Parents

Dear Parent/Guardian:

At SHS, we are committed to supporting the physical, mental, and emotional wellness of all students. While the adolescent years are often characterized by a roller-coaster ride of emotions, it is important to identify students who may be experiencing more significant concerns that could be indicative of depression. Depression is a mental illness which must be taken seriously as it is a risk factor for suicide; however, it is also the most treatable of all mental illnesses.

To proactively address these concerns, all junior students will be participating in a depression awareness and suicide prevention program called Signs of Suicide (SOS). This program educates students about the symptoms of depression and resources available for support. It encourages students to seek help from adults if they are concerned about themselves or their peers. Listed on SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, SOS showed a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40-64% in randomized control studies (Aseltine et al., 2007 & Schilling et al., 2016).  The SOS Program is brought to us by Elyssa’s Mission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention. More information on suicide prevention specifically for parents may be found on their website (www.elyssasmission.org).

Our goals in participating in this program are straightforward:

• To help students understand that depression is a treatable illness

• To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that may occur as a result of untreated depression

• To provide students with information about the symptoms of serious depression and potential suicidality

• To encourage students to seek the help of adults when concerned about themselves or a peer

• To help students know the resources available for support at SHS

SOS will be taught by counselors during your child’s English class according to the schedule below. (Look for your child’s English teacher’s last name and the period of their English class to find the date the SOS program is scheduled). As part of the program, students will complete a brief depression screener (survey) to assess their risk of depression. The depression screening tool does not provide a diagnosis of depression, but rather alerts school staff to those students who may require further support. Any student identified as potentially needing more support will meet with an SHS counselor, social worker, or psychologist, and parents will be contacted regarding any needed next steps.  

If you do not want your child to participate in the SOS Program, please complete this form no later than January 31. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program. If you have further questions/concerns, please contact a member of your child’s Student Support Team (SST). 

Kind regards,

Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services

Signs of Suicide Schedule - By Teacher Last Name

Baron - Feb. 24
Cullen - Feb. 24
Demarakis - March 3
Foley - March 16
Forde - Feb. 19
Fritz - Feb. 25
Heller - March 19
Keller - Feb. 18
Kenney - Feb. 25
Kim - Feb. 24
Lockowitz - Feb. 18
Lukens - March 5
Mack - March 16
Maxwell - Feb. 24
Musolf - Feb. 18
O’Reilly - March 3
Smith - March 16
Sternberg - March 5
Svihra - March 3
Voelker - March 11
Ward - Feb. 19
Zagorski - Feb. 25

*Aseltine, R. H., Jr., James, A., Schilling, E. A. (2016). The SOS prevention program: Further evidence of efficacy and effectiveness. Prevention Science, 17(2), 157-166.
*Aseltine, R. H., Jr., James, A., Schilling, E. A., & Glanovsky, J. (2007). Evaluating the SOS suicide prevention program: A replication and extension. BMC Public Health, 7, 161.

January 14, 2020

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Stevenson High School maintains a strong commitment to success for every student. We know that students require an academically and emotionally supportive environment in order to thrive. Our faculty and staff strive to meet these needs in a variety of ways.

Stevenson has a long-standing dedication to substance abuse prevention. We consistently aim to implement new, evidence-based strategies that are responsive to the unique health and safety needs of our students. In order to gather the data necessary to implement such programming, we have developed a survey to better understand Illinois youth risk and protective behaviors as they relate to student wellness and academic success.  

Both students and parents are being asked to complete this online survey that will be confidentially administered (no names or identification numbers). The student survey will take approximately 30 minutes, and the parent survey will take approximately 10 minutes. Participation is completely voluntary and privacy will be strictly protected. If there are any questions you or your child do not wish to answer, you are free to skip questions and may stop taking the survey at any time. 

For students, the survey will be administered during an existing activity period on February 12, 2020. There will be no loss of instructional time. Students will be reminded of their rights immediately prior to participation. Parents may access a parallel survey created by Stand Strong Coalition by clicking here. The parent survey will also be available until February 12, 2020. We encourage you to consider participating.

The student and parent surveys include questions regarding:

• student use of alcohol and other drugs, perception of risks, consequences of use, approval or disapproval of use
• students’ feelings about their school experience
• family and personal characteristics
• family communication about substance use
• student feelings about self and moods
• student health behaviors – food intake, exercise, height, and weight

If you have any questions regarding the content of the survey or your child’s rights as a participant in the survey, please contact our Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, Dr. Cristina Cortesi. She may be reached via email at ccortesi@d125.org or telephone at 847-415-4529. If you do not want your child to participate in the survey, please send notification via email to Dr. Cortesi by January 27, 2020. Should you choose to deny permission for your child to participate, it will not in any way influence your future relationship with Stevenson High School.  

