Happy Halloween Edition

State Rep. Tom Morrison - Principal for a Day

On Thursday, October 29, State Representative Tom Morrison spent the day at Fremd as Principal for a Day. Here was his schedule:

Period	Activity
1	Meet with Dept Chairs, Administrators
2	Pass out Spirit Wear Cookies, Visit Business Incubator Class
3	Ride-Along in Driver Education
4	Lead Discussion in Government Class
5	Social Science Survey. Topics included political ideology and business cycle.
6	Lunch/Network
7	Network/Building Tour
8	Social Science Survey. Topics included political ideology and business cycle.

Rep Morrison visiting with Dirk Andreas (left), class mentor,
and Chad Jonas (center), teacher.

Rep Morrison making a presentation to a Senior Government class.

Harper’s Promise Applications Available Now

A few blog posts ago, I talked about a unique opportunity for our current freshmen. If they meet certain attendance, grade, behavior and other requirements, they can attend Harper College tuition free.

To become eligible, you will need to submit an application by December 15. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so even if you don’t picture Harper College in your future, it won’t hurt to fill it out...just in case.

Students received an application in their VAMP class last week. If you need another copy, please contact your student’s counselor. For more information, visit the Harper College Promise Scholarship website.

Sport Parent Workshop Nov. 4

On Wednesday, November 4, 2015, from 7:00-9:00 p.m, D211 is hosting “The Sport Parent: Helping Your Child Maximize His or Her Potential,“ by Gregory A. Dale, Ph.D.,. at Conant High School.

Parents play a crucial role in determining whether or not children have a positive experience in sports. This thought provoking workshop encourages parents to analyze the type of environment they are creating for their children. Topics covered in this workshop include: the significance of the coach-athlete-parent triangle, lessons parents want children to learn from sports and the importance of modeling those lessons, and effective goal-setting that parents can use with their children.

If you have questions, please contact Augie Fontanetta, High School District 211 director of athletics & activities, at afontanetta@d211.org.

Realtors Against Homelessness

Join Realtors Against Homelessness and District 211 Foundation on Thursday, Nov. 5th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm for an evening of fun with colleagues and friends while making a life changing difference for students facing homelessness in our area! Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

Highlights and Successes

• Congratulations to Julia Smiarowska and Kate Bodensteiner on finishing in the  top 16 for doubles in the IHSA Tennis State Competition.
• Congratulations to Boys Cross Country All Regional runner Danny Peterson.
• Congratulations to Coach Darius Sanchez and the Boys Cross Country Team on their 3rd place at  IHSA Regionals and advancing  to the IHSA Sectionals.
• Congratulations to Ashley Soriano and Student Council on a successful and fun Halloween Fest.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

October 30	Fremd Football first round play off @. Oak Park-River Forest H.S. - 7:00 p.m.
October 31	Girls/Boys Cross Country Sectionals @ Busse Woods - 10:00 a.m. Girls/11:15 a.m. Boys Girls Swimming & Diving Conference Meet @ Barrington H.S. - 11:00 a.m.
November 3	Late Start - 8:50 a.m.
November 4	Sport Parent Workshop - 7:00 @ Conant H.S.
November 4-6	Musical (Sound of Music) - 7:00 p.m.
November 5	Realtors Against Homelessness - 5-8 p.m. Chandler’s Banquets, 401 N. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg
November 7	Musical (Sound of Music)- 7:30 p.m.

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

Ask the Principal

Q: Will Fremd be offering a free ACT to juniors this year?

A: That is our hope, but it is contingent upon a few factors. First, this test was traditionally offered as part of the Prairie State Achievement Exam, which was budgeted by the State. The ISBE is still unaware of the funds that may be available to pay for such a test. Second, the ISBE is flirting with options besides the ACT, like the recently-reformatted SAT, which is cheaper to administer. I’ve pondered the idea of making this a blog topic, but there are so many unknowns that I don’t know how much factual information I could include. District 211 understands that the ACT is the gatekeeper for many colleges, so we are examining our options to support our students no matter what happens with the State budget and ISBE decisions.

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.

Diamonds and Denim

Booster Club Dinner Dance

On Saturday, November 21, the Fremd High School Booster Club will be hosting their largest fundraiser of the year, the Dinner Dance. There will be music, live and silent auctions, raffle drawings, dinner and much, much more! The theme this year is Diamonds and Denim. “Diamonds” refers to one of the raffle prizes, a pair of diamond earrings. “Denim” refers to the more relaxed, casual attire for the event encouraged by the Boosters this year.

