February 26, 2016
 
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Speech Team Sweeps Conference, Regionals, Sections; Earns 4th Place State Title 


The Speech Team competed at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Tournament this past weekend in Peoria. The team had a very successful outing. Of the seven students that qualified for state, 5 qualified for the final rounds. The students include: Vaughn Smith as a finalist in Prose Reading; Carl Seibel took 5th place in Original Oratory; Stephanie McFann earned 3rd place in Special Occasion Speaking; Cameron DeLaMora earned 3rd place in Informative Speaking; and Kaeley Clark and Vaughn Smith were crowned State Champions in Dramatic Duet Acting.

The school's Performance in the Round (PIR) entry, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, earned a 3rd place at the state tournament.  The PIR cast members include Aisling Berry, Alyssa Bitner, Veronica Bugaj, Kaitlyn Grady, Mirtha Guerra, Hanna Harris, Brandon Hollenback, Jozef Hyrczyk, Andrea Marius, Abigail Moore, Matt Olejniczak, Alexanddra Overland, Shelby Roberts, Damian Samsonowicz, Emily Simmons, Hannah Spillane, Noah Swanberg, and David Ward

The team returned home with a 4th Place State Title.  Congratulations Spartans!   <<read more>>
Parent-Teacher Conferences 
PTC, No Date
 
Second Semester Parent-Teacher Conferences have been rescheduled for: 

Thursday, March 3, 2016
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 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 Gym, Auditorium Gym, and the Dance Studio.  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.

Staff will also be on hand to answer any questions about residency validation for the 2016-17 school year. Parents should refer to the email from earlier in the week in regards to the residency validation process.

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. <<read more>>

 Comprehensive School Client Survey 
OLCHS has partnered with the National School Climate Center (NSCC) to conduct a comprehensive school climate survey. The Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI) seeks input from our constituents. Different versions of the survey will be given to students, parents, and staff members.

The online survey window for parents is open and will remain open through Monday, March 7, 2016. A link on our website will allow parents to begin the survey. Parents needing access to a computer can complete the survey during Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, or during the school day by scheduling an appointment with Guidance Secretary Jeanne Horacek at 708/741-5632.

The CSCI is designed to assess perceptions of the school environment, including safety, relationships, support for learning, and the environment within the school. The survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Your feedback is important to assist OLCHS understand and improve specific climate issues. All responses are anonymous. There are no names or identifying information attached to the survey, and all data will be reported in terms of the way groups of people have responded. <<read more>> 

Residency Validation for 2016-2017
OLCHS wi
ll collect residency documentation beginning in February for the 2016-17 school year. In past years, the documents were collected in the summer as part of the back-to-school registration process. The intent of the change is to speed up the summer registration process and to reduce the need for parents to visit campus during the August iPad/textbook pick-up days.  Families are expected to have their residency documentation submitted by June 30, 2016.

On Tuesday, February 16, 2016, each family was emailed information on the 2016-17 Residency Validation process. Within the email there was a hyperlink to InfoSnap to allow families to upload their residency documentation. Although an email was sent for each student enrolled, a family only needs to complete the InfoSnap process once. Please use InfoSnap to complete your Residency Validation process. If you did not receive the email or have other residence questions, please contact Maria Vanderwarren at 708/741-5602 or mvanderwarren@olchs.org.
  
Although families are encouraged to submit their documentation electronically via InfoSnap, families do have the option of submitting the required residency documentation via email, fax, U.S. Mail, or by dropping off copies of the required paperwork at the school. Families that prefer to submit the documentation by hardcopy must print the Residency Validation Form and submit copies of all the required paperwork. The school will not make copies. Additionally, staff members are not available during the school day without an appointment. Residency questions and requests for appointments should be directed to Maria Vanderwarren at 708/741-5602 or mvanderwarren@olchs.org.
Families needing assistance can visit campus on: 1) Wednesday, February 24, from 5:00 - 8:30 p.m., during Parent-Teacher Conferences; 2) Monday, March 14, 2016, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.; or 3) Wednesday, April 13, 2016, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. <<read more>> 
 
 Oak Lawn to Induct World-Class Wrestler William Vail Into Hall of Fame 
OLCHS will induct its twenty-third Alumni Hall of Fame recipient, William J. Vail, Class of 1967, on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. as part of the school's Winter Sports Awards Night. Vail is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. He is a licensed engineer, educator, and a real estate salesman.

Vail is a Senior Director of Asset Services Vice President at CBRE Group, Inc. It is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. He helps clients with asset planning and property management.  Vail's knowledge extends to all types of properties, including high-rise office buildings, computer data centers, sports centers, banks, and educational facilities.

Vail wrestled while attending OLCHS and eventually became a world-class freestyle wrestler and National Jr. Olympic Wrestling Champion. Vail continues his involvement with the sport as a coach, team leader, and administrator. He was the assistant completion director for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, competition manager for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, Administrator and coach for the 1992 Olympic Team, Treasurer and chairman of the finance committee for U.S.A. Wrestling, Team Leader and coach for Olympic, World Cup, and World Championship Competition. Vail was also highly involved in Chicago's bid for the 2016 games. Additionally, Vail has been inducted into several state and national Hall of Fames as an athlete, coach, administrator and team leader.  <<read more>>

  Murder Documentary Leads to Research Project 
Amy Perras, English teacher, capitalized on the popularity of the latest Netflix documentary Making a Murderer by applying it to her discrimination unit in American Studies. The unit, initially focused on the novel Black Like Me, but Ms. Perras differentiated by addressing other forms: gender, socio-economic or religious discrimination.  Three options were given to students: summarize two articles per day about any discrimination topics of your choice; read Black Like Me; or watch the Making a Murderer documentary outside of class, evaluating the facts presented in the case and citing evidence. Is the evidence conclusive or inconclusive? Are people of lower intelligence and lower socioeconomic status taken advantage of in our society? All options led to a research paper. Kayla Higens said, "being close minded causes you to have hate and fear," while Julia Rothman learned, "Judging a person does not define who they are, it defines who you are."
 
Ms. Perras was pleased with the final products as a result of utilizing authentic investigative skills through inquiry based learning. Perras stated, "Though we explored the bias within the documentary, it still caused students to explore research on a deeper level than I've seen in a long time, producing some of the best papers I've seen in my career."   <<read more>>

 PTSA Scholarships        
Attention Seniors! Looking for a little extra money for College, the Military or Trade School?  The PTSA will award three $750.00 scholarship to graduating seniors that are continuing their education after high school. 

Applications are available from Mrs. Kenny in the Guidance office. The scholarship application deadline is March 17, 2016. Students are required to be members of the PTSA to be eligible for the scholarship. PTSA memberships are still available for $8.00 from the OLCHS WebStore.

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