Rajesh Is Vernon Township’s Mental Health Board Youth Advisor;
Also Named Project Soapbox Finalist For Speech On Board’s Creation
Mental Health is a focus not only at Stevenson High School, but also throughout our community and our country.
Last month, Vernon Township took a proactive move in the fight for better mental health by creating a Mental Health Board and, as chronicled by the Daily Herald, Stevenson junior Kashyap Rajesh was named its inaugural youth advisor.
Rajesh is a member of Stevenson’s Catalyst Club and spoke at the first meeting of the new 708 Mental Health Board, named after the Illinois House resolution that allows such panels. According to the Daily Herald, “Vernon Township voters in November backed a referendum to create the board and establish a new tax to fund it.” Different counties and townships in Illinois have 708 community Mental Health Boards based on the 1976 community Mental Health Act introduced by the Illinois House Bill 708.
“It’s so important that we have youth voices represented on this board,” Rajesh told the Daily Herald. “This issue transcends just adults. It’s also about youth.”
Meanwhile, Rajesh, also a member of Stevenson’s Political Action Club and pictured middle in the photo below, was selected as a Project Soapbox finalist last month through that club’s involvement in the Mikva Challenge in Chicago, a civic education showcase event. Rajesh presented his Soapbox speech at the Challenge about the Catalyst Club’s efforts to help with Vernon Township’s creation of the new Mental Health Board.
His Soapbox speech was selected as one of 10 finalists from nearly 100 students who submitted speeches. Fellow Political Action Club members Natalie Garayeva (Class of 2023 and pictured left in picture) and Olivia Lee (Class of 2024 and pictured right in picture) also presented student voice speeches on the topics of anti-Asian stereotypes and the need for fair immigration reform.
This is the 15th year that the Mikva Challenge has hosted a Soapbox event for students to share speeches about issues that affect them and their communities. Kasyap is the third Stevenson student to have been selected as a finalist.
Virtual Course Selection For Incoming Freshmen Continues MONDAY!
For those of you with eighth graders in the family, just a reminder that the second of three Virtual Course Selection evenings for Incoming Freshmen is MONDAY!
Course Selection ~ Families received a letter sharing their child’s course recommendations for English, Math, Science, and World Languages (if applicable). Now, Stevenson is hosting virtual course selection evenings for incoming freshmen families: MONDAY (last names H-O), and Wednesday, Jan. 25 (last names P-Z).
During these evenings, families will have the opportunity to meet with a Stevenson school counselor or director sometime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to choose classes for the 2023-24 school year. Zoom links and instructions for attending the course selection evenings are posted on the Incoming Freshmen Families section of the Stevenson website. Specific course selections must be completed by Jan. 27.
Enrollment ~ Don’t Forget: Families of incoming freshmen received an e-mail last week with instructions on how to use Infinite Campus to complete the enrollment process. Enrollment may be completed now through Jan. 27.
Tickets On Sale Now For “Romeo And Juliet!”
February is the month of LOVE, so what better way to celebrate that than to attend a Stevenson play in February that is all about LOVE: “Romeo And Juliet!”
Tickets for the Freshmen/Sophomore Play, “Romeo & Juliet” are on sale NOW. The production will feature three shows, running Thursday, Feb. 2 (7 p.m.), Friday, Feb. 3 (7 p.m.) and Saturday, Feb. 4 (7 p.m.) in the Little Theater.
Tickets are $7 and are available on GoFan.
Join the Patriot Theatre Company as it shares the classic tale of the ever famous “star-crossed lovers” through this abridged, one-act, one-hour version of Shakespeare’s original “Romeo And Juliet.”
Conceptualized in a celestial world where the day and the night are indefinitely separated and ushered by popular and favored music of today’s era, this Freshmen/Sophomore production will help the audience reimagine how love can indeed be born from hate.
This is a fundraiser event with snacks, candy and water on sale for $1 apiece.
