gone above their required duties to make a impact in their students' education at Mundelein High School.

Honored staff members include: Mr. Sturgeon, Mr. Dame, Mr. Hoster, Ms. Bonadies, Mrs. Theotokatos, Ms. Willis, Mr. Hickey, Mr. Aldana, Ms. McCulloch, Mrs. Ellingsen, Mr. Billitier, Mr. Sethna, and Mr. Knigge.

Congratulations to MHS junior Enayda Bustos, first place winner of the Americanism Essay Contest in the Regional Division. The award is given by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 867, Mundelein. Shown with Enayda is teacher Kristen Behrens.

We just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for all the support with El Baile last weekend. It was another amazing event filled with genuine joy in celebrating Latino culture. Highlights included witnessing students take so much pride in their heritage, students from different backgrounds engaging in Latino culture, students teaching each other/learning from each other, student-created artwork and decorations, and some awesome performances and dances from "Daddy Yankee" and an LED robot. This dance represents so much about what is beautiful about our students, and we are so grateful and proud of those who willingly share this memorable experience together at school.

This is such a special and meaningful event every year for our kids, and while we had a great group of Puertas Club students who helped promote and decorate this year, we also wanted to give a special thank you to everyone that helped make it so wonderful again:

• MHS Parent, Araceli Mendoza, for food donations
• La Rosita Supermarket for their generous donation to help cover the cost of the DJ and Robot
• Buena Beats DJ
• SkullBot Robot

Additionally, we wanted to give a special shout-out to sophomore Xitlally Garcia for creating an absolutely beautiful mural that was used as a decoration and photo background at the dance (see below). She worked for weeks on this project, so if you know her, please give her some praise for her amazing work!

If you’re interested in seeing a few highlights from the dance, feel free to click on these slides to view some photos and videos.

Muchisímas gracias por todo!

Puertas Club, Joanna, and Carsyn

On Sunday, April 14th, the Mayor’s Cup STEM challenge was hosted here at MHS! High Schoolers from the D120 community as well as Middle Schoolers competed in two challenges. The Math challenge consisted of a written exam. The Engineering team challenge consisted of teams constructing a bumper on a 40 lb. wooden vehicle. The vehicles were then dropped down a ramp at 20 ft and a force plate measured the impact. The smaller the measured impact, the better!

We are excited to announce that teams from Mundelein High School took home victories in each challenge; securing the Grand Championship Trophy!

On Thursday, April 18th, Mr. Pruc, Mr. Shifley & Mr. Schrenk traveled with 7 art students to the NSC Art show at Libertyville High School. All 8 conference-wide schools participated in art displays and developmental activities hosted by local professionals! The keynote speaker, former Libertyville Alumni, gave insight into career opportunities within visual arts. It was a fantastic day of learning and collaboration for all of our students who attended!

Mr. Meister hosted 6 faculty and administrators up in the Resource Center to conduct mock student interviews for students finishing up their internship work. It was a great experience for our students to have “real” interviews with multiple experienced professionals! Many of the staff members reflected on this experience as one of the best groups of student interviews yet!

Congratulations to our senior student athletes who took part in the college signing ceremony at Mundelein High School Wednesday afternoon. We’re so proud of your accomplishments as Mustangs and wish you great success in college.

• Alex Koontz, Baseball, Harper College
• Cody Yakimisky, Baseball, Harper College
• Evan Niernberg, Baseball, John Carroll University
• Kenny Nanos, Baseball, Valparaiso University
• Griffin Troha, Baseball, Wartburg University
• Frankie Jimenez, Boys Soccer, Aurora University
• Adrian Rosiles, Boys Soccer, Aurora University
• Brendan Raciak, Football, Carroll College
• Braelon Grant, Football, Carroll College
• Wyatt Soudan, Football, Concordia University - St Paul
• Samantha Sciortino, Girls Bowling, Carroll College
• Natalie Wing, Girls Soccer, Bard College
• Gabriella Lipske, Girls Tennis, Illinois Wesleyan University
• Lillian Scardicchio, Softball, Hood College

MHS Peer/AP Tutors donated $100 earned from the year's fundraisers to the Mundelein Parks Foundation for upgrading the Park District’s All-Inclusive Playground. The MHS group raised the funds from three fundraisers: Dining at Luke’s of Mundelein; a candy sale and Pi Day Pie grams. Pictured, from left to right: Mundelein Park and Recreation District Executive Director Ron Salski, MHS Literacy Center Specialist Hope Babowice, MHS Peer/AP Tutor representatives Vince Scaramella and Marian Van Eycke.

