Principal's Blog #14

Mustang families,

MHS is excited to pause, disconnect and reflect. In the coming week, I hope everyone has an opportunity to absorb the richness of the present moment, find joy in the seemingly mundane, and cultivate gratitude in small pleasures that are often overlooked in the hustle of daily life.

Wishing each of you time to harvest, fellowship and commune with those that bring true meaning and value to your lives.

Dr. Alexandria Rios Taylor

Principal, Mundelein High School

847-949-2200 x1257

www.d120.org

ataylor@d120.org

Nov 20-24 - Thanksgiving Break

Nov 27 - Senior Cap and Gown Orders Due

Nov 28 - FSA ID Workshop

Dec 8 - Late Start

Dec 19 - Special Schedule

Dec 20-21 - Final Exams (special schedule)

Dec 25 - Jan 5 Winter Break

Jan 9 - Students Return

The Mundelein Theatre Slam Team has advanced to the finals of the Shakes Slam competition to be held in Chicago at the Shakespeare Theatre on December 11th.

This past weekend, the MHS Slam Team competed against other schools from across the region at Senn High School to move on to the state level competition. Students participated in various rounds, including the Scene Round and Dream Round. This year’s selected passages were from Romeo & Juliet.

Congratulations to our 8 team members and 2 coaches for making it to the finals of this competition!

We were so proud to honor a number of our students during our Mustang Academic Awards Breakfast this morning.

The program highlighted a National Merit Semifinalist, a pair of National Indigenous Award recipients, and several recipients of the National Hispanic Recognition Award.

Congratulations to: Kurt A. Dumblauskas; Adriyanna T. Tesimu; Mariano F. Rodriguez; Alexis Silva; Azael Sanchez; Francisco J. Moreno; Kailib M. Keblys; Martin Palacios; Natalie G. Carrera; and Stephanie a Bolanos.

For more information on these students and their accomplishments, please visit our website.

#mundypride #AcademicExcellence

Our MHS peer/AP tutors group walked over to Carl Sandburg middle school today, to help students at the CSMS homework club. It was a great way for our high school kids to show their leadership and mentorship skills, and another advantage of our shared services model between Districts 75 and 120.

Carl Sandburg Middle School

#mundypride #mentorship #sharedservices

MHS Peer AP Tutors and AVID groups hosted an Into to AP Teacher/Student Panel during our lunch periods today. Students learned what AP is all about and learned about Dual Credit.

The Mundelein Jazz Ensemble was selected to perform by the Illinois Music Education Association at the Illinois Association of School Boards Joint Annual Conference.

Class of ‘21 graduate Trey Baker returned to MHS on Wednesday, November 15th to speak to a group of students as part of the Mundelein My Brother’s Keeper program. Trey, a student at DePaul University, continues to serve as a mentor to young men at MHS. Today’s program was about “Effective Communication and Mental Wellbeing” and also featured a speaker from SunCloud Health.

Trey began his mentoring program at MHS last spring. His success will serve as a springboard for other alumni to come back and speak as mentors to students in other programs. Trey’s group has met three times so far this year and will continue to meet regularly throughout the school year.

NBC-5 attended the program and aired the story on their 4:30 newscast.

MHS held our 2nd “We Are MHS” assembly this morning and invited alumni to return and share their unique career and collegiate pathways with our current students. More information about our featured speakers are below.

Will Gonzalez, Class of 2023, spoke to our students about the importance of getting involved and making the most of high school opportunities. Will played the lead role in our “In the Heights” production this past spring. He was also a Jimmy Award nominee and received the Best Actor Award in Illinois High School Theatre.

Addy Irwin, Class of 2023, shared her experience of creating “Safe Sip” along with her fellow classmates Elle Bank, Rayna Carreathers, Bella Feijoo, Addy Irwin, and Kyra Ryba. Their business was selected as one of the top 5 teams in the country by INCubatoredu. Addy was joined by her grandmother, Carolyn Minehart, is also an alumna of MHS and graduated with the Class of 1963!

