SVM_Pride_Local High Schools_112618

PRIDE

A Guide to Achievements in our Local High Schools

2018 - 2019

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PUBLICATION

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PRIDE 2018

To our readers ...

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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........................ 20-21 Ashton-Franklin Center High School............ 6 Newman Central Catholic High School....22-23 Bureau Valley High School........................ 7 Byron High School................................... 8 Chadwick-Milledgeville District 399...... 9-10

Oregon High School......................... 24-25 Polo High School..............................26--27 Prophetstown High School.................. 28-29

Dixon High School............................ 11-13 Eastland High School........................ 14-15 Erie High School.................................... 16 Faith Christian School............................. 17

Rock Falls Township High School........ 30-32 Rochelle High School.............................. 33 Sterling High School.......................... 34-37

Forreston High School............................ 18 Unity Christian High School..................... 38 Fulton High School................................. 19 West Carroll High School....................... 39

Publisher Don Bricker Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Advertising Sales Jill Reyna

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.

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AMBOY HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE CLIPPERS

Amazing students in Amboy A

JANET CROWNHART Amboy High School

s I walk through the building and look into classrooms I am amazed by the things students are making.

Amboy students strive to meet our districts vision statement of “Empowering World Class Learners and Responsible Citizens.”

Academics I am pleased to announce we have expanded our Advanced Placement offerings to include AP Government and AP Psychology, along with our previous offerings of AP U.S. History and AP English. Our new Tech Help class allows students to work behind the scenes to bring new and innovative projects to the school and to keep Chromebooks running smoothly. Each student in the class is working on a different aspect of technology. Students are working with the new green screen and iMovie, Google Sites, and anything else the technology department needs help with.

This year alone, students are creating powered cars in STEM class, building

chairs out of cardboard without tape, glue, or staples in chemistry, designing towers in biology, leading discussions in English, drawing cities in math, and the list goes on and on.

Amboy remains committed to our freshmen Clippers, Set Sail! Program. Teachers have taken students to NIU, Rock Valley Community College, and Morrison Institute of Technology. These trips help students explore future career opportunities.

I am also very proud of the fact that all of last year’s incoming freshmen students advanced to sophomore status.

To become “responsible citizens,” freshmen students spent an afternoon participating in community service activities; pulling weeds at a Kreider house, cleaning the fire station, decorating Teen Turf, helping at City Hall, playing games with patients at the nursing home, and reading to children at Central School.

Government students also create their own community service activities, including volunteering at animal shelters and raising money for organizations, such as Gianna’s house and Shining Star.

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FFA

ith our rich agricultural tradition, our excellent FFA programs should surprise no one. We are proud of earning a $10,000 America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Grant. These funds are going toward new ventilation units for the welding program.

Fourteen students will attend the National Convention in Indianapolis this year.

Sensient Flavors is very proud of all of the achievements of the students at Amboy High School and our neighboring community schools.

Continue to work hard and take pride in everything you do!

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PRIDE 2018

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AMBOY HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE CLIPPERS

Art, music, theater, and the Outdoor Club

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mboy students have always been given the opportunity to perform and excel in the arts. Last spring, 18 students participated in the Indian Valley Art Show. Three of them came home winners. Our music and choir students continue to perform on Friday nights in the marching band, sing the national anthem at sporting events, and win awards at the IHSA Solo and Ensemble competition. The theater students performed to three sell-out crowds and added a fourth performance of the musical “Annie” last spring, and this fall they are performing a play called “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. I would love to be able to tell you what the spring musical is, but I have been

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Athletics

e are proud of our athletics – we had our first golfer ever advance to the state meet this fall. Cross-country had seven athletes advance to the sectional meet, the boys team and a female individual. They then had an individual boy and girl advance to the state meet. Volleyball ended its season in the regional finals after a respectable year.

sworn to secrecy. It will be announced after the fall play.

Outdoor Club this fall with Ms. Benesh has gone to numerous parks, hiking and is learning to rock climb. They are planning to run in a couple 5Ks, a 15K, and a half marathon this year as well.

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ASHTON-FRANKLIN CENTER JR.-SR. HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE RAIDERS

New addition at AFC Junior-Senior High School A

nyone traveling by the Ashton-Franklin Center JuniorSenior High in Ashton along Highway 38 recently will notice the new construction taking place. The groundbreaking ceremony for the addition was held Aug. 23, with AFC students, staff and administration, board members, representatives from Scandroli Construction and Richard L. Johnson & Architects, local media and the public in attendance. Juniors Emalie Vogeler and Brett Buhrow and senior Jaynee Prestegaard spoke regarding the benefits of the new facility from the student perspective. The AFC Band, under the direction of Mark Dempsey, also played the school song at the ceremony.

When completed in the summer of 2019, the $7.5 million addition will provide much improved and designated areas for band and chorus and a spectacular and functional 1,200-seat gymnasium. Presently, band classes are held in the cafeteria.

Band and chorus classes will not have to share their space with the new facility. The new gymnasium will feature seating on three sides and a balcony for media access and taping of events.

There will be a retractable batting cage for baseball and softball on the north end of the gym. A retractable divider curtain will provide the ability to conduct multiple events or physical education classes concurrently. The new addition will also contain a multi-purpose room, two locker rooms, a concession room and numerous storage and auxiliary rooms.

Other projects are in the plans at AFC as a result of the passage of the County School Facilities Tax (CSFT). The AshtonFranklin Center Board of Education has taken an active role in prioritizing the use of current and future school facilities tax monies. Approved by Lee County voters in November of 2016, the County School Facilities Tax provides funds earmarked for “brick-and-mortar� uses. The AFC Board of Education will use some of the funds to abate taxes. The remainder of funds will be used for ongoing maintenance, renovation and replacement of existing facilities and other qualifying uses as permitted by law.

The science rooms at the junior-senior high school will be renovated this summer. The replacement of window systems at both schools and the renovating of the junior-senior high school cafeteria-kitchen areas are planned to follow as funds permit. Both schools will receive new blinds for their classrooms during the current school year. There have also been numerous maintenance items completed since the spring.

With the use of the CSFT funds and the extension of the bond debt, the Board of Education hopes to maintain or actually reduce the tax rate for the residents of the AFC School District in the foreseeable future. The long-term outlook for the AFC School District, the students and staff, those currently part of the AFC School District, and those not yet born is exciting.

PRIDE 2018

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BUREAU VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE STORM

A recipe for success at Bureau Valley High

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and so on. Once their dishes are made, we get to enjoy them. A few of our personal favorites are pigs in a blanket and loaded tomato soup.

Once a week the class cooks their own balanced lunch with a main dish, fruit, and vegetable. The students are responsible for reading the visual recipe, understanding basic units of measurement, using a variety of kitchen tools,

Who doesn’t love a hot cup of coffee on a Friday morning? The Life Skills program offers Life’s Perfect Blend every Friday, a student-run coffee club for teachers.

The students are responsible for taking orders, making the coffee, delivering the coffee, and collecting money – with adult supervision, of course. This is a great way for our students to get out and about in the school, help out the other teachers,

ureau Valley’s Life Skills class is cooking up a great concoction.

Between our weekly cooking lessons, coffee for the staff, and snacks for the students, we are busy in the kitchen.

Just as any typical high school student, these students sure do love all aspects of food, especially eating!

Cooking

Life’s Perfect Blend

and learn some great functional skills.

Life’s Sweet Treats We didn’t forget about the students!

Every other Friday we also sell baked goods to students. We typically make the treats the day before during our cooking lesson, package them, and then sell them every other Friday. Some of the school favorites are Rice Krispie treats and Chex mix.

With the money raised during both fundraisers, we are able to purchase items for our classroom, go on field trips, and go out to eat – and yes, going out to eat is their favorite!

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BYRON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE TIGERS

It all adds up to a successful year for the math department T

he Byron High school math department is extremely proud of its recent performance on state testing, once again scoring well above the state average.

The school average was 521, the state average 503, which places BHS in roughly the 60th percentile the past 2 years. But more importantly, the BHS math department is exceptionally proud of the wide variety of course offerings made available to the students in the Byron community. Offering course work from algebra through AP calculus II, the scope and sequence of the BHS math department is one of the best for schools of similar size. Additionally, each of the “core� classes (algebra I, geometry, and algebra II) has multiple levels to allow for the most appropriate placement for students.

