New Bell Schedule for 2016-17, A Later Start Time  
Oak Lawn Community High School has adopted a new bell schedule for the 2016-17 school year that will allow students to arrive later, attend an advisory period, and attend an intervention/enrichment period with a staff member of the student's choice.  Under the new schedule, students will start at 8:32 a.m. and be dismissed at 3:00 p.m. The new schedule is the result of a collaboration of several initiatives, the realignment of the school day, and providing each teacher with a preparation period at the start of the school day. <<read more>>     

Click here to view the 2016-17 Bell Schedule

  Speech Team Earns SSC Conference Title       
The Speech Team had an incredible outing at the South Suburban Conference Tournament on Wednesday. The team earned the SSC Conference Title.  Individual successes included: Top Novice: Isabella Welsh in Prose Reading; 6th place finishes: Stephanie McFann in Prose Reading, Emily March in Extemporaneous Speaking, and Mercedes Lopez in Humorous Interpretation; 5th place finishes: Kaeley Clark in Impromptu Speaking, Damian Samsonowicz in Extemporaneous Speaking; 4th place finishes: Xavier Jacquez-Flores in Humorous Interpretation, Julian Camacho in Oratorical Declamation, Hanna Harris in Dramatic Interpretation, Genesis Zepeda in Poetry Reading, Brandon Hollenback in Special Occasion Speaking, and Jacob Montesano and Megan Baker in Humorous Duet Acting;  3rd place finishes: Malak Zaidan in Oratorical Declamation,  David Ward and Xavier Jacquez-Flores in Humorous Duet Acting, Jacob Montesano and Josh Cash in Dramatic Duet Acting; 2nd place finishes: Cameron DeLaMora in Informative Speaking, Stephanie McFann in Special Occassion Speaking, Selena Rivera in Radio Speaking, and Mercedes Lopez in Original Comedy; 1st place finishes: Josh Cash in Poetry Reading, Veronica Bugaj in Informative Speaking, Moises Pena Bello in Radio Speaking, Genesis Zepeda in Original Comedy, Damian Samsonowicz in Original Oratory, Carl Seibel in Original Oratory, and Cameron DeLaMora in Dramatic Interpretation.  Congratulations Spartans!  Come support the Speech Team at the 218 Fling Tournament at Eisenhower this Saturday.  <<read more>>

PTSA To Host Open Gym and Family Night     
The OLCHS Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) will host their Annual Open Gym and Family Night on Friday, February 12, 2016, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.  Oak Lawn staff members, coaches, and parents will be on hand to supervise the open gym and pool activities. Participants can play volleyball, basketball, badminton, or use the swimming pool and climbing wall.  The event is free and is open to current OLCHS students, incoming freshmen students, and students in seventh grade or lower when accompanied by an adult family member. The concession stand and spiritwear tables will be open with items to purchase. Raffle prizes will also be awarded. Go Spartans!  <<read more>>



SpARTan Art Gallery to Debut Colorful Use for the iPad   
The new popularity of adult coloring books shows no signs of slowing down. Now, Spartans have joined in the creative fun!

Students in Mrs. Jamie Atkus's ILRP Technology and Mrs. Jennifer Clark�s Extreme Art classes delved into the coloring craze by creating their own unique works of art without traditional crayons, markers, or colored pencils.  Using the Colorfly app on their iPads, students "colored" a variety of detailed designs using only their finger on the tablet.  Art pieces included intricate pictures ranging from flowers to kittens to replicas of Edvard Munch's The Scream.

After being printed on the Media Center�s color laser printer and creatively mounted, the artwork will be displayed in the SpARTan Art Gallery located in the Media Center.  With the help of media specialists Eileen Jones and Jennifer Sidlow, each piece will be linked via Aurasma, an augmented reality platform, to a brief video of the students explaining their personal creative process.  This allows students' colorful designs to become interactive with all the gallery visitors.

Extreme Art students continued on to study zentangles, beautiful images created by drawing repetitive structured patterns.  These students are in the process of creating their own zentangles.  <<read more>> 
 
Students of the Quarter:  English, Social Studies, Foreign Language, & Media Center    
The English Student of the Quarter is Marissa James, a student in Ms. Perras' American Studies course. Other outstanding students included Sara Quiroga, Pawel Sowizdzal, Tasneem Jaber, Bailey Tobin, Morgan Martlink, Jade Ryerson, Shane Noone, Jeremy Zwier, Melissa Buss, Alexandria Demas, Samantha Welninski, Michal Szaflarski, and Andrew Moreno.

The Social Studies Student of the Quarter is Marco Jimenez, a student in Mr. Kuchyt's History of Chicago course. Other outstanding students included Emily March, Dean Kruk, Tala Liqyanah, Matthew Janus, Camryn Landingham, and Mariel Perales.

