The P.A.V.E. Edition

Free Car, Anyone?

Fremd’s P.A.V.E. Club (Positive Actions for Vikings Every Day) encourages safe driving among their classmates through its association with AAA’s Operation Click Safe Driver Program.  As stated on their website, the mission of Operation Click is to “reduce teen fatalities and injuries from motor vehicle crashes by developing safe driving habits through education and positive reinforcement.”

The Operation Click Safe Driver Contract asks students to commit to operating their motor vehicles in a safe manner.  In return for completing an Operation Click Safe Driver Contract students are automatically entered into a drawing to win a brand new car!  The winner of this drawing is selected at the annual Operation Click banquet in April.  

If your student has not already done so, please encourage him/her to print and complete an Operation Click Safe Driver Contract by using the link below.  Completed contracts should be submitted to Social Studies teacher, Mr. Bruce or Fremd’s Police Consultant, Officer Bahn, no later than November 11th.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to Coach Martin Zacharia and the Fremd Debate Team on placing 3rd in Sweepstakes at the Illinois Congressional Debate Association Tournament at Hersey High School. Fremd also won the Best Legislation award. Award Winners are as follows: Congressional Debate Varsity Division: Arash Abbas, 1st Place Chamber Award; Nabeela Syed, 2nd Place Chamber Award and Best Presiding Officer; Mingda Zhang, 2nd Place Chamber Award; Kashif Javid, 2nd Place Chamber Award; Matt Grabianski, 2nd Place Chamber Award; Abhi Balu, 2nd Place Chamber Award; Sarah Yoon, Best Presiding Officer; Shruthi Kumar, Best Presiding Officer. Congressional Debate Novice Division: Nikil Sriram, 1st Place Chamber Award; Sharon Wu, 2nd Place Chamber Award; Ram Dixit, 3rd Place Chamber Award; Andrea Jing, 3rd Place Chamber Award; Eileen Peng, 3rd Place Chamber Award.
• Congratulations to the following Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Program:  Prayag Bhakar, Brant Bishop, Lauren Cardoza, Sharon Cheong, Daniel Choi, Jade Danford-Klein, Soomyung Hwang, Sarah Jones, Joanna Kus, Michael Momchev, Akash Mukerjee, Sahithi Muppalla, Zachary Murphy, Raymond Oh, Chirag Naga, Barian Rosenwinkel, John Rosenwinkel, Brock rubin, Surya Veeravalli, Alyssa Worthem, and Mabel Zhang.
• Congratulations to the following Girls Tennis award recipients:Diya Matta - 1st singles player took 2nd place in 16 team Prospect Fall Classic defeated top players from Highland Park and New Trier; Kellie Ha and Selin Parmaksiz - 2nd doubles team took 4th place in 16 team Prospect Fall Classic defeated top teams OPRF and New Trier.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

September 30	Boys Soccer @ Palatine H.S. - 4:45 p.m. Fremd Football @ Palatine H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
October 1	Boys Golf @ Indian Lakes Golf Course - 7:30 a.m. Girls Tennis Invitational @ Schaumburg H.S. - 8:00 a.m.
October 4	Late Start - 8:50 a.m. start Girls Volleyball vs. Barrington H.S. - 6:00 p.m. Boys Soccer @ Barrington H.S. - 6:30 p.m.
October 5	Girls Golf @ Winnetka Golf Club - 8:30 a.m.
October 6	Girls Swimming & Diving vs. Schaumburg H.S. - 4:30 a.m. Girls Tennis Conference Meet - 4:30 p.m. Girls Volleyball @ HEHS - 6:00 p.m. Boys Soccer vs. Wheeling H.S. - 7:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:  Joe Marcin

Position:  Special Education Teacher, Head Girls Cross Country Coach/Distance Coach Track

Years at Fremd: 9

Life Before Fremd:  At Illinois State University-ran cross country/track, and played club ice hockey between seasons, At Hersey High School- varsity soccer (1 year), varsity track (4 years), varsity cross country (3 years), MacArthur Middle School-Basketball,cross country and track all 3 years.

Hobbies/Interests: My family: wife-Devon, daughter-Avery, and son (coming in December!) Love to run/compete/coach! Love anything sports related.  Really enjoy fishing!  Huge Blackhawks fan!  

