The Power of 15 Edition

The Power of 15

For the last couple years, District 211 has been advocating for all students to strive to achieve The Power of 15. This is the idea that students will have accumulated 15 hours of college credit in high school through the successful completion of AP and dual credit courses.

What’s the big deal about 15 credits?

Students who enter college with 15 credits under their belt:

• Are twice as likely to graduate from college on time.
• Earn a higher GPA in college.
• Report higher motivation to earn their degree.
• Save money! How much? Look at this chart that shows the value of 15 credit hours through different means:

While every student may not go on to college, we want to create an environment where college is at least an option. Regardless, AP and dual credit classes offer the following benefits:

• Solid work ethic to tackle rigorous coursework
• Preparation for college-level classes
• Vocational training and certification
• Time and money savings

The Power of 15 does NOT mean that students load up on AP classes. Sure, we offer an abundance of AP classes, but we offer Dual Credit classes (courses where students earn high school and college credit concurrently) in English, Math, Science, Art, Business, Family & Consumer Science, and Applied Tech. Fremd High School offers over 40 AP and dual credit courses across a variety of subject areas.

What should I do now?

First, I recommend assessing how many college credits your student has earned so far. A very rough estimate: one Fremd AP or dual credit course = 3 college credit hours. Check out our Curriculum Guide for more information.

Next, regardless of your student's grade in school, check to see if there is a dual credit or AP class that your student can take. Ideally, you will find courses that serve as college entrance requirements, graduation requirements, or career interests.

And lastly, I suggest setting up the possibility of taking a dual credit or AP course in subsequent years. Many courses have pre-requisites that may require forward planning. Need help? Your student's counselor will be your best resource.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to Arash Abbas and Aditya Prathap for making the Semifinals session in Congressional Debate at the Glenbrooks Debate Tournament, which hosts over 300 schools from around the country.
• Congratulations to Coach Kacey Kronforst and the Girls Gymnastics Team on their 1st placeTeam All Around finish at the Big Purple Invite.   Invite Results:  Vault: Sam Shirmer (3rd), Mel Ng (14th), Ellyce Wong (17th), Kate Watson (22nd); Bars:  Mel Ng (2nd), Gianna Christodoulopoulos (8th), Sam Shirmer (10th), Ellyce Wong (21st); Beam:  Mel Ng and Gianna Christodoulopoulos (tied 5th), Abby Moran (21st), Ellyce Wong (23rd);  Floor:  Gianna Christodoulopoulos (6th), Sam Shirmer (11th), Kate Watson (12th), Mel Ng (14th) and (4th) Individual All Around.
• Congratulations to the following ILMEA All-State musicians:  Band: Hancine Mok- flute, Nick Szoblik- trumpet, Ryo Terada- Bb Clarinet; Orchestra: Steffi Chen- viola, Cameron Chiu- cello, Gina Kang-violin 1, Hannah Lin- violin 1; Chorus: Mary Kate Baughman- alto II, Denise Carlson- soprano II, Pranit Cheikycharia- bass I, Ria Ravi- alto I, Mayuri Srikanth- alto II, Vaishnavi Vembar- soprano I and Jerry Zheng - tenor I; Composition Student: Arinze Okammor- Opus1/Instrumental (large ensemble)

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

December 8	Winter Play - “Little Women” 7:00 p.m. Boys Swimming & Diving @  Schaumburg- 4:45 p.m. Girls/Boys Basketball @ FHS - 6:00/7:30 p.m. Wrestling @ PHS - 6:00 p.m.
December 9	Winter Play - “Little Women” 7:00 p.m. Wrestling Tournament @ Prospect - 9:00 a.m. Bowling Tournament @ Streamwood Bowl - 9:00 a.m. Boys Swimming & Diving @ Barrington - 1:30 p.m. Girls Basketball Tournament @ Benet Academy - 6:00 p.m.
December 10	Competitive Cheer Invitational @ Rockford (Guilford) - 8:30 a.m.
December 11	Bowling vs. PHS @ Arlington Lanes - 4:45 p.m.
December 13	Bowling vs. Rolling Meadows @ Arlington Lanes - 4:30 p.m. Girls Gymnastics @ Rolling Meadows - 6:00 p.m. Girls Basketball Tournament @ Benet Academy - 7:30 p.m.
December 14	Bowling vs. Glenbrook North @ Arlington Lanes - 4:30 p.m.

For a more complete list, please visit our Athletics Page or the Athletic Department Blog.

