District 208 and
Riverside Brookfield High School
Hallways
September 2018

A parent and community newsletter. 
District 208 News
Superintendent's Message

Dear RBHS Students, Families, Staff, and Community, 
 
Welcome back Bulldogs for the 2018-19 school year. RB is a unique school that offers rigorous academic programs and extensive extracurricular offerings. Students have many opportunities to pursue their interests. Please encourage your student(s) to join an extracurricular activity to round out their high school experience. I would also like to encourage your support by attending our activity/athletic events. It means a lot to our students to see familiar faces in the audience. I am very excited that this is going to be a great school year. Bulldog pride is contagious!
 
Below are some recent items of interest from our District.

Cordially,
 
Kevin Skinkis, Ed.D
  Budget
 

The Board of Education will conduct a Public Hearing on 
September 11, 2018, at 7:00 p.m., immediately before the regular Board meeting. The Board of Education will review and discuss the 2019 budget at the hearing. The tentative budget can be viewed online at rbhs208.net under the Business Services tab.

  Athletic Fields - Update
 

We are continuing to work with Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski, Superintendent of Cook County Forest Preserve Arnold Randall, and Chicago Zoological President-CEO Stuart Strahl to negotiate an agreement for the sole access of the athletic fields to the north of the high school.
 
The fields are the property of the Cook County Forest Preserve, and they are operated by the Brookfield Zoo. The Zoo currently uses the fields for overflow parking on high attendance days. Our school district can use the fields when they are not being used by the Zoo; however, they are not suitable for any competitions. Gaining a long-term lease for the sole access to the field space next to the school would be the last item the District needs to address to have a comprehensive high school campus. If an agreement can be reached for the District to have sole access to the fields, they will be used for Physical Education classes during the school day and for athletic practices and competitions after school and on weekends. Currently, the baseball, softball, and lower level soccer teams practice and play home contests offsite.

  Board of Education
The Board of Education will have two meetings in September in Conference Room 201 beginning at 7:00 p.m. The dates are 
September 11, 2018, for the Regular meeting, and September 25, 2018, for the Committee of the Whole meeting.  Information regarding Board meetings can be found on the RB website under the Board of Education tab or watch the meetings on   www.rbtv.tv.  

RBHS News
Principal's Message                                                        
 
Welcome to the 2018-19 school year! We welcomed 411 freshmen to RBHS as well as 1,251 returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors. It was great having the RB building come alive again with the return of staff and students. A special thank you to the Student Association and all of our student leaders for coordinating freshman orientation and teaching our new Bulldogs RB's fight song!
 
It was also great to see so many parents and guardians attend Open House on August 29! We hope that you were able to learn more about each of your student's classes and how you can continue to support your student at home. Prior to the Open House, Mr. Mannon, Assistant Principal of Student Affairs, along with Mr. Niemann, School Safety Liaison, provided information regarding enhancements to our existing safety protocols.
 
Homecoming is rapidly approaching, and students are busy preparing for the week's events that will take place from September 16 - 22, with the dance occurring on September 22. We are excited to welcome back all of the alumni to the football game and look forward to a spirited week.
 
It's great to be a bulldog!
 
Kristin
Principal         
   
 
Immunization Requirements for Freshman and Transfer ..Students
 

All freshman and transfer students must have a current physical on file and be in compliance with all required immunizations. Students who do not provide the proper documentation of their vaccinations by Friday, October 12, will be excluded from school. Please contact your health care provider with any questions. For more information, please visit the   RBHS website.
   Incoming Freshman Bulldogs - Class of 2023 Registration 
..
and Placement Test Information
Saturday, October 13 - High School Placement Exam 
at Riverside Brookfield High School
8:00 a.m. - approximately 11:30 a.m. for regular testing

Students with extended time will finish later depending on their accommodations. 

The front doors to the main entrance just east of the football field and south of the Brookfield Zoo (labeled Door A) will open at 7:30 a.m. In order to help us determine the most appropriate classes for freshmen, we require that ALL incoming 9th graders take a placement exam. All students should bring two #2 pencils and a calculator. Attendance on this date is extremely important since no make-up date is possible with the new exam.

