Congratulations to Xela Weber for being names GHS Rotary Student of the Quarter!
Xela is involved in drama club and choir. Her favorite class is Foods and her favorite teacher is her Choir teacher, Ms. Streich. She loves to sing, songwrite and hangout with her friends outside of school. In the future she would love a career that focuses on music.
Dear Galena School District Community,
I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to share that tonight, the Board of Education voted 7-0 tonight to put a bond referendum on the March 19, 2024 ballot to ask voters of the district to invest in the future of Galena High School. As many of you are aware, Galena High School has been a cornerstone of our community, providing quality education to generations of students since it was finished in 1957. Over the years, the school has faced facility challenges, and it has become apparent that addressing these needs is essential for the safety, well-being, and continued growth of our students.
During the last year, The Core Facility Planning Group, a special task force made up of community members from across the district, including parents, community leaders and school facility experts in the field, met to provide input on the best way to address the facility shortfalls at Galena High School. This group analyzed the high school’s facility needs, financial position and instructional goals, and evaluated previous bond projects. They discussed at length multiple options with the primary goal of taxpayer stewardship. After a year and dozens of hours of analysis, the group unanimously approved a hybrid concept of an addition between GEMS and GHS, as well as a partial renovation of the current high school.
In short, Galena School District is asking for a $14.2 million bond referendum for an addition and renovation of Galena High School. The proposed project, with a total budget of $28.2 million, focuses on addressing critical safety and infrastructure needs within the high school. Below are the most significant areas this project will address:
-Safety and Security Updates: The proposed renovations include essential safety enhancements to ensure the well-being of our students and staff. This includes upgrades to security systems, ADA access for people with movement challenges, and a secure entrance.
-Infrastructure updates: The project encompasses vital infrastructure upgrades, such as updated electrical systems, plumbing, and Air conditioning/HVAC systems, to create a more efficient and sustainable learning environment.
-Efficient use of taxpayer funds: The Galena School District is committed to responsible fiscal management. By asking for half of the project funding through this bond referendum, we have taken strides to limit the effect on the taxpayer.
If voters pass the bond in March, Galena School District taxpayers will see an approximate $99-104 increase in property taxes per year for every $100,000 in home market value. The three previous unsuccessful referenda ranged between $174-$186, and the Board has gone to great lengths to ensure that the impact to the taxpayer was a primary focus for this project.
The district will provide factual voter education through all available channels to ensure that all voters have information about the referendum. This dedicated webpage will be updated continuously throughout the process, and I would be happy to add any additional information that would be helpful to enhance the experience. https://www.gusd120.k12.il.us/page/referendum-information
We encourage all community members to stay informed about the proposed project, attend informational sessions, and ask questions. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Galena School District.
Sincerely,
Tim Vincent
Superintendent
Galena Unit School District #120
The Galena High School Art Department is excited to announce our Outstanding Pirate Artist of Month for December, Summer Belken!
The talent of these young artists is remarkable and we are thrilled to share their accomplishments with the community. Artwork by all nominees is featured in our Newsletter that can be found here https://5il.co/2b3g0
Congratulations to all our nominees:
Summer Belken, Jaiden Hernandez, and Tyler Temperly
Check out our GHS Staff Highlight for this week- Thank you Mrs. Jenkins!
On your way to the GHS Winter concert tonight 6:30 at Turner Hall please stop by Adobos for a great meal to support our GHS SKI club!
Adobos is hosting the SKI Club share night tonight from 4-8!
Thank you all for your support of GHS!
Our new GHS Ski and Snowboard Club has been enjoying time together at Chestnut Mountain. GO PIRATES!
Please join us tonight at Galena Center for the Arts for our GHS Digital Photography Art Show opening from 5-6pm.
Check out our GHS Teacher Highlight!
Our Honors Biology Class has partnered with the EPA. The class is supporting with reviewing and analyzing applicants for EPA grants. Great way to put what they are learning into real world practice.
Congratulations to Gracie DuHack for being names GHS November Artist of the month!
Check out her amazing artwork here https://5il.co/29z8n
Congrats to our other Artist Nominees: Catherine Lopez Perez and Jakob Schmidt
GHS AP Literature students did a Gallery Walk and were having amazing conversations! They were given an assignment to analyze the College Board AP Essay Rubrics, then pick their own theme/topic and mirror the rubrics with justification and evidence. Here are some pictures of the classes!
Please Support our Galena Music through donating for #GIVINGTUESDAY on 11/28 and your donations to GSD 120 Music Supporters, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by IRS code! Tax ID: 92-3896879.
Visit our website to donate and support music education!
https://galenamakesmusic.wixsite.com/galena-music
A huge thank you to our many community partners who hosted our Senior Job Shadow Day. This is a great day were our students partner in the community to experience different potential careers. Take a look at a few snapshots below. Thank you to Mrs. Lee for setting this up for our students every semester.
Good Luck to our GHS Musicians who are going this weekend to participate in Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) District 8 Festival concerts. We are so proud of you!
Senior Chorus:
Izabella Farrey, Soprano I
Milo Vega, Tenor I
Senior Band:
Helena Townsend-Grove, Clarinet
Luna Pham, Bassoon
Last Weekend Liliana Asta and Luna Pham Represented GHS at ILMEA Jazz Vocal!
We hope to see you all at the GHS Drama Club's production of Radium Girls tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday at 7:30 at Turner Hall.
Tickets are $5 at the door and doors open at 7:00. It is an incredible show with an incredible cast. Please come out and support GHS Drama!
Congratulations to Tyler Temperly for placing 1st and Kiera Linenfelser for placing 2nd at State High School League Trap Shooting!
Great Work Tyler and Kiera! Go Pirates!
This week's GHS Highlight recognizes Science Teacher Mrs. Bradbury
7-9th Grade Parents,
Join us Tues. Nov 14 at 7:30pm in the Galena High School Cafeteria or via online for a 20-min digital meeting on the 2025 Washington, D.C. trip. Each traveler is eligible for an Early Bird Scholarship of $500!
Click to RSVP: https://rsvp.worldclassrooms.com/rsvp/9609709097?rsvp_id=9609709097
Click to join: https://schooltrip.us/GalenaIL25
Don't miss out!
Taking a moment to Highlight one of our GHS Staff Members.
If you have a Galena Staff member who is making a big impact for you give them a Shout out in this form: https://forms.gle/7yFbHcD9CTTXtEmJ7
A huge congratulations! The following five Galena High School musicians were selected to participate in Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) District 8 Festival concerts in November. We are so proud of you!
Jazz Chorus
Liliana Asta, Soprano
Luna Pham, Soprano
Senior Chorus
Izabella Farrey, Soprano I
Milo Vega, Tenor I
Senior Band
Helena Townsend-Grove, Clarinet
Luna Pham, Bassoon