Over the past 4 years, the math department has done a rigorous realignment of standards and curriculum to best serve our students in both high school and beyond.

Additionally, the math department has identified the skills of problem-solving and perseverance as a primary focus, both of which are aspects necessary for preparing students for both college course work and entering the work force/ military after high school.

BHS is also proud to offer three Advanced Placement courses for juniors and seniors to choose from in the field of mathematics: AP statistics, AP calculus, and AP calculus II. Last year, our students had a pass rate of approximately 80 percent on AP tests in mathematics, compared to a national average of roughly 60 percent. Students typically enroll in AP courses to improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as prepare themselves for the rigors and pressure of college courses.

The BHS math department continues to develop curriculum and adapt in order to best prepare students for the ever-changing world they will encounter as they leave Byron High School.

PRIDE 2018

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CHADWICK-MILLEDGEVILLE DISTRICT 399

Singing the praises of our students T he Milledgeville High School Music Department had a fantastic 2017-2018 contest season. Through hard work and dedication to the music program, Milledgeville students were successful in the solo/ensemble contest, the organization contest, and the IHSA Music Sweepstakes competition.

At the solo/ensemble contest, students rated well in the areas of solos, duets, double duets, mixed ensembles, and larger ensembles. They added new opportunities, such as performing as a handbell choir, a Boomwhackers ensemble, and a trash-can ensemble. Best of Day awards were earned by the vocal duet of Sydney Pauley and Megan Schave, a vocal double trio of Jacqui Folkers, Destani Garza, Sydney Pauley, Megan Schave, Anthony Lapp, and Parker Litwiller; and for the third year in a row Hannah Seavey earned the award for her vocal solo. In addition to the successes of the individual events at the solo/ensemble contest, the Choral Department earned the Class D third place vocal plaque for the state.

At the organization contest, the Concert Choir, Concert Band, Treble Choir, and for the first time, the Bass Choir all performed well.

In addition to receiving high ratings from the judges, the Concert Choir was selected as the Best of Day, a new award being presented for the first time in 2018.

Finally, the Milledgeville High School Music Department did extremely well in the IHSA Sweepstakes competition. All solos and ensembles receive sweepstakes points for Division I and Division II ratings from the state solo/ensemble contest. Likewise, at the organization contest large group ensembles receive points for Division I and Division II ratings.

Through the accumulation of these points, the IHSA awards state tournament trophies to the top three schools in each division. Milledgeville High School was awarded the Class D third place Sweepstakes trophy for 2018.

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CHADWICK-MILLEDGEVILLE DISTRICT 399 Students attended an event for National Student Leadership Week.

Students work on projects for Red Ribbon Week.

LEFT: Students collected donations for the community food pantry.

RIGHT: Students helped with the Salvation Army Toys for Tots campaign.

Promoting principles at Milledgeville High

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he National Honor Society at Milledgeville High School has been busy over the last year promoting the four principles of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. Encouraging thoughts that endorse scholarship and character are passed on to the student body daily through a monthly quote in the announcements and the NHS bulletin board.

Members are actively engaged in service in the community through their individual service projects, which raise money, give time, and donate supplies to organizations. In the past year, group service projects were completed to collect donations for the community food pantry and to purchase gifts for children in need at Christmastime through the Salvation Army.

Red Ribbon Week activities were planned and enacted with the elementary classes at Milledgeville Elementary School. Leadership was promoted during National Student Leadership Week in April; a guest speaker spoke to the high school students, and other leadership activities were completed throughout the week to encourage students to step up, believe in themselves, and become leaders in the school and community.

Right now, members are preparing for this year’s Red Ribbon Week by creating activities related to traveling safely and making good decisions.

Elementary students will be participating in a safety travel game and a safety decisions game, creating a postcard of an imaginary trip to send to a family member, and earning daily stickers for their passports.

The National Honor Society at Milledgeville High School has been busy promoting the principles of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. Encouraging thoughts are passed on to students through a monthly quote in the announcements and the NHS bulletin board.

PRIDE 2018

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DIXON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE DUKES AND DUCHESSES UPGRADING THEIR EDUCATION

SCHOOL MENTORING PROGRAM

Students are working to immerse themselves into the digital world.

Mrs. Brigl and Mr. Bishop are using laptops in the classroom, along with Microsoft OneNote to provide real-time notes, collaborative learning environments, and a resource library for student notes. Outside resources, such as Khan Academy, are utilized for re-teaching and reinforcement of state standards.

This year, Dixon High School has instituted a freshmen/new student mentoring program in order to help students make the transition to high school.

Upper classmen meet with small groups of students to discuss various topics, ranging from the importance of a good grade point average to how to participate in homecoming activities. These meetings occur during lunch throughout the school year and have helped to connect the freshmen and new students to school.

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DIXON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE DUKES AND DUCHESSES GETTING INTO THE HOMECOMING SPIRIT RIGHT: Faculty and staff showed their school spirit during homecoming week. BELOW: DHS students get ready for a homecoming pep assembly.

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PRIDE 2018

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DIXON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE DUKES AND DUCHESSES ATHLETICS Through a foundation grant, the Physical Education Department was able to purchase three new hex bars, numerous bumper plates, and squat boxes for the weight room. The equipment will provide students with a safer and more efficient way to work out. Teams can use the equipment during all seven periods of the day as well as before and after school.

Students cheer on the Dukes during a football game.

The Dixon boys soccer team’s starting lineup was announced prior to a game at AC Bowers Field.

Coach Smith introduces some of our senior football players to the board of education.

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EASTLAND JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE COUGARS

Eastland FFA has a good thing growing

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he Eastland FFA is composed of 110 high-schoolers and 20 eighth-graders, overseen by a team of seven officers: President Elizabeth Kloepping, Vice President Payton Erbsen, secretary Alyssa Miller, treasurer Austin Miller, reporter Alex York, Sentinel Hannah Woessner, eighth-grade adviser and Test Plot Chair Bryson Sturtevant.

The Eastland FFA Chapter has had many successes over this past year. The chapter’s year started out with State FFA Convention in June, where the chapter was recognized as a 3-Star National Chapter receiving a gold ranking in Building Communities, Strengthening Agriculture, and Growing Leaders. Three students also were recognized as State Winners in their proficiency areas, and one student was named state winner in the Dairy Cattle Handling Contest.

FFA degrees are opportunities for students to show how much they have accomplished throughout their years in the FFA. The Eastland FFA has had a long history of exceptional students who have gone on to earn their state and American FFA degrees. This year the chapter had seven state FFA degree recipients and three American degree recipients, as well a one of our eighth-grade members being recognized as the State Discovery Star Farmer.

The FFA Chapter participates in more than 75 activities throughout the year to help students develop their leadership, communication skills and team-building skills. These activities include several section, district and state CDE contests, Section LTS, Greenhand and Discovery Conference, National Convention, State Convention, 212 Conference, 360 Conference and chapter officer retreats. Along with these opportunities, the

chapter also had three members from the National Dairy Judging Team travel to Europe to compete in the Scotland Highland National Judging Contest.

The FFA is not just about its members, the chapter spends a lot of time helping the community as well. This year members of the Eastland FFA participated in more than 200 hours of community service and donated over $500 to local and area food pantries and charities.

We are very proud of the Eastland FFA chapter and their accomplishments so far this year. We look forward to the many successes yet to come and hope that all of our members gain valuable experiences through the FFA activities and agriculture program.

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PRIDE 2018

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EASTLAND JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE COUGARS

Lights, camera ... Eastland Cinema Club

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ho doesn’t like movies? For decades, cinema has served as an escape from the drudgeries of day-to-day life, as a source of cheap entertainment, and as a vital link to the world around us. Eastland is embracing the gift that cinema can give through its very own Cinema Club. The goal of the student-created club is “to expand our intellect, to search for deeper meaning, to embrace real life, to face difficult topics, to open honest discussion ... to watch, to think, to feel.” This is the club’s third year.

Last year we had more than 35 members. The club is open to all sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The variety of genres viewed is as diverse as the students themselves. The club has watched musicals, classics, dramas, comedies, documentaries, independent films, blockbusters, and silent films. We also had the pleasure of viewing the movie “Open Space,” which was shot locally, and Skyped with James Choi, the movie’s producer, after watching the film. It was an extremely informative event.

