Vol. 1   Edition I   October, 2001

Important Dates:

 

 

Fine Arts Department:

 

Extra-Curricular:

 

Math Department:

 

Parent Conferences:

                November 1st and 2nd we will have our first Parent Conference days.  Students will attend school Thursday, November 1st for a half-day, from 8:10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.  Parent conferences will be scheduled from 1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 1st and from 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 2nd.  You may receive notification from a teacher requesting a conference, or you may phone school requesting a conference.  Times will be assigned to avoid long waiting.  Watch for your student’s grade report in the mail; if a teacher wishes to request a conference a check will appear.  You will need to phone PSHS at 439-5555 to set a time that is convenient.  Appointments will not be made until October 25th.  Please do not make an appointment until October 25th.

 

Future Newsletters:

                All future newsletters will be on our website and not sent home.  If you would like a hard copy, we will have some in each of our offices on campus.  You are welcome to stop by to pick one up or have your student come to any office and get one.  We encourage each of you that has access to the Internet to visit our website frequently.  We are making changes to it daily in an attempt to keep our community informed.  Our District website is www.learningcommunity202.org/, then click on Schools, then High Schools, then Plainfield South HS.

PTSO:

                A special thanks to our parent organization for their support, kindness, and assistance during our opening and start at PSHS.  A special thanks to our officers for their extra efforts over the summer and continuing through the year.  Co-Presidents: Terri Compton and Lynn Confiliano, Vice-President: Donna McDaniel, Secretary: Mickey Britt, and Treasurer: Paulette Aldis.  We encourage all our families with children attending PSHS to please join this organization for a $5.00 fee and offer to assist in any of our committees.

 

The Desk of the Principal:

                I remind each of our students and their families of the importance of attending school.  There are circumstances and health reasons that make missing school a necessity.  During these times, we will supply missed assignments and try to keep the student up with the progress of the class.  We all know, however, there is no experience like the experience of being in that class.

                Thank you to the families of our students for their patience in going through the pains of opening a school and the start of a school year.  We are getting closer to getting our students delivered to school and then home with busses in a timely fashion.  We are getting into a routine and comfortable feeling with our new surroundings.

                Finally, thanks to our students and staff for their patience and understanding while we get all the wrinkles ironed out in opening a new school this size.  They have focused on learning, helping each other, and working together to assure all is being done to provide a positive experience for all of us.

 

PLAN Test:

                This is a test that is given to all sophomores that measures the academic skills and abilities developed in math, reading, English and science reasoning.  A part of the test is an interest inventory that will offer some clues as to possible career paths and occupations for the student’s future.

 

Athletics:

                The PSHS Athletic Department has set sportsmanship as a priority for its community of coaches, athletes and parents.  Coaches spent time over the summer in a workshop entitled “Citizenship Through Sports”.  The course helped coaches explore concepts of respect, reflect on their own experience and recognized strategies for using teachable moments to promote citizenship with their student athletes.  All athletes’ parents will see a sportsmanship video as a part of “Parent Orientation” in an effort to encourage leadership and dialog on the topic at home.  Twenty Cougar athletes and three coaches attended the Illinois High School Association’s Sportsmanship Summit held on September 25th at Illinois State University.  The PSHS athletes had an opportunity to interact with other student athletes regarding that face of sportsmanship.  This group of athletes will meet monthly to develop strategies for promoting showmanship at PSHS.  With this as a start, the PSHS Athletic Department looks to lead their community to positive expressions and appropriate responses within the context of athletic events.

 

Family and Consumer Science Department:

                The Advanced Child Development class will be starting our Preschool on October 3, 2001.  Our fall session will run from October through December.  We will meet with the 3 and 4 year old children most Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, starting at 9:06 a.m. until 10:08 a.m., according to the school calendar.  Activities will include free play, arts and crafts, snack, story time and group games.  These activities are planned and administered by the student in the Advanced Child Development class under the supervision of their teacher, Mrs. Julie VanDuyne-Mueller.  Registration is still being accepted in the main office.  There is a $20.00 registration fee.

 

                The Clothing, Textiles, and Fashion I class is off to a terrific start!  We made unity pins out of red, white and blue ribbons and were able to share some of them with some of the PSHS staff.  One of our students has brought in a patriotic design that we will incorporate with our school initials to create a new design.  Student will bring in T-shirts to embroider this design on.  The students are very enthusiastic and have a lot of great ideas!  We are looking forward to a terrific first semester!

 

Industrial Arts Department:

                Introduction to Industrial Technology is a year-long course open to freshmen and sophomores.  Pathways is a hands-on, teamwork-based approach to technology education.  Workstation learning environments provide a chance to work on real-world problems, using knowledge that is acquired in each specific area.

                The curriculum titles explored in this class are: Digital Manufacturing; Free Enterprise; Multimedia; and Service.

 

Group Guidance:

                Counselors will be meeting with their students three times this year in small groups to go over various topics.  Topics include: An Introduction to Student Services, How to Make an Appointment with a Counselor, How to Interpret Explore and Plan Test Scores, Career Interest Inventory Interpretation, Four-Year Planning and Class Scheduling for the 2002-2003 school year.  Students are also encouraged to make individual appointments with their counselor as needed.

