The
Viking
Connection
Volume 33, Spring 2013
Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School District 233, 999 Kedzie, Flossmoor, IL 60422 • 708-799-3000
Unique Accomplishments for an Exceptional District
I
just attended our Music Department’s
annual honors recital, where our top
student-musicians performed for our
school after completing a competitive
audition. I am always amazed at the
talents of our young people. While other
districts may be cutting back on fine arts education, our district
is committed to giving these artists the opportunities and
resources they need to continue to grow their skills.
There are plenty of other things to be proud about these days
at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. As you can read below,
our school was recently granted IB World School status by the
International Baccalaureate Organization. This designation
culminates a rigorous, multi-year application process, led by
our principal, curriculum director, department chairs and
teachers who spent countless hours in training and curriculum
development to make this happen. Practically speaking, this
new status means that juniors in our Gifted Academy will begin
taking IB classes this coming fall, offering them a greater
academic challenge and the ability to stand out when applying
to highly competitive colleges. The bigger picture shows that it
should be a great draw for the community, as no other public
high school in Chicago’s suburbs can claim IB World status.
The outstanding practices of our Board of Education, our
Business Manager Ken Parchem and staff have allowed H-F
to complete another remarkable achievement this spring: our
district received a AAA bond rating by Standard & Poor’s. It is
the first time the district was awarded this rating in its 54
years, placing it among the most elite school districts in the
nation, based upon our financial profile. This rating allows the
district to get the lowest competitive interest rates for bond
financing, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
To achieve the top rating, the district worked for years towards
strong financial planning, being good stewards of taxpayers’
money and having fiscal discipline.
Don’t only take my word for how exceptional our school
district is: come out and experience H-F for yourself this spring.
Consult the community calendar on page 3, and attend at least
one must-see event this month. There are two unique events
coming soon — our May 8th Viking Broadcasting Center
Open House and our May 19th Sculpture Installation —
and plenty of classic H-F events to choose from, such as our
annual Red & White Choral Concert on May 21 and the
Orchestra Senior Conductors’ Concert on May 23.
— Superintendent Dr. Von Mansfield
H-F: Only public I.B. World School in Chicago’s suburbs
T
he International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization has granted IB World School status to Homewood-Flossmoor High School. H-F now joins the exclusive company of approximately 3,000 IB
World Schools that dot the globe across 138 countries.
“This designation culminates a rigorous multi-year application process, making H-F the first public high school in Chicago’s suburbs to offer the IB Diploma Programme,” says Dr. Von Mansfield,
superintendent.
This coming fall, juniors enrolled in the H-F Gifted Academy will begin the two-year IB Diploma
Programme, which provides upper-level high school students with an academically challenging and
balanced program of study. According to Dr. Ryan Pitcock, principal, “IB Diploma earners are recognized internationally as well-rounded, top students who possess strong critical thinking, research,
writing and oral communication skills.”
As they develop their content knowledge, IB students foster their scholastic growth and emotional
maturity, as well.
“In addition to studying English, world language, social science, science, mathematics, and the
arts,” explains Dr. Nancy Spaniak, curriculum director, “IB students take a course called Theory of
Knowledge that allows them to reflect on the nature of knowledge and critically examine different
Story continues on page 3
ways of knowing in various disciplines.”
2012/13 3rd Quarter Honor Roll
Congratulations to our honors students! To be eligible for High Honors, students must be enrolled in at least five classes and achieve all
As. Students who are enrolled in at least five classes and receive at least two As and no grade lower than a B are eligible for Honors.