Movies are viewed Friday nights in East-

land’s Media Center. The club utilizes the school’s high-definition projector and high-speed internet to enjoy a theatrelike experience. Sound is provided by a surround-sound system donated by a local church. The combination of screen and sound helps create an extremely immersive experience. The cinema experience wouldn’t be complete without a little food, so students and staff provide snacks for each viewing.

Last year, many of you may have noticed decorated toilets popping up in yards. In order to raise money for our annual trip to the Beloit International Film Festival, the club placed toilets in yards and asked for a small donation.

The response was fantastic, and we were extremely thankful for this community’s willingness to invest in students’ lives. Over the course of the 3 days at the film festival, students watched more than 20 different movies and networked with people behind the films. It is was an eyeopening experience that helped them understand just how accessible moviemaking can be in today’s world.

Last year, many of you may have noticed decorated toilets popping up in yards. In order to raise money for our annual trip to the Beloit International Film Festival, the club placed toilets in yards and asked for a small donation.

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ERIE HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE PANTHERS

It’s all A’s at Erie High School E

rie High School, student population of 206, has a history of good academics, coupled with an active student body in extra-curricular activities.

This year we are experiencing an AAA year: Our students and staff are Adapting, Acquiring, and Achieving.

Adapting Students are adapting to changes in a variety of ways. The first notable change was a new parking lot at the other end of the building. The former parking lot is making way for the construction of an addition, the first since the present building was opened in 1995. The addition will finally unite our entire high school campus under one roof. Previously, students had to brave the weather and go to our annex for their industrial arts or art classes, in addition to using the weight room facility for the PE units. Everything appears to be going well and the new addition will be enclosed by the end of December. It’s scheduled to open by the fall of 2019.

Students are also adapting to some very new learning environments brought in with our newest English and history teachers. The very homey English classroom has an almost lounge-like environment with a couch, chairs, aquarium, and relaxing lighting all mixed in with the traditional tables and chairs and subject decor. The history teacher has also incorporated historical items, sports memorabilia, and softer lighting as an alternate to the overhead LED lights. The school’s overall philosophy is to have students learn in an environment that they are comfortable in, not necessarily an environment that is forced upon them.

Acquiring Blending in with adapting for the students is acquiring. After much conversation and planning, the former Erie Cardinals and the Prophetstown Prophets joined together in every sport to be the EP Panthers. Previously we had Panther coops in football, cross country, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track programs.

Now all the students are getting a new team name, logo, coaches, teammates, friendships, and uniforms in volleyball, golf, basketball, winter cheerleading and dance squads, and Scholastic Bowl.

With change came more opportunities to acquire more playing time. The freshmen volleyball and football players were able to have more games because of the increased squad size. The basketball teams are hoping to follow suit in a few weeks.

Students are adapting to new learning environments at Erie High. The English classroom has an almost loungelike environment with a couch, chairs, aquarium, and relaxing lighting all mixed in with the traditional tables and chairs and subject decor.

Practice times, facilities, and meeting new bus drivers quickly became ordinary for everyone. The volleyball season was split, with half of the games in Erie and the rest in Prophetstown. The Prophets Hills Golf Course became home for the Lady Panther golfers while the Lake Erie Golf Course hosted the boys golf team.

Extracurricular activities are also being acquired. Informational meetings regarding the possibility of forming a bowling team and an e-sports club proved to be successful. General student interest led to the actual formation of a bowling club, which will start practices soon at Hilltop Lanes in Morrison. Meets with other schools are being arranged.

The e-sports or as the students refer to “the video gaming club” will start practice after the first of the year.

Achieving A variety of educational opportunities await the students at EHS. Academically, the classes of 2019 and 2020 have had opportunities to be a high school student and a college student through a dual credit program with Black Hawk College.

This year the class offerings include literature 190, psychology 101, English 205, and sociology 102. This is the eighth year EHS has had dual enrollment students with Black Hawk.

The counselor’s office is working with Western Illinois University to make some dual credit courses available to EHS students next semester.

More educational achievement opportunities exist for EHS students. The firstperiod agriculture classroom at Prophetstown High School is home for three of our students each morning as they learn to adapt, acquire, and achieve aca-

demic success in a different environment.

Twenty students are achieving success in trades classes at the Whiteside Area Career Center (WACC). We also had one student accepted into the CEO program as well.

Last year, our juniors took the SAT test as a class and many also took the ACT exam.

Preparation for these two opportunities were available through practice sessions, teachers tips and techniques for each subject matter, and also through the Khan Academy. The result of all these opportunities paid off as our students’ average scores were 21.7 on the ACT and 1068 on the SAT. The extra-curricular organizations have achieved success already this fall with more plans for successful projects coming. The National Honor Society, with 35 members, sponsored a blood drive in cooperation with the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center which resulted in 34 pints being collected. This was a winwin situation as they not only donated blood, but also earned money to pay it forward to a non-profit organization. For the September drive, students purchased animals through Heifer International for third world countries. Previous blood drive donation recipients included the Erie Food Pantry, St. Jude’s Children Hospital, and the Mayo Research facility.

Other future NHS service projects include hosting a mini Dance Marathon on Nov. 16 in conjunction with Prophetstown High School and St. Ambrose University to benefit the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Members will collect outdoor winter apparel for homeless shelters and participate in the National Pajama Program to provide pajamas to all ages for families in need.

The members are hosting a bags tournament to benefit the local food pantry on Nov. 10. Rounding out this semester will be a Christmas caroling party on Dec. 15 and a final blood drive on Dec. 27.

The Student Council was busy planning and achieving success with the weeklong homecoming festivities in September, and making plans for the annual Halloween dress-up day and class olympics.

They’ll finish their year off with a blood drive in the spring.

EHS works together in academics and athletics by supporting each other. Then the support continues within organizations to provide services and fellowship with each other and our surrounding communities. Our student body and staff are proud that we are a school that has embraced an AAA transitional year.

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FAITH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Faith Christian School held an open house in September to celebrate recent renovations at its new elementary school, at 7772 Clinton St. in Grand Detour. Faith Assembly of Grand Detour bought the former Grand Detour Elementary School a year ago on behalf of Faith Christian, which has put about $500,000 toward repairs and upgrades to house students from kindergarten through fourth grade. Three of the elementary school’s eight classrooms will be used for art, music and library space, the other five for each of the grades, kindergarten through fourth.

Faith Christian School: Where students SOAR!

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Faith Christian offers a week-long learning experience for our junior high and high school students called Winterim, During Winterim, regular classes are not held and students can choose to take classes such as cooking and baking, carpentry, sewing, auto mechanics, and gardening, among others.

aith Christian School is a non-profit organization, educating students from preschool through grade twelve at our three campus locations. We endeavor to take an inter-denominational/evangelical approach toward our staff and student body.

Faith Christian School is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. We are committed to providing students a quality education with a Christian worldview.

Here is a sample of what we offer: Boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls volleyball, National Honor Society, Student Council, band, choir, piano lab, spring musical, and senior missions trip We also offer a week-long learning experience for our junior high and high school students we call Winterim.

Winterim is an opportunity where our students are given the

chance to learn a new skill, gain new experiences, and explore possibilities beyond the walls of the normal classroom. During Winterim, regular classes are not held. Instead, students can choose to take classes such as cooking and baking, carpentry, sewing, auto mechanics, and gardening, just to name a few.

Students are then given the privilege to partake in service projects within the surrounding communities each afternoon. Our students look forward to this each year and acquire knowledge in areas that can often showcase hidden talents that help to develop their career interests.

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

Forreston Junior-Senior High School Extreme Makeover: Science Edition!

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ne of the greatest highlights from the 2017-18 school year was the complete transformation of Forreston High School’s entire science department, along with the addition of new science curriculum. The projects, funded in partnership by the Forrestville Valley School District, the Northern Illinois Community Foundation, and Project Lead the Way Inc., brought a modern design that helps facilitate access to opportunities to explore a multitude of STEM activities.

The classroom redesigns were compilations of ideas from many visits to other high school and college science labs. The goal was to create a space that would allow for greater cooperative learning through innovative technologies. The new classrooms also include a new STEM Lab, where students put into practice the skills they learned through their science courses and their Project Lead the Way curriculum.