Quest is proud to be your dining partner and we are committed to providing the best experience possible to every student, including nutritious food, a wide variety of choices, and a seamless dining experience. We wanted to share a few important reminders about the dining program and we welcome your questions and feedback. Click here for more information.

Did you know that you can customize your Mustang spirit wear online? Since 2010, hundreds of items are available to choose from infant sizes to 6XL. Choose embroidery or screenprint, ladies or men’s fit, and front and back printing. You can add custom text to add your name to your shirt. Look at actual garment size (chest, body, and sleeve length) to find the perfect fit. Buy accessories like hats, bags, and luggage tags. All customizable and shipped directly to you! Visit us at mymustangnation.com or linked through the d120.org website.

Each year, the highlight of our graduation ceremony is our student speakers. If you are interested in giving a speech on stage this year, please submit your speech by clicking this link!

• Submission deadline Friday, April 19, 4pm

• Full speech must be submitted in writing

• Maximum speech length is 5 minutes

• Prompt: How has MHS propelled you forward / onward or helped you to ASPIRE (Get creative!)

If your speech is selected, you will then be given a mentor to guide you through the process of refining your speech and preparing you to speak in front of a live audience on the day of graduation.

Click here to see the full schedule of upcoming graduations events.

To nominate yourself or others for this feature, please email Mr. Gonzalez.

The Welcome Center is in need of donations to continue assisting those members of our community that are in need. With the fallout from some of our families being displaced recently by inclement weather, those donations are even more important today. We welcome donations of non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items, soaps, detergents and clothing. To help assist those families in need, we are also accepting gift card donations. Please take a minute to watch this video about how The Welcome Center helps our community.

The Wellness Center team is proud to share Mental Health Must-Haves for Mundelein Mustangs, a resource packet filled with tips and tricks to manage emotions and stress, regulate thoughts and anger, improve self-love and self-confidence, increase executive functioning, and enhance overall self-care.

Take a moment to review the April self-care check list.

Click here to see all the student support areas we have to offer.

MHS has many supports to offer students. Students can access a quick-reference guide of all supports available on this page. Available is everything from social-emotional support, to financial support. Check it out!

Click here to see all the student support areas we have to offer.

Seniors- did you procrastinate on completing applications, have you changed your mind about the colleges that you applied to in the fall, or are you just looking for additional options after graduation? Join us in the CCRC to meet with college representatives from schools that are still admitting students for the fall of 2024!

The College Ambassadors are hosting the Senior Decision Day Celebration on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 9:30am at the parking lot by the pool! We want to celebrate all post-high school decisions: 4-year college, 2-year college, military, trade school, or going straight into the workforce. Seniors are encouraged to wear something representing their decision or direction!

Experiential Education describes all opportunities offered to students to give them a chance to explore the world of careers and professions. These include classes like Dual Credit Student Internship, Business INCubator, and Geometry in Construction as well as career treks and featured guest speakers.

On Friday, April 5th, Susan Olson presented to a group of aspiring engineers on her experiences in the exciting field of aerospace engineering. While she did speak about the coursework and education needed to pursue the career, her emphasis focused on having an ambitious spirit and a collaborative mindset.

“I went into this field because it was a challenge”, Olson shared. “I wanted to be successful, so I focused on taking all the classes and gaining all the experience I needed to move up in the field.” Olson also encouraged students to pursue the field if they’re interested in it, and not let obstacles frighten them. “If you want to be an engineer… go be an engineer. Don’t let anyone stop you”.

Teamwork was also a big part of her message. “Engineering is all about collaboration,” she advised. “You don’t get anywhere alone--you need to make connections and learn from others.”

A highlight of her presentation was her encouragement of students to think for themselves. “Innovation and creativity doesn’t happen if all you do is repeat what others are saying,” she shared. “Some of the most important and useful inventions happened because someone thought outside of the box, took a risk, and shared it with the world”.

Olson’s presentation was the second in a week--two days prior, students interested in the field of tattooing attended a presentation given by one of our alums!

Caption: Aerospace engineer Susan Olson encourages aspiring Mustang engineers to pursue their career goals with passion and purpose. The sky truly is the limit!

The hottest place to be on Friday April 12th was Mundelein High School’s Main Gym, where we hosted over 40 different businesses, agencies, and industry partners for what turned out to be the largest Job Fair & Career Expo in the school’s history!

Students were offered a variety of year-round and seasonal jobs, from roller-coaster attendants to ice-cream scoopers to day-camp counselors. Additionally, a number of companies offered upcoming graduates aged 18+ opportunities to start their careers with jobs that offer competitive wages, fantastic benefits, and the opportunity for professional growth!