GRADE 9 - Class of 2016
GRADE 10 - Class of 2015
HIGH HONORS: Alexis Anderson,
Jomarie Arban, Margaret Austin, Zion
Banks, Jessica Barry, Carli Bell, Ryan
Bergal*, Mae Carroll, Juliana Castagna,
Bernie Coderre, Sarah Coghlan, Shiloah
Coley, Margaret Colton, Tyler Connors,
Heather Culbertson, Meagan Donermeyer, Shannon Dunne, Aliaa Eldabli,
Preston Genett, Michael Gislason,
Nora Grasse, Hailey Heining, Aileen
Humphrey, Dan Ibrahim, Madison
Larocca, Hannah Lichtenberg, Paris
Napue, Kayla Reiser, Johnathon
Schmidt, Julia Schwieterman, Mandy
Sigale, Keani Staton, Gabriel Temple,
Blake VanNiel, Kira VanVoorhees,
Elizabeth Voelker, Isabel Weber,
Brittany White & Shaleahk Wilson
HIGH HONORS: Morgan Bohlman,
Madysen Bolin, Gita Connolly, Jacob
Fontana, Jesse Forestell, David Knot,
Matea Larrieu, Branden Levine, Jessica
Norman, Madison Thiros, Natalie
Tomey, Mylon Walker & Rachel Wilson
HONORS: Stephen Allen, Kwame
Amuh, Christine Augustin, Tia
Baldwin, Taiylar Ball, Lauren Barnett,
Sophia Bell, Anthony Bello, Jerome Beverly, Grace Bialobok, Trevor Blaszczyk,
Lake Blocher, Brooklynn Blue, Miles
Bohlman, Lillian Brown, Rashelle
Brownfield, Anya Brumfield, Aysia Burrows, Janelle Butler, Carter Byrd, Daniel
Camera, Alec Campos, Miriam Chamberlain, Kristen Clark, Luke Colin, Dwayne
Cooper, Jeremy Correll, Samuel Cutrara,
Anthony Davis, Mary Donkel, Tristan
Donohoe, Brenden Drinkard McFarland,
Anna Dunlavy, Jack Dunlavy, Joseph
Eagle, Daniel Estelle, Riley Farkos,
Jessenia Figueroa, Sydney Floyd, Jordan
Fox, Megan Garrity, Michael Gavin,
Gabrielle Glomb, Lila Grant, Bryce Gray,
Jade Greear, Victoria Gulley, Michael
Havighorst, Brittany Henry, Joshua
Izenbart, Morgan Jackson, Barry James,
Erique Johnson, Shalin Johnson, Afia
Jones, Sydney Jones, Rosemary Joyce,
Lauren Kuchta, Caitlin Lamb, Laura
Larocca, Eric Leake, Carter Levinson,
Hannah Levy, Grace Lipscomb, Kyle
Loudon, Mia Luckett, Lonzo Lynn,
Michelle Maass, Jaida Macklin, Alexis
Maddox, Omar Martinez, Jacqueline
Mazique, Margaret Moore, Jackson
Mulligan, Qijaana Myrick, Tyler
Newkirk, Chibuike Nwaru, Linda
Nwumeh, Sophia O Connor, Ianna Oatis,
Sharon Okeke, Mary Paetow-Fanning,
Christopher Payne, Troy Payne, Kiwane
Perry, Thomas Planera, Victoria Pope,
Brianna Rauch, Shelly Ray, Demetrio
Reed, Warren Richards, Isaiah Ricks,
Myra Rivers, Claudia Roberts, Michael
Ruiz, Cobi Sabo, Lucas Santefort, Mia
Schumann, Marcia Schwieterman, Ethan
Senesac, Marie Sherlock, Tariq Speed,
Kevin Steiner, Andre Thomas, Courtney
Thompson, Nicholas Thompson, Zach
Thompson, Richard Thornber, Aubria
Thornhill, Wesley Thrall, Katia Tingue,
Devon Toban, Cassie Toolan, Johnathan
Truex, Sara Valdivia, Kalyn Victor,
Emily White, Payton White, Alan
Williams, Braxton Williams, Malina
Wordlaw & Kayla Young
*This student was mistakenly listed
under “Honors” in the last issue of
Viking Connection; he belonged in the
“High Honors” category.
HONORS: Lauren Agrigento, Brenda
Aldape, Alana Anderson, Brittani
Andrews, Maya Apata, Anthony
Babinec, Sultan Bada, Ilana Battle,
Abraham Bava, Quewone Berry, Jacob
Bostick, Jonathan Brandt, Jordan
Brooks, Kayla Butler, Steve Butler Jr,
Deana Cager, Demarion Chambers,
Peter Cipriano, Nicholas Clay, Susan
Conlon, Ladye Cook, Michael Crecco,
Malik Curtis, Ariana Dampier, Adira
Dangoy, Olivia Dau, Micaela Davis,
Claire Deering, Lilian Ebom,
Toluwalope Efunkoya, Adebayo Fatuki,
April Faulkner, Teri Faulkner, Thaddeus Fifer, Khayleia Foy, Austin Grandison, Rachael Guenter, Mia Guzynski,
Madeline Hallahan, Julian Hansen,
Austin Harris, Joshua Harris, Amber
Hogue, Jonyai Hohl, Lindsay Hopson,
Rachel Husmann, Victor Ibe, Alysia
Irwin, Lorenzo Irwin, Carlos Jimenez,
Karin Johnson, Moriah Jones, Emma
Kaye, Thomas Knetl, Oksana Kolimas,
Emily Leader, Vivien Makos, Marcus
Mangel, Lauren Mansfield, Charly
Martin, Sydney Massey, Brian Mayo,
