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College recommendation letters help students succeed
When he totals it up, Glenbrook South social studies teacher Ben Hussman realizes that over the course of his 20-year career he has written several hundreds of letters of recommendation for seniors applying to colleges.
An AP US History teacher, he said he writes around 20 letters each year, tailoring each one to the student's strengths and personality.
With the November 1 and November 15 college application deadlines recently passed, Hussman is one of many teachers who have wrapped up a busy season of helping District 225 students gain admission to higher education institutions.
With more and more large and popular schools adopting the Common Application - the generic undergraduate application used by 400 colleges and universities - students at Glenbrook North and South are requiring the necessary letters from one counselor and one academic teacher.
"I know it is part of the process of preparing them for the next steps of their educational journey," said Hussman. "My teachers worked to give me opportunities so I feel it is essential that I do the same."
The same time and dedication a student puts into a college application can be seen by teachers and counselors writing recommendation letters, said GBN College Coordinator David Boyle.
"Our letters offer two perspectives. The counselor writes from a global perspective on what type of person the student is, while an academic teacher spotlights who the student is in the classroom, how he or she compare to other students in the class, and how he or she will fit into life on the college campus," he said.
At Glenbrook North, more than 600 letters of recommendation will be written during the 2013-2014 school year.
Similarly, 190 GBS teachers have been requested to write a letter of recommendation in the last five years, said Ann LePage, GBS Coordinator of College Counseling.
With each counselor writing letters for their students, online surveys through the website Naviance have helped streamline the process. Beginning junior year, students fill in information regarding their activities, interests and strengths.
To round out any holes, seniors have a recommendation interview with their counselors. Parents and coaches, club sponsors and other close adults also are allowed input through a Brag Sheet.
"Kids are humble and they may not recognize some of things they are accomplishing with their clubs or activities or classes are exceptional because it is the standard here," said LePage, who started at GBS as a teacher, before moving to counseling. "Parents are great at recognizing what is extraordinary about their lives - whether it is an activity involvement or caring for family - and it lets us into their insight."
Boyle said through his background as an admissions representative at Lake Forest College he can testify that insight from a recommendation letter can "absolutely" push a qualified candidate into acceptance by showing the readers something they may have missed in the transcripts and test scores.
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December
2 - Band Parent Org. Mtg., 7 p.m.
Board of Education Mtg., 7 p.m. @GBS
3 - Choral Parents' Org./Theatre Arts Parent Org., 6 p.m.
7 - Booster Club Mtg.,
7 p.m.
12-14 - Winter Play, 7:30 p.m.,
16 - Board of Education Mtg., 7 p.m. @GBS
17 - Winter Concert, 7:30 p.m
23-Jan.5 - Winter Break, No School
January 2014
6 - Band Parent Org. Mtg., 7 p.m.
Booster Club Mtg., 7 p.m.
7 - Choral Parents' Org./Theatre Arts Parent Org, 6 p.m.
8 - Parent Assn. Mtg., 7 p.m.
9 - Finding the Fit...Financial Aid Nuts-N-Bolts, 7 p.m.
13 - Reserved Snow Day (School in session if "Snow" Day has occurred prior)
Board of Education Mtg., 7 p.m. @GBS
14-16 - Final Exams
16 - Incoming Freshman Curriculum Night, 6:30 p.m.
17 - Glenbrook Institute Day, No school for students
20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No school
27 - Board of Education Mtg., 7 p.m. @GBN
30 - Drivers Education Parent's Night, 6 p.m.
Parent Night in the Classroom, 6:45 p.m.
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Winter Break begins Dec. 23
Friday, December 20, is the last day of school before Winter Break begins. Classes resume on Monday, January 6.
Please note, the schools and offices will be closed Tuesday, December 24 through Wednesday, January 1.
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 First semester final exam schedule The first semester final exam schedule for Glenbrook North begins Tuesday, January 14.
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Club helping to give back this holiday season
Key Club, GBN's oldest and longest service club, is working with Youth Services of Glenview and Northbrook to organize the 2013 Holiday Gift Donor Program, going on throughout December.
