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Academic Letter Night:  Monday, September 14 
The administration will present Academic Letters to students who maintained at least a 3.75 grade-point average for both semesters of the 2014-15 school year. The event will take place in the Auditorium Gym at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 14, 2015. Students receiving awards were mailed invitations.
 
The first year students will receive chenille "OL" lettermen patches embroidered with the "honors" distinction. Students achieving the honor for a second or third year will receive gold chevron pins.     
   
Sophomore Class Meeting - Herff Jones Representative 
On Monday, September 21, 2015, representatives from Herff Jones will be in the Little Theater during the study hall/lunch periods to provide information on class rings and other products. Sophomores are asked to report directly to the Little Theater during their study halls.


Homecoming Dance Reminders 
Student Council is hosting the Annual Homecoming Dance on
Saturday, September 12, 2015, from 7:00-10:00 p.m. in the Spartan Gym. Tickets will be sold the week of September 8, 2015, in the student cafeteria during the lunch periods. Ticket prices are $15 per person if purchased on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9. Otherwise, they are $20 per person until the end of the last lunch period on Friday, September 11, 2015. Tickets are not sold at the door.
 
Students bringing a guest must submit a "Guest Request Form" upon arrival at the dance. Forms are available on the school's website and in the deans' office. The form may require approval from the guest's high school. Students are reminded that they are responsible for the behavior and actions of their guest. Consequences will be issued to the OLCHS student should their guest choose not to abide by school rules. A guest must be enrolled in at least 9th grade. Adults 21 years and older are not permitted to attend as the student's guest. Students who leave the dance area will not be allowed to return. Additionally, students arriving after 8:30 p.m., may not attend the dance, and will not receive a refund. The administration reserves the right to deny a student or a student's guest from attending the dance. Students are required to show their school ID upon arrival at the dance. Guests are required to have a photo ID. 

Parent Teacher Conferences:  Wednesday, September 30  
PTC, No Date
The first Parent-Teacher Conference night is: 
  
Wednesday, September 30, 2015, 5:00 to 8:30 p.m.
  
As articulated in the Spartan Compact, parent-teacher conferences are an extremely important part of the two-way communication between parents and teachers. Parents interested in checking on their student's progress this fall are asked to take advantage of this day. Conferences are also a place for parents to tell teachers things about their child: How he likes to learn. What she says about the class at home. How he enjoys spending free time. What she says about other students in class.

Teachers will be alphabetically located in the Spartan and Auditorium Gyms.  No appointment is necessary.  Please take the opportunity to meet your son or daughter's teachers, guidance counselor, dean, activity sponsor, or coach. The school will have Arabic, Polish, and Spanish interpreters available to assist parents during both evenings. 

Again this year, staff will be on-hand to assist parents in updating their SchoolMessenger, enrolling to receive the weekly electronic Oak Leaflet Newsletter, and creating a Family Access account for gradebook access. Representatives from Herff Jones will be in the Spartan Lobby for underclassmen ring orders and graduation materials. The Athletic Booster Club will also be selling Spartanwear and related merchandise. The PTSA will also have membership and scholarship information available.

Back by popular demand, OLCHS is hosting Smilin' Clyde's Hotdogs in the Spartan Lobby during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Don't worry about rushing home to eat. Come visit teachers and purchase one of Clyde's famous hotdogs. 

Student-Parent Handbook Reminders 
Attendance Reminders!
To ensure that students are successful please make school attendance a priority. It is important for students to attend school each day and to receive a good night's sleep. Parents and students should make every effort to avoid scheduling dental and medical appointments during the school day. If an appointment must be made during the school day, efforts should be made to vary the periods missed to attend such appointments.
 
Pre-Arranged Absence Form
When students need to leave during the school day for situations such as court appearances, funerals, and dental/medical appointments, a Pre-Arranged Absence Form (available online or in the Deans'/Attendance Office) must be completed and submitted prior to the appointment.
 
Student Deliveries
As part of our building security expectations, the school does not accept phone messages, forgotten gym clothes, lunch money, homework assignments, and projects that need to be delivered to students. Please make sure students leave home fully prepared for school. 
 

Illinois State Superintendent Message  
Illinois State Board Of Education
A message from State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith...

I
am excited to welcome your students back to the classroom and begin my first full school year as Illinois' state superintendent. I look forward to getting to know your local school districts in the months ahead and to hear your input on what makes our public schools innovative and engaging places to work.
 
Learning begins at home and families are central to nurturing students' healthy development and education. As parents, you influence your child's success in the classroom in many ways, from making sure a student arrives at school well fed and on time to helping with homework and attending school meetings. Therefore, it's crucial that families stay up to date on the current initiatives that are strengthening public education and preparing your students for success after high school graduation and beyond.
 
I invite you to join me and the Illinois PTA for a Back-to-School Webinar at 7 p.m. Sept. 23. The webinar is an opportunity for me to tell you more about my areas of focus as well as go over some of the work before us this school year and to take your questions. More information about how to register is at the end of this letter. <<read more>>

Grade 12 Final Exam Exemption Criteria 
Graphic_Final-Exam
All students classified as grade 12 are eligible for final exam exemption from each of their semester exams based on the following criteria.

