Message from Principal

Notes From North

It is difficult to believe that spring is almost here.  As happens most school years, the 2011-12 school year has gone by much too quickly.  As I look over the past couple months, I continue to be amazed at the many accomplishments of our students.  At this year's state competition our Speech Team earned 2nd place in Illinois, the highest finish ever for a North High Speech Team.  Nine individual events and our Performance-in-the-Round team qualified for state, with eight students earning state medals.  We also qualified four students: Sarah Batchu, Emily Temple-Wood, Devin Collett, and Alex Buckley, for the National Forensic League meet in Indianapolis in June.  North's cheerleaders participated in their state tournament and finished 9th in state.  A member of our Wrestling Team, Cullen Cummings, was a state medalist, finishing 2nd in Illinois in his weight class.  The Imani Steppers and Athenas both qualified for their state competitions.  In DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), seven students earned state medals, and two of these students, Chloe Pooleer and Erica Ryan, have been invited to the National Competition in Salt Lake City in April.  Our varsity Scholastic Bowl Team captured the 1st place championship at the West Suburban Conference Final Four Tournament.  We had one student, Michael Schirle, who qualified to compete in the Math State meet in May.  The five National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists all advanced to the Finalist round of competition.  Allison Profitt was selected for Honorable Mention to the IHSA All-State Academic Team.  At the Illinois High School Association State Solo and Ensemble Contest, forty-two events from North High School received a Division I Ranking of Superior; and twenty-six events from North received a Division II rating of outstanding  Three of our students; Shauna Bracken, Michelle Libby, and Patrick Murray received the "Best of Day Award" judged to be the most outstanding performers in their venues.  North High artists won 91 awards at the 2012 Scholastic Arts Awards.  Six of our students will be participating in the SkillsUSA State Competition.  The following athletic teams qualified for the IHSA Team Academic Achievement Award; Girls Cross Country, Golf, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, and Volleyball; and Boys Cross Country, Golf, and Soccer.

Important upcoming dates include PSAE testing (ACT and Work KEYS tests) for all juniors on April 24 and 25.  Sophomores will also be taking a retired ACT and Work Keys on these days; while freshmen will take the PLAN test on April 25.  A general schedule in this newsletter, with more detailed information being mailed home in April.

Our Spring Break is from March 26-30.  When we return to school and the weather becomes increasingly warmer, I know it can become difficult for some students to maintain their focus on academics, particularly our seniors who may have their post-high school plans already set.  It is important for seniors to remember that their 4th quarter grades are important to colleges, as they want to know that their incoming students are able to finish high school in a positive way.  Please encourage your sons/daughters, regardless of what year they are at North, to continue the high quality of their studies until the final day of school.

As we enter the "home stretch" there are still many exciting upcoming events at North.  Our Senior Award program is May 15, the Graduation Concert is on May 17, and our Senior Prom at Brookfield Zoo is scheduled for May 19.  Please also check the school calendar for the numerous musical performances scheduled in April and May.  We end the school year with our Final Exams on May 29, 30 and 31.  Our culminating event, Graduation, will be on Friday, June 1.

As I personally reflect on this school year, I want to express my appreciation and gratitude for all the support shown to me by the students, parents  and staff during my first year as Principal.  When I was first hired, I was told North was a special place.  During the course of the year, I have seen daily examples that confirmed what I was told, and why I feel so fortunate to be a part of this outstanding school community.

As always, please feel free to contact me at 630-795-8401 or skasik@csd99.org if you have any questions or concerns. 

Scott Kasik

Principal

HEALTH AND WELLNESS DAY: THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

All North students will participat in this event through their Physical Education or Health class.  The Health and Wellness Day is another opportunity to raise awareness for all students and faculty regarding current issues of health and wellness.  Many different community agencies will provide information and hands-on activities throughout the day.  For further information, call (630)-795-8160.

DOWNERS GROVE NORTH BLOOD DRIVE WITH HEARTLAND BLOOD CENTER

Friday, March 23-8:00 AM -2:30 PM-Auditorium Lobby

Sign up with a H.E.R.O student, Ms. Bolinger or in Room 217.  ALL student donors must turn in a signed parental permission slip.  Eat a healthy meal and drink extra water before you donate.  Also, do NOT have any energy  drinks before you donate.  A photo ID is required.

SCHEDULE FOR PSAE TEST DATES: APRIL 24 & 25, 2012

Please click here for a listing of the dates, times and schedule.  Freshmen will not attend school on Tuesday, April 24.  Seniors will not attend on Tuesday, April 24 or Wednesday, April 25.

Tuesday, April 24

TCD Classes

• No TCD for Juniors on Tuesday, April 24.
• Senior Cosmetology students are encouraged  to attend their TCD classes as scheduled; a bus will run at the regular time.
• Seniors enrolled in morning or afternoon TCD programs are encouraged to attend TCD; a bus will run at the regular time.

