Fenton High School District 100 Community Report 2023

Superintendent’s Message

We are continuing the critical work of safeguarding the future of our community high school. Through a great deal of careful planning, we are excited to move forward with two very important construction projects that will protect our campus and enhance student learning.

In June we broke ground on a water mitigation project that will install an underground water storage tank near our stadium to temporarily collect stormwater from the western side of our campus. This project will protect our building from further damage and improve stormwater drainage, which should also make our fields more reliably available in the future.

Artificial turf and a modern track will be installed inside the stadium to replace the obsolete assets damaged during construction.

We expect this construction to last until at least the end of January 2024. We are committed to maintaining every single academic and extracurricular program.

WATER MITIGATION PROJECT

COST: Approximately $10 million

STATUS: Construction Underway

Nothing will be canceled as a result of our construction.

Home football games will be played at Triton College. We also reached agreements with the Bensenville Park District to utilize nearby parks for football and soccer practices.

As that project is now underway, we are simultaneously beginning the planning stages of a twostory STEM wing construction project that will attach to the back of our auditorium and face toward Route 83.

STEM WING PROJECT

COST: No more than $32 million

STATUS: Planning / Design

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE: June 2024 to August 2025

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This new addition will feature a variety of modern classrooms and learning spaces in these subject areas.

We anticipate breaking ground in the summer of 2024, with an anticipated construction timeline of at least 15 months.

Between now and next summer we will devote copious amounts of time toward making those conceptual plans a reality. We look forward to working with our staff and community on the finer details of this project and further narrowing down the exciting possibilities.

We have always known our learning spaces in this 1950s building are old, inadequate, and burdensome. Our 2019 facility audit formalized what we see every day.

Many areas of the school that we hoped to modernize as part of our referendum will not be addressed, however, these are two projects that we are able to modify and accomplish independently. The projects are funded through a combination of cash reserves and non-referendum bonds (loans), which will not raise your taxes.

I applaud our school board members for their patience and their passion for the future of our community.

James Ongtengco Superintendent

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE: June 2023 to March 2024

Fenton Creates a Charitable Foundation

New Memorial Scholarship Honors Alum Lost in Vietnam

Fenton High School incorporated a charitable foundation in 2023 as a way to create opportunities for alumni and local businesses to support Fenton students via tax-exempt donations. The foundation’s first initiative was to create the Patrick Robert Curran Memorial Scholarship.

Congratulations to graduating seniors Reagan Dakins, David Mathew, Mcaleigh Logue, Patrick Karbowski, Natalia Szala, and Berenice Garfias for being the inaugural recipients of the Patrick Robert Curran Memorial Scholarship. The monetary values range between $1,000 and $3,000 each.

The Patrick Robert Curran Memorial Scholarship was made possible thanks to generous donations from alumni Bill and Joyce Curran. Mr. Bill Curran graduated with the Fenton Class of 1956. Mrs. Joyce (Balansky) Curran graduated with the Fenton Class of 1960.

Bill Curran’s brother, Patrick, was missing in action during a recon flight in the

Vietnam War. Patrick’s crash site was finally located in 1996 and excavated a few months later, but his body was not returned to the United States until 2002.

Patrick Curran was part of the Fenton Graduating Class of 1961. He served as student body vice president and participated in football, wrestling, track, volleyball, and theater.

Each one of the graduating seniors possess skills, goals, or character traits

that reflect the person Patrick Curran was or strived to one day become.

Superintendent Ongtengco, Mr. Kambic, and Mr. Martin hand delivered the award letters and explained the importance of carrying on Mr. Curran’s legacy.

You can start or continue a legacy too! Call Fenton High School and ask to be connected with the foundation. Donations large or small are accepted and can be applied to a variety of student needs.

Fenton Student Joins ISBE Student Advisory Council

Congratulations to Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta for being appointed to the Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Council. Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, Sarah served as a voice for more than 2 million students. The council consists of only 25 students from across Illinois and it reviews proposed legislation with elected officials.

State Superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala visited Fenton in June 2022, at which point Sarah and a classmate gave a presentation on education from a student perspective. That positive interaction led to the ISBE Student Advisory Council contacting Sarah and inviting her to apply for a seat.