You’ve probably heard the following pitch before, but I’m going to say it anyway: Nearly every student at Fremd High School directly benefits from the support the Boosters provide for our students. Each year, they donate over $100,000 to our school’s Wish List created by classroom teachers, coaches, and activity sponsors. At some point--many points, usually--during your student’s career at Fremd, she will:

• use classroom resources or technology,
• wear uniforms, costumes or athletic gear, and
• learn in a furnished space (classrooms, Media Center, workout facilities)

purchased with Booster Club donations. Additionally, the Boosters contribute thousands of dollars in scholarships for our seniors.

The nice thing about the Diamonds and Denim Dinner Dance is that you get to support Fremd High School simply by going out for a fun night on the town. The added bonus is walking away with holiday gifts or treats for yourself awarded through the auctions and raffles.

• Register for the Diamonds and Denim event here.
• While you’re at it, complete your Booster membership here.
• Already a member? Sign up to volunteer for a Booster-sponsored event here. (I'm positive they'd take your help even if you aren't a member!)

Highlights and Successes

• Congratulations to the following Boys Cross Country All Conference Award winners:  Danny Peterson and Luke Vogelgesang.
• Congratulations to the following Boys Soccer award winners: Luke Schoffstall – All Conference and  All Sectional; Jake Arbour – All Conference; and Rohan Menon – All Conference.  
• Congratulations to sophomores Kate Bodensteiner and Julia Smiarowska on qualifying for the IHSA State Competition.
• Congratulations to Coach Curt Pinley and the Girls Varsity Volleyball Team on winning the Grayslake North Invitational going undefeated 5-0.
• Congratulations to Coach Martin Zacharia and the following award winners from the Lincoln Douglas and Public Forum debate tournament:  Schaumburg Saxon Invitational : Matthew Grabianski & Piyush Biswas, Junior Varsity Champions; Josh Park & Michael Murakami, Novice Champions; Zach Jordan & Ishan Taparia, Varsity Quarterfinalists and Eugene Kim & Abhay Adhyapak, Varsity Quarterfinalists.  Speaker awards were also earned by the following debaters: Matthew Grabianski (1st JV PF), Piyush Biswas (3rd JV PF), and Zach Jordan (4th Varsity PF):  Lincoln Douglas: Kashif Javid, Novice Champion and Angie Peng, Varsity Quarterfinalist.  Speaker awards were also earned by the following debaters: Andrew Ruan (2nd JV LD), Kashif Javid (2nd Novice LD), and Angie Peng (3rd Varsity LD).
• Congratulations to the following Girls Golf All Conference players:  Jaehee Hur, Haezi Jung and Annie Gao.
• Congratulations to the following Girls Volleyball All Conference players:  junior Ysabel Lee and junior Natalie Freund.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

October 23	Girls State Tennis @ FHS Girls Volleyball @ Lake Park H.S. - 4:30 p.m. Fremd Football vs. Schaumburg - 7:30 p.m.
October 24	Girls State Tennis @ FHS Girls Volleyball @ Lake Park H.S. - 9:00 a.m. Girls/Boys Cross Country Regionals @ Busse Woods 10:00 a.m. D15/D211 Orchestra Festival @ PHS, Gym 7:00 p.m.
October 26	Girls Volleyball Regional @ Glenbrook North H.S. - 6:30 p.m.
October 27	Halloween Fest @ FHS, 4:30-6:00 p.m. Girls Volleyball Regional @ Glenbrook North H.S. - 6:30 p.m.
October 29	Girls Volleyball Regional @ Glenbrook North H.S. - 6:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

David and Da Bulls, courtesy of Mr. T's Photoshop skills

Name:  David Dick

Position:  Athletic Director

Years at Fremd:   3

Life Before Fremd:  Worked as an elementary physical education teacher and an administrator in Barrington for 21 years

Hobbies/Interests:  spending time with my kids and playing golf

Insider Tip for Parents:  stay connected to your child or children, make time to talk with them about what is going on in and out of school.

Ask the Principal

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.

The Principal's Goals

“How are you doing?”

I recently received a question from a parent that I thought would be a great topic to highlight in my blog:

Q: Students are given tests to measure their performance. Teachers are evaluated. What happens with principals?

A: I get a performance review, just like our teachers do. This performance review consists of: at least two direct observations by Superintendent Dan Cates, four performance goals, a self-evaluation, and an end-of-year evaluation using a professional practice rubric based on the District’s leadership standards for administrators.

Dr. Cates observes me in action (in meetings, on committees, etc.) all the time, not just twice. The formal observations, though, are part of a process where we sit down together afterward to analyze my performance. I also meet regularly with Dr. Cates to discuss a wide range of topics, including my development as a leader and the progress on my goals.