Buses

• Buses will run at the regular morning time to bring the sophomores and juniors to school and will transport them home at approximately 12:00 PM.

Wednesday, April 25

TCD Classes

• Juniors who choose to attend afternoon TCD will take their normal bus.
• Senior cosmetology students are encouraged to attend their TCD classes as scheduled; a bus will run at the regular time.
• Seniors enrolled in morning or afternoon TCD programs are encouraged to attend TCD; a bus will run at the regular time.

Buses

• Buses will run at the regular morning time to bring freshmen, sophomores and juniors to school and will transport them home at approximately 11:15 AM.

SUMMER SCHOOL-DRIVER EDUCATION

Registration for Summer School Driver Education is underway with a limited number of openings.  Interested students may pick up forms in the DGN Main Office. Classes will be held this summer at South High Campus, June 11 through July 20.  Summer school Driver Education fees for in-district students are $250.00 and $670.00 for out of district students.  Attendance is mandatory with the exception of the Wednesday, July 4 holiday.

Permit information will be distributed from the South High staff by letter after April 1.  Questions regarding the permit process should be directed  to Mary Roe, Secretary at (630) 795-8760.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Registration for Summer School will begin April 2.  Students interested in enrolling for classes may pick-up ocurse brochurs and registration forms in the Guidance Office.

Summer School fees for in-district students are $195 for 1/2 unit of credit, and $390 for 1 full credit.  (Non-resident students' course tuition is $390 for 1/2 unit of credit, and $780 for 1 full credit.)

Summer School Dates: June 11-July 20, 2012

Summer School Hours: 8:00 AM-12:45 PM

Classes, including Driver Education, will be held at Downers Grove South Campus.  Brochures will be available April 2 in the Guidance Office and online at the District website: www.csd99.org.

THE DOWNERS GROVE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DGN STUDENTS

The Downers Grove Education is offering two scholarships for a DGN Student.  Deadline-April 13th

• DGEA Scholarship will award $500.00 per year (maximum of years) to one North High Senior planning to pursue a career in Education.
• The James M. Dodd Memorial Scholarship will award a $500.00 scholarship for one North High Senior pursuing his/her education in field of International Business or Foreign Policy.
• The Jim Bonfield Memorial Scholarship Coach Bonfield was a model of courage and endurance. Bonfield Scholars should exhibit his commitment to personal improvement and determination.  Deadline-March 21 at 3:00 PM.
• District 99 Support Staff Association "Memorial Scholarship" This is a one-time $500.00 scholarship to a DGN senior pursuing a degree in the field of Education or Business.Deadline-April 13
• Great Expectations Scholarship (Aramark) This award will be given to DGN seniors that have demonstrated leadership ability through  past/present participation in the community service, extracurricular and/or other activities.  Deadline-March 23

These are just a few of the scholarships that are offered to our seniors.  Please stop by the Guidance office to see all available scholarship applications.

LOOKING TO GO TO COLLEGE?

On Thursday, March 29, 2012, the College of DuPage will be hosting sessions at the Westmont Regional Center regarding Financial Assistance.  Please click here  for more information.

2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR; LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY DISMISSALS & SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT DAYS

Please click here for a list of dates for Late Arrivals and Early Dismissals days for the 2011-2012 school year.

SEMESTER 2 FINAL EXAM WEEK

Please click here for the Semester 2 Final Exam dates, times and periods.

DGN FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT

DGN student musicians participated in the Illinois High School Association State Solo and Ensemble Contest on March 4, 2012.  Please click here for a list of all awards.

The Fine Arts Department is also proud to release the results of the 2012 Scholastic Art Awards.  Please click here for a listing of awards.

NATIONAL GERMAN TESTING PROGRAM

This year again we had a very high number or participants in the National German Exam.  33 students from Mrs. Burritt and Ms. Herrmann's German classes took the AATG National Test which was given on January 9, 2012.

Participants this year were: Level 2-Benjamin Schneider, Grace Fleming, Benjamin McCrimmon, Megan Clevenger, Nicholas Steichmann, Paul  Iwanski, Steven Goliszewski, Irvin Gonzales, Dale Ryndak, Joseph Pacheco, Sarah Steffin, Amy Page, Rimas Barseketis, Tyler Kropp, Thomas Donnelly James Diamond, Emily Hurst, Paul Jannusik, and Kamila Morysewicz.

Level 3-Doran Anderson, Katherine Kucko, Megan Dylla, Julianne Thorn, Joshua Koblich, Shelby Porter, Alex Wehrle, and Garret Tierney.

Level 4-Stephen Shatzer, Akira Crabtree, Ashley Hemmingway, Chris Schneider, Alex Baggio, Ryan Souffrant.

This year's scores were excellent again: most students scored above 70%, and this year we had 6 finalists for the travel award to Germany.

