Pride 2017

Published by Sauk Valley Media November, 2017

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A Guide to Achievements in our Local High Schools

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PRIDE 2017

To our readers ...

W

elcome to the latest edition of Pride.

Within the pages of this edition, you will learn about achievements at our local high schools, whether in academics, sports or extracurricular activities.

All of the content for Pride was submitted by the schools. We extend a special thank you to all of the schools and advertisers for their participation in this publication. Pride would not have been possible without them.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Pride.

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Inside Amboy High School........................... 4-5

Morrison High School..................... 20-23

Ashton-Franklin Center High School.........6

Newman Central Catholic High School.24-25

Bureau Valley High School.....................7

Oregon High School...................... 26-27

Byron High School................................8

Polo High School........................... 28-29

Chadwick-Milledgeville District 399.....9-10

Prophetstown High School............... 30-31

Dixon High School......................... 11-13

Rock Falls Township High School..... 32-34

Eastland High School..................... 14-15

Sterling High School....................... 35-37

Faith Christian School..........................16

Unity Christian High School..................38

Forreston High School.........................17

West Carroll High School....................39

Fulton High School......................... 18-19 Pride is a specialty publication of Sauk Valley Media of Dixon and Sterling. Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Pride should be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this publication.

Publisher Don Bricker Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Advertising Sales Jill Reyna

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AMBOY HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE CLIPPERS

“Excellence Everyday”

Whether it is in academics, athletics, or extracurricular activities the students at Amboy High School have created a tradition of excellence.

They truly strive to meet our district’s vision of “Excellence Everyday” and it is this demonstrated dedication that fills me with pride year after year as the Principal of Amboy High School.

Self pacing has allowed Ms. Scriven more time for one on one individualized time with students. It has also allowed for an English IV class and an Honors English IV class to meet at the same time in the same room.

Mrs. Crownhart has created a blended learning environment in her classroom. Prior to the class period she had recorded herself delivering the day’s lesson and worked examples.This teacher created video allows her students to have 24-hour access to her lecture and the worked examples. Which means that if a student is at home working on their homework and they do not remember how to complete a problem they can go to the teacher’s Google Site click on the video and watch their teacher teach the lesson again.

Clippers Set, Sail!

Another key component to our students success has been our freshmen transition team. The

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d Su rou

Clippers Set, Sail! Program is entering its sixth year and has seen its successes multiply over the years.

Last year 100% of our Freshmen

Academics In order for us to continue our legacy of excellence we have to prepare our students to be college or career ready when they graduate. To achieve this goal students are pursuing dual enrolled classes at Sauk, AP and honor classes on campus, and traveling to the Whiteside Area Career Center. One young lady, this year, earned a spot in Sauk Valley Community College’s Academy and is spending her senior year at Sauk every day earning dual enrolled credits.

This is the second year of our one-to-one Chromebook initiative. This significant investment earned sophomore status for the second year in a row. The Clippers Set, Sail! Team takes our freshmen on field trips to NIU, Rock Valley

College, MIT in Morrison and Educators of Beauty. Freshmen students are also required to compete a day of service in Amboy.

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has allowed our students and teachers to reap the benefits of our modern technological world.

Teachers have created Google Sites and Classrooms which have fostered the transition to a blended learning environment.

Students now have the ability to access the curriculum and necessary resources twenty four hours a day and if they happen to miss a day of school we are approaching the point that they will no longer miss out on that day’s lesson. In regards to personalized learning teachers are piloting projects and classes so that we are ready for next year’s implementation.

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PRIDE 2017

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AMBOY HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE CLIPPERS The Arts Amboy continues our strong commitment to the arts and it shows in everything from last year’s spring musical “Mary Poppins” to this year’s fall play “Peter Pan”. Both of these shows benefit from the new lighting system installed last year in the auditorium. We would like to thank all of the people and organizations who donated money to the lighting project.

Athletics This desire for excellence has never been more on display than in the realm of athletics at Amboy High School. After taking 5th place at the Oregon Sectional the girls cross country team went, for the second year in a row, to the state race in Peoria.

STEM The Science Technology Engineering and Math class is entering its fourth year. Every year these students continually impress me with the projects that they build and topics that they research. Last fall students presented hair product research and built rockets, bridges, medieval siege engines and a working programmable keyboard.

Every fall I look forward to another group of young scientists, engineers, and tinkers working with Mr. Browne researching and creating whatever they want.

Students built a functioning programmable robot with a Lego Mindstorm EV3 kit.

For All The Stages of Your Life, FFA With our rich agricultural tradition our excellent FFA programs should surprise nobody. This year nine of our Amboy FFA Members attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. At the convention they visited colleges and talked to employers in the agriculture industry.

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ASHTON-FRANKLIN CENTER | HOME OF THE RAIDERS

Ashton-Franklin Center Renaissance Program The Renaissance Program

After a celebratory initiation in the Spring of 2017, Ashton-Franklin Center Junior/Senior High School has kicked off its first, full year participation in Jostens’ Renaissance Program. This program was developed by the Jostens Company for schools as a positive behavior intervention program that aims to make positive changes to the climate and culture of participating schools through showing respect for others, recognizing achievements of students and staff, rewarding accomplishments, and reinforcing desired behaviors. AFC hopes to make an impact on student success and to improve school culture through the implementation of the Renaissance program.

Rewards and Recognition

Each semester, students receive Renaissance cards based on honor roll and attendance. The Renaissance cards are punch cards broken into different levels: platinum, gold, silver, and bronze.

Each level has a different number of rewards assigned. Platinum has the most rewards for students with higher semester grades and excellent attendance. Those cards at the bronze level have the fewest number of rewards but still recognize the students who work hard to meet the standards set forth by the Renaissance committee. In addi-

tion to the Renaissance cards, students are also recognized for birthdays and other jobs well done through the Renaissance program.

Celebrations

Each semester, the students have been and will be treated to a Renaissance Rally. The current school year began with a welcome back cookout for all students in grades seven through twelve. In addition to the outdoor lunch, there was an afternoon of games and prizes. Activities included a bags tournament, flag football, and minute-to-win-it games.

The kickoff event was held to get the students of AFC excited about being back to school and all the things to come throughout the school year.

There are also plans to continue with a staff sing-off that was part of the initial Renaissance Rally which occurred in the Spring of 2017. As a means to raise funds and build excitement for the Renaissance Program, change was collected from students and staff to hear teacher volunteers sing during the rally. The three teachers who raised the most money for the sing-off had to perform the song of their choosing for the entire student body. This initial fundraiser garnished about $150 to be put towards Renaissance rewards and celebrations.

Another fundraising event for the upcoming year will be the “Mr. AFC” competition. This

is a “pageant” event where the community will come see the gentlemen of AFC High School compete for the honor of being the face of AFC. Contestants will be judged on formal wear, beach wear, teacher look alike, talent, super-fan attire, and question and answer. This is a night of fun planned for the entire community and all proceeds will directly benefit the Renaissance program and the student body.

Harbor Mondays

In addition to addressing school climate and culture, the Renaissance program, through Jostens, will assist in addressing the socialemotional needs of AFC students. Jostens’ The Harbor series provides lessons by real world people, featuring Mike Smith and others, that helps students develop positive character traits.

One Monday per month students have break out sessions to view a Harbor video on a predetermined topic and discuss the importance of the lesson.

It not only helps students to recognize and develop positive behaviors, but also allows students from different grades and backgrounds to interact with each other in a positive manner.

