Principal's Corner

March 2026

As we head into March, I am excited to build on our momentum as we head into the second half of the semester. This month, we will continue our focus on College and Career Readiness. With our final College and Career Readiness Activity on March 31st, students will continue to build on the information they are learning about academic success, career exploration, and college and career readiness. Students will review their work towards their goals over the course of the year and will focus on preparing for the future as they rise to another grade level, transition to college, or join the workforce in a career. Our goal is to prepare our students to be successful in any pathway that they choose for their future. This programming helps to define the steps in the pathway of their choice to reach success. As a supplement to this work, we will be hosting an in-school program for our Junior students on March 2nd, focused on ACT preparation. We feel that it is important for all of our students to learn about the test so that they feel more comfortable when they take it later this semester. As a school, we recognize that this test opens doors for students, and we will continue our work across the curriculum and in supplemental preparation to help our students prepare.

In addition to the programming that we plan to offer to prepare our students for college and career readiness, we will also host our annual Career Fair this month. This event allows students in all grade levels access to employers across the county and the area surrounding Fox Lake. The Career Fair provides an opportunity for our students to become more comfortable with talking to employers, prepare for job interviews, and bring to life what they have learned over the course of the year during the College and Career Readiness Activity Schedules. We typically have over fifty employers present, representing careers ranging from medicine to military service. I am excited to see our students engage with our local employers and start to build connections that may be meaningful to them as they pursue their college and career goals.

This month, we will also celebrate music in our community in one of my favorite events of the year. March is Music in Our Schools Month, and we celebrate that with a concert on March 4th in the Field House. This year’s celebration of the arts in our community brings together all Grant bands and choirs with those from Big Hollow, Gavin, and Stanton. This concert is an amazing reflection of our community and the commitment to music in our school community. I hope that everyone can join us to experience the product of the hard work of our current and future musicians as they perform together on March 4th.

This past month, we saw further success across our sports and activities. Six members of our wrestling team qualified for the Wrestling State Finals in Champaign and performed admirably. Three of our wrestlers claimed All-State honors, placing 2nd, 4th, and 6th at the State Finals. We were also excited to see over twenty of our Speech Team members qualify for the IHSA State Speech Finals in Peoria. The team performed well this year, earning a Sectional Championship for Performance in the Round. As we head into March, we are excited about our Spring Sports starting, our activities like FBLA and FCCLA continue to compete, and build on the success of our Fall and Winter seasons. There is a lot to look forward to this month, and I am excited to see what we can all accomplish together as a community committed to the success of our students!

Go Bulldogs!

Mr. Blair Schoell
Principal

February 2026

It was exciting to see our staff and students jump back into learning as we returned to school in January. With the new semester started, it is a good opportunity to review our commitments and goals we set at the beginning of the school year. We remain committed to preparing each student for success beyond high school by offering opportunities to develop individual skills to harness the power of communication, learn perseverance, demonstrate integrity, practice adaptability, problem solve, and develop an empowered learning mindset. In the pursuit of those commitments, we remind every student and family that no goal is too big at Grant Community High School. If you dedicate yourself to success through your daily commitment to excellence, our staff is dedicated to meeting your goals by providing opportunities to grow and excel inside and outside the classroom. I look forward to seeing the growth of our students over the Spring Semester and the product of our combined effort to make sure our students get the most out of this semester.

This month, we will return to our focus on College and Career Readiness with our third College and Career Readiness Activity on February 24th. During the activity, students will continue to familiarize themselves with the SchooLinks platform and participate in specialized instruction consistent with their grade level. On this day, students will also participate in taking the 5Essentials Survey. This survey asks students questions about the five indicators that positively affect school success and how those indicators come to life for them as students at Grant Community High School. Their feedback, along with parent and staff responses to the 5Essentials survey help us better shape our work to make sure that we are working towards being the best school for our students and a source of pride for our community. Please look for communication regarding this survey and how you can participate within the next month. We look forward to receiving your feedback and continuing to work together to make Grant Community High School the best that it can be.

In January, we saw the strength of our staff and student investment in athletics and activities as our teams started earning their way into State Series competitions. Notably, our Boys Bowling team qualified for the IHSA State Bowling Finals as a team for the first time in Grant history. Our Dance Team qualified for the IHSA Dance State Finals as well after a Conference Championship performance at the NLCC Conference Competition and a strong finish at the IHSA Sectional. The Grant Wrestling and Girls Bowling teams earned the title of NLCC Conference Championships this season and are still competing. The Cheerleading team earned a second-place finish at the NLCC Conference championship. Our arts were highlighted by three of our choir members qualifying for the Illinois Music Education Association Honors Chorus and All-State Chorus performances. Additionally, one of our band members was selected as one of 55 students from across the state for the Future Music Educators Seminar. Finally, 23 of our FBLA members qualified for the FBLA State Competition in April. We are exceptionally proud of all of our coaches, sponsors, and students for demonstrating excellence in their sports and activities and representing our school and community with respect and pride across the state of Illinois. I look forward to updating these accomplishments as we build on our success throughout the month of February.

Looking towards the future, this past month, we welcomed students and families from the Class of 2030 to campus for 8th Grade Enrollment Night. It was exciting to meet our next generation of students and their families. Our teachers helped educate our future students with information about their curriculum choices and helped our future students develop a better understanding of the many electives available to our students in their first year. We look forward to the Class of 2030 joining our learning community and becoming Bulldogs in August!

Go Bulldogs!

