Principal's Newsletter

 A message from Dr. Gibson: Please check your student’s Progress Report using Home Access Center on Wednesday, April 17. Also, be sure to check out our upcoming volunteer opportunities, programs, and events. I hope you have a great weekend.

Dr. McCarthy's Retirement Reception Invitation
JTHS invites the community to attend a special celebration honoring Dr. Cheryl McCarthy’s 33 years of service to Joliet Township High School. The event takes place on Thursday, June 20, 2019 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Jacob Henry Mansion Estate, 15 S. Richards Street in Joliet. The event will be held in the outdoor courtyard, weather permitting. The program begins at 4:30 p.m. The $20 admission includes appetizers and proceeds benefiting the Dr. Cheryl McCarthy Scholarship Fund.  Entertainment will be provided by the JTHS Orchestra and Joliet Central and West High School Bands. Tickets may be purchased online at http://bit.ly/McCarthy_Celebration

Tip of the Week: Review student's Progress Report on HAC on Wednesday #JTAchievesTogether
Progress Reports can be viewed online through Home Access Center beginning Wednesday, April 17. See your progress report on Home Access Center (HAC) online or using the Eschool Plus Family App on your smartphone or tablet. For HAC help, please call (815) 727-6860. You may also contact our Family Engagement Liaison, Lisa Guzman, at lguzman@jths.org or (815) 727-6776.

Talk to Your Student About Underage Drinking
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids (www.drugfree.org) offers some guidance on how to talk to your studenta bout underage drinking. Click here to download the flyer with helpful talking points. 

Tip from Joliet Police Department: Apps Parents Should Know About
With all the current forms of social media out there, the Joliet Police Department thought it would be beneficial to share this info with parents. Please be aware of what apps your children may be using, and discuss the important of internet safety with them.

Tiny Tigers Fun Fair
The Joliet West National Honor Society will host the 2019 Tiny Tigers Fun Fair on Sunday, April 14 from 1 to 4p.m. at Joliet West High School, 401 N. Larkin Avenue in Joliet. Tickets are 2 for $1, wristbands are $12. A Family pack is available for $20 which includes wristbands for the whole family.

Joliet Township High School Summer Academy
Joliet Township High School is hosting Summer Academies for future JTHS students going into 6^th, 7^th, or 8^th grade. The summer programs engage young students in fun projects centered around early exposure to the five JTHS Career Academies and career exploration. A variety of programs will be available with topics ranging from cooking, photography, STEM, medical exploration, chess, and more.

Each summer academy will run for one week, Monday-Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., during the weeks of July 8, July 15, and July 25. Academy programs are held at Joliet Central and Joliet West. Students may sign up for multiple 1-week programs to gain exposure to various academies and careers. A t-shirt, water bottle, and bag are provided to all academy participants.

Online registration opens April 22nd! Limited spots will be available and are anticipated to fill quickly for the academies. A waitlist will be available, and families will be contacted if space becomes available. See attached flyers for camp information.

Contact Yolanda Hossack at 815-727-6800 yhossack@jths.org if you need to cancel your registration and/or need to clarify your enrollment.

Grandparents Raising Children Group Hosts Meeting Series
Joliet Township High School Bridge Builder Mary White invites all grandparents raising children to upcoming meetings from 9 to 10 a.m. at the JTHS Administrative Center, 300 Caterpillar Drive in Joliet. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the Multigenerational Food Box Program through the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Please contact Kristine Schlismann at (815) 727-6967 or email kschlismann@jths.org to RSVP for one or more of the following meetings:

• April 23: Youth Mental Health & Medication Management presented by Rita Gray, Psy.D., M.S., R.N., Will County Health Department Director of Clinical Training
• May 28: Senior Services & Self-Care presented by Barry Kolanowski, Executive Director for Senior Services of Will County
• June 25: Adoption, Guardianship, Adult Guardianship & Back Up Planning presented by Patti Fell, Director of Development and Community Outreach for the Center for Law & Social Work