The Renaissance Team

The Renaissance Program at AFC is currently driven by team of volunteer teachers and faculty members, as well

as an advisory student team composed of four students from each grade nine through twelve. The current student advisory team was chosen by staff, but students interested in Renaissance will be required to apply for admission in the future. Once the Renaissance program becomes established, the

program will be driven completely by students, with staff in an advisory role. AFC has been able to develop this program with the assistance of Jostens and the established Renaissance team at Bureau Valley High School under the advisement of Tori Boyle.

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BUREAU VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE STORM

The German Club Last year, five German Club students from Bureau Valley High School decided to take their group in a new direction. Their goals was to help the environment and impact the community in a big way. This is how the club’s worm composting project was created.

Vermiculture is the process of using worms to convert organic waste into fertilizer.

Since February, the German Club has been using thousands of red wiggler worms to turn the wasted food from Bureau Valley High School into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. In just a few months last Spring, 450 pounds of salad bar waste was saved from being sent to the landfills.

Part of the club’s mission is to create opportunities to give back to the community, and they have stuck to their word. On Earth day, the entire club showed up at the Gateway Center Earth Day Celebration, where they set up a vendor table with worm bins for sale at cost. The students enjoyed sharing the vermiculture process with the public. The club also took their worms to Spring Valley and presented their project to the Advanced Biology class at Hall High School.

The Bureau Valley German Club has a bright and busy year ahead of them. They plan on building two outdoor in-ground worm bins and a heated bin to keep the worms safe during the cold winter months. They are also continuing their community outreach efforts by trying to get the entire student body involved by sorting their food wastes during each lunch.

German Club has created a project that is impactful and meaningful. The students are part of something bigger than themselves and have experiences

that they can carry with them into the future. There is no doubt that these club members will continue to achieve their goals.

The German Club vermiculture project didn’t just take off over night. Lots of time, research, and planning went into the start-up. As a group, research was done to find the best type of worm to use, what kind of home the worms would need, and the foods that would be most beneficial to the worms. Not only was a ton of research put into this project, but getting approval from the principal was the key to starting the whole process.

A project proposal was given to the school principal. After the go-ahead was given, club members presented their project to the heads of the cafeteria and custodial staff, two key members who would play a big part in the success of the worm farm. The lunch staff collected leftover food and the custodial staff kindly housed the worm bins in the boiler room. Once the research and buy-in from staff members was completed, putting the project into motion was next.

First, 6,000 red wiggler worms were ordered from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm located in Pennsylvania. Next, six plastic bins were purchased to house these worms.

To create the needed bedding for these worms, German Club was lucky enough to receive a Bureau Valley Foundation Grant to purchase a reliable paper shredder.

Each bin was filled with paper shreddings and damped with water to create moisture. Then, garden soil was added to the bins to inoculate the environment and introduce various microbacteria.

After the “homes” were created, each bin was given about 1000 worms each.

Haeli Blackert, Jade Blackert, Trent DeVenney at their booth at the Earth Day Celebration at Gateway Center in Princeton, IL

Dylan Benavidez, James Krieger, Hailey Blackert, Jade Blackert and Trent DeVenney at the Earth Day Celebration at Gateway Center in Princeton, IL

Black worm bins, with holes drilled in them for ventilation, and buckets of food waste from the composting project

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BYRON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE TIGERS

The Process of Science at Byron Community High School Team Members: Ryan Dannhorn, Catherine Finn, James Jackson, Mike McHale and Duane Prax The science team at Byron Community High School continues to offer fantastic opportunities for kids in a variety of different activities. We have been working the last few years to implement more and more content and skills that align with the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards). This has come with challenges and obstacles for both staff and students, but we continue to show progress in both content and skills. Here are a few of the latest highlights from our classes: Chemistry B This curriculum is being completely revamp this school year. Students have been exposed to a curriculum that is rooted in discovery/inquiry and tests have been much more skill based than a traditional “pen to paper” exam. The amount of student engagement and learning has been significantly higher than in past years. A huge amount of credit needs to be given to Mr. Ryan Dannhorn and Mr. James Jackson for spending many hours devising a curriculum that is much better suited for this student population. Work and success will continue in this area.

AP Chemistry/Chemistry A AP Chemistry is being offered again at BHS after taking a year

off due to staff turnover. Each of these courses are essentially college prep courses. Much time and effort has focused on creating better study habits, study skills, and Vernier data gathering software and data analysis.

Biology I Students in Biology have recently concluded an instructional unit in which they learned about the process of science and improving their understanding of homeostatic balance in the body. This unit concluded with an experimental design lab that focused on variables that potentially influence the heart rate recovery. These labs were designed and performed by students, appropriate data was gathered using the Vernier software and the findings of their study was presented to a group of their peers. We were really practicing science as we learned about the process and how it actually works.

Physics Students in honors physics have recently completed an instructional unit on 2D motion in which they investigated the motion of projectile objects. A common theme throughout the course has been experimental design as students are often given prompts/questions and asked to design methods to solve these questions. The course utilizes the use of Vernier software and probe-ware whenever possible. Students in conceptual physics just completed an instruction unit on momentum and rotational momentum while utilizing many of the everyday

objects in their daily lives to help explain the physics concepts. We recently completed our discussion of conservation of angular momentum using the

now famous YouTube “water bottle flip” to help create a hands on activity and explore the reason behind a perfect water bottle flip.

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CHADWICK-MILLEDGEVILLE DISTRICT 399

Red Ribbon Week-Milledgeville Elementary and High School Members of the National Honor Society organized activities surrounding Red Ribbon Week for grades K-3. The theme was “good choices often lead to a successful future.” Activities included a coloring contest, presentation about red ribbon week, and multiple group activities. All students signed a pledge to try and always make good choices and setting a good example.

Mrs. Hurt’s 3rd grade class participates in Red Ribbon Week.

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Ms. Degelau’s 1st grade class participates in Red Ribbon Week.

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PRIDE 2017

DIXON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE DUKES AND DUCHESSES

JA Titan Competition Three DHS teams attended the JA Titan Competition at Sauk Valley Community College on October 27. The teams were

mentored by Tony Evers and Aaron Fox from KSB Hospital and Boyd Lambrigsten from UPM Raflatac. The students attending were Cameron Crone, Noah Kuehl, Noah Grot, Trevor White, Kara Flyn, Erica Miller, Sarah Miller, Charlotte McCoy, Issac Hernandez, Evelynn Ebersohl, Trevor Ashlin, and Angelik Goldsboro. The teams placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the 8-team event.

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DIXON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE DUKES AND DUCHESSES The Transition Team

The Transition Program at DHS is operated by the Lee County Special Education Association. Its students, ages 18-21, receive instruction and get practice in using life skills that will help them assert independence in their adult lives. The class focuses on community based learning. Students go out into the community for shopping, work experiences, recreational activities, and educational opportunities. Additionally, the students receive social skills training, practice maintaining a budget and checking account, and perform cooking and household chores daily.

The Transition class is currently working on a fundraising project to help fund their community experiences.

They are handcrafting rustic, natural log candleholders, and accessorizing them with holiday-themed décor. The funds raised will be used to allow the students more practice utilizing their independence out in their local community. The students will be offering their rustic, natural log candleholders to the public on November 11th, at the 30th Dixon Lioness Holiday Craft Fair at the Loveland Community House on W. Second St.

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DIXON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE DUKES AND DUCHESSES Kiwani of the Year Each year the President of the Kiwanis Club of Dixon picks a “Kiwanian of the Year,” someone who in their judgment went above and beyond during their year. This past year (the Kiwanis “year” runs from October 1 through September 30) the award went to Kiwanis member Dee Dee Cibu. She was recognized not only for her work on Kiwanis Club projects, but for her amazing work with our sponsored Dixon High School Key Club. Her mentoring and working with the Key Club members has been amazing, and it is an award well deserved.