Katie McGrath, Robert Meagher IV,
Lauren Minga, Alexis Moffett, Hannah
Moore, Fiona Moran, Madeline
Morrison, Kasey Nemitz, Anna Novak,
Aidan O Leary, Leah O Shea, Jeremy
Orbik, Joel Osei, Austin Paschal, Angela Patterson, Jeremy Patterson,
Melissa Pizza, Nadia Ramos, Jelani
Robinson, Yenory Rosa, Precious Rose,
Corey Schaffer, Michael Shereyk,
Megan Shockley, Amber Smith,
Brendan Stewart, Kayla Stewart,
Calvin Stringer, Rebecca Tanner,
Zachary Taylor, Ciara Thomas, Elana
Thomas, Tinsha Thomas, Zakiya Tolliver, Tara Troli, Wyatt Ullberg, Alyssa
Villamor Thompkins, Clayton Wassilak,
Denee Webster, Kayla Wells, Justin
Wilkerson, Nicole Wood, Wesley Woodson & Steven Wright III
________________________________
GRADE 11 - Class of 2014
HIGH HONORS: Desmond Amuh,
Kevin Anderson, Crissel Marie Arban,
Sarah Armstrong, Apollonia Bodunrin,
Leslie Bonthron, Maeve Coates Welsh,
Polina Ermasova, Agatha Mari
Fernandez, Matthew Gibson, Irie
Grant, Tiera Hollanquest, Lauren
Hurley, Emma Lane, Allison Lessner,
Anna Meehan, Jewell Minor, Mia Narcisi, Quincy O Malley, Kristin Spratt,
Nina Sweeney & Alexander Worman
2 • VIKING CONNECTION, SPRING 2013
HONORS: Naomi Adams, Tyler
Alexander, Randall Allen, Cayla
Andrews, Ashley Bailey, Isabeau Belisle
Dempsey, Brandon Bell, Brandon
Blaszczyk, Marley Borham, Jeffery
Boyed, Bithiah Brooks, Donavan
Brooks, Emma Bubenik, Melody Byrd,
Kyra Caldwell, Sierra Clemetson, Leslie
Cockrell, Nina Coffey, Sean Connors,
Heidi Culbertson, William Daniels, Tia
Davis, Levy Dawson Jr, Tyler Dean,
Elizabeth Drwiega, Hannah DuBuque,
Megan Dunlavy, Rachel Elfman,
Uchechi Emuchay, Jessica Erman,
Jesse Eshleman, Samantha Farkos,
Symone Fowler-Canty, David Fox,
Efrain Garcia, Candid Gardner, Ahqura
Gavin, Mikayla Gear, Phillip Glover,
Blake Golliday, Nathan Gonzalez, Lauren Graham, Kayla Griffith, Jack
Hallam, Olivia Hamilton, Tyler Harvey,
Karina Hayes, Jonnea Herman,
Kristina Hill, Savanna Hillegass,
Morgan Hogan, Deja Hunt, Katherine
Jennings, Ashley Johnson, Ashley
Johnson, Edgar Johnson, Joriele
Johnson, Ari Jones, Evelyn Jones,
Loren Jones, Shoneia Jones, Alexis
Jung, Rachael Kirchschlager, Jameson
Lamb, Mark Lawlor, Naomi Leonard,
Joshua Lewis, Gregory Lindbloom,
Christopher Lloyd, Tyler Maxie,
Jamison McDermott, Colleen McGovern, Joselynn Melvin, Bianca Meza,
Jazmeir Miller, Jeremy Miller, Joshua
Miller, Giavanna Moran, Abrea Nelson,
Jack Nelson, Jaiveonna Norris, Kendall
Paris, Summer Payton, Monet Licea
Pearson, Delaney Perl, Fallon Perl,
Marcus Perry, Alliyah Phillips, Jack
Popravak, Christina Price, Nyla Pruitt,
Kathryn Puente, Christina Redmond,
John Reed, Taylor Reed, MacKenzie
Reid, Jennifer Richardson, Alexis
Rodriguez, Gina Rotondi, Victor
Rounds, Christopher Russell, Efren
Sanchez, Nicholas Sanders, Montana
Sandstrom, Timothy Schwieterman,
Marcus Scott, Parker Scott, Aaliyah
Shaw, Brandon Shephard, Rebekah
Siliezar, Derrick Small, Dante Speed,
Raya Spencer, Samuel Spencer, Aliyah
Stephens, Abigail Sutherland, Loretta
Sutkus, Mineru Suzuki, Anthony
Swiatnicki, Broc Thompson, Brigid
Tobin, Kevin Toolan, Tyra Trammell,
Regina Udonkang, Aaron Vail, Tia
Vinson, Johnny Washington, Priscilla
Whang, Morgan White, Aleigha
Williams, Michaela Williams, Amber
Williford, Samera Wilson, Sayoko
Wilson, Melvin Woolfolk III, Marquise
Worley & Talia Wright
________________________________
GRADE 12 - Class of 2013
HIGH HONORS: David Abramov, Erin
Bruggeman, Kelly Coderre, Lesley
Dennison, Kevin Gislason, Chardae
Greenlee, Faith Huckabee, Amani
Jackson, Elisa Jimenez, Elizabeth Joyce,
Daniel Kopas, Sara Lichtenberg,
Madeleine Manning, Danielle Markus,
Julia McMurtrey, Madeline Morris,
Cierra Randal, Rajanee Redmond, Elliott
Runburg, Emily Russo, Sara Ryan,
Jessica Schmidt, Lena Schmidt, Ian
Senesac, Stephanie Sigale, Evelyn
Weidman, Haley Williams, Stephanie
