From the VHHS Principal's Desk
A Homecoming 25 Year Celebration
As we welcome alumni and retirees back for this year's Homecoming festivities, VHHS will celebrate 25 years of excellence!
Join us at a Homecoming game: All alumni and retirees are invited to the Homecoming games on Friday, Sept. 27. In addition to free admission and food, those attending the 5:00 p.m. soccer match or the 7:30 p.m. football game will be recognized at a special halftime ceremony.
Take a building tour: Has it been years since you last walked through the VHHS building? Much has changed. Alumni, retirees, and school community members are welcome to join a building tour on Sept. 27, starting from the foyer at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., or 6:30 p.m. Guests will engage in trivia, view a celebratory video, and hear about the school's success.
Play in the VHHS Pep Band: During halftime of the 7:30 p.m. football game, a special recognition ceremony will take place. All Pep Band alumni are encouraged to bring an instrument and play along with the band to conclude the halftime celebration. If interested, please let Mr. Sundell know by filling out this form.
VHHS 25th Anniversary
We're closing in on the 25th Anniversary of Vernon Hills HS (the 2024-25 school year will be our 25th as a fully operating high school), and part of what we hope to accomplish is a more formal collecting and telling and (eventually) publishing of our history as a school.
Among other things this will involve collecting photos (preferably digital) that you may have of the first few years of the school, the construction, the opening, etc., that might not have made it to the yearbook. We're also looking for your memories in story form. If you have photos or stories you wouldn't mind sharing, please send them to chris.curry@d128.org.
We've also started listening in person to the stories of a lot of the people responsible for the school, from concept through building and opening. A lot of these fine people have retired, and it's often a great time to sit and listen to the origin stories (Jim Whittington, a Tennessee fan, REALLY pushed for Volunteers as our school nickname....do you know what that twisting stairway between teacher workrooms was originally designed to be?) from Sugarman, to Lestina, Whittington, Cope, and so many other retirees who fought to make VHHS such a special place. Our first took place a few weeks back with the original Athletic Director, Al Janulis, when he was in town for the Track & Field meet named after him
We plan on a series of these as retirees are available. And we'll always make you aware of them. We may even be recording audio of the session to help us write the (carefully expurgated) history at a later time.
So, send us your photos and stories. I'm leading the effort to turn these into a more formal telling of our story together, of the beginnings and early years of VHHS. And it won't be complete without your contributions.
Thank you!
-Chris Curry
Vernon Hills High School
847-932-2041
Instagram: @VHHSAthletics