Mendota High School is very excited to announce the graduation ceremony plans for the Class of 2020. As the state of Illinois has progressed to Phase 4, schools are allowed to reopen. MHS has collaborated with the LaSalle County Health Department and agreed to work within the capacity limits outlined below for the health, safety, and well-being of all attendees. These guidelines meet the requirements set forth in Governor Pritzker’s Phase 4 Restore Illinois and ISBE’s Part 3 Transition Guidance for Schools. The Class of 2020 will graduate in one ceremony as a class outside in the Mendota Trojan Athletic Stadium. The ceremony is Saturday, July 18th at 7:00 PM with a rain date set for the following evening, same time. Graduates will be socially distanced and seated on the turf field in groups of 50 or fewer with 30 feet between spaced groups. Each graduate will be limited to two (2) guests who will have assigned socially distanced seats in the home bleachers. There will be no additional guests, and the parking lots will be closed to everyone except for the graduates and the two guests per graduate who have a ticket to enter. The ceremony will be live-streamed online for all other family and friends to watch the graduates. We are excited that we can bring together the entire Class of 2020 for a traditional ceremony and celebration. Thank you for your patience! We are extremely fortunate to have waited and had this opportunity for our graduates. Please watch for a mailing with more details about rehearsals, dress code, etc. CONGRATULATIONS! #GoTrojans
Please click on the link provided below for a brief video providing important information regarding Summer Driver's Education.
The mandatory Athletic Parent meeting is Wednesday, August 12th at 7:00 PM in the gym. Please contact Mr. Steve Hanson, Athletic Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 815-539-7446 with questions regarding athletics. The 2020-2021 updated Athletic Handbook will be available online at www.mendotah.org, Student Activities, and Athletic tab at the end of July. Paper copies of the Athletic Handbook will be available at the Parent Athletic meeting. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors planning on participating in a sport must have an athletic / sport physical prior to participating. Mendota High School's accident insurance policy covers your child for injuries that he or she may sustain while participating in athletics secondary to your personal, primary insurance (The family insurance is billed first before any claims may be submitted to the secondary school insurance.) ** Additional, 24 hour coverage is available for purchase by parents. You may request an insurance brochure or information in the Principal's Office from Mrs. Biers on or after July 29th.
The first day of school for students is Friday, August 14. With the Restore Illinois and COVID 19 guidelines, we will annnounce in more detail later the exact back - to - school protocol and schedules. Please be patient with us as we work with the Illinois State Board of Eduction and Illinois Department of Public Health. Incoming Freshmen students will receive information regarding the orientation night and Chromebook distribution once the state of Ilinois provides us with more reopening information and parameters.
HR Imaging will be at Mendota High School on August 12 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are encouraged to take pictures anytime. Freshmen are encouraged to have pictures taken prior to the 5:00 new student assembly. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors need only 10 minutes to stop into school on August 12th and have a photo taken. Make up picture day is September 21. Students are not required to purchase pictures, but they are required to have a photo taken for student ID and yearbook purposes. Any senior who does not have their picture taken will not have a photo available in the spring graduation announcements.
Thank you in advance for completing the 2020-2021 MHS Registration Form. Information on the Registration Form is listed in five sections.
* Section 1 is the form completion, and it will NOT serve as a legal signature this year. Please sign and return the paper copy of the registration form by August 3rd. Signatures may be returned by mail or scanned / PDF file and emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
PLEASE NOTE - We ask that Emergency Contact and demographic information updates or changes are made through Parent Connect. You need to log into your Parent Connect account using the parent ID login. The student ID login ends in the letter "s" for student, and the parent login either has no letter or "N". ONLY the parent login will allow demographic and emergency contact requests. Click on the link under the student schedule in Parent Connect that says, "Request changes to your demographic information." You may make changes to phone numbers, email, and emergency contact information as examples. Once you submit your changes, an office staff member will approve the request. Mrs. Leonard, Guidance Office secretary, may assist you with Parent Connect questions at 815-539-7446, ext. 548.
* Section 2 is a new student survey.
* Section 3 is a residential survey.
* Section 4 include the Health History Form. Mrs. McConville has updated requirements and links available on the School Nurse link at www.mendotahs.org.
* Section 5 provides information on the MHS Technology Agreement and optional Chromebook insurance.
