Sweater Weather:
Mondal, Mitra And The Peer Tutors Provide Stevenson Students
With Just The Right Coverage For Every Season
It’s not a sweater that was ever worn.
But for the “tutee” of Stevenson senior and Peer Tutor Trisha Mondal, the “protein structure” sweater will probably always be a favorite…and likely will never be forgotten.
Especially by an avid knitting and crocheting enthusiast.
“Sophomore year, I was tutoring this girl in biology and she happened to also be in my math class. I knew from our interactions in math that she really liked knitting and crocheting,” said Mondal, pictured left.
“So when she came in for help with protein structures for her biology class, I remembered this analogy that I had heard from my teacher about how protein structure relates to creating a sweater from yarn. After I explained that whole analogy to her, using something that was of interest to her, it just made so much more sense to her and I could see that she finally understood it.”
There was that “light bulb moment” for the “tutee,” triggered by something as simple and as relatable as a sweater.
“Light bulb moments” are what Mondal and senior Subham Mitra, co-presidents and three-year members of Peer Tutors, live for. It’s what all of the Peer Tutors at Stevenson love most about their very important jobs on campus.
The group is one of the largest student organizations at Stevenson, approximately 400 members strong, and has been especially busy this week, its first week of tutoring since before Winter Break, as students strive to get off to a good start for the Second Semester.
Peer Tutors volunteer to tutor fellow classmates in mathematics, science, social studies, English, computer science or world languages for a minimum of one hour per week. They must be at least a sophomore to participate and they are expected to take accelerated or honors classes while maintaining a B-average.
“I think, for some people, there can be a stigma to coming in for tutoring because they might see the idea of relying on academic support as a weakness. I mean, this is Stevenson and maybe there’s this idea that we should already know (everything), that we should be coming in with all this knowledge and that it should all come very easily,” said Mitra, pictured right. “Even in a lot of classes, I think there are students who hesitate to reach out to their own teachers for the same reason.
“But what I’ve realized over my high school career is that you shouldn’t have to go through your academic journey alone, that it requires collaboration and support, and that it’s OK to ask for help. That’s actually a good thing. That’s why I feel like we are so lucky to have this program here, where we can help each other.”
There are Peer Tutors available in the ILC and the ELC before school, after school, during lunch and during nearly every academic hour. Every single day. There may be as many as 15 to 20 Peer Tutors in either of the tutoring locations on campus at any one time. Even during the remote learning of COVID, the Peer Tutors were active, helping fellow students via Zoom.
Meanwhile, Peer Tutors also participate in at least an hour of training each month to stay current on lessons and content from the various departments on campus, and there is an open and frequent dialogue between the Peer Tutors and Stevenson’s teachers.
“Pretty much every teacher I’ve ever had has talked about how good the tutors here are and how useful they are and how aligned they are to the expectations in each class,” Mondal said. “The main thing that encouraged me to come into tutoring was how much support the teachers give to the program.
“I got tutored in science here as a freshman and I really liked the support they gave me and I really liked that the students who were tutoring me knew my teachers and knew the processes that I was trying to learn, and they knew what the teachers expected us to do.”
Mitra also got tutored as a freshman, coming in for help with edits on his English papers. But his first actual experience with “tutoring” happened outside of the traditional classroom, and rather unexpectedly.
“I was in the band program as a freshman and I struggled a lot playing saxophone,” Mitra said. “I found a mentor who was a senior, and he helped me a lot to develop my skills. That made me realize how good mentoring or tutoring can be and I wanted to give back in that way too. That’s why I joined Peer Tutors as a sophomore.
“What’s really good about Stevenson is that this is a very service-oriented school and a lot of students here want to do things to enhance the community. I think that’s why so many people join Peer Tutors. You should see our informational meetings each year. They’re packed. People here know they have strengths in certain areas and they want to use them to help out others.”
For more information about the Peer Tutors, please reach out to sponsors Kelly Caplan or Geriann Pioquinto. You can also visit the Peer Tutors’ custom website or follow the Peer Tutors on Facebook.
Sing It, Stevenson! S-Factor Is Tomorrow!
There will be 11 singers competing in KIVA’s S-Factor, Stevenson’s annual premier singing competition that allows contestants to not only compete against other talented singers on campus, but to also showcase their musical talent.
S-Factor, emceed by seniors Haylie Popkey, Abby Collins, Hailey Langer and Sarah Sagerman, will take place TOMORROW from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.
The singers are:
Seniors: Amita Nair, Kayal Lavari, Becca Fishmar, Anika Krishnaswamy and Elise Victoria Regalado
Junior: Rachel Anand
Sophomores: Nikki Rodriguez, London Cabrera, Hazel Kim and Sahana Bawa
Freshman: Syra Hashmi
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online via the Stevenson Superstore. Please make sure to show your confirmation e-mail at the door as proof of receipt.
NOTE: In conjunction with the S-Factor event, Culver’s will be hosting an
S-Factor Benefit Night all day TOMORROW. When ordering, please mention Stevenson KIVA to ensure that 35 percent of sales goes towards KIVA.
