Latest news with #SouthElginHighSchool
Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: School District U-46 honors top graduates in class of 2025; Elgin police launch new initiative to help autistic drivers
The District U-46 School Board honored the academic accomplishments of the top 47 graduating seniors from the district's five high schools in a program held May 12 at South Elgin High School. Those recognized were: Bartlett High School: Kaitlyn Jenison, Krish Patel, Jingyuan Wen, Whalan Eid, Ryan Chien, Benjamin Emro, Audrey Martin, Zara Yasoob and Jack Conner. Elgin High School: Sebastian Siwiec, Jason Allen, Rishi Shah, Joshua Nato, Aaditya Sanghavi, Eric Nazario, Evangeline Comings, Brody Grosenbach, Liza Aygul and Jai Patel. Larkin High School: Lucy Akemann, Lara Amaro, Erany Fahmy, Addison Kuttnauer, Jenna Mack, Lydia Soto, Caitlin Sweeney and Samantha Winer. South Elgin High School: Carter Beucler, Anthony Cavallo, Anna Christopherson, Donald Doan, Ava Franch, Emmett Hanson, Mackenzie Klinger, Ethan Messer, Nishar Parekh, Ayush Patel, Dia Patel, Kamila Sangabriel and Kalia Verdino. Streamwood High School: Sophia Lortie, Danielle Althea Sotto, Sophie Saflarski, Salman Amir, Ream Basraoui, Leonor Nevarez and Claire Dresser. The Elgin Police Department, in partnership with The Autism Hero Project, is now participating in the nationwide Blue Envelope Program. The program 'is designed to support autistic drivers during traffic stops or other motor vehicle interactions, bridging communication gaps and ensuring safer, more respectful encounters with law enforcement,' according to a post on the police department's Facebook page. Blue Envelope kits are provided to drivers with autism and include the person's driver's license, vehicle registration, insurance card, communication method (verbal, nonverbal, etc.) and support contact information, the post said. Instructions are printed on the envelope for both the driver and the officer and can be presented at the time of a stop or police event, helping to reduce anxiety, prevent misunderstandings and to build trust. The kits are available at the front desk of the Elgin Police Department, 151 Douglas Ave. For more information, call 847-289-2700. Debra Miller will portray author Laura Ingalls Wilder in a show called 'All That I Have Told Is True' being presented at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. Miller is a professional actress with more than 30 years of experience performing for live audiences, on television and in film, library officials said. For more information or to register for the program, go to or call 630-584-0076. The Elgin and Carpentersville police departments are taking part in the nationwide 'Click It or Ticket' campaign enforcing seat belt usage through the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The campaign will be conducted in the evening hours because Illinois crash data shows higher rates of traffic accident fatalities occur at night involving people not wearing seatbelts, a news release said. 'Seat belt use should be an automatic habit for everyone,' Carpentersville Police Chief Todd Shaver said in the release. 'Buckling up is the simplest way to reduce injury or save a life in a crash.' The 'Click It or Ticket' campaign is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. For more information, go to
Chicago Tribune
07-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
South Elgin High School teacher surprised with Golden Apple Award, the second U-46 winner in two years
Just before the start of one of his classes Wednesday morning, South Elgin High School teacher Matt Erbach was startled when his classroom was suddenly filled with people he wasn't expecting. Members of the Golden Apple Foundation, fellow teachers and staff members, and his wife Kathryn were there to celebrate his selection as a 2025 winner of a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. 'My watch is already pinging, telling me my heart rate's up,' Erbach said after being bestowed with the honor and being given a gift basket from foundation President Alan Mather. Only 11 high school teachers in the state of Illinois were selected to receive the prestigious teaching award this year out of more than 470 nominees. The winners are chosen based on a number of criteria, including lasting, positive effects on students' lives and school communities. Each recipient is given a $5,000 cash award and a paid spring sabbatical from Northwestern University. They also become fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators. 