Classroom notes

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Updated: July 14, 2011 7:21AM

Lincoln-Way Board of Education honors Student Council Presidents

The Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Board of Education honored the Student Council Presidents of the four high schools during the school board meeting on May 26 at Lincoln-Way North.

The four student council presidents honored are: Matt Dugan, Lincoln-Way Central; Carla Kraft, Lincoln-Way East; Jason Kircher, Lincoln-Way North and Katrina Prospero, Lincoln-Way West.

For the past 2010-2011 school year the student council presidents have reported to the Board of Education during school board meetings about the activities and projects of the students at the four high schools.

“Congratulations to all of you. On behalf of the Board of Education we want to thank you for your time and dedication in coming to the board meetings and sharing with us your information about your high schools. We have seen you all grow and mature in your speaking abilities. We have gotten to know you and are proud of each of you. You have represented your schools with pride, loyalty, and dedication for your schools and the community,” said Superintendent Lawrence A. Wyllie, .

As the students were presented an appreciation plaque Superintendent Wyllie noted each student’s achievements.

Lincoln-Way Central West students win Best of Show Purchase Awards

Lincoln-Way Central and West art students had a very productive 2010-11 school year.

Both high schools displayed student art work during several weeks in May for the entire student population to visit in their respective media centers. Art work on display was judged by a committee of art teachers with winners receiving the Best of Show Award, and the Purchase Award. Best of Show winner for Lincoln-Way Central was Jacob Brown with his “Bio-Mechanical Man” portrait and Courtney Paarlberg was the winner of the Purchase Award with her piece entitled “Bird House Watercolor”.

Best of Show for Lincoln-Way West was a montage color photo by Jessicca Thompson. The winner of the Purchase Award was Lillian Krieger with a prisma color drawing of pumpkins.

The Purchase Award from each school is framed and hung in the auditorium lobby of their Fine Arts Center.

Additional art awards include Lincoln-Way Central freshman Sami Perillo whose drawing “Mr. Wray” received a National Gold Medal in the prestigious Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition. Sami received notice that her work will be exhibited at the World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery in Lower Manhattan, New York during this summer.

“The award was presented at the world famous Carnegie Hall at the end of May. We were thrilled for her and look forward to her continued art work at Central,” stated Paul Faris, art teacher and Art Department Chair for Central and West.

Sami is also a finalist for two summer workshop scholarships through the Scholastic Scholarship committee added Faris.

Some of the student’s award winning art pieces will be on display at an Art Exhibition featuring the works of high school students from Lincoln-Way High School District 210 at the Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center (PSJMC) this summer. The exhibition includes drawings in pencil, colored pencil, and chalk pastel along with photographs and paintings. The artwork displays the various talents of students from Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East, Lincoln-Way North, and Lincoln-Way West. The two art department chairs for Lincoln-Way High School District 210, Phil Labriola and Paul Faris, are coordinating the art exhibition.

An Opening Reception will be held on Wednesday, June 22 at the PSJMC’s Wallin Conference Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“The Art Exhibition at Provena is a wonderful example of a community partnership. Provena invited our students from all four high schools to display their art work at their hospital. This is a great opportunity for our art students,” stated Phil Labriola.

L-W North Interact club busy helping others

The Interact club at Lincoln-Way North High School has been a whirlwind of activity, organizing food drives, volunteering at soup kitchens and participating in a cancer walk.

The group, led by family and consumer science teacher Amy Madonia, recently presented the Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary club with an update on its community service work.

“Our food drive was a big success,” Interact club president Victoria Zaplatosch told Rotarians at a meeting on May 19.

She was accompanied by Interact vice president Deirdre Harrington, secretary Allison Martino and treasurer Orlando Castaneda. Each officer talked about a project the service club tackled this school year and then shared a little bit about their future plans.

All four club officers graduated from Lincoln-Way North on June 3.

Victoria plans to attend Valparaiso University while Allison will attend the University of Missouri. Deirdre is headed for the University of Notre Dame while Orlando is bound for the University of Chicago.

All four plan to continue their community service work in college – either through fraternities and sororities or through clubs, such as Rotaract.

“There are a lot of organizations to branch out to,” said Victoria.

The club officers took advantage of the May 19 Rotary meeting to introduce Lincoln-Way North’s next Interact president – Kristin Lahr, who will take over for the 2011-2012 school year.

Kristin promised to keep the club actively involved in community service work.

“I’ll keep my out eye for new things,” she told Rotarians.

The student club serves as a service partner to the Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary. It meets twice a month during the school year to organize community service projects and fund-raising projects.

This year, it organized a food drive at the school, cheered on participants at a lung cancer walk, volunteered at a soup kitchen in Midlothian, wrapped Christmas presents at an area bookstore to raise money for a youth development program, and collected plastic grocery bags for a group that uses them to make sleeping bags for the homeless.

Students wrapped up the year on June 5 by participating the Caleb’s Crusaders Foundation Launch Picnic at Fort Frankfort. The Foundation was established by a former Frankfort resident whose son died from the fatal orphan disorder HLH (hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis) in 2010. The Foundation’s goal is to raise awareness about the disease.

Rotarians thanked students for their efforts and presented them with certificates commemorating their leadership.

“We are so proud and humbled by what you have done,” Paul Lyons, president of the Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary club, told students. “Congratulations, and we wish you luck with all your future endeavors.”

Lincoln-Way West student’s art work selected for Frankfort Fall Fest Poster

Lillian Krieger, a junior from Lincoln-Way West, was all smiles when her art work was introduced by Mark Giovanazzi, Fall Fest Chairman, as the winner of the Frankfort Fall Fest Poster contest before a crowd of people attending the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce’s summer music series, Concerts on the Green, Sunday, June 19.

