2011-2012

Inside this issue:

Principal’s Message 2

Team Newsletters

Team 8-1

Team 8-2

Team 8-3

Team 7-1

Team 7-2

Team 7-3

Student News!

Sports, Band and more!

Principal, Beth Lind Assistant Principal, Christine Hudziak

Volume 4, Issue 4

Summit Hill Junior High 7260 North Avenue Frankfort, IL 60423

815-469-4330 www.summithill.org

Argonne National Laboratory

The eighth grade gifted class went on a field trip on March 28, 2012, to Argonne

National Laboratory. While we were there, Dr. Deon Ettinger, a scientist

working with chemistry at low temperatures, exposed us to Yttrium Barium

Copper Oxide, a mysterious new compound. This compound, written as

YBa4Cu6O7, has amazing magnetic properties when it is in -196°C: it causes magnets to levitate. This compound can

revolutionize our society, and it’s up to our generation to find out how it works. Another activity we did while we were

there was work with light and energy. We learned about light bulbs and how different kinds produce more light or heat.

L.E.D.’s are the most efficient because they give off heat that is equal to room temperature and they only take 6 volts of

energy to power. The scientists at Argonne had an energy bike, in which you ride a bike connected to a generator to

generate energy for light bulbs; it took a lot of energy to energize a hairdryer for just a few seconds. Colors also have

energy, and as more energy is produced, the color gets lighter, from ultraviolet to infrared. This is why the eighth grade

gifted class and I enjoyed the field trip to Argonne National Lab.

Summit Hill Junior High participated in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon® program and raised $1951.50 to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospi-tal®, the premier center for the research and treatment of childhood cancer and other deadly diseases. The Frankfort, Mokena, Tinley Park communities sponsored students by pledging an amount-per-problem or a one-time donation. More than thir-ty students participated in this fun, educational event and learned how rewarding it is to help other kids. “It is always exciting to see the dedication of the students,” said Mrs. Rhonda Furmanek, coordina-tor of the event. “The St. Jude Math-A-Thon not only encourages our students to work math problems, but it teaches the importance of help-ing others. Students realize that they can make a difference and they are learning math at the same time.”

Students also won great prizes upon completion of the St. Jude Math-A-Thon. Prizes included a St. Jude T-shirt, Math-A-Thon backpack, and more. For information about Math-A-Thon, call 1-800-FUNBOOK (386-2665) or visit www.mathathon.org.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is interna-tionally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late en-tertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is fi-nancially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising or-ganization, through events such as Math-A-Thon. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.

Math-A-Thon® event at Summit Hill Junior High ‘adds up’ to hope for kids battling cancer at St. Jude

Summit Hill Junior High raises $1951.50 for the kids of St. Jude

A good restful 8 hours of sleep every night will make you the wonderful person everybody wants to be around.

So, why is it that individuals have trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, waking up during the night, and therefore

don't get that complete restful 8 hours of sleep? It is not at all uncommon that poor sleep health is a problem with

someone you know. It is estimated that 25% of all adults in the United States complain of lack of sleep or rest dur-

ing a 24 hour time frame. What are the obstacles?? Maybe we overexert ourselves with late night activities like vid-

eo games, TV, or large late night meals with lots of caffeine, sugar and spice. Have you ever heard that familiar

phrase "There are not enough hours in a day.” Well, guess what it is? It is our lack of sleep. Sleep is important to

be healthy. Let it be our goal to make everyone in our family aware of the importance of a good restful adequate 8

hour of sleep per night. This alone will improve health, wellness, quality of life and our productivity in whatever we

do. Adequate sleep also will prevent accidents at work, school and on the roadway, so make sure you get a good

night’s sleep!

Happy Sleeping, Nurse Perz

A Message from the Principal

Dear Spartan Parents/Guardians and Students,

As we have reached the end of the year, we have much to celebrate! I remain amazed by the extraordinary level of dedication shown by every member of our school: students, parents, faculty, and staff. We start each school year as individuals and come together as a Spartan Nation. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our Spartan staff, and express my appreciation to every single member of this team for their continued dedication towards high student achievement and upholding our three expectations.

