from the desk of the principal · • 10% of the class had a 3.8 gpa or higher • 2010/2011 had...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 3, Number 11
In This Issue
• From the Desk of the
Principal
• From the Treasurer
• Counselors’ Corner
• Parent Network
• Open Door
• Alpha Yearbook
• World Languages
• FACS Department
• JROTC
• Music Notes
• Girls Cross Country
• Relay for Life at MCHS
• Catching Up
• Students of the Month
• Way to Go!
• Dates to Remember
• Dustin Rivich
• Getting Ready for
Graduation
• Distinguished Grads
Contact Us
Comments? Suggestions?
Contact Joyce Westphal
As we close the school year and send the Class of 2011 off to higher education opportunities, I challenge the current underclassmen, next years leaders, to outperform this Class of 2011.
This will not be an easy challenge considering:
• 10% of the class had a 3.8 GPA or higher
• 2010/2011 had the largest class inducted into the National Honor
Society
• 7 students finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 25% of the class is on track to earn an Academic Honors Diploma
• 2011 was the first class to join the National Association of Student
Council, adopt bylaws, and conduct meetings using parliamentary
procedure.
• Volunteered countless hours to community organizations through
National Honor Society
• Served as peer leaders for freshman transition activities
• Was the last class expected to pass the GQE to graduate and
ended with 99% passing before the end of their senior year
Again, not an easy challenge for the future leaders of MCHS but not insurmountable. Early indications show that this years testers passed Algebra I, English 10, and Biology I at a higher percentile compared
to previous years. This accomplishment demonstrates potential. As a staff we expect that our school improvement efforts, which focus on instruction and atmosphere conducive to learning, will only assist our students in their academic accomplishments.
We will miss the Class of 2011, and we look forward to working with the Class of 2012 as they rise to their challenge.
From the Desk of the Principal...
June 2011
Page 2 June 2011
From the Treasurer
As we near the end of the school year a final reminder that all book
rental fees should be paid.
Reminder to Seniors: Please take care of all financial obligations before graduation.
Counselors’ Corner
We are so proud of our outstanding seniors who were presented with over $1,577,000.00 in college scholarships at the Senior Scholarship and Academic Awards Night held Wednesday, May 25. Other awards given included scholarship pins, honor roll, principal’s
honor roll and perfect attendance. Congratulations to Ryan Byers, the only senior to have earned perfect attendance for all four years of high school. Congratulations to our Departmental Alpha and Wolf
Award winners.
We are extremely proud of the Class of 2011. Thirty students from this class will be recognized as distinction or high distinction at graduation. These students are not only academically impressive
DEPARTMENT ALPHA WOLF
ART Taylor Henderson Evelyn Johnson
BUSINESS Zoe Bogart Alex Plunk
ENGLISH Bridget Callahan Jazzmine Collins
FACS Mercedes McConnell Gabby Frye
PE/HEALTH Sarah Brinckman Maggie Gondeck
MATHEMATICS Ryan Byers Elizabeth Dobben
MUSIC Katie Altherr Katie Dahlberg
SCIENCE Christopher Peckat Elizabeth Powers
SOCIAL STUDIES David Dailey Jacob Daurer
MULTI-DISCIPLINE Kelly Mahaffy Brian Bentley
WORLD LANGUAGES:
FRENCH Taylor Henderson Sarah Harvey
GERMAN Nathan Quinlan Ryan Byers
JAPANESE Alex Mark Kelsey Kuhl
SPANISH Dustin Rivich Alexander Uryga
TECHNICAL EDUCATION Matthew Nazareth Brooke Travis
Page 3 June 2011
but have been very involved in extra curricular activities and com-munity service. Congratulations Class of 2011 and best
wishes from the entire Guidance Department.
Underclassmen Award Assemblies will be held June 8 according to the following schedule:
9th grade assembly - 7:30 a.m. 10th grade assembly – 8:25 a.m. 11th grade assembly – 9:20
Parents are invited to attend to join us as we celebrate the achievements of our students.
