Principal's Blog 2025-2026 #11

October 24, 2025

This is a friendly reminder that Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Registration is due by November 2. Don’t miss the chance to earn college credit for your high school coursework. For more information, please visit our testing webpage or click here to view the parent letter from September 25, 2025.

As we approach the end of the month, there are several exciting events on the horizon! The Climate and Culture Collective is still accepting members—our first meeting will take place on October 29. We encourage students to get involved and make their voices heard.

On October 30, CBS News will be on campus to feature Mundelein High School. All students are invited to attend the all-school assembly in the main gym, which will be part of the CBS Chicago Morning News segment. Students participating should wear red, black, white, or grey and arrive in the main gym between 7:00 and 7:15 a.m. Let’s pack the stands and show our Mustang pride!

Finally, we can’t wait to see your creativity on Halloween, October 31! Students and staff are encouraged to dress up. Students will have a chance to vote for their favorite staff/department costumes during the day.

Please keep costumes appropriate—the following items are not permitted:

• Full face paint or face masks (students and staff must remain identifiable)

• Weapons or weapon look-alikes

• Fake blood or excessive gore

• Costumes that are disrespectful to cultures, genders, races, or religions

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to a fun and spirited week at MHS!

Go Mustangs!

Dr. Alexandria Taylor

Principal

Mundelein High School

847-949-2200

www.d120.org

ataylor@d120.org

District 120 initiated the search process to identify a highly qualified leader to become our next MHS Principal starting July 1, 2026. For more information, visit our website.

Red Ribbon week will be celebrated from Oct 27- 31st. This includes theme dress up days and activities in the commons each day of the week. The week will end with a mental health resource fair in the commons on Halloween. Students will be able to trick or treat for candy and resources!

Wellness Center Newsletter

Workshop calendar- October Calendar

Hope Squad Coping Strategies of the Week for October

Character Value Slide: Resilience

We recently published our second episode of the D120 video podcast, "Lights, Camera, Mustangs," where Corey Tafoya chats with MHS Senior Yael Pikus. Watch and listen about why Yael is so proud to be a Mundelein High School Mustang.

On Tuesday, October 21st, the Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble hosted professional Tenor Saxophonist, Jon Irabagon as a guest artist in conjunction with Wheeling High School. The students of MHS and Wheeling participated in after-school clinics with Jon and the day concluded in a shared concert. Kuddos to Mr. Sturgeon and Mr. Shelato for prioritizing these wonderful experiences for our students and for hosting this collaborative event with new high schools each year!

MHS was thrilled to honor longtime football chain gang member Tim Wilson Friday night. Tim means so much to our community: Lifelong member of Mundelein community - 4 years of baseball, 4 years of football, and 1 year of wrestling, served on the Mundelein Village Board, volunteered for the MHS Business Incubator Program, and volunteered for varsity football chain gang for over 15 years. He is also a long time member of the MHS Booster Club. Thanks Tim for your commitment to the Mundelein community!

Join us this coming week for some exciting college visits! Register in SchoolLinks today!

Check out out weekly newsletter for more important event and scholarship information.

Order your cap, gown, and senior swag now to ensure timley delivery!

• Earlybird pricing ends December 5th
• Last day to order is February 27th

Order now at www.HerffJonesIL.com, or Call Herff Jones at 815-756-4743. Herff Jones Office hours are Monday - Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Click here to see the MHS Class of 2026 Graduation Booklet and Calendar

Class of 2026 Yard Signs are now on sale! Signs are $15 and may be purchased online here. We will email you once your yard sign is ready (roughly 2 weeks after ordering). Pick up will be in the main office as your order is ready.

Save the date.

School-based occupational and physical therapists (OTs and PTs) are professionals who help students with disabilities access their education by addressing sensory, motor, and mobility needs. OTs focus on fine motor skills, self-care, and sensory processing to help students with tasks like writing or using classroom tools. PTs focus on gross motor skills, strength, and balance to support movement, mobility, and participation in physical activities.

Yes we can! ¡Sí se puede! With a little help...every student can!

This annual awareness campaign promotes drug-free living and encourages communities to come together, spread the message of prevention, and take the Red Ribbon Pledge to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Each day of the week has a different theme day and activity for students to do during lunch. On Friday, Oct 31st, we will have our annual Wellness Boo Bash, where 10 community agencies will be setup inside the commons and students will be able to trick or treat for resources, candy, and raffle prizes.