Yohay & Emily Zalewski
HONORS: Frances Aboushousha, Kevin
Adams, Adeyemi Akingbade, Ceylon
Alexander, Alexander Bergeron, Joshua
Bilbrew, Riley Blythe, Kimberly Boehm,
Kyah Bridges, Theodore Brockly, Keith
Carter, Dylan Cheng, Gabriela Cipriano,
Christina Coderre, Lashonde Colbert,
Kennedy Conn, Bryan Davis, Elaina
Davis, Clara Deck, Holly Deckelman,
Miracle Diala, Dylan Dixon, Bryn Dolan,
Samuel Dreyfuss, Caitlin Dunne, Johna
Edwards, Alexander Eng, Idara Eno, Ima
Eno, Victoria Falvo, Alfredo Ferreira,
Taylor Fisher, Samantha Flory, Dustin
Ford, Colin Gallagher, Alejandro Gomez,
Robert Gramillano, Jessica Griggs, Chloe
Gropper, Mia Hairston, Nicolette
Hansen, Grace Hanzelin, Jordan
Harden, Malik Henry, Michael Holst,
Courtney Hughes, Princewill Ibe, Mitsuko Ihaza, Cynthia Izzo, Aesha Jackson,
Jonathan Joffe, Sydni Johnson, Christopher Kelley, Janay Kent, Lionel Keys,
Jacob Klemp, Gregory Kuznieski, Jenna
Ladner, Daniel Lagor, Samantha
Larocca, Donald Larrieu III, Suzanna
Lemmon, Rebecca Leonard, Kristina
Lively Dykas, Rubin Logan, Rachel
Magnabosco, Jocelyn Manning, Cierra
Maxey, Jacob McArthur, Callie McCarthy, Jalen McMahan, Paris Meeky,
Amma Mensah, Aaron Messersmith,
Daniel Mitchell, Christina Morris, ShKirah Moton, Danielle Nicholson, Kenneth
Nye, Morgan Oakes, Alecia Palmer, Andrew Peterson, Kristi Plath, Leah
Pointer, Cailee Polanski, Jamila Porter,
Kyka Porter, Sierra Proby, Connor
Quinn, Justin Riner, Angela Roberts,
Lauren Roby, Dilian Rodriguez, Gabriela
Rodriguez, Miranda Ryan, Taylor
Sanders, Shawn Sayeed, Jamie
Schafroth, Anna Schloen, Madeline
Schmidt, Abby Schultz, Isaiah Sciford,
Kaitlyn Shereyk, Steven Simmons,
Jazmyn Simon, Amaris Smith, Gabrielle
Smith, Isaiah Smith, Jalen Smith,
Melanie Sneed-Morton, Samuel Solomon,
Kaylah Sosa, Ashley Stewart, Brianna
Stewart, Randall Tar, Myles Toliver,
Julie Tomlinson, Nancy Tran, Alexandra
Ullberg, Kelly Ward, Nashae Webb,
Danielle Werner, Brooke Wians, Evan
Wierzbicki, Alonna Williams, Arica
Williams, Elliott Williams & Amaalyah
Wilson
HFHIGHSCHOOL.ORG
H-F Alumnus Earns Perfect A.P. Score
H
-F alumnus (’12) and current 4.0 Duke University student, Eli Lichtenberg, was
one of only 17 students in the world to earn every
point possible on the A.P. Macroeconomics exam
last May. He answered every multiple-choice
question correctly and earned every point possible on each of the open-ended responses in
the free-response section of the exam. Last year, 99,903 students worldwide took
the same exam as Eli.
“This is an extremely significant accomplishment, especially given that
Economics is widely seen as one of the most difficult A.P. courses,” says Dave
Kush, department chair of Assessment.
While Eli’s score is a rare occurrence, taking A.P. tests at H-F is not. This May
533 H-F students will take at least one A.P. test, in hopes of earning college credit
for their high-school studies. While at H-F, Eli was able to garner college credit and
be placed into higher-level classes through the 11 A.P. classes he completed. The
computer and electrical engineering student now encourages current H-F students
to take these challenging courses. To be successful, they should “develop good habits
early,” says Eli, “pay attention, have a good attitude and do your homework.”•
DID YOU KNOW?
• Many colleges award credit for A.P. coursework. In other cases, students may be
exempted from a prerequisite class, though not given credit.
• Students who take A.P. courses and exams are generally more successful in college.
• H-F currently offers 26 A.P. courses and has one of the finest A.P. programs in the U.S.
• H-F students consistently score far above the national average on A.P. tests.
• H-F’s A.P. courses produce some of the school’s finest academic competitors,
and they bolster the school’s fine arts achievements.