You must register your student online by Thursday, September 20, in order for him/her to take the placement exam. Please refer to the email sent from your student's school for instructions on how to complete the online form. This information can also be found on  the RBHS Website . You must also reside in District 208 in order to test at RB.
 
Contact April Englehart in Student Services at ext. 2190 with questions.

 
Technology Spotlight

For the first time in RB's history, all grades now have Chromebooks! During the first week of school, freshmen participated in technology training to help them learn how to use their Chromebooks and navigate key school programs. Students created folders and documents within Google Drive, accessed Schoology and Skyward, researched academic extensions and apps, and reviewed important technology expectations. Teachers continue to investigate and implement lessons that use technology to improve students' skills for collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. To learn more about how our technology initiative enhances student learning and increases student engagement, click  here.
 
Testing Information
  

PSAT Exam at RBHS on Wednesday, October 10
RBHS students taking the PSAT are to report to the door outside of the East Gym no later than 7:45 a.m. No cell phones are allowed in the testing facility. Please make sure that you bring an approved calculator, pencils, and your student ID. More information about the PSAT can be found at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/taking-the-tests.
 
National ACT at RBHS on Saturday, October 27
All students who are registered for the national ACT exam are encouraged to arrive at RBHS no later than 7:30 a.m. on the morning of testing. Additional testing information and test prep help can be found at the ACT website  http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/taking/.
 
New AP Exam Registration Deadline is Tuesday, October 2
In the 2018-19 school year, our school will be one of 800 around the world to use new classroom resources and exam registration and ordering processes that are coming to the Advanced Placement Program ®.
 
If your student has taken AP ® before, they'll notice that most aspects of the program are unchanged or are the same as at any other school, including the base exam fee and score reporting timelines. Below we have highlighted what will be new or different this year. Please read this information carefully and contact your AP coordinator (Marc Helgeson at helgesonm@rbhs208.net) or your AP teacher if you have any questions.
 
New Resources
AP question bank: Teachers can use this library of real AP Exam questions as additional opportunities to practice throughout the year.
 
Performance results: Students will be able to track their progress and make sure that they are understanding course content and building the skills that will be assessed on the AP Exam. They can use their results to focus on their practice plan.
 
Process Changes
System enrollment: At the start of the school year, students and teachers will sign in to myap.collegeboard.org and complete a simple activation process that will give you access to the new resources.
 
Fall exam ordering: An important change this year is that students will need to decide in the fall whether they are taking AP Exams in the spring. The ordering deadline for students is Tuesday, October 2.
 
Fees for late orders or canceled exams: The base AP Exam fee is the same as it is elsewhere ($94), but other fees will apply if exams are canceled by March 1, 2019.
 
More information will be shared with families and students about this process.  Please contact Marc Helgeson, Testing Director, at helgesonm@rbhs208.net with any questions.        
 
PTO's RB Boutique Flash Sale

Are you looking for that perfect homecoming dress? The RB Boutique Flash Sale is on Saturday, September 15, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The boutique will feature hundreds of new and gently used long and short dresses as well as accessories.
 
Long dresses are only $10 each, while short dresses are $5.
 
Contact Julie Laube at laube@rbhspto.org with any questions.     
  Homecoming Week Activities and Information

Sunday 
 9/16
Tuesday 
 9/18
Wednesday 9/19
Friday
 9/21
Saturday 9/22
Dodgeball Tournament
10:00 a.m.
African American Empowerment Club
Open Mic Night
7:00 p.m.
Movie on the Lawn
7:00 p.m.
Pep Rally -
7th hour
 
Football Games
Soph -
5:00 p.m.

Varsity - 
7:00 p.m.
Homecoming Dance
7:00 p.m.

Homecoming Theme is Somewhere Beneath the Sea
Homecoming week is a time for students to share in their school pride through selected grade level competitions, the crowning of a King and Queen, followed by the Football Game, and Homecoming Dance on Saturday. As we draw closer to Homecoming Week, we wanted to communicate updated procedures for the Football Game and Dance, as well as review handbook and safety expectations to ensure students, parents, and the community have an enjoyable Homecoming experience.
   
