Un-FOUR-gettable! Athletic Department Celebrates “FAB FOUR:” 200 Freestyle Relay State Champs!
They were certainly FOUR-midable.
They had a winning FOUR-mula, so to speak.
And that led to an un-FOUR-gettable Saturday for the Stevenson girls swim team last weekend that was full of good FOUR-tune.
Abby Collins, Stephanie Kirova, Linnea Florin and Izzie Gattone made up a Fabulous FOURsome for the Patriots that happened to clock the fourth-fastest time (1:33.06) in state history in the 200 freestyle relay at the IHSA State Finals last weekend. And their first-place finish in that event set the table for, you guessed it…a fourth-place team finish for Stevenson.
The “FAB FOUR” was honored this morning by the Athletic Department for their state championship, as was the entire swim team (pictured right recording the “Pledge Of Allegiance”) for their fourth-place finish at state.
“I don’t think we could have done it if it weren’t for all of our teammates,” Collins, a senior and team captain who led off the relay, said as she spoke to the entire team. “Everyone who was on deck or in the stands definitely played a role in getting us going, getting us excited and just cheering us on. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
That energy and encouragement helped the “FAB FOUR” blow away the competition. Gattone, the other senior in the group and the anchor of the race, crushed her leg and finished with room to spare, thanks in part to the big lead her three teammates provided.
“When I was on the block, not only was I thinking about my start, I was also thinking about how badly I wanted this for my team,” Gattone said. “Even though swimming is an individual sport, in that moment, it was more than that because that race was a culmination of everything we had worked towards this entire season. So when I finished and hit the wall, I couldn’t see the board but I saw my teammates and I knew we had done well. It was an amazing experience.”
The Patriots had been building to it for weeks.
They set a new Lake County record earlier in the season and, in each subsequent race, kept shaving their time from there.
“Through sectionals, state prelims and state finals, they had lowered their own team record on every occasion. It was really building to that moment (at state) and it was timed perfectly,” girls swim coach Ayrton Kasemets (pictured above left) said. “That group just works together well, they know each other well. And some have been swimming together for at least eight years or so. There was a lot of cohesiveness between them. They were a really special group.”
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Thinking Thanksgiving: Ahead Of The Holiday Break, Think About Who And What You Are Grateful For…And Then Express It!
So what is Gratitude anyway?
Gratitude is a positive, mindful expression of feeling thankful or appreciative of something or someone, whether tangible or not, past, present or future.
Can Gratitude be practiced? Yes!!
Look for it! Take time to notice good or positive things, big or small.
Absorb it! Pay attention to the positive and appreciate it.
Express it! Say it to yourself, to someone else, or write it down.
What does practicing Gratitude do?
According to research of Positive Psychology, incorporating gratitude into our lives correlates with increasing happiness or positive emotions, in addition to improved health and strengthened relationships. Click here for more information!
Take the Gratitude Challenge:
Take a moment to sit down and physically or mentally document moments in which you felt grateful. Try writing a thank you letter to someone…or even to yourself! You do not need to deliver this, although you are welcome to do so!
SURVEY SAYS…
Have a Social-Emotional topic you would like to read more about? Survey Here!
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Extra Time Tomorrow Morning! Late Arrival Day!
Hey Patriots! Don’t forget that TOMORROW is a Late Arrival Day and that first period starts at 10:30 a.m.
In order for the Tutors to be able to engage in professional development, the ILC/ELC will be closed tomorrow until 9:45 a.m.
Tutoring, both in-person and via Zoom will be available from 9:45 a.m. until the end of the day. The hours are provided here. You can sign-up for a specific Mandatory Targeted Tutoring time by visiting the tutors’ Canvas pages.
Travel The World With Stevenson! JAPAN Finalized For 2024!
World travel is back en vogue and Stevenson is sponsoring several summer travel opportunities!
First up for 2024 is JAPAN!
There is a virtual informational meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. TODAY. Here’s the link to register for the meeting. Please note that registration is mandatory to receive the virtual meeting link!
There will be more information in the coming months about trips planned for 2024, such as:
- Type of Tours: Language & Culture Immersion, Extension of the Class, Service, etc.
- Possible Locations: Iceland, Latin Tour (Greece, Italy, France, etc.), Spanish language (Dominican Republic, Peru, Costa Rica, etc.)
We would also love for families to provide any feedback about travel experiences through Stevenson, which you may submit through this form.
In the meantime, there are still travel opportunities that exist for 2023. For more information, please contact the trip leaders listed:
2023 Summer Travel Opportunities
- Service Learning in Peru ~ Kristen One – kone@d125.org
- Germany & Switzerland ~ Paulina Tuman – ptuman@d125.org
- Global Leadership Summit in Berlin ~ Jennifer McBride – jmcbride@d125.org
- New York Fashion Industry Tour ~ Christina Erickson – cerickson@d125.org
- If you want to learn about the fashion industry in New York, then this trip is for you! This trip will be offered Tuesday, May 30 through Friday, June 2 and is open to ALL current freshmen through juniors. An informational meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Room 1612. Parent/guardian and student should attend if possible.