Attendees were given one objective--to engage our students. As you’ll see from the photos below, they did not disappoint! They brought raffle prizes, games, contests, and even a remote-control electric lawn mower that students could navigate through a mini obstacle course! Students packed the event throughout all lunch periods, and many teachers brought their classes and turned the event into a learning opportunity.

The expo also included representatives from the Apprenticeship Program at the College of Lake County, various branches of the military, the video game industry, and the Chicago Executive Flight School! Check out the Friday Focus to see some clips of the event and some commentary from our students and attendees.

Finally, a thunderous shout-out to all the businesses who showed up for this event to support our students! You can find a list of them all by clicking on the map below--each logo takes you to a that company’s entry in the expo directory. Clicking on each logo takes you to the company website!

Athletics events week of 4/22/24

Submitted by Coach Dressen

Our Varsity volleyball team went 3 - 2 at the Lake County Invite this past weekend defeating Grayslake North, Stevenson, and Deerfield to take second place in the Gold Division. The Frosh/Soph team took 1st place at the Libertyville Invite going 5-0 for the day. On Monday night, the Varsity & Frosh/Soph teams defeated both Antioch and Rockford Jefferson. Meanwhile, the Freshman team soundly defeated Lake Forest. There has been a lot of exciting volleyball happening this past week! On Saturday, April 20, MHS is hosting a frosh/soph Quad for the first time in program history. Then, all levels travel to Grayslake North on Monday, April 22 and to Warren on Wednesday, April 24.

Frosh/Soph win the Libertyville Tourney

Submitted by Coach Rutz

Two big meets in 3 days, and both went well.

At Lane Tech on Thursday, we got lucky with the weather, as the rain missed us, and temperatures were better than expected. The team scores were surprising, as we took 3rd out of 6 teams, only 7 points behind Niles North in 2nd. We beat 3 good teams in Plainfield North, Whitney Young and Jones.

Top individual performers on the day included Julian Eagar, who took 3rd in a very close 100, took 3rd in the High Jump, and won the 200 by a large margin. Ethan Connelly took 2nd in both the Long Jump and the Triple Jump, and William Vilchynskyy won both the Shot Put and Discus, both in PRs. Marco Toledano finished 2nd in the Shot Put behind Wil with a huge PR.

Connor Tector had a great race in the 400, taking 3rd in 53.27. Maddux Hermestroff and Kaden Toussaint took 2nd and 4th in the High Jump. Maddux came back to take 4th in the Long Jump. Nico Osorio took 4th in the Pole Vault. Alberto Diaz took 4th in the 1600. NOTE- We always run well in the 1600 at LT, and tonight was no exception. 8 out of 10 runners had PRs in the race. Great job, Mustangs!

On Saturday we competed at the Capitol City Classic at Springfield Lanphier HS. Lanphier has a brand new track stadium, which is gorgeous. Despite missing some of our top athletes, we scored more points than ever in the Varsity competition, tying for 6th in a quality field.

Our lone champion on the day was Alberto Diaz in the 3200. Alberto pulled away with 3 laps to go and won easily in 9:58. Julian Eagar had another great day, with 3rds in the 100 and High Jump, and 5th in the 200. Nico Osorio took 4th in the Pole Vault, and we had some truly breakthrough performances from several others.

Connor Tector got out faster and it translated to a huge PR in the 400 as he took 3rd in 52.59. Also getting the most out of a fast start was freshman Izic Miller in the 800. Izic dropped 3 seconds from his 800 PR, taking 3rd in 2:01.24 (3rd freshman in the State). Drew Patrick exceeded 40 feet in the Triple Jump for the first time, jumping 40'.5" and taking 4th.

A great week of track, with the Blue Thunder Invite at Round Lake on Friday. That, and we get to host the Keith Zawila Middle School Meet this Saturday. All track all the time!

As always, It's A Great Day To Be A Mustang!!!!

Student Registration opened February 1, 2024. All students must register yearly. Visit our registration page for more information: https://www.d120.org/resources/parents/registration-2/

The 2024/2025 Early Registration Fee item has been added to PowerSchool fee accounts for the Class of 2026, 2027, and 2028. If you choose to pay the Registration Fee by May 1st, 2024, you will receive the $25 discount, currently applied in PowerSchool.

Starting May 2nd, the discount will be removed and the regular Registration Fee of $275 will be listed. Please know that all prior Registration and Course fees must be paid off before paying the Early Registration item.

If you have any questions, please reach out to KC Olson in the MHS Payment Center at kolson@d120.org.

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Past blogs are available at:

https://www.d120.org/about-mhs/principals-newsletter/

Website: www.d120.org
Location: 1359 West Hawley Street, Mundelein, IL, USA
Phone: 847-949-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mundelein-High-School-District-120/100095401983567/
Twitter: @MundeleinHS