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EASTLAND JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE COUGARS EHS Student Council - Homecoming Week

The week of October 2nd started off sleepy, as at the student’s convenience they were able to roll out of bed on Monday morning and show up to school wearing giraffe and cow onesies for pajama and animal dress up day. Monday was finished off with tug of war, a cup relay race, and blind makeovers. That evening, students made final touches on their class’ hallways. The theme for this year was movie genres; freshman were romantics, sophomores were sci-fi/fantasy, juniors were animation, and seniors were horror. Tuesday, the students returned to school appearing to be more energetic than they were on pajama day, as they were dressed in neon or dusted with sparkles. A trail of glitter lead to the gym as we concluded that day with a tissue relay, ding dong eating competition, and the human knot game between classes.

Wednesdays’ dress up was class theme. The halls were filled with horrifying clowns, familiar cartoon characters, Chewbaccas, and cupids. That day, we watched each class’ skits at the end of the day.

Sophomores and juniors ended up taking first and second place and would perform one more time at the pep rally later that night, after the parade. The parade featured each class’ float creation as well as the homecoming court. Thursday was twin day or throwback day, there were hippies, greasers, and twin horses roaming the halls.

The girls played football at the end of the day with sophomores taking the win. To get into spirit for the game later that night, Friday was filled with black and blue clothes and face paint! We ended the day with iron man volleyball and the seniors winning both iron man and homecoming overall.

The Lap-A-Day Challenge

A cross country run was held at Eastland Junior and Senior High School on Friday the 13th of October for our 7th and 8th grade students during 7th hour, 8th hour, and learning lab.  Prior to the event, gym classes had been challenged to add a lap to their running with each day of class for the eight weeks leading up to the event.  Our plan was to culminate the activity with a cross country run that would be a bit more than a mile. Students enjoyed post-run smoothies and power balls made by the FACS classes and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon involved in other games and activities.

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PRIDE 2017

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EASTLAND JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE COUGARS Eastland FFA wins multiple awards at the 2017 FFA National Convention Winners of the National FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management Career Development Event (CDE) were announced Friday October 27th at the annual awards luncheon. The event was held in conjunction with the 90th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The top ten individuals and the national winning team members received cash awards to recognize their success in the event. The cash awards and the dairy cattle evaluation and management event were sponsored by Allfelx USA Inc. Allflex USA and Allflex/ SCR Dairy.

The National FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management CDE is a competitive event that tests the student’s ability to select and manage quality dairy cattle. Event components include six classes of dairy cattle, herd record evaluation and dairy management team activity. Each team competed at local and state levels to earn the privilege of representing their home state at the National FFA Convention & Expo.

The Eastland FFA Chapter competed against 43 other state teams in this event representing not only Eastland, but the state of Illinois. Team members from Eastland included- Connor Erbsen, Payton Erbsen, Elizabeth Kloepping and Jared Dickman. The team placed 4th high overall with Connor Erbsen being named High Individual in reasons and high individual overall. Connor was awarded a $1000.00 scholarship sponsored by Allflex.

The National FFA Organization also announced on Friday October 27th at the 6th General Session of the 90th Annual National FFA Convention & Expo that Jared Dickman was the National Winner of his SAE area of Dairy Production Placement. Dickman was one of four people chosen, back in August, from around the country to compete for this award at the National FFA Convention.

The event, held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, is one of the many educational activities at the National FFA Convention & Expo in which FFA members demonstrate their ability to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations.

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FAITH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Faith Christian buys old school, plans to house elementary students

BY RACHEL RODGERS

GRAND DETOUR – Faith Christian School is giving new life to the town’s old elementary school.

Faith Christian’s kindergarten through fourth-grade students, now housed in the church annex, will get new digs in the spring at the former Grand Detour Elementary School, 7772 S. Clinton Ave. “We’ve outgrown that space, and we’re excited to have this opportunity to grow,” Principal Linda Foster said.

There were 90 students when Foster first started working at the school a dozen years ago, a number that steadily grew to 164 students last year and has declined slightly to 148 students.

The expansion will mean more room for students as well as a gym, rooms for art and music classes, and a large field and playground.

“It’s going to be a blessing for our students,” she said.

“Everything will be done to make it the best place it can be for our students.”

Faith Assembly of Grand Detour bought the former school, which sits on about 9.5 acres, on Sept. 22 on behalf of Faith Christian.

After closing its doors years ago, the building housed the Lee/Ogle Regional Office of Education for 20 years before consolidating with the Whiteside ROE in Sterling.

Dixon Public Schools sold the building in July 2015 to retired Judge David Fritts, who bought it for $70,000.

Carrie Worrell, a kindergarten and choir teacher, said more space will mean small class sizes and more one-onone time with students. Current classes average about 15 students.

“We’re excited about all the possibilities, and one of the best parts of this is what once was a school gets to be

a school again,” she said.

There was a community ceremony celebrating the purchase at the old school.

it built a 20,800-square-

Faith Christian first opened its doors in 1980 at 7571 S. Ridge Road and is a ministry of Faith Assembly. In 1985,

junior high and high school

foot facility adjacent to the church, which became the main campus and houses its grades. Students come from about 27 area churches.

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PRIDE 2017

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FORRESTON JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE CARDINALS

Forreston Junior-Senior High School actively pursues the district’s vision to create a culture for continuous growth.

The 2016-17 school year brought great advancements in our STEM programming for our junior high students through our Design-Modeling and Robotics program through Project Lead The Way. We also provided more college and advanced learning opportunities through our partnerships with Highland’s CollegeNOW program and the Illinois Virtual School.

Forreston also seeks to provide students the opportunity to grow by providing a rich variety of extracurricular opportunities. These programs, run primarily by the building’s faculty, allow students to engage programs that foster their talents in athletics, the arts, and service to the community. A majority of our students participate in at least one sport and over one third play an instrument or sing in a choir.

The success of last year’s athletics programs continue to highlight the hard work that students put in and out of season. While the highlights from last year were the Varsity Football IHSA 1A State Title Championship and Boys State Track 3rd Place finish, one of the greatest legacies is their focus on creating strong student-athletes. High school football players recently exemplified this expectation with our youngest learners by hosting elementary reading days.

The Fine Arts Department has had a rich history of success and it continues to highlight the gifts of our students.

The Art Department has celebrated the recognition of several students for their pieces in local art shows. Students brought home first place finishes from both the Grand DeTour Arts Festival and the Freeport Museum’s Aspiring Artist Competition.

The Cardinal Regiment continues to focus on strong performances in Marching Band competitions. This year, they have taken a 1st in Division as well as Best Drumline and Auxiliary (flag). They also took first at the Sycamore Pumpkin Parade. The choral program also put forth an incredibly entertaining musical, Big Fish and will soon spread the holiday spirit through their annual Madrigal Dinner. As a reward to those high school students who have participated in a Fine Arts program for all four years, the department also sponsors a Fine Arts Trip for departing seniors. This year’s student’s attended live performances and even had time for a little sightseeing in the Windy City.

The successes at Forreston Junior-Senior High only occur due to the efforts of staff, the support of parents, and the commitment of the Forrestville Valley School District to bring high quality experiences to students. For the 2017-18 school year, we look forward to seeing the continued expansion of our academic programs and the athletic and artist achievements of the talented young adults that walk our hallways each day.

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FULTON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE STEAMERS

Fulton High Installs New Scoreboards By: Blake Dornbush Recently, the athletic department at Fulton High School has been looking to install a video board in the East gym and in the process, upgrade the scoreboards. Last June, athletic director/assistant principal Josh Knuth got the opportunity to travel to Omaha, Nebraska to see one of the models in action that the school had been considering purchasing. “They are extremely bright and vivid,” stated Knuth. “The board will allow us to create advertisement videos and pictures, hype videos to play before pregame warmups, as well as keep score and show a player accolade after a made basket. The board will also be

able to be used during presentations and assemblies in the gym.”