IB World School, continued from p. 1
Students working toward the IB Diploma also independently research and compose a 4,000-word Extended Essay and participate in experiential learning beyond
the classroom through the Creativity, Action and Service portion of the Diploma
Programme.
H-F’s IB Diploma Programme capstones the four-year H-F Gifted Academy course
sequence. Established in fall 2011, the H-F Gifted Academy aligns with the school’s
mission to uphold the highest standards of intellectual growth. “Research shows that schools do a good job of supporting struggling students but
do not provide enough enrichment for academically talented students,” says Dr.
Spaniak. While H-F has serviced students well through its extensive Advanced Placement
(A.P.) program, the school wanted to do more for its highest academic performers. As
a result, a committee of administrators and teachers worked for more than a year to
develop the H-F Gifted Academy, which offers students the academic challenges of
both A.P. and IB coursework. “Ultimately,” states Dr. Pitcock, “the H-F Gifted Academy’s A.P. and IB curricula
give students the richest, most challenging academic experience that any high
school in the country – if not the world – offers. We are extremely indebted to our department chairs and teachers who have spent countless hours in training and curriculum development to not only earn Homewood-Flossmoor’s IB World School
designation, but to make it work in the context of the H-F Gifted Academy.” •
HFHIGHSCHOOL.ORG
CALENDAR of
EVENTS
M A Y 2 - 4 - H-F Theatre: The Last Days of
Judas Iscariot @ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
M A Y 6 - National Honor Society Induction,
featured speaker: Andrew Schapiro (H-F ‘81)
of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
@ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
M A Y 7 - Free! Dance Recital @ Mall
Auditorium, 4 p.m.
M A Y 8 - Viking Broadcasting Center Open
House, 5:30-7:30 p.m. & National Art Honor
Society Art Show @ H-F Library, 7 p.m.
M A Y 9 - Free! Spring Instrumental
Concert @ Mall Auditorium, 7 p.m.
M A Y 1 1 - Prom @ Field Museum, 8 p.m.
M A Y 1 3 - Academic Awards
@ Mall Auditorium, 7 p.m.
M A Y 1 5 - Free! Spring Jazz Concert
@ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
M A Y 1 6 - Free! Dramatic Literature
Production @ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
M A Y 1 7 - Free! Advanced Theatre
Performance @ Mall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
M A Y 1 9 - Sculpture Installation Ceremony
@ Flossmoor Library, 3 p.m.
M A Y 2 1 - Free! Red & White Choral
Concert @ Mall Auditorium, 8 p.m.
M A Y 2 2 - Student Visual Arts Show
@ Great American Bagel, 6 p.m.; Honors
Convocation @ Mall Auditorium, 7 p.m.
M A Y 2 3 - Free! Orchestra Senior
Conductors’ Concert @ Mall Auditorium,
7:30 p.m.
M A Y 2 8 - 3 0 - Final Exams
J U N E 2 - Graduation @ H-F Stadium,
1 p.m.
J U N E 1 0 - Summer School Begins
VIKING CONNECTION, SPRING 2013 • 3
Green-Focused North Building Renovation Goes for Gold
Ground was broken in February for the North Building Renovation, an exciting project that includes the creation of a versatile and dynamic new facility in place of the former school Fieldhouse. Community members may watch progress on the construction via a time-lapse camera at
this website: http://oxblue.com/open/nicholasassoc/homewood.
The facility renovation will feature several environmentally friendly components. The design is LEED registered with a certification goal of Gold. This high standard will be accomplished by incorporating a mix of energy-saving features, such as high-efficiency
lighting, daylight harvesting, carefully designed mechanical systems and occupancy sensors. The new facility will provide a high
indoor air quality rating and will exhibit improved interior acoustics, all contributing to a healthy and enhanced learning environment for students, teachers and staff. Controls will be provided to allow for individual adjustment of thermal comfort and lighting
in regularly occupied spaces. The combination of skylights, perimeter windows, light sensors and energy-efficient light fixtures will
allow the facility to be lit naturally during the day and gradually transition to the light fixtures as the day darkens.
DID YOU KNOW?
• The rebuilt main entrance and two-story atrium for the North Building will be completed in time for the 2013/2014 school year.
• The entire project has a projected completion date of March 2014.
• The project includes refurbishing many areas of the North Building, including the student cafeteria and gymnasium. • The new facility layout is designed to address traffic flow, parking lot safety and seepage issues in the current facility.
• The fieldhouse itself will be rebuilt and expanded to allow for additional programming for our students. Students will be able to attend practices and meetings immediately after school, allowing more time for academic preparation.
Above is the view looking southeast from the northwest
corner of the new foundation.
