L-W North honors Top 10 academic students

   Lincoln-Way North High School honored its top academic students on Wednesday, Sept. 5 and shared some information about an anti-bullying campaign underway at the school.

     “Without your support, none of this would be possible,” Principal Michael Gardner told parents as they gathered at the school to honor the school’s Top 10 students from each class and to learn a little more about the school and district.

   Every year, Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210’s building principals invite parents in to the schools to meet the staff and learn a little more about the school and its programs.

   Lincoln-Way East will host a Breakfast with the Principal on Sept. 19. Similar events will take place Sept. 12 at Lincoln-Way West and Sept. 26 at Lincoln-Way Central.

   At North’s Breakfast with the Principal, members of the school’s anti-bullying group P.L.E.D.G.E. (Phoenix Leading Each Other, Dedicated to Goodwill Everywhere) talked to parents about a campaign they launched to end bullying.

   “Bullying is defined as intentionally aggressive behavior that can take many forms (verbal, physical, social/relational emotional, cyber bullying, or any combination of these,” read information sheets distributed by seniors Meaghan Gallagher and Alex Horton.

   They went on to explain that students are encouraged to sign a pledge agreeing to:

• Support students who have been subjected to bullying
• Teach by example, treating other students with respect
• Open my eyes and be alert to all incidents of bullying
• Prevent bullying by reporting any suspicious behavior

   Students who sign the pledge are given T-shirts to wear that say “Not In Our House” with a slash across the word “Bullying.”

   After the presentation, Gardner introduced the school’s Top 10 academic students. They include:

Class of 2013 -- Nicholas Bielanski, Caitlin Broderick, Christian Gorski, Joshua Kim, Samantha Klosak, Rachel Lahr, Michael Lanigan, Matthew Murray, Lauren Sajewich and Jennifer Zobak.

Class of 2014 -- Michael Balcerzak, Erin Creedon, Calvin Duong, Zubair Farooqui, Jack Quirk, Katherine Reynolds, John Scott, Savanna Steck, Nicole Suhm and Elizabeth Warkocki.

Class of 2015 -- Ryan Arnold, Alison DeBruyn, Abigail Greenwood, Justine Ivanov, Joyce Kim, Payton Lang, Nina Pelsi Laura Rovak, Nora Ward and Devin Werner.

   “We thank you parents for the great job you’ve done,” Gardner told the group. “Your students are here today because of you.”