This addition made to Fulton High School was funded through a do-

nation from Coca Cola along with additional advertising dollars from sponsors such as Manny’s Too, Agri King, and Central Bank.

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PRIDE 2017

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FULTON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE STEAMERS

Media Pub Receives Grant for Drone

By Cody Sanderson For years now, the Media Publications class has been making “Week in Review” videos which highlight the prior week’s events. They have always been using the same old video cameras, but now the Media Pub team has received a FACE (Fulton Area Community Enrichment) grant to purchase a drone which can fly, recrod videos, and take pictures.

Towards the end of the 2015-16 school year, Mr. Hoese applied for the grant thinking it was highly unlikely that they would receive it. Later that summer when he received notice that they would receive it. “I figured best-case scenario we would have an awesome drone for students to use for videos and photos,” said Hoese, “and if we didn’t get the grant we weren’t out anything.”

“When I found out we were going receive the grant, that’s when the floodgates opened for the endless possibilities that my students would have,” Hoese said. What the grant did not cover in regards to the needed bundle of items, Media Pub covered

with their class funds.

The drone that the Media Pub class has purchased is the DJI Phantom 4, which can fly up to about 400 feet in the air and has a two mile range. It can take high resolution photos and up to 4K Ultra HD videos.

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MORRISON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE FILLIES, MUSTANGS, PONIES & COLTS

Ag is Back at Morrison High School

This August brought numerous changes to Morrison High School, and keeping with the high school’s theme of a “Growth Mindset” , MHS decided to increase student’s career readiness by reopening the Agriculture Education program. The Agriculture Education program is led by Ag Education teacher Buddy Haas. Classes currently taught in the Ag Education program include: Introduction to Agriculture, Food Sciences, Plant Sciences, Animal Sciences, Agriculture Construction, Agriculture Mechanics, and Basic Agriculture Mechanics. Students in these classes are increasing their skill sets through hands on work experiences and classroom instruction.

The reintroduction of the Agriculture Education Program, led to the recharter of the Morrison FFA Chapter. The Agriculture Education Program at Morrison High School is a 100% membership chapter, which means that every student that is in an Agriculture Education class is also an FFA Member. With FFA, students are able to connect classroom material, with different careers involved in the industry through hands on competitions.

In addition, FFA members are able to develop their leadership skills through workshops, conferences, and leadership roles and opportunities with the FFA Chapter. The Morrison FFA is focused on giving back to the community through different service events such as helping with Resthave’s Family Fun

Day, community wide leaf raking and landscaping, and a Thuse Petting Zoo. The Morrison FFA Chapter and Agriculture Education are off to great starts with an enrollment of 75 students. If there are any questions about the Agriculture Education Program or the Morrison FFA Chapter, feel free to email the teacher/advisor Mr. Haas at buddy.haas@morrisonschools.org

Morrison FFA Officers planning out the events and activities for school year.

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PRIDE 2017

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MORRISON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE FILLIES, MUSTANGS, PONIES & COLTS

The Morrison Marching Mustangs This year, the Morrison Marching Mustangs have been keeping busy. Since the beginning of August, where the Mustangs held a weeklong Band Camp, they worked on their 2017 marching show, “The King of Pop: Michael Jackson”. For the past three years, the Marching Mustangs have been working on improving their marching technique, style, and musical power while out on the football field.

Fall Sports started at MHS at the beginning of August, two of these sports were Cross Country and Volleyball. With both seasons coming to an end in October and November. The 2017 volleyball season finished up with a first round regional loss at Bureau Valley against Princeton. The Cross Country season is finishing up on Saturday November 4th at the State Cross Country meet in Peoria, Illinois where Koby Brackemeyer will be running.

This year proved to be the best one yet, where the Mustangs performed at 5 football games, 2 marching competitions, and 1 parade. At one of their Home games, the Mustangs teamed up with the Rockridge Band to perform both the Pre-Game and Halftime Show. Competitively, the Mustangs are starting to excel and show that they can march with the best. Placing 3rd out of five at Washington, and 4th out of six at Western Illinois, the Mustangs prove that they have what it takes.

Looking forward to the future, the Band moves right on into the Concert Band, Pep Band, and Jazz Band Season. What is even more impressive is the dedication of the students, whom many participate in countless extra-curriculars and advanced classes. All this together proves the saying that when it comes to the Band Department, “Our Season Never Ends.”

Morrison High School Volleyball 2017 in the Homecoming Parade • • • •

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MORRISON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE FILLIES, MUSTANGS, PONIES & COLTS

Guest Speakers Help Students Build Connections Between Classroom Content and Current Events

State Representative Tony McCombie visited Morrison High School on Thursday, Sept. 14 to share her experiences as a member of the Illinois General Assembly with students in Ryan Oetting’s AP U.S. History class and Brian Bartoz’s American Government class.

During her visit, Rep. McCombie discussed a number of areas that students have studied in their coursework. Rep. McCombie touched on the progress that the General Assembly made regarding the state budget following multiple delays during the summer of 2017. She guided students through the process of seeking office, including gathering signatures for petitions and meeting voters in order to attract support for the primary election and general election. Rep. McCombie also discussed a situation in which she voted for a government transparency bill that some members of the Republican Party had encouraged her to vote against; she helped students recognize the challenges that exist with regard to casting votes consistent with one’s conscience despite political pressure as a legislator.

Later in the presentation, Rep. McCombie emphasized the importance of interacting with constituents in person and by phone to address their needs. Rep. McCombie also discussed sponsoring a bill to ensure the success and longevity of Illinois’ nuclear power plants as well as serving as a member of the minority party (Republican Party) in an Illinois House of Representatives that is controlled by Speaker Michael Madigan, the longest-serving speaker of the house in the United States.

She participated in a Q&A session with students that focused on the power of legislative leadership, the largest areas of the state budget, and her vote in support of a bill that increases transparency by requiring the timely disclosure of local-government spending.

Following the Q&A session, students presented Rep. McCombie with two signed cards to thank her for visiting Morrison High School and sharing her knowledge and experiences regarding state government.

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“Visits from outside speakers help students make connections between classroom content and the broader world,” Bartoz said.

To provide additional opportunities for students to see the relevance of classroom content, Bartoz and Oetting have invited State Senator Neil Anderson to meet with students in selected Social Studies classes at Morrison High School. Sen. Anderson is scheduled to visit the campus on Monday, November 27.

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PRIDE 2017

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MORRISON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE FILLIES, MUSTANGS, PONIES & COLTS

Driver Education Classes Recognize Rail Safety Week with Operation Lifesaver Presentation

Students in Driver Education at Morrison High School gained a firsthand perspective on the importance of exercising caution at railroad crossings during a set of Operation Lifesaver railroad safety presentations earlier this fall. Chip Pew, State Coordinator of Operation Lifesaver, visited Morrison High School to remind students about the need to cross rail tracks only at designated crossings as pedestrians and to always expect a train when traveling across railroad tracks as a motorist or pedestrian. His visit coincided with Rail Safety Week, held from Sept. 24-30 across the United States.

Mr. Pew also reviewed statistics regarding the typical car vs. train crash in Illinois and showed photos of crash scenes to drive home the point that a moment’s inattention can have life-altering consequences for drivers, pedestrians, and railroad personnel involved in a collision.

At the end of his presentations during Per. 5 and 6, students presented Mr. Pew with a card to express their thanks for his visit to Morrison High School to deliver the Operation Lifesaver presentation.