Sarah thanked her parents for their support, and for molding her into a person worthy of serving the residents of Illinois.

“My parents don’t have the same level of understanding when it comes to the events I go to or the topics I speak on, but they could always tell I’m doing something important and they are always behind me 100 percent,” Sarah explained.

She also thanked several Fenton teachers for their mentorship. “My speech coaches, Ms. Hendricks and Ms. Feinberg, and my band director, Mr. George, have taught me to trust my own experiences and intuitions, and to be the most authentic version of myself that I can be,” Sarah said. “My experiences matter and are worthy of commanding the attention of my audiences.”

Student voice is a priority at Fenton, and Sarah said the opportunity to make a difference in her school is how she met Dr. Ayala and eventually earned a seat on the ISBE Student Advisory Council.

“I am and always will be a proud Fenton Bison,” Sarah told the Fenton School Board. “Thank you for trusting me with the name and reputation of our school as I represent my peers on the ISBE Student Advisory Council.”

Patrick Robert Curran

Reagan Dakins accepts the Patrick Robert Curran Memorial Scholarship

Fenton’s Stage Crew is the Best in the Business

Congratulations to Fenton’s stage crew on the Contest Drama production “Sylvia” for winning the 2023 IHSA State Championship for Drama Technical Performance. The crew builds and manages the sets and props used in the performance, as well as manages the audio, visual, and lighting. Their actions are timed and measured just as rigorously as the performers on stage.

“I’m very proud of our whole team. While we had a few students here for the second year in a row, many were new to this activity and they all handled the pressure of the competition with grace,” said Dr. Mike Mitchell, who directed the production with assistance from alumni Jeremiah Barr and Amanda Baker.

Sylvia is a Broadway comedy about a man who adopts a dog during his mid-life crisis and all of the dog’s antics that cause friction between him and his wife.

“It was such a great honor to work with a cast like this, which inspired me to keep going and do this for a career,” said Stage Manager Jessica Van Leeuwen. She plans to study film and television production in college next year.

Well Spoken

Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta earned 3rd place at the IHSA Speech State Finals for Original Oratory. Nathan Rodriguez earned 6th in state for Original Comedy.

Undefeated

The Fenton Chess Team went to the IHSA State Finals for the 16th consecutive year. Junior David Severiano went undefeated (7 wins and 0 losses) while at the State Finals, something no one else at Fenton has ever done!

Olympian Power

Fenton’s 2022-2023 Special Olympics Basketball Team won 2nd place in state after defeating several powerhouse schools.

State Bound Students

Congratulations to the following students for being among the best in Illinois. These students were invited to state finals or a state performance due to their individual or team successes in competition.

CHOIR

Aiden Torres (selected with honors)

CHESS (as a team)

Alejandro Aguilar Carrera

Adamary Gomez

Kacper Grych

Viktor Hrushka

Brenna Ralston

Drew Salski

Emilio Sanchez

David Severiano

Piotr Szostek

SPEECH

Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta (3rd place)

Tera Pabico

Nathan Rodriguez (6th place)

SPECIAL OLYMPICS BASKETBALL

(team won 2nd in state)

Manraj Dhaliwal

Jakub Grochal

Mikolaj Grochal

Michael Melnyk

Andrew Nagel

Elyse Navarro

Cristian Ramirez

Olivia Beecroft (team manager)

FCCLA

Sofia Diaz (Gold Medalist)

Izabel Krajecki (Gold Medalist)

Esther Zachariah (Bronze Medalist)

WRESTLING

Yamile Penaloza

SOFTBALL

Kayla Valadez

(3rd Team All State)

Kaitlyn Hoffing

(2nd Team All State)

CONTEST DRAMA

(Cast qualified for Drama State Finals) (Stage Crew won State Championship for Drama Technical Performance)

Lita Aguilar

Natalia Alvardo

Alex Cabello

Ariana Hurtado

Delilah Johnson (All-State Cast Honors)

Lex Mikulski

Neena Nair

Brandon Pauls

Nathan Rodriguez

Sara Schaefer

Natalie Sisto

Kailianna Smith

Pirote Thach

Jessica Van Leeuwen (stage manager)

