Addison Trail hosts end-of-year events

Below are highlights from events Addison Trail recently hosted to celebrate a successful 2015-16 school year.

  • Battle of the Bands: On May 16, eight student bands competed in the school’s annual Battle of the Bands event. Each band received prizes donated by Sam Ash and Music & Arts.

1st place: Perfect Strangers (pictured below, top)

2nd place: Chain Sinnet (pictured below, bottom left)

3rd place: Bandana (pictured below, bottom right)

The other bands that participated are Snakessss, Oceans of Fire, Ever After, Car Accident and Shadows.

  • Senior Takeover Day: On May 17, more than 70 seniors “took over” for teachers, administrators, clerical staff, the guidance office and the deans office during Addison Trail’s fifth annual Senior Takeover Day. All seniors were eligible to participate, as long as they were in good academic standing and their teacher signed the permission slip forms. Seniors Konrad Kowalkowski and Aziz Zeidieh took over as the leaders of the school by filling in for Principal Michael Bolden. The seniors coordinated meetings, sent out e-mails, helped teach classes and more.

Top left: Destenye Davis talks strategy with Dean Curtis Tate on Senior Takeover Day. Top right: Aziz Zeidieh (center) and Konrad Kowalkowski (right) "take over" the school as they fill in for Principal Michael Bolden (left). Bottom left: Addison Trail Guidance Counselor Shane Cole shares a laugh with Amanda Gonzalez (left) and Jessica Mateo. Bottom right: Zachary Atiyeh (center) and Ryan Zygowicz (right) lead English Department Chair Amy Ferraro's class. Also pictured is junior Juanmanuel Ramirez.

  • Recognition assembly: On May 17, Addison Trail celebrated the end of the 2015-16 school year with its annual recognition assembly. During that event, students were honored for their accomplishments in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities. The 2015-16 staff retirees were highlighted as well. They are Angela Biegel (this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award recipient), Terri Grams, Kuo-Ching Ku, Karen L. Madej, Dan O’Connell and Patricia Rust, as well as Nancy Oskin and Sharon Schoen (former Addison Trail staff members, who are now at the District 88 Office). To read more about the retirees, go to http://tinyurl.com/hau93o6. The District 88 Foundation also presented mini-grants to staff members for the third year. That financial support is being implemented for staff to develop instructional opportunities such as theatre programs, automotive certifications, interactive physics activities and more. The foundation is proud to give more than $2,800 to Addison Trail staff members this year. The recipients are:
  1. Megan Salgado, Shakespeare Alive!
  2. Anna Jakubka and Alex Holod, Putting Tech in Technical Theatre!
  3. Kira Bonk, AP Physics Cardboard Regatta
  4. Chris Grice, Pear Deck – Interactive Classroom
  5. Nadia Gomez-Moran, ACHIEVE – Chicago Voyagers
  6. Itzel Carranza, Graphing calculators for ESL math
  7. Keith Santini, EPA 609 license

Top left: Addison Trail junior Kennedy O'Neill performs during the school's annual recognition assembly. Top right: District 88 Board of Education and District 88 Foundation member Lisa Lullo presents a $2,803 check to Addison Trail on behalf of the District 88 Foundation. That money will support staff initiatives that benefit students. Bottom left: Addison Trail Principal Michael Bolden presents a gift to Addison Trail staff member Angela Biegel in recognition of her being named as this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award recipient. Biegel will retire at the end of the school year. Bottom right: Addison Trail senior Konrad Kowalkowski hands Addison Trail staff member Terri Grams a gift of appreciation in honor of Grams's upcoming retirement at the end of the school year.

  • PBIS barbecue: On May 18, the Addison Trail Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team hosted its annual end-of-year barbecue. The PBIS program was implemented in fall 2007 to teach students expected behaviors, rules and what it means to be a Blazer. The goal of the program is to develop a positive school climate through creating common language and standards. The barbecue is a time to celebrate improved behaviors at Addison Trail and is an opportunity to communicate behavioral data for the year not only to the staff, but to the students as well. This year, the PBIS program helped lead to a decrease in referrals and recognized nearly 5,500 acts of Blazer Pride with a personalized card and a cookie. A record-breaking 84.8 percent of the school’s student body was recognized this year through rewarding 1,680 students with cookies. Staff, students and community members – including members of the Addison Fire Protection District – volunteered during the barbecue. Administrators took to the grill and cooked up a tasty lunch for all participants.

Top left: Joe Leone and Scott Walker with the Addison Fire Protection District help out during the barbecue. Top right: (From left) Addison Trail Director of Guidance Kevin Redding, Addison Trail Principal Michael Bolden and Addison Trail Assistant Principal Iridia Niewinski grill during the event. Bottom left: Addison Trail juniors Riley O'Donnell and George Neri play bags. Bottom middle: Addison Trail senior Dalvin Garcia competes in one of the games at the barbecue. Bottom right: Addison Trail sophomore Patryk Kijek hands cotton candy to freshmen Kelly Montes De Oca (center) and Alexandra Nava.