Latest news with #NewTrierHighSchool
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
New Trier seniors graduate in traditional black and white attire
In keeping with tradition, New Trier High School seniors eschewed graduation gowns and mortarboards in favor of white dresses for the girls and white jackets and black trousers for the boys at their June 1, 2025 graduation at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. There were 869 Trevians launching into the world beyond high school at the 125th annual commencement. Handheld long-stemmed red roses stood out against the girls' white dresses, on a mild, sunny spring day. 'They've done an amazing job, an incredibly resilient class and they've accomplished so much over their four years and it's been great to see,' Paul Sally, superintendent of New Trier Township High School District 203, said to Pioneer Press. Graduating senior Olivia Kim of Wilmette said, 'The pandemic was mostly in middle school for us but freshman year, we were still wearing masks and second semester is when we got rid of the masks. 'And that was weird at first, but then I got used to it. 'It was like the new normal, I guess,' said Kim, who added that the pandemic taught, 'definitely flexibility, learning to adapt and change, going with the flow.' The program included the presentation of diploma cases after speeches, including by alumni speaker Cody Fry, raised in Northfield and of the New Trier Class of 2008. Fry is a singer-songwriter and received global attention by being on the hit show, 'American Idol.' 'Be yourself,' Fry told the graduating students. The student speaker was Neil Sanderson from Winnetka. 'As the Class of 2025, collectively, we accomplished a lot,' Sanderson said. 'I can confidently say, we made the most of it.'
Chicago Tribune
26-02-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
New Trier promotes two administrators, adds a third
Two New Trier High School administrators will be taking on new roles in the 2025-26 school year with the school hiring an education veteran to fill another position. On Feb. 18th, the New Trier School board approved the promotions of Chimille Tillery to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and Dan Paustian to Associate Principal for the Northfield Campus. The board also approved the hiring of Nashwa Mekky as the new Chief Human Relations Officer. 'These three administrators are experts in their field and will help us further the goals of our strategic plan, New Trier 2030,' Assistant Superintendent Peter Tragos said in a statement. 'The hiring committees were impressed with not only their expertise, but their collaborative and student-centered approach to their leadership. All three stood out in a very strong field of applicants, and I cannot wait to start our work together.' Tillery will be moving into the position currently held by Tragos, who will take over as superintendent on July 1, upon the retirement of Paul Sally. Since 2018, Tillery has been New Trier's Director of Curriculum and Instruction where she supervises professional development, new teacher induction and subsequent mentorship, student teaching and testing. In addition, she is co-chairperson the Instructional Leadership Team and oversees curricular initiatives such as new course proposals and AP test auditing, among other responsibilities. 'A key priority in my new role is fostering strong, collaborative relationships with all stakeholders—students, parents, staff and the community. I see the biggest tasks ahead as ensuring that we continue to meet the diverse needs of our students while carrying out the district's strategic plan,' Tillery wrote in an e-mail. Before coming to New Trier, Tillery was a science teacher at schools in Chicago and Homewood-Flossmoor High School and later an assistant principal at Wilmette's Highcrest Middle School. Paustian is the school's Assistant Principal for the 2027 Graduating Class Team ever since the formation of the Graduating Class Teams in 2023. His responsibilities include presiding over student services, the adviser program, attendance, discipline and restorative practices and is a resource for students, families and staff. 'To be successful in this pursuit is truly a group process, but an essential one, to honor the rich history of excellence at New Trier, while also navigating the landscape to meet the needs of current and future Trevians,' he wrote in an e-mail. Before being named to this role, Paustian was the high school's social work coordinator at the Northfield Campus. Paustian will succeed Gail Gamrath, who is retiring on June 30 after 31 years at New Trier. Finally, Mekky has been named the new Chief Human Relations Officer, taking on a role now known as director of human resources. Mekky is currently the Chief People, Equity, Culture and Ethics Officer at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora. She worked previously in different educational roles starting in Arlington Heights and Chicago as an elementary school teacher, an associate principal at a Deerfield middle school and then principal of Howe Elementary School in Beach Park. Mekky will succeed Renee Zoladz, who is retiring after working at New Trier since 2019.