* Section 6 references transportation. Due to the locationa of Mendota High School, every student is eligible to receive free bus transportation to and from school.
* Section 7 will cover the Athletic and extracurricular opportunities at MHS. The updated 2020 - 2021 MHS Student Athletic handbooks and forms will be available online at www.mendotahs.org, Student Activities, and Athletic tab at the end of July.
Please note that in an effort to support our families during the COVID Pandemic, all student registration and participation fees have been waived this year by Mendota High School Board of Education. However, families are expected to pay any preexisting fines / debts that have been incurred and are posted online at Parent Connect under the fees link. In addition, the optional Chromebook insurance must also still be paid if requested. Any online credit card payments for registration fees, athletic participation fees, and lunch accounts may be made at www.ezschoolpay.com prior to the start of the school year.
The online Google Registration links (English and Spanish) are provided below. The MHS Registration Form (Google Form) has a feedback option so you may receive an email confirmation at the end of the form.
Online Registration Form 2020-2021
March 16, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Thank you for your extraordinary support over the past several days, as we have worked together to protect our community during the growing coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. To further safeguard Illinois from the spread of the virus, Governor JB Pritzker has declared mandatory school closures for all buildings, both public and private, serving pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
This mandatory closure takes effect Tuesday, March 17. Currently, we anticipate reopening on March 31. Pending no additional closure dates added by the state, we will revise the school calendar. MHS will be in session (have school) on April 6, 7, 8, 9 instead of Spring Break. There will be no school on Friday, April 10th for Good Friday.
Lunch will still be available to all students. We will provide satellite lunch-sack meals to go to students. All students under the age of 18 may pick up the sack-meals between the hours of 11:00 to 1:00 PM , or meet the MHS bus at the attached drop-off locations and times. **It is very important that you complete the food survey or phone into MHS at 815-539-7446 daily by 1:00 PM so we know an anticipated lunch count the following day. Ask the person who answers the phone to put your name on the list or use extension 523 or 525 and leave a message.
We are committed to keeping students engaged in their learning during this statewide school closure. Our school district is fortunate to have 1:1 Chromebook Learning devices. MHS teachers are also preparing paper-and-pencil options for students who do not have access to the internet at home. Students may also download prepared materials to work off-line on their Chromebooks. **Students who can utilize e-learning are encouraged to log into the E-Learning Attendance form posted at www.mendotahs.org. It is a Google Attendance Form. Students without internet access may call 815-539-7446 to report their working attendance with office staff. To supplement these services, we encourage you to engage your children in other free, online educational activities. The Illinois State Board of Education has compiled a library of resources at www.isbe.net/keeplearning.
Concern over this new virus can make students anxious. It is very important to remember that teenagers look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. If adults seem overly worried, teenager's anxiety may rise. Adults should reassure students that health and school officials are working hard to ensure that people throughout the country stay healthy.
Students also need factual, age-appropriate information about the potential seriousness of disease risk, so the focus of the conversation should be concrete instructions about how to avoid infections and the spread of disease. Teaching teens positive measures, talking with them about their fears, and giving them a sense of somecontrol over their risk of infections can help reduce anxiety. Please talk with your student about precautions they can take to stay healthy, including:
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is best, especially if they are visibly dirty. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is a suitable alternative. Consider showing your students one of these videos about proper handwashing technique: www.cdc.gov/handwashing.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
Stay home if you are able to stay home. Avoid travel if you can.
The National Association of School Psychologists has additional guidelines about talking to children about COVID-19 at https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource.
We will continue to inform you as quickly as we can about any further changes to school services. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Superintendent Prusator or Principal Aughenbaugh at 815-539-7446.
We appreciate your partnership, and we will get through this together.
Sincerely,
Jeff Prusator, Superintendent Denise Aughenbaugh, Principal
Queridas padres y tutores,
Gracias por su extraordinario apoyo durante los últimos días, ya que hemos trabajado juntos para proteger a nuestra comunidad durante la creciente pandemia de coronavirus / COVID-19. Para proteger aún más a Illinois de la propagación del virus, el gobernador JB Pritzker ha declarado el cierre obligatorio de escuelas para todos los edificios, tanto públicos como privados, que atienden a estudiantes de prejardín de infantes a doceavo grado.