Our parent organizations have truly supported our student body and helped maintain an atmosphere of doing what’s best for children. Each parent organization has contributed in countless ways to enhance our educa-tional environment. We are thankful each and every day to have such a dedicated group of parents. The cul-ture at Summit Hill Junior High is truly a reflection of the commitment of us all. We have all had a hand in preparing our graduates for the next phase of their education. Educating children and preparing them for the future is truly a team effort. I also thank my secretary, Deb Blakley for 17 years of dedicated service to Summit Hill School District 161. She will surely be missed in our main office in many ways. We are also bidding some staff members a sad fare-well to those affected by the reduction in force. This loss will not go unnoticed. Thank you again to all who have had a hand in supporting our efforts. I hope that the summer break gives you and your student a chance to rejuvenate. Have a safe, restful and enjoyable summer! In closing, we have had a very productive, rewarding year at Summit Hill Junior High! I wish our graduating Class of 2012 the best as they enter high school and the new opportunities that are awaiting.

With warmest regards,

Beth R. Lind

Nurse’s Corner

Spartan Sports and more…..

Shown here is a model of an animal cell with all of its organelles. Food components from fruits to candy were used to construct this cell mold. For example, we used a peach seed to represent the nucleus and several gummy worms to play the role of cytoskeletons. This experiment helped the class visualize what the inside of an animal cell looks like and how all of the organelles were arranged. This model was made by Michael Gaertig, Ryan Mur-phy, and Livi Rydzewski from the 7th grade gifted science class.

Cello-Jello

The annual jazz Coffeehouse Concert was held on Tuesday, May 1 at SHJH. Featured were the three junior high jazz bands, as well as the two jazz bands from Hilda Walker. Each if the junior high groups performed six piec

es, ranging from jazz standards to Latin rock to a couple vocal features. Mary Gorski receiving a standing ova-tion for her rendition of "Someone to Watch Over Me", singing with the Fri-day Jazz Band II.

The Summit Hill Music department presented the fifth annual Musical Revue on Friday & Saturday, May 11 & 12. Three musicals were featured, including "My Fair lady", "Hairspray" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Everything about

the musical was done by the students, including the pit band, sound and light crew, and stage crew. Many other schools will hire professionals to cover these positions, but our students han-dle it all very well on their own!

Illinois Grade School Mu-

sic Association State Or-

ganizational Contest, held

Sat. April 28 at Memorial

JH in Lansing. Our Sym-

phonic Band performed ex-

tremely well, receiving the

highest first division rating

in Summit Hill history!

The Sounds of Summit Hill

The Symphonic and Concert Bands

presented their annual Spring Concert

on Monday, May 7th. Not only did both

bands perform very well, but the Band

Boosters presented their annual

scholarships. Each student selected

received a check for $100 from the

Boosters to use towards music, lesson,

reeds, whatever they feel they need to

help further their musical experiences.

7th grade recipients were : Michael

Gaertig, Olivia Drafke, Alicia Soliz,

Mary Gorski (and Sydney Stanuch, not

pictured).

8th grade recipients were: Sabrina

Steck, Nicole Wiltjer, Tim Perros, Dan-

ny Rehm & Brandon Bulthuis.

Also presented at the Spring Concert

was the Directors' Award, presented to

the 8th graders from each band who

demonstrate top leadership skills and

attitude throughout the school year.

This year, both students selected partic-

ipated in both the Concert &

Symphonic bands, and they are: Justin

Corp & Anna Delegatto.

Spring Concert

Hairspray

Hairspray was a musical performance by the Summit Hill music department on May 11 and 12.

Many students had solos and the ones that didn’t were in the background dancing. The pit band

played all the music for the performance.

By: Katie Ryan

Joseph And the Technicolor Dreamcoat

By Emily Northam

Newsworthy Indeed!

Dr. Finkel returns to Summit Hill Junior

High to speak to students about his

experience as a survivor of the

Holocaust.

In the musical “Joseph,” the set

was a desert. Many students

practiced and practiced until

opening night on May 12. There

were wives, children, and

brothers, but most of all Joseph.