V iking B roadcasting c enter o pen H ouse
W ednesday, M ay 8 • 5:30-7:30 p. M ., 6 p. M . r iBBon c utting
Have you always imagined yourself behind
the desk at a news station, or behind the
microphone of a state-of-the-art radio station? Come visit our newly renovated
Viking Broadcasting Center, located in the
South Building. The center was completely
updated over the summer with a new anchor desk, green screen, Macintosh editing
suites, green room and more. Stop by to see
demos of the new equipment and work
spaces, and take this opportunity to meet
broadcasting students and our teachers: Mark Ciesielski and Bob Comstock.
4 • VIKING CONNECTION, SPRING 2013
HFHIGHSCHOOL.ORG
FYI
Special Visitors at H-F in March
Students of the Quarter
Ben Bradley (third from right), an H-F
alumnus and ABC 7 Chicago news
anchor, visited with students during
the school’s Career Fair in March.
Nearly 103 careers were represented that day, giving our students
the opportunity to explore a variety
of professions.
Also in March, Bob Love, a retired
Chicago Bulls basketball player, met with
students to talk about his life as an NBA
great, but also as a person who stutters.
He was invited to the school by Patty
Boyd, H-F speech-language pathologist.
Love is currently the director of Community Affairs for the Chicago Bulls.
District Receives First AAA Rating
In April, Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233 received a AAA bond rating
— the highest possible — from Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, elevating its AA+
rating from last year. It is the first time the district was awarded this rating in its 54
years, placing it among the ranks of high-profile school districts in the nation.
“There are so few districts in the country to receive this rating; it is really
something special and denotes the hard work and dedication of many,” says Richard
Lites, School District 233 president. “The AAA rating truly puts our district in an
elite class. Less than two percent of school districts in the nation receive a AAA
rating by Standard & Poor’s: 69 in the nation, 23 in the state of Illinois.”
The higher rating reflects Standard & Poor’s view of the district’s very strong
financial position and anticipated sustained financial stability at current, if not
higher, levels through fiscal year 2017.
“This rating will benefit Homewood-Flossmoor’s financial profile for the foreseeable
future,” says Andrew Lindstrom, chairman of School District 233’s finance
committee. “The rating allows us to get the lowest competitive interest rates for bond
financing, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
To achieve the top rating, the district worked for years on strong financial planning,
being good stewards of taxpayers’ money and having the fiscal discipline to stay the
course, says Business Manager Ken Parchem.
“This accomplishment was truly a team effort,” says Parchem. “The good practices
of the Board of Education, administrators and staff members — paired with the
support of our excellent community — have all been critical for this achievement.” •
HFHIGHSCHOOL.ORG
Congratulations to our Students of the
Quarter for the 2nd & 3rd quarters:
• Business Education:
Erin Bruggeman & Nicole Wood
• Career & Technical Education:
Brianna Rauch & Charles Weeks
• Deans’ Office: Darryle Simmons
• English: Joselynn Melvin & Brittney
Ermon
• Family & Consumer Science:
Olivia Hamilton & Shannon Cotter
• Fine Arts: Leigh Reid & Raven Brown
• Guidance: Brenton Smith, Steven
Smith, Connor Quinn, Jocelyn Manning,
Eugene Mason & Aiden McKinley
• Library: Juliana Castagna
• Math: Elizabeth Joyce & Anton Council
• Music: Evan Wierzbicki & Maeve
Coates-Welsh
• Health: Jake Zalewski
• Physical Education: Joe Proby &
Sophia O’Connor
• Reading: Passion Harper &
Devon Toban
• Science: Leslie Bonthron & Crissel
Marie Arban
• Social Science: Chardae Greenlee &
Alexandra Ullberg
• World Language: Simeon Nwokenkwo
& Jesse Eshleman
Award-Winning Students
Joseph Ratliff (right) received a $1,000 Book
Award from the Superintendents' Commission
for the Study of Demographics & Diversity and
Simone Shama (center) was awarded a
$1,500 scholarship from the same organization. They were presented with their honors at
the commission's annual regional conference
in March at the Holiday Inn in Tinley Park.
VIKING CONNECTION, SPRING 2013 • 5
HFHS Alumni Association
T
he HFHS Alumni Association took
its show on the road this past February, hosting an event at The Joynt in
Chicago. More than 75 alumni representing classes across the decades
stopped by on a frigid night to get
together with old classmates, meet new
friends and hear updates on the plans
on H-F. Missed this one? Then be sure to follow us on
Facebook at “Homewood-Flossmoor High School Alumni
Association” to learn about invitations for events like this!
Reunion 2013 Schedule
Class of 1963: Oct. 4-5 • Class of 1968: Sept. 27-28
Class of 1973: Oct. 18 & 19 • Class of 1983: July 26 & 27
Class of 1988: Oct. 12 • Class of 1993: Aug. 3
Class of 2003: Sept. 27 & 28
Contact the Alumni Office at 708-335-5530 or
[email protected] for more information on these reunions. Please pass the word on to H-F alumni you
may know from these classes!
