Enjoy every moment, Spartan Spotlight with Katelyn Berry

Katelyn Berry has some good advice for future SJO students.

"Enjoy every moment, do not take anything for granted, and to live every moment to the fullest," said the senior, who thinks SJO is simply a great place to be.

"The coronavirus pandemic has made me realize that I shouldn’t ever take anything for granted. I realized that you don’t really know what you have until it’s gone, " she explained. "This will definitely make me feel more grateful for everything I have."

Berry, a four-year veteran in the St. Joseph-Ogden volleyball program, was involved in a number of organizations in high school. She was a member of NHS, the Advisory Mentoring Program, the Future Spartans Mentoring Program, Spanish Club and the Maroon Platoon. She was also on Student Council and played basketball for one season.

"Going to SJO was special for me because I made incredible friendships and memories through volleyball," she said. "I had some of the best teachers throughout my years at SJO, and I had some of the most memorable experiences in all of the activities I was involved in at SJO."

Her favorite classes over the years were Advanced Spanish III with Sr. Zak Sutton and Civics and Economics with Mr. Marshall Schacht, who she notes is one of her favorite high school teachers. She added that Mrs. Stone and Mr. Risley were her two favorite teachers at St. Joseph Middle School.

In addition to speaking Spanish, the St. Joseph native said she would also like to learn French, German and Italian some day.

This fall, Berry will join the student body at the University of Missouri to major in health sciences. Her career goal will be focused on o becoming a licensed physical therapist, something she decided on almost two years ago after suffering a sports injury.

"I realized I wanted to be a physical therapist when I tore my ACL sophomore year during club volleyball season," she said. "I had to spend seven months going to physical therapy and being in that atmosphere made me realize that I could see myself doing that as a career one day.

"A lot of people don’t enjoy going to physical therapy, but I noticed that I actually liked being there," she added.

Berry was a key figure in the Spartan volleyball team's 37-5 record and third-place state finish back in November. She finished her final season with SJO with over 250 kills, 169 digs and 18 service aces in 2019.

She loves the atmosphere of big games, the one's where there is so much energy in the air you can reach out an touch it.

"Even though we were hours away from home, our fans showed up and made the place have so much energy that really helped us through that game," Berry said, describing the 'incredible atmosphere' during SJO's thrilling supersectional match against Chicago Christian. Another game she will remember is the Spartans' road match at St. Thomas More game her junior year. "We beat them in three sets. Once again, our student section showed up and they really made it even more enjoyable to play."

Poised with a high level of mental toughness, Berry is the player you on the floor with you in a match when your team is the underdog facing overwhelming odds. In crucial moments during a game, she might bend but can't be broken. The higher the stakes, the tougher, more focused she becomes. Giving up nor giving in, neither don't appear to be an option her book.

"I always try telling myself to stay calm. It’s a lot easier to play when you’re up on the scoreboard," she said. "So whenever we were down I would just remind myself to think about what you’re playing for. We were playing for a trophy all season long and I was constantly reminding myself of that."

On Friday nights during football season Berry was on the sidelines responsible for keeping offensive stats. Following in the footsteps of her older sister who was a statistician when she was in high school, she became a stat girl after Lindsey Aden, a really good friend was a stat girl her sophomore year, recruited her the fall of their junior year.

"To be a stat girl, you have to really focus on the game the entire time," she said. "A lot is happening really quickly and you have to get it all down."

In her free time, she likes to hang out with her family, which consist of her parents and two siblings - an older sister and an older brother - as well as friends.

When she's chilling with family and friends she likes to go to Marble Slab for ice cream, play monopoly, and watch movies.


at

SJO rolling with pandemic punches, 2020 graduation still possible

"The science says students can't go back to their normal routine," said Governor J.B. Pritzker on Friday before making the announcement that Illinois schools would remain closed for the remainder of the academic 2019-2020 year. Two minutes into his daily briefing, he dropped the hammer that students, especially seniors hoped would not fall. "We know there are many school districts with unique challenges and we will work with them on issues as the need arise."

With remote learning already in progress for several weeks, St. Joseph CCSD #169 superintendent Brian Brooks said the district really didn't have any major hurdles that needed to be cleared to finish out the school year.

"The challenges are now geared towards how we wrap up the school year with students and staff without having them physically in the building," he said. "Remote learning has been far from perfect, and I’m sure very frustrating at times for both students and staff."

Brooks said he is very impressed with how students and staff throughout the district has responded to the new and hopefully temporary normal. Hopefully, by the time the Class of 2021 is ready to take their first step into the hallways at St. Joseph-Ogden High School in August, the infectious danger will be minimal.

