August 2019

Illiana Christian High School is ready for the 2019 -2020 school year! We look forward to seeing you the third week of August. Until then, we have many details to share with you. If you do not find answers here, check our website www.illianachristian.org . You can also call us at 219-558-7066.

CALENDAR NOTES

August

• 20 Freshmen 1st Day
• 21 All Students 1st Day
• 22 & 23Auditions for the
• Fall Play – Clue
• 29 Underclassmen Pictures

September:

• 2 Labor Day/No School
• 5 Back to School Night
• 10 Freshmen Breakfast
• 16 Golf Outing
• 17 & 18 Sr. Retakes
• 24 Cookout

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

TEXTBOOKS: Freshmen should get their textbooks following orientation on Tuesday, August 20 from 1:00 pm through 2:00 pm. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can pick up their textbooks Wednesday, August 13 or Tuesday, August 21 from 3:00 pm through 7:00 pm. Students are expected to have their textbooks the first day of school. Textbooks will not be distributed the first day of class.

PARKING FOR 2019 – 2020: The administration has decided to postpone numbering the parking lot, however, for identification purposes, all student drivers must have a parking tag displayed in their car. Tags will be numbered and specify North or South lot. If you still need to register for parking the forms are available on the Illiana website. The $20 fee will be billed with tuition. Parking tags will be mailed in mid-August.

WELCOME NIGHT: Incoming freshmen families and transfer students will be receiving an invitation to Welcome Night on August 19. Invitations will be sent out soon.

FRESHMEN CHALLENGE: Illiana Christian High School welcomes ALL incoming freshmen to Freshmen Challenge (formerly Freshmen Orientation) on Tuesday, August 20, 7:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Join us for a day of orientation. When you arrive please meet us in The Commons. You will receive another copy of your schedule, your textbooks, and your Chromebook as well as run through your classes and meet each of your teachers. Buses will run this day.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Immunization records and birth certificates are require for all freshmen before school starts.

CHALLENGED TO RIDE: Join us for the 3nd Annual Challenged to Ride Bike Ride on Saturday, August 24, 2019, at 7:00 am. This year we are featuring three different rides, the first is the “Griffith/Crown Point Bike Path ride. The second is an Illiana to Momence Open Road Ride, and lastly we have a “walk & roll” ride here on Illiana’s campus! To register or for more information please check our website.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: The first day of school is Wednesday, August 21. Please note this will be a full day. Students will report to homeroom by 7:45 a.m. and school will be dismissed at 2:50 p.m. Returning students will have received their schedule when they picked up their textbooks. Additional copies will cost $1.00.

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT: Parents are invited to come to school to visit the classrooms and meet their students’ teachers on Thursday, September 5, at 7:00 p.m. Remember this is for parents only.

PICTURES: Underclassmen will have their pictures taken on Thursday, August 29. Seniors will be able to have photo retakes on September 17 and 18. Seniors, please see Mr. De Vries about scheduling a time.

ICHS GOLF OUTING: The Illiana Christian Golf Outing will be on Monday, September 16, at Briar Ridge Country Club in Schererville, IN. Please contact Darren DeBoer (219-558-6670 ext. 14 or ddeboer@illianaweb.org) with any questions or to sponsor the event. Online registration is available through our website

FALL PLAY: The Drama Department will present Clue, a madcap comedy based on the Parker Brothers Board Game. The oddball characters will keep you laughing as the audience tries to guess whodunit. Audition materials will be available on the school website in the beginning of August. Auditions will be August 22 and 23 after school. Any questions, email Mr. DeVries at jdevries@illianaweb.org.

MOMS IN PRAYER: The Illiana Moms in Prayer group will meet the 1st, 3rd and 5th Mondays at Illiana on days when school is in session beginning August 26 @9am. Meet with us for an hour of prayer for our school, faculty, staff and students. For more information, email ICHSmomsinprayer@gmail.com or check out the website at momsinprayer.org.

ADMISSIONS &

ENROLLLMENT NEWS

HOST FAMILIES: We are still seeking families interested in hosting an international student for the 2019-2020 academic year. We are anticipating having several students join us this fall who do not yet have a host family. We are thankful for the opportunity to welcome students into our community for an academic year and in some cases, an entire high school career. Please prayerfully consider being a host family for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year. The host family receives a stipend covering a full year’s tuition for one of their own children.

Questions about anything related to Illiana admissions and re-enrollment can be directed to Director of Admissions, Marie Limback, at 219-558- 7066 Ext. 49 or mlimback@illianaweb.org.

CARPOOLS: Are you interested in being part of a carpool to and from Illiana this year? Are you looking for a ride or can you take another passenger in your vehicle? Illiana can help connect families who need help making arrangements for carpools.

Please email Admissions Director Marie Limback at mlimback@illianaweb.org with your name, home address, phone number, and indicate if you need a ride or can offer a ride. Mrs. Limback will share your information only with other families who have indicated an interest in carpooling, so families can then connect with each other.

