Incoming Freshmen

Enrollment Information

Online Enrollment Due By Jan. 29

During the week of Jan. 4, families will receive information on how to complete the online enrollment process for their student. Parents will need to review and upload the required documents and complete the following:

• Household information:

  • Address and phone contact for the primary and additional household (where applicable).

    • Note: Parents/guardians living in separate households will need to provide a copy of the parenting agreement for school records.*
       

• Parent information: 

  • All parent/guardian email addresses and home, cell and work phone contact numbers.
     

• Student information: 

  • Student’s birth certificate (translated in English).* 

  • Health/medication information, immunizations, doctor and hospital choice 
     

• Affirmation of Legal Residency:

  • Verification and confirmation of the household address where the student is living.

  • For leases: Terms of the lease (start and end date) and landlord contact information.

    • Note: In accordance with the  Illinois School Code, all students attending Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 must be legal residents of the school district. You are required to verify your residency by affirming that your child lives in the Adlai E. Stevenson school district and submitting photocopies of the required documents during the annual residency verification process.
       

• Consent for Records

  • Allows Stevenson faculty to communicate with sender school regarding your student.
     

• Home Language Survey

  • In accordance with state law, all students must complete this information regarding language(s) spoken by your student and family.

*Please note that your child’s birth certificate and parenting agreement (if applicable) must be in digital form to upload during the online enrollment process.

Annual Residency Verification

On an annual basis, each family will need to verify that they reside in the District 125 attendance boundaries. Families will receive detailed instructions in the spring.

Registration Instructions

After residency has been verified, families may complete the online registration and fee payment process for the upcoming school year. In early summer, families will receive instructions in the mail.

Need Help?

If you have any questions on completing online enrollment, please call Student Services at (847) 415-4502 or email us at frosh_registration@d125.org. For technical assistance or login help, please call (847) 415-4208

Parent-Student Orientation

A video of our orientation program will be available on our website after Jan. 13.  If you have questions, please call the Stevenson switchboard: (847) 415-4000.

Freshman Packets

The week of Jan. 4, parents of incoming freshmen will receive an email with information on how to complete the online enrollment process. The week of Jan. 4, families will receive a packet containing information pertaining to course selection, student life and health forms. Materials will include:

• Coursebook - This book describes all of the courses offered at Stevenson High School.  Please familiarize yourself with graduation requirements and retain the Coursebook for future reference. An electronic version of the coursebook can also be found on the Stevenson website. 
   
• Freshman Course Offerings - All freshmen are required to take math, science, English, and physical education (or dance), and may select up to three additional electives, of which one elective may be a study hall. In addition, World History and Geography must be completed some time during freshman or sophomore year or during summer school.  Please examine the list to select elective courses. Counselors will be available to answer questions regarding SHS courses at the Course Selection evenings in late January. Families will receive placement (mathematics, science, English and World Language, if applicable) and Course Selection Worksheets in mid-January. Course Selection Worksheets must be returned to SHS via email, fax, or mail.
   
• Summer School Booklet - Online Registration will be available in late January.
   
• Co-Curricular Brochure - Please review all possible co-curricular activities. You will have an opportunity to find out more specific information about every activity at the virtual Co-Curricular Fair on March 16-18. Research shows that students who become involved in school activities feel more connected to the school community.
   
• Stevenson Sports Booster Flyer - Families new to Stevenson are invited to become a member of the Sports Boosters. Additional information is available on the Stevenson website.

Benchmark Testing for 2020-21

Our benchmark exams are used to determine placement in English, Mathematics, and World Language courses for incoming freshmen (including students who transfer into the district) and for some new students in grades 10-12. Our divisions may use a slightly different evidence-based process to arrive at their placement recommendations, so please review the information below for division-specific benchmark details.

For incoming freshmen from non-sender schools and transfer students, please note that families must be registered as district residents through our Student Services Division before testing can take place (To verify residency, please contact the Student Services Division at 847-415-4500).