Forreston Junior High students first started their Project Lead the Way course during the 2016-17 school year. Design and modeling and robotics classes were well received among students, and many stated they “wished they had something like this in high school!” An application to the Northern Illinois Community Foundation and Project Lead the Way Inc. made their wish a reality. During the past school year, staff attended trainings and officially became certified to begin offering the Engineering Pathway for the 2018-19 school year.

The new science classrooms and labs are outfitted to support the technologies needed to train today’s students to become the engineers of tomorrow. This includes access to engineering software, specially equipped computing devices, and even a 3D printer. Even more spectacular was the support that this project has received from the community.

Groups of local engineers, across all specialties, have joined in and will provide practical application experiences for students. Whether it’s a presentation to the classroom or the future possibility of shadowing for job experiences, this group of professionals has opened students’ eyes to the many career opportunities in areas that are in great need.

Not to be overshadowed is the updating to the biological sciences and chem-

The new STEM room.

The biology lab before. (left) and after.

The chem lab before (left) and after. istry lab. The biology classroom, which experienced several cosmetic upgrades, also has a new access to green spaces. As this is also the home of our environmental science course, students can now conduct experiments in an outdoor setting. The chemistry classroom has dou-

bled in size, which allowed for the completion of a true lab with an adjoining study area/learning space. In celebrating the completion of the renovations, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in August with community, students, and families in attendance.

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FULTON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE STEAMERS

All schools leaders

Making lasting Impressions in Fulton

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he B.L.I.N.D. (Building Lasting Impressions that Never Die) program is comprised of leaders from six area high schools: Newman, Dixon, Rock Falls, Prophetstown, Morrison and Fulton. This program was first established as a way to help young people understand that they are more the same than different from those around them, and also how to build supportive relationships that will be there when help is needed.

There are currently 22 juniors/seniors at Fulton High School who are a part of this program. These students attended a leadership retreat Aug. 3-5. Day one was a community event in the Sterling area, where leaders from all schools volunteered at the town’s annual Hot Dog Days. The next 2 days of the retreat were held at Camp Benson, where students participated in various training and team-building activities, many of which prepare them to lead and build relationships not only at the retreat, but in their schools.

In September, the leaders were involved in two freshmen retreats at Westwood in Sterling. The first retreat was the four smaller schools of Morrison, Newman, Prophetstown, and Fulton. The freshmen classes met on this day and participated in team-building activities. There were also various assetand relationship-building activities that

Fulton Student Leaders

Shelby Hodge

Fulton leaders occurred throughout the day.

On Sept. 30, most of the Fulton leaders volunteered their time to help at the Breaking the Silence Walk in Camanche, Iowa. This is a suicide awareness walk to remember those who have passed and also bring awareness to the continuous struggle in the community. It is a way to

Fulton Adult Leaders offer HOPE and celebration of life.

At Fulton High School, our B.L.I.N.D. leaders will mentor the freshmen class, volunteer for events in the community, organize a food drive, and work toward building relationships that will strengthen not only our entire district, but the entire Fulton/Albany community.

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MORRISON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE MUSTANGS

Workplace Wednesdays bolsters career awareness

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an a student who graduates from high school find a rewarding career path in the greater Whiteside County area? The answer is a resounding “yes.”

Five teachers from Morrison Community Unit School District 6 – Heather Waninger, Connie Royer, Kerry Grim, Sandi Bechtel, and Brian Bartoz – were among the 13 educators who participated in the Workplace Wednesdays program in June and July in order to learn more about career paths available to students in the areas of manufacturing, agriculture, and health & human services.

The program, sponsored by the Lee/Ogle/ Whiteside County Regional Office of Education (ROE) and the Sauk Valley Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, gave teachers an opportunity to meet with businesses across northwest Illinois to find out more about the skills that employers need in prospective employees in order to help their businesses succeed. Workplace Wednesdays provided a forum for schools to develop partnerships with local businesses, and to help teachers understand both the academic skills and soft skills necessary to help students become careerready. The program was made possible by a grant written by Anji Garza, ROE Professional Development Director, and was facilitated by Gail Wright, a retired educator and current College and Career Readiness Coordinator at the ROE. Teachers who participated in the program visited the sites in each of the career focus areas above in order to understand courses of study and available positions in each field. On the first day, they visited the Whiteside Area Career Center (WACC) to better understand WACC’s programs in welding, health occupations, auto mechanics, digital media arts, and criminal justice, among other programs, so that they could recommend relevant programs to their students.

Participants also visited Sauk Valley Com-

munity College to see firsthand the classrooms used in Sauk’s Multi-Craft Extended Internship Program, which provides a balance between classroom study and realworld experience as an entry-level technician with a business involved in manufacturing. They also visited a number of other Sauk programs ... to bolster their knowledge base. Later in the program, Morrison Institute of Technology administrators and staff members provided an overview of some of MIT’s degree programs.

Manufacturing, a sector that is essential to creating stable, middle-income jobs, played a major part in the Workplace Wednesdays program. Participants visited ASTEC Mobile Screens and Frantz Manufacturing in Sterling, Crest Foods in Ashton, Timken Drives, a chain manufacturer in Fulton, and Etnyre, a road-building equipment firm in Oregon, to learn more about careers available to students with an aptitude for working in a manufacturing/production setting.

Health care careers were not overlooked, either. Teachers met with individuals from a number of departments ... at CGH Medical Center in Sterling to learn more about career options, and listened to a panel discussion and toured the Whiteside County Department of Public Health’s clinic in Rock Falls to learn about ways in which health care practitioners serve people across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Workplace Wednesdays also provided teachers with a solid background in agriculture careers. A common misperception is that agriculture is limited to raising crops or livestock. Workplace Wednesdays showed teachers a number of other career paths related to farming, including selling and maintaining agricultural equipment (through firms such as Birkey’s in Prophetstown and Peabudy’s in Sterling) and using technology to produce improved results. ...

A visit to Jakobs Brothers Farms in Sterling

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showed how the latest innovations in livestock management and feed composition reduce costs and allow producers to run efficient agricultural operations.

Teachers also toured the lumber yard and grain operations at Frary Rock River Lumber and Grain in Sterling and the sprawling Walmart Distribution Center in Sterling to learn about warehousing operations and shipping large quantities of goods across long distances.

Employers in all fields expressed a need for workers who are committed to the job by demonstrating strong, consistent attendance; effective communication skills; dependability; the ability to work as a member of a team, as well as individually, flexibility, a commitment to building relationships with customers, and an interest in taking initiative in solving problems.

In order to build these skills, teachers in Morrison Community Unit School District 6 are incorporating class activities in which students deliver oral presentations at regular intervals in class in order to build students’ public speaking skills; assigning group projects in class to facilitate teamwork; and encouraging students to join sports, clubs and organizations to develop their leadership and teamwork skills. Many students at Morrison High School already hold parttime jobs, a key route for developing workplace skills and a strong work ethic.

In addition, school counselor Julie Churchill organized a career fair at Morrison High School featuring 18 Whiteside County employers on Oct. 25, and sophomores through seniors used the Career Cruising database to seek out career fields ... By making career awareness a regular part of the school curriculum, educators in the district, true to its vision statement, are “empowering every student to positively impact an ever-changing world” right here in Whiteside County.

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MORRISON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE MUSTANGS Morrison sports online on the NFHS Network This year, Morrison High School partnered with the NFHS Network to provide online streaming of athletic events and activities. The school has already begun to stream activities by recording 2018 graduation, a varsity volleyball game, and four varsity football games.

The school is also looking to continue the streaming through the winter season by broadcasting boys and girls basketball and wrestling. Also on tap: streaming band concerts throughout the year. During this fall season, football averaged more than 60 live viewers per broadcast. MHS is excited to bring this opportunity to community members and their extended families.

A viewer can purchase a subscription by going to www.nfhsnetwork.com, searching for Morrison High School, and selecting a plan that works for them. Activities that do not have an admission cost associated with them are free to all viewers. We hope to expand this program in the coming years. Thanks to the athletic boosters for their financial support.

New this year at Morrison High: Freshman Academy New this year at Morrison High School is the start of a Freshman Academy program. All incoming freshmen are taking a class during the last 30 minutes of school in which they learn things such as test-taking skills, note-taking, time management, relationship building, and more. Freshmen are also getting structured time to meet with their teacher about their grades and time to work on homework. All of this is being done to help the students stay on track to obtain all of their credits towards graduation.

