The Huntley Farmside

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Thursday, August 19,1999
Farmside
A Press Publications newspaper m^ serving the Huntley community
Volume 39, Issue 33
Schools prepare for Monday start
By Tim Anderson
Press Publications
What will be new this school year in District 158? Quite a bit.
When school begins for students Monday, 500 more children are expected to be in the system than last year, an enrollment increase higher than previous projections.
Joining the students will be dose to 50 new teachers and certified staff members, School District 158 Superin¬ tendent Jerry Hartley said.
A recently completed 12- classroom addition to the Hannony Road campus vdll help   house   the   additional
students and teachers. The new wing for the middle school/high school will be filled with the district's fifth- graders, who in the past have attended class at the ele¬ mentary schools.
Along with all of these changes. District 158 also is trying to finish the new ath¬ letic field in time for the high school's first home football game, Aug. 27.
While the summer clearly has been far fi'om a vacation for administrators, Hartley said the district will be ready for students on Monday.
"You   never   feel   totally
prepared, but we should be
able to get the school year ¦   SCHOOL, Page 2
District plans open houses
By Tim Anderson
Press Publications
School District 158 will hold open houses at its two cam¬ puses tonight for parents and students.
"The open houses are a chance for teachers, students and parents to meet each other before the school year starts," District 158 Superin¬ tendent Jerry Hartley said. "And the students will get to see the building where tiiey will be spending a lot of time over the next few months."
The open house for pre¬ schoolers through fourth- graders will be held fi*om 6-8 p.m. Thiu-sday at the Huntley campus, where North and Soutii elementary schools are located.
Preschool students, kinder- • gartners, first-graders and some second-graders will have their open house at North Elementary School, 11302 S. Lincota St.
Some second-graders, third- graders  and  fourth-Naders
Will have their open house at South Elementary School, 12015 Mill St.
K parents have questions about where their second- graders' open house and class will be, they can call the ad¬ ministrative office at (847) 669- 5248.
The open house for fifth- through 12th-graders will be held fi-om 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Harmony Road campus, 13719 Harmony Road, where middle school and high school students have their classes.
Hartley said new teachers already have been in the school buildings for orienta¬ tion sessions.
District 158's school year officially begins Monday. Harmony Road campus stu¬ dents will meet fi-om 7:30- 10:45 a.m. Monday. Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. at South School and at 8:40 a.m. at North School. Both element¬ ary schools will let students out at 11:40 a.m.
Kindergarten and preschool classes do not begin imtil Tuesday.
Brian Lee (left) works with his brother, Kiel Mueller, to refurbish a paric bench in Huntley Town Square as part of his Eagie Scout requirements.
Earning his wings
Community service puts Huntley teen on route toward Eagle Scout ranking
By Tim Anderson
Press Publications
As Brian Lee put the fin¬ ishing touches on his service project for the Huntley Park District on Monday, he also was completing his long journey to becoming an Eagle Scout. -
Like many youngsters, Lee joined the Cub Scouts in first grade. Unlike many, though, the Himtiey 17-year- old stuck with the Scouts.
"Only 1 or 2 percent of the people who join the Boy Scouts get the Eagle Scout badge," said Don Schepler, Scoutmaster of Huntiey Boy Scout Troop 167. "It's very hard to eam, and there's a
lot of work that goes into it."
One of Lee's final re¬ quirements to becoming an Eagle Scout was initiating and finishing a community service project; Lee chose to rebuild and refiirbish four park benches in the village's Town Square.
Completing a budget and fitness program is now all that stands in the way be¬ tween Lee and the Eagle Scout ranking. He will be¬ come the first Huntley resi¬ dent to eam the ranMng in the seven-year history of Boy Scout Troop 167.
As a sophomore at Hunt¬ ley High School, Lee ahnost decided to quit the Scouts altogether.
"It wasn't cool; the 'cool'
people weren't in the Boy Scouts," said Lee, recalling his thoughts for almost leaving the troop. "But then I thought, 'What's the pomt of quitting?'"
Lee was drawn back to the Boy Scouts in part be¬ cause of the group's armual hiking trek in New Mexico. On that trip and other out¬ door adventures, Lee said, he leamed some of the most important lessons learned fi'om the Scouting experi¬ ence: teamwork and lead¬ ership and survival skills.
"At first, it's really in¬ timidating going on those trips," Lee said. "You think, 'Oh my gosh, we could die there,' because there have ¦   SCOUT, Page 2