To learn more, visit redribbon.org.

Our world is complex. Building skills for inquiry, reflection and critical thinking while applying reason, logic and evidence is a core part of our daily duty.

This year has brought new challenges to understanding events for adults and young alike; from the first amendment to parsing the visuals meant to manipulate.

Reiteration strengthens understanding so click on the picture to see a beautiful rendition of our First Amendment.

Mundelein High School is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all students, staff, and community members. In accordance with the Illinois School Safety Drill Act (105 ILCS 128/20), every school must conduct a law enforcement lockdown drill each academic year to prepare for a potential violent intruder situation. This drill must take place within 90 days of the start of the school year.

Mundelein High School will conduct its law enforcement lockdown drill on Monday, October 27, 2025. This drill is paired with our severe weather drill in order to minimize the amount of times we disrupt curricular schedules. The alternate bell schedule for the day is included in the parent letter that was emailed home.

Click here to read the full parent letter.

CANCELLED - Join us for a fun skills camp focused on hitting, pitching, defense, and baserunning—plus Trick-or-Treating with the high school players handing out candy! Costumes encouraged! No experience necessary!

Kindergarten - 4th Grade

Monday, October 27, 2025, from 5:30-7:30 PM

Drop off & Pick Up at the North Gym

Register online: https://omella.com/rjnn3

Mundelein High School is dedicated to supporting students’ social and emotional wellbeing. This week we will be sharing a presentation that supports the state mandate for teaching AnnMarie’s Law (Public Act 099-0443), which was signed in 2015. This law requires schools to provide suicide awareness and prevention to Illinois school students and school staff.

The presentations will occur during EL Support Classes and Physical Wellness Classes on the following dates:

Tuesday, October 28: Physical Wellness Classes Periods 1-4

Wednesday, October 29: Physical Wellness Classes Periods 5-8

For more information, please refer to any of the resources below.

• AnnMarie's Law

• Erika's Lighthouse

• Depression and Suicide Awareness Resources

• Depression Resource List for Teens

Click here to learn more.

Families, view your School Portraits, and select your yearbook/class picture before Retake Day!

• To view your school portraits look for an email sent to you by “Visual Image Photography”, or go to vipis.com
• If a retake picture is needed, do not select a yearbook picture. Retake pictures will be taken on October 29th. This is only for students who have a need for a new picture or have not yet taken a Yearbook Portrait this year (all students must have a current portrait in order to appear in this year’s yearbook). Retake day photos will be added to your online image gallery and you’ll receive an email alert with new photos about a week after retakes
• The final deadline to select a yearbook picture is November 23rd.
• After these dates VIP will choose a yearbook image for you

Empowering students to lead positive change at MHS by shaping our shared culture and climate.

Join us to help strengthen relationships, promote respect, and build an inclusive school community.

October 29

Period 3

Click here to RSVP

Parents and Guardians are invited to join us for a virtual presentation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to learn more about how AI platforms, such as ChatGPT and Magic School, the educational AI platform our students use in their classes, can support student learning.

This session is designed for parents/guardians of students of all ages. Whether you are new to AI or you are interested in learning more about how AI can be used to support your students' academic success, this presentation is for you.

Date: Wednesday, October 29
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Zoom (link to follow)

Please see this letter for details and a link to RSVP.

We are very excited to share that we have been selected to be featured on the CBS News School Spotlight feature on Thursday, October 30th. This will be a showcase of Mundelein High School live on CBS Chicago news for both the morning and evening segments that day. Throughout the day, we will be featuring several students, staff, activities and athletics to highlight all of the wonderful things happening here.

All MHS students are invited to attend our all-school assembly in the main gym that will be featured on the CBS Chicago morning news. Participating students should wear a red/black/white/grey top and arrive to the main gym between 7am and 7:15am. We are looking to get a full student section for the cameras! The actual news segment for the assembly portion is slated for 7:50am and 8:15am– this is, of course, subject to change based on CBS’s needs. We hope your student can join us in this awesome opportunity!

Mundelein Theatre is thrilled to present:

Eurydice

by Sarah Ruhl

This beautiful and imaginative retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice explores love, memory, and the power of words. Told through Eurydice’s eyes, the play follows her journey to the underworld after a tragic accident—where she’s reunited with her father and must choose between the world she knew and the one she’s found. Filled with poetic language, humor, and heart, Eurydice is a moving story about what we remember, what we forget, and what it means to say goodbye.

