42Fifty

Hay personas en OH que vienen de lugares distintos. Empezar en una escuela tan grande como OH viene con sus dificultades para todos, pero especialmente para los que el inglés no es su idioma principal. Pero con una escuela grande también vienen muchas oportunidades importantes para conocer, y tal vez, con tanta información, hay algunas cosas que no se han explicado bien antes.  “El día escolar puede ser difícil, pero aquí siempre hay personas dispuestas a ayudarte”, dijo Maureen Terwelp, la Coordinadora de estudiantes multilingües de OH. “Puedes lograr grandes cosas, y estamos deseando celebrar tus logros contigo.” Terwelp es la encargada de los estudiantes multilingües y hace muchas cosas para apoyarlos, ella puede ayudar con muchas cosas y responder preguntas.  “Un recurso importante para los estudiantes es nuestro equipo de apoyo a alumnos multilingües", dijo Terwelp. “Contamos con 14 miembros del personal que trabajan con los estudiantes de nuestro programa para alumnos multilingües y pueden brindarles apoyo en aspectos como la ayuda con las tareas escolares, la adaptación a un nuevo país, la participación en actividades y el desarrollo lingüístico en todas las clases.”

Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE) presented OH alum and former teacher Michael Leali with the Illinois Author of the Year Award this week at the IATE Conference in Palos Hills. Although there was no specific book that won him a reward, his debut novel “The Civil War of Amos Abernathy” had already won an award: the prestigious Golden Kite Award in 2023, and he was set up to win in 2026. “I mean, I'm really excited and honored," Leali said in an online interview. "It comes from the Illinois Association of Teachers of English... [so] as a former high school English teacher [and student] at Oswego High School, this feels just so big and special.”

OE won the food drive in the school districts competition to earn donations, at the Crosstown football game on Friday, Oct 16. The contest raised over 413,000 total items. A food drive is an opportunity for a school community to come together and support people in need. At the SD#308 high schools, though, we use a friendly competition to motivate donations and celebrate the school that collects the most, all as part of an annual district-wide food drive for the Kendall County Community Food Pantry (KCCFP). The KCCFP is an organization that distributes food and other donations to give to anyone in need for no cost. The KCCFP is constantly seeking volunteers to help. Students can sign up to volunteer through the Kendall County Food Pantry, where they can participate on certain Friday evenings in roles like Set Up, Food Room Assistants, Hallway Monitors, Outside Cart Attendants, or assisting with the Drive-Up Line. All of these roles have benefited the food drives outcome.  “I just want to help the community in the way that I can, and I feel like this is a way that I can pretty easily,” Food Drive organizer and OH science teacher Lauren Landando said.