Staff Spotlight

Name:

Christi Parsons

Position:

Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher/Department Chair

Athletic Coordinator

Years at Fremd:

This is my 11th year

Life Before Fremd:

I was born and raised in Belvidere, IL.  I went to Illinois State University and graduated with a degree in Fashion Merchandising.  After a few years in the retail world, I decided on a career change and went back to school at NIU to gain my education certification.  Prior to Fremd I taught and coached tennis at Belvidere, East Leyden and Glenbard South.

Hobbies/Interests:

In my spare time, I LOVE to Travel—my favorite place being Destin, FL.  I also enjoy cooking, shopping, reading (and listening to audiobooks)  and socializing with friends and family.

Insider Tip for Parents:

Fremd has so many opportunities for students to pursue their interests and skills.  There is something for everyone!  Allow your children to explore courses and activities that offer life skills and  hands-on opportunities they are passionate about.   The hope is they leave here with a good idea of what they want to do in the future.  

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 Holiday Shopping Edition

Shop for the Holidays, Support the Boosters!

Did you know the Viking Booster Club is connected to AmazonSmile? When you shop at Amazon, go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and pick Viking Boosters Club - Palatine IL as your charitable organization. In return, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the Fremd Viking Booster Club. For more information, click here for more information.

I’d also encourage you to stop by the Spirit Shop. They have operating hours during the school day and at several upcoming evening events. They even have an online store! Check out these details and more on the Spirit Shop page.

Still not satisfied? Why not stop by the Booster Craft Fair on December 9 (9:00-4:00) to find something for the rest of the people on your list.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to the Congressional Debate Team on their success at the Conant Congress Tournament.  Award winners include Arash Abbas, 1st Place Quality Speaker and 1st Place Chamber Award, Shruthi Kumar, 1st Place Chamber Award, Sid Karnam, 1st Place Chamber Award, Breity Breitenstein, 1st Place Chamber Award and Best Presiding Officer, Asad Ukani, 2nd Place Chamber Award, Shreya Mukherjee, 2nd Place Chamber Award, Varsha Krishnan, 2nd Place Chamber Award, Aditya Prathap, 3rd Place Chamber Award, Ameena Madani, Best Presiding Officer, Abe Kumar, 2nd Place Chamber Award, Rachel Ye, 3rd Place Chamber Award, Sanchita Teeka, Best Presiding Officer.
• The Varsity Scholastic Bowl team took third at the History Bowl Regional at Stevenson on Saturday November 11.   The Varsity A team took 4th at the highly competitive Upper Division Illinois Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association Kick-off at Stevenson on Saturday November 18, behind perennial state powers Stevenson, Rockford Auburn, and IMSA. Additionally, the B team took 6th in the Upper Division and the C team took 2nd overall out of 36 teams in the Standard Division.
• Lincoln Douglas Debate at Fremd. Here are the results from this past weekend at Stagg High School. Congratulations to the Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas Debate Team on their performance at the Stagg High School Tournament.  In Lincoln-Douglas: Andy Ruan, 2nd place Varsity, Kashif Javid, 1st place Varsity, Kylie Zhang, 5th place JV, Eileen Peng, 1st place JV. Speaker awards were won by Ji Eun Kim (2nd) and Vasudha Cidambi (5th) on the novice level, Kylie Zhang (3rd) and Eileen Peng (1st) on the JV level, and Andy Ruan (4th) and Kashif Javid (1st)on the Varsity Level. In Public Forum: April Wu and Priya Somanchi, 5th place novice, Rida Ahmed and Zaid Iqbal, 3rd place novice, Souvik Ghosh and Ed Zhang, 2nd place novice and David Phillips and William Zhong, 1st place novice. Speaker awards in PF were earned by William Zhong (2nd), and Zaid Iqbal (1st).
• Congratulations to Fremd Varsity Bowling for wins over Wheeling and Hersey this week.  

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

December 1	Boys Swimming & Diving vs. Hersey - 4:45 p.m. Boys Wrestling vs. HEHS - 6:00 p.m. Girls Basketball @ HEHS - 6:00 p.m. Boys Basketball @ HEHS - 7:30 p.m.
December 2	Girls Bowling Invite @ Arlington Lanes - 9:00 a.m. Boys Wrestling Quad @ Carl Sandburg H.S. - 10:00 a.m. Girls Basketball Invitational @ FHS - 10:30 a.m. Girls Gymnastics Invite @ Downers Grove North - 2:00 p.m.
December 4	Girls Bowling @ Arlington Lanes - 4:45 p.m. Girls Vasketball @ Schaumburg - 7:00 p.m.
December 5	Girls Gymnastics @ Schaumburg - 6:00 p.m. Boys Basketball @ Hersey - 7:30 p.m.
December 6	Girls Bowling vs. HEHS @ Arlington Lanes - 4:30 p.m. PLTW Informational Meeting - 6:30 p.m. Media Center

For a more complete list, please visit our Athletics Page or the Athletic Department Blog.