Insider Tip for Parents:  Encourage your child to get involved with extracurriculars at Fremd.  A lot of learning takes place outside of the classroom.

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 Midterm Follow-Up Edition

Checking Your Midterm Reports

Last Friday you received a notification via email from D211Communications that your student’s midterm report is available for viewing. Here is a more detailed set of instructions to access the grade and comments:

Step 1: Log into Campus Portal

Step 2: Click on Reports

Step 3: Click on the link for Midterm 1 Semester 1

Step 4: Review your student’s midterm performance level and teacher comments

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to Coach Joe Marcin and the Girls Cross Country Team on 1st place finish at the Warren Blue Devil Invite:  Linda Varela earned a trophy for placing 2nd individually, Nupur Pokharkar, Rebecca Markham, Hannah Ban, Fiona Jordan, and Clare Oehler-O'Sullivan earned medals for placing 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 28th.
• Congratulations to Coach Darius Sanchez and the Boys Cross Country Team on their 2nd place finish at the Warren Blue Devil invite.  Danny Peterson placed 3rd out of 154.
• Congratulations to Coach Lauren Hall and the Girls Tennis Team on winning the Rolling Meadows Invite.
• Congratulations to the Viking Marching Band for being awarded first place in the AA Division at Saturday's Wheeling High School "Chicagoland Marching Band Festival"! Caption awards included top Guard and General Effect, as well as second place for Percussion and Music.  The VMB is under the direction of Jeremy Figlewicz with assistance from Matt Moore and JT Teichert.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

September 23	Boys Soccer vs. Elk Grove H.S. - 4:45 p.m. Golf Cart Parade - 6:45 p.m. Fremd Football vs. Barrington - Homecoming 7:30 p.m.
September 24	Girls Tennis Invitational @ Prospect H.S. - 8:00 a.m. Boys Cross Country Invitational @ Sunrise Park - 9:00 a.m. Homecoming Dance - Gym 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
September 26	Girls Golf @ Palatine Hills Golf Course - 3:30 p.m.
September 27	Boys Golf MSL Championship @ Buffalo Grove Golf Course - 8:30 a.m. Girls Tennis @ HEHS - 4:30 p.m. Girls Volleyball @ Conant H.S. - 6:00 p.m. Boys Soccer @ Conant H.S. - 6:30 p.m.
September 29	Girls Golf vs. Maine South @ Palatine Hills - 4:00 p.m. Girls Swimming & Diving @ Barrington H.S. - 5:00 p.m. Boys/Girls Cross Country Triangular @ Busse Woods - 5:45/6:15 p.m. Girls  Volleyball @ Schaumburg H.S. - 6:00 p.m. Boys Soccer vs. Buffalo Grove H.S. - 7:00 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:

Kellie Gharib

Position:

Science Teacher (Biology and Chemistry)

Years at Fremd:

My first year at Fremd! 3rd year teaching.

Life Before Fremd: I taught at Hampshire High School in Hampshire, IL. I taught 3 different levels of Biology and Earth & Space Science. Before that I was student teaching at Hersey, and even before that… I was at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign getting my degree in Biology and teaching degree.

Hobbies/Interests:

Avid Netflix watcher, bike rider, chef, watching Chicago sports, star-gazer

Insider Tip for Parents:

Parents who are involved with their children and keep up on what they are doing in class will help me out as a teacher as well! Checking their grades constantly isn’t always a fair assessment, but having that conversation with your children about what they are doing in school and asking what the positives are for the day is very important!

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 5-Week Check-In Edition

Five-Week Check-In

It’s hard to believe, but we are now five weeks into the school year--four weeks away from the end of the quarter. In a perfect world, your student is doing a fantastic job of balancing school work, extracurricular activities, their after-school job, and their social life. Chances are, your teen is just as busy as you are, perhaps even busier! That’s why I’d propose this five-week check-in. This may be a good dinner time conversation this weekend.

• Which classes require the greatest time commitment for you?
• In which classes could you put more effort?
• Are you seeking out the appropriate resources at school? (Teachers, Tutoring Center)
• How would you rate your time management?
• How would you rate your organization?
• Are your grades where you want them to be right now?