Scholastic Bowl team competes in Stateline Quiz Bowl

Morrison High School’s Scholastic Bowl team traveled to Rockford on Oct. 7 to participate in a taping of “Bergstrom’s Stateline Quiz Bowl.” The program provides a format through which Scholastic Bowl/Quiz Bowl teams from across northern Illinois test their mettle in a four-round match against a competing team. Questions cover a wide range of categories, including history, science, language arts, mythology, geography, current events, and other topics. During the match, held at the Nordlof Center in downtown Rockford, Morrison competed against Pecatonica High School.

Morrison’s team consisted of captain Griffin Vos, Hannah Stralow, Kara Saville, Tom Wagenecht, Faith Green, and Aaron Freeman. Eric Wilson, a news anchor for WTVO-TV in Rockford, served as the program’s host.

Interested in watching the match? Tune in to WTVO-TV (Rockford) on Nov. 24 to

Members of Morrison High School’s Scholastic Bowl team, at the Bergstrom Stateline Quiz Bowl. From left: Aaron Freeman, Hannah Stralow, Thomas Wagenecht, Kara Saville, Faith Green, and team captain Griffin Vos. watch the episode. The match will also be available on the “Stateline Quiz Bowl” YouTube channel later this fall.

Motorcycle safety speaker visits driver ed classes

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ike Wolber, a representative from who drive between lanes of traffic); cauthe motorcycle safety group tioned students against distracted driving; ABATE (A Brotherhood Aimed and showed a video segment about Toward Education), visited Morrimotorcycle safety. son High School’s driver education He also described situations in classes on Oct. 11 to help students which crashes are most likely to learn how to share the road safely occur, such as when drivers make with motorcycles. left turns in front of motorcyclists; Wolber asked students about the when drivers fail to check their blind design differences between motorspots before changing lanes; and cycles and cars; described the hanwhen weather and/or road condiMike Wolber tions (e.g., potholes and railroad dling differences; explained what riders need to wear to stay safe on a tracks) create additional hazards. motorcycle; shared a few stories from his Students also completed a worksheet riding career; noted that not all motorcyactivity that ABATE of Illinois developed clists are responsible drivers (such as those based on the presentation and video.

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NEWMAN CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE COMETS

Helping students build a foundation for the future

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ith 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. Newman Central Catholic High School is committed to developing the whole individual to ensure their success in life.

Newman offers many opportunities for students to participate in clubs, service projects and programs that promote service and leadership skills. Programs include B.L.I.N.D., Key Club, Ambassadors Club, Newman Recycling Club, Fellowship of Catholic Christian Athletes and Student Council, to name a few.

Newman students participated in a food drive.

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NEWMAN CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE COMETS B.L.I.N.D. stands for Building Lasting Impressions that Never Die, an acronym created more than 10 years ago for the youth organization that is unique in its charter because it not only includes our own junior and senior student leaders, it is also inclusive of our surrounding public school junior and senior leaders. The purpose of this organization is to create lasting friendships with other schools and help tear down racism, bullying, hatred, and other issues that plague our youth today.

The group was developed originally

by Sterling High School and Newman Central Catholic High School in hopes of bringing the two schools closer together. Since then, we have expanded to include Rock Falls, Dixon, Morrison and Fulton high schools. We have yearly summer retreats for the Student Leaders, and yearly fall retreats for the freshman of all participating schools.

We know we cannot change the world, but we try to make a difference in our own communities and hope that it spreads through stewardship and good will from our foundation of morals and ethics.

Ambassadors for NCCHS are spirited students of character who provide leadership, knowledge and enthusiasm to past and present members of the Newman Central Catholic High School family. While welcoming prospective families to join our faith mission and education, we also live and instill the pride and tradition of Newman. Ambassadors also inspire others to build lifelong friendships and growth in all aspects of our school.

Newman Recycling Club, or NRC as it is known at the school, is a student-led club dedicated to a complete recycling effort at the school to help maintain our environment and to teach each other

the importance of preserving our planet every day.

New this school year is Comet Connections. This program was implemented in the fall of 2018 to establish relationships and, much like B.L.I.N.D., break down barriers between faculty and students. Comet Connections is when a staff member touches base or connects with a student or a group of students. Each staff member, from custodial to teachers to administration, will connect with students on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The purpose is to establish relationships and assist students in anyway we can. This is as much to help the students as it is to help break down barriers of perceptions of staff members. As human beings, we all want a sense of belonging and feeling connected to something or someone; this is one way we are trying to address this with all our students.

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OREGON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE HAWKS AND LADY HAWKS

Focusing on the Four Pillars O

regon High School celebrates many great successes surrounding the four pillars of the district mission: Academics, Activities, Leadership, and Service. Students participated in several new academic programs, celebrated successes in the classroom as well as on the court or field, and students learned the value of making a social impact on the surrounding community and region. It truly is a great time to be an Oregon Hawk!

Academics The 2017-2018 school year saw the inaugural year of the new Social Entrepreneurship program offered to seniors at Oregon High School. “Every business that the students start has to have a social benefit. It needs to start from the premise of, ‘how can I help the community,’ and then, ‘If I’m helping the community or the world, how can that also bring an income so that I can support myself’?” said Aaron Sitze, the instructor of Oregon High School’s Social Entrepreneurship Program. The program continues into a second year, providing students with real-world experiences as they complete their final year of high school.

Oregon High School unveiled its new welding lab last school year with an eye on the future. The new lab is built for efficiency, safety, and group learning and will be ready for business at the beginning of the new school year. Technology Education Director Josh Nelson said, “We’ve more than doubled our welding capacity, tripled the shop site, and can incorporate machines like the metal lathe and metal mill now.” With the new welding lab, OHS has upgraded to 10 welding booths along the north and east walls, and included a metal mill, metal lathe, and plasma cutting stations in the middle of the room. The lab was funded by a grant from the Rockford-based Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, a philanthropic organization that awards grants to help improve surrounding communities.

Oregon High School celebrated seven Illinois State Scholars at a recognition ceremony last January during a basketball game.

Band and choir Oregon High School band and choir programs send many students to the ILMEA festival each year. Last year, the

program finished with a Second team Place State trophy. This year, OHS is sending 14 students on to the district festival. Approximately 125 students participate in choir and band at Oregon High School. We are proud of the commitment of our students to performing arts.

Athletics Oregon High School had another successful year in athletic competition during the 2017-18 school year. Highlights for the Hawks included: • The Lady Hawk volleyball team won the 2017 Big Northern Conference Championship. They also won the IHSA 2A Regional Championship and advanced to the Sectional.

• OHS cross country runners Leah Watters and Ian Hussung advanced to the IHSA State Finals. Hussung finished 55th of 210 runners while Watters finished 79th of 208.

• Oregon junior Austin Strite qualified for the IHSA state finals in bowling where he finished 54th overall.

• OHS sophomore Jacob Milliman advanced to the IHSA state finals in the 113 lb. division and won the fourthplace medal in Class 1A. • OHS senior Ian Hussung took second place in the 1600-meter run at the indoor First to the Finish Meet in Bloomington-Normal, the unofficial

Illinois Indoor Track and Field Championship.

• The OHS girls track team advanced three individuals and a relay team to the IHSA State Finals: Abigail Hopkins, Cynthia Nyderek, Lydia Cermak, and the 400-meter relay team.

• The Hawk boys track team also advanced three individuals and their 4 x 400-meter relay team to the IHSA Class 1A State Finals: Ian Hussung, Jacob Cullen, and Jake Mennen. At state, Hussung took home the sixth-place medal in the 800-meter run and fifth in the 1,600meter run.

• 10 OHS Seniors earned Ultimate Hawk honors for their participation in three sports each year for all 4 years of their attendance: Richard Bower, Reyes Carreno, Gylian Finch, Meredith Gelander, Jaspreet Gill, Jeff Gracyalny, Addison Kitzmiller, Bailey Montavon, Jarred Pottorf, and Sarah Wolber.