— Ann Cherry, Director of Development & Alumni
Relations
Kenneth Cherry, Class of 1987
Assistant Professor - Marketing &
Professional Sales at Central Michigan
University
Ken has taken 20+ years of success in
logistics, promotions and national media
sales and brought his knowledge to the
college classroom at his alma mater,
Central Michigan University. Prior to CMU, Ken was an outstanding
national media sales executive for National Cinemedia for almost a
decade, where he managed all sales, marketing, business development and negotiation activities for national clients, such as Target,
Wrigley, Ford, Chrysler, Unilever and Frito Lay. Prior to that position,
he spent nearly a decade with Hallmark Cards in a series of increasingly high-profile positions. In 2008, when his undergraduate
alma mater CMU asked him to teach and help build their Professional Sales program, he jumped at the chance to start a new career. Ken has helped propel the program to regional and national
prominence: enrollment has surged from 20 students in 2008 to
250 students today. He was named the 2012 Faculty Advisor of the
Year for the professional sales fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon, while in
2010 CMU acknowledged his achievements by awarding him with a
Teaching Excellence Award. Ken was a proud member of the Viking
football team as a student at H-F. •
6 • VIKING CONNECTION, SPRING 2013
H-F alumni
attended a Mardi
Gras-themed party
on Feb. 1 at
The Joynt in
Chicago.
Lambert Family, Class of 1988, 1991 & 1994
The Alumni Office received a pleasant update from Jerry Lambert on
his extended family:
• His son, Doug Lambert (H-F ’91), a graduate of
both Ball State and DePaul University, is a recent
transplant to the San Francisco area where he is
COO of Hipstamatic, a digital photography application. Doug, a three-sport athlete at H-F, also holds
the distinction of being the first H-F student who was
president of his class all four years. Doug and his
wife have a young son with another baby on the way.
Of his formative years at H-F, Doug said “I feel my experiences at H-F,
including the teachers, faculty, staff and fellow students, enabled
me to be led, to learn, to fail and to get up and try again. I sincerely
appreciate my H-F experience.”
• Doug’s sister, Laura Lambert Keivan (H-F ’88), married fellow H-F
classmate, Robert Keivan. Laura graduated from Northern Arizona
State University and worked in the hospitality industry until recently,
while Robert — who is a graduate of both the University of Iowa and
DePaul University — works at the Chicago Board of Trade and
Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He is part of a team that has recently
created a smart phone application called Fantasy Day Trader, which
allows individuals the chance to experience the thrill of real-time
trading on global markets just like a pro. They are busy raising their
two young sons, Joe and Jack, in the Chicago area.
• Jerry’s stepdaughter, Heather Aescleman (H-F ’94), was also an
outstanding student and deeply involved during her H-F days, including being the first sophomore ever to audition her way into Viking
Choir, as well as a stand-out member of the girls’ golf team. She is
currently a partner at the Chicago-based Dykema Law Firm, specializing in affordable housing work.
Jerry says: “My wife and I are both attorneys and I have been very
active in community affairs for many years and I have always been
proud of H-F in every respect and consider myself lucky to have
been able to have children attend H-F.” •
HFHIGHSCHOOL.ORG
S port r eport
Come out and root for your
Spring SeASon now underwAy
H-F Vikings at a varsity
BASEBALL
LACROSSE
Location: Varsity Field
Location: H-F Stadium
• May 3, 4:30 p.m. vs. Marian Catholic
• May 3, 6:30 p.m. vs. Marian Catholic
• May 6, 4:30 p.m. vs. l-Way east
•
• May 10, 4:30 p.m. vs. bolingbrook
•
home game this spring!
SeNIoR NIGHt! May 14, 6:30 p.m. vs.
st. laurence
SeNIoR NIGHt! May 14, 4:30 p.m. vs.
SOFTBALL
sandburg
Location: Varsity Field
• May 15, 4:30 p.m. vs. oak Forest
• May 6, 4:30 p.m. vs. Joliet West
BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
Location: South Gym
• May 1, 6:30 p.m. vs. sandburg
• May 9, 6:30 p.m. vs. bolingbrook
•
SeNIoR NIGHt! May 15, 6:30 p.m. vs. Joliet
• May 9, 4:30 p.m. vs. Marian Catholic
• May 10, 4:30 p.m. vs. l-Way east
•
SeNIoR NIGHt! May 14, 4:30 p.m. vs.