Now, here are some things you should consider to better support your teen:

• Have you helped your teen to establish effective academic/study routines? When is homework completed? How is progress monitored? What are the rewards/consequences?
• Does your student have a quiet place to study, absent of distractions?
• Have you placed the proper emphasis on school work? (More important than socializing with friends, maybe not as important as sleep, family time.)
• Do you know how stressed your teen is? How do you know this?
• How would you rate your level of involvement in monitoring your students’ grades? Do you feel that you have a healthy balance between emphasizing the importance of studying and letting your student navigate challenges independently? (See last week’s post for more information.)
• When is the last time you hugged your kid and told them you are proud of him/her?

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to the Girls Cross Country Team on their success at the Peoria Invite. The team placed 12th out of 38 schools all ranking in the top 25 in the state.  Linda Varela placed 15, Rebecca Markham placed 71, Fiona Jordan placed 76, Hannah Ban placed 77, and Nupur Polharkar placed 83 in a field of 330 runners.  Freshman trio Marisa Ban, Lucy Jiang and Julia Finegan earned medals placing 9th, 10th, and 30th in a field of 560 runners.
• Congratulations to the Boys Cross Country Team on placing 10th at the Peoria Invite. Danny Peterson took 5th place and Matt Wallace took 36th place out of 431 runners.
• Congratulations to the Viking Marching Band for winning first place in the AA Division of the Stagg High School “Marching Jamboree” competition this past Saturday.  The band also won all caption awards in their division for top Music, Visual, Percussion, Color Guard, and Drum Majors.  The Viking Marching Band is under the direction of Jeremy Figlewicz, with assistance from Matt Moore and JT Teichert.  

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

September 16	Girls Volleyball Invitational @ Glenbard West H.S. - 5:00 p.m. Fremd Football @ Glenbrook South H.S. - 7:30 p.m.
September 17	Boys Golf Invitational @ Randall Oaks Golf Club Girls Tennis Invitational @ Rolling Meadows H.S. - 8:00 a.m. Girls Volleyball Invitational @ Glenbard West H.S. - 8:30 a.m. Girls/Boys Cross Country Invitational @ Gowe Park - 9:00 a.m. Girls Golf Invitational @ Ingersoll Golf Course - 9:00 a.m. Boys Soccer @ Schaumburg H.S. - 12:00 p.m.
September 19	Girls Golf vs. Glenbrook North @ Sportsman’s Golf Club - 4:00 p.m.
September 20	Late Start - 8:50 a.m. start Powder Puff Game - 7:00 p.m. Stadium Boys Golf @ Hilldale Golf Club - 3:30 p.m. Girls Tennis @ Schaumburg H.S. - 4:30 p.m. Girls Volleyball vs. HEHS - 6:00 p.m.
September 21	Girls Golf @ Palatine Hills Golf Course - 3:30 p.m.
September 22	Boys Golf @ Arlington Lakes Golf Course - 3:30 p.m. Girls Golf vs. Stevenson @ Cranes Landing - 4:00 p.m. Girls Swimming & Diving vs. HEHS - 4:30 p.m. Boys/Girls Cross Country @ Harper College - 4:30/6:00 p.m. Giarls Volleyball @ Palatine H.S. - 6:00 pm.
September 23	Homecoming Pep Assembly - 1:45 p.m. Golf Cart Parade - 6:45 p.m. Homecoming - Football vs.Barrington H.S. - 7:30 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:

Angie Johnson

Position:

Assistant principal secretary

Years at Fremd:

4 years

Life Before Fremd:

I was fortunate enough to be a stay at home to my two wonderful kids! Prior to having kids I was a business analyst at Hewitt Associates, LLC.

Hobbies/Interests:

I enjoy spending time with my family!!  We enjoy going to the movies together,  playing games and taking walks with our newly adopted dog, Stella!

Insider Tip for Parents:  Listen to your kids and laugh with them as often as possible!

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 Resilience Edition

Developing Resiliency in Your Teen

Have you ever asked yourself if your teen is resilient? Why does it matter anyway? For those of you who are returning readers of my blog, you are aware of the importance of grit, the growth mindset, and resilience on a person’s future success. Check out this blog post for more information.

Recently, I read an article entitled, “5 Steps Closer To A More Resilient Teen,” and I found the steps to be worth sharing. In case you don’t want to read the article in full, here are the 5 Steps Closer:

1. Don’t address issues with teachers before your teenager does.
2. Let go of your fear of teacher retaliation against your teenager.
3. When your teen gets home from school, don’t talk to them about school.
4. Ignore the manifestations and look for underlying issues.
5. Help your teenager develop lifelong skills.

