From the desk of Principal Deborah Finn

April 25, 2024

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW: 

1. If you have a current student-athlete or a rising 8th grade student-athlete, be sure to read through Athletics below.
2. Check out Academics if you have a student interested in our Dual Language program.
3. HPHS is hosting the annual Chicano Bowl this weekend - please see Message from the Principal for more information.

May is around the corner and we are very busy at HPHS. Our spring play, Clue, wrapped up last week and it was spectacular. Congratulations to all the students who brought this murder mystery to life for all of us to enjoy.  

This weekend HPHS will once again host the annual Chicano College Bowl (CCB) and Yolanda “Yoli” Rios will be the keynote speaker. The festivities begin at 4:00 pm this Saturday in the auditorium. The Hispanos Unidos student group hosts this Saturday program which includes a symposium workshop, activities fair, trivia competition, and dinner/dance. Click here to read the full press release.

Last week I was also fortunate to attend the Central Suburban League (CSL) Art Exhibit.  This exhibit celebrated the work of more than 25 different HPHS artists at the Central Suburban League Student Art Exhibit. Many thanks to the HPHS orchestra for providing the music at the exhibit!

As we head into our final weeks of school, I want to stress the importance of attending school daily and getting to classes on-time. Missing just two days of school per month is considered to be chronically absent, which is associated with learning loss. Even though the days are certainly brighter and warmer, we need to ensure we maximize every minute in class. We look forward to seeing our students every day!

Monday, April 29 - Giant Schedule Day

Tuesday, April 30 -Giant Schedule Day

Wednesday, May 1 - White Schedule Day

Thursday, May 2 - Blue Schedule Day



Friday, May 3 - Giant Schedule Day

ACADEMICS

For students who want to learn more about Dual Language (DL) opportunities at HPHS, we are hosting a DL Fair this Friday.  Check out these Flyers (Eng. & Span.) and encourage your student to attend

STUDENT LIFE

True Giants



Yesterday we honored nine students at our final True Giant Ceremony of the year. Each student was recognized for their strong character and exemplified what it means to live a Giant life. They uphold the values we hold dear in our House on Vine.  

Congratulations to Ashley Arellanes-Santos, Avi Davis, Josh Dubrow, Weslee Innes, Cassidy Meyer, Max Roman, Sumner Silver, Fernando Valencia, Tommy Ward and all the wonderful staff members who nominated these remarkable students. 

ACTIVITIES

Senior Prom 2024 Information: Click here.

 *Please note that any student found in possession of drugs or alcohol will not be allowed to attend prom, tickets will not be refunded, and a parent/guardian must pick up the student(s) from the location. 

After Prom: Don't miss out on an epic After Prom event, register through Omella by 5/10/24 to join in the fun at Pinstripes in Northbrook on 5/19 from Midnight to 2:30 am. Great food, friends, entertainment, and awesome raffles including a TV, airpods, and dorm essentials prizes-Can't wait to see you there!

Registration Link.  For more info visit HP After Prom Website.

PTO Sponsored Grad Night: Click here to register.

HPHS DEBATE:

Last weekend junior Siena Logan, junior Nathan Sukenik, and sophomore Rennie Smoler competed in the 2024 Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky. Often compared to the Final Four, TOC brings together the best of the best in competitive speech and debate by only accepting students who have advanced to elimination rounds at challenging national tournaments such as Harvard, Glenbrooks, and Sunvite.

This year's Tournament of Champions was a special one for HPHS. When the dust settled on Sunday night after two days of intense competition, it was announced that Nathan Sukenik would be one of only 20 debaters advancing to the final round of the tournament. On Monday morning, with Rennie and Siena there to cheer him on, Nathan did an outstanding job presiding over the most elite Congressional Debate session of the 2024 debate season!

Please congratulate these three special debaters for representing HPHS at the Tournament of Champions, and let's give a big cheer for Nathan becoming the first HPHS debater in a decade to advance to TOC finals!!!

