October 10, 2014

What Are You Doing This Weekend?

At Fremd, we spend a great deal of effort to focus on the mental health of our students. At the beginning of the year, we observe Suicide Awareness Day and Bullying Prevention Month (October). It is no coincidence that these observances happen near the beginning of the school year. Coming off of summer, young people are subjected to increased academic and social pressure. By addressing these topics in school, we hope to educate students about how to cope with stress and how to recognize when someone (including his/herself) is struggling to cope with stress.

While it is important for peers to be able to recognize when “something is off,” you are the most qualified person to monitor your child’s mood and behavior. If your house is like mine, it is difficult to find time to sit down as a family to eat dinner. Those brief moments between practice and homework, when you get to ask how their day went, may not provide as much insight about life at school as you’d like. So that’s why I ask: What are you doing this weekend?

A three-day weekend is a great opportunity to spend some quality time as a family. Go out to grab a bite to eat. Catch a movie together. Play a board game. Or just put down the phone/iPad for an hour or two. You may have to twist their arm to get you on their social calendar, but they will enjoy it--even if they won’t admit it!

Highlights and Successes

• Congratulations to Darius Sanchez and the Boys Cross Country Team on placing 3rd at the Bartlett Flyin’ Hawk Invite.  Medal winners include:  Danny Peterson 8th, Matt Fossing 12th, Joe Smaga 15th and Jack Buban 17th.
• Congratulations to Coach Lou Sponsel and the Viking Varsity Football Team on their win over Hoffman Estates High School 48-17.
• Congratulations to the following debaters who competed at the Hersey High School Student Congress Invitational:  Madisen Hursey, 1st Place Chamber Award, Varsity Division; Praneet Dara, 1st Place Chamber Award, Novice Division; Nabeela Syed, 2nd Place Chamber Award, Varsity Division; and Leonard Lee and Amulia Nambiar, Best Presiding Officers, Varsity Division.
• Congratulations to Coach Ryan Moreau and the Fremd Boys Golf Team on taking a 3rd place finish in the MSL Conference Tournament.  Payton Kim shot a 77 (6th place medal), and James Feng and Jason Doering both shot 81 (top 20 medals).
• Congratulations to golfer Jaehee Hur on winning 4th overall at the Conference Golf Meet.
• Congratulations to Jaehee Hur on winning Regionals with a score of 76 and moving on to Sectionals. Congratulations also to junior  Haezi Jung and sophomore AnnMarie O'Sullivan on qualifying for sectionals in the top 10 .
• Congratulations to Coach Steve Keller and the Boys Soccer Team on their 5-0 victory over Elk Grove High School on Senior Night.
• Congratulations to the following award winners at the Conant Swimming & Diving Meet:  senior Saki Takumiya won the 200 meter and 100 fly; Erika King won the 200 and 400 free style and Emily Kini won the 50 free.
• Congratulations to the following students on being inducted into the International Thespian Society:  Blythe Baird, Lauren Berryhill, Nocile Calvaresi, Angela Cornwell, Mackenzie Cox, Colleen Francis, Katie Haggett, Chiranth Kishore, Dean Koumoutsos, Aman Madani, Kay Petrie, AMy Sedlak, Colleen Sweeney, Tyler Miles, Vanessa Balis, Connor Bradshaw, Sebastian Chlopecki, Nathan Cornwell, Kelly Fahey, Andrew Ha, Patrick Haugh, Emilie Kouatchou, Christine Latourette, Samantha McPherrin, Angela Rublaitus, Aiden Stadler, and Cara Ward.
• Congratulations to Coach Martin Zacharia and the speech and debate program on being recognized by the National Speech & Debate Association as one of the top 10%  of schools nationwide and earning membership in the Association’s prestigious 100 Club.
• Congratulations to the English Student of the Month for October Adam Bieda.
• Congratulations to Coach Ryan Moreau and the Boys Golf Team on advancing to the Sectionals.  Congratulations to junior Eric Schaeffer with a score of 82; senior Jason Doering with a score of 83; and junior Tommy Peterson with a score of 86.
• Congratulations to Coach Lauren Hall and the Girls Tennis Team on finishing 2nd in the MSL West.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

October 9-11	Girls Tennis MSL Conference
October 13	Columbus Day – No School
October 15	PSAT Test
October 16	Girls Swimming & Diving vs. HEHS (4:30 p.m.)
October 17	Musical Assembly (Auditorium, periods 5-8)
October 17	Viking Football vs. Conant (7:30 p.m.)
October 18	Orchestra Festival (Gym/Café, 7:00 p.m.)
October 21	Late Start (8:50 start)
October 22	College Night (11:50 dismissal, PHS 6:30-8:30 p.m.)
October 24	Viking Football vs. Barrington (7:30 p.m.)
October 28	Halloween Fest (4:30-6:00 p.m.)
October 30-Nov. 1,6,7	Musical (7:00 p.m.)

For a more complete list, please visit our Athletics Page.

Staff Spotlight

Name: Karen Williams

Position: Switchboard Operator

Years at Fremd: 14 years

Hobbies/Interests: Traveling and enjoying life

Best Part About Working at Fremd: The parents, students and coworkers I get to help in a little way every day.

You May Not Know: I grew up in Chicago. I am the mother of four Fremd graduates and I love my two grandkids!

Insider Tip for Parents: If you call me to get information about a school event, I often need to consult the school’s website* for the answer. If you cannot readily find what you’re looking for on our website, I will help you locate the information.

*Sidenote from Mr. Tenopir: If you have feedback about our website (content, organization, navigation, etc.) I would love to hear from you. The website is a resource for all of us. If it’s not meeting your needs, I want to know.

Ask the Principal

Q: What is Spirit Wear Cookie Friday?

A: On most Fridays, I select 15 classrooms at random. Five staff members visit three rooms apiece to see which room has the highest percentage of students dressed in either (a) Fremd gear, or (b) the spirit theme (blackout, neon, Hawaiian). The students in the winning classrooms receive a cookie as a prize. This small gesture is increasing school spirit and giving students and teachers something to bond over. Visiting these classrooms is a highlight of my week!

Are you curious about something at Fremd but have never asked? Email me at ktenopir@d211.org. If your question is pertinent to a wider audience, I will include it in the next blog post.