Principal's August Newsletter

Hi, this is a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have a student at, or have expressed an interest in, Glenbard East High School. Communication between Glenbard East and our families and community is very important to us. Don't forget to add ge_news@glenbard.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox! Please email any questions directly to Glenbard Staff. We are happy to respond.

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August 28

Early Dismissal

1PM

&

Home Football Game vs Plainfield North

7PM

September 7

NO SCHOOL

Labor Day Holiday

September 8-11

Homecoming Week

September 8

Dodgeball

5:30pm - East Gym

September 9

Girls Flag Football vs. South Elgin

6:30PM - Stadium Field

September 10

Movie in the Gym

7PM - Field House

September 11

Homecoming Football Game vs Elmwood Park

7PM

September 12

Homecoming Dance

6:30PM-10:30PM - East Gym and Cafeteria

September 18

Home Football Game vs Glenbard South

Middle School Band Night

7PM

Dear Glenbard East Families,

We’ve had a great start to the school year! I want to extend a huge thank you to our entire school community for helping us kick off the year with so much positive energy. Additionally, I want to thank all of you that were able to attend last night’s Open House event. Your presence and engagement is greatly appreciated. The hallways have been filled with energy, ​​and it has been wonderful to see our students reconnecting with friends, meeting new teachers, diving into their classes with enthusiasm, and enjoying our new and renovated spaces. Our teachers and staff have worked tirelessly to create a welcoming and engaging environment, and their hard work has truly paid off. As I’ve shared on many occasions, the staff at Glenbard East is committed to serve and support every student, every day in their quest to be a Glenbard East graduate that is self-empowered, thinks critically, embraces diversity, communicates, creates, and collaborates. All of our students are welcomed here with open arms and we look forward to their continued growth.

This is year three of our hybrid block schedule and we continue to be excited about the opportunities it provides students to engage in deeper learning experiences and get the support they need to be successful during the school day. In addition to Ram Time, students have access to several supports and resources. Please encourage and empower your student(s) to take advantage of them throughout the school year.

Our facilities continue to be updated and renovated and we are excited for what’s to come. That said, as a reminder, we are an active construction site. Therefore, your patience and understanding as we navigate some of the challenges that brings in regards to traffic flow around the campus is greatly needed and much appreciated.

From classroom projects to athletic events and extracurricular activities, we are so excited for all the great things to come this year.

Thank you for being such an essential part of our school community. Your partnership and support are what make Glenbard East such a special place. We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead! Please continue to stay connected and engaged in the life of our school.

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.

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 will be emailed to seniors and their families.

College Application Support

Counselors are available to support seniors as they navigate the college application process! Please encourage your senior to sign up for College Application Support during RAM TIME. This is a great opportunity for students to receive individualized assistance with applications, essays, deadlines, and more.

PowerSchool contains all of your child's grade and attendance data.

• Using a browser (not the app), navigate to ps.glenbard.org/public

• Login or create an account. If you need assistance remembering your login, please contact the school and we will assist

• If prompted, the district code is TDPZ.

• More information HERE

Attendance Instructions and Policy

• To excuse your student or for attendance-related questions: call (630) 627-2595.

• Lack of attendance could result in loss of privileges such as dances, off-campus lunch and collaboration, and other school functions.

• Babysitting, missing your ride, and oversleeping are not considered valid excuses for missing school.

• See below for East’s process for excessive absences:

Pushcoin.com

• Used to pay school and lunch fees

• Having trouble paying? Visit our school website for more information on how we can assist

• Apply for a Fee Waiver using this link

• Apply for free/reduced lunch by following the process below:

• Login to your PowerSchool guardian account at ps.glenbard.org

• Click the “Online Apps” button on the left side

• Click “Free/Reduced Lunch Application” and follow the prompts

Save the Date

Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 21 from 4 - 8PM

October 22 from 2 - 6PM

More information regarding registration dates and steps will be shared with all our families in September.

This year’s testing calendar includes a range of opportunities to support college and career

readiness. As part of Illinois' graduation requirements, all juniors will take the ACT during the

school day on April 14, 2027. To help all sophomores and juniors prepare, they will also

participate in a diagnostic PreACT/ACT on October 27, 2026. Freshman and sophomores will

take the PreACT on April 15, 2027. Additionally, juniors interested in qualifying for the National

Merit Scholarship may choose to take the optional PSAT on October 23, 2026. We remain

focused on providing meaningful assessments that guide student growth. The full testing

calendar is outlined below:

• Friday, October 23, 2026: Optional PSAT/NMSQT for juniors interested in qualifying for a National Merit Scholarship. Students interested must complete this opt-in survey by 3pm on Friday, August 28th to ensure testing materials can be ordered before the deadline. There is no additional cost for this exam. Note this is a non-attendance day for all students not choosing to test.
• Tuesday, October 27, 2026: Diagnostic PreACT/ACT for sophomores and juniors. Students will be automatically registered at no additional cost. This is a non-attendance day for all freshmen and seniors.
• Wednesday, April 14, 2027: School-day ACT for juniors. This test is a graduation requirement. Students will be automatically registered at no additional cost. This is a non-attendance day for all freshmen, sophomores and seniors.
• Thursday, April 15, 2027: PreACT testing for freshmen and sophomores. This is a non-attendance day for all juniors and seniors.

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.

Email questions to Miranda Moses.