Homecoming Week and Dance Reminders
Tickets for the Homecoming Dance on September 22 can be purchased for $10.00 each at the door. Students who have purchased a 2018-19 Activity Fee Pass will be allowed entry to the Dance with their current school ID.
 
Dance Guest Permission Slips must be turned in to the Assistant Principal of Student Affairs prior to the dance. Guest forms are available online and in the Main Office.

All students must show their ID for entry into the Homecoming Dance.

The dance will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and will end at 10:00 p.m. There will be no admittance to the Homecoming Dance for students who arrive after 7:45 p.m.

No heels of any height may be worn at the dance. Only flat and wedged shoes are allowed. Heels of any height will damage and ruin our floors. All students must have on some type of footwear, as students will not be permitted to go barefoot.

Students are asked to refrain from celebratory activities, i.e., toilet papering, spray painting, or any damage to school property. Celebratory activities will result in disciplinary consequences. Please refer to the Student Handbook, page 35 item 21.

Students are expected to adhere to all school rules at the dance and are not allowed re-entry into the dance. Please refer to pages 8-9 and 32-33 in the Student Handbook.

  Information from Mr. Mannon, Assistant Principal
. of Student Affairs
Athletic Events and Kennelly Stadium reminders

If students have purchased the 2018-19 Activity Fee Pass, they will be allowed entry with their current school ID to all RB home athletic events excluding IHSA playoff games. Students who fail to bring their ID will pay full admission at the gate. There is a no re-entry policy for all guests at Kennelly Stadium. Students who are dropped off at the stadium should utilize the drop-off area, which is near the south gate on Ridgewood Road.
 
Safety Drills
State-mandated building safety drills were held successfully during the first two weeks of school. An inclement weather preparedness drill was held on August 20, followed by a lockdown drill on August 21. During the lockdown drill, students and staff adhered to new protocols guided by A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate). New  lockdown procedures were enacted as a way to shore up our building safety procedures. A fire drill was held on August 24, and on August 28,  all students in wellness classes went through bus evacuation procedures. In addition to these drills, the student body met with the Administration  during grade level assemblies the first week of school to review related handbook policies. To view the presentation, please visit RB's website.
 
Hero
As an additional intervention to increase student attendance and reinforce positive behavior, the Deans' Office began tardy scans on August 21. For students who arrive late after the first period bell, the Dean of Students will scan IDs at Door A. Following each scan, the Deans will issue the appropriate consequence or warning according to the Tardy Policy listed on page 25 within the Student Handbook. Following 1st period, all students who are late to class  periods 2-7 must adhere to the tardy policy as outlined in the handbook. Consequences escalate and are assigned to students for every third action. The Deans' Office and staff are also utilizing Hero for positive rewards this year. Students who accumulate positive points for exhibiting expected behaviors can exchange them for incentives (gift card/candy) every Tuesday during their lunch periods starting August 28.
 
Drop Offs and Pick Ups
As you drop off your students in the morning, please utilize the main entrance doors on Golf Road, labeled Door A. We ask families to please pull forward to the main entrance and use the turn around after your student exits the vehicle. As a safety precaution, we ask our students and guests to use the appropriate sidewalks and crosswalks. If students ride their bicycles to school, we advise them to secure their bicycles to the bike racks located on the south side of the building on Ridgewood Road. We are also asking students and parents who drive in the morning to watch their speed on Golf Road, as several students will be crossing the street at that time.
  Rouser Information
Prestige Portraits will be at school on September 14 from 
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. for Senior Portraits. They will only be taking yearbook pictures that day. Seniors must have their picture taken by Prestige Portraits by September 28 in order to be included in the yearbook.
 
The yearbook picture retake day for all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors is October 1.
  Fine Arts

RB's Fine Arts Department will be putting together a number of events, performances, and displays to celebrate National Arts in Education Week that begins on September 9. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education. Please join
us in celebrating our culminating event by attending the  September 14  football game. There will be multiple displays, installations, and special performances both before and during half-time of the Varsity Football game. Share your photos from the game or any other event during the school day!   #BecauseOfArtsEd   #RBArtsEd.
  Department Spotlight - Math

The math department was busy this summer.  Four members of the department, Dan Bonarigo (Computer Science-Principles), Sandy Czajka (Computer Science A), Melissa Gordon (Calculus), and Lindsay Mynaugh (Statistics) all descended on Kansas City, Missouri, to participate in the grading of AP exams. Along with grading thousands of exams, faculty members also were able to network and participate in invaluable professional development with hundreds of other teachers from all around the United States and a number of other countries.
 