Students and teachers are looking forward to returning to the brick mortar setting. However, the return to normal could be short-lived with prominent epidemiologists and immunologists warning a second wave or resurgence is possible.

In the absence of a vaccine and immunity through exposure, countries around the world may need to continue social distancing into 2022 to prevent critical care units according to a projections in a Harvard study published in Science.

"One of the biggest challenges for our teachers is reaching every student, and then being able to motivate every student to keep pushing and moving forward academically," Brooks explained. "I, like probably everyone else, sincerely hope we don’t return to remote learning, stay at home order, or shelter in place situation again this fall, but if we were to ever have to do this in the future, yes I do think students and staff will be more prepared."

In the mean time, Brooks and his team are looking at ways the district safely provide a commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020.

There are several ideas in consideration. One is to replicate various portions of the ceremony, video those things happening while observing social distancing protocols, and then put it all together into a single production to give graduates a sense of a "true graduation ceremony."

"We want our graduates to be able to walk across the stage with their cap and gown on, and their parents/guardians be able to take a picture of that," he said. "If it means doing it one graduate at a time so that we stay within the guidelines and keep everyone safe. We hope to have details finalized and information to be pushed out over the next week or two."

Brooks said it is "absolutely heartbreaking for both the Class of 2020 and their families." The district is going to do everything it can so that SJO seniors can have the best possible experience considering the extraordinary circumstances.

That includes possibly holding graduation later in the summer.

"We are certainly not opposed to doing a traditional ceremony in the summer, and would relish that opportunity for our graduates, but we want to prepare as if that isn’t going to be allowed so that we can hopefully offer our graduates something that will be memorable for them."

Gov. Pritzker acknowledged that seniors this year will leave school in a way that they never expected, a sentiment that extends school staff and the parents of the Class 2020.

"I know you are feeling sad about missing the rituals of senior prom, senior pranks, senior nights and of course graduation," attempting connect with the emotions thousands of senior around the state listening to his address. "Hear it from me as your Governor: There is room for you to feel all those things big and small. You will get through this, too."

The Governor said this year's seniors will talk about this moment in history, remembering it for the rest of their lives. He spoke assuredly that this class of Illinois high school students would go on to do amazing things despite missing customs enjoyed by generations before them.

With group protests over the governor's shelter-in-place order starting mirror those in other states along with and a slight increase in citizens around the country disregarding social distancing protocols over the past week, the curve public health agencies are trying to flatten could rise. Sadly, that would put any plans of a live ceremony by the district in jeopardy.

Brooks admitted that "a mass gathering of 2,000 people any time this summer is probably becoming less realistic as each day goes by."

"There is nothing we can say or do that will replace what (our seniors) have lost," he said.


at

Graduating from college in 2020? Let us know

From the very start The Sentinel has publish the names of graduates from our area who have earned degrees from colleges and universities around the state.

Graduates whose names were omitted from our list such as in this linked story - please know it was not intentional - was due to the lack information supplied by their college public relations department.

University communications and public affair offices typically provide or make available lists of fall and spring graduates by zip code. Quite often students living off-campus supply their school address in the city they live while attending school as their contact address instead of their hometown address.

This also happens when The Sentinel and other news organizations publish semester or quarterly Dean's List and Honor Roll accolades.

Are you graduating from a two or four-year institution this May? Is your son, daughter or grandchild earning a college degree, a masters or their doctorate?

The Sentinel would be more than happy to share your graduate's academic accomplishment, so by golly don't be shy and let us know about it. We here to help celebrate the milestone with friends and neighbors in our community. Your news may help inspire a student in high school or junior high to reach for the stars.

Submit the information below with as much information as possible. Then email them to us at editor@oursentinel.com.


ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JULY 1, 2020, AND INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

• Student’s full name and a contact email address
• A brief description of the graduate including future plans, special achievements, activities, employer etc.
• Name of college or university graduating from
• Major
• Degree earned (for college graduates)
• Year graduating from SJO (if applicable)

Please include your name and telephone number or name and email/phone number for parent or guardian if we need to verify the submitted information at the bottom of the email.


at

Senior Spotlight with Jordan Kelly, Stephanie Trame & Luke Renfrew

Luke Renfrew

Clubs & Activities
Football (4 years), Boys’ Basketball (4 years), Maroon Platoon

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
He has an older brother

Hobbies:
Hanging out with friends and family and working on cars.

Favorite SJO memory:
Luke enjoyed competing in the IHSA Football Playoffs three of his four years. He has really enjoyed sports in general because of the positive moments he has been a part of.

