November 2012
Glenbrook North H.S. | Connections
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Glenbrook students score consistently high on state tests
According to the 2012 Illinois School Report Cards released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South students perform consistently well above average on state tests.
 GBN students posted an average composite score of 25.9, while GBS students earned an average composite score of 24.3. The state average composite score is 20.6.
The 2012 Report Card lists the total enrollment of the Glenbrook High Schools as 4,748, which is 14 fewer students than the previous year. The district's graduation rate of 95.6% is down 2.4%, resulting from a change in the required reporting implemented in 2010-11 under the Federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). On average, 96-97% of Glenbrook graduates attend college. NCLB sets annual targets for student achievement on the Illinois Prairie State Achievement Exams (PSAE). For 2012, 85% of all student subgroups are to meet or exceed standards on PSAE testing in order for the school to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The target level will rise by 7.5% each year, until the expectation level is 100% by 2014. NCLB specifically measures the progress of nine subgroups of students including the following: Racial/Ethnic Background, Limited English Proficient, Students with Disabilities and Economically Disadvantaged. Based on the performance of some subgroups, GBN, GBS, and the district did not meet AYP for 2012. View 2012 Illinois School Report Cards
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Calendar Highlights
November
3 Parent University @ GBN (see article)
4 Festa Italiana, 5 p.m.
(see article)
5 Band Parents' Org. Mtg.,
7 p.m.
Booster Club Mtg., 7 p.m.
Board of Education Mtg.,
7 p.m. @GBS
Variety Show auditions
6 Choral Parents' Org./Theatre Arts Parent Org. Mtg., 6 p.m.
6- 19 Food Drive (see article)
7 Student Late Arrival,
9:40 a.m.
Parents' Assoc. Mtg., 7 p.m.
8 Fall Sports Awards Night, 6:30 p.m.
10 Winter Sports Jamboree,
9 a.m.
IMEA Senior Festival @ GBN
11 Veterans' Day
12 -13 Finding the Fit...Who Am I?, 7 p.m. (see article)
15 Faculty Basketball Game vs. GBS, 7:30p.m. @ GBN
16 Blood Drive, 8:30 a.m.
17 IMEA Senior Jazz Festival, 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. @ Lake Zurich
17-18 Glenbrooks Debate Tournament @GBN
19 Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m. @GBS
21-25 Thanksgiving Break, No School
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Winter Weather School Closing Procedures
The decision to cancel school is made by the District Superintendent and is usually due to severe or extreme wind chills, snow accumulation or unsafe road conditions.
The goal is to notify families of school cancellations as early as possible, usually by 6 a.m. Parents can expect to be contacted by the District via an automated phone and email system. (NOTE: Now is a great time to contact your school registrar to make sure that your contact information is up-to-date.)
Information will also be sent out through both schools' Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The District has built two emergency days into the calendar on Monday, January 14 and Monday, April 1. If no emergency days are used prior to January 14, then there will be no school on that date. However, if an emergency day is needed prior to that date, then school will be in session on January 14. If no emergency days are used between January 15 and April 1, then there will be no school on April 1. If an emergency day is needed during that time, then school will be in session on April 1.. This calendar feature minimizes the need to add emergency days to the end of the school year in June.
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Canned Food Drive aims to hit a high note
Students at Glenbrook North are switching things up a bit this year during the annual Canned Food Drive, which runs from November 6-19.
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A GBN student sorts food donations during last year's Canned Food Drive.
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Coined Foodapalooza, different bands will play during lunch periods in the cafeteria and Student Center the week of November 12-16. Spectators are encouraged to leave cash donations to support local food pantries.
Those in the Northbrook community are also encouraged to donate by placing any nonperishable food items in the provided bags students will leave at your doorstep on November 4. The bags will be picked up on November 11.
Both cash and food items will also be accepted at GBN.
Additionally, select local restaurants will feature a Bite of the Week. A percentage of sales from that food item will also be donated to the various organizations. There will also be a GBN vs. GBS faculty basketball game at 7:30p.m. on November 15 at GBN.
All donations will go to three local organizations that include the Northfield Township Food Pantry, The ARK and Vital Bridges. The ARK is a not-for-profit, community-funded health and human services agency located in Northbrook that works with members of the Jewish community. Vital Bridges is an organization that helps people impacted by HIV and AIDS.
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GBN offers college program for juniors
On November 12 and 13, GBN will host the annual event "Finding the Fit...Who am I?" starting at 7 p.m. in the Center for the Performing Arts. This program is for junior students and their parents and serves as an introduction to the college selection process. The evening concludes with small group discussions with school counselors.