Parent Network
This summer (before registration at the High School) you will re-ceive an email to renew your email subscription. If you will con-tinue to have a student at MCHS in the fall of 2011, please renew your email address. All addresses are deleted prior to the start of
the next school year. For new parents, we will be once again col-lecting email addresses at registration.
Thank you to the following parents, friends, and teachers who do-nated their time and talents at the Prom/Post Prom and Great America celebrations: John Avila, Jeanne Bennett, Chris Bently, Brian and Leslie Biggs, Susan Branch, Deborah
Chubb, Cheryl Daurer, Tim Genge, Kim and Paul Gondeck,
Deb Henderson, Kim Henderson, Bruce and Linda Hirsch,
Sandy Kedo, Karen Kintigh, Leslye Kreighbaum, Mark
Marz, Brad and Kelly Neulieb, Scott and Sandy Ormsby,
Brian and Kelly Palmer, Jeff and Sue Peckat, Dayna Pedzin-
ski, Dan and Debbie Pedzinski, Renee Richmond, Diane
Schneider, Brandon Sobecki, Todd and Sheila Sobecki ,
Mary Stark, Katie St. Germaine, and Jane Westergren
If there are topics, workshops or programs you would like the MCHS Parent Network to address for the 2011-2012 school year,
please email [email protected] The senior picnic will be Friday, June 10th. If you would like to
help the sponsors of the senior class, Mrs. Phyllis Stark and Mr. Andy Jasicki, please let me know by emailing the [email protected] or [email protected].
Mark your calendars for the following dates for 2011-2012 school year: June 3 Jimmy Johns give back from 4:30-7 pm September 16 Home Coming Dance sponsored by Parent
Network September 27 You Can Finance College Workshop October 1 MCHS Parent Network Raffle at White Eagle
Park
Page 4 June 2011
December 10 Holiday Dance sponsored by Parent Network
Have a great summer, see you at registration!
Debbie Pedzinski, President MCHS Parent Network
Open Door Adolescent Health Center
Open Door Adolescent Health Center
Michigan City High School - Room #O-111 (219)873-2082
HOW DO I HAVE THE BEST SUMMER POSSIBLE?
• Before summer begins, remind your children about safety in
talking to strangers and adults that are not well known to them. "Stranger Danger" should be discussed throughout childhood AND adolescence. The facts: 1 in 5 girls will be mo-
lested before their 18th birthday, 1 in 6 boys. 90% of all sex-ual assaults are perpetrated by someone the victim knows. Discuss safety issues with your adolescent throughout the year so they know how to protect themselves in any situation!
• KNOW THE WHO, WHAT AND WHERE your adolescent has
been on the internet! There are many programs you can buy that track virtually everything your adolescent does online.
Especially if they are at home alone for some periods during the day, it is better to be safe than sorry. You are not intrud-ing on their privacy...you are keeping them safe. Keep in mind
that 1 in 5 adolescents have been sexually propositioned on the internet. Discuss internet limits and boundaries with your teen before summer begins, so you both start off on the same page.
• Often, adolescents will eat when they are bored, especially in
the summertime. Keep healthy food choices at home, so your
adolescent is less inclined to graze on junk food.
• Discuss ground rules at the beginning of the summer regard-
ing what is appropriate for activities and what is expected of
your adolescent. If they know ahead of time what the limits, boundaries and expectations are, there is typically less oppor-
Page 5 June 2011
tunity for problems as the summer goes on. It may be benefi-cial to have family meetings throughout the summer to stay in
touch and discuss any issues that come up. Family meetings are not a time for discipline or punishment. They should be viewed as an open forum for everyone to discuss and be heard. Often during the summer, they can be a great way to
connect with the family and "check in." Many families often do activities as a family after meetings to spend family time and keep in contact.
