MENDOTA – Are student athletes having a positive experience at Mendota High School? Reporting at the June 25 District 280 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Jeff Prusator said in the past few years the high school has talked about asking that question along with taking a comprehensive look at the athletic program, not necessarily wins and losses but determining how students view their athletic experience and what they got out of it.

To present some ideas for positive change in the athletic program, Prusator introduced Randy Oberembt and Bob Prusator. Oberembt, who began a long, successful career as a football coach in Tiskilwa, went on to coach at McHenry-Johnsburg High School, Knox College, Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School in St. Louis, Mo. and New Trier High School in Winnetka. Bob Prusator (Jeff’s brother), former superintendent at Stillman Valley, is currently superintendent of Dakota CUSD 201. District 201 has been recognized as one of top 100 school districts in Illinois.

Jeff explained that they first met Oberembt in Tiskilwa where he and Bob attended school and their father, Bob Sr. was the basketball coach, athletic director and middle school principal.

“We’re very fortunate to have Coach O here,” Jeff said. “He’s worked with Bob and they’ve created a strong partnership, a good philosophy, a sound program on maybe what our athletics should be and a way to get where we want to get.”

Their presentation included background on their careers and steps that each had taken to improve the athletic and overall school experience for their students. This included:

* Finding core values through discussion and consensus within the community.

* Coaches building great relationships with kids and having good technical skills.

* Measuring student satisfaction with the program through surveys.

* Defining the meaning of “success.”

* Balance between winning and the students’ experience.

“This is not a process to get rid of coaches” Oberembt emphasized. “To the contrary, it’s a process to improve outcomes for students. Winning is important but making kids feel good about themselves is important and treating kids right is important.”

Following the presentation, Jeff said Oberembt and Bob were willing to work with the high school to pursue this type of program at no cost to the district.

Board president Jim Lauer commented that it was a very enlightening presentation and the board agreed to accept the offer.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Principal Denise Aughenbaugh gave details on the process and costs for this year’s school registration, which is again being offered online. The registration fee is $95. Lab fees for art, band, industrial arts, and foods classes are $20 per class, and the driver education fee is $100. Optional Chromebook insurance is $25. Fees must be paid before a student is permitted to attend classes.

Aughenbaugh said parents will also be asked to complete registration forms online in five sections. Section 1 form completion will serve as parents’ legal signature, and they will also be asked for emergency contact and demographic information updates or changes, which are made through Parent Connect.

Section 2 is a welcome survey from the guidance office and Section 3 is the health history form. The school nurse has also updated all of the current requirements and MHS forms online at www.mendotahs.org under the nurse’s link. Section 4 references transportation. Due to the location of Mendota High School, every student is eligible to receive free bus transportation to and from school. Parents may request additional bus location information and times in this section.

Section 5 will cover the athletic registration requirements. If parents would prefer a paper copy of athletic forms, they may receive them at the parent athletic meeting in August. The updated MHS Student Athletic handbooks and forms will be available online at www.mendotahs.org, student activities and athletic tab.

Incoming freshmen and students new to the district will receive information by mail for signing into Parent Connect to complete the registration process. (Current families who need Parent Connect login information should contact Mendota High School at (815) 539-7446, ext. 548).

Credit card payments will be accepted through www.ezschoolpay.com. Parents can pay registration fees, participation fees, any late fines, and also place money on their student’s lunch account easily at www.ezschoolpay.com. Freshmen parents will receive this information by mail. Students transferring into the district should contact the guidance office at (815) 539-7446, ext. 548 to schedule an appointment with a counselor to register for classes.

Yearbook and student ID pictures may be taken on Aug. 15 from 1 to 6 p.m. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are asked to stop in anytime during those hours to have a yearbook/ID picture taken. Seniors need to have a photo taken by HR Imaging on this date or the make-up date in order to have their photo printed in the spring graduation newspapers.

Freshman Orientation

Freshman Orientation Night will be Wednesday, Aug. 15 and all freshman and students new to the district are asked to attend. Aughenbaugh thanked the School Improvement Team for coordinating this year’s orientation. All freshmen are encouraged to have their ID/yearbook picture taken on Aug. 15 prior to the welcome presentation in the auditorium. They should arrive anytime between 3 and 5 p.m. for pictures. Chromebook distribution will follow the welcome assembly. Several teachers will be available for tours of classrooms from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Parents and freshman may also follow the class schedule and become comfortable with the building. The first day of school will be Friday, Aug. 17.

Current 8th grade students who are taking Honors Algebra I at MHS during their first period class this fall are also invited to take the open house tour. Those students will receive class information and an invitation by mail in July.

Physicals

Aughenbaugh reminded parents to please schedule school/sports physicals now. All freshmen need a physical exam by a licensed physician, APN or PA, on the certificate of child Health Examination form. BMI must be completed on all physicals. Freshman physicals also serve as sports physicals. Immunizations must be up to date and recorded on the 9th grade physical from medical staff.

All 10th, 11th and 12th grade students who wish to participate in fall athletics must have a current sports physical turned in to the office. If a student had a sports physical taken in May at MHS, the copy is already on record. Seniors need to have two doses of Meningococcal Conjugate vaccine at the beginning of 12th grade. Details are available at www.mendotahs.org on the nurse’s page.

Athletic Parent Meeting

The annual mandatory Parent Athletic Meeting will be scheduled in August by Steve Hanson, athletic director. He will present the program for parents and students in attendance. This will also be an opportunity for all student-athletes and parents to get a handbook if needed, turn in sports physicals, sign forms if they were not signed electronically and consider Booster Club membership. Hanson will also review the updated Code of Conduct and point system.

Football and golf practices may begin on Aug. 6. Girls tennis, cross country, girls volleyball and boys soccer may begin practice on Aug. 8.

Summer School Update

Credit retrieval in math, science and English and summer driver’s education classroom have all been completed. IVCC speech will conclude on June 28 and Honors Geometry on June 29. The Algebra II credit retrieval course will reconvene July 9-18 and the Summer Bridges Program will take place July 23 through Aug. 3 for select incoming freshmen.

Aughenbaugh thanked the board for allowing room in the budget for credit retrieval and credit acceleration during the summer, saying it is very helpful to many students.

Student Climate Survey

ln February 2018, administration shared a Student Climate Survey with over 500 students. Of those, 251 students responded and shared their experience regarding the building, extra-curricular activities, transportation and the cafeteria.

Among the highest rated areas were cleanliness of the building and facilities (78 percent best or excellent), safety and security of the building (73 percent best or excellent), transportation department/friendly, respectful drivers that travel within reasonable route times (67 percent and 66 percent respectively, best or excellent), friendliness of the kitchen staff (88 percent best or excellent), and positive extra-curricular experience (69 percent best or excellent).

Aughenbaugh said they appreciate the feedback and will work with MHS staff to improve upon the areas that were identified by students in need of attention.

OTHER BUSINESS

Board approval was given to the purchase of three 1-year-old busses costing $64,000 per bus (minus any trade in from the old busses) and a 5-year lease on a new athletic bus costing $8,378.

They also approved the Prevailing Wage Resolution and Rates, the Title I Plan, and the payment of July bills.

The next regular board of education meeting will be held at the high school on Monday, Aug. 20 beginning at 6 p.m. There is no meeting in July.