The Future Of Stevenson Choir To Be On Display In Concert Monday
A tradition that is 27 years strong, the Consortium Choir Concert will bring together young choir students from Stevenson’s consortium schools for a showcase of a variety of choral pieces.
The concert, slated for a 7 p.m. start time on Monday in the Performing Arts Center, will also feature Stevenson’s co-curricular choirs and can be viewed via Vimeo.
The Consortium Choir Concert got its start in 1995.
The Fine Arts Department is also pleased to announce the winner of its annual Consortium Choir Concert poster contest: Aptakisic Junior High School eighth grader Lakshmi Greeshma Immadisetty, whose poster (pictured right) was the inspiration for all of the graphics for the event.
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Registration For Summer School 2023 Is Now Open!
*NOTE: Summer School registration is different from the academic school year registration/fees payment process that will begin in mid-May.
Online registration for Summer School courses is open NOW until March 23. To get started, please go to Infinite Campus. Click here for instruction on how to register.
Summer School is open to current Stevenson students, as well as current eighth graders who will be registered as incoming freshmen in the Class of 2027.
Students take one course during a summer school session. Incoming freshmen are strongly encouraged to consider enrolling in summer school, to aid in the adjustment and transition to high school. Approximately 65 percent to 70 percent of incoming freshmen enroll in summer school annually.
Summer School classes will be determined and staff will be hired based on the number of requests. After March 23, all registration is accepted on a space-available basis. Every effort will be made to accommodate all registrations. Families will be contacted as soon as possible if a registration request cannot be accommodated due to a class being full or due to staffing issues.
The tuition fees are listed in the course descriptions. All fees must be paid at the time of registration. Incomplete registration will not be accepted.
Contact the summer school office at 847-415-4520 or summerschoolreg@d125.org with questions.
Happy (Chinese) New Year!! Celebrate On Campus TONIGHT!
It’s the Chinese New Year, so the Chinese Club, the National Chinese Honor Society and the Taiwanese Culture Club are joining forces to host a big celebration from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. TONIGHT in Room 2104.
All Stevenson students are welcome to attend, as are all parents and members of the community. There will be food and games provided.
No registration required.
| On Sale At Lunch: Camo T-Shirt For TONIGHT’S “Hoops For Heroes” Game Students Helping Soldiers will be hosting its “Hoops For Heroes” event at TONIGHT’s varsity boys basketball game against Lake Zurich, which tips at 7 p.m. Cash sales ($12) of the T-shirt will take place during all lunch periods today in the Wood Commons, and later today at the game. |
Take A Field Trip…To College Of Lake County!
Juniors and Seniors who want to learn more about the College of Lake County are encouraged to sign up for the CLC Field Trip, which includes tours of both the Grayslake and Southlake campuses on Thursday, Jan. 26.
In order to attend, interested students must fill out a permission slip and get it fully signed before turning it into the College Career Center.
Permission slips are available at the CCC and are due on MONDAY.
Field trip participants will also attend information sessions about CLC’s various programs and hear details about the application process. Students will be excused from first through fifth periods and will return to Stevenson at Noon to eat lunch during fifth period.
Tech Campus students will be excused during 5a to eat lunch before meeting their bus for their afternoon class.
Dancers: Time For Level Placement Assessment; Register NOW
The Stevenson Dance Department will be holding its Level Placement Assessment next Thursday (Jan. 26) in Dance Studio 2112 at two times: 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. OR 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Current Stevenson students who are not enrolled in a dance class this school year, but who have dance experience, can attend a level placement. This placement will evaluate readiness for Dance 2, 3 or 4 in the 2023-24 school year. Students with no experience can enroll in Dance 1 or Jazz Fusion without a placement assessment.
Interested students are asked to dress appropriately for the placement. They can register through the day of the placement.
Archery Team To Help Save Kids/Find Cures…One Bullseye At A Time
The Stevenson Archery Team will be having its annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children Research Hospital on Saturday, Jan. 28 from Noon to 3 p.m. in the Fieldhouse.