October 30th at 7:30pm

November 1st at 2:00pm and 7:30pm

November 2nd at 2:00pm

Adults $10, Students and Seniors $5

Click here to purchase tickets

Please purchase your ticket using the link on the Mundelein Theatre website. It is highly recommended that tickets are purchased online to ensure a seat, but we also allow purchases at the door. Online ticket sales are closed 2 hours prior to the show.

This is a free event. Kids will explore hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities—each one a fun stop on our “Ghost Trip.” From eerie experiments to creepy crafts, every station is filled with thrills, chills, and discoveries.

Costumes welcome • Treats included • Fun guaranteed!

Our Support Learning Program students have been practicing hard for the big game! We can't wait to cheer them on.

The Supported Learning Program provides an enriched student experience that includes bringing functional life skills and real-life opportunities to the classroom. Students in the SLP program receive core instruction for these courses: English, Math, Science/Social Studies. Students also take Vocations class and Life Skills, as determined by their IEP.

The students have their own apartment that includes a full kitchen, laundry and bedroom area. This allows consistent opportunities to practice life skills and independence.

The four teachers in this program run four levels of SLP. Related services work closely with the SLP team on a regular basis. This includes speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, vocations, vision/mobility and hearing services.

The SLP program supports a range of students within the different levels. Students with verbal communication and students that communicate primarily with an assistive device are part of the program. Students reading pre-primer through a middle school reading level are also supported in the program.

Students take weekly community trips and run two very successful school businesses at Mundelein High School.

Come trick or treat for candy, resources, prizes, and more!

Advanced Placement Exam Registration began October 1 for students enrolled is Semester 1 AP Courses. See the testing website for more information.

• Students taking full-year or Fall Semester AP courses at Mundelein High School must register and pay for their exams by 11:59 PM, Sunday, November 2, 2025 to avoid a late fee of $40/exam.

• Students taking a Semester 2 only course (AP Comparative Gov't, AP US Gov't) must enroll/register/pay by 11:59 pm, March 1, 2026.

Click here to read the parent letter from 9/25/2025.

MHS has welcomed a group of local veterans to enjoy Veterans Day Breakfast with us on Friday, November 7th

The presence of veterans in our halls serves as a powerful reminder of the values that make our community and our nation strong. We want to ensure that our young people understand the debt of gratitude we owe to those who have served in uniform.

The event will include a breakfast in honor of the veterans, followed by a parade walk in our school where students and staff will have the opportunity to thank veterans for their service and sacrifice.

La segunda sesión de La Universidad de Padres se celebrará este próximo 13 de noviembre en la cafetería de la escuela, de 6pm a 8pm. Para más información, contacto Fred Kliora a 847-949-2200 Ext. 1410.

Save the Date! More info coming soon!

Classes begin at 9:40am.

Buses will run one hour later.

Click here for the late start schedule.

Save the Date! More info coming soon!

Save the Date! More info coming soon!

Happy Thankgiving! See you Monday, December 1st!

Athletics events week of 10/27/2025

Athletic Department Newsletter (coming soon)

2025-26 Sports Season Start Dates

Did you know? You can stay on top of all the MHS athletic schedule changes and reminders for your favorite activities!

With Notify Me!, you can set yourself up to receive automatic text and email notifications. Simply log in to choose the teams and activities you want to track, and we'll send you updates directly to your phone or inbox.

It's easy to use and you can log back in anytime to modify your settings. Don't miss a game or important update again!

Https://as3.rschooltoday.com/public/notify/genie/632/school/632

You must be signed up before the starting date or you will not be able to participate. See the list below for offerings:

BOYS Starting Date

Basketball 11/10

Bowling 10/27

Swim & Dive 11/24

Wrestling 11/10

GIRLS Starting Date

Basketball 11/3

Bowling 11/17

Gymnastics 11/10

Wrestling 11/10

Competitive Cheer-CoEd 10/27

Competitive Dance-CoEd 10/27

Winter Guard-CoEd 10/27

• Athletes must have a current physical on file with the nurse
• Athletes must also be passing 5 classes (2.5 credits)
• If you did a fall sport this year, just go back into your Arbiter account and sign up for your winter sport. If you did not participate in a fall sport you must create a new account. The quick link to registration is on the athletics home page. ATTENTION: Once winter sports begin, you will not be able to register the "day of".
• You must register before the sport(s) begins.