'We hope that Matt is going to prepare the next generation of teachers to be just like him,' Mather said during his presentation. Erbach teaches precision manufacturing and engineering, subjects that have real world applications, connect with people in other countries and will never leave a student asking, 'How am I ever going to use this?' Mather said. This is not the first time Erbach has been lauded for his work. In March, he was named Teacher of the Year by the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education. And he's a past recipient of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence and an Illinois State Board of Education Award of Meritorious Service. Among Erbach's initiatives was an after-school project in which a team of six students designed and produced a two-part aluminum 'leg bone' portion of a prosthetic leg. The effort resulted in the team taking second-place in the Phillips Machine Student Competition, beating out designs from college and university teams, Erbach said. The work was done in conjunction with Life Changer Manufacturing, an after-school group at Chickasaw High School in Mississippi that works with high schools across the country in designing prosthetic legs made for and delivered to amputees in Latin American nations, he said. Erbach's work on the project dates back to when he was teaching at Streamwood High School, where he taught for 16 years before coming to South Elgin two years ago. The students he works with now not only attend South Elgin but travel from other high schools in District U-46 for his classes, he said. One of the big benefits for those in his classes is a chance to work with state-of-the art CNC (computer numerical control) equipment with which they can design and make items out of metal. Erbach said South Elgin is the only high school in Illinois to have some of the machinery it uses. Senior Eddie Guerrero used the equipment to make a chess set, which Erbach praised for its detail, particularly the intricate knight pieces. 'It's been amazing working in Mr. Erbach's classes,' he said. What he's enjoyed, Guerrero said, is that Erbach allows students to think up their own projects and helps them execute them. In fact, the classes have inspired Guerrero to attend Elgin Community College in the fall to study industrial manufacturing technology. Fellow senior Soren Erikson already has an after-school job as a machinist's assistant at Haumiller Engineering in South Elgin thanks to taking the classes he's taken with Erbach since his freshman year. This summer, Erikson said, he has a paid internship with Haumiller and will learn how to program its CNC machines. In the fall, like Guerrero, he will be studying manufacturing at ECC. 'From taking classes with Mr. Erbach, I saw that you could make good money and have a good career path,' Erikson said. That's one of his goals as a teacher, Erbach said. Educating students to realize their skills can lead to future success in the industrial arts and well-paid jobs, he said. Right now he has 70 students are enrolled in his classes. 'That's too few. I'd like to see that double,' Erbach said. Erbach is the second consecutive School District U-46 teacher — and the second teaching in South Elgin — to win a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Last year, Aimee Legatzke, a kindergarten teacher at Fox Meadow Elementary School in South Elgin, became the first teacher is district history to receive the honor. The Golden Apple Foundation rotates which grade level of teachers it recognizes in a given year, with this year high school teachers being recognized. In the 2025-26 school year, teachers in fourth through eighth grades will be honored, followed by pre-kindergarten to third grade in 2026-27 and high school again in 2027-28.
Chicago Tribune
07-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
South Elgin HS student designs Windy City Bulls uniform for team's Hispanic Heritage Night
Bryanna Sánchez has a special reason to attend the Windy City Bulls game March 21 at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. 'This will be the first time I see my uniform in action,' Sánchez said. The 18-year-old South Elgin High School senior designed the basketball uniform to be worn by the team on Hispanic Heritage Night, entering a contest that was open to all School District U-46 students. Sánchez's design incorporates more than 20 flags of Latin American nations along the jersey's side panels. It also includes the Bulls logo, the team's name in Spanish ('Los Toros') and a logo for the U-46 Educational Foundation. The shorts show the Chicago city skyline silhouetted against a red background. The game, which has the Bulls facing off against the Mexico City Capitanes, is a fundraiser for the foundation. 'I thought it was important to see all those countries and cultures represented (in my design),' Sánchez said. Karah Landries, ticket sales and community impact manager for the Windy City Bulls, said her concept ticked all their boxes. 'Our team felt that Bryanna's final product encapsulated our contest's goals the best, and we're excited to share her expression of creativity with our players and fans,' Landries said. U-46 Educational Foundation coordinator Jean Bednar said they've been holding fundraisers with the NBA G League Team for the last few years. 'For the current season, March 21 was one of the only available Fridays and the Bulls already had it slotted for the theme of Hispanic Heritage Night. So we were very happy to have it for our fundraiser game,' Bednar said. Ethan Ketchmark, the team's ticket sales and membership services manager, suggested the design contest for U-46 students, who worked with a template provided by the team. About 50 students across an array of grade levels took out applications for the competition and six ended up submitting designs, Bednar said. While the Windy City Bulls have worn specialty uniforms for Chicago Bulls Night, Polish Heritage Night and other special events, this year's Hispanic Heritage Night marks the first time a uniform design contest has been held, Landries said. It's also the first time Sánchez has designed a piece of clothing. 