Principal's Newsletter
September 2026
Hilltopper Community,
It was great to have the hallways and classrooms full of parents last Thursday for our annual Back-to-School Open House. I hope that those who were able to attend enjoyed a taste of the student experience. I’d like to reiterate a few things from my welcome remarks:
Thank you to those who volunteered last Tuesday for our Young Hearts for Life event. With your help, we were able to provide free ECG screenings to over 1,000 students. As I mentioned at Open House, it really took the whole Glenbard West community to make this happen, and I was in awe of the support we received from over two hundred volunteers.
Glenbard West is very lucky to have several parent groups whose mission is to support our students and help us run programs throughout the school: Boosters, West Nation, Association of Music Parents, Friends for Forensics, West Theatre Parent Guild. I highly encourage you to get involved with one or more of these groups to whatever extent you are able.
We are excited to expand our career exploration opportunities for students this year. As part of this effort we are creating a network of Hilltopper families and alumni who would be willing to share their career experiences and expertise with our students. There are a number of ways to get involved. If you are able and interested, please complete this brief form.
This year our district has transitioned from Remind to ParentSquare. Many of our teachers, coaches, and club sponsors use ParentSquare to communicate with students and families. If you are experiencing difficulty registering for ParentSquare, please see the troubleshooting guide below.
And finally, Homecoming is Saturday, October 3rd, and the theme is Hollywood on the Hill. There are so many fun ways for West families to get involved in our Homecoming traditions—including joining us for the pep rally and bonfire on Friday night, the pancake breakfast and parade on Saturday morning, and the athletic competitions and performances throughout the day.
As always, thank you for reading. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns.
Go West!
Ben Peterselli
630-942-7473
Do you have questions about setting up your ParentSquare account? Click the link below for the troubleshooting guide.
New Faculty
Sara Austin – Music Teacher
Sara joins us with previous experience teaching orchestra and guitar at West Chicago Community High School. She enjoys spending her free time crafting, practicing yoga, and spending time with loved ones. Sara is especially excited to be back in Glenbard District 87, having graduated from Glenbard not too long ago. She is looking forward to connecting with students and creating “magic music moments” with them this year.
Joshua Croci – Special Education Teacher
Josh is a 10-year teaching veteran joining us from Downers Grove North High School. In his spare time, Josh enjoys spending time with his wife, Sabrina, and their daughter, Mia, who will turn two in November. Josh is an avid sports fan and closely follows Chicago sports, especially the Cubs and Bears. He is also one of our new assistant football coaches this year and is very excited to get to know the students, staff, and community here at West.
Kiana Doten – Math Teacher
Kiana recently completed her teacher licensure program at National Louis University after student teaching at Glenbard South High School. Kiana enjoys baking, trying new restaurants with her husband, spending time with her dog, Dewey, and watching the White Sox and Blackhawks in her free time. She is excited to get to know her students this year as she begins her career in education.
Rachelle Gleason – Assistant Principal of Instruction
Rachelle is beginning her time here at West after most recently serving as the Division Chair for Science at York Community High School. In her free time, Rachelle enjoys reading, spending time with her family, playing with her two boxers, Chloe and Finnigan, and snowboarding during the winter months. She is looking forward to getting to know the ins and outs of both the school and community while fostering the support and growth of students at West.
Gabrielle Glees – Science Teacher
Gabrielle is a second-year teacher joining us from Waubonsie Valley High School. Gabby enjoys running outdoors and exercising to clear her mind and recharge. This year, she is excited to meet new groups of students and build meaningful relationships with colleagues so that she can contribute positively to the Glenbard West community.
Alberto Guevara – Special Education Teacher
Alberto has been part of the Glenbard West community for 20 years, serving as a paraprofessional in the Special Education Department. He recently graduated with his teaching degree from Illinois State University and has transitioned into a teaching role in the department. Alberto enjoys attending concerts and listening to live music. He is also a huge Chicago sports fan and avidly follows both the Bears and White Sox. Alberto loves all that Glenbard West has to offer and is very excited to begin his first year in a new role here.
Jonathan Sanchez – Dean of Students
Jonathan is joining us as a Dean of Students after most recently working at Jacobs High School. Johnny enjoys spending time with his two sons, ages two and four. When he isn’t chasing his sons around, Johnny tries to make it to the gym to exercise and relax. He is looking forward to upholding the standard of excellence at West and is proud to be part of the Hilltopper community.
Welcome Back!
The 2026-2027 school year is well underway! The Dean’s Office is thrilled to welcome all the new students and families, and welcome back all those returning for another year on the hill.
Attendance
Glenbard West is great because of the people who make it great. Our school is simply not the same place when your student is not here. Not only is your student missing critical instructional time, but we are also missing the opportunity to learn and grow from them.
West has had a great start to the school year with so many student athletes involved. Once again this fall, we have over 750 student athletes involved in fall sports who are constantly striving for success in the classroom and on the playing fields. We are very appreciative of the entire West community that supports all of our programs.
Please note the following important reminder regarding parent pick up and drop offs for student athletes: Pickups and drop offs should not happen in front of Biester Gym on Ellyn Road facing either direction. This is reserved for our practice and game buses. Student athlete pick up and drop off should take place on Crescent Blvd. near the turf field or down by the staff parking lot. Thank you for your cooperation.
We have a constant schedule of home events throughout the fall, so please notice the most current schedules at https://schools.snap.app/glenbardwest.
Thank you once again to the West Boosters who support all of our students at West in academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Please look to sign up and participate in some way on one or more of their committees. More information can be found at https://gwboosters.ejoinme.org/west
Please note the weekend of October 3rd on your calendars. This is Homecoming at West and we look forward to showcasing our teams and school that represent pride, tradition, and excellence.
Tentative schedule for Varsity Athletic Events Saturday October 3rd :
9:00am Varsity Field Hockey vs. Naperville North at Memorial Field
1:30pm Varsity Football vs. Hinsdale Central at Duchon Field
GO WEST!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Join Glenbard West Boosters for 2026-2027
Glenbard West Boosters is a parent-led fundraising organization dedicated to enriching the GBW student experience through grants, scholarships, school traditions, and community-building events.
As we begin the 2026-2027 school year, we invite all families to join or renew their membership. Every membership, volunteer hour, and donation helps support the students, teams, clubs, and programs that make Glenbard West an exceptional community.
Join today: https://gwboosters.ejoinme.org/membership
Visit our new website: https://gwboosters.ejoinme.org/west
You can keep up with Glenbard information throughout the year by signing up for Glenbard News, our district-wide enewsletter, at this link.
Each week, you will receive district-wide news about students’ achievements in school-sponsored activities; upcoming events; fund-raisers; school board information and more.
SAFE2HELP ILLINOIS
Safe2Help Illinois Call 844-472-3345 or Text 72332(SAFE2)
Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. This program is intended to get students to “Seek Help Before Harm.”
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE/TEXT 988
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call/Text 988
This number has trained staff to answer calls and respond to texts from individuals at risk for suicide as well as those experiencing other mental health and substance use-related emergencies. Specialized services will be available for veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other groups.
Glenbard West High School
Email: gw_news@glenbard.org
Website: glenbardwesths.org
Location: 670 Crescent Blvd.
Phone: 630-469-8600
Instagram: @glenbard_west_hilltoppers