As we look toward the upcoming school year, we are excited to open our search for mentors to support our AP Research students. In AP Research, students write a dissertation-like research paper based on research they conduct themselves. Due to the complicated nature of this ask, we rely on mentors to support students through this process. Our AP Research Program used to use the Mentor Matching Engine, funded through the state, but unfortunately that program will not be running this year. We are taking this opportunity to take a fresh approach to our mentor matching process this year and would love for you to be a part of it.

Our students benefit tremendously from mentors who have completed research at some point in their own academic careers. We are seeking volunteers with a diverse range of expertise—whether your background is in social work, law, business, sports, science, equity, or another field, your knowledge is invaluable. Mentors will support students virtually with evaluating and finding sources, creating a research plan, conducting research, and evaluating data. Students will complete these elements themselves but look to mentors for questions and guidance.

What to Expect:

• Time Commitment: The expectation is for students to communicate with their mentors via email once a week, with one additional check-in—either via Google Meet or in person—each semester.

• Support: Our department chair and the AP Research teacher will coordinate all mentor assignments and oversee communication to ensure a smooth and productive experience for everyone involved.

• Benefits: You will become a vital part of the AP Research community, be invited to our program celebrations, and receive some AP Research swag as a token of our appreciation for your time and expertise.

If you are interested in mentoring, please fill out this [survey link] to let us know. For those not yet registered as authorized mentors, the district requires a brief screening process to ensure a safe environment for our students. Once you have submitted your survey, we will reach out with the specific instructions needed to move forward.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to support our students’ academic journeys. We truly appreciate your dedication to our community. For more information, contact Dr. Alyssa Pavlakis (alyssa_pavlakis@glenbard.org).

Support the Glenbard East Fine Arts Community in 2026-27!

Whether your student is involved in band, choir, orchestra, theatre, visual arts or film, GEFAB (Glenbard East Fine Arts Boosters) helps create the experiences that make Fine Arts at Glenbard East exceptional.

Anyone can join or support GEFAB—parents, extended family members, friends, alumni, and students are all welcome. Your involvement helps strengthen and sustain our Fine Arts programs.

Membership supports opportunities beyond what school funding provides, including:

• Student scholarships, private lessons and summer camp assistance
• Guest artists and clinicians
• Student travel and enrichment opportunities
• Special events and activities that strengthen our Fine Arts community

As a GEFAB member, you'll also enjoy:

• Access to the annual Activities Pass for concerts and sporting events (allows you + family to attend most Glenbard East home athletic events and many school performances throughout the year without paying admission each time)
• Discounted parking for certain concerts
• Early access to seating for theatre productions and Holiday Concerts
• A tax-deductible contribution that directly benefits Glenbard East Fine Arts students

Whether you're a returning family or new to Glenbard East, joining GEFAB is one of the best ways to support your student's Fine Arts experience while connecting with other Fine Arts families throughout the year.

Become a member for 2026-27

Visit the Glenbard East Fine Arts website to learn more about GEFAB, explore the lineup and calendar for the year, and get to know the new GEFAB board. You can also contact us at gefaboosters@gmail.com.

From helping young people flourish and navigate adolescence to building grit, self-worth, stronger social connections and success with ADHD, September is packed with conversations from leading experts.

GPS Parent Series brings nationally recognized authors, researchers and clinicians directly to families—with practical strategies they can put to use right away. Programs are free and open to everyone, with most offered at noon and 7 p.m. CT. Explore September’s lineup and join us at GPSParentSeries.org.

VISION: To utilize school and sports to develop “WELL-ROUNDED” student-athletes and establish great pride in our RAMS COMMUNITY.

Fall Sports - Fall sports are off to a great start. It is great to have the athletes and coaches back on campus preparing for the season. We hope that you will come out and support our fall athletes.

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.

Glenbard East Athletics On The Internet

Glenbard East Athletics keeps players, parents, and fans up to date with team news, pictures, schedules, rosters, and more.

Website: https://schools.snap.app/glenbardeast

(X) and Instagram: @GEHS_Athletics

Follow us on our new Facebook Page: Glenbard East Athletics

Rams Athletic Wall-of-Achievement: https://glenbardeast.touchpros.com/Home2.aspx

Student Athletic Fees/Registration - $175

All students/families who participate in athletics will be required to register and pay the $175 athletic fee for one, two, or three sports. Student-athletes should take advantage of this great deal and participate in multiple sports!

Remember, colleges and employers are searching for well-rounded students! Fees and/or confirmed payment plan are due before the first competition and can be paid online. There are fee waivers available for families, please stop by the Athletic Office and inquire. Also students must have an up-to-date medical physical examination. FRESHMEN and TRANSFERS must have all immunizations completed with their medical physical examination.

Our Athletic Booster Club annually raises funds (over $40,000 last year) that go directly to our teams and student-athletes. These funds help provide essentials that enhance our athletic teams' pursuit of VICTORY! However, we need more members and parent volunteers! We have 900+ athletes registered but just over 200 parent members. Please sign up and continue to help enhance our athletic program. The main website is: https://www.geramsboosters.org/ Visit the website for information about membership, parent volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, concession, purchasing spirit wear, and family activity passes.

Email: ge_news@glenbard.org

Website: glenbardeasths.org

Location: 1014 South Main Street, Lombard, IL, USA

Phone: (630) 627-9250

Twitter: @GE_Rams