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 Library is Open! Edition

The Library Grand Opening in Pictures

On Monday, we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Library. (Yes, I called it the "Library!" After a naming contest, students overwhelmingly voted for this name over "Media Center," "Learning Commons" or similar names.) Here are some pictures of the new Library and the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Mrs. DiModica, our Librarian, cuts the ribbon, which was made of the pages of old copies of Of Mice and Men and Gone With the Wind.

Mr. Moore leads members of his band in the playing of our school song.

Mr. Weaver, English teacher, warms his hands by our new fireplace, which was purchased through the generous financial support of our Viking Booster Club.

View of main room with study carrels, conference room.

Circulation desk, cafe and fireplace.

Tech Center Help Desk

Back area of Library.

Cookie Sign-Up for Fall Sports Awards

There's still time to sign up to bring in cookies for Fall Sports Awards! Here's how:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on Volunteer Spot: http://signup.com/go/KCgfxrc      

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone.

Proud Principal Moment

Today, we held a Veterans Day assembly for our students, along with some honored guests that included veterans connected to our Fremd community. The ceremony was run by senior Amy Ma and junior Chris Oakley, who did a wonderful job explaining the significance of the occasion.

I must share a huge thanks to Matt Moore and Marla Caballero and our Music Department for providing moving music, including the Star-Spangled Banner, the Armed Forces Medley, and America, the Beautiful. Christie O'Donnell (English) played a significant role in organizing the assembly. And Courtney Billittier (Social Studies) was the mastermind behind the week's festivities, including dress-up days, a dodgeball tournament, and fundraising efforts for CreatiVets, a non-profit that helps veterans cope with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through art, and Folds of Honor, an organization that provides scholarships to families of fallen and disabled veterans.

I am also proud of our entire student body. It is not often that you can put 2600 students in one location and hear a pin drop. Our students were respectful and reverential. Their attitude and behavior reflected the power of the ceremony, but it also revealed the character and class that they possess. Kudos to you, Fremd parents, for raising great kids! And kudos to our students for showing respect and gratitude for the sacrifices others have made to protect our way of life.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to the Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas Debate Team on their performance at the Fremd Viking Invitational.  In Lincoln-Douglas: Andy Ruan, 2nd place Varsity, Kashif Javid, 5th place Varsity, Kylie Zhang, 2rd place JV, Eileen Peng, 3rd place JV. Speaker awards were won by Ji Eun Kim on the novice level, Kylie Zhang and Eileen Peng on the JV level, and Andy Ruan and Kashif Javid on the Varsity Level. In Public Forum: Mayank Bhatia and Matt Kim, 2nd place JV, Miguel Mercado and Andrew Kim, 5th place, Rida Ahmed and Zaid Iqbal, 1st place novice, and David Phillips and William Zhong, 3rd place novice. Speaker awards in PF were earned by William Zhong, David Phillips, Mayank Bhatia, Adhith Palla, Matt Grabianski, and Piyush Biswas.
• Congratulations to Rose Dinh, Mayur Popuri and Vikas Reddy on achieving a perfect score on the ACT exam.
• Congratulations to this week’s Viking Pride winners:  Ishan Anand, Eric Bryniarski, Lina Chiang, Megan Forrest, Anna Gontar, Gillian Jackson, Rachel Kang, Aparna Nidamanuri, Devyn Oak, Karolina Ryczek, Mako Sumida, and Brooke Toriani.

Upcoming Home Activities and Varsity Events

November 11	Speech Invite - all day Daddy/Daughter Dance - Gym 7-9 pm
November 14	Fall Sports Awards - 7:00 pm
November 15	Choir Solo & Ensemble - Music Dept. 6-9 pm Girls Basketball Tournament @ FHS - 7:30 pm

For a more complete list, please visit our Athletics Page or the Athletic Department Blog.

Staff Spotlight

Name: Toni DiModica

Position: Library Department Chair

Years at Fremd: 20 years! I taught Biology my first seven years and have been the Library Department Chair for the past thirteen. While at Fremd, I have sponsored the Multicultural Club, Science Fiction Reading Club, Health Careers Club, and Junior Class.