Ben Schneider, Grace Fleming, Ben McCrimmon, Doran Anderson, Stephan Shatzer and Chris Schneider will be honored by the Board of Education in a recognition program on Monday, March 19 at the South High Cafetorium. 

SKILLS USA STATE QUALIFIERS

Congratulations to the SkillsUSA State competition qualifiers:

Architecture: Jeff Foote and Maura Towey

Technical CAD: Jeff Wall and Jordan Gill

JAVA Programming: Christopher Schneider

Photoshop: Daniel Meinhart

2012 SENIOR AD

Whether this is your first or last child to graduate from high school, graduation day is one day the whole family will cherish for many years to come.  What better way to congratulate your son or daughter on their achievement than with a recognition ad in the yearbook.  Twenty years from now your child's children will be looking through the 2012 high school yearbook and they'll see this special message you sent! 

Please click here for the 2012 Senior Ad Order Form.

2012 SENIOR YARD SIGNS: LAST CHANCE!

Please click here to order your 2012 Senior Yard Signs.  Orders are due to the Activities Office  are $25.00 each.

DOWNERS GROVE NORTH PRE-SCHOOL, "LITTLE NORTH STARS"

Please click here for information regarding our pre-school, Little North Stars, for the 2012-2013 school year.  If you have any questions, please contact Christy Tajak, 630-795-8020 or ctajak@csd99.org.

PARENTS' CLUB

A Special Thank You...

Thank you to all the parent volunteers who have made the many events that Parents' Club sponsors possible.  We truly appreciate all of your efforts!

Parents' Club Spring Fundraiser...Rally @ Bally's

Attention all Parents! The Parents' Club Spring Fundraiser will be held Friday, April 20, at Ballydoyle's from 7-9 PM.  Come enjoy live music, food and fun!  This is a wonderful fundraiser for Parents' Club and a great opportunity to connect with other parents!

This year's party-goers will have a cahnce to win dozens of auction and raffle items by local and national businesses.  Enjoy a variety  of healthy appetizers, a cash bar, and live music beginning at 9 PM.  Auction items include Disney World Park Hopper Passes, A Jake Peavy autographed baseball, 3-month membership to Indian Boundary YMCA and dozens of gift certificates from local restaurants and boutiques. .

Suggested donation for tickets is $20/person in advance, $25/person at the door.  DGN parents and the public are invited to attend.  Advance payments can be made by check payable to DGN Parents' Club.  Please indicate the number of people attending and mail to:

DGN Parents' Club  

c/o Sue Keller

1237 Maple Ave. Downers Grove, IL 60515

Go to http://event.pingg.com/DGNSpringBenefit to RSVP or make a donation.

Each year, Downers Grove North Parents' Club awards grants to students for summer camps and sporting activities, as well as college scholarships to graduating seniors.  Last year, 12 underclass grants and 11 senior scholarships were awarded.  Please attend our fundraiser to help us continue this wonderful tradition.

DGN Flags...

DGN Flags are still available for purchase.  Flags cost $35.  You may purchase them by down loading an order form on-line: www.dgnparentsclub.org.  Display your Trojan Pride!

Parents' Club Student Directories...

For a limited time, Parents' Club directories are available for purchase at a discounted rate of $5.  Please contact us at dgnparentsclub@yahoo.com if interested.

Looking Ahead...

Please mark your calendars so you can plan on attending our meetings this school year:

• April 4 at 7:00 PM
• May 16 at 7:00 P<

If you haven't received an eblast with reminders of the meetings, (usually 2 days prior), please send your email address to dgnparentsclub@yahoo.com

We also send minutes of the meetings to our database of parents who have provided their email addresses.  the minutes include the principal's report, highlights form our speakers and committee reports.  If you can't make it to a meeting, you can read the minutes and stay informed.

If you have any questions or comments about Parents' Club, please email us at dgnparentsclub@yahoo.com or check out our website at www.dgnparentsclub.org.

We look forward to seeing you at our next Parents' Club meeting, Wednesday, April 14 at 7:00 PM in the Alumni Room. 

TEXTBOOKS RETURNS

Students are provided with textbooks for their classes as part of the registration fee.  The textbooks distributed to students are assigned  an inventory number to assist with the accounting for the textbooks.  The agreement made when the books are distributed to the students is that each student must return the same book they were initially given.  Students cannot return a book other than the one they were given and expect to be credited for its return.  Students returning books numbered differently from the ones they were given will be assessed the replacement fee for the original book.

All students are expected to return their assigned books directly to their teachers.  Becasue the inventory and ordering of texts for the following year must be completed by July 1, students will not be credited with the return of texts after July 1.  The cost of replacing all unreturned texts will be assessed to each student and must be paid. 

If students leave texts in lockers or other areas of the scool, this is not considered appropriate or proper return to the teacher.  Therefore, missing text fines also will be applied to these situations..

Questions can be directed to Charles Hiscock, Associate Principal at 630-795-8414, or email at chiscock@csd99.org.