Principal: Jordan Poll  /  [email protected]

Administrative Assistant: Peg McCarthy  /  [email protected]

Teachers and Staff:

Antonio Garcia – Social Studies  /  [email protected]

JaVion Holman – Mathematics  /  [email protected] 

Sabrina Farshori – Science  /  [email protected]

Clayton George – Physical Education & Driver Education  /  [email protected]

Carol Rodemeyer – English  /  [email protected]

Barbara Onchuck – School Counselor  /  [email protected]

Shaheen Shedbalkar – Social Worker  /  [email protected]

Tammy Nash – Instructional Assistant  /  [email protected]

We continue our commitment to maintaining health and wellness in school. Please review the items noted below.

• Your health and others’ health are a shared responsibility.
• Vaccination resources (flu, COVID-19, chicken pox, etc.) will be publicized. Testing resources will be publicized.

To prevent and respond to illness, be aware of health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including, but not limited to:

• COVID-19
• Influenza (flu)
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection (RSV)

Prevention Reminders

• Wash hands frequently
• Be aware of symptoms/health
• Cover nose and mouth with tissue when you cough or sneeze.

Our Practices

• Glenbard online health reporting form/process will no longer exist. Our health offices are available to answer questions and support families, students, and staff.
• Facility focus on cleaning and air quality is ongoing.
• Masks are available in health offices for students or staff to use.
• Masks are not required in the health office. We may post a sign asking for a mask to be worn if feeling ill.

Glenbard Township High School District 87 office
596 Crescent Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
630-469-9100
Superintendent – Dr. David Larson
Administrative Assistant – Donna Gastel
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services – Janet Cook
Administrative Assistant – Monica Torres-Martinez

Glenbard East High School
1014 South Main Street, Lombard, IL 60148
630-627-9250
Principal – Antoine Anderson
Assistant Principal of Student Services – Broderick Booth

Glenbard North High School
990 Kuhn Road, Carol Stream, IL 60188
630-653-7000
Principal – Dr. John Mensik
Assistant Principal of Student Services – Erika Willis

Glenbard South
23W200 Butterfield Road, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
630-469-6500
Principal – Jessica Santee
Assistant Principal of Student Services – Marina Kosak

Glenbard West
670 Crescent Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
630-469-8600
Principal – Ben Peterselli
Assistant Principal of Student Services – Peter Baker

Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), is an approach for establishing learning environments that are effective, efficient, relevant, and durable for all students, families, and educators.  MTSS is a process to match instruction and interventions to student needs.  

Directions Embedded Support

• 8:1 teacher:student ratio during instructional periods
• Monthly recognition events
• Daily AM all-school check-in
• Social work and counseling services
• Academic resource
• Team building/community building throughout year
• Online credit recovery
• Postsecondary planning
• Weekly student check-in
• Regular social/emotional learning presentations
• Regular college, trade school, and job-related visits

The Directions Compass
We are proud of the guiding spirit embodied in the Directions Compass. 

• Be Successful
• Be Involved
• Be Respectful

Our students pride themselves on being here on time every day, doing their best work, helping each other, participating, building positive relationships, and ensuring the Directions Program remains a welcoming and inclusive environment. With these shared principles, we all move forward together.

How to Earn Compass Cash

1. Perfect attendance for one week
2. Completing an Imagine Learning course
3. Following the Directions Compass

Compass Cash Raffles: enter Compass Cash into the raffle bin for a chance at prizes including snacks, gift cards, dance/activity tickets, etc. Drawings occur on the last Friday of every month

Students of the Month Awards
Students of the month will receive a certificate, lunch and have their picture displayed. Ceremony on the first Wednesday of every month.

• Perfect attendance for one month
• 75 percent or higher in all classes, including TCD
• Achieved monthly Imagine Learning goal

Compass Character Award
Compass Character is our largest non-academic award that focuses on a student’s quality of character, kindness to help others, positive attitude, and going above and beyond for their school and/or community. Compass Character recipients are what makes Directions a special place to be! Ceremony on the first Wednesday of every month.