The play would not have been

good if we didn’t have the pit

band playing the entire night.

Mrs. Bergmann’s Language Arts Class: The students in Mrs. Bergmann’s class recently completed a persuasive essay about “Parents, Teens, and Texting”

based on an online student-directed experience provided by the PBS station WGBH. The students were able to

gather information about the issue from both student-developed videos, which presented interviews of both teens

and parents, as well as from documented research from the Pew Research Center. The question was, “Should par-

ents look at teens’ texts?” Our students heard opinions from real teens on topics like being a “Textaholic.” On one

hand, Summayyah wondered if she is because she has texted as much as 9,500 times a month. On the other hand,

her mother was certain Summayyah texts too much. In addition, real data about the texting issue was also present-

ed, like 54% of the parents of 12-13 year olds in the study used cell phones to monitor their child’s location. After

completing the online experience and evaluating the data, the Language Arts students were then able to present

their own opinions by composing a persuasive essay supported by the information they had gathered online. Some

students agreed that parents should read their teens’ texts. One student wrote, “The parents should have the right

to know what their money is going towards.” acknowledging that parents usually pay for student cell phones. And

another student recognized the stranger-danger potential, “To ensure safety, have your parents read any texts you

send or receive from strangers.” Other students disagreed that parents should read their teens’ texts. Some stu-

dents maintained, “You should trust your kids.” And others believed, “Most parents don’t want anyone reading

through their messages, and kids feel the same way. It’s not fair that parents get their privacy, but kids don’t.” So

the attitudes towards whether or not parents should read their teens’ texts were clearly divided for the 7th grade

Language Arts students. Each student, however, presented the facts from the PRC which supported their argu-

ments. In the process, students also applied skills such as, identifying and using text features, comparing and con-

trasting information, synthesizing, among several others. Which attitude was more popular? You might want to col-

lect your own data starting with your teen.

Mrs. Goebel’s Language Arts Class:

WOW! It is extremely hard to believe that we are already writing our fourth quarter newsletter! What a fast year

this has been, but a very fast, successful one at that! I am proud of all my students and their accomplishments this

year. We had our ups, downs, good days and bad, but overall my students have shown much growth in all aspects

of my reading and language arts classes. Here are my students in both my regular and gifted classes’ responses in

regards to their favorite topics learned, most useful information gained, and special events from this quarter.

“In gifted, conducting a texting survey for a persuasive essay was our favorite activity because it was an interaction

activity that we were able to do with the whole school. Our favorite topic learned was poetry because we got to

write ‘What If’ poems and create a poetry flipbook. The most useful information gained in Mrs. Goebel’s class

would have to be learning how to do a proper persuasive essay because it’s something we can use later on in life.

Lastly, the best special event was going to the computer lab to make a book trailer for an AR project!”

“In Mrs. Goebel’s LA class, our favorite activity was reading The Outsiders. We worked on Facebook pages for all

the characters which helped us learn more about each individual character’s traits. It was awesome using what we

use at home at school, but using Facebook at school was in a much more creative and educational way! Poetry was

our favorite topic learned because we learned how to write our own poems where we were the poets! We learned

about different types of poems such as concrete poems and free verse poems. The most useful information gained

was learning how to write an extended response answer. The best part was that we can recite the steps of an ex-

tended response essay by memory! Persuasive essay writing was another valuable piece of information gained in

class. We learned about how parents and teens have completely different outlooks when it comes to texting. Per-

suading someone to believe that texting affects face-to-face conversations was easy to do after researching the facts!

We are really looking forward to Reptile Rampage and Battle of the Books this week, too!”

TEAM 7-1

TEAM 7-1

Ms. Rodgers’s Social Studies Class: by Mary Gorski

The students on Ms. Rodgers’s team had the honor and privilege to listen to CS3 Michael Cornell on his experiences he has had in the Navy while he was home on leave.

