April News
JReturn to 5-Day Learning
On Monday, March 29, we will begin the 4th quarter by bringing our "A" and "B" groups together for in-person learning, 5 days a week. For more information please see the following link:
https://www.macomb185.org/595/Learning-Model-4th-Quarter-20-21
Calendar Reminders
No School Friday April 2nd
Monday April 5th is a School Day
Tuesday April 13-SAT for Juniors Only, Freshmen, Sophomores, and Seniors-Daily Tasks from home
See SAT Below
Wednesday April 14-SIP Day
Students will attend in person in the morning and will then be dismissed at 11:33.
May 3-7 Teacher Appreciation Week
Parents: If you are interested in organizing or assisting with something to say "thank you" to our teachers, please contact Amy Howe at the high school office.
Monday, May 10-Mylo Presentation to Freshmen
Wednesday May 12-SIP Day (Updated 4-9-21)
Juniors will attend in person in the morning and will then be dismissed at 11:33.
We will administer the Illinois Science Assessment to juniors during this time. Freshmen, Sophomores, and Seniors will learn from home by completing Daily Tasks prepared by teachers. Teachers will not stream classes on this day as they will all be proctoring the Illinois Science Assessment in classrooms. Again, 9th, 10th, & 12th grade students will not attend in person on May 12.
1:00 Seniors Meet with Mr. Sullivan & Mr. Fulkerson in Auditorium
2:00 Tentative Date/Time for Convocation (Seniors Only this year)
May 18-Senior Laptop Returns
May 19-Senior Incentive Days & Map testing for grades 9, 10, 11
May 20-Senior Incentive Days
May 21-Graduation Practice
May 22-Graduation
May 23-Graduation (Rain Date)
May 24-Regular Day of School for grades 9, 10, 11
May 25-Regular Day of School for grades 9, 10, 11
May 26-Most students will turn in laptops
May 27-Incentive Days for Grades 9, 10, 11
Constitution Test for 1st semester Project Edgenuity Juniors
May 28-Incentive Days for Grades 9, 10, 11
SAT: Tuesday April 13 for Juniors Only
*Please note: This only applies to the high school.
On Tuesday, April 13, the juniors will attend in person as we will administer the statewide SAT test. Completion of the SAT is a graduation requirement for all students in Illinois. Juniors will be dismissed from school after the SAT is completed.
Freshmen, Sophomores, and Seniors will learn from home by completing Daily Tasks prepared by teachers. Teachers will not stream classes on this day as they will all be proctoring the SAT in classrooms. Again, 9th, 10th, & 12th grade students will not attend in person on April 13.
Prom
A prom event will be held on May 15th at the high school. This event will not be a traditional dance due to Covid protocols. There will be a variety of activities for students to rotate through. Activities are designed so that students can remain masked and socially distanced. At the beginning of the event, students will be able to participate in something similar to a promenade. The activities, including the adjusted promenade, will not be open to the public. The prom committee will release more information soon.
Graduation
The MHS graduation ceremony is set for Saturday, May 22nd at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the stadium at Macomb High School. Capacity is limited due to the restrictions for outdoor events under our current phase in our Covid region. Due to this, each graduate will be allowed 4 family members at graduation. Information regarding tickets and entry to the ceremony will be distributed to seniors at a later time. As a precaution for rain, we will pre-schedule "rain dates/times" in the following order:
Sat, May 22 7:30 p.m. (scheduled time)
Sun, May 23, 1:00 p.m. (1st possible makeup)
Sun, May 23, 3:00 p.m. (2nd possible makeup)
Sun, May 23, 5:00 p.m. (3rd possible makeup)
Sun, May 23, 7:00 p.m.
Sat, May 29, 3:00 p.m.
Sat, May 29, 5:00 p.m.
Sat, May 29, 7:00 p.m.
Final Exams & 2nd Semester Incentive Days
We will not administer traditional cumulative final exams during the days reserved for final exams at the end of May. We understand that our students have not had the opportunity to qualify for any incentives. Traditionally, students might qualify to be exempt from taking a final exam through a combination of good grades, good behavior, and good attendance. While it is not possible to provide the same incentives this year, we are going to provide students with an opportunity to earn an incentive on May 27 & 28. On these days, Incentive Days rather than final exam days, students may be exempted from attending classes in person if they 1) have a C- or higher in the class and 2) have zero missing assignments in the class.
Social/Emotional Check in with Closegap
We are pleased to announce that the high school will be utilizing the Closegap social/emotional check-in service for the reminder of the school year. We have piloted the program within a specific course, and we are now ready to launch the service to all students. Tuesday, March 30 will be our first day where all students can make use of Closegap. Participation is voluntary.