Please continue to visit our website for further developments: d120.org/mhs-facilities/

A copy of our recent mailing and fact sheet can be found below. Should you have additional questions, fill out our online form or email at: mhsbuildingplan@d120.org.

We’ll continue to keep you informed along the way.

District Superintendent

Dr. Kevin Myers

"In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating the month of November “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Proclamations have been issued each year since 1994. On Monday, the White House released President Joe Biden’s National Native American Heritage Month Proclamation, "America has not always delivered on its promise of equal dignity and respect for Native Americans ... But despite this painful history, Indigenous peoples, their governments, and their communities have persevered and flourished. As teachers and scholars, scientists and doctors, writers and artists, business leaders and elected officials, heroes in uniform, and so much more, they have made immeasurable contributions to our country’s progress.”

During Native American Heritage Month, it is important not just to celebrate the legacy that Indigenous history makers have left, but also to celebrate those who continue to shape our society, lead their communities, and impact our culture today.

Text and Image from: Native News Online

This year our Thanksgiving Break is November 20th through November 24th.

NO SCHOOL!

Attention Seniors and Senior Parents!

Reminder to order your Cap & Gown, Official Graduation Announcements and Senior Products! The deadline to order is November 27, 2023. You must ORDER NOW to ensure timely delivery in the Spring. Orders received after November 27th will incur late fees.

Order Now at www.HerffJonesIL.com Or Call Herff Jones at 815-756-4743.

Herff Jones Office hours are Monday - Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To order the Gown, Cap & Tassel Unit Only, click here.

Click here to see more important dates and benchmarks along the road to Graduation.

The course selection process for the 2024-2025 school year will begin in the coming weeks. Please take a moment to read through all of the information and links below to ensure that you are well-informed of this process.

Counselors will be making presentations in developmental guidance lessons to inform students and will begin meeting with individual students on the following dates:

• Juniors: November 27
• Sophomores: December 11
• 8th graders: January 18
• Freshman: February 5

If you have any questions about this process you can reach out directly to your school counselor for more information.

We look forward to working closely with you and your student to plan for an exciting and challenging 2024-2025 school year.

• Course Selection Preparation and Process (English / Spanish)

• Mundelein High School Academic Course Guide (English/Spanish)

• Course Request Worksheet (English / Spanish)

• Mundelein High School Career Pathways (English / Spanish)

• Advanced Placement/Honors Recruitment Letter to Parents/Guardians (English / Spanish)

• Accelerated Placement Act Letter to Parents/Guardians (English / Spanish)

D120 Welcomes Debbie Reuter, M.S., LPC, Director of the Center for Students with Disabilities and member of the CARE Team at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Debbie is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and Wisconsin and has worked in higher education for twenty-five years and is an active member of the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD and WIAHEAD).

Invited: Families / individuals that have an IEP or 504 plan that are looking for information on accommodations at the college level.

When :Thursday, December 7th 6:30 pm-7:30 pm

Where / Zoom

Click here to learn more.

Click here for the late start schedule.

We will have an early release for all students on this day to allow them to head home to prepare and “Study With Purpose” for their Final Exams.

Click here for the Special Schedule

Click here for the final exam schedule.

Wishing you all the best rest, relaxation and fun with family and friends.

No School

1st Day of Semester 2

We are proud to host visitors to learn more about our programming and facilities. In order to minimize the impact on the educational environment, we have chosen to host visitors on select days throughout the school year.

Therefore, to secure a visitation time, please select from the following options so we are able to provide the necessary information and personnel during your visit.

Our next tour is on January 25th at 4:30pm.

Click here to register.

If your student still needs a locker, please click here to fill out the locker request form. Locker information will be sent to the student’s school email account with the locker location, number, and combination.

If you have any other questions please contact the Security Office at ext. 1041.

Students and their parents can attend the FSA ID workshop to prepare for completing the FAFSA. Attendees will need to know their Social Security number and phone number.

Freshman and Sophomore Student Leadership are hosting our first ever "Glam for Good Drive: Supporting Students in Style."

We are hoping to offer affordable formal wear for students to purchase at low or no cost for Turnabout (March 2nd, 2024).

