10 ETHS Students Receive Sheriff's Youth Service Medal of Honor

The following information was submitted by Evanston Township High School:

Ten Evanston Township H.S. students receive Cook County Sheriff’s Youth Service Medal of Honor

Ten Evanston Township High School students received the Cook County Sheriff Department’s Youth Service Medal of Honor for their consistent volunteerism and hard work in the community. In December 2013, more than 300 high school students were recognized for volunteering at least 100 hours of service to their communities during the last year. Mary Collins, ETHS Community Service Coordinator, noted that 2013 claims the highest number of students that ETHS has ever had recognized in one year by this award. 

“ETHS is a major player in the amount of volunteer work that is performed in Evanston. Our students have made significant contributions of time and energy to making our community a better place,” stated Collins. This past fall, the City of Evanston celebrated the milestone of 150,000 volunteer hours being performed by Evanston community members. Four ETHS student leaders/volunteers attended a City Council meeting with Collins to acknowledge 9,500 volunteers hours contributed by ETHS students.

ETHS students learn about service, leadership and volunteer opportunities through the Community Service Office as well as the ETHS Community Service Club. More than 1,400 students contributed to the high school’s total hours contributed in 2013.

“These students represent a mindset and a population that cares a great deal about their community.  Whether it is right here in Evanston or far away in another country, our students know that helping others, contributing to society through volunteering, and understanding the issues that exist in our world are all critical to their own lives,” Collins added.

For more information, contact the ETHS Community Service Office at (847) 424-7662.

ETHS Boosters contribute over $40,000 to extracurricular activities

Thanks to a very successful fall fundraising effort, the ETHS Booster Club was able to contribute over $40,000 to more than 30 extracurricular activities at Evanston Township High School, including athletic teams, music/ theater groups, and student clubs.The ETHS Boosters fall allocations cycle included the following:

Clubs and activities (12 groups funded)

·         Ultimate Frisbee Club received funds to pay for league fees and memberships for their 80+ members.

·         Best Buddies were granted funds to facilitate their annual Breakfast Celebration, involving more than 200 students.  

·         EvanstONION (student-produced satirical newspaper) was awarded funding to allow for the printing of two issues of their currently online-only publication.  

·         The Paperclip (literary magazine) received funds that will allow them to publish a collection of student literary works, including stories, poems and artwork.  

·         Green Team now has funds to institute a composting trial to educate students about composting,

·         Community Service Club received funds to support their work with local soup kitchens, and to learn about micro-financing.  

Additional clubs that received funding from the Boosters include:  Books R Us, Israeli Club, Mock Trial, The Robotics Club, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and teamASAP.

Fine Arts (9 groups funded)

·         Music Department was awarded funding to replace broken and missing items needed for a complete percussion set.

·         Jazz program now has funds to purchase a new drum set to replace an aging one in the jazz and combo rooms.  

·         Marching Band will receive funds for the purchase of banners to use during their half-time shows.  

·         Theatre Program received funds for accessories to enhance lighting equipment.

·         Vocal Jazz, A Capella and Handbell Choir will all receive funding to purchase music for their sheet music libraries.  

Other fine arts groups receiving Boosters support include the Ceramics Club and Mural Club.

Athletics (11 teams funded)

·         Cheerleading Team received funding to purchase floor mats to complete the competition floor.

·         Boys Baseball Team received funding for screens and netting to provide protection for players during indoor batting practice.

·         Both the Boys and Girls Basketball Teams, as well as the Girls Volleyball Team received funding for new warm-ups.  

·         Girls Cross Country, Boys Softball, PomKits and Girls Volleyball will all be able to purchase additional duffel bags to replace those that are worn, and to accommodate their growing ranks.  

·         Wrestling Team was awarded monies towards the purchase of power bags, used for team warm-up exercises and strength training. 

Other teams that received Boosters funding include Boys and Girls Swimming & Diving.

The purpose of the ETHS Booster Club is to encourage and promote all extracurricular activities at Evanston Township High School. The Boosters raise money through membership fees, direct donations, concession and spirit wear sales and an annual fundraising benefit.  In addition to funding sports, student activities, and fine arts programs upon request through allocations, the Boosters sponsor Senior Parent Day, college Scholarships, the Crystal "E" Award, and the Senior Sports Dinner. More details about the ETHS Boosters, including membership and donation information, can be found at www.ethsboosters.org.

Youth Job Center at ETHS offers job readiness workshops

All students at Evanston Township High School (ETHS) have an opportunity to register with the Youth Job Center (YJC) Outpost to participate in this year’s Learn2Earn job readiness workshops. The workshops meet once a week on Thursdays from 3:45-5:15pm beginning February 6, 2014 at ETHS. The program runs for eight weeks and advance registration is required. 

For students who are new to the process of finding a job, this series of interactive workshops demonstrates how to proceed when looking for work. For those students who are already working, but want to move on to another type of employment, the program serves as an impetus. 

"This information is so crucial and not available from very many sources," said YJC Job Counselor Pamela Kaul. "Last year alone even though we are open only three short days a week, 125 ETHS students secured jobs through the Youth Job Center Outpost."

At the workshops, participants hear from business people and other members of the community about a variety of topics that cover the elements of a job search from start to finish. Topics include Work Ethic, Applications, Resumes, Interviews, Job Search Strategies and Conflict Resolution in the Workplace. Participants also attend the YJC’s Spring Job Fair and take part in mock interviews to prepare for real-world experience. In addition, they will be eligible to interview with some employers who will be part of recruiting events at the YJC Outpost. 

Participants are expected to commit to attending all workshops. For more information about YJC or the Learn2Earn workshops, call (847) 424-7873 or email Pamela Kaul (pkaul@eths.k12.il.us) or Jessica Wingader (jwingader@youthjobcenter.org). The YJC Outpost at ETHS is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:30am-2:30pm and Thursdays from 1:00-5:00pm in room W-201.

Evanston High School offers “AP Winter Combine” to prepare students for Advanced Placement 

Evanston Township High School will offer its "AP Winter Combine" on Saturday, January 25, 9:00am-12:00pm. ETHS freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are considering taking an Advanced Placement (AP) course next school year are invited to attend the AP Winter Combine, a term adopted from the sports world where players are drafted by coaches.

The AP Winter Combine experience can help prepare students for the course selection process that takes place in January. During the Winter Combine, prospective AP students will meet teachers and current AP students as they participate in team building activities and test their mental agility while engaging in fun team competition. Students will receive information about AP course choices that align with their individual interests, current strengths/challenges, and overall academic goals. There will also be content specific activities in the areas of English, Fine Arts, History & Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science and World Languages.  

For more information, contact Dale Leibforth at ethsap@eths202.org or visit the Advanced Placement web page on the ETHS website (www.eths.k12.il.us/ap).