Take Flight 🦅

Congratulations to the seniors, Class of 2025, for winning this year's Junior Olympics! They'll get bragging rights until next year's games. What an energy-packed competition it was! Special shout outs to:

• StuCo and Ms. López, who chose the games and spirit days;
• The junior helpers who ran the events;
• Ms. Benoit-Olesen and Mr. Chaidez, who were our fearless emcees;
• All of the event competitors (and their class sponsors);
• Spinnin' Discs for their music accompaniment;
• Admin, faculty, and staff who competed, refereed, and supervised; and
• Maintenance for setting up and cleaning up the Fieldhouse.

Congratulations to Snowballer Mia Quintana! She was selected to be part of the Leadership Team with the Illinois Association of Behavior Health youth prevention initiative called "Generation Lead." Generation Lead is an all-encompassing statewide prevention education campaign to bring awareness to youth and communities on substance use and misuse. Way to go, Mia!

What do NHS and Book Club have in common? Other than their mutual love of reading, they both visited Bernie's Book Bank during the same week! There they sorted and packed donated books for under-resourced community programs and schools. To learn more about NHS and Book Club, contact Ms. Gruettner (agruettner@leyden212.org) and Ms. Flores (eflores@leyden212.org).

Interact just completed a food pack with Feeding Children Worldwide. They packed 2,160 meals for children facing hunger in communities around the globe. They partnered with the O'Hare Rotary Club, who sponsored the activity. They all had a blast while helping others. Want to learn more about Interact? Contact Ms. Ciupinski (tciupinski@leyden212.org) for more information.

Calling all artists and writers! Submit your pieces to Prizewrite Magazine! Prizewrite Magazine is an annual arts publication, sponsored by Leyden District 212. The published entries are selected by the Art and English Departments collectively. There will be prizes for the 1st and 2nd place creatives. DO NOT MISS this opportunity for your art and writing to be showcased in this year's magazine! Submissions due by April 10th.

With more than 800 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in 2023, students must rise up and take action. The Day of Silence is a nationally-recognized student-led demonstration where LGBTQ+ students and allies all around the country - and the world - protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools.

Leyden students can participate on Friday, April 11th to demonstrate that silence is LOUD. Sign up for a Day of Silence pin during the lunch periods on April 8th and 9th. To receive your pin and learn about the guidelines for the Day of Silence, see Teacher Wilson in room 063-1 during Eagle Time on April 10th. PRISM will break the silence at Willowbrook High School for the NIGHT OF NOISE on Friday, April 11th from 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm. This fun-filled event includes dinner, snacks, refreshments, games, and music.

Special shout out to the Makerspace Club and Valerya Aragon for the pin design for the last two years!

GLSEN.org

On Tuesday, April 22nd, Student Council will be hosting their spring blood drive in the Eagle's Wing. The health benefits and community needs make this a great service project. Students can start registering for an appointment online soon! Students can also get help registering online during lunch periods the week of April 14th.

Upperclassmen should consider donating. Students must be 16 or older and weigh at least 110 lbs. Anyone 18 or older may donate as a "walk-in". Staff members do NOT need an appointment and will be moved immediately to the front of the line. Thank you in advance for your donation - it may just save a life!

While spreading positivity, Snowball is also tackling the issue of vaping on campus to help reopen our bathrooms! Sick of long walks just to find a bathroom? Hate the crowded restrooms? You’re not alone! Many West Leyden students are feeling the impact of bathroom closures due to vaping. But there’s good news—we can change this!

West Leyden Snowball has partnered with the deans to launch the West Leyden Anonymous Vape Reporting Form—as a way to make our school a healthier place and help reopen our bathrooms. Have you seen vaping in the bathrooms? Use THIS LINK to anonymously report it—no risk to you! Want to quit? Get confidential help without getting in trouble. Text “ditchvape” to 88709 for FREE support anytime.

Scan the QR code posted in bathrooms or check your Minga ID to access the form (instructions are below). Let’s take back our bathrooms and make West Leyden a vape-free zone!

Leyden's "Strive for 95" campaign offers a lot of cool prizes for students who strive to maintain 90% or higher attendance:

• Monthly raffles to win Leyden clothing, free Prom tickets, Stanley drinking cups, Javaccino dollars, pizza parties for you & your friends, and much more.

For those soaring eagles who maintain 95% or higher attendance:

• $20 off Prom tickets (juniors & seniors only)

Click on the image above 👆 for more information!

We Are... Awards nominees can qualify to receive Javaccino (students) / Gold and Bold Café (staff members) gift cards. In addition, students may be recognized at Student of the Month breakfasts and staff members may be recognized at staff meetings.

To nominate a student or staff member, you need to fill out this We Are... Awards Google Form.