Maine South High School wrapped up its first week of the new school year Friday with an assembly to celebrate school spirit and welcome new and returning students.
The annual back-to-school assembly at the Park Ridge school featured a water balloon toss competition, music by the Maine South Marching Band, performances by Maine South cheerleaders, and the traditional spirit competition in which each grade level was encouraged to out-shout their classmates by chanting their graduation year. New staff members and the 2018-19 student council leaders were also recognized.
Perhaps the biggest change greeting returning students and faculty this year was the implementation of “block scheduling” across Maine Township High School District 207 schools. The new schedule includes fewer class periods, but more time in class, two days each week.
“We’ve been making adjustments every day based on what we’re seeing,” said Principal Ben Collins, who served as deejay during the assembly. “The second day was a lot better than the first, and next week I think will be even better. The students have been very positive about it. It’s a slower day, and it’s a little bit calmer in the sense that you only have to go to four places instead of eight or nine.”
Collins said students attend four-period days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and a traditional eight-period day on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
The longer class times and fewer transitions between classes allow students and teachers to “get a little deeper into what’s going on in the classroom,” Collins said. “As we get better at using that time, we’ll make adjustments as we see fit …. When you’ve got 2,500 people and you’re trying to rearrange them differently, it’s going to take some time. But we’re in good shape.”
Outside of class, Maine South is preparing for the first varsity home football game against Glenbard West at 7 p.m. on Friday; the fall play, “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood,” Sept. 20-22; and homecoming week Sept. 24-29.
Student Council President Kevin McNulty said this year’s homecoming theme is Viva Las Vegas. Homecoming is one of two school events he said he is looking forward to the most this year. The other is Hawkfest, which takes place near the end of the school year and includes a number of activities for students, while raising money for a chosen cause.
“Hawkfest will be a fun way to cap off a school-wide fundraiser this year, [the recipient of] which we have yet to decide,” McNulty said.
Last year’s school-wide fundraiser generated more than $60,000 in donations for Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
