Principal's September Newsletter
September 25, 2026
East Families,
I want to start by first thanking you for your continued support. We’ve had a great start to the school year and that is in large part due to the support of our entire school community. The start of the year has been buzzing with excitement and positive energy and that was never more evident than Homecoming Week 2026. It was fantastic. Special thanks goes out to Student Council and Student Activities for planning a week of engaging activities for our students. It was great to see and feel the positive energy in the building, students and staff participating in the themed dress up days, as well as students competing as classmates in various games and activities. This all culminated with a spirit-filled pep assembly where we crowned our homecoming royalty and Senior Class of 2027 as Spirit Week Champions, varsity football’s victory over Elmwood Park, the halftime performances of our dance and cheer teams, as well as our band, the amazing fireworks, and the Homecoming Dance. It truly was a great week to be Ram.
Now, as we settle back into our regular routines post-Homecoming, maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students and staff remains our top priority. A strong safety culture relies heavily on open communication, where students feel comfortable reporting concerns to a trusted adult. We ask that you partner with us by having a conversation with your student about the following key topics in the coming days:
Trusted Adults: Reassure your student that all East faculty and staff are trusted adults available to help with any concern.
"See Something, Say Something": Emphasize the importance of immediately notifying a teacher, staff member, or administrator if they see, hear, or read something concerning.
Safety Drills: Remind students that our regular safety drills prepare us for potential emergencies and must always be taken seriously.
Additionally, it is also important that students continue to do their part to be successful. To help our students thrive, daily attendance and active academic engagement remain essential.
Attendance Matters: Showing up on time every day is critical. Even a few missed days—excused or unexcused—can accumulate quickly and create gaps in learning.
Utilizing Support: Academic engagement goes beyond the classroom. We encourage students to advocate for themselves and utilize our support resources, including built-in support during Ram Time and Collaboration Hour.
Lastly, we are excited to share a few updates regarding our facility improvements:
Greenhouse: Construction is scheduled for completion next week!
Student Commons: Progress continues on this vibrant new space, which is on track to open at the start of the 2027–28 school year.
We appreciate your continued patience and caution as we navigate campus traffic around the ongoing construction areas.
Thank you once again for your partnership and dedication to making East a supportive environment for all students. We look forward to a successful remainder of the semester!
On Monday, August 17th, the School Counseling Department presented an informative video during RAM TIME to help students become more familiar with the counseling staff. The video introduced each school counselor by name and face, providing students with a better understanding of who their counselor is and what they do. Additionally, it explained the various ways students can reach out to their counselors for support, whether they have academic concerns, personal issues, or college and career questions. The video emphasized the importance of building a relationship with their counselor and encouraged students to take advantage of the resources available to them throughout the school year.
College Representative Visits
Beginning Junior Year, students can sign up to meet with College Representatives that visit East. Junior and Senior students can sign up for upcoming visits by logging into their SchooLinks accounts and clicking on “School Events”. Click here for a list of upcoming representatives.
Senior Fall Meetings
School Counselors are here to guide and support seniors and their families as they explore options and create a postsecondary plan that fits their goals. During September and October, Seniors are expected to schedule a meeting with their counselor, during which graduation requirements and postsecondary options will be reviewed. Information and resources, including the GE School Counseling Senior Checklist was emailed to all seniors and their parents/guardians.
Transfer Orientation
Counselors held our annual Transfer Student Orientation on Friday, September 5. Any students that started at Glenbard East after the first day of school received an invitation. Our orientation reviewed information on athletics, how to get involved in clubs/activities, and provided an opportunity to connect with current Glenbard East students.
College Week
The School Counseling Department will host our 6th annual College Week from September 28-October 2. Students of all grade levels have the opportunity to meet with representatives from dozens of colleges and universities during all lunch periods, including some of Glenbard East Students’ most popular college destinations. A list of this year’s participating schools can be found here.
College Night
The School Counseling Department will be hosting an in-person College Night on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 6PM in Biester Auditorium. Sophomore and Junior Families are invited to come learn about the college selection process, scholarships and financial aid. There will also be a session held in Spanish. Click here for the details. Hope to see you there!
College Application Support
Counselors are available to help seniors complete college applications! Please encourage your senior sign up for college application support during RAM TIME.
Students in an AP class should check their College Board login at https://myap.collegeboard.org and reset the password if necessary. Please do not create a second account as this can create problems in the future when taking AP exams. Here are some helpful hints as your student reviews their College Board account:
- Check that it has the student’s full legal name (i.e., Patricia, not Patty) on the account.
- Use a personal email address instead of your school Gmail address because your school email is eventually inactivated once you leave Glenbard. Using a personal email address will allow you to maintain access to your scores. It is highly recommended to change it if necessary.
- If you have trouble accessing your account, please contact College Board at 866-630-9305. We are very limited in what we can do to help with account access.
- Memorize your College Board login. You will need to enter your username and password when taking the exam and will not have permission to access password storage on your iPad or cell phone or look at written notes in the exam room.
Please direct questions to Stephen Whitman, our AP Coordinator, or Miranda Moses, Assistant
Principal for Instruction.
On Wednesday, September 9th, about 250 students, staff, and community members gathered in the new GEHS Cafeteria to celebrate the annual school Oktoberfest, hosted by the GEHS German Club. Participants enjoyed traditional German food, song, and dance, with a life performance by "Die Musikmeisters" polka band. We look forward to welcoming you again to this event next fall!
