November Gazette 2

St . G re g ’s G a z e t t e The Parent/Guardian Newsletter of St. Gregory the GREAT High School

Se r v ice - L earn in g

Russia or Bust

SGHS is launching a service-learning program with a fresh take on what volunteering and service hours will look like. Starting November 18, a once-a-month, all-school service day will be initiated. During these service days students will attend regular classes in the mornings and in the afternoons head to various service sites throughout the city. Volunteer opportunities range from performing children's theatre for grade schoolers, visiting with the elderly, conducting a creative writing workshop at a women's shelter, planning activities for disabled persons, or supervising toddlers at a community center. Students have a real opportunity to form relationships with the people at their sites, both clients and employees, since they will remain at the same service site all year. We hope this experience will develop within our students a deep sense of compassion and a furthered interest in community involvement. Service-Learning partners include Council on Jewish Elders SeniorLife, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, Misericordia, St. Matthias School, Deborah's Place, Weiss Memorial Hospital, European American Association, Neumann Association and Bethany Retirement Community. Parents may contact Mr. Darren Brown or Mr. Brian Sieve with any questions, concerns, or feedback at the Campus

In April 2010, Ms. Goldman and Mr. Edgeworth will be chaperoning a group of SGHS students to Russia. To help fund their trip, there will be several holiday gift fund raisers, including an art fair and gift sale; gift cards to many local businesses will also be for sale. Handmade fleece hats and scarves will also be on sale for students, families, and friends alike. More information to follow. The trip website is www.sghsrussia.org.

Campus Ministry in November 2 11 13 18

All Souls Day Mass Service-Learning Orientation Sophomore Retreat Off-Campus Service-Learning

C ongratulations Hsa Wa h Wa h ‘12 Sophomore, Hsa Wah Wah Htoo ‘12, has been selected to represent St. Gregory High School at the 2010 Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference at Robert Morris University in June. HOBY, founded by actor Hugh O'Brian, is one of the oldest and most prominent youth leadership organizations in

the world. In 1958 Mr. O'Brian had a dream to change the world in his own way - by engaging young leaders, the world's most promising enterprise and greatest asset and it was then that HOBY started. In June Hsa Wah Wah will spend the weekend with over 100 other sophomore students from northern Chicago schools to develop leadership skills, work on building community, and experience service. Congratulations Hsa Wah Wah!

November, 2009 Volume 12, Issue 3

Open House Invite your family and friends to SGHS open house:

Saturday November 14 from noon to 3:00 PM. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders and their parents/ guardians will be able to meet teachers and find out about the programs and opportunities available. Parents/guardians who would like to volunteer to help at the Open House, please call Ms. Broeren

Game Designers On Wednesday, November 4, Mr. Peleg Holzmann , our technical director, is taking ten students interested in game design to DePaul University where they will sit in on a class and find out what game design is really about!

Remembering our Dearly Departed Add your memories to the annual St. Gregory the Great High School Ofrenda! It is traditional this time of year to remember our loved ones who have preceded us to heaven. The Catholic Church is preparing to celebrate the great feasts of All Saints and All Souls. And in Central America, it is traditional to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. We will be building our own prayer space and altar featuring tokens to remember our loved ones. If you would like to add to the ofrenda, please send your remembrances to school to the attention of Mr. Brian Sieve or Mr.

Brown. Or feel free to email an image and caption, prayer, or other note to be placed on the ofrenda or in the Book of Remembrance for the month of November. Emails may be sent to Mr. Brian Sieve, Coordinator of Campus Ministry at [email protected]. Include the complete name of the person, her/his connection to SGHS or one of our families and your name and information (ie Rest in Peace Clare Bernardoni, Aunt of Cecilia George, Class of 1941; Submitted by Donte Wojik, junior. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord… And let perpetual light shine upon them.

The National Honor Society will hold its annual food drive in November. Please send any nonperishable food items to Ms. Noesen in Room 304.

from the Counseling Depar tment . . . A W A R E N E S S D AY Monday, November 23 8:00 AM – 12:15 AM Awareness Day at SGHS promotes student awareness on a variety of topics. It is an opportunity for students to learn more about some issues that are part of adolescents’ lives. Speakers will present on a variety of topics (chosen with input from the students) such as Conflict Resolution, Stress & Anxiety, Drug/Alcohol Awareness, etc. Each student will choose four 40-minute presentations to attend. For questions please contact Ms. Pleskach at 773/907-8056 or [email protected].