GROUP

INTERPRETATION (as a cast)

Ariana Acosta

Aldo Benitez

Alexa Calderon

Hamza Chohan

Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta

(All-State Cast Honors)

Rosa Guzman Santos

Arturo Hurtado Jr

Tera Pabico (All-State Cast Honors)

Elijah Rivera

Nathan Rodriguez (understudy)

Angel Santiago

(All-State Cast Honors)

Zoya Siddiqui

Mia Silva

Josslyn Wade

(All-State Cast Honors)

Zujeidi Mendoza Garcia (assistant student director)

BASKETBALL

Alejandro Diaz (Class 3A honorable mention)

The 1 and Only

Senior Kaitlyn Hoffing’s softball jersey #1 was retired at the end of the 2022-2023 season by Coach Dave Mello and his staff in honor of her outstanding career.

Kaitlyn broke the program’s record of 117 stolen bases, finishing the season with 121 career stolen bases. That total ranks 38th all-time in Illinois.

But that’s not all. She also scored 55 runs this season, which is the second highest single season total in Fenton’s program history. For her career, she ranks third all-time at Fenton with 153 runs scored.

Kaitlyn is also Fenton’s all-time career leader in batting average at .444, walks with 88, and on-base percentage at .598. These were accomplished in just three years, as the IHSA cancelled all spring season sports during her freshman year (2020) due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Kaitlyn’s jersey #1 is now the third Fenton softball jersey number to be retired. She joins Sam Rubright (#12 retired in 2009) and Isa Lozada (#7 retired in

Football Player Earns Leadership Award

from the Chicago Bears

Congratulations to Dorien Vazquez of our Bison Football Team. He was on field at the October 13, 2022 Chicago Bears game receiving the Latino Heritage Youth Leadership Award. He also was interviewed on Univision at halftime.

Only two high school students were selected for this honor. According to the Bears, the award recognizes exceptional high school student athletes of Latino heritage that display outstanding leadership on and off the field, excel in the classroom, and make a positive impact in their school and local community through service to others.

The Chicago Bears praised Dorien for his 3.6 grade point average, being a leader in three sports, earning All State Academic Honors, and for his volunteer time with Habitat for Humanity.

Girls Volleyball Sets New Record for Wins

The 2022-2023 girls varsity volleyball team set a new program record with their 25 victories in a single season, surpassing the record of 24 wins set back in 2018.

Boys Basketball Sets New Record for Wins

The 2022-2023 boys varsity basketball team finished the season at 24-8 and set a new program record for single season wins, surpassing the 21 win season by the 2019-2020 Bison Ballers.

Superior Writing

Fenton teachers nominated three students for the 2023 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards, which is a schoolbased writing program for high school juniors established in 1957 as a way to encourage students to write and to recognize some of the best student writers in the nation.

Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta earned a Superior designation, David Severiano earned an Excellent designation, and Abby Hernandez earned a Merit designation. Only 347 students across the United States were accepted into the program.

From Mighty Bison to Fighting Irish

Congratulations to Anna Lelek for earning a prestigious QuestBridge Scholarship to attend her choice school the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. This four-year scholarship covers tuition, room and board, books, supplies, travel, and living expenses.

Anna plans on majoring in chemical engineering, focusing on the biomedical track. Her goal is to work in the cancer research field utilizing nanotechnology to find a cure.

The QuestBridge National College Match is an equity program that connects high-achieving high school seniors from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with full fouryear scholarships to the nation’s top colleges.

According to a Questbridge news release, this year’s 1,755 recipients combined for an average GPA of 3.94, and 94% of the students are in the top 10% of their graduating class.

State Scholars

The following students were recognized in the 2023 State Scholar Program because of their outstanding academic achievements.

Students are selected based on their standardized test scores and their cumulative GPA after their second semester of their junior year.

Fenton Student Earn National Honor from College Board

Congratulations to Angel Acosta Leon for being recognized by the College Board for outstanding academic achievement.