• Know who your adolescent's friends are! If you do not like
someone whom they are hanging out with, get to know them. If you still don't approve, tell your adolescent and be up front
about your concerns. As a parent, you CAN forbid your adoles-cent from hanging out with someone you don't approve of. Yes, it may cause an argument and be uncomfortable, but trust your gut instinct.....it could stave off many problems in
the future.
• If you have a concern that your adolescent may be using alco-
hol, drugs or cigarettes, ask them. Be up front and let them know your concerns. If they are not open and honest with you, they will know that you are "on" to them and most often sooner rather than later, you will find out the answer. Again,
discuss rules and boundaries with your adolescent before sum-mer starts. Let them know what the consequences will be for serious problems.
• Be very specific about what kind, style and type of clothing
you approve of for your adolescent. As a parent, you DO have the right to throw something away that you disapprove of,
even if you didn't buy it!
• Have a rule that your adolescent checks in with you whenever
they change locations when they are out with their friends. This way, you will know where they are at, who they are with and have more peace of mind.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1015321
Hopefully these ideas will keep your teen on the right
track and help minimize poor decision making as a re-
sult of boredom. Have a fun and safe summer!
Look for us in August at the
MCHS Registration
and sign up your student
for free on-site comprehensive
health and mental health services.
Page 6 June 2011
Alpha Yearbook
The Alpha Yearbook staff is putting the finishing touches on the 2011 book in order to send it off to the publisher following graduation. Jostens Publishing Company has eight to ten weeks to print and bind the book and return it to us for an early fall
delivery. If you haven't ordered this memorable book for your student, you might still have time. We had to put in a final or-der last week based on sales and we only ordered an additional 50 books. After those are sold, we cannot order any more. If
you would like a cherished keepsake for your child, please call Sandy Cipares at 873-2044, ext 4339 or stop by the school as soon as possible. You can still reserve one for $60, but TIME
IS RUNNING OUT!
World Languages
Erik Troske - National Laureate, French
The National French Contest, also known as “Le Grand Con-cours” is an annual written competition sponsored by the Ameri-can Association of Teachers of French. Students of French in
grades 1-12 in all 50 states take a written test and compete against students with similar educational backgrounds for prizes.
Almost 20,000 students took the level 3 test. Erik Troske re-ceived a bronze medal for a national ranking of 6th. He has also earned the honor of “National Laureate” because he scored
within the top 10 ranking. He received a medallion as a national laureate and he received a blue ribbon for scoring first place in Northwest Indiana.
As a further note, Erik won the honor of “National Laureate” last year in 2010 as well. “He is truly an exceptional student”, says French Teacher, Ms. Paula Callaway.
FACS Department
Students in the FACS department are winding down the school year and preparing for final exams. In the Advanced Foods
classes the students are putting the skills they have learned this year into practice to create healthy meals that are also eco-nomical. They have completed units on meal planning, nutri-
tional requirements, and preparation. The students also enjoy
Page 7 June 2011
eating the products they create. The Housing class is completing their final project which involves drawing a floor plan to scale, se-
lecting furnishings and landscaping examples, as well as window treatments and paint and flooring samples. In the Fashion II class some students are putting the finishing touches on the dresses they are planning to wear to graduation. Advanced Child
development is finishing off the year with the study of what chil-dren do at various ages. Students are planning activities that will help children develop both gross and fine motor skills and pro-mote the other areas of development. All classes will finish up
with the required written final exams during the scheduled times. The FACS department wishes everyone a safe and fun summer break!
JROTC
MCHS MCJROTC CONDUCTS MILITARY BALL AND AWARDS
CEREMONY
The Michigan City High School Marine Corps Jun-ior Reserve Officer Train-
ing Corps (MCJROTC) conducted a military ball and awards ceremony on May 20, 2011. The mili-
tary ceremony is a re-minder to the cadets and other attendees of the
dedication required to maintain a strong national
defense and the sacrifices made by our men and women serving in the military. The awards portion of the ceremony recognized
cadets who were involved in the various extracurricular activities of the MCJROTC such as the drill team, rifle team, community ser-vice, parades and ceremonies, as well as academic excellence.