Absent/Tardy Notification
Parents/guardians must notify the Directions program main office before 9 a.m. if their student is going to be absent or tardy.  Both can be reported 24 hours a day by calling (630) 790-5800 and pressing “1” for English and “2” para Español.

Excused Absences
Parents/guardians must call to excuse any absence. Examples of excused absences include, but are not limited to:

1. Illness or medical emergency
2. Observance of a religious holiday
3. Death in the immediate family
4. Medical and dental appointments
5. Court appearance
6. College visits – no more than three per year

Unexcused Absences
Examples of unexcused absences include, but are not limited to:

1. Babysitting for a younger sibling
2. Missing the bus/ride
3. Oversleeping
4. Staying home to complete assignments

Tardies
Students arriving to any class less than 15 minutes late are considered tardy. Arriving to class more than 15 minutes late is considered a class truancy.

Excessive Excused Absences
Students who are absent without an extreme cause for an excessive number of days within a semester may be required to produce a note from their physician to be excused.

1. Truancies or class tardies may result in disciplinary action.
2. Students who are absent to 4 or more courses in a day are considered full-day truant.
3. Students who accrue more than 6 full-day absences/truancies over the course of a semester are at risk of removal from the Directions program.

Refer to the prohibited student conduct and consequences detailed in the Glenbard District 87 student/parent handbook received from your respective home school.

Technology
Students are expected to follow all rules, policies, and procedures regarding the use of technology. Failure to follow these rules, policies, and procedures may result in the loss of access to technology for a prescribed period of time. Note: School officials may not request or require a student or their parent/guardian to provide a password or other related account information to gain access to the student’s account or profile on a social networking website.

Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is expected of all students. The district expects students to exhibit the traits of trustworthiness, responsibility, and fairness. Students engaging in dishonesty and plagiarism steal others’ ideas and fail to think and learn for themselves. Consequences are outlined in each home school student handbook, per board policy.

Bus Conduct
All students must follow the district’s School Bus Safety Guidelines. Failure to comply with these rules will not be tolerated. Consequences may include school discipline and/or loss of transportation privileges.

Disciplinary Consequences
All students that violate school rules, policies, and procedures are subject to disciplinary consequences. Parents/guardians and home schools will be notified of any infractions committed by students.

Dress Code
Students are expected to dress appropriately for school. Dress or appearance which presents a health or safety hazard, which materially and substantially disrupts the educational process, or which is prohibited by home school dress code requirements is not permitted.

Fee Waivers and Free/Reduced Meals
All applications for fee waivers must be obtained at the student’s home school. Additional information is available in the main office. All applications for free/reduced breakfast and lunch must be submitted yearly, at the home school.

Lockers
The Directions program staff is not responsible for lost or stolen items from lockers; therefore sharing combinations, or lockers with other students is not recommended.  The Directions Program administration may search lockers without notice or consent, including desks and personal effects.

Registration/Residency Requirements
Each year, students and their families must register and establish residency at their home schools.  Students found to live outside the district may be subject to being dropped from the Directions Program.
Note: When a student’s change of residence is due to the military service obligation of the student’s legal custodian, the student’s residence is deemed to be unchanged for the duration of the custodian’s military service obligation if the student’s custodian made a written request. The district, however, is not responsible for the transportation to or from school.

Collaboration Time
Glenbard North, East, South, and West have implemented collaboration time (Glenbard Hour) in their schedule, which can be utilized as time to receive additional help or as a free period. Directions will not use a collaboration time and students must stay on campus at all times during the school day. Additional student supports are offered at Directions during 4th and 5th period daily.

Student Access to Library Materials
Upon written request to the home school librarian, parents/guardians can limit an underage student’s access to library materials. There are two options:

1. Each time the student requests to check out library materials, the parent/guardian is notified, and their authorization is required before the materials are checked out to the student.
2. At the parent/guardian’s request, Glenbard can remove a student’s access to the digital library collections, limiting their Sora app to only the curriculum-approved texts.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Notice
The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) [20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99] and the Illinois School Student Records Act (ISSRA) [105 ILCS 10/1 et. seq.; 23 Ill.Adm.Code § 375] afford parents and students certain rights with respect to school records.