Become a judge for the 2019 Health Career Fair 
The Health and Medicine Academy at Joliet West High School is hosting a Health Careers Fair on May 2, 2019, in which students will present on a healthcare career of their choice. We are anticipating the need for at least 12 judges for each of our 55-minute class periods. Each judge would be asked to evaluate approximately 6 projects during each period.  Judges will be needed for Period 2 (8:20 to 9:15), Period 4 (10:20 to 11:15), Period 6 (12:20 to 1:15,) and Period 8 (2:20 to 3:20.) If you are able to help with Joliet West’s Healthcare Career Fair, please fill out our form at https://bit.ly/2EM40zL or contact Mary Spata, RN, at mspata@jths.org or call 815-774-7400 ext. 47370. 

Student Volunteer Opportunities:

1. Washington Junior High College and Career Night: JTHS student volunteers are needed to help at the Washington Junior High College and Career Night on Wednesday, April 24 at Washington Junior High School, 402 Richards Street in Joliet. Duties include ushering, registration, set-up, clean up, supervision, or delivering raffle tickets. Volunteer service take place from 3:30 to 7 p.m. If you would like to volunteer, please email Ms. Bernal at ybernal@joliet86.org
2. Spring Job Fair: Isaac Singleton Elementary Schoolis hosting a Spring Job Fair for our families on April 25th from 4:30-7:00. We are looking for support in the following areas: Childcare, Translators, and Interview Clothes selection. We have donations of interview attire available for anyone who may be in need, in order to dress appropriately for the job fair. There will be three dates for parents to come in a pick their items:Tuesday, 4/23 & Wednesday, 4/24, from 3:30-4:30; Thursday, 4/25 (Job Fair)- open from 4:30- 7:00. Support is needed for both the men's and women's clothing sides. To volunteer, please contact Ms. Haynes at ahaynes@joliet86.0rg or Ms. Skwarczynski at tskwarczynski@joliet86.org.
3. Pilcher Park Fairy Festival and Pancake Breakfast:The Pilcher Park Nature Center is in need of student volunteers to assist with the Fairy Festival and Pancake Breakfast on May 4 from 8:30 am to 2:15 pm at the Pilcher Park Nature Center, located at 2501 Highland Park Dr. Joliet, IL 60432.Student volunteer tasks include set up, clean up, bussing tables, assistance with wand making, the jumpy house, horse carriage, fairy school, crafts, games and parking. The majority of the tasks are outside and would require dressing up.  The park district has costumes they will provide. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Ms. Katie Zaban at kzaban@jolietpark.org

Upcoming JWHS events include:

• April 14: Tiny Tiger Fun Fair
• April 16: Board of Education Meeting
• April 19: Spring Holiday (No School)
• April 25: SIP Day A (Late Start)
• April 29: Coffee & Community Conversation

VISIT THE CALENDAR FOR MORE DETAILS.
Joliet West Athletic Update
Visit the Athletic Calendar to see next week's athletic events. Go, Tigers!

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 A message from Dr. Gibson:  This newsletter contains many events and opportunities coming up in April. Also, please remember that classes resume on Monday, April 1 with a full student attendance day. I hope you have a great Spring Break! 

Tip of the Week: Complete community service hours #JTAchievesTogether
Did you know your student must complete 40 hours of community service through a school or not-for-profit organization in order to graduate from high school? Please click here to download a list of local community organizations. Students are responsible for selecting an appropriate service, contacting the agency, completing the service and returning a form to their school counselor. Please click here to download the community service form. 

JTHS Foundation to Host Reception Honoring Jeff Pierson On April 2
The Joliet Township High School Foundation invites the community to a special reception honoring long-time Board of Education Member, Jeff Pierson. Jeff is retiring from the Joliet Township High School Board of Education after dedicating over 17 years of service.

The reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2 in the Joliet West High School Cafeteria, 401 N. Larkin Avenue in Joliet.  Appetizers will be served and musical entertainment will be provided by Joliet West High School students courtesy of the Joliet West High School Foundation. 

Jeff Pierson has served as a member of the Joliet Township High School Board of Education since 2001, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to JTHS schools and the community through service, community outreach and effective communication. Click here to read the entire story.