The awardees were:
Megan Leader Academics
Karla Gonzalez Military Training
Michelle Edwards American Veterans Association
Kaitlyn Sowards Daughters of the American Revolution
Brandon Henry Navy League
Jacob Neal Scottish Rite
Samantha Henry Women Marine Association
Paul Tobalt Military Order of World Wars
Edward Loop Marine Corps League
Paul Howard Veterans of Foreign Wars
Brandon Tharp Reserve Officer Association
Katelyn Mowiniski National Sojourners
Page 8 June 2011
Music Notes
Michigan City High School and the Music Boosters
Recognize Senior Band Students
Sixteen Michigan City High School Band students were recognized
at a dinner at The Pearl on Wednesday, May 18th. The students and their families were hosted by the Music Boosters in apprecia-tion for the student’s achievements and contributions to their
school and community. The students were active in school music and participated in band classes, color guard, concert band, jazz band, marching band, orchestra pit, pep band, symphonic band and wind ensemble. The students were presented plaques and
keepsake books by Band Director, Quincy Ford, Assistant Director Derek Meilaender, Color Guard Instructor Trisha Laughlin and the Boosters.
Students honored were, front row- Alyssa Williams, Katelyn She-
bel, Morgan Lynn, Taylor Henderson, Latasha Sims, Ashley Gul-strom, Molly Archer, Color Guard Instructor Trisha Laughlin, Carly Evans, Kaitlyn Altherr, and Director Quincy Ford Back row- Lucas Morse, Brendan Isbell, Alexander Uryga, Assistant Director
Derek Meilaender, Katie Dahlberg, Robert Avila and Chelsea Grams. Not pictured – Megan Nilson
Girls Cross Country
Girls cross-country team conditioning begins in June for girls in grades 9-12. We are looking for some new faces to join our team.
We have a no cut policy on our team. Please contact Coach Tim Bumber for information. [email protected], or 873-2044 ext. 4531.
Page 9 June 2011
Relay for Life at MCHS
Michigan City High School will be hosting Relay For Life of La Porte
County for the first time ever this year. The Relay For Life Event will be held Friday, June 17th- Saturday, June 18th, 2011. Relay For Life is one of the American Cancer Society's largest fund-raising events and the money that is raised is used to support
various ACS research and services in the area. All team captain/participant planning meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm at Purdue North Central in Westville. We en-courage anyone who would like to get involved or to find out more
information regarding Relay to contact Stacey Floran at 1-574-257-9789 or email [email protected] We also encourage everyone who is a cancer survivor or knows of any cancer survi-
vors to have them register at the website www.relayforlife.org/laportecountyin so that they will be able to participate in all the Relay activities.
Catching Up…
Dear Principal Francesconi,
My name is Mary
Richert, and my son Cody Richert was a student at Michigan
City High School and he graduated in 2010. I’m sure you remember him, he
always spoke so highly of you and he really liked you. I’m
sure being a principal this is so nice to hear. So I thought you would like an update on what my son has accomplished in 1 short year. It seems like yes-terday we were attending his graduation, and then we thought he
was going to attend Purdue, but he decided to surprise us and said that he wanted to join the United States Air Force. Actually, he told my husband and then I was told because he wasn’t sure how I was going to react, bottom line he was afraid to tell
mom! After finding a trustworthy recruiter (we went through 3) he was on his way. Cody started BMT on February 1, and went through 8 ½ weeks of hell, as he likes to say…and it really
was. It was very hard physically and mentally, we are a very close family so it was hard on all of us. Finally his graduation day came April 1. The graduation was a once in a lifetime experi-ence, I have never in my life seen so much respect that these
men and women have, for their country and each other. Cody has made some lifelong friends with the boys in his squad; they
Page 10 June 2011
are referred to as his “Wingmen”. Cody is doing his Technical training in Pensacola Florida right now; he is training to become
an Aircraft Structural Maintenance person, which means he will be in charge of constructing, designing and maintaining the F-15’s (Jets). We also found out that his first Base location will be in the UK, at RAF Air force Base in Lakenheath, UK. He will be stationed
there for approximately 3-4 years, starting in August. It is about an hour north of London. Cody is really excited about this loca-tion and he is looking forward to traveling throughout Europe whenever he can. My husband and I are bursting at the seams
with pride. Thank you for your positive impact on my son’s life! Mary Richert
Students of the Month
Congratulations to the Horizon Bank Students of the Month for April, 2011.
