Thursday, May 10, 2012
Five students took home medals in the competition for the school's best finish ever.
With five students taking home state medals in individual journalism events, Downers Grove North took third place at the IHSA Journalism state finals April 27. It was the best finish for the school since IHSA Journalism competition started three years ago. In IHSA competition, there are 16 events students can compete in, from yearbook and newspaper design to advertising and cartooning. Leighanne Crawford took first place in advertising. Alex Duta took third place in broadcast news writing. Ashley Iannantone took third place in yearbook layout double page spread, Heather Johansen took third place in news writing and Ashley Hemmingway took fourth place in review writing. Downers Grove North students qualified in nine events for state …
Monday, May 7, 2012
The team will compete in the IHSA sectional meet on Thursday.
The Downers Grove South girls track & field team took home a West Suburban Gold conference championship Friday. It was the eighth straight conference championship for the team. DGS was the clear winner with 169 points, crushing second-place Hinsdale South with 105 points. Willowbrook took third with 101 points. The West Suburban Gold conference consists of seven teams. Senior Rebecca Stearns led the Mustang effort with three individual conference titles in 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles and the 800-meter run. She also ran a leg on the winning 4x400-meter relay team. The Mustangs came home first in both the 4x400-meter relay (Mueller, Clinnin, Raven Wilson, Stearns) and the 4X800-meter relay (Blake Mueller, Katrina Friedrich, Amy …
Friday, May 4, 2012
Meet the students, read about their accomplishments and see where they're going to college.
Mohammad Salman Ali is the son of Ashraf and Ruqia Ali of Downers Grove. He has received the Downers Grove Community Bank Scholarship and an AP Scholar with Distinction award. He has participated in the Key Club, Math Team, Scholastic Bowl, Saturday Morning Physics at Fermilab, National Honor Society, and National Spanish Honor Society. He has been part of the volleyball and track teams. He works at the Kumon Math and Reading Center in Darien, and has volunteered with Tzu Chi, Polar Express, and The Giving Tree. Salman plans to attend the University of Chicago. Mohammad’s favorite memory: “While filming the death scene of Principe Ali in the middle of the street for AP Spanish, Matt Balsamo almost ran me over!” Rianda Artis is the daughter…
Meet the students, learn their accomplishments and see where they're going to college.
Sarah Batchu is the daughter of Dr. Barbara Loeb and Dr. Koteswara Batchu of Downers Grove. She is an Illinois State Scholar, an AP Scholar with Honors, a National Spanish Exam Bronze Winner and received fifth place in the IHSA State Speech Tournament in Original Oratory. She’s been part of the speech team, the student newspaper, The Omega, has performed in numerous plays and has served on the class board. She has also played badminton, and has served on the Downers Grove Environmental Concerns Commission and the Downers Grove Historical Society Museum. She plans to major in political science in college. Sarah’s favorite memory: “When I got to go onstage at the state speech tournament, it was gratifying—not just as an individual …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
District 68 currently offers milk which may have been produced by cows injected with artificial growth hormone.
Woodridge School District 68 currently offers milk to students that is produced by cows that may have been injected with an artifical growth hormone. Which milk students receive at lunch is decided by which milk supplier receives a bid from the district. The district's current supplier, Quality, was chosen as a low-bid last year. Quality provides Kemps Grade A milk, which is not strictly hormone free. The district is again looking for bids from milk suppliers for the next two years. Quality will probably provide a low bid in this year's milk bid again. But District 68 Board Members expressed their desire Monday to consider only hormone-free milk for the two-year bid. Artifical growth hormones are banned in Europe and Canada, said Diane …
We outline the dozens of changes the district hopes to make in the next year.
Woodridge School District 68 officials plan to overhaul the district's communication and marketing programs by next year. Patrick Broncato, assistant superintendent for business, presented to the District 68 board Monday an overview of 50 to 60 recommendations developed to improve in the two areas. The recommendations are categorized and have three main deadlines: Sept. 2012, Jan. 2013 and March 2013. The district also reviewed measures it is currently taking to improve its communication and marketing. The recommendations stem from a communication audit conducted by Karen Kleinz of the National School Public Relations Association that was completed in fall 2011. Completing the audit fulfills one of the district's strategic objectives to…
Adam Newton is the first student in DGS history to win an IDEA state championship two years in a row.
Two students from Downers Grove South High School placed first and second in the Illinois Drafting Educators Association (IDEA)’s state competition April 14. Adam Newton, a junior, is the first DGS student to win an IDEA state championship two years in a row. Newton took first place and was the state champion in the 3D Architectural CAD competition. In 2011, he won the Architectural 2D competition. Senior Chris Behnke placed second in the same category, 3D Architectural CAD. The 3D Architectural CAD competition requires students to complete a fully-dimensioned floor plan as well as 3D virtual model of a residential home. All students must adhere to specific building parameters, as well as completing the project with a certain time …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The new position is one of dozens of recommendations to overhaul the district's communication and marketing practices.
Woodridge School District 68 reviewed a multi-stage plan to improve its communication and marketing Monday, from improving its website and holding media trainings for staff to reaching out to new parents and empty-nesters and expanding opportunities for bilingual parents to get involved. Of the 50 to 60 recommendations presented, the request to create a full-time Community Engagement position garnered the most discussion. Read more about the full district plan Thursday. The new staff member would, among other responsibilities, help to create and maintain partnerships with local businesses and implement the district’s communication plan. Building partnerships would bring more revenue to the district, Superintendent Cathy Skinner said. …
DGN student Kelly Egan will have her piece displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year.
Downers Grove North artists took first and second place in a Congressional Art Competition showcased at Woodridge Public Library. DGN Student Kelly Egan took first place for her piece, “Painted.” Her artwork will be displayed in a corridor of the U.S. Capitol for one year as part of a national exhibit dedicated to the talent of America’s youth. Egan also received two round-trip tickets to Washington, D.C. to attend a national award ceremony with other young artists from across the country. “Kelly’s digitally-altered photograph was equally imaginative and creative,” said Biggert in a release. “Our judges, who are artists themselves, were delighted at how her work engages the viewer and urges you to look longer and discover more.” DGN's …
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Lone Star Burger will be on the menu for the next month.
A burger designed by Downers Grove North students will remain on the Tom & Eddie's menu after it garnered the most sales in a District 99 burger competition last week. The winning Lone Star Burger is a hamburger on a pretzel roll with pepperjack cheese, haystack onions, chips, buffalo sauce, lettuce and bacon. It topped DGS' Mustang Meltdown, a beef patty mixed with bacon topped with lettuce, barbecue sauce and cheese fries on a pretzel bun, as well as DGN's Southwest Wildfire burger, a hamburger on a gourmet roll topped with pepperjack cheese, haystack onions, spicy mayo, A1 sauce and lettuce. Students in the district's three Intro to Business classes each designed a burger. The burgers were sold for four hours Wednesday. The winning …
Kathleen Wright
12:53 pm on Thursday, May 3, 2012
Wonderful! We have been with district 68 for 10 years and I have always insisted that my kids limit the amount of Milk they drink from the lunchrooms. I hope that this initiative for healthier milk get passed! more ›