Bremen students help counterparts in Kenya
The Circle Book Club at Bremen High School in Midlothian earned $1,500 during a Double Good Popcorn fundraiser to donate to Vision Viewers, a nonprofit organization near Nairobi, Kenya that supports students and older residents in their community. The effort was coordinated by club sponsor Andrea Ignelzi, who has been working with the Kenya nonprofit for years.
Richards athletes send holiday cheer
Seeking to add a little service and holiday cheer to her season, coach Kelly Rorison had the freshman girls basketball team from Richards High School write cards to armed forces members recovering from injuries. Rorison teaches English at Richards.
Southland College Prep ‘exemplary’ again
Southland College Prep Charter High School in Richton Park celebrated being designated as an “exemplary” school by the Illinois State Board of Education for the fourth consecutive year. School officials said Southland is the only charter school to earn the designation for the last four years.
Among the factors that went into the highest state rating was Southland’s 100% graduation rate for the past eight years, an accomplishment achieved by only 13 other Illinois high schools.
Students and staff also celebrated faculty member Sherry Grutzius being named an Illinois Network of Charter Schools Teacher of the Year finalist. She received a $500 check from the organization at a pep rally Wednesday at the school.
A Frankfort resident who formerly lived in Chicago’s Beverly community, Grutzius joined Southland in 2013 after teaching for more than a decade at Morgan Park Academy.
Tinley Park Drama Club to perform at state festival
The Tinley Park High School Drama Club has been selected to perform its production of “Alice In Wonderland” at the 47th Annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The festival will take place Jan. 12 to 14 and is the oldest and largest noncompetitive high school festival in the world, where over 4,000 students, teachers, university representatives, exhibitors and volunteers come together to put on various high school productions and workshops.
Tinley Park High School Drama Club members are Emily Vesely, Gionna Haines, Madi Rana, Brady Larsen, Angela Wisniewski, Caitlyn Requierme, Aidan Schipits, Grace Adams, BJ Gaston, Jalyn Landrum, Valiyah Gordon, Alana Newsom, Taelor McCall, Kameron Short, Peyton Leonhardt, Parker Bettenhausen, Sarah Stewart, Sydney Jones, Emma Alili, David Firestone, Alexandria Rocha, Charles Roth, Nicholas Herman, Martha Cano, Zoe Lavery, Anthony Andrews, Josh Firestone, Justin Impoy, Sarah Miller, Ryan Mitchell, Emily Castro. The club’s sponsors are Kathleen O’Connor and Vince Aiello.
Metra reconstructing 3 more Electric Line stations
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Metra approved a $33.9 million contract to completely rebuild and make accessible the 79th, 87th and 103rd Street stations on the Metra Electric Line on the South Side of Chicago. The work is part of the Metra Electric Community Initiative, a multiyear plan to transform 13 stations on the line.
The work will include demolition of the existing stairs, headhouses, platforms and platform structures. The projects will provide new enclosed, ADA-accessible street-level entrances and lobbies including elevators; new stairs and headhouses; new composite deck platforms; and new lighting, landscaping and signage.
The work, which is expected to begin next summer, will require each station to be closed for about seven months, but the work will be done in stages so no more than two of the stations will be closed at one time.
Similar work is already underway at the 147th Street/Sibley Boulevard Station. That work began in May 2022 and is expected to be complete next summer. And a contract has been awarded for similar work at the Homewood station that is expected to start in spring.
Adopt-A-Park program kicks off in Tinley
Tinley Park-Park District has started a new Adopt-A-Park program in which organizations, civic and church groups, scout troops, businesses, schools, families and individuals can play an active role in beautifying, maintaining and improving any of the 26 parks in the program.
Participating groups attend to park needs such as watering, weeding, mulching and litter removal. Groups can work with the Park District to develop other projects such as cleanup days, invasive species removal or habitat restoration that complement their abilities and interests.
Signs placed at the adopted park give recognition of the Adopter’s contributions and adopting groups also receive credit in the Fall Activity Guide, on social media outlets and in news releases. More information is at tinleyparkdistrict.org.
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