Favorite classes:
Agriculture with Mr. Billman and any class he has had with Mr. Duval.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Ford at St. Joseph Middle School and Mr. Duval, Mr. Billman, Mr. Skinner, Mrs. Kerner, and Senor Sutton at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Career:
Will become a union apprentice electrician in January

Advice to future SJO students:
Enjoy high school because it goes by so fast.

Jordan Kelly

Jordan Kelly basketball poster

Clubs & Activities
Basketball (4 years), Soccer (3 years), Football (1 year), Maroon Platoon

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Two older brothers

Hobbies:
Hanging out with friends and family, and playing sports

Favorite SJO memory:
Playing Spartan basketball this past season and the bonds he has created at SJO with all of his teachers and students.

Favorite classes:
Math with Mr. Duval, all of his strength classes, and all of the English classes with Mrs. Lindenmeyer

Favorite teachers:
Throughout his years of schooling, Jordan’s favorite teachers are Mr. Risley at St. Joseph Middle School and Mr. Duval at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Parkland College, Construction Management

Advice to future SJO students:
Do not take anything for granted.

Stephanie Trame

Clubs & Activities
Volleyball (4 years), Maroon Platoon, NHS, Spanish Club, FCA, AMP, Student Council, We The People

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
One sister

Hobbies:
Traveling and hanging out with family and friends.

Favorite SJO memory:
Qualifying to compete at the IHSA State Volleyball Tournament at Redbird Arena in the fall of 2019. She will never forget this great moment and nor when the whole SJO varsity volleyball team got stuck in the hotel elevator for about 15 seconds. Additionally, she will always remember going to the We The People State Competition in Chicago during her senior year.

Favorite classes:
English classes with both Mrs. Chambers and Mrs. Lindenmeyer and Civics with Mr. Schacht

Favorite teachers:
Mr. Risley at St. Joseph Middle School and Mrs. Lindenmeyer, Mr. Schacht, and Mrs. Rein at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Plans to attend Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She has not decided on a major.

Advice to future SJO students:
Enjoy every day and to participate in everything you can.

Photos and text provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School

at

SJO senior spotlights with Nolan Peacock, Zoey Witruk & Nick Bensyl

Nolan Peacock

Clubs & Activities
Track and Field (3 years), Drama Club (2 years), Spanish Club, We The People

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Two older brothers, two older sisters

Hobbies:
Spending time with friends and family, playing guitar, and working.

Favorite SJO memory:
He is going to miss the home football games, post prom, and all of the fan bus trips to IHSA State over the years. He really enjoys when the whole school is involved.

Favorite classes:
Every Spanish class with Senor Sutton, U.S. History with Mr. Schacht, and Horticulture with Mrs. Nekolny

Favorite teachers:
Senora Nelson, Senor Sutton, Mr. Schacht, and Mr. Simondsen.

College:
University of Illinois to study media and cinema studies.

Advice to future SJO students:
Cherish every moment of high school because it goes by so fast.

Special thanks:
Nolan wants to thank the faculty and everyone at SJO for making high school such a great, positive experience for him.

Zoey Witruk

Clubs & Activities
Softball (4 years), Student Council, Spanish Club, Maroon Platoon, SADA, NHS, We The People

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
One older sister, Tori.

Hobbies:
Reading, spending time with friends and family, and being a part of her travel softball team, the Peoria Sluggers.

Favorite SJO memory:
Some of the moments she really enjoy included going to volleyball and basketball games. As a fan, Zoey remembers the varsity volleyball match at STM in 2018, when the Spartans were down late but then rallied to win. She had a blast at the IHSA State Softball Tournament her freshman year. She also enjoys

Favorite classes:
Civics, English, and Chemistry

Favorite teachers:
Her favorite all-time teachers throughout all her schooling are Mrs. Stone and Mrs. Ford at St. Joseph Middle School and Mr. Simondsen and Mr. Schacht at SJO.

College:
University of Illinois, majoring in animal science. She plans to become a veterinarian.

Advice to future SJO students:
Do not take any moment for granted because high school goes by so fast.

Nick Bensyl


Clubs & Activities
Scholastic Bowl



Hometown:
Ogden

Siblings:
A younger sister

Hobbies:
Playing video games and playing different kinds of trivia games.

Favorite SJO memory:
His greatest memories at SJO involve Ms. Pensinger. Nick feels lucky to have had Ms. Pensinger as his substitute teacher for the semester during both his sophomore year and his senior year. Nick has also enjoyed taking college courses at SJO, especially computer networking.