The students are selected by the department teachers and each is awarded a $50.00 U.S. Savings Bond from Horizon Bank who has partnered with MCHS to make this award possible.
Lucas Bruce - Art Department
Sarah Brinckman - Business Department
Veronika Werner - English Department
Eugene Dickelman - FACS Department
Dustin Tobalt - JROTC
Taylor Burroughs - Math Department
Brian Bentley - Multi-Discipline
Brooke Kalvaitis - Music Department
Ashleigh Ellenwood - PE/Health Department
Alexander Uryga - Science Department
Veronika Werner - Social Studies
Devan Sadler - Tech.Ed./Voc.Ed.
Lucas Stimley - World Languages
Way to Go!
Congratulations to all spring sports athletes!
Page 11 June 2011
Congratulations to retiring teachers and staff! Best wishes for many years of enjoyment and relaxation - you deserve it! Class
of 2011 Retirees: Kris Alinsky, Marge Bockover, Cheryl Bohlim, Fran Booth, Bennie Edwards, Nancy Egan, Paul Johnson, Pat McDonald, Ken Altizer, Jerre Applegate, and Mary Klosowski
Congratulations to all inductees of the National Honor Society, Foreign Language Honor Society, and Technology Honor Society.
Congratulations to Ryan Byers for achieving 4 years of perfect at-
tendance at MCHS.
Congratulations Class of 2011!
Dates to Remember
June 8&9 Senior Final Exams
June 8 Underclassmen Awards
June 10&13 Underclassmen Final Exams
June 10 Final Graduation Practice and Senior Picnic
June 12 Graduation
June 13 Last Day of School for All Students
June 22 Summer School Starts
July 28 Summer School Ends
August 24 First Day for Students - 2011/2012
Dustin Rivich
Dustin Rivich was presented an official certificate of appointment to the
United States Air Force Academy on Friday, June 3, 2011. Major John Bry-ant made the presentation. Major Bryant said that more than 12,000
high school seniors applied to the Academy this year, while only 1,000 received appointments. He com-
mented that he has not seen a student score higher on all of the indicators the Air Force Academy is look-ing for. Dustin was at the top in every category, including aca-demic excellence, athletics, and fitness. The honor includes a full
tuition scholarship to the prestigious Air Force Academy in Colo-rado Springs, and an opportunity to pursue pilot training.
Page 12 June 2011
Getting Ready for Graduation
Class Officers from left to right: Jordan Williams, Secretary; Sean Sobecki,
President; Dustin Rivich, Vice President
Page 13 June 2011
Distinguished Graduates
We are proud to announce that MCHS Class of 2011 has 30
students that will graduate with Distinction or Highest Distinc-tion on Sunday, June 12, 2011.
Congratulations to: Molly Archer, Robert Avila, Jillian Bates, Laura Bennett, Britney Bowen, Ryan Byers, Bridget Callaghan,
Melissa Deutscher, Elizabeth Dobben, Kellsie Emerick, Brooke Foltz, Tyler Glanz, Maggie Gondeck, Taylor Henderson, Brooke Kalvaitis, Cameron Miller, Lucas Morse, Alyssa Pagels, Lauren Palmer, Christopher Peckat, Haley Peckat, Darci Pedzinski, Na-
than Quinlan, Dustin Rivich, Katelyn Shebel, Sean Sobecki, Alex Uryga, Stephanie West, Jordan Williams, and Tyler Zook
Distinguished Banquet
June 2, 2011