Do you remember last year when the U.S. Navy caught those Somalian pirates? Well, I had the privilege - along with the seventh grade class at Summit Hill Junior High - to hear one of the people responsible for catching them speak. “We got a distress call from an Iranian fishing port. We actually caught 15 pirates,” said Navy officer Michael Cornell. Most of those pirates were under 18 years of age. “They weren’t bad people at heart; they were stealing because they had to survive.” Michael shared that being in the Navy is something that he wouldn’t trade for anything. If he ever had to do anything over, he would still join the Navy. He told the seventh graders that he has learned by being in the Navy that family is extremely important. After returning home from a seven month deployment to the Middle East on St. Patrick’s Day, he can completely understand why family is so important. Even though he loves the Navy, he says that there are times when you realize that you’ve been up for 72 hours straight. Working in the Navy does demand a lot and more often than not, he works 20-22 hours a day. “If I’m lucky, I’ll get to eat lunch… on a good day, I’ll get off at about 9 (at night).” He shared that sometimes he wonders why he joined the Navy in the first place. He assured everyone that he still loves the Navy. “Every life decision we make, makes us who we are. Now, if I could go back, I still would’ve still joined the Navy. “When asked exact-ly what he does on the ship, he answered by saying that technically, he was a cook, but on ships in the Navy, they have elective jobs. His elective jobs include policeman, fireman, and financial adviser. The next question asked was “Why did you join the Navy?” He answered, “I joined the Navy because I always felt it was every young man’s obligation to serve his country… I want to secure the same freedoms I have had for younger generations.” This does not mean that being in the Navy is an easy task. Boot camp alone was very grueling. “Boot camp for the Navy is only 2 months long… you are subjected to tear gas… they strip you of your clothes…. they give you a t-shirt, shorts, and sweats… for 2 weeks they put you through test after test… after that it becomes one big yell fest for a month ... to create a high stress environment. “Conditions on the ship aren’t like the Ritz. The temperature depends pretty much on where we are docked. In the Gulf it got up to 137 degrees. The ship is about the size of the John Hancock turned on its side. There isn’t much space for yourself on the ship. The amount of space this stage takes up would house about 275 personnel.” The ship holds about 6-8 thousand people. Most people sign on for 4 years, but he signed on for 6 years. “When I was your age (12 years old), I wanted to be in the Marine Corps, and still did up until a Navy recruiter came up to me … he offered me a $23,000 enlistment bonus. I told him “I’m not sure if that’s what I want to do or make” and he said “That’s good because if you sign up for 2 more years, you get a $90,000 reenlistment bonus. I thought “that’s a house”. The whole Navy experience isn’t super serious and gloomy. “We have a TV on the ship, a bunch of guys bring their PlayStations or x-boxes on the ship… we share the games so we don’t get bored playing the same thing over again.” In the Navy, you might know someone personally for years and not have a clue what their first name is… ” Two of Michael’s friends have names that Michael knows, but for the most part, everyone is known by their last name. Michael Cornell goes back to Afghanistan in August or September. It was a privilege to hear him speak. I’m sure that he will be in many people’s thoughts and prayers. My most heartfelt thank you goes out to CS3 Michael Cornell and all other men and women serving in the U.S. Military. Ms. Kocna’s Math class has worked very hard to finish out the school year. Student’s worked on a real life career project that required students to pick a career and balance their monthly budgets. Mike Brown stated, “ I learned a lot from the project, especially how expensive it is for groceries.” The students were able to see how math con-cepts they have learned this year will be used in their future lives as well. Jeremy Keeton said, “I learned that math surrounds us and how I will need math in the future.” Students are finishing out the year by analyzing statis-tics and creating a poll about their favorite candy.

TEAM 7-2

Mr. Barnas – Language Arts

What a year it has been in room 169! I would like to say that I really enjoyed working with my students this year. In closing the school year, Mr. Barnas’s English classes, worked on writing persuasive essays. Students were given the opportunity to share their essay to their classmates. Students enjoyed having discussions about the different persuasive topics that were researched and read. Way to go students! Finally, students were given time to review their 60 plus journal entries, and write one reflective journal about the whole school year.

