Thursday, January 12, 2017

School Board Favors East Building Addition

A proposed addition to the East Building took a major step forward Monday night as the District 125 Board of Education’s Site and Facilities Committee agreed in principle with its construction.

If approved by the board and the Lincolnshire Village Board, work would begin this fall and the addition would be ready for the start of the 2019-20 school year. The School Board is expected to vote on the proposed addition in March, after the village addresses the proposal in February.

The board has been discussing a potential addition to the East Building with school administrators for several months, as enrollment projections indicate a growing student body will overwhelm current classroom capacity within three years. Stevenson’s enrollment is expected to rise from 4,137 to around 4,300 by 2020, with a student population of 4,500 likely by 2025. Meanwhile, the school building has 190 classrooms and teaching spaces, and administrators say another 20-22 would be needed to handle the additional enrollment. Most of the teaching spaces in the addition would be for science and World Languages classes.

If built, the East Building addition would be a “net-zero” building outfitted with renewable energy sources that would offset the costs of heating and air conditioning. The addition would include such things as solar panels, a green roof, a rooftop greenhouse/classroom, and “living walls” on which plants would grow.

The projected cost of the addition would be $25.4-$25.7 million, with administrators seeking to shave $1 million or more from the cost with a state “green energy” grant. The district would use a combination of bonds and savings to pay for construction.

Residents who live in the area immediately to the east of Stevenson’s campus have been invited to a meeting at the District 125 Administration Center at 6 p.m. Thursday, January 19 to discuss the proposal. The meeting also is open to the public.

Seniors Selected to Daily Herald Leadership Team

Senior Nikol Safronova, who as National Honor Society president oversaw the school’s Give-A-Thon and Streetfest fundraisers, has been selected to the Daily Herald 2016-17 Lake County Leadership Team. Senior Jordan Zatz was an honorable mention selection.

Safronova led the student leadership teams involved with Give-A-Thon and Streetfest, both of which had banner years. Give-A-Thon provided holiday gifts for a record 385 Lake County families, and also collected enough food to stock the Vernon Area Pantry for one year. Give-A-Thon also gathered more diapers, formula and other baby items for the Public Action to Deliver Shelter location at St. Mary of Vernon than ever before. Streetfest raised more than $10,000 for three charities, and saw attendance increase by 2,000 from the year before. Safronova also organizes the National Honor Society’s fall and spring blood drives. She has served as vice president of the Youth and Government club for three years, and as secretary for the debate team for four. She has been on the editorial staff of the Statesman, Stevenson’s student newspaper, for three years and has been a mentor in the Freshman Mentor Program for two years.

In addition to her service work at Stevenson, Safronova volunteers extensively in the community. For the past five years, she has been a volunteer guitar teacher at elementary schools in Chicago, and twice a month leads service outreach trips to help the less fortunate. She leads a group of students every other Friday to assist at the community kitchen at A Just Harvest on Chicago’s north side. Every other Tuesday, she leads a student group to the Roberti Community House in Waukegan to help students with their homework.

Safronova, an immigrant from Russia who will be the first in her family to attend college, is developing an app to help other immigrants and first-generation students apply to and pay for college.

Zatz has been immersed in several co-curricular activities at Stevenson, and will be honored as a member of the 300 Club at graduation. The aspiring dietitian has been a four-year member of the Family and Career Community Leaders of America, and currently serves as co-president. Last year, she developed and led a membership drive that saw the club double in size from 23 students to 46. She serves on the Freshman Mentor Program Executive Board and is co-director of the advisory leaders. Zatz also is a member of National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, the Council of 100, and has served the Class of 2017 as a member of their class board and Executive Board.

Orientation for Incoming Freshmen Tonight

The second orientation evening for incoming freshmen and their parents or guardians will be held tonight. Although intended for students whose last names begin with the letters I through P, any family unable to attend its scheduled night is welcome to come. The formal program begins at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. However, families are encouraged to arrive around 6 o’clock to receive two information packets, take a tour of the school, and turn in completed enrollment forms. The third and final orientation evening will be held Wednesday.

PATRIOT SPORTS

Click here for today’s athletic schedule

Wednesday’s Varsity Results

Girls Basketball

Stevenson 73, Waukegan 29: A 21-2 first-quarter blitz removed any doubt as the visiting Patriots improved to 15-3 overall and 8-0 in the North Suburban Conference. Senior Ashley Richardson scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the first quarter, and junior Klaire Steffens tallied all 15 of her points in the first half as SHS took a 41-10 lead. Senior Madison Wicklund recorded 10 points, junior Gina Shanley had nine, and junior Kiana Cencula and freshman Avery King each contributed eight.

Boys Swimming and Diving

Stevenson 105.5, Libertyville 76.5: Sophomore Topher Stensby won two events and swam on a first-place relay as the host Patriots won 10 of 12 events and moved to 4-0 in NSC dual competition. Stensby won the 200 IM (2:04.90) and the 100 backstroke (55.77), and opened the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:41.02) with sophomores Joseph Song and Maxim Ryaguzov and junior Daniel Ng. Song, Ryaguzov and Ng each claimed an individual event. Song won the 100 free (50.02), Ryaguzov prevailed in the 100 butterfly (54.01), and Ng captured the 100 breaststroke (59.60). Other individual winners included sophomore Ethan Ross in the 200 free (1:50.15), senior Matt Krames in diving (267.40), and sophomore Nathan Gates in the 500 free (4:49.08). SHS also won the 200 free relay (1:29.07) behind senior Andrew Shashin, junior Collin Kapecki, freshman Niccolo Comini and junior Nick Baginski.