As part of an equity initiative a few years ago, the College Board created National Recognition Programs for students from underrepresented populations. These are highly respected honors that carry a lot of weight on a student’s college and scholarship applications.

High school students across the country are invited to apply if their PSAT or AP scores are within a certain range. They must also have a GPA of 3.5 or higher by the middle of their junior

Angel Acosta Leon was selected for the National Hispanic Recognition Award. While being celebrated at Fenton’s October 2022 Board of Education meeting, Angel thanked his parents for all the sacrifices they have made and continue to make in order for him to pursue his education.

“I’m very humble for it, and I’m very thankful for them,” Angel told the school board. “They play a very important role in my life today.”

Angel Acosta Leon

Jessica Benn

Alexandra Carillo

Daphne Castillo

Maximilian Celarek

Reagan Dakins

Vi Gibes

Jadyn Golz

Kaitlyn Hoffing

Ariana Hurtado

Patrick Karbowski

Aleksander

Klimczyk

Dominik Kroupa

Joanna Kukielko

Anna Lelek

Mcaleigh Logue

Adarsh Patel

Savannah Paz

Ryan Peterson

Lydia Rihani

Oleksandr Rusnak

Tiara Sanchez

Natalia Szala

Julissa Velazquez

Madison Westbrook

Sidney Westbrook

SARAH GUERRERO GOROSTIETA ABBY HERNANDEZ DAVID SEVERIANO

Fenton Administrator Wins Innovative Technology Director Award

Dr. Jim Batson won the 2022 Innovative Technology Director Award from Tech & Learning, which is a national publication that delivers news on technology in education. Dr. Batson was one of three winners for the Chicago region.

The nomination written for Dr. Batson focused on his contributions to Fenton’s equity mission. Notable efforts described in the nomination include:

⊲ Fenton’s 1-to-1 Chromebook initiative to ensure all students have access to technology in the classroom,

⊲ The financial decisions that make it possible for Fenton to maintain the 1-to-1 initiative long term and to have substitute Chromebooks while others are being repaired,

⊲ The availability of internet hot spots for students to check out and take home, both before the pandemic and to a greater degree during the pandemic,

⊲ Fenton’s effort to get corporately donated laptops to parents who don’t have computers,

⊲ The affordable acquisition of calculators for all students,

⊲ The use of technology in Fenton’s many vaccination efforts, including the registration process and appointment reminders.

Rick Kambic Becomes President of the Bensenville Wood Dale Food Pantry

Fenton High School partners with the Bensenville Wood Dale Food Pantry to support our families and neighbors who are navigating economic challenges.

Mr. Rick Kambic, Fenton’s Director of Communications and Community Engagement, has served on the food pantry’s board of directors since 2019 and in December was elected president of the local nonprofit.

In his new role, Mr. Kambic is leading the diverse group of board members and volunteers in strategic planning, assessment of capital needs, retooling grants management, and expanding the organization’s external communication efforts.

Mark Drelicharz Named CTE Instructor of the Year

Fenton’s very own Mr. Mark Drelicharz was recognized in February 2023 as a Career & Technical Education Instructor of the Year by the DuPage Area Occupational Education System (DAOES) as well as College of DuPage.

DAOES is an Illinois Education for Employment (EFE) system responsible for planning for the delivery of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in this geographical area. Fenton operates its CTE classes under the guidance of DAOES.

Mr. Drelicharz is a leader at Fenton as an instructional coach, he’s a strong teacher in the classroom who inspires our students, and he is outstanding at developing industry partnerships that bring new and innovative learning opportunities to our students.

Fenton School Board Wins Good Governance Award

The Fenton Board of Education was one of only 33 school boards in all of Illinois to earn the 2022 School Board Governance Recognition. This is presented by the Illinois Association of School Boards, which is an association of peers established in December 1913 to help guide school boards in fulfilling their duties to taxpayers.

Paul Welsh Becomes President of IACAC

On June 1, 2023, Fenton School Counselor Paul Welsh began his term of service as President of the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC). IACAC is a professional association of more than 1,700 school counselors, admission and financial aid officers, active retirees, and school counseling graduate students who advocate for the future of education in the State of Illinois and in the nation.