In reading, students concluded their novel study for Fever 1793. Students now have a better understanding as to why Mr. Barnas began the unit with the words friendship, hope, perseverance, self-reliance, sadness, and thieves on the board. Students did a fantastic job completing a jig-saw activity, while teaching their classmates historical events dur-ing the time of the yellow fever epidemic! Students also presented their Tic-Tac-Toe Activities for Fever 1793 during the final weeks of school. I wish all my students a wonderful and safe summer, and make sure you wear your sunscreen! I will see you in August!

Mrs. Stupay – Language Arts

Room 167 read The Outsiders. The class is learned about the 60’s and transitioned into the mind set of the Socs and the Greasers. Nouns and verbs have been and will continue to be our main focus for Language Arts along with persuasive writing. We are also down to the last two units for our vocabulary book.

Students are reading for their independent novel study and the class reading challenge. We are also still enjoying the class read alouds: A Child Called It, The Westing Game, & The Graveyard Book. The students are definitely getting used to the technology pieces utilized within the classroom.

Mrs. Stemen – Science STEMEN ZONE: students have learned about the three types of rivers, Young, Mature, and Old. Students have also been able to describe the differences between a Delta and an Alluvial Fan. We are moving towards learning how to use our resources wisely, like our water. Have a wonderful and restful summer students!

Miss Trotta – Social Studies The Civil War was one of the most pivotal wars in American history. Students learned about the causes leading up to the Civil War. Students are now able to explain key battles and figures during this time in American History. The strengths, weaknesses, and strategies, of both the North and the South, is an area that students can discuss and debate. Students ended forth quarter writing a research paper on a person from the Civil War Era. Students did a fantastic job sharing their research paper to their classmates.

Mrs. Blevins – Math The focus on all my math classes during fourth quarter was to understand inequalities, in preparation to 8th grade. Now that the weather is warm, students had the chance to design their own kite, and fly their kite on a picture perfect day! Students, team 7.2 teachers want you to enjoy your summer. You have worked hard and surpassed our expectations. Keep up all the great work in 8th grade!

TEAM 7-3

Mr. Sullivan’s Language Arts Class: Time flies when you’re having fun… This year just seemed to fly by, huh? And what a year it’s been. About a month ago we just finished our unit covering everything from Poe to Frost, and hyperbole to alliteration. The stu-dents did a beyond admirable job breaking down the meaning in a work of poetry, looking at poetic elements, and writing vari-ous poetic forms, such as haiku. I’m very excited to see how they perform next year in this genre. And speaking of poetry, we are waiting with bated breath to find out who among our classes have been chosen to be published in this year’s anthology A Celebration of Poets! I can’t think of a better way to wrap up the year in fiction than with The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton’s novel revolves around growing up in Oklahoma under the shadow of stereotypes, violence, and survival. As in years past the students really enjoyed the book and used a lot of their QAR and text-text/self/world connection skills throughout the chapters.

Please have a safe and healthy summer, and we’ll see you in a few months, Class of 2013!!! Mrs. Kelly’s Algebra Class:

Time goes by so fast when you’re having fun…don’t you think? It feels like just yesterday we were using milk and orange juice to show that you cannot mix non-variables with variables. Now we know how to solve linear equations, slope, and even multi-step equations. Every student walks into Mrs. Kelly’s classroom and doesn’t know what to expect. One day we are solving equations on the desk with Expo marker and the next we are playing math baseball! Now that is enter-taining math for everyone to enjoy. O how we all love Mrs. Kelly and her imag-inative brain! Right now we are learning about slope-intercept form and perpen-dicular lines. It’s been a fantastic year for all of the students. Their hard work really pays off. It has been a pleasure for all being in Mrs. Kelly’s class and for her to be able to teach us! Let’s just give a BIG thanks to her and what she has done! Written by Riley Lang Mrs. Hartley’s Science Classes – Team 7-3:

Our Junior Biologists have just finished their unit of study. We have created “Genetics with a Smile”, gen-erated new species of dogs, and “Designed Our Own Experiment” with earthworms. We are moving onto Ocean-ography. As part of this unit, our students have just begun their “Problem Based Learning” Project or PBL. Their Problem is Endangered Species. The main concept of this is to engage the student’s interest and motivation. The students chose an endangered animal and are designing activities to answer the essential question on how to help the animal or why this is occurring. Our students are researching and writing a paper on their animal of choice and then creating an interactive power point presentation. Their presentation of their findings will educate the other students on this global problem. Between Red Pandas, Polar Bears, Sea Otters, or even the White Siberian Tiger, hopefully this project will extend outside of school. We also learned about various marine life and the deli-cate relationship they have with each other. It has been an interesting year and hopefully our young scientists will enter 8th grade with a solid, strong background. So, keep exploring everyone! Mr. Smalter’s Social Studies Great job this year, Spartans! Have a wonderful summer.