World Languages

Placement in World Language courses is determined by student performance on a language-specific assessment that can be completed remotely. Students who have prior coursework or experience in Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Spanish, or Latin, and are interested in potential placement in one of these language programs beyond the introductory level, may sign up for the corresponding language benchmark exam.

• For Chinese, French, German, and Spanish, students will complete the listening, reading, and writing portions of the AAPPL exam.

• Students interested in completing a placement exam for Hebrew will complete the listening, reading, and writing portions of the STAMP exam.

• For Latin, students will complete the ALIRA assessment.

Please note that students enrolled in Spanish in most of our sender middle schools/junior highs will complete the Spanish benchmark exam in their middle schools/junior highs and will not need to complete the benchmark exam through SHS at this time.

Please click on this link to preregister for the benchmark exam. The pre-registration window will open on November 24. Codes for the exam will be sent within one week of preregistration, excluding winter break. Students should complete all elements of the benchmark exam by January 8. The exam this year will be administered remotely and proctored by a parent or guardian. Contact Sylvia Lima at slima@d125.org with any questions regarding benchmark testing for World Languages.

Science

Recommendations for our Science classes are based on MAP scores in Mathematics and Reading, as well as a review of students’ performance in 8th grade. Our Science Division first reviews mathematics Map scores; based on strong mathematics MAP some students given the recommendation/choice:

• AC Chemistry or AC Biology 

For the other students, we review the MAP Reading score to give one of three options. We also consider the English recommendations and then:

• Recommend AC Biology with a choice of AC Chemistry
• Recommend AC Biology with a choice of CP Biology
• Recommend CP Biology with a choice of AC Biology
• Place in CP Biology

Mathematics

For students transferring into Stevenson from outside Consortium 125 schools, the mathematics course placement will be determined based on a complete transcript from the previous school and curriculum review of the student’s previous course. A full topic-by-topic syllabus of the previous course is requested. 

Families must be registered as district residents through our Student Services Division before a transcript and course curriculum review is initiated. (To verify residency, please contact the Student Services Division at 847-415-4500.) Contact Valerie Tomkiel at vtomkiel@d125.org for details around the transcript/curriculum review. 

Communication Arts

Our Communication Arts Division uses the Fall or Winter MAP reading score to make a Recommendation for placement.

Students who are able to provide a standardized reading and/or English test score (from the MAP, AIMS or Iowa tests, for example) do not need additional assessment. Contact Kim Musolf at kmusolf@d125.org to submit such scores at any time.

For students who cannot provide a standardized reading and/or English test score, recommendation/placement in Freshman English and literacy courses is determined by a reading assessment of the student’s ability to comprehend and analyze text. Students should expect to read texts, answer questions in argumentative paragraphs, and answer online multiple-choice questions. This test is also open to students who wish to reassess and change their initial Academic Literacy placement. In order to arrange for this SHS testing, please contact Denise Perkins at dperkins@d125.org.

Parent-Student Course Selection Evenings

Parents and students are invited to attend the Stevenson High School virtual course selection evenings from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Students and parents are asked to attend a specific evening, but if you have a calendar conflict with your assigned evening, feel free to attend on the alternate day. There is no need to inform us.

• A thru I: Thursday, January 21
• J thru R: Tuesday, January 26
• S thru Z: Wednesday, January 27

The course selection evenings will be held virtually. Please see our letter below for Zoom links and worksheet instructions. Unless instructed otherwise by a counselor during a course selection evening, completed forms must be received from parents by Friday, Jan. 29. Forms can be emailed to frosh_registration@d125.org, faxed to (847) 634-0644, or mailed to the attention of Regina Anderson at Adlai E Stevenson High School.

Reminder

Parents should remember that this is just the start of the high school process and they will have ample time to talk to Stevenson personnel, if necessary, prior to the beginning of freshman year.

Freshman Course Verification

Course verification sheets will be mailed home on Feb. 10.  These sheets will list all courses entered for the student's freshman year. Instructions for submitting elective course request changes will be included. A smooth and effective beginning to the school year will be enhanced by early decisions.

