December 11, 2015

In Case You Missed It

Here are a couple links to performances from our Music Department:

Choir at Disney over Thanksgiving break

Orchestra Concert on December 10

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to the following music students selected as ILMEA All-State musicians for 2015:  Band: Julia Cai, Melinda Coleman, Cameron Harro, Andy Hong; Orchestra: Bruce Liu, Sarah Akutsu, Andreas Carrero, Nathan Du, Joshua Kim, Brian Lin; Choir: Lauren Berryhill, Angie Cornwell, Quinn Jackson, and Ben Mathew.
• Congratulations to this week’s Viking Pride Recipients:  Nathan Blume, Maria Chemello, Ian Doering, Lisbeth Espinoza, Natalie Perkins, Heather Sternberg, Sarah Valdes, Konrad Waller, Chandler White, Dominik Wrobel, and Timothy Zerfass.
• Congratulations to Coach Martin Zacharia and the Fremd Debate Team on their success at the Barrington High School LD/PF Invitational.  Award winners include:  Lincoln Douglas: Trent Marean, Junior Varsity 2nd Place.  A speaker award was also awarded to the following debater: Trent Marean (2nd JV LD). Public Forum:  Benjamin Wilson & Claire Athanas, Junior Varsity Champions; Abhy Balu and Adith Palla, Junior Varsity 2nd Place; Matthew Grabianski & Piyush Biswas, Junior Varsity 3rd Place; Josh Park & Michael Murakami, Novice Champions; Hannah Chen & Maegan Jong, Novice 3rd Place.  Speaker awards were also awarded to the following debaters: Matthew Grabianski (1st JV PF), Piyush Biswas (2nd JV PF), and Hannah Chen (3rd Novice PF).
• Congratulations to the following English Students of the Month: October Student of the Month - Joaquin Grace; November Student of the Month - Cara Ward and December Student of the Month -  Julia Dirkes-Jacks.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

December 11	Boys Swimming & Diving @ Conant H.S. - 4:30 p.m. Wrestling vs. Hoffman Estates - 6:00 p.m. Girls Basketball @ Hoffman Estates H.S.- 7:30 p.m.
December 12	Bowling vs. Streamwood H.S. @ Streamwood Bowl - 9:00 a.m. Wrestling @ Prospect H.S. - 9:00 a.m. Boys Swimming & Diving @ Barrington H.S. - 9:30 a.m. (diving) Boys Basketball vs. Downers Grove South - 4:30 p.m. Boys Swimming & Diving @ Barrington H.S. - 1:30 p.m. Booster Winter Craft Fair - 9:00 a.m.-4;00 p.m.
December 13	Competitive Cheer Competition @ Stevenson H.S. - 8:00 a.m.
December 14	Bowling vs. Hoffman Estates @ Arlington Lanes - 4:30 p.m.
December 15	Winter Band Concert - 6:00 p.m.
December 16	Bowling vs. Elk Grove @ Arlington lanes - 4:45 p.m. Girls Gymnastics @ Hoffman Estates H.S. - 6:00 p.m.
December 18	Boys Swimming & Diving vs. Hoffman Estates @ Schaumburg H.S. - 4:30 p.m. Boys Basketball @ Conant H.S. - 7:30 p.m. Girls Basketball vs. Conant H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
December 19	Competitive Cheer Competition @ Rolling Meadows H.S. - 9:00 a.m. Girls Gymnastics @ New Trier H.S. - 12:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name: Katie Giegler

Position: Science Teacher, Instructional Coach and Head Speech Coach

Years at Fremd: Teaching - 9, Student - 4

Life Before Fremd: Was there life before Fremd? For me that is going back to junior high when I thought that I could be a star cross country runner.  Thankfully in high school I found a niche that better suited my talents and interests in the choir and speech team!  I graduated from Fremd in 2003 and in between my time at Fremd as a student and my time at Fremd as a faculty member I went to the University of Illinois and majored in physics and secondary education.  In my free time I worked in my dorm’s cafeteria, was a TA for a physics lab and volunteered with a retreat program. I was thrilled to be hired at this school once I graduated.

Hobbies/Interests: I love to read!  My ideal vacation day is sitting at a lake with a good book but have found traveling to areas outside of my comfort zone to be a pretty awesome way to spend my time. My husband (a math teacher here at Fremd as well - my life is very ingrained in this school!) convinced me to go to Kenya and Ethiopia to climb mountains and experience the culture, which was pretty amazing.  At home, I love watching the Cubs and my favorite TV shows are Friends, NCIS and West Wing.  I am also a self professed science nerd who wants everyone else to love science - when my mom got a salad spinner, I got REALLY excited about teaching her the physics behind it.  Mostly I am happiest when I am with my family, playing with my 7 month old son.  Learning all about his developmental milestones has been so interesting.

Insider Tip for Parents: Help your student find a club or activity or sport to join.  Fremd is a big place but there are so many wonderful ways to make it smaller.  It also gives them one more teacher who looks out for them and cares about them!  In that same thread, let them spread their wings during high school.  There are many adults who will support them if they start to fail or have problems but it is such an important skill for them to learn to advocate for themselves.

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.