TEAM 8-1

Language Arts – Ms. Greene’s language arts classes have been busy working on improving our grammar

and writing skills. In reading class, we are just finishing up working with a short story by O. Henry, “A

Retrieved Reformation.” We did a comparison/contrast with Edgar Allan Poe and found that although O.

Henry’s and Poe’s writing styles and story content varied, there were some similarities in their personal

lives.

Science – Mrs. Hollowell I asked my classes to write about what was happening in Science. I was quite

pleased with the whole host of responses, thank you to all the great writers! Tyler Lindgren, titled his

submission, Science Tribune.

“There are several hot topics in science class this week. First, we did a Pangaea experiment talking

about how it was formed. We also watched several videos on Pangaea explaining scientists reasoning on

how the continent was formed and how it got there. After watching the videos and doing the experiment I

learned many things about the continent Pangaea that still thousands of scientists question.

Over the next few days we read chapter four and did vocab. Following vocab we filled out many chap-

ter reviews summarizing each section that we read. Last Sunday was Earth day so we watched a video on

the earth and ways to be environmental friendly. On earth day a few of my relatives and I picked up trash

at one of the local parks

Coming up in science we are doing two experiments, one containing a graham cracker and frosting, and

the second one containing multicolored ice cubes. Every day is like an adventure in science. You always

learn something new and see odd things you never seen before. Everyday I always look forward to going

to science class.”

Natalie Anderson writes,

“In science class I’m learning about Science! My teacher has taught me everything I need to know

about science. We learn different things in science class, we learn about space, and chemicals. One thing

that’s important that you need to be careful in science is the chemicals you have to be safe all the time.

As in wear an apron and goggles for sure! In our science class we don’t always learn about science but

also current news like what’s going on at school any events, our science teacher always informs us on

that. Science class is like one of my favorite subjects because my class is always so much fun, and we

always do something new!

We always do labs, different kinds of labs. Depends on what we’re learning. Our recent lab was

making colored ice cubes! It was so much fun! In science class we have lab groups, that helps us learn

to work well with others no matter whom it is or who we’re assigned with. Mrs. Hollowell is a fantastic

teacher and my class is a very fun class and I enjoy learning new experiments in her class a lot.”

Math– Mrs. Furmanek My math classes have been moving right along giving everything their all! The

students should be proud of their hard work! In Honors Algebra, we matched wits with matrices. They

learned how to use Kramer’s Rule. Algebra 1B has realized factoring quadratic equations opens the door

to advanced algebra topics. In Algebra 1A, the students were up to their ears in linear equations. Now

they can graph them, and are able to write them!

Social Studies-Mrs. McSpaden We recently completed World War II and our research project. Thank

you to all who shared family letters, artifacts, and stories with us! The fifties (and Elvis Presley!) are up-

on us...I told the students to ask their grandparents about TV shows like "Father Knows Best" and

"Gunsmoke," and to head to YouTube to check out Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Little Rich-

ard. If they haven't done it, please encourage them to take a look. Up next: The Civil Rights Move-

ment. History is more fun when we can make a connection!