ATHLETICS

Varsity Team Updates - Lower Level Team Updates will Come Next Week

1. Boys Volleyball won the Grayslake North Invitational on Saturday.  The team earned big wins over Evanston and Niles North to secure the title.  Griffin Killeen, Nate Rubin and Andrew Washington led the way for HPHS.
2. Girls Soccer defeated a talented Mundelein team 2-0 at Wolters Field on Saturday.  Emma Risko Juarez and Lily Mariano scored for the Giants.  Senior night is tonight at Wolters Field and the team plays at Deerfield on Saturday night.
3. Girls Lacrosse earned a hard fought win over Walter Payton College Prep Saturday afternoon. Natalia Piacenza got the scoring started for HP.
4. Girls Badminton finished 2nd in the Glenbard North Feather Frenzy.  The Giants got strong efforts from Adina Bard, Anais Arellanes, Amina Smithenry-Myers, Callie Wu, Hannah Lubell, and Emily Beall.
5. Our Boys Lacrosse team has shown a lot of heart after suffering some key injuries recently.  The boys travel to GBN tonight.
6. Girls Water Polo earned a nice win last week against Warren.  The team takes on Leyden tonight at HPHS in their final home contest of the season.
7. Shoutout to our softball coaches.  We have formed a co-op with DHS for the past two years and the coaches from both schools have done a fantastic job joining forces to provide a great experience for the athletes.  The team had a big win on Tuesday night, defeating GBN 6-3.
8. Boys Water Polo has shown a great competitive spirit this year.  Senior night is tonight against Leyden.  The team also looks forward to hosting the CSL Conference Tournament on April 29 and 30.
9.  Boys Gymnastics competed in the CSL Conference Tournament last night and is gearing up for the postseason.  Alex Gudgeon continues to perform well for the Giants.
10. Girls Track & Field had a busy weekend competing at Antioch on Friday, Palatine on Saturday and hosting Loyola on Tuesday.  Taylor Singerman performed well at Palatine.  HP will be hosting the CSL North Conference Meet on Thursday, May 2 at Wolters Field.
11. Boys Track & Field also had a busy weekend.  The team traveled to Niles North on Friday and Palatine on Saturday.  At Palatine, HP had strong efforts from seniors Barak Goldstein and Nate Wehner.
12. Baseball brought home the traveling trophy after defeating Libertyville last Wednesday.  The teams play in the Sterny Classic each year to honor former HP Coach and Libertyville community member Gregg Sternaman.
13. Boys Tennis narrowly defeated Deerfield 4-3 last Friday.  The Warriors won the three singles matches, but the Giants swept the four doubles contests to earn the victory.

8th Grade Athletic Fair

Wednesday, May 1 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm we will be welcoming the Class of 2028 and their families to our annual HPHS Athletic Fair.  Families of current 8th graders will be invited to a short presentation in the cafeteria from 6:30-7:00 pm for an overview of our athletic department with a focus on the IHSA start dates and our HPHS summer camps. The fair will be held in the Exhibition Gym starting at 7:00 pm and is an opportunity for our incoming freshmen to meet the coaches and learn information specific to the 2024-25 school year.

College Signing Day Celebration

HPHS student athletes who will be continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level will be honored at a ceremony on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:45 am in the cafeteria courtyard.  Friends and family are welcome to attend.  Please arrive early and bring a drivers license, as all adult visitors will have to be scanned in by our security team upon arrival.  Please contact Paul Harris by Monday, April 29 if you are aware of any senior athletes who have committed to play at the Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, NAIA, or Junior/Community College level.

Quick Attendance Reminder 

Students need to be in school at least half of the school day in order to participate in practices and competitions.  Athletes should communicate with their coach if there are extenuating circumstances that impact student attendance.

Giants Club

The final Giants Club meeting of the school year is on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 pm in the Giant Conference Room at HPHS.  If you are a parent/guardian of an athlete, Giants Club would be thrilled to have you join the organization!  Liaisons are needed for all sports, all seasons and the commitment is minimal (one - 1 hr. meeting/month).  Please visit the website to learn more about the benefits of joining and all the ways the Giants Club supports our athletic programs.  You can also follow the Giants Club on instagram at HPGiantsClub.

The last few weeks of the school year can be stressful for students with end-of-year assessments and extracurricular events happening at the same time.  As was included above in Student Life, Giants hold each other to live by our House on Vine values.

If a student is feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities, it’s important to utilize the accessible and appropriate resources.  These might include requesting time with a teacher for extra help or other assistance.  Additionally, a visit with a counselor or the Drop-In Center could be helpful to a student to process feelings and assist in prioritizing many responsibilities.