The following students earned Big Northern Conference All-Conference Honors: Sport – Name – Type Boys golf – Jackson Buck – All conference Boys golf – Adam Merrill – All conference Boys cross country – Ian Hussung – All conference Girls cross country – Leah Watters – All conference

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OREGON HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE HAWKS AND LADY HAWKS Girls cross country – Cynthia Nyderek – Honorable mention Boys soccer – Eduardo Guzman – First team Boys soccer – Jilberto Dominguez – Second team Boys soccer – Jaspreet Gill – Honorable mention Football – Austin Strite – Second team Football – Chase Prehn – Second team Football – Jake Mennen – Second team Football - Dalton Hermes – Honorable mention Volleyball – Aleah Wight – First team Volleyball – Gylian Finch – First team Volleyball – Bailey Nelson – First team Volleyball – Jasmine Herbst – Second team Volleyball – McKenna Sadler – Honorable mention Girls basketball – Bailey Montavon – Second team All-conference Bowling – Alyssa Theisen - Second team Wrestling – Jacob Milliman – First team Wrestling – Noah Paul – First team Wrestling – Andrew Herbst – First team Wrestling – Chris Alaniz – Second team Wrestling – Zachary Crandall – Second team Wrestling – Garret Moser – Second team Wrestling - Chase Clark – Honorable mention Boys basketball – Trey Woolsey – Honorable mention Girls track - Brenna Noon – Second team Girls track – Gylian Finch – Second team Girls track – Lydia Cermak – Second team Girls track – Abigail Hopkins – Second team Boys track – Ian Hussung – First team Boys track – Jacob Cullen – First team Boys track – Jake Mennen – First team Baseball – Chase Prehn – Honorable mention

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Oregon High School hosted 2 days of service where all students and staff participated in projects throughout the region.

Softball – Aleah Wight – First team Softball – Ellie Egyed – Second team Girls soccer – Olivia Lambrigtsen – First team Girls soccer – Hannah Donaldson – Second team Girls soccer – Alyssa Theisen – Second team Girls soccer – Leah Watters – Honorable mention Girls soccer – Katelyn Byerly – Honorable mention • In addition to their fine accomplishments on the field, court, mat, or diamond, OHS athletes donated almost 2,000 hours of community service back to the area through various events.

Leadership Students are Oregon High School are able to view their data at Oregon High School, not only through the lens of

academic success, but leadership in the classroom and amongst their peers. A program created through the school information software allows teachers to provide feedback on leadership in the classroom and through involvement, which students can then view in their Hawk Profile, a whole-child view of their successes at Oregon High School. The Hawk Profile considers all aspects of the student and provides them with data on how their performance and involvement ties into the pillars of the district mission.

Service Oregon High School hosted 2 days of service where all students and staff participated in projects throughout the region. By the end of the 2017-2018 school year, students logged more than 11,794 hours of service.

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POLO HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE MARCOS

Big changes in the P.E. Department P olo High School is revamping its physical education curriculum and updating equipment to provide more opportunities for students.

The school is the proud owner of new row machines, heart rate monitors, a traverse wall, and new tennis courts.

As a way to increase student participation and interest, the school has incorporated heart rate monitors into the curriculum to make students more aware of how hard their bodies are working during lessons, and as an incentive to push themselves to show greater effort in class. The new row machines have given students another opportunity to work different muscles, compete against each other in a friendly way, and even play games on the display.

Thanks to generous donations from the Polo School Foundation and KSB, the school also is the proud owner of a 60-foot-by-12-foot traverse wall that spans almost the entire south side of the wrestling room. The wall will have courses of varying difficulty for students of all age levels and abilities.

Traverse walls are a great way for students to set and achieve goals, which

The Polo School District and City of Polo teamed up to provide a new surface for the tennis courts next to the high school. improves self-esteem and confidence.

The Polo School District and City of Polo teamed up to provide a new surface for the tennis courts next to the high school. The students have taken advantage of these tennis courts both during the PE unit and after school or on weekends. When the weather coop-

erates, a group of community members meet on Tuesday evenings to play pickleball.

All of these updates have been part of a continuing effort to increase student engagement and help students explore exercise as a lifelong learning opportunity.

Polo High School’s new traverse wall has courses of varying difficulty for students of all age levels and abilities.

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POLO HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE MARCOS

Students get fired up over art project Two senior art students, Tessa Fitzgerald and Patricia Plachno, recently created a mural for the Polo Fire Department’s conference room.

P

olo High School Independent Art students have again shown their commitment to their community!

Two senior art students, Tessa Fitzgerald and Patricia Plachno, recently had the honor of creating a mural for the Polo Fire Department’s conference room. The mural measures 6 feet in diameter and features the Maltese Cross with engine numbers centered around a fire dog. Fitzgerald and Plachno worked tirelessly to complete their work in time for the Fire Department’s annual hog roast in October. Their hard work paid off and the community response has been very positive! Congratulations to the girls on a job well done and thank you to the Polo Fire Department for entrusting local students with such an important task!

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PROPHETSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE PANTHERS

New faces, new traditions, new opportunities at Prophetstown High S

erving 230 students from the Prophetstown, Lyndon, and Tampico communities, Prophetstown High School has undertaken a number of changes this school year. A new principal, Keith Stewart, and a new Dean of Students, Mark Lofgren, joined the PHS team in early summer.

Administrators aren’t the only additions at PHS: one in every four teachers at PHS is a new face this year, and they have hit the ground running! Another addition to the PHS team is new Student Success Coordinator, Ida Holper, who has joined the counseling team to implement behavioral and academic interventions for students. With a talented team of teachers and staff in place, we are off to a great start this school year!

Serving our students PHS is proud to offer a number of value-added programs to students. This summer we added new business/ computer, home economics, and psychology course offerings. Business students will compete in the Junior Achievement Titan Competition at SVCC, and our new Home Economics club helps students find ways to serve their school and community with their home economic skills, such as food service and sewing. Our science department offers AP physics, AP chemistry, and AP biology. Our agriculture instructors offer a full complement of ag courses, including ag business, welding, woods, plant/animal science, environmental/mechanic science, small engines, ag fabrication, and others. Our math department offers robotics, dual credit applied math, college algebra, statistics, trigonometry, and calculus. Our English department offers several upper-level electives, such as film studies, drama, mythology, and dual credit composition. We also send more than 30 students to the Whiteside Area Career Center for specific vocational training. Through our expansive course offerings and extra-curricular clubs, we continue to serve students and help them develop 21st century skills that will serve them beyond high school.

We have also expanded several positive recognition programs, including positive referrals, through our new Dean of Students and student of the month recognitions for students who go above and beyond in their classes.

PHS FFA members attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in late October.

Students in Ms. Rita Kelly’s creative sewing class use sewing machines purchased with financial support from the PLT Education Foundation.

Serving our communities On Oct. 17, every student at Prophetstown High School joined a campus/community service team, led by PHS staff members. Teams adopted various projects, such as landscaping at the elementary schools and athletic facilities, volunteering at our local Winning Wheels and Good Samaritan residential facilities, mentoring elementary students in classrooms, and delivering baked goods to local residents. Students and staff had a great experience taking pride in their campus and community and giving back to others in their community. We hope to implement a service day each fall and spring, and that service day will become a new PLT tradition.

On Oct. 17, students served the community in a variety of ways, ranging from park cleanup to mentoring elementary students, to visiting residents in local assisted living facilities. The school’s Campus and Community Service Day was supported by the Moore Foundation in Prophetstown.

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PROPHETSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE PANTHERS We also appreciate support from several community partners who help us accomplish our mission of serving students. For example, with financial assistance from the Moore Foundation, we are making improvements to our tennis courts and batting cages that our community can use as recreational spaces. The Moore Foundation also generously supported our Campus and Community Service Day so that students could find ways to meaningfully serve others.

Another community partner is the PLT Education Foundation, which has provided financial support for new library materials, special classroom supplies, and several valuable student programs.

Thank you to all our community partners!

Golf Course became home for the Lady Panther golfers while the Lake Erie Golf Course hosted the boys golf team. Extracurricular activities are also being added. Informational meetings regarding the possibility of forming a bowling team and an e-sports club proved to be successful. General student interest led to the actual formation of a bowling club, which will start practices soon at Hilltop Lanes in Morrison. Meets with other schools are being arranged. The e-sports – or as the students refer to them, “the video gaming club” – will start practice after the first of the year.