The contest is sponsored by the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce, and the art work awarded the grand prize is used for the poster and front cover of the Fall Fest program during the three day event over Labor Day weekend. Lillian was also awarded a cash prize of $250.

Jessicca Thompson, junior from Lincoln-Way West, was awarded the “Chairman Award.” Jessicca was awarded a cash prize of $150.

Lillian’s drawing is of the Red Slipper from the Wizard of Oz, to go along with this year’s Fall Fest Theme, of the “Emerald City.” She incorporated into the red slipper reflections of various Frankfort landmarks such as the Water Tower and Frankfort Grainery building.

“I spent a month brainstorming ideas for the poster. I wanted to do something incorporating hidden objects. I was thinking about parts of the town that sparkles. My favorite part of the movie “Wizard of Oz” are the red slippers, so I just started drawing and drawing and came up with the final art piece,” said Lillian.

“Lillian was very excited when I told her she had won. We announced it in art class. She did a lot of research for her art piece,” noted Paul Faris, art teacher and Art Department Chair for Lincoln-Way West and Central.

Students from all four Lincoln-Way high schools submitted works of art for the poster contest. Fifty-one pieces in all were submitted and judged as to the one that would best display the theme of the Fall Fest. Winners from the last two years were Cara Conrad and Tori Gawelczyk, both from Lincoln-Way North High School.

Lillian’s career goals currently include wanting to major in either special effects or become an architect. She will be a senior next year at Lincoln-Way West.

“This is the 3rd year of the contest. The Frankfort Chamber came to us two years ago and proposed the idea for the Lincoln-Way students to submit art work, with the winner’s art being the poster for the Fall Fest program. Our two art department chairs really liked the opportunity it gave our art students,” said Dr. Sharon Michalak, Assistant Superintendent.

L-W Central ROTC cadets excel at summer leadership school

One core value of the Air Force Junior ROTC of Lincoln-Way Central stresses is “Excellence in All We Do” and they got to prove that as they attended the Summer Leadership School held at Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois. The camp runs from June 12-18.

The camp is an extracurricular program that teaches AFJROTC cadets aspects of citizenship and leadership in a highly structured and focused instructional environment.

“The Summer Leadership School mission is to promote personal development by preparing cadets for leadership roles in their units, schools, and local communities,” stated MSgt. Dan Schliffka, Lincoln-Way Central AFJROTC instructor.

Eight students were selected from the Central JROTC unit to represent the Corps at the 2011 Summer Leadership School. They are: Devin Pafford, Alex DeLeon, Ryan Olson, Luke Kosak, Drew Kowalkowski, Emily Jones, Stephanie Jones and Domi Coleman.

The camp served 140 cadets, from 25 schools, and 5 different states. Students prepare themselves for a grueling physical training program, leadership skills, and teambuilding activities. Their day consisted of getting up at 5:00 a.m. and having lights out by 10:00 p.m., noted Schliffka.

At the end of the week of competition, Lincoln-Way Central cadets claimed two of the “Top 10 Cadets”, Devin Pafford and Stephanie Jones. Devin Pafford and Drew Kowalkowski were named “Guides” for their flight. In addition, four were recognized for “Top Uniform Inspections”, Domi Coleman, Emily Jones, Alex DeLeon and Luke Kosak. Four cadets were awarded “Top Room Inspections”, Domi Coleman, Emily Jones, Stephanie Jones, and Alex DeLeon.

“All Lincoln-Way Central cadets exceeded the expectations of “Excellence in ALL We Do. I am extremely proud of them. Other schools are happy to have one or two awards to bring home after the week, but Lincoln-Way Central excelled by capturing ten. Cadets began their conditioning months in advance, all on their own time and enthusiastically. Their determination and perseverance was taken to heart, spilling over into their Leadership Week,” stated Schliffka.

Bilingual story tellers teach value of cultural communications

PLAINFIELD — “Mama” Edie Armstrong, dressed in African garb told a cute story about a family of mice who encountered a big, scary green-eyed cat while on a family picnic.

Armstrong relayed the tale in Spanish while her storytelling partner, Sue O’Holloran translated it into English on June 27 to the classes of children attending Title 1 and Title III elementary summer school classes at River View Elementary School. Title 1 serves low income students, and Title III serves bilingual students.

The mother mouse, and eventually the whole family began barking like dogs, and the cat ran away, leaving the mice to enjoy the rest of their picnic.

The punch line was just as funny – and the point just as clear – in both languages: “It is very important to speak a second language!” the women said.

O’Holloran and Armstrong presented assemblies for the students to teach them the importance of cultural awareness and appreciation. They sang songs, played special instruments from Africa, Mexico and Ireland, and shared personal stories to show how cultural information can enhance communications.

O’Holloran also worked with teachers to teach how personal cultural stories can be integrated into the classroom.

“The objective was to show teachers that they don’t have to be ‘the expert’ of every culture, but that they can include the children’s voices in the classroom via the students’ own stories,” said Dr. Carmen Ayala, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

O’Holloran will work with students to develop their own stories on July 20-21, before students present their own stories at another assembly.

“District 202 continues to grow and change,” Ayala said. Student enrollment was about 96 percent white in 1990. Last school year it was about 59 percent white, 23 percent Latino, and 9 percent African American. Nearly 80 different languages were represented in District 202 last year.

“This program was a great opportunity for us to serve the special needs of our English Language Learner students, engage in some unique teacher professional development, and continue to show our commitment to every student in our community,” Ayala said.