NOVE MBER 1 , 2 0 2 3 • vol . 6 3 i ssu e 0 3
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Plainfield N. senior makes most of her opportunity
By dylan budd For the Bugle
Plainfield North senior Sam Fontanez took a deep breath. With a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament in her braced, wrapped right leg, she toed the line, serving first for the Tigers on her senior night in front of a roaring crowd. When she scored the first point, the Plainfield North student section rocked in the stands, but the cheers only got louder and louder with each point. In a match that is only played to 25, Fontanez scored an incredible 21 unanswered points for her team. “I was so excited to have the opportunity to serve, but I also was really nervous,” Fontanez said. “It was my first game this year, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself on senior night. I just wanted to make it over the net.” Her streak played a massive role in the Tigers’ dominant 25-3, 25-7 win over Joliet Central. “The win was an amazing feeling,” senior captain Ella Strausberger said. “The atmosphere was a lot of fun, and it’s always big to win late in the season.” Fontanez tore her ACL at the second practice of her senior season. With her MRI showing that it almost fully tore, and she would need surgery to replace it, the season was over for
Fontanez before it started, as was her Tiger career – or so she thought. “It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve gone through,” Fontanez said. “It’s tough to go to every practice and game and not be able to play, but I try and make the best of it.” She was able to make the best of her lone opportunity to get on the floor. While she may not be on the court most of the season, she still has been a huge contributor for North, and her teammates have noticed. “Sam has always been there for every practice and game, and keeps us positive,” senior libero Cassidy Clinton said. “No matter what, she is there to cheer us on and support us in every way possible. She is also able to tell us things that we might not be able to see on the court.” Fontanez plans to get back on the court after she recovers, but for now, she can look back on the memory with pride of getting to contribute on her senior night and “I’ve never been in an atmosphere like that in my 13 years of playing,” Fontanez said. “It was surreal. The support from my family, teammates, coaches and fans made it like no other.” The Tigers saw the season come to a close with a 25-15, 25-20 loss to Joliet Catholic Academy in the regional semifinal on Oct. 24.
photo by dylan budd
Sam Fontanez serves one of her 21-consecutive points in her only game all season. Fontanez, a senior, tore her ACL before the season, but came out to serve on senior night and made the most of it.
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Three District 86 students place first in Joliet Fire Department poster contest Joliet Public Schools District 86 students Jorge Aguilera, Emma Millett-Swan, and Mason Polanco who each received first place honors in the 2023 Joliet Fire Department Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest. The students were recognized with their parents at the Exchange Club Firefighter of the Year Banquet and the Joliet Public Schools District 86 Board of School Inspectors October school board meeting. Mason Polanco, a student at Lynne Thigpen Elementary School, won first place in the first-grade category, Jorge Aguilera from M.J. Cunningham Elementary won first place in the second-grade category, and Eisenhower Academy student Emma Millett-Swan won first place for the fifth-grade category. Over 500 posters were submitted from local schools. Joliet Fire Department Chief Jeffery Carey and Deputy Chief John Stachelski presented the student winners with their framed fire safety poster and an award ribbon.
submitted photos
First Place, Fifth Grade Winning Poster from Emma Millett-Swan, Eisenhower Academy
First Place Winners: (From Left) Mason Planco, first-grade student from Lynne Thigpen Elementary and Jorge Aguilera, second-grade student from M.J. Cunningham Elementary receive awards from Joliet Fire Chief Jeffery Carey and Deputy Chief John Stachelski
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D. 99 receives $249K grant to support mental health Downers Grove, Illinois -– Community High School District 99 was awarded a $249,000 grant to expand its approach to advance health equity, student wellness and mental health support. The federal funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act to aid post-pandemic mental health services for young people. District 99 was one of 40 grant recipients across the state; $9.5 million, including $500,000 in state funds, was awarded to schools, hospitals, health departments and colleges. “Supporting the mental health of our students is more important now than ever, given the negative and continuing impact of the pandemic,” said District 99 Superintendent Dr. Hank Thiele.
“This funding recognizes the need and supports the action we need to take.” District 99, with the support of the Regional Offices of Education, will use the funding to launch District 99 CARES (Community Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement and Supports). The program will be a multifaceted approach to eliminate barriers to mental health care by providing mental health services to students and families at no cost. “In addition to creating equitable access to mental health resources, this new program will ease the stigma that often comes with seeking help,” said District 99’s Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Scott Wuggazer. “We’ll be able to better serve at-
risk students by connecting them to after-school and weekend counseling sessions.” The CARES Community Clinics will be staffed by Illinois licensed mental health professionals facilitated by ReferralGPS with practice locations near the schools. The CARES Community Clinics will offer mental health treatment sessions after school hours, including evenings and weekends, and be staffed by licensed clinicians, providing no-cost 50-minute sessions. The service will be private, and student’s personal information will not be shared with District 99 or its schools. In order to eliminate barriers to care, students will have the option to participate in telehealth sessions with the practices or visit the practice location outside of the school day. This flexibility accounts for the notion that while some families may prefer telehealth, others may prefer inperson visits in a clinical setting. Regardless of the venue, students participating in District 99 CARES will be offered no-cost treatment sessions. The service is expected to begin after the first of the year.
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Tito tabbed as Chicago Bears Coach of the Week The Chicago Bears officially named head coach Dan Tito from Joliet West High School as the final recipient of the 2023 Chicago Bears High School Coach of the Week. These recognitions are part of the Coach of the Week program presented by Athletico Physical Therapy. In support of these initiatives, the Bears will make a $2,000 donation to the Joliet West football program. On Oct. 20, Tito guided the Tigers (8-1), to a decisive 35-12 road conference victory against Plainfield (4-5) in the final regular-season game. This victory crowned West as the Southwest Prairie East Conference champions with an undefeated conference record of 5-0 for the first time in more than 50 years, marking the most successful season since 1968.
Tito took over the West program in 2022, following the resignation of former head coach Bill Lech. Prior to becoming head coach, Tito served as the defensive coordinator for a season and as head coach for the Tigers’ freshman team. Beyond the field, Tito and his football program are involved in various community service initiatives. They have organized fundraising efforts within the team to collect money for breast cancer, organized free youth camps during the summer and hosted trivia events to raise funds for the Joliet Township High School Foundation. The Tigers’ season ended Oct. 27 with a loss to St. Ignatius College Prep in the first round of the Class 8A 2023 IHSA state playoffs.
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