Life Before Fremd:  I started my teaching career as a Biology teacher and taught at Von Steuben Metropolitan High School in Chicago for two years before coming to Fremd.

Hobbies/Interests: Besides my obvious reading interest, I enjoy healthy cooking, spending time with my family, and doing agility training with my dog Barrett. My husband and I also love traveling across our great country looking for that perfect retirement spot. So far, it’s a tie between Maui and Sonoma.

Insider Tip for Parents: Fremd has so much to offer students. Encourage your child to be involved and stay involved.

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.

November 3, 2017

Parent Help Needed

The Fremd Viking Booster Club is proud of all our student-athletes and want to remind you of the upcoming Fall Sports Awards Night on Tuesday, November 14th at 7pm in the main gym. As with every Sports Awards, the Booster Club is organizing the cookie / snack drive.  Please consider signing up to bring in cookies for a post event snack.  You can drop them off at the tables in the main hallway on your way into the ceremony.

We have many student-athletes this fall and we will need well over 100 dozen cookies to have enough for the kids and their families.  

Please sign up for Spring Sports Awards Cookie Signup!

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on Volunteer Spot: http://signup.com/go/KCgfxrc      

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone.

Highlights and Successes:

• Congratulations to Coach Andrew Kittrell and the Girl’s Swimming and Diving Team on taking 2nd place in the MSL Varsity Conference:

The following are the top 6 finishers:

• Diving—Carly Goodsite, Champion
• 200 Medley Relay—2nd, Sophia Kuehn, Rebecca Ballo, Kristina Buzuloiu, Emily Bolger
• 200 Freestyle –Marie Grzybek, 4th; Sarah Rothmeyer 5th
• 200 IM—Sophia Kuehn 5th, Rebecca Ballo 6th
• 50 Freestyle—Emily Bolger 2nd
• 100 Freestyle—Emily Bolger 3rd
• 500 Freestyle—Marie Grzybek 5th, Lauren Streitmatter 6th
• 200 Freestyle Relay—2nd, Sophia Kuehn, Sarah Rothmeyer, Anna Miller, Emily Bolger
• 100 Backstroke—Sarah Rothmeyer 5th, Sophia Kuehn Champion
• 100 Breaststroke—Rebecca Ballo, 4th
• 400 Freestyle Relay—3rd, Sarah Rothmeyer, Marie Grzybek, Anna Miller, Lauren Streitmatter

• Congratulations to the Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas Debate Team on their performance at the Schaumburg Saxon Invitational. Fremd earned the First Place awards in all levels of Public Forum. In Public Forum: Abhinav Balu and Adhith Palla, 1st Place Varsity, Michael Murakami and Ben Wilson, 3rd Place Varsity, Nikhil Sriram and Sharon Wu, 1st Place JV, Mayank Bhatia and Matthew Kim, 2nd Place JV, Zaid Iqbal and Rida Ahmed, 1st Place Novice, Will Zhong and David Phillips, 2nd Place Novice, Souvik Ghosh and Ed Zhang, 3rd Place Novice. Speaker awards in PF were earned by Michael Murakami , Ben Wilson, Nikhil Sriram, Mayank Bhatia and Souvik Ghosh. In Lincoln Douglas, Kylie Zhang earned 3rd Place in JV. A speaker award in LD was earned by novice Vasuda Cidambi

Staff Spotlight

Name:

Robin Quinn

Position:

English Teacher, Production Assistant for Musical & Winter Play, Speech Team Coach

Years at Fremd:

2

Life Before Fremd:

I attended Rolling Meadows High School, then went to Augustana College, where I studied English Education and Theatre Arts. One particularly bad winter, I came down with frostbite on my hands, and decided that I would move somewhere warm as soon as I graduated from Augie! I ended up relocating to Phoenix, AZ. I taught English and Drama classes in a small, rural, cowboy town about an hour west of Phoenix. While at that school, I served as the head of the Theatre department, directing all the plays and musicals, and I also sponsored the fashion club. Last year, I returned to IL to face the cold again...so far, so good!

Hobbies/Interests:

As my theatre background suggests, I love the arts; watching a play, musical, or concert is when I'm at my happiest. I'm also a singer and guitar player, and love to write music. In addition to arts, I run marathons, love to hike, and am a big movie buff; my husband and I go to the movies nearly every weekend!

Insider Tip for Parents:

Oscar Wilde said, "It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it." Encourage your student to read about the things that they are passionate about outside 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.