TEAM 8-2

Kevin Beaman

Jamir Hunt

Allison Gerk

Courtney Claypool

Bailey Knight

Luke Bice

Matt Struttmann

Makenzie Pryszcz

Ryan Belevich

Allison Cappel

Madison Taylor

Noah Gonzales

Zach Stuglis

Lillbeth Guzman

Anna Delagatto

Nicole Wiltjer

Justin Core

Danny Lawrence

Mitch Strelczyk

Jake Lesiak

Madison Taylor

Brandon Anderson

Allison Gerk

John Falsey

Kassidy Champlin

Collin Berry

Olivia Mergenthaler

Haley Holder

Alex Greer

Jake Bayles

Lauren Marento

Nina Kougan

Andrew Jaramillo

Joann Kelly

Rajeen Bell

Genny Bernardoni

Cameron Jacquith

Mitch Hunter

Tom Sturino

Jacob Rudsinski

Josh Fisher

Jake Wortel

George Hartman

Amanda Grabski

Maddie Gallagher

Michelle Zralka

Alyssa Rice

Kassidy Champlin

Collin Berry

Olivia Mergenthaler

Haley Holder

Francis Genesila

Nick Figus

Billy Al-Muddaris

Alyssa Keller

Mayrna Dababnek

Zac Limon

Noni Bell

Megan Grove

Justin Welch

Jessica Larson

Ryan Newton

Spencer Marse

Ashley Pop

Amanda Grabski

Sam Ritter

Rebecca Wolf

Chris Peters

Kyle Trippi

Sara Major

Haley Holder

Alex Greer

Kaira Ballard

Congratulations to

Team 8-2’s

Barracudas.

Way to Go!

TEAM 8-3

Social Studies with Mr. Cruschiel We have made it through our exploration of the causes and results of World War II and the Holocaust. The students have also been exploring the changes that came after the war. This includes the United State’s new global responsibility as pro-tector of Western democracy, American social reform and equal rights. Along the way we will examine how and why Amer-ica became involved in Korea and Vietnam.

Great Job, Cougars!

Good Luck in High School and Beyond,

Team 8-3

2012 IESA Scholar Attitude Award Division D Winner: Molly Kapala

“In sports, there are three kinds of competitors: losers, winners, and champions," Molly Kapala says. And Molly? It's easy to see that she's a champion all the way. It's not because of how many homeruns she's hit in softball, how many points she's scored in basketball, how many check-mates she's notched in chess games, how many times she's leapt ahead of the pack in the long jump. It's because she under-stands how each piece fits into the bigger picture. "A champion is someone who goes to practice early and leaves late, not only for themselves, but for their team," Molly writes. "Champions are not always the winners, but they choose to learn from what they have done wrong and what they have accomplished and improve in any way they can." In 7th grade, Molly tried out for volleyball. She didn't make the cut. "I was very disappointed and I suppose a little embar-rassed by this setback," she admits. "Then I thought that I needed to make something positive out of this situation. I asked the coach if I could be one of the managers for the team." The coach said yes, and Molly was there, part of the team, when the Spartans went to state, definitely finding the bright side of what had been a major disappointment. And that is the mark of a true champion. Molly has a perfect 4.0 GPA and she is the 2012 Scholar Attitude Award winner from Board of Directors Division D. She was captain of her softball team, played on the regional championship basketball team, took 4th in the conference track meet in the long jump, finished 6th overall in the state chess tournament, and has earned High Honor Straight A awards eight years in a row.

Kayla Hylton takes First Place!

Eighth-grader Kayla Hylton earned first-place finishes in two events at the IESA State Track Meet. She won the 100M and 200M dashes and helped the eighth grade girls capture third place in Class AA. Kayla had winning times of 12.80 in the 100-meter dash and 25.43 in the 200-meter dash. She was one of only two competitors who won multiple, individual events. Congratulations Kayla! We are proud of you! Kayla was honored at out last assembly of the year and will have a state board hanging in the gym to honor her accomplishments! Way to go Kayla!

SHJH Student News!

Battle of the Books!

Congratulations to the amazing 130 students who qualified to attend the

Battle of the Books on Thursday, May 17, during 9th period in the cafe-

torium.

In addition, congratulations to Mrs. Goebel whose periods 7/9 have re-

ceived 26 qualifying students! In second place, Mrs. Goebel's 2/3 peri-

od class with 24 qualifying students and Mrs. Goebel's 4/6 class with

students were split into an A and a

B team. Both teams competed in

13 regular scheduled matches and

two Saturday tournaments; the

Knowledge is Power Tournament

at Northlawn Middle School in

Streator, Illinois and the Barring-

ton Invitational at Barrington Mid-

dle School in Barrington, Illinois.