1) Student as accumulated no more than three absences during the first semester of the current school year.


2) Student has no unexcused absences, truancies or class cuts during the first semester of the current school year.

3) Student has earned at least a B average for the coursework in the specific class where an exam is scheduled.

4) All service learning hours must be documented in Student Services Office 117 by November 30, 2015.
 
Brian McCarty to be Inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame 
Alum Brian L. McCarty (1972) will be inducted in the school's Alumni Hall of Fame on Monday, September 14, 2015. McCarty will also serve as the featured speaker for the school's Academic Letter Ceremony that same evening.

Upon gradating from Oak Lawn Community High School, McCarty attended DePaul University then began his professional audio recording career at Viking Studios in Denver, Colorado. In 1977, he began his film sound career at The Burbank Studios in Hollywood. McCarty focused primarily on production sound and was part of a team that garnered Oscar Nominations for Best Sound for the feature films Altered States, On Golden Pond, and Dick Tracy. His accomplishments in sound recording and movie music also include the Oscar-nominated films Sister Act, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Starship Trooper, Jerry Maguire, As Good As It Gets, The Big Lebowski, as well as dozens more.

McCarty is a 27-year member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). He has authored engineering standards for new technology such as Digital Cinema and Ultra High Definition Television (UHDTV). He has also served as the chairperson of the technical Committee Sound for Digital Cinema and Television at the Audio Engineering Society (AES).  <<read more>>
    
Blood Drive:  Friday, September 25, 2015 
Each year, LifeSource offers area high schools the opportunity to earn valuable scholarship money. Oak Lawn Community High School has earned the scholarship money for the past seven years. Schools who wish to participate must host a minimum of two blood drives per year. Parents and community members can also have their donation credited to their local high school every time they donate at a community donor center or mobile blood drive. By simply providing the OLCHS donor code of OL94, the school receives credit for the donation. Please refer to the LifeSource website for a convenient donor center at http://www.lifesource.org and be sure to mention donor code OL94 when donating blood.

The school will host their Annual Fall Blood Drive on Friday, September 25, 2015, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Spartan Gym.  Students are encouraged to donate blood during their gym period. Students must be at least 16-years old.  A parent permission slip is required for students who are only 16-years old.   

Parents and community members are encouraged to visit a community donor center or mobile blood drive when eligible. Individuals are eligible to donate blood every 56 days. Be sure to mention donor code OL94 when donating blood.


Social Suspension Policy:  New for 2015-16! 
A social suspension policy was adopted for 2015-16 OLCHS Student-Parent Handbook. The new policy was highlighted at the PRIDE Class Meetings and reinforced during the Deans' Office lunch/study hall presentations. Parents and students are encouraged to read the policy carefully to avoid receiving the social suspension consequence. Under a social suspension, students are not permitted to participate in athletic or extracurricular team/clubs and are not permitted to attend school dances, sporting events, and other school-sponsored events.
 
Student-Parent Handbook, Page 45: Social Suspension. A social suspension is one in which a student is not allowed to attend school functions outside of the regular school day. These functions include, but are not limited to, being a member of an athletic or extracurricular team or club, and attending school dances, sporting events, and other school-sponsored events. Permission to attend these functions for a student who is on a social suspension may only be granted by a dean or administrator. Actions that may result in a social suspension along with other consequences include: a) an accumulation of eleven referrals; b) failure to serve two Saturday Detentions; c) inappropriate behavior at an after-school event; d) being in the building after-school hours without permission; e) an act of gross misconduct; f) excessive unexcused absences; and g) insubordination to a staff member particularly after-school hours. Students are placed on social probation for at least 3 months but can appeal to their dean after 1 month of demonstrating improved behavior.  <<Link to Student-Parent Handbook>>

Skyward Mobile App 
Skyward-Mobile
The Skyward Mobile App continues to provide parents with student information at their fingertips. Although Skyward Family Access allows parents to review their student's attendance records, grades, academic history, and discipline from any computer, the Skyward Mobile App provides many of the same features but allows users to easily view the information from a smartdevice. Visit the App Store or Google Play to download the App. If you need a Skyward Access username/password or need your password reset, please contact Jill Malkowski at 708/741-5611 or jmalkowski@olchs.org.

Oak Lawn Community High School District 229, Oak Lawn, Illinois

Mission Statement.  
Oak Lawn Community High School exists to: inspire, challenge, and empower students and staff in a safe, supportive environment; maximize individual potential through academic and personal growth;  and graduate students who attain the high standards set forth by our community.    

 

Board of Education:Webpage-Spartan-Logo 
Matthew Egan, President
Robert Loehr, Vice President
Kathleen Berry, Secretary
Timothy Burke, Member
Stephen Greene, Member
James Melnik, Member
Ann Touhy, Member
   
Administration:
Dr. Michael Riordan, Superintendent/Principal
Richard Hendricks, Assistant Superintendent
Joseph McCurdy, Assistant Principal
Dr. Jeana Lietz, Assistant Principal