Favorite classes:
World History with Mr. Kieffer and Consumer Education with Mr. Skinner

Favorite teachers:
Throughout the years, his favorite teachers have been Mrs. Max during 5th and 6th grade at PVO, and Mr. Kieffer, Mr. Skinner, and Mr. Beckett at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Parkland College, majoring in computer science information technology

Advice to future SJO students:
Do all homework


Photos and text provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School
at

Logger to Red Devil, Jordan Brooks joins Eureka College hoops program

Earlier this week, St. Joseph-Ogden alum Jordan Brooks joined the Eureka College basketball program after finishing his class work at Lincoln Land College.

He can't wait to put on the Red Devil uniform and be a part of a successful program with a potent offensive. Despite their season cut short when the NJCAA canceled the remainder of the 2019-2020 season, Eureka finished the campaign with a 16-9 record. Brooks' new team averaged 91.8 points per game with six of this year's contests ending with scored over 100 points.

SJO's Jordan Brooks
Former SJO basketball star Jordan Brooks makes a pass during the Spartans 2018 sectional semifinal game against Monticello. The Spartans fell in a heartbreaking 47-39 thriller at Maroa-Forsyth High School. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)


"I think my shooting, basketball IQ, and being a team-first guy will bring a lot to the table for our team next year," said Brooks, who is excited with the opportunity to continue his basketball career and has future plans to become a successful college coach. "Coach Wilde has built a great winning culture there and I can’t wait to be apart of it."

During his final season at Lincoln Land, Brooks started in all 31 games with a shooting average of 40% in and outside the arc. He averaged 10.5 points per game. He put drained 5 treys against John Wood on his way to a 19 point finish on February 26 and scored 18 against Illinois Wesleyan's JV squad nine days earlier.

"I learned a lot in my two years there," he said about his tenure with the Loggers, despite the team's 4-27 record this year. "I just learned how intense the college basketball world is. You never play against a bad player, it shows how deep talent is in basketball."

Being a student-athlete isn't easy. Brooks has learned as much off the hardwood as he as on it. He's learn to manage his time better as well as be an adult for the first time on his own.

"It was a good experience and I met a lot of good people."

The former Spartan basketball star will major in Sports Management at Eureka and after graduation hopes land a position as a graduate assistant basketball coach.


at

Lights for the Fight tonight at St. Joseph-Ogden High School

Tonight starting at 8pm, the field lights at the St. Joseph-Ogden Sports Complex will be on for 20 minutes for "Lights for the Fight" phenomenon that is sweeping through the state. High schools around the state are turning the lights on as a show of support for seniors and front-line and essential workers who are doing their part in the country's fight to save lives and keep fellow American safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many states and high schools around the country have organized various initiatives involving school lights according the Illinois High School Association.

"Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago was one of the early adopters in putting the spotlight on this cause in Illinois. Caravan administrators asked their fellow Chicago Catholic League schools to take part via social media, and it has now grown statewide."

Some schools are making this gesture a Friday night tradition. It is unknown at this time if St. Joseph-Ogden will do the same.

The show of solidarity and support will have extra significance as Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to announce that schools will remain close for the rest of this academic year today or tomorrow. The Illinois governor has also hinted that the current shelter-in-place order may be extended into mid-May as other state leaders have chosen to implement.

The closure and stay-at-home extension will undoubtedly force the IHSA to cancel this spring's high school athletic season for thousands of athletes around the state.

at

Breaking News: School's out

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to announce the closure of schools until August during his daily Covid-19 briefing today or tomorrow.

The closure will affect some 2.2 millions students around the state and will break the hearts of hundreds of athletes, particularly seniors, who will not be able to participate in high school sports. The Illinois High School Association has yet to tip its hand, but after the governor makes the official announcement the state's athletic organization will probably make the official announcement soon after.

Illinois will join 27 states that have either ordered or recommended the same action according to Education Week.

* * * UPDATE * * *
During today's briefing Gov. Pritzker officially announced the end of in-school instructions for all schools in Illinois.

"My decision are hard ones but they will follow the science. The science says our students can not go back to their normal routine. Therefore, I am suspending in-person learning in schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year," the governor announced following the decision of other state leaders around the country like in the states Tennessee, Wisconsin and California. "I know many felt this was inevitable but trust me when I say this was not a decision I made lightly."

By 2:50pm, the IHSA released their statement.

"As we previously indicated, the cessation of in-person learning will make it difficult for the IHSA to conduct spring state tournaments this year. More information will be provided following Tuesday’s Board meeting."

The Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday to make their final determination on the spring sports tournament series the release said.

at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

More Sentinel Stories