CALENDAR OF EVENTS-FEBRUARY

February 1st- MHS Late Start (Classes begin at 9:00)

February 13- Grades 6-12 POPS Concert Dessert Auction-MJSHS Auditorium 5:30-8:00

February 15- MHS Late Start (Classes begin at 9:00)

February 17-SIP Day 

February 20-No School President's Day

February 27-Board of Education Meeting MJSHS Library 7:00 PM

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

2023 Black History Month Essay Competition

In celebration of Black History Month, the McDonough County branch of the NAACP invites all students of Macomb High School to participate in the 2023 Black History Essay Competition. Students are asked to write an essay on one of the following themes: 

1. Why is it important to know and recognize the accomplishments of Black Americans? 

2. Schools should teach about Black History Month because… 

3. Maya Angelou’s story is an important part of Black history because... 

Requirements: 

1. Essays should be typed using a 12pt font; double spaced; Up to 1000-word limit. 2. Proper citations for all references used. 3. All submissions should include the student’s first and last name, grade level and the teacher’s name. 4. The deadline for submission is Thursday, February 16th . Students should submit their essays to their teacher. 

The winner of the competition will be announced in the last week of February and will receive an award of $100 

GUIDANCE

AP Exam Fees:

AP exam fee balances are due no later than March 1st. Students will be given notices in early February to let them know about any outstanding balances. Any questions regarding fee balances can be directed to the Counseling Department Secretary, Robin Hadsall, at hadsallr@mcusd185.org 

FAFSA Reminder:

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open for the 2023-24 school year. The State of Illinois requires that all seniors must complete the FAFSA application in order to graduate unless they choose to complete the FAFSA Non-participation Form. If you would like assistance with completing the FAFSA or if you would like a copy of the FAFSA Non-participation Form, please contact your assigned counselor.

MHS Wellness Day:

On our February SIP day (2/17), MHS students will be participating in the 4th (almost) annual MHS Wellness Day. The entire student body will start the day with a keynote speaker. We are excited to be bringing April Hernandez-Castillo to Macomb to share her inspirational story of resilience with our students! Students will then get the opportunity to attend four short breakout sessions with wellness experts from the community.

Scholarships:

Attention seniors! Local scholarships are being added frequently to the scholarship list. Be sure to check the scholarship list on the counseling webpage as it will be updated often. You can view a short description of the scholarship, the due date, and a link to the application. See Mrs. Huston for any questions.

Law Enforcement and Justice Administration Day at WIU:

Western Illinois University’s School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration will be hosting an interactive Law Enforcement and Justice Administration Open House on March 21, 2023. The event will allow you to experience first-hand!

This event will open your eyes to an amazing career path you may never have known existed. Plus, you will get to test your situational awareness skills and conduct search and rescue operations.

To join us at this event please complete the registration https://form.jotform.com/230054006688150

5-Essentials Survey

Beginning late January, students and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the tenth annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

• Effective Leaders
• Collaborative Teachers
• Involved Families
• Supportive Environments
• Ambitious Instruction

Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials. 

All teachers and 4th through 12th grade students will be responding to this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in May 2023 and will also be included in the State School Report Card. 

Additionally, your district has chosen to provide the optional Parent Supplement survey. If at least 20 percent of Macomb parents complete this survey, a parent supplement report will also be generated. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card.

Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. 

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey for students and teachers will be conducted January 24, 2023 through March 31, 2023. The Parent Survey Supplement will be conducted during that same timeframe. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu. 

Sincerely,

Scott Sullivan
MHS Principal

GRADUATION

The graduation ceremony is set for May 20, 2023 at 7:30 pm. We have secured a reservation with Western and plan to host a traditional graduation ceremony. We received a lot of compliments the last two years about the aesthetics of hosting the ceremony at our stadium. We appreciate the sentiment and agree that there is a "cool" effect outside on the field. However, we feel returning to indoors at WIU is the best option due to the unpredictability of the weather. If restrictions at WIU return to the levels we experienced in the past, we will reevaluate and consider moving outside. As of now, it will be at Western Hall. 

FINAL EXAMS

MHS SECOND SEMESTER FINALS INCENTIVE 

To promote MHS expectations, we will offer a second semester final exam incentive. Students will not be required to take final exams in May, if they meet the following criteria: 1. The student must have zero unexcused absences second semester. (Arriving more than 10 minutes late to a class is an unexcused absence.) This is per class/period. In addition, class periods where a student has arrived 10 minutes after the start of class are counted as absences. 2. The student must have 20 or fewer tardies for all periods combined during the school year. 3. In every class the student wishes to be exempt from the final, they must earn a “C” or above. 4. The student must not have more than 2 Level I or II Referrals during the 2nd semester. 5. The student must not have an OSS and/or a Level III Referral during the 2nd semester. 6. The student has a right to take each waived exam to better improve their grade. 

ILLINOIS STATE SCHOLARS

According to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, State Scholars are "graduating seniors who possess superior academic potential," taking into account students' standardized test scores and sixth semester class rank. As a result, an elite group of approximately the top 10 percent of graduating seniors in Illinois accomplish this honor. 

The following Macomb High School students have achieved this honor:

Sherman Bernards, Sophia Brown, Jacob Clemente, Grace Dunseth, Anna Engel, Jael Henning, Harrison Kennedy, Kathleen Lage, Benjamin Lockard, Emma Skees, Tali Stone, Allison Stortzum, Stephen Stufflebeam, Kori Trost, Hunter Wilson, and Nellie Zhang. 

Congratulations to all of these students!

DONATE LIFE ILLINOIS

UPCOMING STATE ASSESSMENTS

SAT (11 Grade)  April 12

PSAT 10 (10th Grade)  April 12

PSAT 9 (9th Grade)   April 12

Illinois Science Assessment March 1, 2023 (earliest) - April 28, 2023 (latest)  Testing Window

TOP TEENS

Congratulations to these three MHS students for being selected as Top Teens by WSIU TV in Southern Illinois. They invited all high schools in Illinois to participate in this recognition. Justice, Harrison, and Kennedy were nominated by their peers and selected to be recognized by a committee at the high school. They recorded their video interviews just before the holiday break. Their interviews are embedded below.  All of the interviews can be found at the WSIU TV YouTube playlist.

CHOIR

♫ Macomb High School Choral Department ♫

♫♪♫ FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER ♫♪♫

♫           Dessert Auction/Pops Concert Information- Monday, February 13, 2023

The Dessert Auction/Pops concert is on Monday, February 13^th in Fellheimer Auditorium from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. This is a required concert grade for the third quarter for the 6-12^th grade choral students.   This is the only concert where students are dismissed after they perform, though they are welcome to sit with an adult and enjoy the rest of the evening when they are done singing.  Admission for the event is free, however, we hope that you are generous in your bidding for these prized pies and desserts.   

Dessert Auction Performing Order and Call Times

Group                                       Call Time           Perform 

HS Mixed Chorus                               6:50 p.m.               7:00p.m

HS Concert Choir                                7:20 p.m.               7:30 p.m.

Uniform for the Auction

Dress for the concert performers is as follows:

High School Students – MHS Choir T-Shirt and Jeans.

We hope to see you all at the Macomb High School Commons on Monday, February 13^th for the Pops Concert/Dessert Auction!

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♫ Upcoming Events: ♫