In the Knowledge is Power

Tournament 36 teams competed.

The A team went 7-1, in which

they tied for 1st place, but ended

up taking 2nd place. The B team

went 5-3, taking home the 4th

place trophy. The teams also

competed in the Des Plaines Val-

ley Conference Tournament

where they took back their

crown after three years and are

once again became the Scholastic

Bowl 2012 Des Plains Valley Con-

ference Champions!

Scholastic Bowl is a game played

by two teams of five players each

who will try to answer a

combination of toss-up and bonus

questions. Points are scored by

the team who buzzes in first and

answers a toss-up question

correctly. That team then has the

opportunity to answer a bonus

question. The 2012 Scholastic

Bowl team at Summit Hill Junior

High consisted of 22 students and

2 managers this year, the

Spartans For Service Builders’ Club!

Alicia Soliz

and

Abby Panozzo

The Summit Hill Junior High Spartans for Service Builders’ Club held a food drive at the junior high and competed against Lincoln-Way North to see who would bring in the most food. The Summit Hill Spartans won by a landslide by collecting 4 times the amount of food for the pantry. They collected so much that a truck had to be ordered because it wouldn't all fit in Mrs. Madonia’s van!

WAY TO GO SPARTANS!

IGSMA

Geoff Ward, Michael Gaertig, and Greg Anderson

Jessica Helwig And

Joanna Zobak

Washington D.C.

SHJH Students in Washington D.C.

By: Sinead Flynn & Erin Dilger

The Washington DC trip was fun and enhanced the learning experience, but the students had

fun along the way. Flying on a plane was just part of the adventure. The students visited the National

Cathedral and they saw Woodrow Wilson's tomb and beautiful stained glass windows that depicted

biblical stories. On Friday night, they went to see a ghost tour and heard a mysterious knock in an

abandoned home and snapped some photos of orbs. They stopped into the two of the Smithsonian

museums and saw a four dimensional movie at the Newseum. The movie had effects that acted as if

the viewer was in that time period. Tours were taken at the Capitol building. Beautiful artwork and

statues were viewed. They visited various memorials like the Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther

King Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial. They had to oppor-

tunity to take some pictures of the exterior of the White House and went around Arlington National

Cemetery. They saw the John F. Kennedy Memorial with the eternal flame, and all the graves at the

cemetery. Furthermore, they saw the tomb of the unknown soldiers and saw the change of guards.

They took a trip to Mount Vernon, which was George Washington's home in Virginia. They got to go

inside his house and a museum right nearby. The students went through the Holocaust Museum. An

overview of what happened at Ford's Theatre the night Lincoln was assassinated and the students had

the opportunity to see where Lincoln died. They ate a delicious meal at the Hard Rock Cafe and of

course went souvenir shopping. All in all, the D.C. trip was wonderful and very and informative.

Have you ever wanted to be in politics? Well, if you went with the

Student Council to Mokena Village Hall, then you got to experience it

all. On Tuesday, March 27, 2012, the Student Council traveled to

Mokena and experienced Student Government Day. To start off the

festivities, they got to meet Mayor Werner of Mokena and learn what

a town council really does. “It was great to see what these citizens do

in our community, and it makes me want to be in politics when I am

older,” explained Kassidy Champlin. Then Kassidy, along with

sixteen other members of the student council, went to American

Combustion Service, Inc. to learn how a business leader runs a

successful company. There, Frank Lancy, the owner of ACSI taught

everyone about the responsibility that comes with a business and the

determination that it takes to start an establishment from the ground

up. Hannah Goss explained, “I just hope that everyone can learn to

work with such determination as Mr. Lancy does.” Throughout the

entire day, the students learned how to be respectful, responsible, and

safe members of our student government.

Student Council

Career Day!

Good Luck to the 8th grade graduating class of 2012!

We wish you the best of luck in high school and beyond!

Final Pep Assembly of 2012

Professionals from various fields came out to share their success stories with

Summit Hill Junior High on Career Day!