Publications & Sites 
District 113 notes
Updated: January 7, 2013 10:00AM
Jonny Cohen & GreenShields Competes for $100,000 Grant
GreenShields has been selected by the American Business Council Continuity Forum as one of 35 finalists to compete for three $100,000 grants. GreenShields was founded by current HPHS student Jonny Cohen, who is significantly younger than the other finalists.
The GreenShield is an aerodynamic add-on that attaches to the roof of school buses. It reduces drag force, thereby improving gas mileage. The goal is simple: equip as many school buses with the GreenShield as possible, at little or no cost to the schools.
The Americas Business Council Foundation is a think-do tank that supports high-impact leaders and initiatives in the Americas. Three initiatives out of the 35 will be selected to receive funding and hands-on advisory, media and marketing support for two years with the objective of reaching jointly identified quantifiable objectives.
HPHS Boxes 146 Troop Care Packages in Honor of Veterans Day
The Veterans Day Troop Care Package event held this year was a giant success. HPHS broke its previous record by boxing 146 care packages to send to military overseas including Highland Park High School alum.
Students and staff set up shop in the Student Commons on Nov. 14 and spent part of the day packing hundreds of boxes. HPHS event organizer Eleanor Singleton said this year’s success was due to a school-wide effort.
“The Rotary Club was very instrumental in the success of this effort. They raised over $700 and helped with preparation, setup, packing boxes, and cleanup,” Singleton explained.
Singleton also thanked several classes and other groups for packing boxes as well as the HPHS Key Club for writing cards to enclose in the packages. Funds were also contributed by Giant Buddies and Student Senate. Many HPHS staff and community members donated goods and cash as well.
The packages were dropped off at the post office for delivery.
This was Highland Park High Schools 11th annual Troop Care Package event.
Voice of Democracy Awards Scholarships to Students
Three Highland Park High School students have been selected winners of the 2012 Voice of Democracy Contest presented by the Highland Park/Highwood Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Created in 1947, the Voice of Democracy (VOD) scholarship program is an audio-essay contest for high school students that annually provides more than $3 million in scholarships. The program is designed to foster patriotism by allowing students the opportunity to voice their opinion in a three to five minute essay based on an annual theme. This year’s theme was “Is Our Constitution Still Relevant.”
This year HPHS student Aidan Ezgur won 1st place and received $500. Daniella Cohen came in 2nd place and received $300. Melissa Needleman placed 3rd and received $200.
Math Team Success
Congratulations to the Highland Park Math Team who finished in 3rd place on their 2nd meet. There was an extremely impressive 1st place finish for Emilie Greenberg in the oral competition. The senior team consisting of Natasha Galperin, Rachel Kemel, Johnny Simone, Alexa Soren, and Jacob Burroughs finished in 2nd place. We also had three perfect papers from Jacob Burroughs, Johnny Simone, and Grant Greenberg.
HPHS AIDS Day of Compassion
On Friday, Nov. 30, Highland Park High School will sponsor its 18th annual HPHS AIDS Day of Compassion. HPHS encourages teachers to find some meaningful way to bring a discussion about HIV/AIDS on that day into their classrooms.
District 113 Dominates Robotics Regional Tournament
District 113 Robotics dominated the Batavia Regional Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 17. After 42 rounds of play, District 113 robotics teams held four of the top six positions.
DHS’s Warbots played a perfect game and held the number one position. HPHS’s team 3785-Beastie Bots came in third place and posted the highest score in the tournament. The HPHS freshman team (Robot to the knee) placed fourth. Team 5451, The Big Meks, came in sixth place. Girls Gone Wired, the HPHS all-girls team, held the twelfth position.
District 113 teams then claimed three important awards. Beastie Bots won the Inspire award. This award is the most prestigious and given to the team that truly embodied the challenge of the program. The Big Meks was a runner up in the Inspire category. Girls Gone Wired won the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award. This award celebrates a team that not only thinks outside the box, but also has the ingenuity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. All five teams from District 113 will be represented at the State Championship on Dec. 8.
