What’s In A Name?
Stevenson’s vision statement includes the commitment to “recognize every student as a valued individual.” One of the first steps toward honoring students as individuals is pronouncing their names correctly, especially their first names.
As the SHS student body has become more diverse, proper pronunciation has become more important than ever. Here are some of the ways in which Stevenson is working harder to say student names correctly:
- When students completed their course requests for the 2019-20 school year, we asked them to include proper pronunciation for their first and last name. This information is listed in Infinite Campus for every student who responded. Students whose name pronunciation is not listed can contact their counselor to have Infinite Campus updated.
- Not only do all teachers have access to name pronunciations, but substitute teachers will, too. When a teacher is absent, the substitute will be given a class roster that includes not only student names, but how to say them.
- Proper pronunciation has been a point of emphasis during staff development work with our teachers for the past couple of years, and it is a key aspect of training for security personnel in 2019-20.
To reinforce the importance of saying student names correctly, we shared this video with teachers prior to the first day of classes. (Warning: There is one swear word, which is bleeped out.)
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Quick Hits
Stevenson’s girls tennis team finished third in Illinois Class 2A last year, and first-year head coach Alexxis Kiven (Class of 2014) has three state qualifiers returning. Senior Athena Kolli and her sophomore sister, Alaina, (pictured above) were runners-up in state doubles, and senior Ellen Ma also reached the IHSA state tournament in singles. The Daily Herald also lists senior Alexis Lee and junior Abby Schueneman as players to watch in Lake County this fall.
The SHS girls swimming and diving team will pursue its fourth consecutive North Suburban Conference title this season. Head coach Kevin Zakrzewski (Class of 2000) had seven swimmers qualify for state last year, and six of them return: seniors Maddy O’Donnell, Abigail Li and Lucy Stevens, juniors Jessica Nyborg and Elizabeth Cao, and sophomore Claudia Rzeznik. They are listed by the Daily Herald as Lake County swimmers to watch this fall, along with seniors Amy Sliwicki, Hanna Cloeter and Ellen Maloney, junior Brianna Lu, and sophomores Sana Arvid, Katherine Makarska, Norah Polonsky and Shreeya Sinha.
STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
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SAT Support Program for Seniors Available
Seniors who scored below college readiness benchmarks on the Spring 2019 SAT are invited to participate in the SAT Senior Support Program provided by Revolution Prep. The program begins Tuesday and the cost is $35. Classes are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Click here for details and to register. For more information contact Ellyn Ross at 847-415-4556.
Volunteers Needed to Help at 5K Event
The Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association is looking for student volunteers age 14 and older to assist at its 12th annual Twilight 5K Run/Walk/Roll on Saturday, Sept. 7 at the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Rd., in Lake Forest. More than 100 volunteers are needed to help in various areas. No previous experience is needed; all training takes place on site. Use this link to sign up, and to see the volunteer positions available.
COLLEGE
Seniors interested in the University of Virginia: The Jefferson Scholars Foundation awards full scholarships to UVA to students who have demonstrated uncommon academic ability, exceptional leadership and a commitment to the community at large. Stevenson may nominate one student for this prestigious scholarship. If you are interested, please pick up an application from the College Career Center (Room 1123). Please return the application to the CCC by Friday, Oct. 4.
CLUBS
Love to write? Want to meet other writers? Write Club meets after school every Wednesday in Room 2702. Come for writing workshops, activities and publishing opportunities! All writing and all writers are welcome. The first meeting is Wednesday.
Stevenson Peer Tutors and Peer Tutors Conversation Partners Club are seeking applicants for the 2019-20 School Year. The information meeting for interested students will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. Thursday in the Recital Hall. The application can be found here and the opportunity to apply will be open through Thursday, Sept. 5. More than 200 student volunteers are part of Stevenson Peer Tutors and Peer Tutors Conversation Partners Club every year. Peer Tutors volunteer in a variety of academic areas, and work with SHS students as well as students at Daniel Wright Junior High School. Click here for details.
Art from the Heart is a community service club focused on making crafts to support local charities. Past projects have included dog toys for Orphans of the Storm, holiday decorations for senior homes, survival bracelets for soldiers, and much more. No experience is necessary and all are welcome! The first meeting is after school Thursday in the Student Activities Office (next to the Wood Commons). Come for a fun time, service experience and free cookies!
Future Public Health Leaders will hold its first meeting of the year after school Monday in Room 2430. The club organizes fundraisers and events to promote public health, and also works with the American Heart Association.
Mind Your Mind, a mental health awareness club, will hold its first meeting after school Monday in Room 1630.
ATHLETICS
Monday is the last day to join a no-cut sport this fall: boys and girls cross country, girls swimming, and football. Football athletes are required to participate in a minimum of 12 practices before they can compete, so anyone joining now will miss the first two games of the season.
ILLINOIS EDUCATION NEWS
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday signed legislation raising the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 by 2023-24 to address a statewide shortage of classroom leaders. The current minimum teacher salary ranges from $9,000 to $11,000.
Amid state and federal scrutiny as well as a public backlash, more than a half-dozen suburban Chicago families (including some in the Stevenson area) who had recently gone to court to give up guardianship of their college-bound teens to qualify for financial aid they wouldn’t otherwise receive are now quietly letting their cases lapse. ProPublica Illinois reports that some of the families remain unapologetic about their use of a practice that had gone largely unnoticed until three weeks ago. They say the real issue is not that they tried to take advantage of a legal loophole, but rather, the exorbitant cost of higher education.
The dropout rate in Chicago high schools hit an all-time low during the 2018-19 school year, city officials said Thursday. The dropout rate of 6% is about half the rate seen in 2011. Mayor Lori Lightfoot attributed the lower rates to the work of teachers and staff.
Three schools in Belvidere were locked down for several hours Thursday after a 911 call prompted safety concerns. Police say there was no evidence found to support claims made in the 911 call.
Thousands of previously unseen pictures taken and printed by noted photographer Vivian Maier have been donated to the University of Chicago Library. Maier lost ownership of her work in 2007, two years before her death, when the contents of her storage locker were auctioned off to satisfy an unpaid rental bill.
NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS
China has flooded American colleges with students in recent years, and some academic leaders, lawmakers, and military and intelligence officials are concerned this influx will have direct connections to national security. The issue of “academic espionage” raises delicate questions about discrimination and academic freedom, and the education and military sectors have struggled to strike the right balance between protecting classified research and attracting the diverse, international student base prized by top universities.
The allure of “pre-college” summer programs at prestigious universities is strong, but when it comes to helping with college admissions, their impact is negligible, Washington Monthly reports. Instead, the magazine says, producing revenue for the schools is the most tangible effect.
Louisiana has imported more than 60 French-speaking teachers this year to help bolster its growing roster of dual-language French immersion schools. The move reflects the growth of dual-language immersion programs around the country. The New York Times reports that there are at least 3,000 such programs in the U.S. today, compared to 260 in 2000.
Arizona high school graduates living in the country illegally will get expanded access to a special tuition rate at the state’s three public universities, the Board of Regents decided Thursday. The board voted to drop a requirement for students to be enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in order to qualify for the special rate. The move came after President Donald Trump’s administration froze enrollment in the program.
Stevenson Daily Digest 