Later on Thursday, Brian Bartoz, Driver Education

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instructor, received the following e-mail from Mr. Pew, who noted that he enjoyed his visit to Morrison High School:

“Again thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to your students about RR safety issues. I found them… engaging, enthusiastic and more importantly interested. I put those in my top 3 as far as my favorite groups to speak to….See you again this spring.”

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We are proud of all our

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PRIDE 2017

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NEWMAN CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE COMETS

With Christ our Cornerstone and rooted in our Catholic faith, Newman Central Catholic High School fosters spiritual development, academic excellence, responsibility to self, and service to others.

This fall Newman kicks off its S.T.R.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) initiative and strives to educate students of today for jobs of tomorrow. Our faculty assists students in preparing a foundation for a lifetime of learning by using technologies of today. By enhancing STEM learning with the addition of Arts and Religion, Newman students stand ready to face the challenges of life after high school.

New to Newman this year is a Science Club led and organized by educators, Lisa Cook and Beth Verdick. Thirty students of all grade levels are participating in the inaugural year of the club. Students engage in activities and challenges that explore various science concepts. They also will be sharing what they have learned with the local Catholic elementary schools. The goal of the club is to get students excited about science and its relevance in their everyday lives.

Newman’s math and science departments are participating in a $3million/3 year federal grant administered by the Regional Office of Education. Our teachers are examining the Illinois State Math Standards and Next Generation Science Standards to develop curriculum,

incorporate technology, and understand scope and sequence to meet state-level education standards. Illinois Math and Science Academy and Northern Illinois University lead these discussions and facilitate the creation of standard-aligned lesson plans.

In addition to the Computer Applications course, Newman now offers on-line, independent study courses for Intro to Web Design and Programming as well as Basics of Programming. In-house faculty proctor student progress and are responsible for student supervision and first-line troubleshooting. Since this is the first year of these course offerings, students were able to offer input in the direction of the class and have chosen to focus on game development.

Newman offers Engineering Design I and Engineering Design II to junior and senior students. In addition to required coursework, students are exposed to real-life CAD applications through field trips to local manufacturing companies. In this course, students learn how to use professional 3D modeling software, Autodesk Inventor, to engineer and create 3D models. The practical final for the class is creating and printing a 3D model on the MakerBot 3D printer.

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Science Club members test their parachute for accuracy and speed of descent.

We are proud of all of our local High Schools’ Acheivements

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OREGON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE HAWKS AND LADY HAWKS

Athletic Recap 2016-17 • Oregon High School had another successful year in athletic competition during the 2016-17 school year. Highlights for the Hawks included: • The Lady Hawk volleyball team advanced to the IHSA 2A Regional Championship game.

• The OHS boys soccer team won the IHSA 1A Regional championship, and advanced to the Sectional for the second consecutive year.

• OHS golfer Abi Scheidecker advanced to the IHSA State Finals, finishing in 17th place individually.

• The OHS girls bowling team finished with a perfect 15-0 dual meet record and advanced to the IHSA Sectional tournament. Individually, junior Caitlyn Kaltenbrun advanced to the State Finals.

• OHS senior Anthony Marchetti advanced to the State Finals of the IHSA Class 1A wresting tournament.

• The Lady Hawk softball team won the IHSA Class 2A Regional championship and advanced to the Sectional Tournament.

• The OHS girls track team finished in second place at the IHSA Class 1A Sectional and advanced four individuals to the State Finals.

• The Hawk boys track team advanced six individuals and their 4 x 800m relay team to the IHSA Class 1A State Finals. At state, junior Ian Hussung took home the sixth place medal in the 800m run.

• OHS fielded a girls’ soccer team for the first time in school history with over 20 girls participating.

• In addition to their fine accomplishments on the field, court, mat, or diamond, OHS athletes donated over 1,800 hours of community service back to the area through various events. It’s great to be an Oregon Hawk!

PRIDE 2017

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OREGON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE HAWKS AND LADY HAWKS

Oregon High School Music Program 2016-17

The Oregon High School Music Program had an amazing 2016-17 school year. Early in the year, students auditioned for the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) ensembles. The band and choir had thirteen students selected to the ILMEA District 8 ensembles and two students in the jazz groups. Bill Paul and Alex Sitze were selected to ILMEA All-State Ensembles and Ellen Reckamp was selected for the Future Music Educators Seminar.

Going on at the same time as the ILMEA festivals, the OHS Marching Hawks were working hard on their show, “Dreams of Birdland.” They performed at all four home football games, attended two competitions, and marched in three parades.

The jazz band is an optional smaller group of the band program which rehearses during their study hall. They performed several gigs throughout the area during the year and into the summer.

The OHS Choir once again performed in their annual “Fall Choral Spooktacular,” which featured over 110 students in the 5th and 6th grade choirs in addition to the OHS Concert Choir and Madrigals. The concert included traditional choral music as well as goofy Halloween tunes performed in Halloween costumes. The OHS Choir was awarded money for brand new choir risers, tuxes, dresses, and folders. The students now rehearse and perform in style! The OHS Madrigals also put on two Madrigal din-

ners at Stronghold Castle, which were sports themed and attracted over 180 guests. The OHS Madrigals performed around the community at Christmas time for nursing homes, senior centers, town meetings, and the Village of Progress.

When the winter sports season begins, so also begins the pep band season. Without the pep band, it’s just a game! The band shows its wild side at the home basketball games, and then shows its professional side for concerts. The OHS Concert Band produced an outstanding series of concerts this year, including the 23rd annual Band Extravaganza in March, featuring all 200 band students in the district. Because of their hard work, the band is rewarded with a summer trip every other year.

This past summer, the band traveled to Disney World! The put together an outstanding concert band performance at Disney Springs, attended a clinic in Epcot, and enjoyed a week-long vacation at Disney.

Finally, the OHS Music Program did extremely well at the IHSA Music Sweepstakes, which includes solo and ensemble and organizational contest. At Solo and Ensemble Contest, the students earned 74 Superior Ratings (Division I’s), six Best of Day Awards, and five perfect scores. At Organizational Contest, all six Oregon ensembles received Superior ratings. Those Solo and Ensemble points combined with the Organizational Points to earn OHS 3rd place in the state for class B!

OHS Academic Recap 2016-17 Oregon High School continues to offer a variety of high-level courses for its students. These courses include: • Advanced Placement Art History • Advanced Placement Probability and Statistics • Advanced Placement Calculus AB • Advanced Placement U.S. Politics and Government • Advanced Placement U.S. History • Advanced Placement Literature • Dual Credit Chemistry in conjunction with Highland Community College • Dual Credit Speech in conjunction with Highland Community College • Dual Credit Rhetoric and Composition in conjunction with Highland Community College • Dual Credit Psychology in conjunction with Highland Community College • Oregon High School also installed a new welding lab during the summer of 2017 thanks for generous grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. This lab will prepare students to meet the ever-growing need for welders in Ogle and Lee counties.

• Oregon High School students also have opportunity to attend Whiteside Area Career Center to take advantage of the multiple vocational programs offered.

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POLO HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE MARCOS

Polo FFA Polo FFA members tour Nelson and Pade in Montello, WI and pick up our new aquaponics system. Pictured are AJ Williams, Kyle Blum, Brandon Albano, and Emily Boelens.

Colton Griffin receives his State FFA Degree at the Illinois FFA State Convention in Springfield.

Caption: Polo FFA receives the “America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education” grant. Pictured are (L to R) Brandon Albano, Amber Henson, Madison Boelens, Doug Dauphin, Tom Walberg, Denny Hermes, Kyle Blum, Emily Boelens, Nicole Zeigler, Kayla Blum, Stephanie Schultz, Don Nelson, Beth Wiegmann, Marilyn Nelson, Janice Deets, and Kevin Deets.