Sports, clubs, and classrooms will be sponsoring more than 50 families in the Glenview/Northbrook community by fulfilling "wish lists" of the students in Youth Services.
For more information on the program, contact Danielle Fluegge at (847) 509-2471.
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GBN welcomes our new class of 2018 families
Annual Incoming Freshman Curriculum Night, Thursday, January 16, 6:30 p.m.
Center for Performing Arts
Welcome new Spartans! All parents of incoming freshmen for the 2013-14 school year are encouraged to attend. Event details will be mailed to all families in early January. The staff at GBN looks forward to helping freshmen plan for their first year of high school.
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Comedy benefit for tornado relief
On Wednesday, December 11, Glenbrook North and South will join together for a night of laughter. Ten kids from each school will face off in a Comedy Sportz improvisational fundraiser that will incorporate audience suggestions to determine the direction the games and acts go.
In 2010, the event raised nearly $2,000 for cancer research and this year, all proceeds will benefit tornado relief in Washington, IL.
VIEW FULL STORY
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Glenbrook musical announced: "Legally Blonde"
This spring, the Glenbrook stage is going pink. Students of GBS and GBN will - like, totally - come together to woo audiences with a fun musical adaption of "Legally Blonde," based on the novel and 2001 film by the same name.
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Nominate an outstanding alumnus for recognition
GBN seeks nominations for the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award. To be considered for this award, the alum must be distinguished in his or her line of work or made a special contribution to the profession, be a good citizen, and must have graduated at least 20 years ago.
Please send your suggestion, along with supporting material, by the deadline
February 14 to:
Dr. Michael Tarjan, Assistant Principal of Student Activities
Glenbrook North High School
2300 Shermer Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
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Each month, this section features an article from Glenbrook North's student-run newspaper The Torch. A new edition of The Torch is distributed approximately every month and can be found in newsstands throughout the school.
Teachers take challenges in strides 
Brandon Koretz, Sports Editor
As he crossed the finish line, Chad Davidson, instructional supervisor for fine arts, was not expecting to feel so excited when the event announcer said, "Chad Davidson, you are an Ironman!"
This past September, Davidson made the journey to Madison, Wisc. with some friends and family to compete in his first Ironman Triathlon, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run.
"The Ironman had always been kind of a bucket list item for me, but I always figured [it is just too much,]" said Davidson. "I just felt like I could [never] be successful doing that."
VIEW FULL STORY
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Third consecutive gold for Glenbrook United
For a third year in a row, Glenbrook United White received the state gold medal in volleyball. In October, GU beat out the Jacksonville Blue Thunder in the semi-finals and defeated both teams from the Freeport Tornadoes in the championship.
The third consecutive win is a rare feat and can be attributed to the hard work of the team over the summer, said Glenbrook United sponsor Pa'al Joshi.
"The team served extremely well, but the tremendous improvement of this team to defend - or return serve - was impressive and key to our success," he said.
Glenbrook United won area silver earlier in the season.
GU White team members are: Bobby Cameron, Alexander Durham, Maddy Halamaj, Ryan Manso, Sean Manso, Katie McManus, Jacob Rosenberg, Karmesha White, and Michael Young.
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Glenbrook Academy information session
The Glenbrook Academy of International Studies will host a curriculum night for incoming freshmen and their parents on Wednesday, December 11.
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Donate your unwanted new or lightly used coat or jacket to the "Coat Off Your Back" drive sponsored by the Rotary Club of Northbrook between now and December 25th. Collection barrels are at Sunset Foods, The Northbrook Village Hall and Library, train station, Ace Hardware, Northbrook Bank and Trust and the North Suburban YMCA. |
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Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Dan Patlak will present a free property tax appeal seminar on Thursday, December 5 at 7 p.m. in Northbrook Village Hall. For more information, visit northbrookchamber.org.
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2300 Shermer Road
Northbrook, IL - 847.272.6400
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