Bus
Bus transportation is available for students to/from their home schools at the beginning/end of each day.

Pick-up/Drop-off
Students may be picked up and /or dropped off at Door 5, on the North side of the Technology Center of DuPage (TCD) building.

Student Parking
If students wish to drive to Directions, a parking permit application must be completed and approved by the Directions principal. A valid driver’s license and current insurance will be kept on file. Applications are available in the main office. Student parking is a privilege, not a right. Students may have their parking privileges suspended or revoked at any time for not following school and district-wide expectations. This includes but is not limited to leaving school early without permission, improper or reckless vehicle conduct, parking an unregistered vehicle, use of drugs or alcohol, excessive truancy or tardiness, frequent or major discipline, and failing to serve disciplinary consequences.  

Cafeteria Expectations
To keep the cafeteria clean and enjoyable for everyone, we ask that everyone keep their area clean and respect the rights of others.  

Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and lunch will be served in the Directions Program Café/commons area each school day. The food service department uses a computerized point-of-sale program, which enables parents to pre-pay meals. To use the program, students will scan their ID to deduct the food cost from a pre-paid balance. Similar to a debit card, the system will not accept charges or negative balances. IDs must be acquired from each home school during registration. Students who qualify for free/reduced meals will use their ID card (as any other student would) to pay for their meals.

Courses Offered
All courses are delivered in the traditional classroom and with a computer-based learning platform. Students are assigned courses to complete their graduation requirements and are expected to be actively engaged in the learning process. Driver’s education (classroom only) will be offered.

Grade Reporting
Progress reports are available daily in PowerSchool; final grades are posted at the end of each semester.  Teachers will contact parents as needed regarding the academic and/or behavioral progress of students.

School Counselor
A school counselor will be available to assist students as they reach towards their full potential in academics, personal development, and post-secondary planning.

PowerSchool
An online system utilized at Glenbard campuses for students and parents to monitor academic progress and student attendance, and view the current schedule. 

Summer School
Summer school class information will be available from each home school counselor and course registration is strongly encouraged.

Technology Center of DuPage (TCD)
TCD will provide advanced electives that simulate real-world situations. Students may be able to earn college credit as well as earn credits towards graduation through hands-on learning, workplace skills, and practical applications. TCD will account for three periods of a student’s school day. TCD grades are accessible through an online system and log-in information will be provided at the beginning of the school year. Students can earn 1.5 credits each semester.

Unofficial Transcript
Unofficial transcripts are available at the end of each semester upon request. Credits are accrued at the end of each semester.

Student Images
Glenbard District 87 reserves the right to use images, photographs, or likenesses of students while engaged in school activities, in digital, video, or printed form and to allow the media into the school to cover non-public events, accomplishments, and news stories and to use images, photographs or likenesses of students, in electronic, video or print form. Unless parents or guardians request in writing to the Principal within 30 days of school that identifiable images of their child not be used. Parents/guardians should understand that if they withhold consent, none of the student’s information would be released. This includes examples such as information/photographs for the yearbook, award listings such as honor roll, and class project highlighted in digital or print form.

Important Websites

• Directions Bell Schedule: glenbard87.org/directions-program-bell-schedule
• TCD Website: tcdupage.org
• Parent/Student PowerSchool Login: ps.glenbard.org

Graduation Requirements
In earning the twenty-three (23) credits necessary to graduate, a student must successfully complete the following Illinois and Glenbard District 87 required courses of study. The recommended course of study for college-bound students is minimally considered to be 4 years of English, 3-4 years of math, 3 years of science, 3 years of social studies, and 2 years of a world language. Additionally, Illinois State School Code requires that all students take the ACT in order to receive a high school diploma from an Illinois public high school.