PRIDE 2017

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POLO HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE MARCOS

Polo FFA The Polo FFA restored a 1951 John Deere MT and then raffled it off.

Pictured are (L to R) Madison Boelens, Emily Boelens, Nathan LeFevre, raffle winner Brian Lampe, Kayla Blum, and Kyle Blum.

Polo FFA members attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN. Pictured are (Top to Bottom, L to R) Nicole Zeigler, Madison Boelens, Amber Henson, Mya Simmons, Isabel Emmert, Sadie Baumann, Kyle Blum, Kayla Blum, Emily Boelens, and AJ Williams.

Polo FFA members attending the Illinois FFA State Convention in Springfield, IL. Pictured are (front row L to R) Nicole Zeigler, Kennedy Yingling, Cynthia Calderon, Amber Henson, Kayla Blum, and Brandon Albano. (Back row L to R) Kyle Blum, Zack Henson, James Watson, Colton Griffin, Conner Brown, and AJ Williams.

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PROPHETSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE PANTHERS

Robotics class in action

By Brittney Bender A math class at Prophetstown High School is engaged in this program called Robotics. In this Robotics class, the students have different tasks that they have to do.

Each day the students have to record different goals for their robots in a notebook. The notebook also includes information about their classmates, information they talk about in class, and also a business plan.

In this program, the students also have to do volunteer time; for their volunteer time they go over to the middle school and help the 6th graders improve their multiplication skills. Grants were given by John Deere, The P-L-T Ed Foundation and Illinois FIRST Tech Challenge.

Kyle Sigel, Kevin Sigel, Andrew Reutzel, Conner Reiley and Jenah Russ work on the robots, while Autumn Clary fills the grants out and helps plan the outreach program. Conner and Kyle are currently working on the surrounding field. Andrew, Kevin, and Jenah work on the playing field. The playing field is where they will test the robots’ abilities.

The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is designed for students from 7-12 grade. FTC helps children develop their ability to work with hands-on and real-life situations. This is the first year that FTC has helped with our high school programs. John Deere provides grants for several teams. Not only does Deere provide funding for many teams, including ours, they also provide mentors for teams. John Deere also has sponsored the FIRST LEGO League. The Ed Foundation provided the Robotics class with a grant, but they also accept donations and provide funds for educational programs. The Ed foundation also helps get supplies for students to use and helps fund field trips.

The robotics work has been going on for years now, but this is the first year that are high school has been involved. The students really enjoy getting to work with technology in the class.

Middle schoolers have done a program like robotics but not the same that program. The program that they did was called FLL team.

Students in the robotics class are also planning on actually competing against other teams this year. Good luck to the Robotics team.

PRIDE 2017

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ROCK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE ROCKETS DUAL CREDIT = DOUBLE OPPORTUNITY

Partnered with Sauk Valley Community College, Rock Falls High School students have an opportunity to earn high school credit while also earning college credit. Currently RFHS offers English Composition 101 and 103, taught by Mrs. Nunez, Communications (Speech) 131, taught

by Mrs. Schaefer, and Math (Statistics) 240, taught by Mrs. Gallentine. Because students can take advantage of these courses, they have an opportunity to complete an entire semester of college without ever leaving the walls of their respective high schools. What really makes this a great opportunity for students is that they also get these courses at a discounted rate and do not have to buy their own books, as RFHS purchases the books for students to use. Students not only save time, they save money.

On the next page is one example of a descriptive essay written by Faith Sandrock, a student who is currently taking English 101. Students write essays in several respective genres, including description, example, compare/contrast, cause and effect, and argument.

 

        

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PRIDE 2017

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ROCK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE ROCKETS

Student Essay - In the Cab of That Combine

By Faith Sandrock, Rock Falls High School September 27, 2017

Every fall, massive green, yellow, and godforsaken red tractors and combines emerge from farm yards and machine sheds, methodically weaving their way through fields all over rural America, causing the countryside to seem as though it has come alive. Every fall, I waited, impatiently, for the news that the “big green one” (I was yet to understand that “green” meant John Deere, and that I was referring to a combine) would be awaiting its favorite passenger.

My big brother Matt was the one who always determined when that time would come since he was the farmer maneuvering the beast.

Because Matt entered this world nearly twenty-two years before I did, I anticipated the ride in the combine because it would be the most amount of time I would spend with him all year; however, in the earliest years, I was so enthralled with the anticipation and excitement of the ride that once I did go along, I barely even noticed he was there with me.

For most kids, the place their imagination ran wild was a treehouse or a swing set, but mine was in the cab of that combine. I could imagine I was soaring through the open air with my nose pressed up against the dusty windshield, pretending as though the endless corn stalks were merely clouds I was drifting above. I could create a world where the muddy cab was a pirate ship in a storm at sea, and I was searching frantically amidst the rows for crew members that had been tossed overboard. I could fantasize that I was fearlessly leading a safari through the desert, looking out above the tassels, warning my followers to be on the lookout for a lion, hyena, or stampede of wildebeests like in The Lion King.

Although it was less exciting, I could pretend I was a farmer, just like Matt, steering a giant combine through a field of corn continually analyzing all the colors and numbers on the screen in the cab – things I later found out to be yield and moisture percentages. The early years normally consisted of my dad driving me to a field and assisting my walk through the mangled mess of stripped cobs and broken stalks on the ground, all the way to wherever Matt awaited my arrival. I would then stand at the base of the combine, admiring the tires for being big enough for me to live inside and gazing up at what seemed like a skyscraper that I was expected to scale. My climb up the ladder was like Alice’s fall down the rabbit-hole – at the finish, I found a whole new world.

After a few years passed and I grew into the inquisitive, alwaysquestioning stage, the cab of that combine turned into an interrogation chamber for my brother. I no longer sprawled out on the floor or sat calmly in the buddy seat; instead, I squirmed around, climbing over Matt and under the petals, always asking, “What does this button do?

What would happen if I turned that?

Do you know what those numbers mean? How fast are we going?”

After looking back, I have no doubt that during those years, I was not the combine’s “favorite passenger.”

Regardless, the ride was always complete once I descended the ladder and heard my brother say “See ya here next year!” Although that phrase seemed only minor then, it has come to affect the way I see the world around me.

Even as I got older, the treck to reach and climb aboard the John Deere combine still proved to be difficult, but that was because I did it on my own. My dad no longer walked me through the field or boosted me up to conquer the lad-

der; instead, I proved my independence, and said I could do it on my own. During those years, I learned by observation and well-thought out questions. I would sit quietly in the buddy seat, listening to the hum of country music from the radio above me, and I would try desperately to understand the muffled words coming from the CB Radio the guys in the field used to communicate. I asked questions like, “How many acres is this field?” – even though I had no idea how big an acre was – and, “How does the combine know when to turn?” My brother always explained the answers in ways I could understand. On one trip, we did the math together and figured out that if he started the combine in San Francisco and just kept driving East, to pick all of our corn, he would not finish until after he went through Boston. Later, when we could see our dad’s truck parked on the edge of the field, I would step out of the cab that I learned so much in, climb down the ladder, hear the coveted phrase, “See ya here next year!”, and make my way back to the truck to tell my dad about all the things I had learned.

As the years passed, I found myself no longer needing to understand everything I heard or saw, and the combine cab became an escape again. Although in these times, I was not imagining a fantasy world; instead, Matt and I talked about life.