The Foreign Language Student of the Quarter is Fatima Akili, a student in Mr. Yerian's French 1 course. Other outstanding students included Anna Jasinka, Dunia Samra, Naji Fariz, Danyah Thnaibat, Val Molloy, Stela Perojevic, and Lena Rayas.

Finally, the Media Center Student of the Quarter is Wojciech Zacherek, a student who has contributed to the library's MakerSpace initiative. All nominated students will be invited to a division celebration in May. Congratulations Spartans!  <<read more>>

Baseball's Blake Takes Home Trophy as 2016 Ultimate Spartan 
Last Saturday night more than 300 students came to watch the softball program crown its fourth Ultimate Spartan. And Liam Blake, Vinnie Caprio, Miles O'Brien, Alexander Kenny, Jorge Ramirez and Lucas Palacios did not disappoint the crowd. When it was all over and the votes were counted, it was the closest judging in history. Miles O'Brien took third place, Lucas Palacios came in second and baseball player Liam Blake was named the 2016 Ultimate Spartan.

With the help of these guys, the softball players and the Oak Lawn Community High School staff, the softball program made more than $1,100 to help purchase necessary equipment for the upcoming season. <<read more>>

Basketball's Alshaikh Rebounds to Lead Spartans on Court     
Each week the Athletic Department and the Spartan Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) selects a Spartan Athlete of the Week. The recipient for the week of January 11 was senior boys' basketball player Odeh Alshaikh.

Alshaikh recorded a double-double in a victory over Bremen as he scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Even more impressive may be the fact that he played all 32 minutes of the game. Then, a few days later, Alshaikh again played all 32 minutes and scored nine points against Hillcrest. This is the second time Alshaikh has been named Spartan Athlete of the Week.

"At just under six feet tall, Odeh is leading the south suburbs in rebounding with 9.8 boards per game," said head coach Jason Rhodes. "He loves to compete and is our most consistent performer night in and night out."  <<read more>> 
     
  Touchie Gives Opponents Double/Double Trouble  
 Each week the Athletic Department and the Spartan Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) selects a Spartan Athlete of the Week. The recipient for the week January 18 is senior girls basketball center Kelly Touchie.

She averaged a double/double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in two games last week. She has scored more than 200 points this season and grabbed more than 200 rebounds.

"Kelly has been our most consistent player and is the best leader in the program," said head coach Mark Sevedge. "Kelly's work ethic is unbelievable and she is a great teammate."

Other athletes receiving nominations for Spartan Athlete of the Week were Alexandra Jeeninga (Cheer), Giovanni Caban (Wrestling), Dan Kirby (Boys Bowling), Othman Othman (Boys Basketball), and Jena Rayas (Girls Bowling).  <<read more>>

Bowling Benefit Raises Money for Scholarship Fund -February 6 
Family and friends will gather to honor the late Megan Hurckes with a birthday bowling benefit at Arena Lanes on Saturday, February 6, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.  The friends and family of Megan Hurckes are honoring her birthday by participating in one of her favorite past times - bowling.
 
Megan is the late daughter of former Oak Lawn trustee Jerry Hurckes. Since Megan's death at age ten in 2009, the Hurckes have celebrated Megan's birthday by raising money for a good cause. The Hurckes Family is taking over Arena Lanes to raise money for the Megan Hurckes Scholarship Fund. Rather than mourn her death, the family started the fund as a way to celebrate Megan's life and keep her name and memory alive. "When Megan passed away we asked people not to give flowers but donate to a memorial fund," Jerry Hurckes said.

The family has raised over $40,000, which has gone to high school students continuing on to college, grammar school students going to high school, the Children's Museum and Westside Baseball. Megan Hurckes would have been 17 this year. She died after an ATV accident in 2009. Megan was a straight-A, fifth-grade student at Kolb Elementary School, a member of a champion girls' softball team for Westside Baseball, and an actress in the Oak Lawn Park District theater program. 
 
The bowling benefit/birthday party kicks off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 6, 2016, at Arena Lanes Bowling Center, at 4700 W. 103rd St. (103rd Street and Cicero Avenue). Those who are unable to attend but wish to make a donation can send checks payable to the Megan Hurckes Scholarship Foundation, c/o 7036 W. 96th St., Oak Lawn, IL, 60453. For more information about Megan's candlelight bowling birthday party and benefit, call 708-599-7302.  
<<read more>>
 
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
Daniel Janik, Member
Margaret Nugent, Member   
   
Administration:
Dr. Michael Riordan, Superintendent/Principal
Richard Hendricks, Assistant Superintendent
Joseph McCurdy, Assistant Principal
Dr. Jeana Lietz, Assistant Principal