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April 2013
Glenbrook South H.S. | Connections
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Teens promote driver safety
On a cold, February morning, a group of Glenbrook South students stand near the guardhouse in one of the school's parking lots. As each car approaches, the group follows a specific system: approach driver's side window, check to see if driver is wearing seatbelt, note their findings, reward driver with frozen yogurt coupon if buckled in, ask driver to buckle up if not.
For the most part, many of their peers followed proper safety protocol and buckled-up before leaving campus for lunch that day. But for those who didn't, the seatbelt check served as a good reminder.
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A GBS student rewards a driver for wearing a seatbelt with a frozen yogurt coupon.
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Last fall, Driver Education teacher John Skorupa applied for and was awarded a $2,000 grant from Operation Teen Safe Driving (OTSD), a group funded by Allstate Insurance, Ford Motor Company and the Illinois Department of Transportation. The idea behind the grant was to promote different teen safe driving initiatives within the school.
The group of students has been working with Skorupa since October on developing these different initiatives, one of which included a seatbelt check. This was the second check the group conducted this school year. The combined results will be forwarded to OTSD and presented in Springfield.
"The seat belt check is a follow up to one we did in December. The hope is that students, faculty and parents will be more aware in regards to wearing their seat belts after seeing our signs and reminders around campus," Skorupa said.
Leading up to the safety checks, signs were put up around school reminding drivers to buckle-up. The group also worked with local business ABT Electronics and took over their electronic billboard for one day. The billboard faces Interstate 294 and reminded drivers to not text and drive and to buckle-up. An estimated 70,000 cars saw it that day.
Earlier in the school year, the group of students also handed out key chains to their peers reminding them not to text while driving, and during the most recent seatbelt check they asked drivers to sign a pledge against texting while driving.
"As part of Drivers Education, we obviously talk to students about the dangers of texting while driving and not wearing a seatbelt. However, having students take part in this safety campaign really brought a new type of awareness to Glenbrook South's campus," Skorupa said.
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Calendar Highlights
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1 - Reserved Snow Day,
School in Session
2 - National Honor Society & Cum Laude Inductions, 7:30 p.m.
3 - Sophomore Parent Night, 7 p.m. (see article)
5 - Gym Jam II
8 - Board of Ed Mtg., 7 p.m. @ GBN
9 - Testing/Registration @ Oakton
10 - Student Late Arrival,
10 a.m.
11 - Glenbrook College Night @ GBN, 6:30 p.m.
12 - Hip Hop Show
5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Lyceum
19 - Jamnesty, 7 p.m.
23 - PSAE Testing -
No school for
Frosh/Soph/Seniors
24 - PSAE Testing -
Noon arrival for Frosh/Soph/Seniors
25 - One Act Plays, 4 &
7 p.m.
26 - GBS TLS Basketball vs. Highland Park @ 11:45 a.m.
29 - Board of Ed. Mtg., 7 p.m. @ GBN
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Parent survey to launch after spring break
District 225 will be emailing all parents a link to an online survey when classes resume after spring break. This survey will focus on communications, as the District looks to improve its services in this important area. Parents are encouraged to take a few minutes to complete this survey; input from families is valued and appreciated.
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School in session on April 1
Due to the closure of school for the "Snow Day" on Tuesday, March 5, school will be in session on Monday, April 1.
This reserved "Snow Day" is placed within the calendar to minimize the chance that a day will need to be added to our calendar after the last scheduled day of the school year, which is tentatively set for Thursday, June 6, 2013.
Please treat Monday, April 1 as a regular attendance day.
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Sophomore Parent Night
Sophomore Parent Night will take place Wednesday, April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Norman B. Watson Auditorium. The presentation will be an early introduction to the college search process, testing options and an introduction to the Naviance program.
Please note this program is for parents/guardians only, and will conclude with a brief question-and-answer session.
Those unable to attend the program can view it live via webinar at this link:
http://glenbrooksouth.adobeconnect.com/sophomoreparents/.
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Bus registration for students
Early-bird student bus registration for the 2013-14 school year begins Monday, April
1. Parents may save up to $150 if registration is completed by Monday, June 3. Register online by clicking here.
 Please note: Only incoming freshmen will receive bus packets by mail. Bus packets for sophomores, juniors and seniors will be available for printing at www.glenbrook225.org or for pick-up in the District Office.
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Juniors take PSAE tests
Alters schedule for all other students
On April 23 and April 24, the junior class will take the annual Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE). This test is important and all juniors are required by the state to complete the test in order to graduate. In addition, the results of this test impacts GBS as a whole, as part of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
Tuesday, April 23, Wednesday, April 25 Juniors: April 23 - Start 7:45 a.m. End 12 p.m. April 24 - Start 7:45 a.m. Regular end time
Frosh/Soph/Seniors: April 23 - No School April 24 - Late start, 12 p.m. April 25 - Normal school day
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Glenbrook musical, "West Side Story" May 1-4 
This year's Glenbrook musical has been cast and rehearsals have started. The musical will be held at GBS. Tickets are $13 and available for purchase either online, in person at GBS or the day of the show at the ticket booth.