My goals are largely based on our District’s goals, including student performance on our district’s Critical Learning Standards, and enrollment in accelerated, AP and dual credit courses. Now you know part of the reason why I’ve been talking about things like The Power of 15 and Harper’s Promise (see previous blog posts for a refresher) each week. These programs do not exist merely to help me achieve my goals; the beauty of my goals is that they are connected to areas that put students in a position to succeed in high school and beyond.

Highlights and Successes

• Congratulations to Coach Lauren Hall and the Girls Tennis Team on finishing third in the MSL Conference. Julia Smiarowska and Kate Bodensteiner won the Conference Championship for 1st Doubles over Barrington. Jessica Lim and Carolyn Kim placed 2nd for 4th doubles.
• Congratulations to the following students on being selected ILMEA music students for the District 7 Concert and Jazz festivals in November: Jazz Ensemble II: Bruce Liu; Jazz Ensemble III: Patrick Brand, Alex Van Roon Janet Kim; Jazz Ensemble IV: Jerry Li;   Concert Band: Julia Cai, Ryan Groch,Cameron Harro, Andy Hong, Jerry Li, Brenna O’Donoghue,Kyra Pagones, Eden Schultz; Orchestra: Sarah Akutsu, Andres Carrero, Melinda Coleman, Nathan Du, Andrew Hwang, Eunice Kim, Joshua Kim, Rian Lin, Hannah Lin, Bruce Liu; Angie Peng and Ann Rajan; Choir: Lauren Berryhill, Chloe Cho, Angie Cornwell, Nathan du, Allison Gile, Katie Haggett, Quinn Jackson, Ben Mathew, Arinze Okammor, Kay Petrie, Alex Tangney, Mizuki Yamashita and Annie Zheng.
• Congratulations to the following Girls Cross Country award medalists @ the West Aurora Stampede: Nora Finegan and Linda Varela earned medals in the varsity race; Sara Hudson, Bridget Duffy, and Marta Cholewa earned medals in the frosh-soph race; and Bell Moroney, Joy Kim, and Chloe David earned medals in the open race.
• Congratulations to Coach Andrew Kittrell and the Girls Swim Team on taking  4th place overall at the Naperville North Invite. Individual medal winners:  2nd place Jiamin Huang 200 IM White Division; 2nd place Lauren Savage 50 free White Division; 2nd place Grace Grzybek 100 back Blue Division; and 2nd place Emily Kini, Becca Rutkowski, Emily Bolger and Grace Grzybek 400 Free Relay Blue Division.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

October  16	Girls Tennis Sectional @ Stevenson - 1:00 p.m. Girls State Golf @ Decatur, Hickory Point Golf Club Fremd Football @ Barrington - 7:30 p.m.
October 17	Girls Tennis Sectional @ Stevenson - 9:00 a.m. Girls State Golf @ Decatur, Hickory Point Golf Club Girls Volleyball Tournament @ Grayslake North H.S. - 8:30 a.m. Girls Cross Country @ Wheeling H.S. - 9:00 a.m. Boys Cross Country vs. Wheeling @ Heritage Park - 9:00 a.m. Girls Diving @ Evanston H.S. - 10:00 a.m. Girls Swimming & Diving @ Glenbrook South H.S. - 12:00 p.m.
October 20	LATE Start - 8:50 a.m. start D211 Art College & Career Expo - Media Center, 6:30 p.m. Boys Soccer Regional @ Fremd High School - 5:00 p.m./ 7:00 p.m. Girls Volleyball @ Fremd High School - 6:00 p.m.
October 21	College Night @ Palatine H.S. - 6:30 p.m. Early Dismissal - 11:50 a.m.
October 22-23	Girls Tennis State @ Fremd High School

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

Staff Spotlight

Name: Martin Zacharia

Position: Social Studies Teacher, Head Debate Coach, Social Studies Club Co-sponsor

Years at Fremd: 10 years

Life Before Fremd: I grew up in Morton Grove and attended Maine East High School, where I was involved in marching/symphonic/jazz/musical-pit bands and Debate. I went through stages of wanting to become an engineer and lawyer, but my teachers in high school were a big reason why I decided to go into education. I attended Northwestern University and majored in History and American Studies. I was very involved with service activities, which included organizing an annual mentoring program that connected NU students with at-risk middle school students in the community. I’ve been teaching at Fremd since graduation.

Hobbies/Interests: I bleed Purple (Go ‘Cats!), have a potentially unhealthy obsession with coffee, and (mostly) enjoy running. I ran a half-marathon last Spring and hope to improve my time next year. My all-time favorite shows include The Office, West Wing, and Frasier. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is my favorite historian (yes, I have a favorite historian, and it was a difficult choice).

Insider Tip for Parents: Encourage your child to adopt a mindset that embraces struggle and values incremental improvement over perfection.