bolingbrook
• May 17, 4:30 p.m. vs. Crete-Monee
Central
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Location: H-F Stadium
• May 2, 5:30 p.m. vs. bolingbrook
•
SeNIoR NIGHt! May 8, 6 p.m. vs. Marian
Congratulations
to our studentathletes who
signed with
colleges this
season,
including:
basketball
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grant Anderson, Cornell College
Ricky Bullock, North Central College
Maurius Hill, University of Arkansas - Little Rock
Sydni Johnson, Howard University (pictured above)
Lauren Parker, University of Northern Iowa (pictured above)
Jason Scott, Carthage College
Divinity Stephens, Concordia University
Rashaan Surles, Prairie View A&M
Lamar Wofford-Humphrey, Butler Junior College
soCCer
• Armel Kouassi, Western Illinois University
• Phillip Huang, DePaul University
HFHIGHSCHOOL.ORG
Viking Student-AthleteS
heAded to College
tennis
• Adey Osabuohien, Stonybrook University
• Faith Huckabee, Chicago State University
Football
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ron Johnson, Concordia University
Thad Little, Grand Valley State
LeAndrew McQuire, Concordia University
Terrence Reese, Malone University
Willie Ross, Concordia University
Patrick Sheehan, University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Taje Smith, West Hills College
Derrick Sterling, West Hills College
Payson Wick, Drake University
traCk & Field
• Chardae Greenlee, University of Memphis
• Wesley Stewart, Iowa Central
VIKING CONNECTION, SPRING 2013 • 7
Principally Speaking
Dear Stakeholders of HomewoodFlossmoor Community High School:
This edition comes to you at a time when
we have concluded Homewood-Flossmoor’s
8th Grade enrollment and are preparing to
administer Advanced Placement, ECRA
and PSAE exams. Regarding the latter, Homewood-Flossmoor’s
overall ACT composite score is projected to surpass previous
highs on record since testing 100% of our students based upon
the EPAS system. After three years of intense work, Homewood-Flossmoor is now an International Baccalaureate World
School; a critical part of our Gifted Academy, the IB Programme
has the potential to impact even more students in the future. As
a high school, we have one goal: to make the entire community
proud by remaining steadfast in our commitment to deliver the
highest level of service to our students by providing opportunities rivaling or surpassing those found at private, select high
schools around the globe.
In the role I serve, I generally have the opportunity to see the
very best of what our students are capable of accomplishing.
Moreover, I always feel a great sense of accomplishment for
Homewood-Flossmoor High School when our students time and
time again represent us better than any speech, letter or publication possesses the ability to purport. The Varsity Scholastic
Bowl team finished their season in March, concluding with a
top 8 finish in State. Kevin Gislason was named to the All-
t h e
Conference team and was the team's MVP at State; Alex
Calpino, Elliott Runburg and Sara Ryan were named to
both the All-Conference team and All-Sectional team. The H-F
Mathletes had an excellent performance at the ICTM Regionals. Elliott Runburg took 1st Place out of 42 competitors on
Pre-Calculus, leading the senior team’s 1st Place Regional finish. Sophomore Marcus Mangal and Freshman Michael
Gislason also qualified individually. H-F Group Interpretation
cast and crew finished 5th in the State Tournament in late
March, performing Tyranny on Trial: Stephenson vs. State.
Three of our performers were named to the All-State cast:
Joshua Miller, Isaiah Sciford and Montana Sandstrom.
Perhaps our most shining moment came when our Special
Olympics Vikings Basketball team took home another 1st Place
in the IHSA Special Olympics Basketball State Championship
for the 3rd consecutive year.
Going forward, please know we continue to look to improve
the quality of our instruction, curriculum, course offerings, extracurricular opportunities and facilities while being mindful of
our budget. We must continue to expect our students to think
critically and perform academically in order for them to compete within a global economy. Heading into warmer months, I
would like to thank our students, faculty members and community members for your support. Homewood-Flossmoor High continues to be a special place: one where student success is the
norm.
— Ryan M. Pitcock, Ph.D., Principal
VikinG
View
SeniorBrynDolan wasoneofmanytalentedstudent-musicianstotaketheMall
AuditoriumstageattheMusicDepartment’sAnnualHonorsRecitalonApril10.
HerversionofH.Potstock’sSouvenir de Sarasate, Fantasia espagnole onthe
violinwasaccompaniedbySusanPawlak onpiano.Theannualeventalsoincludedvocalsoloists,astringtrio,asaxophonequartet,guitarensemble,and
soloperformancesonoboe,trombone,violaanddoublebass.Thepercussion
ensemble—performaninganarrangementoffrank Zappa’sVillage of the Sun
—closedtheshowtoastanding,cheeringcrowdofmusicstudentsandparents.
homewood-flossmoor community high School District 233
999 kedzie, flossmoor, il 60422
Viking connection isanewsletterforresidentsofHomewood-FlossmoorCommunityHighSchoolDistrict233.
board of education
richarD liteS, preSident
Jeanne Mcinerney-lubeck
Dr. DaViD Mayer,
Vice preSident
GeralD PaulinG
Dr. John farrell
JoDy Scariano
anDrew linDStroM
Dr. Von ManSfielD,
Superintendent
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
U.S.POSTAGEPAID
ECRWSS
FLOSSMOOR,IL
PERMITNO.5
POSTALCUSTOMER