Principal's Blog 2025-2026 #15

November 21 2025

Dear Families,

We are thankful for you!

As we prepare to take time off from school November 26-28, for the Thanksgiving break, we want to share our gratitude for everyone in our school community.

We are thankful for:

• Our students and their families who show up to school regularly, even when it isn’t easy.
• Our staff who go above and beyond to help make school a welcoming learning environment and help us stay safe, connected and excited about learning.
• Our many healers and helpers from support staff and volunteers who provide the extra hands and attention our students need.

We appreciate each one of you. If your family or your child needs support, please reach out to your child's student support team.

Thank you for partnering with us!

Sincerely,

Dr. Alexandria Taylor

Principal

Mundelein High School

847-949-2200

www.d120.org

ataylor@d120.org

Info from the Illinois Department of Human Services information about SNAP changes.

This document provides some resources for families:

English (PDF)

Spanish (PDF)

Inside the Fence

We are making good progress on our Phase 1 Classroom Addition. We are currently under budget and on schedule. Click here to see our progress over the past few months.

We are also making progress developing our multi-purpose fields (formerly Village Green golf course). I have attached a rendering of our anticipated outcome. Tree removal and earth moving/grading is a necessary part of this development. Additionally, we are exploring opportunities (via grants/partnerships) to develop an outdoor educational space on this land – i.e. native plant restoration. The process is not pretty, but the outcome will be.

Our MHS Art Students continue to transform Mundelein High School! A brilliant splash of color and style is lighting up our temporary entrance area. They're adding the finishing touches to the entranceway now—stop by and check out their incredible work!

Village Green

District 120 collaborated with the Mundelein and Countryside Fire Departments in allowing the clubhouse at the former Village Green Golf Course to be used for firefighter training.

The two fire departments used theatrical smoke and set up a "worst-day" scenario in which a fireman was trapped inside. One department set up the conditions, filled the clubhouse with theatrical smoke and the other department had to "rescue" the trapped firefighter. They held multiple training drills over several days.

Watch a short video of the training here: https://youtu.be/sjS4oeuOkhE

Featuring...Jim Thorpe

Decades before Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders starred in baseball and football, Jim Thorpe was America’s original multi-sport athlete. A two-time college football All-American and charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Thorpe played six seasons of Major League Baseball and won two Olympic gold medals. The Native American excelled at nearly every sport he tried—from basketball to lacrosse—while breaking down barriers on and off the field.

Born in 1887 in present-day Oklahoma, Thorpe grew up in the Sac and Fox Nation. The kinetic child developed strength and endurance on 30-mile treks with his father to hunt and trap prey.

Thorpe’s athletic prowess became evident at the government-run boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. One day in 1907 he asked to join varsity track athletes practicing the high jump. Although dressed in overalls, a dress shirt and a pair of borrowed gym shoes, Thorpe soared over a bar an inch taller than himself and was subsequently summoned to the office of the school’s legendary football and track coach, Glenn “Pop” Warner.

“Have I done anything wrong?” asked Thorpe. “Son, you’ve only broken the school record in the high jump. That’s all." Warner replied.

The track phenom repeatedly pestered his coach to let him try out for the varsity football team, which competed against America’s top collegiate squads. Although he feared injury to his new star, Warner relented. At the football tryout, Warner watched in disbelief as Thorpe eluded more than 30 players in an open-field drill. Warner challenged Thorpe to do it again. He did.

In addition to playing punter, halfback, defender and kicker in football, Thorpe seemingly dominated every sport he tried, including basketball, boxing, lacrosse, swimming, hockey, handball and tennis. He even won an intercollegiate ballroom dancing championship.

Although he eventually worked odd jobs such as security guard and ditch digger later in life, Thorpe stayed in the forefront of sports fans’ memories. “He remained the gold standard in track and field and football,” Buford says. “Well into the 1950s, he’s cited by those who played with him and coaches as the greatest athlete they had ever seen.”

Indeed, the Associated Press voted him the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century, and his reputation received a further boost when Burt Lancaster portrayed him in the 1951 film, Jim Thorpe—All American.

Click here to read the full article.

Text excerpted from: https://www.history.com/articles/jim-thorpe-sports-native-american-athlete-olympics

Image courtesy of: https://www.gettyimages.com/search/2/image?phrase=jim+thorpe

Hope Squad - Monthly Theme is Gratitude

November Workshops

Mundelein High School's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter had an outstanding experience at the 2025 Illinois Fall Leadership Retreat on November 14-16 in Peoria! Students participated in engaging professional development workshops focused on personal branding, elevator pitch development, financial statement analysis, and professional communication skills. The retreat also provided valuable networking opportunities with FBLA chapters from across Illinois. Our students are energized and ready for upcoming competitive events at the Area and State Leadership Conferences!

MHS Science Olympiad takes 2nd place at Marquette University High School Invitational! Congratulations to all of our Science Olympians.

Congratulations to our Tech Campus Students of the Quarter!

Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigations - Rodriguez, Andrea

Construction Skills & Management II - Lima, Michael

Certified Nurse Assisting - Guzman, Alina

Early Education & Teaching I - Field, Addison

Certified Nurse Assisting - Gonzalez Herrera, Guadalupe

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

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

Order your cap, gown, and senior swag now to ensure timely 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.

Are you interested in summer school? Our 2026 Summer School Information is now available online.

Click here to see the:

• Calendar
• Course Guide
• Driver Education Info
• Registration Link

Today is the last day of the Kindness Drive! All donations may be brought to the main office.

We are collecting food, toiletries, and clothing for our very own Welcome Center in the Annex.

Click here to find out what items are needed.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there were over 500,000 substitute teachers in 2020. These educators fill the shoes of the class's regular teacher for half a day up to several weeks. Substitutes apply to teach in a school district. They will receive notice from the district of an opening sometimes hours before they are needed. Other times, substitutes fill in for a teacher when they are scheduled to be away. A substitute often doesn't know which subject they may be teaching from one week to the next. They are flexible and resilient educators who provide a bridge between full-time educators and their students.

Time: 3:00-3:25 (prior to the opening general session)

Location: Hyatt Regency Chicago, Grand Hall, 151 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601

The Senior Student Leadership and the Staff Connections Committee has organized a simple Turkey Trot that we would love to have you participate in!

Registration: No registration is required.

Date: Saturday, November 22nd

Time: 9:00am. We will begin waiver signing and shirt pickup at 8:15am so get there early!

Entrance Fee: There is no fee to join, but we are asking that you bring 1-2 items for our Welcome Center Food Pantry. Check the attached flyer to see what they are in need of.

Starting Location: Staff parking lot. Parking is available in the main lot.

Route(s): You can run or walk and there will be 1 and 2 mile options.

We hope to see you there!

This Sunday, November 23rd, is the annual Mundelein "We Came to Dance" Invitational! We invite all students, staff and families to attend and support your Mundelein Dance Team in their debut performances of the season!

Tickets are $12 using the GoFan Link.

All MHS staff and students can attend for free, using their school ID.

Our Varsity team performs at 12:00pm and 2:40pm and our JV team performs at 11:04am. Come out and support your Mustangs!

Join our Sophomore Student Leadership and make blankets for animal shelters.

Happy Thanksgiving! See you Monday, December 1st!

Classes begin at 9:40am.

Buses will run one hour later.

Click here for the late start schedule.

Early bird pricing ends for Senior cap and gown orders on December 5th. Order today!

Tickets for our 2025 Spotlight Event are now on sale, and can be purchased here.

Spotlight Tickets

Please note that ticket sales will end at 7:30 a.m., on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. We expect a very full audience, and cannot guarantee the number of seats that might be available the night of the event if you have not purchased tickets ahead of time.

Raffle ticket sales can be found here.

Raffle Tickets

Raffle ticket sales will also be available the night of the event, and there is no limit to the number of tickets you can buy!

Cash, check, and credit card payments (via Omella), will be accepted at the event.

The Best Buddies club would like to extend the invite to all students to attend the showing of Zootopia 2: Saturday, December 13, at 10:15 AM at Classic Cinemas in Fox Lake.

Please purchase tickets through Omella: https://omella.com/5xomy. Please see Ms. Penuel or Ms. Szydlowski with questions and thanks for supporting our BB crew!

We will have an early release for all students on this day to allow them to head home to prepare and “Study With Purpose” for their Final Exams.

Click here for the Special Schedule.

Click here for the final exam schedule.

Emergency day, if needed.

Have a wonderful winter break! Stay safe. We'll see you back here on January 6th!

Students not in session.

Athletics events week of 11/24/2025

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

Submitted by Coach Dart

The energy around our Mundelein high school wrestling program is electric as we kick off the 25/26' season filled with determination, grit, and incredible momentum. Our athletes have been working tirelessly—pushing through early mornings, tough practices, and challenging drills—all with the shared goal of elevating their performance and representing our school with pride. This year is especially exciting as we celebrate remarkable growth across the program, highlighted by a surge in participation from our girls' wrestlers, whose talent, drive, and competitive spirit are raising the bar for everyone on the team. With dedication like this, we’re looking forward to an unforgettable season on the mats.

Submitted by Coach Johnson

The boys' bowling season is off to a good start for the Mustangs as they look for a third straight NSC conference title. The varsity team is off to a 3-1 start so far, bowling a season high this past Tuesday against Grayslake Central, where they scored an impressive 3321 pins in the match across the three games. Junior Matteo Mele shot an impressive 288 in game 3 for a 710 series to lead the varsity team.

The Junior varsity team, which is now 4-0, also had a big day against the Rams. The team shot a season high 1005 in game one of the match. A big reason was because of Freshman Kyle Krause, who bowled a PERFECT 300 in game 1! He then went on to bowl in an impressive 758 series to lead the Mustangs to victory.

The Boys Mundelein Bowling team will be hosting their annual Mustang Invitational Tournament this Saturday at Lakeside Lanes in Mundelein. The action will start at 9 am, so please come out and support your Mustangs!

Check out our weekly CCRC Newsletter at: https://secure.smore.com/n/9nrtc

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