3-2-1, Liftoff! Entrepreneurship Club Hosting An Out-Of-This World Event TODAY!
Ever wonder what it’s like to work at NASA? Wonder no more!
The Entrepreneurship Club is bringing in Nicho Onufer, an engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, for an event in which students can learn in-depth details on NASA’s present and future missions across space.
The event will be held at the West Auditorium from 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. TODAY.
Yum! PPA Bake Sale Is Today!!
Is your stomach growling? The Patriot Parent Association has just the fix: There is a PPA Bake Sale TODAY!
Everything is $1 (cash only). Students can make it through the line quickest with exact change!
The bake sale starts immediately after sixth period in the Wood and Glass Commons.
Brand New Set (Silver Tempest) Focus Of Tomorrow’s IGC Event
There’s a brand new Pokemon set, Silver Tempest, and the Interactive Gamers Club will be hosting an event for players to receive 6 packs to build a deck.
The event is after school TOMORROW in Room 7116. The cost is $5, and all players must be able to stay until 5:30 p.m. to participate. New players are always welcome!
Contact RFedewa@d125.org with any questions.
Want To Be A Dance Leader Next Year? Apply Now!
Students who would like to be Dance Leaders in the 2023-24 school year need to apply and submit recommendations for the leadership course, Dance Leadership. Faculty recommendations are due by Friday while the entire application must be submitted via Google Classroom by Nov. 30. There are prerequisites: Students must complete a minimum of one year in Dance 3 or Dance 4, and have approval of instructors. This course may be repeated.
Dance Leadership is a one-year course in which students will intern and assist with dance instruction in a technique class. Student leaders will learn and demonstrate the teacher-created combinations including warm-ups, across the floor, and center combinations. Dance leaders will model proper technique and assist students, periodically working one-on-one in a peer-mentoring fashion. While taking this course, Dance Leadership students will also meet individually with the teacher outside of class to learn what they will instruct at the end of each semester.
Take The First Steps To Starting Your Own Company On Friday!
Interested in starting your own business or non-profit? Becoming a CEO? Creating real change to solve global challenges?
Startups in Business and Technology Club guides student entrepreneurs through the process of creating authentic startup companies in fields ranging from computer science to climate change and much more in between. Form a team and pitch your company to experienced founders and venture capitalists!
Meetings are from 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 6110 every Friday, including this Friday.
Freshmen And Sophomores: Deadline To Submit Your Creative Gems To The “Half-Wit!” Is FRIDAY!
The “Half-Wit” is Stevenson’s literary magazine designed specifically for freshmen and sophomores that showcases the incredible fiction, poetry, prose, drama, raps, musical scores and, of course, art that is produced each year by students.
The club brings together people who love to create and learn the skills of producing a gorgeous magazine.
Freshmen and sophomores who are interested in submitting their work to the “Half-Wit” can do so by FRIDAY by clicking here. All submissions are read anonymously for consideration for publication.
Please e-mail rzagorski@d125.org with questions.
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Athletic Results
Girls Basketball: The Patriots opened the new season with a 49-25 victory over visiting Fenwick. Emory Klatt led the way for Stevenson with a team-high 26 points. Kate Arne added 8 points. Next up for the Patriots is a road game at 6:30 p.m. on Friday against New Trier at its Northfield Campus.
Boys Bowling: The Patriots improved to 3-0 in both conference and overall after defeating Libertyville. Senior Jacob Heald finished with a series high of 631 and freshman Joshua Stone had a series of 612. Next up is a road match on Thursday at Lakeside Lanes against Mundelein.
Sports Notes
Mandatory Student-Athlete Meeting: If you are a student-athlete and you have not attended the mandatory student-athlete meeting, there is one TOMORROW from 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. in the West Auditorium. Please be on time as the auditorium fills up quickly and the meeting will start promptly at 9:45 a.m.
Boys Ice Hockey Allstate Arena Game: On Sunday, (Nov. 20), the Patriots will be taking on rival St. Viator at Allstate Arena right after the Chicago Wolves host the Iowa Wild. The puck will drop approximately 45 minutes after the Wolves game ends. Tickets can be purchased here. Seats will be assigned for the Wolves game and then become general admission seating in the south end between Sections 105 and 116 for the Scholastic Hockey League game between Stevenson and St. Viator.
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Jill Biden Touts ‘Career-Connected Learning’ In Chicago, Calling Education A Nonpartisan Issue
The First Lady visited Chicago Monday to highlight apprenticeship and career training opportunities for young people.
City Colleges Of Chicago Bet On Nonprofit’s Wraparound Support To Boost Graduation Rates
An expanded partnership aims to make participation in the One Million Degrees program automatic for 3,000 students within four years.
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Mark your calendars for these events and see the Stevenson Calendar for details on these and future programs.
Nov. 16: PPA Bake Sale
Nov. 17: Late Arrival
Nov. 18-20: Fall Musical ~ “Beauty And The Beast”
Nov. 21: District 125 Board Of Education Meeting
Nov. 23: Non-Attendance Day
Nov. 24-25: Thanksgiving Break
Stevenson Daily Digest 