Rather than observing the way he manipulated the GPS, I observed the world beyond the glassed-in walls of that cab. I was somehow always aware of the viewing window behind me, knowing that when it was full, I would witness the auger stretch out to fill a waiting grain wagon nearby. For some reason I always expected the corn to come spilling out of the auger like a child haphazardly filling a bowl of cereal, but instead, the kernels slid out with ease, like a kitchen sink and running

water. In those years, we talked about school, sports, and my dream job. We talked about everything in the cab of that combine, where the windows felt like one-way mirrors: I could see out, but no one could see in. For the past few years, I exited the cab – which felt smaller than ever – refreshed, like I had taken a break from the increasing stress of high school and girl-drama. I descended the ladder, always awaiting the reminder, “See ya here next year!”

Although I did not expect it, I have changed yet again. This year since harvest has begun, I climbed the green ladder with ease and pulled open the door to sit with my brother. This year, we did not talk about the acreage of that field or my volleyball team while sitting in that cab, but rather, he asked me where I have decided to go to college and what I am going to study. This year, I rode quietly in the cab and wondered how many times I had climbed that ladder and how many more times I will.

When the dreadful time had come to descend – forcing me back into real life and the looming deadlines of making decisions that will determine my future – I sat for just a moment longer. I could hear my brother’s voice in my head, and I knew what he was going to say.

While I lingered in the cab, I suddenly realized that I will not see him here next year, and in that moment, I understood how quickly life goes by.

I now wonder if everyone sees how fast the seasons change and years go by the way I do: the corn grows, is picked, and grows again before we know it. Although I did not want to, I slowly climbed down from the big green combine and replied to his farewell with my usual wave.

Because we have not had much rain lately, the dust filled my eyes, so that is why they were watering as I made my way to the edge of the field.

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ROCK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE ROCKETS

RFHS PARTICIPATES IN FOOD DRIVE

On Wednesday, October 4th Rock Falls High School team up with East Coloma, Montmorency, Merill, Dillon, and the Rock Falls Middle School to collect food items for the Sauk Valley Food Bank. Collectively, we contributed over 6,000 items.

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STERLING HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE GOLDEN WARRIORS Sterling High School is a place “Where Kids Achieve”

ogy in ways that prepare them for the future, but also to make learning cyclical: we learn from others and in turn, others learn from us. Along with focusing Over the last six years Sterling on using technology to receive, synthesize, and publish informaHigh School has been recognized nationally EIGHT different tion, the our 1:1 Initiative deployment has been a catalyst for our times by U.S. News and World new curricula to truly transform Reports and The Washington Post. These honors rank Sterling teaching and learning at Sterling High School’s academic achieve- High School to a more immediate, responsive, and differentiated ment second to none in the Sauk experience for each student.

Valley Area and in the top 9% of

The access to technology has all high schools nationally. Most also allowed for more personalrecently Sterling High School ized learning. Students can design was selected as a 2015-2017 and 2017-2019 Apple Distinguished projects around their interests or School. The Apple Distinguished career goals. For example, each student having a computer allows School designation is reserved the students in Scientific Research for schools that meet criteria for and Design to choose their own innovation, leadership, and eduprojects to research, design excational excellence, and demonstrate a clear vision of exemplary periments, and publish findings.

When given the opportunity to learning environments. With these awards and the unbelievable personalize her learning, one student chose to explore a possible changes that have taken place at Sterling High School, we wanted career path and build a robotic arm, researching computer code to showcase the changes to the and materials and experimenting ways our students learn. until she could create a working

It was a goal of the Sterling High School 1:1 Initiative not just model. Each step, from research to experimentation and design to to help students use the technolpublication was dependent upon

her access to technology. The 1:1 environment has allowed teachers to reimagine the way they deliver content to their students. For example, math teachers use the iPad and an Apple TV to demonstrate for their students how to solve a problem, and then capture the demonstration for inclusion into class notes. Similar to the flipped classroom, technology has allowed teachers to deliver instruction and share their content expertise even when not physically present with the students.

The interactive, multi-media notes provide deeper review for students than their traditional class notes, enriching the review process with teacher narration for each step of the process.

Writing new curricula aligned to new standards might have meant expensive textbook purchases in the past, but the use of technology has made that an antiquated practice. Instead, staff create their own dynamic content to support instruction. As a part of the professional development that began before the student deployment, staff were trained in the iWork and iLife suites, as well as iBooks Author. In our

Spanish department, the teachers have embraced The Dill Interactive Software that creates a virtual language lab in their classroom everyday of the week with the use of the MacBooks. This allows students to listen to and respond to partners or assessments in Spanish and the teacher can go back later and review it as a form of assessment and improvement.

In our English Department this year we have transitioned to providing feedback electronically to our students throughout the writing process by utilizing turnitin.com. This method allows for more immediate feedback from both peers and teachers to help students improve their writing and become use to this method that is currently being used by over 15,000 Universities. In this new robust environment, we look to expand how technology is used to create and share with the broader community. This will occur through expanded offerings in computer-science. We look forward to seeing how our students work not only in our transformed system, but work to transform the world.

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STERLING HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE GOLDEN WARRIORS The Future is Bright

From the moment Sterling High School students enter the building as freshmen, they are are introduced to a variety of opportunities and experiences designed to inform them of options for their futures.

As freshmen, students participate in personalized, half-day field trips and activities designed to increase their awareness of possible college and career paths within the community and at Sauk Valley Community College.

Guest speakers, panel discussions, and college fairs are just some of the guidance department’s offerings.

Students continue to develop their awareness as they progress through their sophomore, junior, and senior years. College and university representatives visit weekly, and students are encouraged to meet in small groups with representatives from these institutions to gain more information about the schools. The guidance department also sponsors one

college visit field trip each year, where students are taken by bus to tour a campus and get a first hand look at college life. Beyond this, guidance staff also makes classroom visits to keep students up to date with skills related to filling out applications, requesting letters of recommendation, maintaining grades, and applying for financial assistance and scholarships.

Each year, students are able to sign up for Johnson O’Connor testing in downtown Chicago.

School staff chaperone a day in the city for students, who participate in testing and interviews in the morning, take a break for lunch, and complete their testing and interviews in the afternoon.

The Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation is a nonprofit scientific research and educational organization that provides testing for students and adults so they may better understand their natural abilities and gain knowledge of their aptitudes, which will lead them to a career they will enjoy and find fulfilling.

If a student would like more experience to prepare them for a career or military, Sterling High School provides a wide variety of resources in this arena. The school participates in Manufacturing Day, which allows students a first hand look at manufacturing positions in the Sauk Valley area.

Similarly, course offerings and Whiteside Area Career Center and Sauk Valley Community College provide valuable work training and skill building for high school students.

Students who have an interest in the military can meet with recruiters from each branch during lunch each month, through appointments with their counselor, or even learn more during classroom presentations designed to provide information about a particular branch, but also provide real life advice for success.

Sterling High School students take advantage of the wide variety of resources available to them. By setting their sights on the future, they are setting their sights on success.

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STERLING HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE GOLDEN WARRIORS New at Sterling High School

Sterling High School strives to evolve with its students by being responsive to student needs and interests when considering new programs, curriculum, activities and sports. Over the past two years, this feedback has led to the genesis of diverse offerings that appeal to our population and engage them academically and athletically.

Agriculture

In 2016, Sterling High School brought back the Ag Program that had been inactive for decades. With the strong community connections to this vital industry and the myriad of career paths in the field, SHS knew it was the right time to provide this opportunity to our students. Classes in the program cover a range of interests, including environmental science, vet tech, agronomy, biotechnology, and ag business management.

Additionally, having an agriculture teacher allows the school to once again offer FFA. Students

involved in the organization participate in field experiences that expose them to deeper understanding and application of course content and also help them connect with ag-related community organizations. Select members have had the opportunity to travel to the FFA National Conference during October for the past two years.