Also, right at the end of last school year, we learned that Sandy Czajka was the recipient of the Computer Science Teaching Excellence Award from Infosys Foundation. She was one of five recipients nationally.  
Ms. Czajka was also invited to be one of four Master Teachers to present at the AP Computer Science Principles Summit at Facebook the week before we returned to school. In between those great honors, she conducted multiple week-long professional development sessions around the country to train and develop new and experienced Computer Science teachers.
 
We are also excited to welcome Tia Sherman, RB Class of 2000, to the math department. It's always great when Bulldogs come back to us!
  Upcoming Student Services Events and Information

Seniors and Senior Parents - College Information/Transcript Requests
Counselors met with their seniors in small groups during English classes on August 28 and 29 to walk students through requesting transcripts, submitting applications and materials to colleges, letters of recommendations, and local scholarship opportunities.

Please remember that you must allow ten schools days for transcript requests to be processed. This is particularly important if you are trying to meet an early action, early decision, or priority filing deadline. Most of these deadlines are November 1 or November 15, but we encourage you to check the colleges' websites to be sure. We are unable to process any last minute transcripts requests and cannot guarantee that a transcript will make a deadline if you submit a request with less than ten school days of the deadline date.
 
Counselor Meetings with Freshmen
Counselors met with their freshmen in small groups during wellness and band classes on August 21 and 22 to introduce themselves and welcome their students to RB! The students were encouraged to reach out to their counselors if they had any questions about their schedules, their classes, getting involved at RB, or if they were having any difficulties transitioning to high school.

The NACAC College Fair will be held at McCormick Place on Saturday, September 29, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Admission representatives from hundreds of colleges and universities will be available to speak with students and parents one-on-one concerning the college admission process and college life opportunities. Forty-four states will be represented. Please visit www.nacacfairs.org for more information.

College Planning Tips for Senior Parents
September 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
Jim Franko will give some helpful tips for parents of seniors on admission, college applications, and financial aid.
 
Student Services Night for Freshman Parents
Tuesday, September 18, at 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
The counselors will cover topics such as graduation requirements, four-year academic planning, preparing for post-secondary education, using Naviance, and monitoring homework.
  Athletics Department 

Recap of Spring 2018 Highlights:
Todd Fridrych won the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark's Female Team Coach of the Year Award.
 
Ryan Cermak earned All-State honors in Class 4A for the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association.
 
Tatum Bruno earned Illinois Water Polo's All State honors.
 
Fall Sports
All fall sports are in full swing as teams begin preparing for their 2018 seasons. Practice for Football and Boys and Girls Golf, began August 6, while all other sports started August 8. We had over 500 total athletes sign up so far this fall and are hopeful for more as we start the school year.
 
Riverside Brookfield offers the following sports in the fall: Girls Cross Country, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Girls Swim, Girls Golf, Dance, Cheerleading, Football, Boys Cross Country, Boys Soccer, and Boys Golf.
 
Bulldog Athletic program news and information can be found on our website at http://il.8to18.com/RBHS/. This site has all schedules, rosters, playing sites, pictures, and many links to important sites for all our stakeholders.
 
Boys Golf - The program has 37 student athletes on the rosters, and Coach Festle says they are a great group to work with.
 
Girls Golf - Coach Gouwens indicates the girls on this team possess the skill sets and determination to have a fulfilling season. The team is still looking for girls interested in participating in golf.
 
Girls Volleyball - The girls program is led by new head coach Aubrey Dondlinger. Coach Dondlinger has had a successful career on the court, as both a former player and as a coach.  Coach Dondlinger is excited about her new team, and the team appears set to have a great season.
 
Dance - The dance squad practices are underway, and the girls continue to work toward developing a strong competition routine.
 
Girls Cross Country - Coach Jensen enters his second year as head coach. Coach Jensen is excited to coach numerous returning runners this season who will strive to make a run at the Conference Championship and a Top 5 State Qualifying team.
 