Die Musikmeisters, traditional German polka band
Juniors and Seniors of GEHS German club, helped promote and set up event
Attendees doing the annual 'Fliegerlied' dance together
Our library was buzzing with excitement in August as we hosted our first-ever Summer Reading Party! Students reconnected over book-themed get-to-know-you activities, put their knowledge to the test with book trivia, and expressed their creativity by designing their own canvas tote bags and mood boards. Building on that energy, we kicked off our Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations with a hands-on papel picado crafting session and a special movie viewing of Coco.
Upcoming events include Lotería games during lunches on October 2nd, creating paper marigolds on October 26th, and mini pumpkin painting on October 28th and 29th. All students are encouraged to watch the library Schoology page and daily announcements for new events and sign up for them using the Library Event Sign-Up Form!
The Write Place is a resource for students to receive help on any writing assignment from tutors who are trained to guide students towards their writing goals. Tutors can help students at any stage of the writing process: whether it’s brainstorming ideas, drafting their writing, or revising their work. The goal of the Write Place is to help students build confidence in their writing and strengthen their skills.
The Write Place is open during every lunch, collaboration, and Ram Time in Room 251. Students can drop in anytime.
VISION: To utilize school and sports to develop “WELL-ROUNDED” student-athletes and establish great pride in our RAMS COMMUNITY.
Fall Sports - We have had a great start to the fall athletic season. We hope that you will continue to come out and support our athletic programs. It seems like the school year just started, but many of our programs will start participating in the IHSA Postseason over the end of the month and beginning of October. Good luck to all our fall athletes!
Interested in Winter and Spring Sports - Some of our winter and spring sports will start having pre-season meetings, conditioning, open gyms, etc. Pay attention to announcements for upcoming events. Also, make sure you are registered and have an updated physical prior to the start of the season. You can drop off your physical in the athletic office or email them to lakeisha_greer@glenbard.org.
Wrestling Open Mats - The wrestling program will begin having open mats on Tuesday/Thursday from 3:00-4:30 in the Wrestling Room. This is open to anyone who is not currently in a fall sport.
Boys Basketball - Boys basketball will have Open Gym on 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/19, and 10/26 from 3:10-4:30. Please contact Coach Kelly for further details.
Girls and Boys Gymnastics - Open gyms will be on Wednesdays from 3:05-4:15 in the gymnastics balcony on the third floor unless stated otherwise. No experience is necessary, but you can’t be in a fall sport. Questions contact: jessica_bugajsky@glenbard.org or ashtyn_tovar@glenbard.org
Badminton - If you are not in a fall sport, join the Glenbard East Badminton team for our Fall Open Gyms. These once a week 6:30-8PM and either in the Field House or West Gym depending on the night. See the full schedule here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dsgTWTGSJb8Z7ZvLJYv7JKrT4K_MI2YlUvLZ9puqn-I/edit?usp=sharing
WINTER ATHLETIC COACHES INFO:
Please feel free to reach out to the following head coaches for more specific information regarding your child/children sport(s):
Basketball Boys: Eric Kelly, eric_kelly@glenbard.org,
Basketball Girls: Nicole Miller, nicole_miller@glenbard.org,
Bowling Boys: Steve Bair, steve_bair@glenbard.org,
Bowling Girls: Dawn Chantos, dawn_chantos@glenbard.org,
Cheer CoEd Competitive: Kelly Dolan, kelly_dolan@glenbard.org,
Dance Competitive: Courtney Clay, courtney_clay@glenbard.org, t
Gymnastics Girls: Jessica Bugajsky, jessica_bugajsky@glenbard.org,
Swimming Boys: Tyler Buss, tyler_buss@glenbard.org,
Wrestling Boys: Donald Pool, donald_pool@glenbard.org,
Wrestling Girls: Matt Nelson, matthew_nelson@glenbard.org,
Please register on PowerSchool prior to the start date of your respective sport(s), and assure student-athletes have up-to-date medical physical examinations, immunizations records. While student accident insurance is provided for all enrolled students, additional insurance is mandatory for those in tackle football or if a family wants additional insurance. Click here for more information.
GoFan - Visit our GoFan site to get tickets to home events.
All Parent and Athlete Video Information - Please see information about our Athletic Department, Expectations, and our Booster Club via short videos linked in this document.
What does a Booster membership really do?
Sometimes, the impact is easy to see.
This year, the GEHS Athletic Booster Club is proud to share we contributed $30,000 toward the renovation of our new weight and conditioning rooms. The result is an incredible, state-of-the-art facility that benefits students and athletes across Glenbard East. Ask your student if they’ve used the new space and what they think!
Strength teacher and Coach John Walters shared:
“The facility is awesome! It serves all our athletes and students. The upgrade was much needed, and we are thankful to D87 and the Athletic Booster Club for their commitment to this project.”
But the value of the Booster Club goes beyond one project or even the funds we raise.
Boosters is about community. Parents, families, teachers, staff and alumni come together because we believe strong athletic programs make a difference in the lives of our students. Together, we provide resources, celebrate our athletes and coaches, and help strengthen programs across Glenbard East.
When you become a Booster member, you are supporting something bigger than just one athlete or one team. When hundreds of families participate, those memberships add up - helping provide equipment and facility improvements, team support, and opportunities that benefit our entire school community.
Another way Boosters bring our community together is through special events like our Annual Craft Fair! Mark your calendar for October 24th and come out to shop, support our vendors and be part of one of our favorite Booster traditions.
If you believe our students are worth supporting, we invite you to JOIN today! And there’s a benefit for your family, too: a $75 Booster membership includes a pass for admission to all regular-season home athletic events all year long.
Join us and be part of the team behind the teams!
Glenbard East High School
Email: ge_news@glenbard.org
Website: glenbardeasths.org
Location: 1014 South Main Street, Lombard, IL, USA
Phone: (630) 627-9250
Twitter: @GE_Rams