Principal's Blog 2025-2026 #10

October 17, 2025

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.

Mundelein High School is dedicated to supporting students’ social and emotional wellbeing. In the coming weeks 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.

Click here to learn more.

Don’t be spooked, it's almost October! October is Bullying Prevention month, and Red Ribbon week. There will be multiple activities done throughout the month in the commons during lunch periods to provide students with knowledge and resources. We will celebrate Red Ribbon week from Oct 27- 31st. There will be theme dress 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! I will send another email closer to Red Ribbon Week with promotional materials to post. There will also be weekly social emotional workshops throughout the month.

Wellness Center Newsletter

Workshop calendar- October Calendar

Hope Squad Coping Strategies of the Week for October

Character Value Slide: Resilience

Eighth-graders singers from MHS feeder district middle schools got a preview of the vocal groups they may be part of in the coming years and then joined them on stage during Monday night’s 8th Grade Rockstars show.

The program featured performances by MHS groups Rush Hour, Bella Voce, Honors Concert Choir, Honors Master Singers, Reverb, and Sound. It also featured a combined choir from Fremont, West Oak and Carl Sandburg Middle Schools.

See more on our Facebook page.

Congrats to Tina Adinku and Aubrey Anderson who medaled at the NSC Championship last week. The team has had great success, including multiple medalists at invites throughout the season.

Way to go, Mustangs!

It is with great pride that we announce all the Band & Choir District VII Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) results from this past month! These individual honors are the result of students preparing upwards of 5 musical excerpts that are performed for judges across the state. Achieving a place in these District ensembles is an accomplishment on par with an athletic team advancing to the Sectional level of competition. Please join us in congratulating these dedicated young musicians. Their selection speaks volumes about their hard work and musical abilities.

All students in these ensembles will find out All-State Honors within the coming month. Much credit goes to Cory Thompson, Andy Sturgeon, and Jerry Shelato for their exemplary work in preparing these students. Under their guidance, the music program continues to reach new heights! We could not be prouder of our students' accomplishments and their representation of the excellence found in MHS' music programs.

A big thanks to the community members, business leaders and MHS alumni who participated in our Career Expo and Networking Event on Thursday. It was a great opportunity for students to find out more about career opportunities and meet the people who have been on the pathway toward those careers. We were especially excited to welcome back alumni Ty Ear and Sydney Boudreau.

Check out the 2025 Mundelein High School Career Expo & Networking Event Directory

This directory contains information about all attendees, which included professionals in:

• Flavor science
• Structural engineering
• Architecture
• Animation, graphic design, and marketing
• Physical therapy, dentistry, and other medical fields
• Finance, Investments, and Entrepreneurship
• ...and many more!

This is more than just your everyday directory. In addition to the names of the individuals, you will find links to their websites and social media accounts, brief biographies, and, most importantly, advice that they would like to share with our students.

Three recruiting professionals were also present at the expo for walk-in consultations with students on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

Click here to see the event scrapbook.

Follow us on Instagram

We celebrated our seniors in the last home game for the lady Mustangs Volleyball team. We’re so proud of these girls and all the hard work they put in!

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.

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.

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

Contest

Mundelein Mustangs versus Waukegan Bulldogs

Theme

Community Night

Red Rage Student Section: White Out

Start Time

7:30pm

Tickets

Current MHS Students with ID - Free

Child (ages 3-10)/Seniors (65+) - $3

General Admission $6

Purchase Tickets at GoFan

Gates open 60 minutes before kickoff for single varsity games. On nights when we have a lower-level game prior to varsity, gates will open 30 minutes prior to kickoff of the lower-level game and remain open through the varsity game.

Permitted Items

Permitted items that are allowed are sealed water bottles, carried rain gear, baby food, blankets, coats, and umbrellas, wheelchairs and walkers, service dogs trained to aid patrons with a disability and pre approved signs or posters.

Disallowed Items

Mundelein High School is reminding our parents/guardians and students that we have a list of items that we do not allow into the stadium on game days. Disallowed items that are not allowed in the stadium are backpacks, large purses, beach bags, outside coolers, outside food or drink, noise makers, balls, inflatable toys, laser pointers, paint, baby powder, streamers, alcoholic beverages, tobacco of any kind including e-cigarettes, drones (except for MHS School Issued Drones), pets. If someone has these items they will be confiscated at the entry gates. All bags are subject to search.

Can't make it in person? Watch Live!

7:00pm

Mundelein High School and Wheeling High School will be joined by guest artist Jon Irabagon!

MHS Student Leadership would like to invite all MHS students to attend our FREE event on Wednesday, October 22nd. Students are invited to decorate a pumpkin while watching the movie, Hocus Pocus.

The event will begin immediately after school (3:30-5:30 PM) in the MHS Cafeteria. Concessions will be available for purchase with cash or via Omella.

Students who are interested in decorating a pumpkin must RSVP; pumpkins are only guaranteed to those who RSVP by October 17th.

We are proud to host visitors to learn more about our programming and facilities. In order to minimize the impact on the educational environment, we have chosen to host visitors on select days throughout the school year.

Therefore, to secure a visitation time, please select from the following options so we are able to provide the necessary information and personnel during your visit.

Our next tour is on October 23rd at 4:30pm. Click here to register.

Save the date. More information coming soon.

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. To learn more, visit redribbon.org.

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.

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

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.

Mundelein Theatre is thrilled to present:

Eurydice

by Sarah Ruhl

October 30th at 7:30pm

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

November 2nd at 2:00pm

Adults $10, Students and Seniors $5

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!

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

In honor of those who have served.

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.

Athletics events week of 10/13/2025

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

Thank you to all who supported our Cancer Awareness Night last week! Whether you promoted the event on social media, put together a basket for the raffle, or came to the match to cheer on our athletes, it has been wonderful to see our MHS community come together to support such an important cause. We are truly grateful to be part of such a caring community!

Congratulations to our JV on their first place finish at the Johnsburg High School Tournament last weekend. Freshman A took 2nd at their tournament in Evanston. And Varsity took 8th at the Huntley Invite. This week we completed our last home games against Waukegan and Deerfield.

As the season winds down, we will play our final regular season match on the road at Lake Forest on Tuesday, October 21. Our end of season tournaments are as follows:

Freshman B - Warren Invitational on Friday & Saturday, October 17-18

JV2 - Vernon Hills Tournament on Saturday, October 18

Varsity will begin their post season play on Tuesday, October 28 at the IHSA Regional match at McHenry High School at 6:00pm. We would love to pack the gym in support of our athletes.

Don’t miss out on some exciting volleyball these last few weeks of the season! Go Mustangs!

Submitted by Coach Winter

At the varsity NSC championship, Aubrey Anderson and Tina Adinku finished 3rd in doubles, Alina Ahmed and Ashley Williams finished 4th as well as Abi Gora and Valarie Gazaeva.

In JV at #1 singles flight Annelia Sosa finished 3rd place with thrilling victory over Lake Forest.

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