Community Engagement

Mark Your Calendar for Community Engagement!

Highlights and Successes:

• The Fremd High School staff recently participated in this year’s Strikes for Vikes.  Congrats to the Art Dept Team for winning 4 of 5 major awards.  There were new bowlers this year and helped for the biggest turnout in the event’s short history - 43 Vikings!  The "nine pin no-tap" scoring format allowed for some wonderfully inflated pin counts and that made for all the more fun. $399.15 was raised for the Victor Viking Fund which will be used to help Fremd students in need.
• Congratulations to Directors Jeremy Figlewicz and Sam Simpson and the Jazz Lab Band on receiving three straight Division 1/Superior ratings in the second jazz band division at the “Northshore Jazz Festival.”  Additionally, the JLB tied for first place in this division (twelve total schools).  The Jazz Combo (directed by Sam Simpson) also received straight Division 1/Superior ratings in their category.  
• Congratulations to Coach Hinojosa and the Girls’ Varsity Bowling Team on taking second place at the Leyden Invite
• Congratulations to Kevin Stevens and Jiamin Huang for getting a perfect score on an AP exam. Kevin was one of 67 students to earn every point possible on the Computer Science A exam. Jiamin was one of 22 students to accomplish this feat on the Macroeconomics exam. In total, there were only 322 students who earned a perfect score across all AP exams taken (4.5 million) by students nationwide.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

January 29	Boys Swimming & Diving vs. Palatine - 4:45 p.m. Wrestling @ Palatine H.S. - 5:00 p.m. Girls Gymnastics MSL Championship @ FHS - 6:00 p.m. Boys Basketball @ Barrington H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
Janaury 30	Competititve Cheer Sectional @ Lake Zurich - 11:00 a.m. Wrestling @ Palatine H.S. -11:30 a.m. Boys Basketball vs. Glenbrook H.S. - 6:00 p.m.
February 1	Girls Gymnastics Regional @ Palatine H.S. - 6:00 p.m.
February 2	Girls Basketball vs. Schaumburg H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
February  4-5	Orchesis Dance Show - Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:

Hali Yoshimura

Position:

Spanish Teacher

Years at Fremd:

16

Life Before Fremd:

After graduating from Fremd in 1995, I earned my bachelor’s degree in both Spanish and English from the University of Virginia (Thomas Jefferson’s University!) while simultaneously completing a Master’s degree in Foreign Language Education (also from UVA).  During this time I enjoyed two different culturally-rich travel abroad experiences in San Jose, Costa Rica and Valencia, Spain. Additionally, I was fortunate to participate in a rigorous English major’s summer program at the University of California-Berkeley.

Hobbies/Interests:

In my free time I love spending time with my husband James and our three young children.  Additionally, I enjoy running, reading, and traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad (especially to Spanish speaking countries).  

Insider Tip for Parents:

There are endless benefits to learning a world language.  These benefits, coupled with cultural knowledge, help to prepare our students to be better citizens of the world.  Encouraging your son or daughter to also participate in our Language Clubs (Chinese, French, German and Spanish) and/or our Foreign Exchange Club will provide them with additional enriching opportunities to “go deeper” with their language study.    

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 211 of Tomorrow

The 211 of Tomorrow

District 211 is beginning a community engagement initiative entitled “The 211 of Tomorrow.”  A series of community engagement meetings will be held from February through May.  The purpose of this initiative is to gather input from parents, students, business owners, residents, school staff members, and other community groups related to various topics being considered by District 211, including: academic programming, student involvement and wellness, and finance and facilities.

The District will present the data gathered by this process to the Board of Education.   The Board will use the data and the District’s recommendations to assist it in formulating a 5-year Strategic Plan for the District. The first meeting on February 1st will be held at Fremd from 7 to 9.  A similar meeting will be held on February 2nd at Schaumburg H.S.

Each month there will be specific topics discussed. The February meeting will generally focus on the current state of District 211. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to have your opinions heard concerning the developing strategy for District 211 and Fremd.  For more information please go the following link:  adc.d211.org/communityengagement.

Childcare issues? Bring them with you! There will be a childcare area that is supervised by Fremd students and staff.

