First Day of School Special Bell Schedule
New Rams Pass Explanation and Criteria
Cell Phone Expectations
Bell Schedule
Grayslake Central
In this newsletter, you will find important information regarding:
Key Upcoming Dates
August 5- 9 - Band Camp
August 12 - First Day of Fall Sports
August 14 - Freshmen Orientation
August 15 - First Day of School
August 17 - Fall Sports Parent Meeting, 9am Theater
August 23 - Ramily Rally, 4-9pm Stadium
September 2 - No School
September 12 - Open House, 6:30pm
A Message from GCHS Administration
We are so excited to welcome our students back to the building on Thursday, August 15th, 2024. In lieu of a traditional green or white block schedule day, our teachers will be hosting ALL of their students on the first day back. This will allow for introductions, team building, relationship building and clear expectations shared in each classroom. For lunch, the cafeteria will be open and grade 10-12 students with Off Campus permission, denoted as a blue OC icon in PowerSchool, will be allowed to leave campus. Please take a moment to read this Ram Roundup, as it outlines new changes related to Rams Block and cell phone expectations.
Welcome back, Rams, to another exciting school year at GCHS!
Sincerely,
The Administrative Team
Mr. Landry, Ms. Bryniczka, Mr. Przybylski, Mr. Shafron
Beginning of School Information
Wednesday, August 14th: Freshman Orientation
Click here to read the communication sent to freshmen families.
Thursday, August 15th: First Day of School Key Information
Student IDs will be handed out today in first period. Student IDs must be worn on a lanyard once entering the building.
All students should bring their charged Chromebook.
All Life Fitness classes (except Health and Drivers Ed) will not change in the locker rooms; all students should meet their teacher in the Theater. Health and Drivers Ed classes should report to their classroom.
Need help with logging into your Chromebook? Stop by the Tech Office (2620) or email helpdesk@d127.org
Textbooks will be handed out the first week of school through individual departments.
Have Off Campus for lunch? To confirm, check your schedule in PowerSchool to verify you have a blue OC icon. This allows you to scan out for lunch. Rams Pass allows students the ability to move throughout the building during Rams Block. Rams Passes will not be handed out until the following week.
Friday, August 16th: Transition to our traditional block schedule (8:15 am start), with Blocks 1-4 (Green Day)
Our passing periods are changing from 6 minutes to 5 minutes. School begins at 8:15am and ends at 3:20pm. Click below for updated schedules.
District 127 Daily Bell Schedule
Printable Bell Schedules, including Advisory times
On the first day of school, we will have a special bell schedule, where students will attend all 8 of their classes and four breakouts.
First Day of School Bell Schedule (August 15, 2024)
Cell Phone Expectations
Starting this school year, all Central classrooms will be equipped with a phone storage unit where students will be expected to store their cell phones and earbuds during class time.
Rams Block with Advisory + Rams Pass
Rams Block will now include a mandatory 20-minute homeroom for all students, called Advisory. This time will focus on fostering relationships, delivering announcements to all students, and supporting their engagement within our school community.
Similar to OC Grade pulls in the past, grade 10-12 students may earn Open Campus privileges, called a Rams Pass. This pass allows students to leave their Rams Block classroom after Advisory and move throughout the building. Students must meet specific grade, attendance, and behavior criteria.
Please visit our Rams Block + Advisory webpage for more information on:
Bell schedule with Advisory times
Rams Pass Criteria
Application for Rams Pass (coming soon)
Schedule Change Requests
All schedule change requests must be submitted through this form. Please do not email a counselor or department chair. Teacher changes will not be honored nor will period changes, like Lunch, Rams Block or Life Fitness classes.
This form will open and close in two windows.
Before school begins: form opens Monday, August 5 through Friday, August 9th at 11:59pm. Schedule changes will begin to be processed on Wednesday, August 7th. If approved, updated schedules will be viewable on PowerSchool by Wednesday, August 14th.
After school begins: form opens Tuesday, August 20 through Friday, August 23 at 11:59pm. If approved, students will receive their updated schedule from their counselor.
Only level change requests will be accepted after Friday, August 23rd. To begin the level change process, students must pick up a level change form from their counselor. Level changes must be completed by Thursday, September 26, 2024.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute Names GCHS teacher Danielle Hegerty as the 2024 Illinois History Teacher of the Year
Established in 2004, this prestigious award recognizes exceptional elementary through high school teachers for their outstanding contributions to American history education.
Presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 American history education, this award honors one K–12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and United States Territories.
Danielle strives to foster a love of history in her students. She looks for ways to allow all of her students to feel seen in her lessons, and in the history of the United States. Danielle also coaches both Cross Country and Track and Field at Grayslake Central.
Congratulations, Danielle!
Want to ensure your student is registered for the 24-25 school year?
Log into your ParentPortal in PowerSchool and verify that all enrollment forms say "Submitted/Approved."
Don't see that? Please follow the instructions here. This must be done by August 12, 2024.
Off Campus Caregiver Permission Form is Open!
With permission from guardians, completed at registration or using the button below, any sophomore, junior, or senior access to leave the school premises for lunch, Rams Block (if specific criteria for Open Campus are met), and blended course
Off Campus Permission Form is found here
(under the Off Campus heading)
First Day of School!
We hope you are excited for a fun-filled day! You will get to meet all of your teachers with a special schedule. There will be 4 breakout sessions in the middle of the day where you will have some fun with your graduating class, engage with an amazing speaker, Lucca Petrucci, as well as learn the most important pieces of what it means to be a Ram. This day is all about getting reacquainted with Grayslake Central and building relationships among classmates, teammates, and staffulty.
Activities do not stop during the summer! Theatre was preparing for the fall musical Mamma Mia, while student council continued planning homecoming fitting the same theme of Mamma Mia! Debate ran their annual summer camp and many others prepared for the year to come! We had two groups continue their season after the school year ended. FBLA member Thomas Natarajan competed at Nationals while Kya Fog and John Agnew competed at the Summer Games for Special Olympics! We cannot wait to see what this year brings!
Central offers over 50 clubs! Stop by the Student Life office across from the cafeteria to learn more or check out the activities website here!
Welcome our new Athletic Director, Mr. Dave Shafron!
A Message from Mr. Shafron...
Hello Ramily! It is an honor to take on the role of Athletic Director at Grayslake Central High School; it is truly a dream come true for me and my family. Throughout my personal and professional life, I have seen the tremendous impact that athletic competition and participation have on the lives of students, positively influencing their short- and long-term well-being. From day one, it is evident that Grayslake Central is a special place with passionate coaches, committed athletes, and supportive parents. I am excited to contribute to this vibrant community and help foster an environment where our athletes can thrive and achieve their fullest potential.
Go Rams!
Fall Tryouts begin Monday, August 12th!
With fall sports around the corner, now is a great time to join and volunteer for our fabulous athletic booster club!