December 2020

CALENDAR NOTES

• December 3 – Preview has been cancelled.
• December 7 – Late Start at 8:15 a.m.
• Christmas Break – Monday, December 21- Friday, January 1.
• Christmas Break Office Hours: December 21-23, and December 28-30, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• School resumes on Monday, January 4, 2021 at the regular time with the first bell at 7:40 a.m.

DECEMBER CONCERTS:  The Choir, Band & Orchestra Concerts originally scheduled for December 10, and 15  now be virtual concerts.  Please be sure to check social media for the times these will be available.  The Chambers Concert on December 17 is cancelled.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS:   Illiana Christian High School is seeking to expand its on-call substitute teacher list. Interested applicants should be professing Christians, have an active membership in a local Christian church, be able to manage a classroom, and pass a criminal background check. Demonstrated success as a classroom teacher is a plus, but not required. For more information or to apply, contact Marie Limback, Director of Admissions, at mlimback@illianaweb.org  or 219-558-7066, ext. 49.

ATTENDANCE REMINDER:  Parents must call the school (219-558-7066)  by 9:00 a.m. to inform the school of a student’s absence and indicate why the student is not at school that day.  If they are sick please let us know the symptoms.

Parents may call beginning at 7:15 a.m.  To view the full Attendance Policy please refer to the Parent – Student Handbook found on our website.

EMERGENCY CLOSINGS:  Information regarding emergency closings is available through the school website.   Parents will also be notified by email, text message or by phone using Parent Alert through RenWeb.

ADMISSIONS: 

Preview Illiana, December 3, 2020 has been cancelled due to new state COVID restrictions. BUT, prospective students and their families can schedule a tour of Illiana almost anytime, and can talk with an Illiana student via video chat, text, or phone. Contact Marie Limback, Director of Admissions, for more information at mlimback@illianaweb.org.

DRAMA DEPARTMENT

WINTER FESTIVAL (12/11): Have the COVID blues got you feeling trapped? Come to Winter Festival for some family fun in the school’s courtyard. The event will feature tabletop dioramas depicting our Christmas play, It’s a Wonderful Life, musical performances by a band, orchestra, and choral groups, Christmas caroling, bonfires, and hot chocolate and food served from a couple of food trucks. The outdoor event runs from 5-8 pm. Hope to see you there!

CHRISTMAS PLAY (12/12):   This year’s Christmas play, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, will be live streamed over the internet on Saturday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 19.  The play, a radio version of the classic Christmas story, reminds us all that “No man is a failure who has friends.” Please watch our social media for information on how to buy tickets for the event.

Also, come out on Friday, Dec. 11 to get a sneak peek at how we created different sound effects in the show, to enjoy a preview of the play along with tabletop dioramas of the story created by our student artists, to listen to music, and to enjoy food treats and hot chocolate at our Winter Festival.

BUSINESS OFFICE

TUITION INFORMATION:   The following items have been added to your December statement:

• Athletic Trainer Fee of $50 for winter athletes.
• Athletic Competition Fee for winter athletes.
• SPIRE fee of $68. If there is a yearbook charge on your statement your child placed an order, if there is no yearbook charge, then an order was not placed.  To change your child’s order please email Suzanne Jonkman at sjonkman@illianaweb.org.

COUNSELING OFFICE

ACT TEST PREP:

• The ACT test will be offered at Illiana on Saturday, April 17, 2021. Detailed information regarding the ACT test will be emailed to parents of all juniors and will be available on the Illiana website.
• To register for the ACT test go to: act.org.   Our school code is 154444.  Be sure to enter this code so that Illiana receives a copy of the results to include on students’ transcripts.  The deadline to register for the April test is March 12, 2021.
• Illiana offers four nights of coaching from 7 – 9 p.m. on March 18, 23, 25, and April 6. Students may sign up for the Illiana coaching in the office, beginning December 7.  The deadline to sign up for coaching is February 12.  The cost is $50, and must be paid in advance by check or cash.  We are not able to add this charge to your tuition.  Students may sign up in the office with Mrs. Jonkman.
• If you have any questions regarding the ACT test or coaching for the test, contact your student’s counselor. Contact Mrs. Melanie Benes for students whose last names begin with A – K (mbenes@illianaweb.org) or Mr. Neil Zandstra for students whose last names begin with L – Z (nzandsra@illianaweb.org).

P.I.E. BOARD NEWS

• Volunteers: We are looking for a Taco Meat Cook.  You would need to be at school from 7:00 -8:30 a.m. to cook the meat.  This would be about once a month on Wednesday mornings. Call Terri Schaaf if interested-708-259-0749.
• The $200 P.I.E. fee will be applied to the December tuition bills. Please read the letter that was sent out on Tuesday, November 24 from the P.I.E. Board which explains the fee and how to earn credit towards it. Remember to go to https://signup.com/go/CLJRmEw to pick your days.
• Fundraisers:
  • Golden Opportunity Books are for sale in the office. We offer both Northwest Indiana and Chicago South Suburbs books. They are $25 each and make a great Christmas gift!
  • Rise and Roll Bakery: We will be having a fundraiser on January 29, 2021 at Rise and Roll Bakery in Schererville and Cedar Lake locations. Pre-ordering will be available. Look for more details in January!
• SCRIP:  Remember to order your Christmas gift cards with Shop with Scrip (shopwithscrip.com). There are a limited number of small denomination gift cards available, perfect for stocking stuffers and holiday gift giving. These cards will only be available while supplies last, so don’t wait to place your orders. Remember the last order before Christmas is December 1.

ATHLETIC NEWS

We would like to remind you that spectators for winter sporting events are limited to parents and siblings of team members.  We thank you for your cooperation.

OUR CHRISTMAS WISH:  We at Illiana Christian High School want to wish all our families a very Merry Christmas!  It is a wonder and a blessing to be able to celebrate Christmas with joy, conviction, awe, delight, praise and gratitude.  The Messiah is Born!  Alleluia!