T E S T I N G D AY Tuesday, November 24 8:00 AM – 12:15 Freshmen will take the Explore test, sophomores will take the Plan test and juniors will take the practice ACT. These tests are part of ACT's

Education Planning and Assessment System which helps students develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in college and do their best on the ACT (a test which students will take in the spring of junior year as part of admissions to college). The tests also provide a baseline score for our Cambridge ACT Prep Program. Please make sure your student gets to bed early and has a good breakfast. Test results and the interpretations will be available in late January. For more information on these exams and how to interpret test scores, please visit www.act.org. Special note to students with an IEP (Individual Education Plan): If your student has an IEP on file that specifies accommodations for testing, he/she will receive special accommodations on the November 24 testing day. IMPORTANT -- Parents of JUNIORS and SENIORS: the ACT will be given at SGHS in the spring

of 2009. Your student must have a current IEP with specific accommodations for testing on file in order to receive special accommodations on the test day. If your student's IEP is three years old or more, he/she must have it updated. For questions, please call Ms. Goodchild (773/907-2104 or [email protected]) in the counseling department.

P A R E N TS I O RS

OF

S EN -

Has your student applied to college and/or technical/trade school yet? Seniors should currently be completing college and/or technical/trade school applications and applying for scholarships. Please talk with them about their plans for after high school and assist them in preparing to meet their goals. Application assistance is available from the counseling department after school, during CORE time, and by appointment. For questions, please contact Ms. Goodchild at

Student of the Month Christine Leos ‘10 Each month the faculty and staff select a student of outstanding leadership, academic excellence, and dedication to their school and classmates. These are truly leaders among the students, Outstanding Greyhounds as we like to call them; they should be very proud of their accomplishments! Parents/guardians, encourage your student to speak with faculty members about how they can be nominated for this honor and become an Outstanding Greyhound! September Student-of-the-Month was Christine Leos Comments from some of her teachers: "Christine's cheerfulness infuses such joy into those around her. In class, Christine exhib-

its a disciplined work ethic and actively participates. She never ceases to remain hopeful and encourages her classmates to do their best. As a member of the volleyball team, I've watched Christine emerge as a leader. She remains focused while supportive of each of her teammates. Her encouraging smile and words of wisdom (as well as patience) are welcome sights on the court. Christine also became a spiritual leader among her peers as a member of the God Squad. Other students benefit from her listening ear, openness, and positive presence during retreats." "Christine is a good student and represents the senior class well. She works hard on the yearbook and is always willing to help make SGHS a better place. She goes above and beyond by helping out at functions outside of school. It is great to work with her!"

Parents of Freshmen . . . All freshmen will be bringing home a letter and consent form inviting them to participate in a doctoral research project concerning organizational skills and academic success. The research is being conducted by Ben Freville, a doctoral candidate at Loyola University. One half of the freshmen will receive instruction on an organizational strategy, materials to help them be organized, and reinforcement/use of the strategy for four weeks. Overall, the project will

last seven to eight weeks. The other half of the freshmen will be in the comparison group. The project is explained in more detail in the letter with contact information, should you have questions. Mr. Doyle, Ms. Pagone, Mr. Brian Sieve, Ms. Krymski and Ms. Goldman are the participating teachers. Please ask your child for the letter and consent form; sign the consent form, and return it to the school as soon as possible. Thank you!

H1N1 FLU NOTES • DO

NOT SEND YOUR STUDENT TO SCHOOL IF SHE/HE HAS FLULIKE SYMPTOMS.

• Students, faculty and staff must stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever. • This should be determined without the use of fever reducing medications. • This is shorter than the previously recommended 7-day wait period. The GOD SQUAD includes any students who assist with planning or leading Campus Ministry events. This includes everything from school Masses to retreats and everything in between. God Squad meets every Friday during lunch and all students are welcome to come join at any point in the year. There has been a terrific turnout in helping to plan the upcoming All Souls Day Mass with students volunteering to do readings, write petitions, and sing in the choir. A big thank you to the God Squad Retreat Team for all its hard work in leading the seventh and eighth grade retreats and the SGHS freshman retreat: Blaise Ndiwe ‘11 Corey McKenzie ‘11 Roanne Madulid ‘11 Gustavo Cruz ‘12 Jamol Primous ‘11 Christine Leos ‘10 Lavina Joseph ‘11

Role Reversal Mr. McLean and Mr. Doyle have just begun a course at Loyola on teaching math and science to English Language Learners.