Ask the Principal

Q: Are the bleachers in the stadium going to be ready for the next home game?

A: Yes! A couple of bolts were jolted loose by our extremely packed, overly enthusiastic student section for the Homecoming game. An engineering firm replaced the bolts and inspected the structure. Obviously, our bleachers were not meant to withstand the amount of jumping that occurs during most games. I ask for your help reinforcing to your student that we want the student section to have fun, but also to respect our administration’s wishes for safety. This means less jumping, more yelling.

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.

Highlights and Successes

• Congratulations to Coach Darius Sanchez and the  Boys Cross Country Team on placing 2nd at the Bartlett Flying Hawk Invite.  Danny Peterson took 2nd place.
• Congratulations to Kate Bodensteiner and Julia Smiarowska on winning third place in 1st  Doubles at the Prospect 16 Team Classic!
• Congratulations to the following varsity debaters who won awards at the Congressional Debate Tournament:  Brad Posdal, 1st Place Chamber Award; Leonard Lee, Best Presiding Officer & 2nd Place Chamber Award; Anusha Thotakura, Best Presiding Officer & 2nd Place Chamber Award; Srivats Prakash, 2nd Place Chamber Award; and Nabeela Syed, 2nd Place Chamber Award.
• Congratulations to the following current students on their induction into the 2014-2015 International Thespian Society:  Vanessa Balis, Lauren Berryhill, Connor Bradshaw, Nicole Calvaresi, Angela Cornwell, Katie Haggett, Chiranth Kishore, Christine Latourette, Samantha McPherrin, Kay Petrie, Angela Rublaitus, Aiden Stadler, Colleen Sweeney, Cara Ward, Graham Dano, Julia Dirkes-Jacks, Grace Haffner, Quinn Jackson, Eshwar Kishore, Braden Kobeski, Joshua Levin, Melissa Nakasawa, Jared Narter-Slezak.
• Congratulations to Coach Ryan Moreau and the Boys Golf Team on placing 4th at the Lake Park Invite.   Payton Kim shot a 73 and tied for second.
• Congratulations to the following Girls Tennis award winners from the Rolling Meadows Tournament:  1st Doubles: Kate Bodensteiner and Julia Smiarowska won 1st place
• Congratulations to Coach Lauren Hall and the Girls Tennis Team on winning third place at the  Rolling Meadows Tournament.
• Congratulations to Coach Martin Zacharia and the Fremd Debate Team on earning membership in the National Speech & Debate Association 100 Club and ranking among the top 10% of schools nationwide.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

October 9	Girls Tennis Conference @ Wheeling - 4:30 p.m. Fremd Football @ Hoffman Estates - 7:30 p.m.
October 10	Girls Swimming & Diving @ Naperville North H.S. - 8:00 a.m. Girls Tennis Conference - @ Wheeling - 8:00 a.m. Girls Cross Country Invitational @ West Aurora - 8:30 a.m. Boys Cross Country Invitational @ Wheeling - 9:00 a.m. Boys Soccer @ Elk Grove H.S. - 1:00 p.m.
October 12	Columbus Day - No School Boys Sectional Golf vs. Rockford East @ Elliot Golf Course - 8:00 a.m. Girls Sectional Golf vs. Glenbrook Noroth @ Sportsman’s Golf Country Club - 8:30 a.m.
October 13	Boys Soccer vs. TBA - 4:30 p.m. Girls Volleyball vs. Hoffman Estates- 6:00 p.m.
October 15	Girls Swimming & Diving @ Palatine - 4:30 p.m. Boys Soccer vs. TBA - 4:30 p.m. Girls Volleyball @ Conant - 6:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:  Karl Craddock

Position: Dean of Students/ Science Teacher

Years at Fremd:  16 years

Life Before Fremd: Graduated from Hersey High School in 1995 (20 year reunion this year) was involved in Choir, Speech, Drama and Service Over Self club/  Graduated from Illinois State University in 1999 with a degree in Chemistry.  Taught one year at Downers Grove High School before coming to Fremd.

Hobbies/Interests: I have an extensive summer garden with over 20 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs.  I am an avid season ticket holding Bears fan.  My entire family enjoys karaoking together including my 4 and 8 year old children.

Insider Tip for Parents: Make sure your child is extensively involved in at least one sport or activity.  Students who are more involved outside of class actually perform better in their classes.

Ask the Principal

Q: Where can I find information about Career Treks at Fremd?

A: Career Treks are “field trips,” here at school or at a place of business, that help our students learn more about a variety of careers. There is not a page devoted specifically to Career Treks, but you can find a listing of the currently scheduled Career Treks on the Fremd High School website under the Main Events Calendar. Additional Career Treks will be posted as they are scheduled.

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.