The items we aim to collect include:

• semi-formal and formal dresses
• dress shirts
• dress pants and slacks
• suits
• neckties and bow ties
• shoes (formal or stylish sneakers)
• jewelry
• makeup (must be new and unused)

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.

Michelle Sherwin and her Business INCubator students welcomed Nathan Kraus, Certified Financial Planner and 2008 graduate of MHS for a three-day series of marketing coaching sessions on November 14, 15, and 16. In these sessions, Nathan shared his experience using strategic marketing tactics for these budding entrepreneurs who are developing their business models and worked one-on-one with each startup.

Left: Nathan Kraus explains the pros and cons of digital marketing strategies. Right: Nathan coaches entrepreneurs Vivian Favela (‘24), Natalia Jandes (‘25), and Natalie Carrera on the design of their self-defense business concept.

The learning continues! After his first two sessions with Business INCubator, Nathan spent time with Sergio Rodriguez (‘24) and Tovi Kharpak (‘25) who both share an interest in investments, banking, and numbers. Here we find them closing the inspirational conversation with a smile and a firm handshake!

On Tuesday, November 14, Michele Bonadies welcomed attorney Elliot Pinsel of the Waukegan-based law firm of Daniels, Long, and Pinsel, to her three Criminal Law classes. Elliot shared exciting stories of his experiences as a criminal defense attorney and messages of encouragement and the long-term benefits of hard work and determination.

In addition to appearing as a guest speaker, Elliot has served on law panels and has mentored a number of our students through our Dual Credit Student Internship program. This visit is one of many efforts Elliot has made over the last two decades to support our students. He is truly part of the MHS family!

Above, Sunday Daniels (‘26) raises her hand to answer a question posed by guest speaker Elliot Pinsel, criminal defense attorney and guest speaker in Michele Bonadies’ Criminal Law class, with the encouragement of Ailani Zires (‘25).

Visit Elliot online at www.dlplawyers.com!

On Thursday, November 16, attorney Andres Cerritos presented to the students in the Honors Spanish - Heritage Learners 4, taught by MHS teachers Gissele Drpich and Juan Lopez-Robles. This event wrapped up a seven-week-long immigration-focused unit of study, which was enriched with a series of testimonials, anecdotes, and an engaging Q&A session. Andres also described how his life experiences shaped his career journey and called him to a career in the legal profession!

Many thanks to David Martinez (‘25) for contacting Andres and bringing him to MHS!

Attorney Andres Cerritos poses with a number of students from the Honors Spanish - Heritage Learners 4 classes, taught by Gissele Drpich and Juan Lopez-Robles.

Visit Andres online at www.andrescerritoslaw.com!

If you know of anyone who needs career direction or are a professional who would like to offer guidance to our students, please contact:

Alexander Kapotas

Career Exploration & Internship Coordinator

847-949-2200 x1092

akapotas@d120.org

Schedule week of 11/20/23

Submitted by Coaches Stocker & Harris

We are exactly one week away from our first meet! Come watch us compete in the north gym vs Lakes next Wednesday morning, and come out this Saturday morning to the north gym to watch our red/gray scrimmage.

Submitted by Coach Sethna

Congratulations goes to Amelia Willis for finishing 10th place in the 100 Backstroke at State this past weekend. Way to go Amelia!

Submitted by Coach Newsom

Varsity and JV cheer kicked off the winter season with choreography! Coach Kyle returned for another year to help us get ready for competition! We can't wait to see these teams shine on the mat.

Each week we will feature a student, staff member or department at our school (Or all three at once), to give Mustang Nation a closer look at these wonderful folks! “We are MHS”! To nominate yourself or others for this feature, please email Mr. Gonzalez – hgonzalez@d120.org

The Mundelein Foundation is seeking new members! Do you have one night a month to make a difference? Contact Jennifer for more information on how you can have some fun helping the next generation: 847-987-7955 or brunkow4@sbcglobal.net

ASPIRE

Our MHS Portrait of a Learner tenets affirm student identity through schoolwide values, expectations and practices.

Student Supports

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.

Visit the Literacy Center

Go Mustangs!

Past blogs are available at:

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

Email: ataylor@d120.org
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