Planning for the future

Plans for further improvements at PHS are already in place. Our new Josten’s Renaissance Extra-curricular Opportunities Club, known as the Renaissance Ambassadors, After much conversation and planning, the meet monthly to share concerns with administraformer Prophetstown Prophets and Erie Cardition to improve our school climate and culture. nals joined together in every sport to be the EP We are also working to adopt new core values, and Panthers. Previously we had Panther co-ops in a school vision and mission to guide us. Plans are the football, cross country, wrestling, baseball, in place to share additional classes with our co-op Keep an eye on social partner, Erie High School. Starting next semester, softball, and track programs. Now all the students media for our Student of high school students will mentor elementary stuare acquiring a new team name, logo, coaches, teammates, friendships and uniforms in volleyball, the Month postings, which dents at Prophetstown elementary and Tampico are sponsored by area elementary schools. We have received approval golf, basketball, winter cheerleader and dance businesses and the PLT from SVCC to offer dual credit accounting and squads, and scholastic bowl. With change came more opportunities to acquire more playing time. physics next year, as we continue to offer more Education Foundation.

The freshmen volleyball and football players were opportunities to our students. able to have more games because of the increased squad size.

This school year is one of new faces and new traditions at The basketball teams are hoping to follow suit. Practice times, Prophetstown High School, and we look forward to a year full of facilities, and meeting new bus drivers quickly became ordinary achievement in the classroom and beyond, pride in our campus for everyone. The volleyball season was split, with half of the and our community, and new opportunities for students as we games in Erie and the rest in Prophetstown. The Prophets Hills move forward.

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ROCK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE ROCKETS

Awards are music to Rockets’ ears

L

ong before school supplies are bought or new clothes are purchased for the upcoming school year, the band is hard at work.

Ten 7-hour days and countless hours of individual practice all working towards the goal of success in the coming year’s marching band competitions. This is the story of the Marching Rockets 2018 competition season.

The Rock Falls Marching Rockets enjoyed a very successful season this fall. Starting out at the Geneseo Maple Leaf Classic, where the Rockets have had success before, they earned the caption award of “Best Percussion” in their class. This year not only did the Rockets win “Best Percussion” in their class for the sixth year in a row, they were also added “Best Winds” and “Best Drum Majors”. Overall the band took home second place in Class 2A.

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ROCK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE ROCKETS

With a head full of steam and some confidence behind them, the Rockets took their show on the road again, this time to the Dunlap Marching Invitational. It had been a few years since the Rockets had competed at this specific competition, but they made their presence known. The Rockets took home the caption award for “Best

Percussion” and received first place overall in Class 2A. This was the first first-place finish for Rock Falls in some time.

The Marching Rockets continued their marching season journey by competing in the Limestone Marching Band Invitational, where the band earned a second-place overall finish

 

in class 2A and took home the caption awards for “Best Percussion” and “Best Winds.” The first three of four competitions went better than anyone could have imagined going into the season.

The Rockets had one first-place finish and two second-place finishes, missing first in those two competitions by only a combined 4 points.

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

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ROCK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE ROCKETS The band was really rolling as it went into its week off, a week during which the band takes time to refine skills, learn any drill that hadn’t been taught yet, and add any extra visuals or musical ideas they can to the show to make it the best it can be.

Finally, the band headed to Western Illinois University. The Marching Rockets moved up a class for this competition, competing in Class 3A. While in the past the Rockets haven’t had much success at Western, this didn’t deter the band from trying to achieve its goals

and raise its level of performance once again. The band took home a thirdplace finish, its best in the history of competition at Western Illinois.

After a fun weekend at the Galena Halloween Parade, the band packs away the marching equipment, dry-cleans the uniforms and says goodbye to the field until May, when the band will gets its show music for the next season and the whole process will start over again.

Congrats to the Marching Rockets on a successful 2018 and good luck in the coming years to continue this success.

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ROCHELLE HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE HUBS

Accolades and achievements at Rochelle High School P

rincipal Chris Lewis announced in September 2017 that Rochelle Township High School has grown its graduation rate from 86 percent to 96 percent over the course of the past decade. Lewis credited a number of curriculum changes, adoption of the 4-year academic plan and various practices such as Freshman Seminar and delayedstart Mondays, which allow for tutoring and extra library time for that growth.

RTHS 1 earns US College Board AP Honor Roll recognition RTHS is one of 447 school districts in the country, and only 23 in Illinois, to earn a spot on College Board’s eighth Annual AP District Honor Roll. Principal Chris Lewis offered congrats to staff and students.

“Everyone here has a role in this and I am very proud of the work we have done,” he said.

Lewis explained the AP District Honor Roll acknowledges districts that have either increased access to AP classes or improved AP test scores.

In 2010, 79 students tested for AP credit. Last year 116 students tested. Lewis said RTHS scores are above the national average.

Seniors earn $155K locally; $1.4 million in scholarships The RTHS Class of 2018 boasted a number of gifted academicians. The RTHS Alumni Association awarded 36 local scholarships in addition to college/ university awards.

The Class of 2018 boasts: 16 Illinois State Scholars 18 Presidential Scholars 14 Silver Service designees who each volunteered between 400 and 1,000 hours of public service while attending RTHS.

Declared areas of study Health/medical related, 17 Business, 9 Education, 4 Science, 1 Engineering, 4 Agri-business, 2

2017-18 accolades HUBS Marching Band chosen to represent Illinois in Washington D.C. on Veterans Day 2018.

Nationally ranked (eighth) in Food Science.

Caterpillar All State Academics (2).

Bronze regional mathematics medalist.

First and best in show in the NIB-12 Art Show.

WYSE state qualifiers in chemistry, engineering graphics, English.

Silver and Bronze state drafting medalists.

Key Club District Convention Oratory contest silver medalist.

State ranked (fourth) FFA Dairy team.

Participated in Illinois Waterway Cleanup Challenge.

NIB-12 Conference Speech Champions (2).

Successfully defended 2017 NIB-12 Conference Cheer title.

State qualifying FFA Veterinary and Food Science teams.

Regional Speech Performance in the Round Champions.

State Special Occasion Speaking silver medalist.

State Wrestling Tourney second and fifth places.

24th at Individual Girls State Bowling Tourney.

FFA District Competitors (a program high of seven).

State FFA Equine Science Entrepreneurship competitor.

State FFA Outdoor Recreation competitor.

State Dairy Production Entrepreneurship competitor.

Sectional and state golf competitors.

All-State Football team nominee.

NIB-12 Conference & Regional Wrestling Champions.

State-qualifying Cheer Squad.

Wrestlers fourth at IHSA 2A Dual Team State Tournament.

Three Academic All-Conference Wrestlers; four all-conference wrestlers.

Bronze & gold Special Olympics regional medalist/state qualifier.

Bronze medalist at State Special Olympics Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.

State-qualifying 800, 1600 relay teams and high jumper.

Boys Basketball NIB-12W Champions.

Girls track state qualifiers.

Bass fishing state qualifiers.

13 Class of 2018 graduates signed collegiate athletic commitments.

31 RTHS alumni identified as active members of the armed forces were honored on Veterans Day 2017.

2006 alumnus graduates Naval Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) in January 2018.

RTHS librarian serves on nominations committee for the Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers’ Choice Award.

Assistant principal inducted into Millikin University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kevin Crandall named Illinois Class 3A and 4A Athletic Director of the Year.

IWCOA Il Wrestling Coach and assistant earn Class 2A coach, assistant coach of the tear status.

Two RTHS students win Congressional Art Contest.

RTHS Service Clubs donate $8,000 to local and international causes.

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STERLING HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE WARRIORS

Success on stage is a group effort I t’s not often that students are prompted to act like a tree, but students in Sterling High School’s group interpretation do just that.

Group interpretation and contest play are IHSA-sanctioned activities that require preparation of very specific, yet different, performances.

Group interpretation is a unique activity. Performers have to put on a 30-minute performance of a book or movie using no props other than blocks that are set up in a 5-minute period before the performance.

In order to show props or scenery, actors must create them with their bodies.

“Group interpretation really makes you rely on the story,” said director

Tim Schlegel. “A play and musical has sets that help visually engage, but in G.I. you have to convey the story to the audience.”