The musical will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday in the Watson Auditorium. For ticket information, call 847-486-4672 or go to www.showtix4u.com.
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Glenbrook Foundation hosts "A Night of Glenbrook Theater"
In connection with this year's Glenbrook Musical "West Side Story," the Glenbrook Foundation will host "A Night of Glenbrook Theater" at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.
Tickets are $75 and include a dinner, premium ticket seating to the 7:30 p.m. show and a Foundation donation. The Glenbrook High School Foundation raises funds for programs and resources for District 225 students to enhance, enrich and expand their educational experience.
The dinner will be held in the Lyceum at Glenbrook South High School, 4000 W. Lake Avenue. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.showtix4u.com.
For more information about the Foundation, click here. For questions, call 847-486-4672 or e-mail aalpert@glenbrook225.org.
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GBS recommends daily schedule change
A committee of Glenbrook South administrators and teachers recently reviewed daily schedule options and concluded that a "block" schedule would be the most beneficial for students.
The block schedule provides students with longer class times, fewer times per week. For example, an average student may have four, 90-minute classes each day under the new schedule. Potential benefits of the block schedule include extended instructional time, increased opportunities for students to take additional classes, increased building capacity, additional time for access to support services, more time for teacher planning and collaboration, and less frequent passing periods.
The review process began in 2011. Members of the committee conducted numerous meetings to consider the strengths and challenges of both the current 8-period schedule and the block schedule. Parents, students and staff provided input as well in form of focus groups and informal surveys. A strong majority of participants favored the block schedule.
If approved by the Board of Education, Glenbrook South expects the new schedule to take effect at the start of the 2014-15 school year. The Board will continue to review the proposal over the next month and will vote prior to the end of the current school year.
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Student artwork on display
The 25th Annual Central Suburban League Student Art Exhibition will take place April 11-20, at The Art Center of Highland Park, 1957 N. Sheridan Road. The opening reception is April 11 from 6-8 p.m. for all student artists exhibited in the show.
The Art Center's gallery hours are as follows:
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, gallery closed on Sundays.
For more information, go to http://www.theartcenterhp.org/
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Students seek to inspire area students
In hopes of developing a life-long love of reading in young children, Glenbrook South High School recently hosted a book drive for new or gently used children's books to deliver to
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A GBS freshman reads to an elementary student during "Drop Everything and Read."
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schools in need.
More than 1,000 books were donated and delivered to pre-k through 3rd grade students in the Chicago, River Grove and Waukegan communities on March 8 as part of "Drop Everything and Read."
"Drop Everything and Read" is an annual celebration recognized in many schools as part of Dr. Seuss Week. In addition to dropping-off their donation, each GBS student was paired with one student from the selected schools for a period of approximately 15 minutes. During that time they got to know the selected student and each read from a Dr. Seuss book. "I hope that we have inspired those kids to love reading in some way. Our goal was to send students who are avid readers from our curriculum to inspire the kids they visited," said Marguerite Daus. For more on Drop Everything and Read, click here.
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NSSED honors teachers, student for horticulture work
On March 6, at the Northern Suburban Special Education District Board Meeting, two District 225 educators were recognized for their collaborative efforts to co-teach a horticulture class for Teaching for Life Skills students at Glenbrook South High School. 
Amanda Komaschka is a TLS teacher and Jill Serikaku is a science teacher. TLS is designed to help students with cognitive and physical disabilities learn how to function more independently as adults by focusing on five key areas: community, domestic, recreation and leisure, vocational and functional academics.
Komaschka and Serikaku's horticulture class currently has an enrollment of 12 TLS students along with four peer mentors who support the students in reaching the goals and expectations of the class.
Horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers or ornamental plants. Each unit runs approximately two weeks in length.
The horticulture students have planted their own seeds and worked in the greenhouse to track the progress of their plant growth. Students have hands-on opportunities during each of the units. The class will visit Wagner Farm on a regular basis and will take a trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden this semester.
Not only does this collaboration allow students to plant seeds and learn about growth and development of plants, but it also plants the seed of collaborative relationships and partnerships between general education and special education, the two teachers explained.
The NSSED Board also honored TLS student Kayla Buss for her standout participation in Komaschka and Serikaku's co-taught Horticulture class.
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Each month, this section will feature a different article that ran in Glenbrook South's student-run newspaper The Oracle, and, occasionally, other student-produced work. A new edition of The Oracle is distributed approximately every five weeks and can be found in newsstands throughout the school. It is also mailed to all Parents' Association members. This month's article is written by Staff Reporter Lauren Benson.