Parent Principal Network Meeting

Please plan to attend the next Parent Principal Network meeting on January 26 at 7:00 in the Media Center. The topic is, “How to Make School Resources Work for You.” This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the resources that are available to you on Schoology, Infinite Campus, and the school website. Syncing calendars, "following" teachers/courses, and other helpful tips will be covered. Keith Sorensen, Fremd’s Technology Coordinator, will be the guest presenter.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to Kevin Stevens and Jiamin Huang for getting a perfect score on an AP exam. Kevin was one of 67 students to earn every point possible on the Computer Science A exam. Jiamin was one of 22 students to accomplish this feat on the Macroeconomics exam. In total, there were only 322 students who earned a perfect score across all AP exams taken (4.5 million) by students nationwide.
• Congratulations to Coach Jerry Moon and the Fremd Chess Team for earning a 3rd place trophy (out of 48 teams!) at the Glenbard South Raider Chess Tournament. Their only loss of the day was to IMSA, who went on to win the tournament with a perfect record. Fremd finished ahead of some very strong schools including New Trier, Whitney Young, Lane Tech, and Naperville North.
• Congratulations to Coach Elise Ference and the Girls Gymnastics Team on winning the championship at the Fremd Invitational.   Gab Lytle won 1st place on Vault and Lisa Radochonski won 1st place on Bar.
• Congratulations to Coach Kristen Newby and the Fremd Boys Swimming Team on winning the Titan Relays Invite at Glenbrook South.  Award winners include:  2nd place 200 Butterfly Relay: Nick Seroni, Arnas Maciunas, Joe Mayer, Nick Nevins; 2nd place 200 Breastroke Relay: Alex Schillinger,Yoochan Lee,Alex Nicholas,Danny Konishi: 2nd place 100 Freestyle Elimination Event: Nick Seroni; 1st place 200 Medley Relay Freshman: Paul Ponte,Yoochan Lee,Nick Flowers and Cameron Dunne; 3rd place 200 Medley Relay Sophomore: Jack Provan,Danny Konishi, Alex Schillinger, Cameron Dunne: 3rd place 400 Medley Relay: Jack Provan, Alex Nicholas, Nick Seroni, Arnas Maciunas: 2nd place 50 Freestyle Elimination Event: Nick Nevins; 1st place;  400 Freestyle Relay Freshman: Conor Dunne, Nick Flowers, Yoochan Lee, Cameron Dunne: 1st place 400 Freestyle Relay Sophomore: Jack Provan, Alex Schillinger, Yoochan Lee, Nick Flowers: 2nd place 400 Freestyle Relay: Conor Dunne, Nick Nevins, Nick Seroni, Arnas Maciunas.
• Congratulations to Coach Lindsey Corcoran and the Varsity Cheerleaders on placing 6th out of 26 teams at the Grayslake North Invite. They earned their highest score of the season as well, 86.73!  
• Congratulations to Coach Lindsey Corcoran and the Varsity Cheerleaders on placing 3rd at th  MSL Conference Competition.
• Congratulations to junior Naman Agarwal on achieving a perfect score on the ACT exam.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

January 22	Boys Swimming & Diving vs. Schaumburg H.S. - 4:30 p.m. Boys Wrestling vs. Conant H.S. - 6:00 p.m. Girls Basketball @ Conant H.S. - 7:30 p.m. End of First Semester
January 23	Scholastic Bowl Tournament @ FHS - 6:00 a.m. Boys Basketball vs. Hoffman Estates H.S. - 6:00 p.m.
January 25	Teacher Institute Day Girls Bowling vs. Hersey @ Arlington Lanes - 4:30 p.m.
January 26	Girls Basketball vs. Hoffman Estates H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
January 27	Girls Bowling vs. Conant H.S. @ Arlington Lanes -4:45 p.m.
January 28	Girls Basketball vs. Barrington - 7:30 p.m.
January 29	Boys Swimming & Diving vs. Palatine H.S. - 4:45 p.m. Boys Wrestling @ Palatine H.S. - 5:00 p.m. Girls MSL Gymnastics Meet @ FHS - 6:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name: Jerry Moon

Position: Math Teacher (and Chess Coach!)

Years at Fremd: This is my 3rd year.

Life Before Fremd: My undergraduate major was computer science, and prior to joining Fremd I spent about 10 years working in technology (first at Microsoft working on Windows, then in finance working on automated trading).

Hobbies/Interests: I’m a juggler! It’s something that I picked up in college, and I was part of a performance group at Yale (with a funny name: YAGS, the Yale Anti-Gravity Society). Nowadays I don’t get to spend as much time juggling, but I do love to attend the International Day of Juggling in the city every summer. I can juggle 5 balls, as well as 3 torches.

Insider Tip for Parents: Fremd offers an extremely wide variety of after-school activities, which is a great opportunity for your child to explore his or her interests. Whether a student is interested in art, chess, writing, or video games, our after-school clubs can help your child pursue these interests (while making life-long friends!) in a positive environment.

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.

MLK, Jr. Edition

Dr. King’s Remarkable Words

• Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”
• Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
• The time is always right to do what is right.
• I have decided to stick with  love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
• And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.
• Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.
• We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools.
• The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
• Education without morals is like a ship without a compass, merely wandering nowhere.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to Coach Kristen Newby and the Boys Swim Team on their success at the Hinsdale Central Freshman Invite.  Awards are as follows: Alex Reed, Yoochan Lee,  Nick Flowers and Conor Dunne - 2nd in 200 Medley Relay;  Conor Dunne -2nd in 200 FR, Yoochan Lee - 1st in 100 IM, Conor Dunne - 1st in 400 FR; Alex Reed, Yoochan Lee, Nick Flowers, Cameron Dunne - 1st in 200 FR Relay; and  Yoochan Lee - 1st in 50 breastroke.
• The Fremd Music Department held its annual concerto competition and we are proud to announce the 2016 soloists:  Sarah Akutsu (junior), violin performing Symphonie Espagnole by Lalo; Jaime Chen (sophomore), piano, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1; Cameron Harro (senior), French horn, performing Richard’s Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1; and Katie Haggett (junior), soprano, performing Copland’s Laurie’s Song from The Tenderland.
• Congratulations to this week’s Viking Pride Award winners:  Marta Cholewa, Jaylon Clark, Ryan Gregory, Ryan Hanks, Devika Nandwana, Kristen Nortillo, Andy Peterson, Brad Posdal, Vikas Reddy,McKenzie Sweno, Brock Taylor, Sara Verma, and Alayna Zografos.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

