FROM THE DESK OF MR. BRAD GOODING
Parents, just a few things to keep in mind . . .
1. 8 Block Scheduling. Illini West will be going to an 8 block schedule for the 2013-2014 school year. 8 block means that students will only take 4 classes each day. Very simply, a student will have 4 different classes every other day at a longer block of time. The hours will be anywhere from 80 to 90 minutes long. There is quite a bit of work to do between now and the 2013-2014 school year to have this schedule in place. I encourage all of you to research 8 block to see the positives and negatives. I feel as though it will be a benefit for all here at Illini West.
2. Class Schedules for 2012-2013. Mr. Bliss and Mr. Dion will be working with current Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen over the next couple of weeks for class schedules for next school year. If your son or daughter has any questions about schedules for 2012-2013 they need to ask one of the guidance counselors. Our goal is to have all 2012-2013 scheduling wrapped up before the end of this current school year.
3. Dual Credit Survey. Illini West High School Juniors and Seniors have the opportunity to take dual credit courses through Carl Sandburg Community College every year. Currently there is a survey on the school website asking for information from parents and students as to what classes are of interest. If you are currently a Sophomore or Junior, please take the time to complete one of these surveys. It can be returned to the guidance counselors or the office. Click Here for Survey
4. Graduation. Graduation will be held on Sunday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m. here at Illini West High School. Doors will open at 1:00 p.m. There is no reserved seating. Family members and guests will be expected to behave appropriately. Graduates will be expected to dress and act appropriately for the occasion. For the young gentlemen that includes a collared shirt (no T-shirts ), dress pants (no blue jeans or shorts) and dress shoes (no tennis shoes). For the young ladies that includes dresses, skirts, or dress shirts and dress slacks (no T-shirts, blue jeans or shorts) and dress shoes (no flip flops). Graduation is a dignified ceremony. Please do your part to help keep it that way. More information about graduation will be sent home to parents around May 1.
5. Participating in Multiple Sports in One Season. There has been a question as to student-athletes participating in multiple sports in one season. The Illini West Board of Education has clarified the policy regarding dual sports in the same season. It is the practice of Illini West High School that an athlete may not play or participate in more than (1) sport as defined in the IHSA within the same season. Sports are defined as: football, volleyball, golf, cross country, basketball (boys and girls), wrestling, baseball, softball and track (boys and girls). Activities are defined as: student council, class officers, FBLA, WYSE, scholastic bowl, cheerleading, dance, FFA, Scholastic Clay Target Program, band, jazz band, chorus, bass fishing, chorus, National Honor Society, math team, drama club, key club, SADD, international club, industrial arts club, history club, art club and the school play. The sporting seasons at Illini West are defined as fall, winter and spring.
6. Prom. The 2012 Illini West High School Prom will be held at the Lake Hill Winery Banquet Hall on April 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Promenade will be held in the Illini West High School Gym at 4:00 p.m. Prom is for juniors and seniors that attend Illini West High School. Juniors must have all outstanding fees paid to the junior class by February 10 to be eligible to attend. For an underclassman to attend they must be the date of a junior or senior. Cost per individuals to attend Prom is $25.00, with Illini West seniors attending at no charge. An After Prom Party will be held here at the high school. Students attending this event must be checked in by midnight, 12:00 a.m. If you should have any questions regarding Prom contact Mrs. LaRae Roth or Mrs. Shari Shupe here at school.
7. PSAE/ACT Boot Camp. Just a reminder that PSAE/ACT Boot Camp for members of the Junior Class will be held on March 3, 10 and 17. Sign-up sheets are posted outside the office. Students will have until February 24 to sign up. Currently we have approximately 50 students signed up each day for Boot Camp. There is no cost to attend Boot Camp. There is a sign-up for students to ride the shuttle bus to Boot Camp. Currently, no students have signed up to ride the shuttle bus. Juniors may also check out an ACT Prep Guide by stopping in the office. These books will help with preparation for the ACT and PSAE tests in April. There is no charge to use the book. However, if a book is damaged or not returned the student will be charged a $17 replacement fee.
8. School Cancellations Due to Weather. It is that time of year when school may be cancelled due to inclement weather. Please pay attention to weather forecasts from day to day. The administration strives to make a decision as early as possible when having to cancel school. However, that is not always possible. In the event school is cancelled the administration will inform a number of the local media outlets from Carthage, Quincy, Keokuk, Ft. Madison, Burlington and Macomb. We will also send out a School Reach phone call as soon as possible. Please, DO NOT call the school to find out if school is cancelled or not. A flood of phone calls to the school only slows down the process of us getting information out to everyone in an efficient manner.
9. Positive Behavior at Illini West in January. The following students have received a gift card to either Circle K, Dairy Queen, Hardees or Subway for displaying positive behavior on a daily basis in the month of January: Danielle Rhodes, Emily Fink, Bradee Campbell, Emily Gold, Paige Newman, Kayden Guymon, Dalton Elliot, JT Adams, Holly Jones, Hannah Markey, Hayley Driskell, Rachel Bavery, Paige Bray, Abby Adkisson, Marissa Hocker, Zach Taylor, Chris Andries, Nolan Ard, Angelina Burns. Congratulations to these students.
10. Positive Office Referrals for January. The following students were referred to the office by a teacher during the month of January for displaying positive behavior in and out of the classroom: Alex Appel, Jacob Gittings, Dustin Waddell, Ethan Neally, Nolan Ard, Shane Wood, Austin Foster, Mason Bailey, Forrest Ellison, Joe Melcher, Alex Ourth, Kirby Fecht, Evan McGaughey, Chris Holtsclaw, Connor Beals, John Morrison, Taylor Dittmer, Hayden Fox. Thank you to these students for “doing the right thing”.
School will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. on February 17 for a School Improvement Day. There will be no school on February 20 in observance of President’s Day.
If you ever have a question, feel free to call me at 217-357-2136, ext. 1401 or email me at gooding.brad@illiniwest.org.
Thank you,
Mr. Brad Gooding