 

College Visitations:

                Students are encouraged to start making college visitations with their parents or guardians on weekends or holidays.  It is never too early for students to start looking at different types of campuses and talking to admission counselors.  Many colleges plan special high school visitation days.  Call the admissions office of the college you plan to visit for information about campus tours and/or special high school days.

                On Tuesday, October 16, the Annual College Fair will take place at Joliet Junior College from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.  Most of the Illinois colleges and some out-of-state colleges will be represented.  There will also be a financial aid seminar.  College-bound students are encouraged to attend with their parents or guardians.

 

Math Department:

                The Math Department is off to a great start.  Some of the work our students have been doing is displayed in the case near the main office.  The Math Club had an organizational meeting with a very good turn out.  The sponsors for the Math Club are Tony Holub and Julie Parizek.  They are looking forward to competitions beginning in late October and early November.  The Math Department is enjoying working with such enthusiastic students.  They are looking forward to what they feel is going to be a great year.

Madrigal Singers for 2001

                This year’s madrigal auditions took place on September 6th and 7th of this year.  We had over 30 students audition, which included some people who were not in choir.  Ms. Kamberos would like to thank all of the students who came to audition.  They all put forth their best efforts, which deserves to be recognized.  Check Ms. Kamberos’ web site to hear about upcoming Madrigal performances in your area.

                The Plainfield South 2001 Madrigal Singers are: Sopranos: Laura Mackley, Nicole Otto, Megan Piunti, Nicole Schneider, Stacy Smith and Jessica Strode; Altos: Teresa Cabrera, Colleen Grimm, Amy Jacobus, Lauren Prittie, Lauren Suhajda, Crystal Thomas and Krista Tripp; and Guys: Scott Guerrero, Kyle Severson and Matt Wyss.

 

Art Department:

                The Art Department began the semester, like many others, waiting on new supplies and equipment, but the students came through with flying colors.  Special “thanks” goes to our fantastic custodial staff for your many hours of assembling and delivering all our supplies and equipment.  Over the past couple of weeks students have begun to complete several projects.  Student work can be viewed in the display cases throughout the building.

                All art students have been putting their feelings to work in the Foundations, Workshop and Creative Drawing classes.  Students were asked to express their thoughts and observations of the recent tragedies in Washington D.C. and New York.  The Foundation students created a colored drawing using words, symbols and images on a square.  All projects will be assembled to create a large mural.  Creative Drawing and Art Workshop students created an individual depiction of these events with color.  Several of the students also incorporated poems into their artwork, which were created in their English class.  Several projects will be sent to New York and Washington D.C. to show support to the families who have lost loved ones.  Art work by Foundations students Dan

 

 

 

Aber and Christina Shankland were featured on Channel 5 News on September 24th.  The remaining projects will be displayed at a blood drive to inspire donations in a neighboring town.

                Beginning Ceramics students also had the opportunity to express their feelings with art.  All students are in the process of creating a memorial tile.  These tiles will be displayed within the building once complete for all students and faculty to see.  You are encouraged to purchase a replica of the students’ work.  All proceeds from this sale will be donated to a charitable organization.  More information will be made available once the tiles are completed.  Students are excited about the opportunity to display and sell their work. 

                The Art Club began sketches for a mural that will be painted on a temporary wall during construction.  The theme for this mural will be “School Spirit”.

 

Fall Play:

                The Fall Play is A Shayna Maidel and will be presented November 2nd and 3rd at 8:00 p.m.  The doors will open at 7:15 p.m.  The director is Veda Wunsh, assisted by Heather Lorimor and Debra Westhaver-Church.

                The cast includes: Rose Weiss, played by Ashley Pruneau; Rose Flashback, Kaitlin Malloy; Mordecheai Weiss, John Berg; Luisia Weiss, Kristen Mackley; Lusia Flashback, Jenny Hansen; Hanna, Melissa Dudek; Mama,  Cally Larson; Duvid Pechenik,  Kyle Severson; Mother, Krista Tripp; Father, Branden Duer; Daughter, Caitlyn Smith; Midwife, Jamie LaFevers; Husband, Matt Wyss; and Announcer, Brittany Roebke.   The Wandering Troupe is played by Jessica Burnside, Catie Cryder and Kevin Shain.  The Student Stage Manage is Katie Perkins and the Student Director is Lisa Gallik.

                A Shayna Maidel is about a Polish, Jewish family that was separated by the war.  The father and the youngest daughter made it to America before the war.  The mother and the oldest daughter didn’t get over.  Mother and daughter went through the camps and the war together.

                The story takes place when the oldest daughter, Lusia, makes it over to the states in 1946.  The family has to learn to relate to each other and face the past.  The audience finds out what happened in the war through flashbacks and dreams.  In present day, they avoid talking about their feelings and the past.

                It is wonderful for teenagers and adults because the focus is not on what happened in the war, but in learning to deal with your family.  The point is the relationships and opening of communication between all of these people.  Since the play happens right after the war, it is one holocaust play that actually ends on a positive note.  Despite all the sorrow, our lead made it to the States and has the opportunity to start her life over.

                I am very excited about this script, the kids and the performance!  They are working very hard and each day I leave tired, but thrilled to have spent this time with them.