Este cierre obligatorio entra en vigencia el martes 17 de marzo. Actualmente, anticipamos la reapertura el 31 de marzo. A la espera de que el estado no agregue fechas de cierre adicionales, revisaremos el calendario escolar. MHS estará en sesión (tendrá escuela) los días 6, 7, 8 y 9 de abril en lugar de las vacaciones de primavera. No habrá clases el viernes 10 de abril para el Viernes Santo.
El almuerzo aún estará disponible para todos los estudiantes. Proporcionaremos comidas satelitales para el almuerzo para los estudiantes. Todos los estudiantes menores de 18 años pueden recoger los sacos de comida entre las 11:00 y las 1:00 p.m., o pueden tomar el autobús MHS en los lugares y horarios de entrega adjuntos. ** Es muy importante que complete la encuesta de alimentos o llame por teléfono a MHS al 815-539-7446 todos los días antes de la 1:00 PM para que sepamos un conteo anticipado de almuerzos al día siguiente. Pídale a la persona que contesta el teléfono que ponga su nombre en la lista o use la extensión 523 o 525 y deje un mensaje.
Estamos comprometidos a mantener a los estudiantes involucrados en su aprendizaje durante este cierre escolar en todo el estado. Nuestro distrito escolar es afortunado de tener dispositivos de aprendizaje Chromebook 1: 1. Nuestro distrito escolar es afortunado de tener dispositivos de aprendizaje Chromebook 1: 1. Los maestros de MHS también están preparando opciones de papel y lápiz para los estudiantes que no tienen acceso a Internet en casa. Los estudiantes también pueden descargar materiales preparados para trabajar sin conexión en sus Chromebooks. ** Se alienta a los estudiantes que pueden utilizar el aprendizaje electrónico a iniciar sesión en el formulario de Asistencia de aprendizaje electrónico publicado en www.mendotahs.org. Para complementar estos servicios, lo alentamos a involucrar a sus hijos en otras actividades educativas gratuitas en línea. La Junta de Educación del Estado de Illinois ha compilado una biblioteca de recursos en www.isbe.net/keeplearning.
La preocupación por este nuevo virus puede hacer que los estudiantes estén ansiosos. Es muy importante recordar que los adolescentes buscan orientación en los adultos sobre cómo reaccionar ante eventos estresantes. Si los adultos parecen demasiado preocupados, la ansiedad del adolescente puede aumentar. Los adultos deben asegurar a los estudiantes que los funcionarios de salud y escolares están trabajando arduamente para garantizar que las personas en todo el país se mantengan saludables.
Los estudiantes también necesitan información objetiva y apropiada para la edad sobre la posible gravedad del riesgo de enfermedad, por lo que el enfoque de la conversación debe ser instrucciones concretas sobre cómo evitar infecciones y la propagación de la enfermedad.
Enseñar a los adolescentes medidas positivas, hablar con ellos sobre sus miedos y darles una idea de algunos
El control sobre su riesgo de infecciones puede ayudar a reducir la ansiedad. Hable con su estudiante sobre las precauciones que pueden tomar para mantenerse saludable, que incluyen:
- Lávese las manos con agua y jabón durante al menos 20 segundos, especialmente si están visiblemente sucias. Un desinfectante para manos a base de alcohol que contiene al menos 60% de alcohol es una alternativa adecuada. Considere mostrar a sus alumnos uno de estos videos sobre la técnica adecuada de lavado de manos: www.cdc.gov/handwashing.
- Evite tocarse los ojos, la nariz y la boca con las manos sin lavar.
- Evite el contacto cercano con personas enfermas.
- Cubra su tos o estornude con un pañuelo desechable, luego tírelo a la basura y lávese las manos.
- Quédese en casa si puede quedarse en casa. Evita viajar si puedes
La Asociación Nacional de Psicólogos Escolares tiene pautas adicionales para hablar con los niños sobre COVID-19 en https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/ health-crisis-resources / talking-to-children-about-covid-19- (coronavirus) -a-parent-resource.
Continuaremos informándole lo más rápido posible sobre cualquier cambio adicional a los servicios escolares. Si tiene preguntas, no dude en comunicarse con el Superintendente Prusator o el Director Aughenbaugh al 815-539-7446.
Agradecemos su colaboración, y lo superaremos juntos.
Sinceramente,
Jeff Prusator, Superintendente Denise Aughenbaugh, directora