KIVA will donate proceeds from S-Factor ticket sales, as well as the Culver’s Benefit Night, to micro-loans for people in financial need in areas of the world that do not have access to financial institutions.
Want To Bring A Guest To Upcoming Winterfest Dance?
Fill Out Your Guest Form NOW!
Mark your calendars to “bust a move” (80s style!!!) at Winterfest 2023: Arcade!
If you would like to bring a guest (a student from another school) to the Dance on SATURDAY, Feb. 25 (7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in the West Commons and Sportscenter), you must fill out a guest form. Guest forms may be submitted NOW through Feb. 17.
After your guest form is completed and fully signed, you can purchase tickets to Winterfest for you and your guest. The form could take time to process, so please allow two business days to complete it.
Ticket sales for the Winterfest Dance begin MONDAY (Jan. 30). The price is $25 through Feb. 24. Tickets will be available at the door for $40.
*A link for Winterfest Dance ticket sales is coming soon.
Don’t Forget To Check Out Your First Semester Grades!
As a friendly reminder, grades for the first semester are officially posted in the Interactive Report Card, and students can view and print them.
To view official grades, log into the IRC and select 22-23 Sem 1 from the drop down menu. To print the report card, click the printer icon in the left-most column under the student’s name. If you have any questions, please reach out to us.
Shout Out To All Students Who Made The Honor Roll!
Stevenson would like to congratulate the many students who have been designated as making the Honor Roll for their excellent work over the First Semester.
Way to go, Patriots!
Taking A Second-Semester AP Class? Register Now For Your Test
Students taking Second Semester (Only) Advanced Placement classes can now register for their AP Tests that will take place in May.
Registration must be completed and a full payment must be made by March 8.
Please refer to the AP page on the Stevenson website for more information.
| This week marks the debut of a new section in the “Daily Digest,” Reminders For Students. This section will tighten our Student Announcements section by including information about events/action items that have already been fully promoted in the Digest, but that have yet to happen or are still open-ended with deadlines (submissions/applications/permission slips). These reminders, which will run every day, will include direct links to applicable websites or documents, and/or to previous editions of the “Digest” that feature the full listing about the event. Please check here regularly! ACADEMICS TODAY ~ Dance Placement Assessment: The Stevenson Dance Department will be holding its Level Placement Assessment TODAY in Dance Studio 2112 at 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Interested students can register through TODAY and are asked to dress appropriately for the placement. Full “Daily Digest” listing. ONGOING ~ Register Now For Summer School: 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. *NOTE: Summer School registration is different from the academic school year registration/fees payment process that will begin in mid-May. Contact the summer school office at 847-415-4520 or summerschoolreg@d125.org with questions. Full “Daily Digest” listing. CLUBS UNTIL SATURDAY ~ Sponsor An Archer For St. Jude Fundraiser: The Stevenson Archery Team will be having its annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children Research Hospital on SATURDAY from Noon to 3 p.m. in the Fieldhouse. To support this worth cause, please consider sponsoring a Stevenson archer for an amount per bullseye. To sponsor an archer, please contact Jane Caballero (jcaballero@d125.org). Pledges need to be in by SATURDAY. Full “Daily Digest” listing. TUESDAY, Jan. 31 ~ Information Meeting For “Kilometers For Kenya:” The National Honor Society will be hosting “Kilometers For Kenya,” its Spring Fundraising Event, in March and is looking for participants. **For those who would like to participate, there will be two informational meetings next TUESDAY (Jan. 31): at 3:40 p.m. in the Patriot Wellness Center Multipurpose Room (5024), and at 7 p.m. on Zoom. All students are welcome and must attend one of the informational meetings. “Kilometers For Kenya,” from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on March 11 in the Fieldhouse, is a team walking and running competition, and each lap completed will be a donation towards the Angaza Center. Full “Daily Digest” listing. EVENTS ONGOING ~ Tickets For “Romeo And Juliet:” Tickets for the Freshmen/Sophomore Play, “Romeo & Juliet” are on sale NOW. Tickets are $7 and are available on GoFan.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. Full “Daily Digest” listing. |
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Sports Notes
Girls Badminton Meeting: There will be an Information Meeting for all athletes interested in trying out for the girls badminton team this Spring. The meeting will be held next THURSDAY (Feb. 2) from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 2104. The meeting will cover program expectations and tryout information while providing an opportunity to meet the coaches. Any freshmen unable to attend can contact Coach Shanmugasundaram (sshanmugasundaram@d125.org) or Coach Edstrom (medstrom@d125.org) for information. Any upperclassmen unable to attend can contact Coach Johnson (grjohnson@d125.org).
Sports Events Ahead
TODAY ~ Girls Gymnastics, NSC Championship: The Patriots will head to Lake Forest High School TODAY for the North Suburban Conference Championship. Action will start at 6:30 p.m. All tickets must be purchased through GoFan. Adults are $5, Students (K-12) and Seniors (60+) are $2. NSC Passes will be accepted. NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED.