Boys Bowling

Stevenson 3,222, Libertyville 3,034, Grayslake Central 2,605: Junior Lucas Pinkus bowled a career-high 751 series, 11 pins higher than his previous best, and posted the top game of the day for SHS, a 258. Senior Zach Singer shot a 684 (high game 237). Senior Gabe Gordon had a 640 (228) and classmate Josh Singer recorded a 610 (222). Jake Kozak, also a senior, contributed a 537 (214). What was scheduled as a dual between the Patriots and Grayslake Central turned into a three-way match with the inclusion of Libertyville at Lakeside Lanes. SHS overcame a hot start by Libertyville and prevailed by breaking the 1,000-pin mark in all three games. LHS outscored the Pats in the first game, 1,131-1,102, but Stevenson had the upper hand in the final two games, 1,103-903 and 1,089-1,000.

Boys Ice Hockey

Loyola Academy 2, Stevenson 0: Despite 39 saves from junior goalie Nicolas Almenara, the Patriots (14-18) fell at Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion. The Ramblers scored both of their goals in the last five minutes of the first period. – Boxscore

Tuesday’s Varsity Results

Girls Gymnastics

Stevenson 131.40, Warren 127.90: The Patriots edged the Blue Devils in the Field House, thanks to strong performances on balance beam and uneven bars. Freshman Riley Polatsek won both events, posting a score of 8.85 on beam and 8.2 on bars. Emily Weinstein, also a freshman, claimed the floor exercise (8.8) and was second on beam (8.55). Sophomore Johnna Geick was second on floor exercise (8.7) and uneven bars (8.1). She and Weinstein tied for fifth on vault (8.2). Sophomore Zoe Hinz was third in the all-around (31.05) and third on balance beam (8.35). Senior Natalie Shulman place third on bars (7.9). Freshman Amy Sliwicki finished fourth on uneven bars (7.7) and fifth in floor exercise (8.25).

Coach: Recruiters Missing the Point on Richardson

Senior point guard Ashley Richardson has been a varsity starter since her freshman year, and this season she leads the Patriots in points, assists, rebounds and steals. So why isn’t she getting any attention from Division I schools? That’s the question on head coach Ashley Graham’s mind. “People are missing the boat on her,” she told Bob Narang from the News-Sun.

STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Friday Deadline to Apply for Project Dance Committee

Applications are now being taken for the Project Dance Planning Committee. Students on the committee will plan and run this annual fundraiser for the Riverside Foundation in Lincolnshire and the Stevenson Foundation’s Kids In Need (KIN) Fund. The committee will meet every Tuesday from 3:30-5 p.m. beginning January 24. Project Dance will take place April 8. To apply and for more details, click here.

Host Families Needed for German Students

Students from Germany will be visiting Stevenson from March 5-17, and we need your help! Please consider hosting one or more students for an unforgettable family experience. Information is available by emailing Suzanne Paloian at spaloian@d125.org or by calling 847-415-4500. If you are interested, complete this Student/Family Information Form and email it to spaloian@d125.org or return it to Room 2414 at your earliest convenience. Forms will be accepted in the order received.

Mandatory Meeting for Orchestra Italy Trip

All students (and their parents) interested in participating in the strings program’s 2017-18 trip to southern Italy will have a mandatory meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Orchestra Room (2200).

COLLEGE NEWS

Applications are now available for the Lake County Federation of Teachers’ Joe Hutten $1,000 Scholarship. The scholarship was established to honor the late educator Joe Hutten. Students must intend to attend an Illinois public institution (two- or four-year) to qualify. All other scholarship requirements are listed on the application. Please stop in the College Career Center (Room 1123) for an application. The application deadline is January 23.

CLUB NEWS

Club Israel will be learning about social justice at its meeting today. They’ll have a special guest from JCUA, who will help talk about social justice and what it means to be an upstander. The club meets after school in Room 1414. Email Mrs. Argentar if you have any questions.

Do you want to be a peer tutor during second semester? An orientation meeting will be held after school today in Room 7032.

The Stevenson Styler fashion magazine will have its first meeting to begin planning the spring/summer edition at 3:30 Wednesday in Room 1612. The magazine is looking for members interested in all areas of magazine production including writers, models, photographers, editors and more. New members are always welcome!

The Animal Welfare Club’s January Dog of the Month is a 7.5-year-old Malamute/Husky mix named Cinderella and the Cat of the Month is a playful 3-year-old named Floyd. If you or anyone you know may be interested in welcoming a four-legged member to your family, please check them out on the Animal Welfare Club website at http://shsanimalwelfare.weebly.com/pets-of-the-month! These animals are available at Save-A-Pet, who can be contacted at 847-740-7788. Don’t forget to check out some of their friends at http://www.saveapetil.org/, all waiting for love!

ILLINOIS EDUCATION HEADLINES

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Crystal Lake-based District 155 staffers to get suicide prevention training

Two suburban Catholic grade schools to close

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Maine Township board member one signature short on ballot petition

New Palatine District 15 community group leaders picked

CPS program aims to help the youngest victims of Chicago’s violence