It is advisable to attend on the evening when your child's counselor is present, although students and parents are welcome either night. Counselor schedules: Monday, November 12: Gebhardt, Higgins, O'Rourke, Ruppert; and Tuesday, November 13: Bozacki-Rae, Niemiec, Rogers, Standerski, and Sullivan.
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Parent University coming to Glenbrook North
Sponsored by Northbrook Citizens for Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Parent University helps parents address a number of child raising issues including depression, digital bullying and sibling rivalry.
The event will take place from 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, November 3 at Glenbrook North, 2300 Shermer Road in Northbrook. Several sessions will take place throughout the day. The sessions are run by professional psychologists, doctors and other licensed professionals.
Go to www.nbparks.org in order to register. For more information, call the NCDAA at 847-272-7870 or e-mail ncdaainfo@ncdaa.org.
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GBN parents host fundraiser to support school's bands
The GBN Band Parents Organization is hosting Festa Italiana - a fundraiser for the school's bands featuring GBN jazz bands, raffle prizes and Italian food. The event will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, November 4. Tickets are $13 for students and $25 for adults. Preregistration is preferred. For more information, send an email to gayemitchell@sbcglobal.net or or www.glenbrook225.org, Parents, Band Parent Organization. Profits go to support the GBN bands.
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Students earn perfect ACT score
Two students from Glenbrook North have earned perfect scores on the ACT, a 215 multiple-choice test that is administered every year in the United States and U.S. territories.  These students include Michelle Butts and Brian O'Keefe.
The ACT is required by all the state schools in Illinois and accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the United States. Juniors are advised to take the ACT in February, April or June. ACT scores range from 1-36.
"Earning a perfect score was like a validation that the years of hard work and focusing on academics had finally paid off, which was an amazing feeling," Butts said. "I still can't believe it."
"When I heard that I had earned a 36, I was surprised, happy and relieved that I wouldn't have to take the test again," O'Keefe added.
Both students worked hard at earning the perfect score, which on average less than one-tenth of one percent of all test takers earn, according to the ACT.
Practice tests, prep classes and tutors were all part of their preparation. Having confidence in your abilities will also help you relax and not put additional pressure on yourself, Butts said.
"If you are going to use tutors or prep classes, do your homework. I think the biggest thing that helped me were all the practice tests I took," she said. "Also, try and relax. Since I was happy with my first two ACT scores, I didn't put too much pressure on myself and was really able to focus on the last one and try my best."
As for any additional advice to future test takers, O'Keefe said it is important to not get hung up on any one question. If you don't know the answer, come back to it.
"If you don't know it, move on and come back later because you run out of time pretty quickly," he said.
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Each month, this section will feature a different article that ran in Glenbrook North's student-run newspaper The Torch, and, occasionally, other student-produced work. A new edition of The Torch is distributed approximately every month and can be found in newsstands throughout the school. This month's article is written by Executive Features Editor Jessica Hoffen.
Alumnus' watch tests well with students
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Graphic by: Jessica Hoffen
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When Jordan Liss's grandfather passed away, he left Jordan his WWII dog tags, stories of the trials of entrepreneurship and a desire to be like him.
The '11 alumnus wears the dog tags every day, and Jordan, like his grandfather, founded his own company before the age of 25. Jordan's company, Testing Timers, sells his inventions called aTesting Timers and sTesting Timers, which are watches programmed to pace studen
ts for the ACT and SAT, respectively.
The company officially launched this September, but the idea for it came years prior while Jordan was a junior at Glenbrook North.
For more on Liss's watches, click here to read the online article.
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Federal funding available to students of military personnel
Due to the recent extension of a federal Impact Aid bill, Glenbrook High School District 225 is eligible to receive additional federal funding. The bill will provide federal funding to school districts that provide education to the children of military personnel as well as to other "federally supported students" who attend either Glenbrook North or Glenbrook South High Schools.
In order to receive this funding, parents/guardians are asked to verify their high school student falls into the category of "federally supported students" by completing a survey and returning it to Vicki Tarver by December 1.
Some examples include: Child resides with a parent who works on federal property. Child resides with a parent employed by the federal government. Child has a parent who is active (or reserve) duty in the uniformed military service. Child resides in federally subsidized housing. Child resides on federal property with a parent employed on federal property situated in whole or in part within the boundaries of the school district.
A copy of the survey can be found by clicking here. Anyone with questions may call Vicki Tarver at 847-486-4591.
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The Northbrook Park District and Northbrook Symphony Orchestra will host a grand holiday concert in the majestic Divine Word Chapel of Techny Towers on December 2. The combination of highly trained community singers, a professional orchestra and a beautiful setting should provide a memorable and entertaining event to capture the feeling of the holiday season. For more information, click here.
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