TOMORROW ~ Boys Basketball White Out: Patriots…Don’t forget to dress in WHITE for FRIDAY’s boys basketball game against visiting Mundelein. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. in the Sportscenter! One ticket is good for both the Sophomore Game at 5:30 p.m. and the Varsity Game. Tickets are available via GoFan: $5 for Adults and $3 for Seniors and Students. Students must present their Student ID.
TOMORROW ~ Pep Bus For Dance At State: The Competitive Dance Team is headed to the IHSA State Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington this weekend, and Stevenson is providing a Pep Bus on FRIDAY for students interested in attending and supporting the team. Please sign up for the Pep Bus HERE. The cost of the Pep Bus is $15 and the cost of a ticket for the event is an additional $12. Tickets can be purchased with cash onsite for $12.
Sports Reminders
Similar to the new Reminders For Students section, Sports Reminders will be a daily sports section that includes sports items that have already been fully promoted in the “Digest,” but that have yet to happen or are still open-ended with deadlines. Please check here regularly!
ONGOING ~ Spring Sports Registration: Please note that Spring Sports are right around the corner and registration is open NOW. Register for Spring Sports HERE. All Spring Sports Information can be found in this document or on the Stevenson Athletics website. Full “Daily Digest” listing.
TODAY ~ Boys Hockey T-Shirts: During the lunch periods TODAY, the Boys Hockey Team will be selling T-shirts in the Wood Commons and Glass Commons for its Chicago Blackhawks Rivalry Game, which pits the Patriots against St. Viator at 12:40 p.m. on SUNDAY at Twin Rinks. The T-shirts are $15. Support your Patriots and purchase a T-shirt!
TODAY ~ Girls Track and Field Meeting: 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. TODAY in Room 5132. Full “Daily Digest” listing.
TOMORROW/MONDAY ~ Girls Basketball T-Shirt Sales At Lunch: 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 will be on sale during the lunch periods TOMORROW and again MONDAY (Jan. 30) in the Wood Commons and the Glass Commons. Full “Daily Digest” listing.
TUESDAY, Jan. 31 ~ Girls Soccer Meeting: There is a Girls Soccer Information Meeting on TUESDAY, Jan. 31 at 3:45 pm in Room 2004. All prospective girls soccer student-athletes are invited and encouraged to attend.
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 ~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. Nominate a WINTER athlete for an Exceptional Stevenson Patriot Pride Awards (ESPPA) by FRIDAY, Feb. 10. Full “Daily Digest” listing.
Sports Results
Boys Hockey: The Patriots (15-10, 40-12) breezed to a 4-1 victory over visiting Lake Forest. Stevenson struck first with a goal in the first period by Brandon Schultz, assisted by Davis Jegers. Jimmy Brown scored off an assist by Alan Wu and the final goal scored in the first period came from Jegers, assisted by Will Harlow and Dylan Jette. Stevenson went scoreless in the second period, but secured the win in the third period with a goal from Jegers, assisted by Andrew Lermer and Jette. Next up for the Patriots is their big rivalry game against St. Viator at 12:40 p.m. on Sunday at Twin Rinks.
Girls Hockey: The Scouts Girls Hockey Team had two games over the weekend. Sunday was a Senior Night matchup against Evanston. While the Scouts lost 3-1, the team was able to celebrate Stevenson senior Rachel Wilson. On Monday, the team came away with a 10-1 win against Warren. Wilson had 2 assists, Jessica Sharun logged 1 goal, Lana Barber had 1 goal and 1 assist and Vanessa Magsino had 2 goals and 3 assists. The Scouts have four more regular season games, and then the playoffs begin.
Wrestling: On Senior Night, the Patriots (4-1, 7-2) hosted Conant in a nonconference matchup and earned a 30-27 victory. Next up for Stevenson is a quad at Mundelein with Libertyville, Waukegan and Mundelein at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Girls Bowling: Stevenson (2-10, 5-10) traveled to Sunset Lanes to take on Zion-Benton and won, 2111 to 1960. Anna Reyes was the top bowler for the Patriots with a game high of 200 and a series high of 548. Next up is the NSC Championship tomorrow, starting at 8:45 a.m.
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Mark your calendars for these events and see the Stevenson Calendar for details on these and future programs.
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
Jan. 27-28: Boys Bowling Individual State Final Tournament
Jan. 27-28: Competitive Dance State Final Competition
Jan. 28: The St. Judes Stevenson Archery Tournament Fundraiser
Jan. 29: Best Buddies Fundraiser – Culver’s
Jan. 31: FAN ~ A Place Called Home: A Memoir of Deprivation and Hope
Jan. 31: Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Lake Forest: “Think Pink” Game
Feb. 1: Black History Month Begins
Feb 2-4: 2023 Frosh/Soph Play: Romeo and Juliet
Stevenson Daily Digest 