Student Guidebook/Planner

All Freshmen have the Student Guidebook/Planner downloaded onto their iPads.  Students can purchase a paper version in the School Store. This book will help your transition to high school by familiarizing you with school procedures and give you an opportunity to establish goals, manage your time, enter assignments, establish priorities, and record personal and social information.
 

iPads & Technology

How Freshmen Receive Their SHS iPad

All incoming freshmen receive an iPad which they keep until they earn a diploma with Stevenson. Class of 2025 students attending summer school will receive their SHS iPad in the classroom on the first day of summer school. Students attending the first session of summer school, will receive their SHS iPad on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. If only attending the second session, students will receive their SHS iPad on Monday, July 6, 2021.

Additionally for students attending summer school, an optional hour long iPad orientation session will start at 1 p.m. on June 1 and again on July 8. The session will be held in Link Lab, Room 3016.  Students may sign up by replying to an email they will receive about the session. Additionally, students may simply show up to the session.

For students not attending summer school: SHS iPads will be distributed on Freshmen Orientation Day, Wednesday, August 11, 2021. An optional hour long iPad orientation session will be available at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, August 12. The session will be held in Link Lab Room 3016. Students may sign up by replying to an email they will receive about the session. Additionally, students may simply show up to the session.

For frequently asked questions about SHS iPads please visit this webpage:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdNRT0q2YjPCl2a1_Lem2ytJPgQ6r3JVh_NQYQmc4Dg/edit#

Student Access to Technology

Stevenson students are given access to several different technology programs. Every student is provided with a network account, an email account, Canvas account, IRC account and an Infinite Campus account. Login information (account names and passwords) should be kept private at all times.

Students with questions or needing assistance with the SHS issued iPad should visit the technicians at the SMARTdesk. The SMARTdesk is located in the Link Labs building. During summer school, the SMARTdesk is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special hours will be posted.  During the school year, it is open on regular school days from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. On late arrival days from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  Special hours will be posted.

During the school year, computers are available for student use in the Information Learning Center (ILC) in the west building (Room 1300) or in the East Learning Center (Room 7026). Freshmen may use the desktop computers during study hall by asking a classroom teacher for a pass to one of the Learning Centers from study hall.

The use of a Stevenson High school computer is intended to serve instructional purposes only, playing games are not permitted. In exchange for the privilege of using the District's computers, computer network, and Internet access, students must consent to staff members monitoring such use.

In order to use the Internet, a summer school student must have a signed Acceptable Use Guideline form (regarding access and use of the District Information Services systems) on file. For the school year, students will agree to acceptable use during the registration process.  Inappropriate use of the District's computers, computer network and/or Internet access may be considered gross disobedience or misconduct.

For additional information regarding technology services for students, please visit the online SMARTdesk webpage: https://www.d125.org/student-life/tech-services

Calendar of Events

Date	Event
Jan. 8	World Language Benchmark Exam due
Jan. 13	Incoming Freshman Family Orientation Webinar
Jan. 15	Placement letters mailed home
Jan. 21, 26, 27	Course Selection Evenings
Jan. 25	Dance Placements Video Submissions Due Date (Audition Material Released 12/16)
Jan. 29	Online Stevenson Enrollment due
Jan. 29	Freshman Year Course Selection Worksheets due
Feb. 10	Freshman Year Course Verifications mailed home
March 16 - 18	Co-Curricular Fairs
April 20	Orchestra & Guitar Placements (Check website for audition materials)
April 26	Band Placements (Check website for audition materials)
May & June	Annual Residency Verification & Registration Fee Payment
June 1	Health Forms due
June 8 - July 1	Summer School - Semester One
July 6 - 29	Summer School - Semester Two
June & July	Sports PREP Activities
June - July	Band Summer Rehearsals (Band Directors will send out details)
Late July	Band Camp – exact dates TBA
August 11	Freshman Orientation Day
August 12	School Begins

 

NOTE: You may also subscribe to the online newsletter, E-Minuteman, in order to receive news alerts.

2021-22 Freshman Orientation Day

Information coming soon!