Joliet West Prom Tickets and Date Forms
Joliet West Prom is just around the corner. Prom 2019 will take place at Ashton Place in Willowbrook on Friday, May 3 from 5:30 - 10:00 p.m. Students and guests must have a valid ID with them to enter prom. Tickets will be on sale at the bookstore starting April 2 and will end on April 18. All fees must be paid and tickets are $60 each. Do not wait to purchase your ticket.  Due to venue contract we are unable to extend the deadline.  This year's prom theme: "A Night at the Museum". Date forms are available in the main office.  Date forms are due on April 15th.  We are unable to accept late forms.

FREE smoke alarm installation by American Red Cross
More lives are lost every year to home fires than to all major disasters. The American Red Cross and community partners are providing FREE smoke alarms and installing them in homes across Northern Illinois. Register for a FREE smoke alarm installation at GetASmokeAlarm.org or call 815-556-9726.

Relatives Raising Children
You may be a grandmother, grandfather, aunt or uncle raising a child in place of the parents. You are not alone! The Family Caregiver Support Program provides valuable resources for relatives age 55+ who are raising children 18 and under or with severe disabilities. Click here to learn more.   

2019 Nursing Exploration Day
Juniors and Seniors are invited to learn with trained nurses from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Joliet Junior College main campus event on June 11th. The participation fee is $20. Click here to download the flyer. To register, visit www.jjc.edu/LLC

Summer Camps at Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne has opened up applications for their exciting and free summer camp programs, offering unique opportunities to develop coding and computational science skills for students from middle through high school. Click here to learn more.

Free "Stop the Bleed" Classes Offered at Joliet West High School
A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes. Joliet West High School is offering a free "Stop the Bleed" class, taught by healthcare professionals, to empower bystanders to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. The class is free and open to the public. Classes will be held on April 30 at 4 pm and 6:30 pm in the Joliet West High School Cafeteria, 401 N. Larkin Avenue in Joliet. Those who wish to take the class must sign up through Eventbrite using the links below:

• Register for the 4:00 pm Class
• Register for the 6:30 pm Class

Volunteer Opportunities:

• District 86 Autism Awareness 5K Run/Walk
  Joliet Public School District 86 needs student volunteers to help with their Autism Awareness 5K Run/Walk.  The event begins at 8 a.m. on April 27 and is held at Joliet Junior College, 1215 Houbolt Road in Joliet. To sign up to volunteer, contact Dwayne Williams at dwilliams@joliet86.org.  Click here to see the flyer. 
• American Red Cross Sound the Alarm
  This year, from April 27^th – May 13^th, the Red Cross will install 100,000 free smoke alarms in high risk neighborhoods in over 100 cities.They are counting on volunteers to help achieve this major milestone! Two Sound the Alarm Install Events are taking place locally: 1) Bolingbrook on Saturday, May 11th at Bolingbrook High School (365 Raider Way Bolingbrook, IL 60400) and 2) Joliet on Saturday, May 18^th at University of St. Francis Clare Campus (1550 Plainfield Road Joliet, IL 60435). Volunteer to help Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. Register at: www.soundthealarm.org
• Girls on the Run
  The Girls on the Run 5k will be held at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet on Saturday May 18^, and they needs student volunteers. Volunteer roles include passing out medals at the finish line, face painting, passing out water, etc. They also offer group volunteering for people who want to volunteer with their family, friends, sports teams/clubs, or even as a High School! The time commitment is from around 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM and everyone who volunteers gets a GOTR volunteer shirt! To volunteer email:  volunteers@gotrchicago.org.  Volunteers must be 16 or older if they are not attending with a chaperone.

Upcoming JWHS events include:

• April 2: Reception Honoring Jeff Pierson
• April 9: SAT/PSAT Testing
• April 11: SIP Day B (Late Start)
• April 11: Wake Up Call Substance Abuse Awareness Event
• April 14: Tiny Tiger Fun Fair

VISIT THE CALENDAR FOR MORE DETAILS.
Joliet West Athletic Update
Visit the Athletic Calendar to see next week's athletic events. Go, Tigers!

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