Submitted by Coach Scheuers

Tryouts are less than a month away! The first day of tryouts will be Monday, November 10, 2025.

• Freshmen & Sophomores: 3:45–5:45 PM (Main Gym)
• Juniors & Seniors: 6:00–8:00 PM (Main Gym)

All students interested in trying out must register for a winter sport and have an updated physical on file before November 10 in order to participate.

If you have any questions, please contact Coach Scheuers at jscheuers@d120.org.

Winter Registration Link: https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations

Submitted by Coach Willis

The Mustangs Girls Volleyball program completed their final regular season match against Lake Forest on Tuesday night. All levels soundly defeated the Scouts in two sets each for a clean sweep. It was a wonderful way to close out the 2025 season!

We would also like to congratulate senior outside hitter Paige Prochnow for being selected as the 2025 NSC Girls Volleyball Sportsmanship winner at the Lake Forest match on Wednesday!

Varsity will play their first Regional match at McHenry High School on Tuesday, October 28 at 6:00pm against the winner of Monday’s match-up of McHenry vs Round Lake. The Regional Final will take place on Thursday, October 30 at 6:00pm in McHenry. Our Mustangs will continue to play, if they continue to win. Please come out and support our Mustangs!

Paige Prochnow - NSC Sportsmanship Winner

Submitted by Coach Rutz

Another good day Saturday as we competed in the NSC Conference Meet at Warren.

The Varsity got things going with a 3rd place finish with 81 points. Elijah Mendoza and Aidan Sweet earned All-Conference honors, finishing 5th and 9th, respectively. Nathan McCreight also medaled, taking 19th. Erick Cordova and Advik Sharma rounded out our scoring. taking 26th and 37th.

In the JV race, Adrian Pacheco Reyes was our lone medalist by taking 13th as our JV squad took 6th. Paolo Amidei and Cesar Hernandez took 38th and 39th, with Caden McDermott taking 73rd and Joshua Rodriguez taking 77th.

In the F/S race our squad took 5th, as Jake Williams and Nicholas Moberg medaled in 12th and 14th place. Daniel Jones in 44th, Brendon Park in 57th and Chance Winckler in 58th rounded out the scoring.

Lousy weather yesterday, but we still had a lot of fun at the Race Car Rally in Buffalo Grove. In the freshman race Nick Moberg was our top finisher, taking 38th out of 137 runners, while Brendon Park took 86th and Tristan Horcher took 91st. Then the fun began....

In the sophomore race, our squad took 3rd out of 13, featuring some of the top programs in the state. Aidan Sweet led the way as individual champion in a real exciting race, taking the W with a final lean. Erick Cordova and Advik Sharma followed him in in 6th and 7th overall. Jake Williams took 29th, giving us 4 medalists in the race, and Daniel Jones closed out the scoring in 68th place. The awards in this one are unique, as the individual medalists all receive Hot Wheels, and the team receives a miniature remote control car. They absolutely love it! Great job Mustangs!

Next up- the IHSA Regional Meet hosted by Grant HS on Saturday. Come watch us punch our ticket to the Sectional Round. Hope to see you all there!

Check out our weekly CCRC Newsletter at: https://app.smore.com/n/j9ycp8

Peer/AP Tutors has updated the link to the Advanced Placement web page where students can access videos that detail nearly two dozen AP courses offered at MHS. We are grateful to senior Sophie Hammer who taped and edited every video, and the cast of seniors and juniors who provided insights behind selecting advanced placement courses.

The link can be found on the Literacy Center and Peer/AP Tutors website.

• Before school, during lunch, free periods, study hall. Staff help and student (peer) tutors available.
• ARC Academic Resource Center B145-147: help with any subject. Mon.-Fri. 7:00am-3:25pm.
• Teacher office hours: contact the teacher for time/day.
• Guidance: Counselors can make arrangements for help. Check Power School for name of assigned counselor.
• Student-led AP and Honors Study Group schedule; Remind codes for each group (Text the code to 81010):

MHS students will provide tutoring (English and Spanish) at Fremont Library several times this semester. All K-8 students are welcome for homework or subject help.

Fremont Public Library

1170 Midlothian Rd

Mundelein, IL

6:00pm - 7:00pm

November 12th

December 10th

For more information, please contact:

Fremont Public Library: (847) 566-8702

Mundelein High School: hbabowice@d120.org

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Website: www.d120.org

Location: 1359 West Hawley Street, Mundelein, IL, USA

Phone: 847-949-2200