Courses of Study

• Communication – Eight (8) semesters = 4.0 credits earned
  This requirement must include seven (7) semesters of English and one (1) semester of speech.
• Social Studies – Six (6) semesters = 3.0 credits earned
  a. Two (2) semesters of United States History.
  b. One (1) semester of civics including instruction and assessments on state and local government (U.S. Government & Politics or AP U.S. Government & Politics).
  c. Three (3) semesters of Social Studies electives.
• Mathematics – Six (6) semesters = 3.0credits earned
  All students must pass two (2) semesters of Algebra. Additionally, students must pass two (2) semesters of Geometry based mathematics.
• Science – Six (6) semesters = 3.0 credits earned
  Students are strongly encouraged to take Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
• Cultural Arts – One (1) semester = 0.5 credits earned
  This requirement may be met through art, music, world language, or speech arts. (Speech arts must be in addition to required speech listed in “Communication”)
• Business, Family and Consumer Sciences – One (1) semester = 0.5 credits earned
  This requirement may be met through a course in Business Education, Computer Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, Technology and Engineering, or the Technology Center of DuPage.
• Physical Education – Six (6) semesters = 3.0 credits earned
• Health Education – One (1) semester = 0.5 credits earned
• Driver Education – One (1) semester = 0.5 credits earned
• Consumer Education – One (1) semester = 0.5 credits earned
  This requirement can be taken in one of the following programs:
  a. Economics or AP Economics (Social Studies).
  b. Consumer Management (Business, Life Studies and Technology / Family and Consumer Sciences).
  c. SE Consumer Education.
• REQUIRED COURSES = 18.5 credits earned
  ELECTIVES = 4.5 credits earned
  TOTAL = 23.0 credits earned

Erin’s Law Policy  4:165

“Erin’s Law” requires that all public schools in Illinois implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program that teaches: Students in grades Pre-K to 12th grade age-appropriate techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult. If you see something, tell someone. Report concerns to Deans, Counselors, Teachers, Student Services, or School Resource Officer. Additional links are provided below:

Resources:

• National Sexual Assault Hotline Confidential 24/7 Support
• Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse in Teens
• Warning Signs of Possible Sexual Abuse
• Grooming: Know the warning signs
• Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
• National Domestic Violence Hotline

Reporting Sexual Abuse

• Reporting to Law Enforcement
• Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
• Reporting to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

Safeguard Against Sexual Abuse in Schools – Faith’s Law
Faith’s Law expands the criminal definition of grooming beyond electronic communications to include written communications and acts committed in person or by conduct through a third party. The law also makes it clear that mandated reporters must report suspected grooming to DCFS under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

In addition to expanding the criminal definition of grooming, Faith’s Law includes several new requirements for schools and educators intended to prevent sexual abuse and misconduct in schools. Faith’s Law adds a completely new section to the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/22-85.5) pertaining to sexual misconduct in schools. This section requires all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools to develop an employee code of professional conduct policy that must be made available on the school’s website and included in any staff, student, or parent handbook.

Need to report a concern or an incident? Call your child’s school, state the reason for your call, and speak to the principal or a social worker.

The Illinois State Board of Education Sexual Abuse Response and Prevention Resource Guide

• www.isbe.net/Documents/Faiths-Law-Resource-Guide.pdf

Employee code of professional conduct policy

• Policy 5:120 – https://boardpolicyonline.com/?b=glenbard_87&s=27113

District 87 Nondiscrimination Commitment and Title IX Policy

• https://www.glenbard87.org/nondiscrimination-commitment-and-title-ix-policy/

Glenbard Township High School District 87 is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in its education programs and activities and employment. Learn more at the district’s nondiscrimination commitment and Title IX policy page.

The Title IX coordinators for Glenbard District 87 are Janet Cook and Josh Chambers. Their contact info is listed below:

Janet Cook
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services
Glenbard Township High School District 87
596 Crescent Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
[email protected]
630-942-7667

Josh R. Chambers
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Glenbard Township High School District 87
596 Crescent Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
[email protected]
630-942-7652

The PDF version of the 2024-25 Directions program student handbook can be found here.

The Acknowledgement of Receipt statement is on the final page of the PDF above. Students should print out this page and include their signature.