FROM THE BUSINESS OFFICE

MONTHLY PAYMENT AMOUNT CHANGE: Due to RenWeb software updates, tuition billing is automatically calculated and cannot be customized. The monthly payments will be as follows:

August – April: $911.82/month

May – June: $911.81/month.

Foundation Fund Earnings Form: Please complete and return to the school office no later than October 31. Late forms will not be accepted. If you choose not to claim this, your allocation will go to the Tuition Assistance fund.

EFT Form: EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) – You are encouraged to participate in the automatic tuition payment plan using electronic fund transfer. Payments will be automatically taken from the account of your choice. A new form must be completed every year.

Tuition: Every family should pay the first of eleven monthly tuition payments by August 15. The monthly payment is $912.

To comply with Indiana State Voucher requirements the technology fee has been reduced to $75 for this year. Your tuition statement will show a $15 credit.

COUNSELING OFFICE UPDATES

SCHEDULES: When first semester schedules are available through ParentsWeb, we will send an email Students will also receive copies when they pick up their textbooks. The counselors will be in the office starting the week of August 12. If any changes are needed, please email your requests to your counselor. Some changes can be made after school starts but only under very limited conditions. Students whose last names begin with the letters A-K, contact Mrs. Melanie Benes (mbenes@illianaweb.org) and students whose last names beginning with letters L-Z, contact Mr. Neil Zandstra (nzandstra@illianaweb.org).

ACT: Seniors who wish to take (or retake) the ACT on Saturday, September 14, should register by Friday, August 16. Note: This September testing will not be held at Illiana. You must register online at www.actstudent.org. Our school code is 154444. This code should be used for both SAT and ACT testing registration to ensure your scores are sent to Illiana.

COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID NIGHT/FAFSA INFORMATION: Parents of juniors and seniors are invited to the College Financial Aid Night on September 30, at 7:00 p.m., in the Commons. This is an important seminar to attend as you begin the college and financial aid application process. Please make this a priority.

GENERAL REMINDERS

STUDENT INSURANCE: Illiana does not have medical insurance coverage for your child. If your child is hurt, even if at school, we do not have a policy to cover that injury. We expect that all our families have their own health insurance.

PARENTS OF SENIORS: If your student is planning to attend the class trip this fall in October, the fee of $635 will be due September 12. More information will be coming soon.

PARENT-STUDENT HANDBOOK: The Parent-Student Handbook contains important information regarding academics and student life here at Illiana Christian High School. The Handbook is located on our website: My ICHS>Parent-Student Handbook.

DIRECTORY: The directory is available on RenWeb>ParentsWeb>School Information>Directory. You may search by Family or School Staff. The School Staff option will display all faculty and staff and their contact information, including email addresses.

SECURITY: After the school day has started, doors will be locked. Anyone arriving after 8:00 a.m. must use the entrance by flagpole. Late students and all visitors, will need to be buzzed in by the office staff. Late students must sign in and receive a pass. Visitors are required to sign in at the main office and wear an identification badge. You must sign out when you leave.

P.I.E. NEWS

Parents Involved in Education (P.I.E.) is Illiana’s fundraising organization which raises funds for the Excellence in Education program. To encourage participation, each Illiana family is assessed a “P.I.E. fee” of $200, which is billed on the tuition statement. When you volunteer the required amount of time, you will receive a credit to offset this fee.

Information from the P.I.E. Board will be sent in a separate email. There you will find important information regarding volunteer positions, volunteer sign-up, the SCRIP program, the lunch program, and contact information.

SCRIP: Please refer to the emails of August 23 and 24 for some exciting news about the SCRIP tuition reduction program.

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

NEW ATHLETIC REGISTRATION SOFTWARE – COMING SOON: The Athletic Department will be switching registration software from 8to18 to FinalForms. Parents will be notified by email when registration for fall sports is open. All athletes must be registered before tryouts begin. If you have questions, contact Ashley Kamstra at akamstra@illianaweb.org.

PHYSICALS: All students planning to participate in any sport during the 2019-2020 school year must turn in a current physical form before tryouts for that particular team begin. Physicals are required every year. Forms are available in the office or through the link on our website. You may mail or turn forms into the main office.

TRAINER FEES: The Athletic Department enlists the services of a certified athletic trainer. The trainer, Melissa Vargas, will be available at many of the home events and after school on practice days to provide athletes with prompt treatment as well as preventative measures such as taping, bracing, etc. Every student who participates in sports at Illiana will be assessed a fee of $50 per sport to help defray the expense of this program. This fee will be added to your tuition statement.

TRYOUT REMINDERS:

Both boys and girls soccer tryouts will be August 5, 6, and 7 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Girls volleyball tryouts will be August 5, 6, and 7. Freshmen – 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Sophomores – Seniors 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Boys Tennis Tryouts will be August 5, 6, and 7 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Cross Country: Tryouts will be the week of August 5. Contact Mr. Luke Fennema with any questions, lfennema@illianaweb.org.

In the midst of all these details, let’s remain focused on what is of greater importance to us all. Pray for the school, our teachers, and our families that this school year will be a blessing to God and will expand His kingdom in hearts and hallways. We are not the only ones preparing for a new school year; the Spirit of God is also at work here.