Computer Science

Sterling also began a computer science strand that includes two semester-long elective classes that introduce students to computer programming for both Apple and Android applications, a year-long AP Computer Science Principles course, and a robotics team. These courses are available to freshmen through senior students and can culminate in college credit for their learning. Students who find an interest in this field can also join the SHS Robotics team that, under the direction of teacher Alexis Rivera, built “Goldie” last year and competed in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of

Science and Technology) world championships in St. Louis.

Students who have worked with this club have side-by-side experience with local electricians, manufacturers, and engineers who mentor the students through the project.

AP Courses

In deference to students’ requests for more AP classes to fulfill college general education requirements and help students delve deeper into areas of passion, Sterling expanded its AP program this year to include AP Physics, AP Micro- and Macroeconomics, and AP Music Theory. With students taking advantage of this method of pushing themselves academically while also testing for college credit, the courses have become invaluable in students’ long-term plans. The courses are also reaching more students to help them determine if they are yet college ready, or if they need to make adjustments in their time management, study skills, and attentiveness. Sterling is seeking

to challenge as many students as possible through at least one AP course so that they have a clear idea of the level of rigor of a college course before they enroll full-time in post-secondary education.

Athletics

Every four years, Sterling administers a survey to students to see what athletics students wish to participate in and compare this to what competitive opportunities we currently provide.

During the last survey, there was a strong interest in Boys’ Bowling. While Sterling has a longstanding girls’ bowling program, boys’ bowling has not been previously offered. But, because of the survey results, this year SHS has its first boys’ bowling club, which could become a varsity sport if it proves to be popular.

Students have embraced the new opportunities available to them and continue to provide us with valuable insight on their needs as they consider their learning and futures.

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Local High Schools’ Achievements

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UNITY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE KNIGHTS

Identity, Drama, and Blessings

Each decade teenagers in America seem to have a new aspect of their identity that they struggle with. We have recently been made aware that today’s teens may be changing the paradigm of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; the need for a sense of belonging is quickly surpassing the need to feel safe. The implications of this type of decision-making model are staggering. Therefore, this year at Unity our focus is on Identity with a theme of “Remind Me Who I Am.” Unity Christian seeks to provide an environment of God-honoring community where students can find their belonging and identity in Christ rather than the everchanging culture or politics of the season.

The Drama department at Unity stepped up their game this fall by performing a musical. Under the direction of Paul Hopkins and Sue Ann Loyola, Unity’s stage was transformed in to a shoe maker’s shop for the production of The Elves and the Shoemaker. In addition to drawing out the talent and humor of Unity’s students, the musical also highlighted a lesson on kindness.

Unity Christian has been blessed. As part of the plan to build a new K-12 campus, Unity Christian recently purchased 20 acres of land in Clinton. The timeline for this project is moving quickly, but it is contingent on the fund-raising efforts. While Unity is being blessed, the students also seek to bless the less fortunate. This year, Unity partnered with My GEAR Outreach to distribute welcome boxes and first overnight bags to all children, ages 0-18, in Clinton County (IA) and Whiteside County (IL) entering foster care for the first time. Unity students made tie-blankets, donated toiletries, water bottles, notebooks, coloring books, crayons, pens, toys, books, gum, and candy. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

PRIDE 2017

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WEST CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE THUNDER

West Carroll FFA With only a quarter into the 2017/2018 school year, the West Carroll High School has seen some great successes. This year we would like to showcase of agriculture program, music program, and also our football successes this year.

West Carroll FFA members who attended the 89th State FFA Convention in Springfield, IL June 13-15. The theme of this years’ Convention was “Maximize.” West Carroll FFA was recognized several times on stage including Daniel Hartman as a top 10 Section president, West Carroll was a chapter winner of the Section #1 National Chapter Award in Building Communities, Gold National Chapter Award and National entry, and the Foundation Club Award for raising more than $3000 for the Illinois FFA Foundation.

Daniel Hartman also ran for a State FFA Office. In order to be eligible for a State FFA Office, candidates must undergo a rigorous screening process which includes having the State FFA Degree, and completing an application for an Illinois State FFA Officer. Candidates then were called to Springfield on April 22 to interview in front of a selection committee, present

2 prepared speeches, complete a group project, complete tests over knowledge of Agriculture and the FFA Organization and then finally had to complete a impromptu letter writing activity. The top 10 candidates were chosen based on the total points earned. Daniel made the cut for the top 10 but unfortunately was not elected to an office during elections on June 14.

The West Carroll FFA Dairy Foods Team of Celia Hartman, Riley Getz, Olivia Charles, Ty Aljets, Adam Rath and Miles Wheetley placed 2nd at the Section #1 FFA Dairy Foods Contest held October 16 at Lena-Winslow High School.

West Carroll had a team score of 210 in the event where a low score is a better score. West Carroll’s Celia Hartman was the individual champion of the CDE with a score of 59 pts. Also placing individually in the top 10 for West Carroll were Olivia Charles who placed 4th with a 69, and Riley Getz 10 th with 82 points. A Dairy Foods team takes a written test on the dairy industry, evaluates milk samples for possible defects, identifies 10 different cheeses, compares real vs. artificial milk products, and scores the California Mastitis Test, A 5 question team problem relating to dairy economics was also included in the contest.

There were 10 section #1 FFA

schools participating in the contest.

The West Carroll FFA Trapshooting Team of Cash Lower, John McCombie, Riley Getz and Shane and Leland Houzenga also placed 1st at the Section #1 FFA Trapshooting CDE held Saturday at Coleta. West Carroll shot a 133 edging out Eastland with a 131. Individually, Shane Houzenga placed 2nd and John McCombie 3rd with scores of 46 and 45 respectively.

The West Carroll FFA soil judging team traveled to Scales Mound for the section 1 land use competition on Thursday, September 28, 2017. West Carroll Varsity took 1st place (1346), Eastland took 2nd place (1245), Forreston took 3rd (1190), Stockton took 4th (1166), and River Ridge took 5th (1155).

• 1st Place Individual - Shaelynn Williams (457) • 2nd Place - Cory Simpson (446) • 3rd Place - Emma Aljets (443) • 4th Place - Leland Houzenga (442) The contest consists of finding land slope, judging soil textures, soil structure, soil drainage and aeration, top soil and subsoil color, soil use and management for tillage and crop rotation, and home site and septic tank filter fields.

The West Carroll FFA Dodgeball Team took 1st place at the Section #1 FFA Dodgeball Tournament held at Eastland High School. Stockton placed 2nd and Eastland 3 was 3rd. The

West Carroll team included Front L to R: Ethan Reiland, Paul Law, Shane Houzenga, Lakin Getz Back L to R: Carlos Rodriguez, Jordan Anderson, Chase James, Andrew Yenney and Cody Schmidt The team was coached by Glen Johnston.

West Carroll FFA Members Attend 90th National FFA Convention. Ten West Carroll FFA Members, Ty Aljets, Jacob McCluckie, Deacon Hill, Aiden Bates, Brady Handel, Sophia Guenzler, Izzy Fredericks, Lakin Getz, Maddie Dauphin, and Briar Nevils attended the 90th National FFA Convention October 24-27 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The theme of the convention was “I Can, We Will.”

West Carroll FFA member, Ty Aljets was able to interview for RFD TV on Friday, October 27 at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Aljets was able to speak about himself and the West Carroll FFA Chapter.

West Carroll FFA member, Celia Hartman (center on the clarinet) was the 1st West Carroll FFA member in history to play in the National FFA Band.

Celia and the band played at all convention sessions from October 24-28 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Celia and 82 other FFA members from 32 states were in Indianapolis from October 21-28 practicing and playing.

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