The mission of St. Jude is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of founder Danny Thomas, St. Jude never denies a child treatment based on race, religion, or a family’s ability to pay.
To support this worthy cause, please consider sponsoring a Stevenson archer for an amount per bullseye.
To sponsor an archer, please contact Jane Caballero (jcaballero@d125.org) and provide your name and contact information, the pledge amount and which archer you would like to sponsor, or if you would like to make a general donation.
Pledges need to be in by Jan. 28.
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Sports Notes
Spring Sports Registration: Please note that Spring Sports are right around the corner and registration is open NOW. Register for Spring Sports HERE.
Here are the Spring Sports start dates, by sport:
Monday, Feb. 13: Boys Gymnastics, Boys Track & Field and Girls Track & Field.
Monday, Feb. 27: Baseball, Softball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Girls Badminton, Boys Tennis, Boys Water Polo, and Girls Water Polo.
Monday, March 6: Boys Volleyball.
Tuesday, April 3: Allied Soccer.
All Spring Sports Information can be found in this document or on the Stevenson Athletics website.
“Play For Kay/Think Pink” ~ Girls Basketball Fundraiser: The girls basketball program is doing a “Play For Kay/Think Pink” Cancer Fundraiser at its game on Jan. 31 against Lake Forest. The Patriots are selling T-shirts that fans can wear at the game. The T-shirts are $10 and can be purchased online and in the name of a player in the program (a name can be entered in the comment box). The “Play for Kay/Think Pink” Cancer Research T-shirts will be distributed NEXT WEEK by the player you enter in the comment box. T-shirts will also be sold on Jan. 27 and Jan. 30 during the lunch periods in the Glass Commons and the Wood Commons. For more information, or to receive your T-shirt if you choose not to enter a player’s name in the comment box, please e-mail girls basketball varsity coach Ashley Graham.
Girls Track and Field: There is an Informational Meeting about the upcoming spring season for Girls Track and Field from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 in Room 5132.
Winter Sports Awards/ESPPA Nominations: All winter athletes and parents are invited to attend the Winter Sports Awards Night at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7 in the Sportscenter. Please take the time to nominate individuals or teams for the WINTER Exceptional Stevenson Patriot Pride Awards (ESPPA) using this Google Form. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 10. Incomplete nominations will not be considered. Nominations can be submitted by students, parents and faculty/staff/coaches.
Sports Events Ahead
TODAY/SATURDAY ~ Lake County Wrestling Invite: Stevenson will be competing in the Lake County Invite at Libertyville High School starting at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Tickets will be available on GoFan for $5 per day.
SATURDAY ~ Competitive Dance Sectional: Stevenson will compete in the IHSA Competitive Dance Sectional hosted by Warren Township High School on its Almond Campus starting at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased onGoFan.
Sports Results
Competitive Cheerleading: It’s another championship for the Stevenson Competitive Cheerleading team! Last night, the Patriots competed in the North Suburban Conference Championship at Zion-Benton High School and took first place in the competition. Next up for Stevenson is the state tournament, starting with the IHSA Sectional at Buffalo Grove High School next Saturday (Jan. 28). The Patriots are in action at 5:26 p.m. Tickets can be purchased via GoFan.
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Jan. 20: CCC Presents ~ STEM Careers Presentation
Jan. 23: Incoming Freshmen Course Selection Days
Jan. 23: Consortium Choir Concert
Jan. 23: District 125 Board Of Education Meeting
Jan. 24: Girls Water Polo Fundraiser ~ Culver’s
Jan. 24: FAN ~ The Good Life: Lessons From The World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness
Jan. 25: Incoming Freshmen Course Selection Days
Jan. 26: FAN | Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
Jan. 27: KIVA Club’s S-Factor
Jan. 27: KIVA Club Fundraiser ~ Culver’s
Stevenson Daily Digest 