Closegap is a digital emotional wellness tool that helps students express their needs and enables our school social service personnel to respond as needed. Our service personnel include our counselors, Mr. Johnson & Mrs. Helmers, our social worker, Mrs. Fink, and our school psychologist, Mrs. Keck. The Closegap service is accessed at https://www.closegap.org. Student accounts are tied to their school email addresses. Through a fun, daily check-in, and a library of self-guided activities, Closegap offers students an opportunity to practice emotional awareness, understanding, and regulation.
Closegap is dedicated to protecting the privacy and safety of students and their families. Closegap does not sell student information. Closegap does not share student information with unauthorized adults or organizations. Closegap follows federal and state-level regulations concerning student data, including, but not limited to, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA") and Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"). For more information, please read the Privacy Policy and User Agreement found at https://www.closegap.org/privacypolicy and https://www.closegap.org/useragreement.
Both Edison and the junior high school have been successfully using the service for a period of time this school year. If you DO NOT want your child to use Closegap, please notify the school by calling Amy Howe at (309) 837-2331. If you have any questions about Closegap, please feel free to call Robbie Keck at (309) 837-2331.
Sincerely,
Scott Sullivan
MHS Principal
Spring Play, Radium Girls
Virtual Art Show
Choir
In case you missed the 7th-12th Grade Choir Concert check it out below:
Rotary Youth Exchange
Spend the 2022-23 school year as a student in another country through the Rotary Youth Exchange program.
If you become a Rotary Youth Exchange student, you will open your life to countless experiences and opportunities. You will start building relationships with students from around the world as an outbound student preparing for your year abroad by interacting with current Rotary Exchange Students from around the world who are living in your region. This will provide you with a foundation for what you can expect out of your experience. During your exchange year, you will experience personal growth, gain new family, and build lifelong friendships all while immersing yourself in a new culture (and possibly a new language). You will discover new things about yourself throughout your journey, which could be anything from a new hobby you had never tried before to your life's passion and future goals. This is an opportunity that will develop you into an individual who can readily adapt to new situations and communicate cross-culturally, distinguishing you from other people your age. If you are worried about missing out on experiences back home, remember that this program is only one year long. What you gain from it will outweigh those missed experiences back home because you will be too busy creating your own unique experience abroad.
For parents who are apprehensive about their student doing the Rotary Youth Exchange - your student is going to have amazing support with Rotary from the time they decide to apply to years after they return from their exchange year. Rotary prepares the students for their exchange year with various activities prior to their departure and provides guidance on getting paperwork submitted and travel plans. While your student is on their exchange, they will have a host family (maybe even multiple) that will bring them into their home, providing them essential needs and more. They will also have a host Rotary Club and meet other Rotary Exchange Students in the region, serving as an additional support system. If your student does experience an issue while abroad, Rotary is quick to act whether it be resolving a situation or providing assistance with an emergency. Your student will not be alone at any point in this experience - they will have people there to guide them every step of the way.
Due to COVID-19, the Rotary Youth Exchange program is suspended 2020-21 through 2021-22. Over the years many Macomb Senior High School students have participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. During the 2018-19-year 2018 MHS graduates Emma Wohlstadter and Maggie Long were exchange students. Emma spent the year in Spain and is currently attending Monmouth College. Maggie was in the Czech Republic and is now a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The program is open to students who are ages 16 to 18 ½ at the time they go on exchange. Students must be in the upper half of their class and have a minimum 2.75 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Rotary member volunteers coordinate the program in participating countries. The value of the hosted Rotary program is comparable to a $10,000 scholarship. Participating students are expected to pay the transportation, insurance and associated costs of from $6,000 to $8,000 depending on the exchange country.
For application information contact John Maguire, Youth Exchange Officer, Macomb Centennial Rotary Club: tlmaguir@macomb.com telephone 309-833-2629.
Scholastic Bowl
MHS Scholastic Bowl has had a successful spring so far. Macomb has been invited to National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ SSNCT and HSNCT in April and May. The team has qualified for these national competitions since 2012. On March 6, Team A won the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance Tournament Google Division with a record of 9 wins and 0 losses. Team A also won the Small School Championship. Team A members were Stan Melkumian, captain; Sanjana Babu, Brooke Baker, Georgeanna Greene, Henry Jones and Sumner Roberts. Stan Melkumian was the 3rd top player out of 128. The following scores show the 9-0 record: Macomb A v Stockton: 670- -10