Many of these tips will help your student develop stronger self-advocacy skills, and I think we can all agree on the importance of this skill in life. I would like to posit two of my own Steps to developing a more resilient teen:

Teach the difference between an excuse and a legitimate concern.

There can be a million and one reasons why your student failed the quiz or wasn’t selected for the team. Resilient people will look beyond those reasons and ask, “What is my own personal responsibility?”

Find the lesson in failure or setbacks.

Nelson Mandela said, “I never lose. I either win or learn.” Education research is focusing on the importance of allowing students to struggle in the classroom, as this is one of the purest forms of the learning process. We need to relish these challenges, not shy away from them. This is how we grow.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to Coach Darius Sanchez and the Boys Cross Country Team on winning the Crystal Lake South Invite (21 teams).  Danny Peterson took 2nd place and Luke Vogelgesang took 9th place.
• Congratulations to Coach Lauren O’Donnell and the Girls Tennis Team on taking 1st place at the Buffalo Grove Quad Meet.
• Congratulations to Coach Lauren O’Donnell and the Girls Tennis Team on winning the Fremd Invite.  Award winners include:  1st place - 1st singles Diya Matt; 1st place-2nd singles Elsie Ha; 3rd place-1st doubles Kate Bodensteiner and Julia Smiarowska; 1st place-2nd doubles Selin Parmaksiz and Kellie Ha; and 1st place-3rd double Jane Bodensteiner and Rachael Carlins.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

September 9	Football vs. New Trier H.S. - 7:30 p.m. Boys Golf @ Poplar Creek Country Club - 3:30 p.m. Girlsl Swimming & Diving vs. Glenbrook South H.S. - 5;30 p.m. Boys Soccer @ Marquette University H.S. - 5:30 p.m.
September 10	Boys Golf Invitational @ Shepherd’s Crook Golf Course - 7:30 a.m. Girls Tennis Invitational @ FHS - 8:00 a.m. Girls Swimming vs. Glenbrook South H.S. @ FHS - 5:30 p.m. Girls Diving Invitational @ Lyons Township H.S. - 9:00 a.m. Girls/Boys Cross Country Invitational @ Detweiller Park - 10:20/11:00 a.m. Boys Soccer @ Marquette University H.S. - 3:00 p.m.
September 12	Girls Golf @ Palatine Hills Golf Course - 3:30 p.m. Birls Volleyball @ Lake Zurich H.S. - 6:00 p.m.
September 13	Girls Golf vs. Elk Grove @ Highland Woods Golf Course - 3:30 p.m. Girls Volleyball vs. Schaumburg H.S. @ FHS - 5:00 p.m. Boys Soccer vs. HEHS - 7:00 p.m. Parent Network Meeting - 6:00 p.m. in the Media Center
September 15	Boys Golf vs. Prospect H.S. @ Hilldale Golf Club - 3:30 p.m. Girls Golf vs. Prospect H.S. @ Mt. Prospect Golf Course - 3:30 p.m. Boys/Girls Cross Country vs. Schaumburg H.S. @ Harper College - 4:30/6:00 p.m. Girls Tennis vs. Palatine H.S.  @ FHS - 4:45 p.m. Girls Swimming & Diving vs. Palatine H.S. @ FHS - 4:45 p.m.

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

Staff Spotlight

Name:  Charles Nichols

Position:  Math/Computer Science Teacher

Years at Fremd:  Rookie year!

Life Before Fremd:  I have previously taught middle school for one year and high school for two.  I’m a graduate from Illinois State University.

Hobbies/Interests:  I enjoy living an active lifestyle, whether that’s playing basketball, working out, or taking a stroll outside to get some fresh air…I’m always moving.  I love music, am a musician, and have been playing the guitar for around 12 years.  MUSIC = MATH ladies and gentlemen…you’ve been jamming to fractions and numbers this entire time!  Therefore if you like music, you’re secretly a huge fan of math.  I knew you had it in you. :-)

Insider Tip for Parents:  I wish us teachers had a magic key that opens the door to student success in school, but at the end of the day it comes down to perseverance, dedication and hard work.  With this set of skills anything can be accomplished!  Oh ya, don’t forget to have fun once in a while too.

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.