Kind regards,

Sarah Bowen 
Director of Student Services
 

December, 2019

Dear Junior and Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

We’d like to invite you to our college counseling activities that occur during second
semester. We kicked off our program in November when we hosted “College Night for Junior
Families.” If you missed this introductory evening to the college planning process, the
powerpoint slides are published on the CCC website, which you can access under the Documents
and Downloads section toward the bottom: https://www.d125.org/academics/college.

As you may remember, Student Services invited underclassmen and a parent/guardian
to a SCoPE meeting (School Counselor Parent Engagement Meeting) with the student’s
counselor during their freshman and sophomore years. We now would like to invite you to join
us in a Post Secondary SCoPE meeting, which is a 45-minute individual family appointment
with a post secondary counselor. In order to accommodate every student in the Class of 2021,
we will make one such appointment per student. We are available through the middle of June;
for the convenience of some of our families, we also have appointments available on five
Saturdays between January to April.

While students may be excused from class to attend a Post-Secondary SCoPE (P-SCoPE)
meeting, please make every attempt to schedule the meeting during a time when your child will
not have to miss class, such as before school, free period, lunch or study hall. Should your
family require a translator, please contact the CCC as soon as possible and no later than two
weeks prior to the meeting. The deadline for scheduling a Post-Secondary SCoPE meeting by
mid-June is Thursday, April 9, 2020.

Steps to scheduling your Post-Secondary SCoPE meeting:

• Complete the College/Post Secondary Planning Worksheet mailed to you in November. There are additional copies of the worksheet at www.d125.org/college. The Post Secondary SCoPE meeting link is located on the right rail. Families should complete the worksheet and return it to the College Career Center (Room 1123). The worksheet can also be faxed to: 847-634-6015 or emailed to shs_collegecareer@d125.org.
• Once we have received your completed worksheet, we will email you a link to the appointment calendar to schedule your meeting. You will schedule the appointment with one of the post-secondary counselors.
• Completing an SAT or ACT prior to our appointment, while helpful, is not mandatory.

Participating in a Post-Secondary SCoPE meeting during your junior year can only enhance our ability to assist you in the college admission process in the fall. We hope this meeting will greatly support you in the college planning process.

We hope you take advantage of all our programs including the Post-Secondary SCoPE meeting so that your decision of where to attend college is enhanced by collaborative conversations with a Stevenson post secondary counselor. Please know that together with your school counselor, we are here to serve as a resource for you during this process.

Most Sincerely,
Ms. Sara English and Mr. Dan Miller
SHS Post Secondary Counselors

December 2019 

Dear Parents/Guardians of the Class of 2024: 

We would like to take the opportunity to welcome you and your child to the Stevenson family! We know that your child's transition from eighth grade to high school is both exciting and filled with many questions. Please know that SHS staff are here to answer your questions and support your family in navigating the exciting high school opportunities that await! 

In January, Stevenson will host Orientation and Course Selection evenings for eighth graders and their families. 

Orientation: These evenings are an important part of the transition to high school as they provide families with information shared by our curriculum directors and students regarding course offerings and co-curricular activities. Families will also receive information regarding the online enrollment process, which must be completed for all freshman students by January 31, 2020. Directors, teachers, and Student Services staff will be available before and after the Orientation evenings to discuss your questions regarding the course selection and enrollment processes. 

Dates:
January 7 (Student last names A-H) 
January 9 (Student last names 1-P)
January 15 (Student last names Q-Z) 

Times:
6 p.m. Packet pick-up near the Performing Arts Center (PAC) - information packets 
containing a password for online enrollment, a 2020-21 course book, summer school catalog, co-curricular catalog, and health forms will be available for pick-up. 
6 p.m. School tours starting at the Forum (Point Entrance) 
7 p.m. Presentation in the PAC 

Course Selection: Eighth graders and their families will be able to meet individually with a school counselor for a brief conversation about freshman course choices. Student Services staff will also be available during these evenings to answer questions related to enrollment. Prior to the Course Selection Evenings (and after the Orientation evenings), families will receive a mailing from SHS sharing the course recommendations for their child. 

Dates:
January 23 (Student last names A-L) 
January 28 (Student last names M-Z) 
Time: 4-7 p.m. 
While we ask that you please attend the date that corresponds to your last name so that we may try to balance numbers, choose an alternate date if necessary. There is no need to inform us of the change. 

Interpreters in Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Russian, and Spanish will be available for these events. Please email Suzanne Paloian at spaloian@d125.org no later than January 3 if you require an interpreter in one of these languages. 

The Student Services Division has prepared a resource for students and families entitled Transitions, This guide, which is enclosed in this mailing and also available on the SHS website (click here to download), provides a comprehensive outline of the transition to high school process and addresses frequently asked questions.

If you have any questions regarding Orientation, course selection, and/or enrollment, please contact Regina Anderson (reanderson@d125.org/847-415-4502) or Suzanne Paloian (spaloian@d125.org/847-415-4500). 

We look forward to meeting you and your child! 

Kind regards, 
Sarah Bowen
Director of Student Services