Gloria Barrera, School Nurse, has been nominated for the 40 under 40 Award through the Illinois Nurses Foundation. The award is designed to recognize nurses in Illinois who demonstrate exemplary professional practice along with community engagement and/or advocacy on behalf of the profession and those they serve. Gloria was nominated by the President of the Illinois Hispanic Nurses Association and the Treasurer of the Illinois Association of School Nurses. Congratulations, Gloria!  <<read more>>
  

As part of Teen Tech Week, twenty-four students visited the Barnes & Noble in Oak Brook to tour the Makerspace.  Students rotated through stations while "playing" with cool gadgets, such as Dot and Dash, Little Bits, Ozobots and Sphero.  They completed light coding and browsed the vast array of books and other materials available to those interested in S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).  Students even made a wacky robot named Meccano dance and hold hands with them by using only voice commands!   

Students interested in STEM & the Maker Movement are encouraged to visit the Media Center iTunes U course for projects and upcoming events.  <<read more>> 

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 April 4 is senior baseball player John Roberts.

Roberts went 3-for-3 and led the offense to help the Spartans earn a 3-1 victory over Eisenhower. He then went 3-for-4 in the win over Bolingbrook in the conference challenge, and he picked up the win on the mound by pitching two innings in relief.  <<read more>>

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 April 11 is junior second baseman for the softball team Natalia Rafacz.

Rafacz went 7-for-15 (.467) during the week with six RBIs and two runs scored. She had the game-winning RBI in a 3-2 win over Tinley Park in the 11th inning and then had the game-tying RBI the very next day in a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Oak Forest.

"Natalia really expects a lot out of herself, and it was great to see her smile when she came up with the huge hits this week," said head coach Brian Frangella. "And to add to that, she is one of our best players on defense." Other athletes nominated for the award were Blessing Egbulefu (Girls Track) and Shawnee Masters (Badminton).  <<read more>>  

I do not, will not, and cannot approve of underage drinking of alcohol. However, I am not naive. As prom, graduation and summer vacation approach, I know many minors will find themselves in a situation where alcohol will be readily available. Many of you will make the right decision, and not imbibe. Others, however, will tempt fate and take that drink. Often times, underage drinkers do not know when enough is enough.

If you find yourself in a situation where you and your friends have gotten drunk, and someone has passed out, they need your help. Call 911. Yes, the police will come with the paramedics. But thanks to Illinois House Bill 2341, you will not face criminal prosecution due to the Alcohol Poisoning Immunity Bill.

Illinois law 235 ILCS 5/6-20(i), signed into effect in 2015, states that a law enforcement officer may not charge a person with an offense involving underage alcohol possession or consumption, when that person has requested medical assistance for an individual who reasonably appeared to be in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption. What does that mean? If you call 911 because your friend passed out from drinking too much, and you stay with your friend to help, and you cooperate with paramedics and police, you cannot be arrested or charged with underage possession or consumption of alcohol.

Do the right thing, and get help for your overly intoxicated friend. Edgar Snyder & Associates, a Pennsylvania law firm, estimates that over 4,300 minors die every year from alcohol intoxication. This new, common sense law, hopefully will help reduce that number. Enjoy prom. Be proud of your graduation. Relax this summer. Do it all sober and live to talk about it.

Detective Hennessy, OLCHS School Resource Officer  <<read more>>

OLCHS is collecting residency documentation 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.