Schools

Kiwanis Club Honors ETHS Student-Athletes

Sprinter Joppa Banks, softball team captain Maddie Reiches and football player and track athlete Nehemie Etrenne were winners of the Kiwanis Club student athlete awards.

The following items were submitted by Evanston Township High School:

ETHS student athletes honored by Kiwanis Club

The final student-athlete honorees of the 2012-13 school year were recognized on May 28 by the Kiwanis Club of Evanston. The recipients of the Ted Van Zelst Award were ETHS seniors Joppa Banks and Maddie Reiches, as well as Nehemie Etrenne who was honored but not present.  The students were recognized for their high academic and athletic achievements during the past year. 

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Banks, a member of the ETHS Girls Track and Field team, completed the season with a 10th place finish at the state finals. She runs in the 400 x 100 and sprint relays. She enjoys helping others and has been involved in several community projects. She shared how her friendships with teammates have been very meaningful and she expects them to continue long after graduation. She plans to attend Howard University where she will continue her track and field endeavors and major in psychology.

Reiches has been a member of the softball team for all four years of her high school career and served as captain this year. She said that as captain, she learned to give and take advice. She also plays in the marching band and was part of the Homecoming Court. Reiches plans to be an engineering major at Case-Western University and expects to continue her interest in softball.

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Etrenne has been both a football and track athlete at ETHS. He plans to attend the University of Michigan where he plans to continue in track and field, while completing a degree in accounting.  An accomplished pianist, he also plans to continue his music interest by playing at churches in the Ann Arbor area.

The Ted Van Zelst award was named for a prominent Evanston businessman, entrepreneur and humanitarian. Since instituting the student recognition awards, the Kiwanis Club has honored over 140 students.

ETHS geometry students showcase creativity with giant inflatables projects 

For the sixth consecutive year, ETHS students displayed their projects after working in groups for a week to design, construct, and analyze a giant inflatable solid using tablecloth plastic and tape. The projects are inflated using box fans and were displayed in an ETHS gym for faculty evaluation. Students must think critically, problem-solve, communicate, show initiative and leadership, and coordinate and monitor their progress throughout the weeklong project.  

Herrmann has incorporated more technology into the project to give students the opportunity to experience and use a wide variety of tools throughout their process. Students have access to laser measuring devices, portable cameras and mini projectors to capture and share their progress. 

For more information about the Inflatables Project, visit the teacher web page of ZacharyHerrmann: https://sites.google.com/site/ethsherrmann/.

ETHS Philanthropy Club presents funds to local nonprofits 

The ETHS Philanthropy Club presented $3,000 to three nonprofit groups in June 2013 as part of their efforts to learn about the business of giving money. Each year since 2005, the Koffend Foundation gives the Philanthropy Club (part of the ETHS Community Service Club) $3,000 to give to local nonprofits of their choice. The purpose is to give students the opportunity to learn about philanthropy and help a cause, a charity or nonprofit group.

This year, the Philanthropy Club met with representatives from the Woman's Club of Evanston and the Evanston Community Foundation to learn about how they make their philanthropic decisions. Different organizations were invited to meet with a group of ETHS students throughout the school year. The students then went on site visits to each of the organizations to become more familiar with their work. Students examined the impact their donation would make, the volunteer opportunities offered for students, other sources of funding available, and the population served by the organization. 

At the end of the process, three nonprofit groups were chosen:

  • The McGaw YMCA received $620 for middle school memberships to help kids in financial need to have a place to go in the community.
  • Benevolent.net received $1,000 to expand their work with Evanston non-profits to better serve Evanston clients in need.
    Literature for All of Us received $1,380 to pay for the publishing of poetry books for Evanston students. The books are the products of programs that they provide to help students going through very challenging experiences.

More than a dozen nonprofit groups have been past beneficiaries of the Philanthropy Club, including Evanston Scholars, Evanston Ecology Center, Growing Home, Hillside Food Pantry, Open Studio Project, Rice Children's Center, Soup at Six and many others.

White House sends letter of encouragement to ETHS history students

Evanston Township High School students in 1 Humanities with Support classes were pleased to receive an official White House response after writing to U.S. President Barack Obama this spring. Students wrote the letters to ask for a fair immigration reform.

“Our kids are really proud of their work,” stated Lucila Pulido, ETHS Humanities teacher in the History/Social Sciences Department. “Democracy in action!”

Below is the content of the letter signed by the President.

Dear Students:

Thank you for writing.  I always appreciate hearing from young Americans like you, and I am glad you took the time to share your views with me.

America’s potential can be measured by the creative ideas and inquisitive minds of our students.  Your eagerness to explore the world around you and engage others in discussing important issues will help you improve the future your generation will inherit. As you continue to grow and learn, remember that you can achieve great things when you work hard, believe in yourself, and try each day to help those around you.

Our country is counting on you to be the best student you can be, so set your sights high, seek out new challenges, and know I expect great things from you as you chart the course of our Nation’s unwritten history.

Thank you, again, for writing. I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

ETHS Educational Foundation releases 2011-12 Annual Report

The Evanston Township High School District 202 Educational Foundation has released its 2011-2012 Annual Report. Through individual, corporate, and foundation gifts, the Foundation is able to raise and distribute funds to the high school in order to complement, enhance, and enrich beyond the means of conventional public funding, opportunities that further the educational mission of Evanston Township High School (ETHS).

How was the ETHS Educational Foundation established?
The ETHS Educational Foundation was established in 2005 in the belief that high-quality public education is a critical component of a thriving community. The decision to support Evanston Township High School with private funding for grants targeted to capital improvements was made by the foundation’s board of directors after extensive research was conducted on the experience and success of other educational foundations throughout the country.

What are the priorities for the ETHS Educational Foundation?
The foundation’s current priorities are to:

  • Support the district’s Capital Improvements Plan, which includes renovations of the school’s academic, arts, and athletic facilities.
  • Fund environmentally responsible efforts such as LEED-certified renovations and the development of state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) labs. 
  • Maintain scholarship endowments to help college-bound, low-income students with one-time awards.

What are the ways to donate?

  • Participate in our fundraising events. Every dollar raised supports our current capital improvement project. 
  • Respond to our annual appeal with a generous donation.  Consider ways to make a gift that will have a lasting impact on a program of particular interest to you and your family.
  • Make a planned gift. Did you know there are creative ways to support ETHS? Ways in which our students, you and your loved ones all benefit at the same time? Such giving techniques are called “planned gifts,” because with thoughtful planning, you create win-win solutions for you and Evanston Township High School. For example:

o    You can make a gift that costs nothing during your lifetime.

o    You can give stock and realize larger tax savings.

o    You can get a monthly paycheck for life in return for your gift.

ETHS’s advancement team has developed comprehensive fund-raising programs that offer the opportunity for every member of our community to make a difference. For more information about how to develop a gift plan, including planned giving opportunities to fit your particular needs and interests, please contact the ETHS Educational Foundation Executive Director, Fran Caan at caanf@eths.k12.il.us or (847) 424-7157.


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