'I enjoyed doing this. I thought it turned out great,' she said. Sánchez said the skills she's learning as part of U-46's Beacon Academy of Media & Digital Arts translated well to working on the project. What also helped was working as a sports marketing and broadcasting intern last summer with the Kane County Cougars minor league baseball. At South Elgin High School, Sánchez is a member of the varsity volleyball squad and the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (an honor society for high school students enrolled in Spanish and/or Portuguese language classes) and social media manager for Storm Nation, the school's student spirit effort. She plans to study sports marketing and media in college. Because she submitted the winning design, Sánchez will be given four tickets to the March 21 game; the uniform she designed, customized with her last name; and four Los Toros figurines, which the first 1,000 fans to arrive at the game will also receive. All player jerseys, including the one worn by the team mascot, will be auctioned during the game, with proceeds benefiting the U-46 foundation. Additionally, $5 from each $25 ticket sold also will go to the foundation, funds from which help pay for annual teacher grants and scholarships. Tickets can be purchased at Originally Published:
Chicago Tribune
20-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
South Elgin High School teacher announced as one of 30 finalists for 2025 Golden Apple Award
A South Elgin High School teacher is among 30 finalists for a 2025 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, and nine other U-46 educators are among more than 500 being honored by the Illinois State Board of Education. Matthew Erbach teaches civil engineering, architecture and precision manufacturing courses at South Elgin, according to a news release from the nonprofit Golden Apple Foundation. A teacher for nearly 20 years, Erbach was the second-place winner in 2018 and one of 54 finalists in 2017 in the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, the release said. He also was an an Illinois State Board of Education Award of Meritorious Service honoree in 2024. Erbach has a bachelor's degree in teaching from Northern Illinois University and a master's degree in workforce development from Southern Illinois University, according to the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools website. In the Golden Apple news release, one of Erbach's colleagues said his passion and expertise, in addition to the positive impact and support he extends to students, serves as a 'benchmark for quality, surpassing many other manufacturing programs in the state.' Golden Apple Award winners will be announced in spring. Northwestern University provides a free spring sabbatical to award recipients and each receives a $5,000 cash award. The finalists were culled from more than 470 nominations, according to a foundation news release. Award recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a group of educators who help prepare the next generation of teachers in Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs, which are initiatives dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois. 'Great teachers change lives. These finalists exemplify the dedication and passion that define exceptional teaching,' Alan Mather, president of Golden Apple, said in the release. 'Their commitment to fostering student growth and inspiring a love for learning enriches not only their classrooms but also the entire educational community. We are honored to recognize their invaluable contributions.' In the awards announced by the state board of education, nine Those Who Excel honorees are employed by Elgin-based District U-46. They are: Kimberly Blazek — second-grade teacher at Centennial Elementary School, Award of Excellence; Patricia Briones — project access coordinator, Award of Special Recognition; Jill Gerovac — math teacher at Eastview Middle School, Award of Excellence; Angela Ginnan — principal at Eastview Middle School, Award of Meritorious Service; Paul Kowalyszyn — English teacher and instructional coach at Streamwood High School, Award of Meritorious Service; Lela Majstorovic — deputy superintendent of instruction, Award of Meritorious Service; Rafael Martinez-Ortiz — associate principal at Dream Academy, Award of Special Recognition; Jose Mora — world languages teacher at South Elgin High School (Award of Special Recognition; Angela Rojas — early childhood teacher at Independence Center for Early Learning, Award of Special Recognition. According to the ISBE website, the Award of Excellence is the most prestigious of the honors, followed by the Award of Meritorious Service and the Award of Special Recognition. For more information on the awards, go to and