Past G.I. alumni inspired the incoming groups to strive for success. G.I. has advanced to state all 25 years Sterling High School has had a team. In order to advance to state, the group must place third or higher at sectionals. Second-year participant Sarah Kuhns said, “We feel immense pressure when preparing the G.I. and everyone wants to make sure we carry on the tradition.”

Previous group interpretation recordbreaking shows include “Pirates of the Caribbean,” which finished first at sectionals and won state in 2005, and “Short Term 12,” which placed fourth at state in 2015, the second best finish ever, with a first-place finish at sectionals as well.

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STERLING HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE WARRIORS

SHS has good students across the board

O

ne of Sterling High School’s top performing teams rarely gets the love it deserves. Even after numerous state qualifications, you don’t hear much chatter over the happenings of our very own chess team.

Almost every year since coach Joel Penne started the team in 2010 the team has made the trek to Peoria to compete at the IHSA state championship, and last season was no different. They fought hard and were able to secure an overall fourth-place finish in the tournament.

Between dominating competitions and bringing hardware home from tournaments, the team can be found helping out the young minds at Challand Middle School. Coach Joel Penne shares that the teams “work together as a larger program to promote chess at our schools.”

The team is constantly looking to improve the chess community. The team raises money through its popular chocolate bar fundraiser to get the resources it needs to compete and better its record.

Last season was filled with major accomplishments and firsts for the team.

Up against 18 teams, the Golden Warriors took home the gold in their own Sterling Invitational tournament.

Not only does the team build strategy, but they create strong friendships. When the boards are put away, the team bonds through a multitude of events, from barbecues to its annual soccer game.

The group is welcoming, with an environment that encourages success. Each year, the team’s numbers grow and flourish.

When head coach Joel Penne first started at Sterling High School, he acknowl-

edged the lack of a chess program and was moved to fix it. Chess started out as a club where playes competed against each another.

After the first year, Penne felt there was enough interest in the club for it to potentially become an outstanding program at SHS. In 2010, the club took it up a step and started competing with teams in the surrounding area. With multiple matches played, the team qualified and was able to compete at the state level.

Their expectations at the state championship weren’t exactly met, but coach Penne promised, “We will continue to go back and get better in years to come.”

The team kept that promise. They worked their strategy and bettered themselves which gave them ambition to earn state qualifications year after year.

The 2018-2019 Chess team is no different. At their first competition this season, they had the highest attendance of the teams competing at 21 members in attendance. With multiple winners receiving medals, the team is on the path for success.

3CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

Contest play Along with G.I., Contest Play also competes at the sectional tournament. Contest play is a 40-minute play (usually dramatic) that allows props and a set. The crew and cast have 20 minutes to set up and tear down a whole set and, if it is not torn down in time, they get points deducted from their score.

The cast size usually ranges from two to six people.

Contest play member Jaguer Heier said, “The best thing about a smaller cast is that you receive focused critiques and attention when working on the show, unlike a huge ensemble show. In contest play you are able to significantly improve your characters and story telling.”

Contest Play continues SHS’s greatness in the drama department. They currently have won sectionals for five years in a row (2014-2018). In order to advance to state in this event, the show must place first or second.

Heier admitted, “One of the biggest struggles is easily fully immersing yourself into your characters and the story, especially with the weight of representing some of the best Sterling High School has. It can be straining at times but it just makes it all the more worth it.”

The team has won sectionals with the plays of “Shivaree” (2014), “Last Chance Texaco” (2015), “Veronica’s Room” (2016), “The Women of Lockerbie” (2017), and “Silence Sky” (2018).

Contest Play requires emotional connections and expertise.

“I like the idea that you get to dig into a script,” said director Jill Price. “You get to discover the characters together in such a collaboration.”

Both teams work hard to continue their tradition of success, and both teams show each year why they are considered a threat around the state in group interpretation and contest play.

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STERLING HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE WARRIORS

Farmapalooza just keeps on growing

I

t’s not every day that cows are on Sterling High School’s campus, but, in the spring every year, you will find just that at the school’s FFA Farmapalooza. This annual event is a great opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together to learn about the careers and lifestyle that are a foundation of our community.

At Farmapalooza, there are many booths that give visitors information about farm safety and what farmers do on a daily basis. The newly revived Sterling High School FFA brings in tractors of all colors and sizes for people to view and touch in order to teach them about farm equipment, an opportunity that some guests would not ordinarily have.

Farmapalooza also features livestock from local farmers, such as dairy cattle, chickens, horses, and several dogs that roam the Farmapalooza grounds. The dogs come from Happy Tails, a local animal shelter, so all the dogs are up for adoption.

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STERLING HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE WARRIORS

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3CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 Senior Jacob Capes has attended Farmapolooza for years now and has “learned how much farmers contribute to our daily lives and just how much work it is being a farmer.”

Capes says that his favorite part was “getting to interact with the different parts of agriculture.”

Even if you don’t live on a farm you can still have fun at Farmapalooza. FFA member Genea Garza was a major contributor for last year’s Farmapalooza. Garza said, “It was fun to see the excitement on all the kids’ faces when they got to interact with the animals and participate in the arts and crafts.”

Senior and 3-year FFA officer John Rahn has helped with Farmapalooza since its inception. Rahn says, “We use this event to reach out to the public to gain support while teaching about agriculture.”

Before FFA hosted Farmapalooza, the agriculture club founded the event. The club was founded in 2014 by Sterling High School alumni James Rahn. His younger brother, John Rahn, now carries the torch for the FFA program.

New this year, Illinois State graduate Jacqueline Walters is in charge of organizing this year’s Farmapalooza. FFA has been raising money by doing numerous fundraisers in order to make this year’s event the absolute best. Last year’s attendance doubled from the year prior, so there is much pressure to continue the prosperous event in the spring of 2019. While everything is kept top secret for now, we know this will be the best one yet.

All-in-all, Farmapalooza is a fantastic way to educate attendees of the inner workings of farms while promoting Sterling High School’s FFA.

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UNITY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE KNIGHTS

Unity Christian School – Putting first things first T

here are always so many new things happening at Unity Christian High School in Fulton. Unity continues to have success athletically.

Unity’s varsity soccer team won yet another Conference championship, this time not giving up a single point in the conference tournament.

The play is always a highlight at Unity.

Mr. Hopkins and the drama department continue to outdo themselves with their amazingly well-done production of “The Last Pirate of the Caribbean.” The level of talent produced and displayed never ceases to amaze all those who come to enjoy the drama productions.

The arts and athletics are what make headlines, but Unity recognizes that academics take higher priority. Unity is pleased to announce that its senior class average for the ACT is 24.2, well over the state average of 21.4 and national average of 21.0.

These are successes that Unity can celebrate, but they are not primary. At Unity we teach truth, and one of the things we have learned is that when we put first things first, second things get better. This is why we as a community train our children to pursue honoring God in everything they do primarily.

When we put other things first, the result is never what we aim for. Chas-

Unity’s varsity soccer team won yet another Conference championship, this time not giving up a single point in the conference tournament. ing after money will make you greedy. and we should, because all the time, Chasing after pleasure will leave you God is good. empty. Chasing after knowledge will In the midst of all the normal dealings make you prideful. Chasing after popuand excitement at Unity, the school larity will leave you shallow and discon- board has also given the green light to tent. Chasing after God is the only purbegin construction of a new campus suit in which we are promised success. that is scheduled to open to students in That is the type of success we all desire, January 2020.

The school board has also given the green light to begin construction of a new campus that is scheduled to open to students in January 2020.

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WEST CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL | HOME OF THE THUNDER

Students do some heavy-duty learning

T

wo West Carroll High School seniors and FFA members, Matt Shaw and Ryan Miller, went to the fourth-grade Conservation Day at Palisades State Park on Sept. 27. The boys presented to students from West Carroll and Washington Elementary in Sterling.

They were asked to bring a large piece of equipment for the heavy machinery unit, a wheel loader Ron Miller of Miller Excavating donated for the day.

Shaw and Miller talked with the students about the machine and let them observe it and pretend to drive it. The boys presented to roughly 220 kids, split into seven groups. Each session lasted approximately 20 minutes. The two talked to the kids about safety around large equipment before they were allowed to get near the wheel loader. The kids were very respectful and great listeners, and even surprised the boys with some of their knowledge about the equipment.

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