Graphics teacher Christine Memler's first-semester web-design class spent three months creating a working website for a local small business, Cooper's Way, which supports no-kill animal shelters by selling all-natural, non-toxic dog treats.
In late October, Memler received a call from Vicki Price, Cooper's Way owner, to s
ee if Memler's students were interested in creating a website for her. After working with professional logo designers, Price had decided to see if South's class could create the website instead.
"We were at a really good point in our curriculum where I could incorporate a website as part of the students' work," Memler said.
The creation of an actual, working website allowed students to use skills learned in class, such as the proper application of technologies such as HTML (Hyper Text Mark-Up Language) Coding, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and InDesign software.
According to Memler, students gained valuable real-world experience from the project. Sophomore Eleni Trapp enjoyed working on the project.
"Mainly, I gained experience for what it would be like to make a website for a real customer," Trapp said. "We all got to see the kinds of problems that can arise and how to work through them."
For more on the Website, click here.
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Glenbrook United earns state gold
During the Special Olympics state tournament, the Glenbrook United Boys White team beat Palatine Gray 54-26 and Metea Valley 52-28 to earn state gold. This is the second straight gold medal for the White team and all the athletes scored in each game.
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Glenbrook United Coach Pa'al Joshi talks to members of the Girls Gold team during the Special Olympics state tournament.
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Boys White members are Ryan Manso, Andrew Yang, Alexander Durham, Yordan Yanev, Henry Tish, Michael Young and Andrew Spilios.
The Boys Gold team also earned 4th in state. Boys Gold team members are Bobby Cameron, Jacob Rosenberg, Ryan Jennings, Sean Manso, Arsheel Lalani, Bryan Nash, Daniel Raviv and Clay Brassil.
"They played very hard and well. This year's team was moved up divisions and played tougher competition. The effort and sportsmanship was terrific," said Glenbrook United Coach Pa'al Joshi.
Additionally, the Girls Gold team finished with the bronze medal for the third straight year. In the bronze medal game, the girls team beat the Shabbona Park Sharks 62-36. The girls were down early and went on a 16-2 run in the first quarter to change the momentum of the game. Maddy Halamaj broke her own GU record for points in a game (48 last year) with 54 against Shabbona Park.
Girls Gold team members are Kayla Buss, Frankie Crist, Maddy Halamaj, Katie McManus, Karmesha White, Nina Santacrose, Hannah Flanagan.
"We are so proud of all our teams for playing hard and competing with excellent attitudes and excellent sportsmanship," Joshi said. "Our teams got better individually and collectively."
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District freezes, restructures student fees
The Glenbrook High School District 225 Board of Education discussed on February 25 a recommendation from the administration to freeze student fees at the same rates as last school year, with the exception of the materials fee that would now include a technology cost.
"We understand our local families have been impacted by current economic times. The administration continues to make every effort to keep costs low and yet still be fiscally responsible to our taxpayers who support the District," said Assistant Superintendent for Business Affairs Hillarie Siena.
The following student fees would remain the same as last year: bus transportation; Driver education behind-the-wheel; parking stickers; towels; instrument rental fee; credit card convenience charge; and pre-school tuition.
The Board considered replacing the current materials fee of $15 with a combined materials and technology fee of $30. This is to help cover the increasing costs of items such as e-mail and network services, Internet services, wireless access, library services, testing services and the emergency notification system.
The District has not raised fees for transportation the last three years, and will also maintain its sibling bus rider discount of 50 percent. The Board will vote on the proposed fees at the March 11 Board of Education meeting.
Proposed fees for 2013-14
* Driver Education Fee (BTW) $350
* Towel Fee $10.50
* Instrument rental fee $20/semester
* Materials/technology Fee $30
* Student parking stickers $285/full year ($142/semester)
* Credit card fee $2.50 per transaction
* NSF check fee $30
* Pre-School Tuition $160/day
* Bus Transportation $675 (before June 3) and $800 (after June 3)
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District energy improvements result in cost savings
As part of its initiatives for 2012-13, District 225 implemented recommendations from grant-funded retro-commissioning studies to help reduce overall energy consumption. These improvements are expected to save the district more than $88,000 annually.
"While the retro-commissioning reports cited our routine maintenance as some of the best they've seen, they also produced a number of simple recommendations to further enhance our efficiency," said Superintendent Dr. Mike Riggle. "By reducing energy consumption, we save money and help improve the environment."
At Glenbrook North, eight recommended actions have either been completed or are in process and will be completed within the next two months. The total cost to implement these measures is $31,300, with an annual energy cost savings estimated at $69,515. Numerous cost-saving actions will be implemented, with many centering on the pool area of the school.
At Glenbrook South, implementation is underway on four recommended actions. The total cost is $10,000 with an annual cost savings estimated at $19,098. Cost-saving actions at GBS focus on air handling unit operations and resetting various temperature set points.
The initial study was conducted in spring 2012, and was funded by a $50,000 grant for each school.
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