Girls Swim - Coach Laurich is excited to take the next step forward and improve on the 2017 season.  Coach Laurich has indicated his team continues to bring in numerous talented athletes at all levels.
 
Football - Coach Curtin and staff have been working hard and have had a successful summer and are preparing their Bulldogs for the 2018 season. This young team has been working extremely hard this past summer and looks forward to the 2018 campaign.
 
Girls Tennis - Coach Hegner's team is looking forward to returning to their 'second year' new home courts. Coach Hegner is encouraged by the growing number of girls electing to compete in the Bulldog tennis program.
 
Cheer - Coach Huedepohl has the team working hard on their routines and continuing their preparation after a successful summer session.  Their goal is to make a run at the Conference Championship.
 
Boys Soccer - Coach Halic and the boys soccer coaching staff have added a junior varsity team to their program this year. The program will have many options to be competitive on all four levels for the 2018 season.
 
Boys Cross Country - Coach Forberg is excited to see how this team works together and competes throughout the year after an incredible run in the 2017 season.  The cross country program is feeling the benefits of a great 2017 season as the team has added many young runners this season.
 
Special thanks to the Sports Boosters Organization
Maybe you already noticed but the Boosters were able to install a few fence designs that they had purchased, and they look great. Go Bulldogs!!
   

                 


  Staff Recognition

Last fall, RBHS English teacher Dan O'Rourke was honored to be selected by Bedford, Freeman, and Worth Publishers to join a team of eight high school and college instructors from across the country to write the Teacher's Edition for the textbook, The Language of Composition. This resource is the premier textbook written for the AP English Language and Composition Course and has been widely adopted by schools for use in AP Language and Composition courses across the country for more than ten consecutive years. The newest version of this Teacher's Edition has just been published and made available. Mr. O'Rourke's contributions include annotations to the text that include planning tools, lesson plans, and teaching ideas for various non-fiction selections as well as visual arguments in the text. 
 
Last year, we were notified that Math and Computer Science teacher, Sandy Czajka was one of five recipients of the 2018 Teaching Excellence Award from the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). This summer, Ms. Czajka attended the Infosys Foundation Crossroads Conference in California where she was presented with this exciting award. After receiving her award, 
Ms. Czajka continued what she calls her "CS Summer Tour" by serving as a Question Leader at the AP Computer Science-A Exam Reading in Kansas City. She then led two different weeklong AP Summer Institutes for new teachers of AP Computer Science Principles. Ms. Czajka also attended the CSTA National Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, where she presented a workshop and a session for APCS-A teachers. Additionally, Ms. Czajka continued her role as the co-chair of the APCS-A Development Committee, collaborating with other teachers at the summer meeting in Princeton, New Jersey. The CS Summer Tour ended with great excitement as Ms. Czajka was invited to be one of four Master Teachers to present at an APCS Principles Teacher Summit held at Facebook Headquarters! Our students enrolled in Computer Science classes at RB are truly lucky to learn from someone who has been a part of building the AP Computer Science program from the ground up.      

Excellence and Ethics
in Education

 
Important Dates
Please check our website for the dates and locations of all performances and events.
________________________
 
September 3
Labor Day Holiday
Non-attendance Day
 
September 4
Seniors Countdown to College
7:00 p.m.
Auditori u m
 
September 10
PTO Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Room 201
 
September 11
Board of Education Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Room 201
 
September 14
Senior Portraits
Alumni Lounge

September 15
RB Boutique Flash Sale
11:00 a.m.
Commons Area
 
September 17
Music Sponsors Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Band Room
 
September 18
Student Services Night for Freshman Parents
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
   
September 20
Booster Club Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Alumni Lounge
 
September 21
Homecoming Varsity Game
7:15 p.m.
Kennelly Stadium
 
September 22
Homecoming Dance
7:00 p.m.
 
September 25
Board of Education Meeting - Committee of the Whole
7:00 p.m.
Room 201
 
September 25
College Planning Tips for Seniors
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium


Contact Us
(708) 442-7500
newsletter@rbhs208.net
See our website for individual staff email addresses
Event Schedules
Check the website for:

Athletic Event Schedules/Updates