January 15	Boys Swimming & Diving @ Barrington H.S. - 5:00 p.m. Girls Basketball @ Schaumburg H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
January 16	Boys Diving @ Hinsdale Central H.S. - 8:30 a.m. Boys Swimming @ Glenbrook South H.S. - 12:00 p.m. Competitive Cheer @ Grayslake North H.S. - 9:00 a.m. Girls Gymnastics Invitational @ FHS - 1:00 p.m. Boys Basketball vs. Evanston @ FHS - 7:00 p.m.
January 18	Martin Luther King Day - No School Girls Basketball Shootout @ Willowbrook H.S. - 5:00 p.m.
January 20-22	Finals

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:

Dan Ruettiger

Position:

PE/Health

Head Wrestling Coach

Years at Fremd:

4

Life Before Fremd:

West Leyden High School- Student Advocate

Yorkville High School- PE/ Drivers Ed.  

Hobbies/Interests:

Water Skiing/ Wakeboarding

Climbing

Training

Music

Reading

Insider Tip for Parents:

Let them fail. It’s an inevitable part of life that we all must learn to deal with. So, with that, let them struggle in dealing with that failure as well. Stepping in too soon while they deal with that failure is just as bad as stepping in when you see them start to fail.

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.

Happy New Year!

New Year, New Goals?

Today is January 8. One week and one day into the new year. According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, the New Year’s Resolutions that 25% of us made are already out the window. Bye-bye, healthy eating. So long, clean house. Sayonara, saving money.

Luckily for Fremd students, we are still two weeks away from our New Year. We still have two weeks to finish out the current semester on a good note, and two weeks to come up with a New Year’s Academic Resolution AND the accompanying plan to make it happen.

New Year’s Resolutions are a form of goal-setting, which is a cornerstone practice of successful people. Here are some tips to discuss with your student as you help them to develop lofty, yet manageable goals for their academic achievement for the remainder of the year:

Create and protect routines - Block out daily study time. This takes the thinking out of the process. And remember: your routine is just as important two months from now, even if you’re crushing your goal.

Recognize the struggle - “Should I study, or should I stream one more episode?” If you give in this time, it’s easier to do give in next time, too.

Picture the desired end goal - How will you feel if you are successful? How will you feel if you are not?

Don’t get discouraged - There are roughly 90 school days each semester. There are bound to be tough stretches, but you need to stick to the plan.

Stay vigilant - It doesn’t take long for your whole goal to unravel. Keep pushing until you’ve successfully completed your goal.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

January 8	Boys Swimming & Diving @ Buffalo Grove - 4:30 p.m. Boys Wrestling @ Barrington H.S. - 6:00 p.m. Boys Basketball vs. Barrington H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
January 9	Girls Bowling vs. Prospect - 8:30 a.m. Competitive Cheer Competition @ Lake Zurich - 8:30 a.m. Boys Wrestling @ Lincoln-Way Central H.S. - 9:00 a.m. Girls Basketball Shootout @ FHS - 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
January 11	Girls Bowling vs. Buffalo Grove H.S. - 4:30 p.m.
January 12	Girls Basketball @ Barrington H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
January 13	Girls Bowling vs. Wheeling - 4:30 p.m. Girls Gymnastics @ Palatine H.S. - 6:00 p.m. Competitive Cheer MSL Championship @ FHS - 6:00 p.m.
January 14	Boys Wrestling vs. Glenbrook S. / Schaumburg @ FHS - 5:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:  Tracy D. Bafia

Position:  Student Services Director

Years at Fremd: 8

Life Before Fremd: Prior to coming to Fremd, I spent 6 years working as an elementary special education teacher in both the Waukegan Public Schools and Chicago Public Schools.  While teaching I earned my school counseling degree as well as my administrative certificate. In 2003 I joined the Chicago International Charter Schools and assisted with the opening of 3 schools while overseeing the special education departments at 4 schools. In July 2008  I welcomed my first daughter and walked through the doors of Fremd as an administrator in August 2008 as an assistant principal in the discipline office. In 2009 I was hired as the Student Services Director.

Hobbies/Interests: I love watching sports events, especially hockey when sitting closest to the glass. I played softball through college so when the opportunity presents itself to play I am happy to join in a game. I enjoy antique shopping, hanging out at the summer house with my family and friends, and most of all, a great spa weekend with the girls.

Insider Tip for Parents: High school is an important 4 years for every student. It is important to help your student balance every aspect of their high school career in hopes of a positive experience. Balance can be obtained by choosing appropriate coursework that is both challenging yet manageable as students juggle their athletics, activities, jobs, internships, and social lives. Balance in one’s day helps facilitate positive mental health.

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.