Mr. Blair Schoell
Principal

January 2026

We’re ringing in the new year while still thinking about all the great moments from first semester. From welcoming so many new Bulldogs to a packed Homecoming week, football playoffs, Cross Country State, six Bulldogs qualifying for ILMEA District 7, The NeverEnding Story, band and choir concerts, Bulldog Buck and Pride winners, and exploring interests and planning futures through our SchooLinks activity schedules (and so much more!), we created countless memories and kicked off the year strong.

As we step into 2026, even more excitement awaits. Big second semester events, including The SpongeBob Musical, Music In Our Schools, prom, and graduation, are right around the corner. We may only be in January, but May will be here before we know it. While it can feel bittersweet to think about the end of the school year, especially as we prepare to say goodbye to so many wonderful seniors, it’s inspiring to imagine everything our students will achieve in the months ahead.

With a few days of winter break left, we hope you continue to enjoy time at home, find moments of rest, and make the most of this well-earned pause. We look forward to hearing about your winter adventures when everyone returns on January 5.

Wishing you warmth, joy, and all the best in 2026.

Principal Schoell & Your Bulldog Family

December 2025

As we head into December, I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks for our learning community’s commitment to the success of our students. In my first semester as the principal, I have been impressed by the daily commitment and care of our administrative team, our faculty, and staff towards meeting our school goals and fulfilling our mission to make Grant Community High School the best school for our students and a source of pride for our community. Every member of our staff contributes towards making each day successful for each one of our students, and it truly takes a committed team to accomplish everything that needs to happen to make the school successful. Our teachers remain committed to building success through their work as teams, collaborating with peers across districts and with teachers from our feeder schools. This collaboration ensures positive transitions for our students and a rigorous curriculum that prepares our students for college and career readiness. Their work continues to define the daily experience for our students and makes a difference for each student at GCHS. I am thankful for each faculty and staff member’s partnership in working together towards excellence as a school community.

I would also like to extend my thanks to our families and community members for everything that they do to support our students. From volunteering in the concession stand, organizing fundraisers, participating in our Parent Universities, cheering on our athletes and applauding our performing artists, participating in parent-student-teacher conferences, sharing your professional expertise with our business students, and simply talking to your students about their day at school. We are thankful for the effort that our families put forth to support our students and to create a culture of connectivity within the school community. In the coming year, we will continue to look for new ways to engage with our families and community to continue to build on a strong foundation of belonging in our school community. Thank you for everything that you do each day to encourage your students, keep them motivated, and help them navigate through their years as a Grant Bulldog. We appreciate your support and continued investment in our school and community. 

Our students continue to impress me with their dedication to their school work, sports, and activities. In the past month, students have set new standards for achievement at GCHS, which students will strive for in the future. Our performing artists continue to shine and bring culture to our community through the performances of the marching band at halftime, crowd cheers and songs throughout the games, the Fall Choir Concert, singing for our community veterans, and other local performances. Our theater students performed their adaptation of The Neverending Story, featuring amazing acting, set design, and incredible puppetry. As those few sentences summarize some of what happened over the past months, our students are launching into the competitive season for their activities, and winter sports have started strong, starting a new season of investment for our students. As part of the Principal’s Advisory Committee, students are bringing new ideas and insight to how we can better serve our students and community. It is truly an exciting time to be a Bulldog, and I could not be more proud of our students this semester. I look forward to seeing them continue in their success in the classroom and across all of their activities and athletics in the next semester.

As we approach Final Exams, please look for communication detailing the exam schedule and expectations. We look forward to our students finishing the semester strong and meeting their first semester goals. I am thankful and appreciative of everyone’s support of our students in my first semester as the principal, and I hope that everyone has a restful and restorative break.

Go Bulldogs!

Mr. Blair Schoell
Principal

November 2025

October was filled with exciting events, activities, and growth! While our students continued to invest time and effort in their courses, activities, and athletics, our staff engaged in multiple professional development opportunities to fulfill our mission to make Grant the best school for our students and a source of pride for our community. Our Fall Institute Day, October Instructional Rounds, Safety Training, and Co-Teaching Training all served as events focused on improving our collaborative efforts to make every student safe and successful at Grant Community High School. At the end of the month, we partnered with families for our Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences to share in building relationships across our community with the goal of student success. All of these events require a high level of collaboration and commitment from our staff. I am proud to work with such a dedicated and thoughtful team that continues to work hard to make sure that each of us is prepared to help our students be successful.

It has been exciting and fun to watch all of our athletes compete this fall! Our Bulldog athletic teams demonstrated their excellence with high levels of performance across all of our sports. Our Boys Golf team qualified for the IHSA Sectional for the first time in school history. The Boys Cross Country team earned a sectional bid as a team and had our first top-five finisher at the Regional in nearly fifteen years. Girls Flag Football competed in its first official IHSA season, and the football team qualified for the State Playoffs in Class 6A. We are proud of our Bulldog athletes and coaches across all of our programs, as they represented our school and community well this season. I am looking forward to our winter sports kicking off their seasons and seeing more of our teams in competition! 

To continue to enhance and build upon our strong start to the year academically, we will be hosting our second College and Career Readiness Activity Schedule on November 4. During this activity, students will review the criteria for earning the Distinguished Bulldog and Bulldog Scholar recognitions. Additionally, students will review their goals that they set during our first activity schedule earlier this year, while using those goals to shape their course selections for next school year. Freshmen students will complete their four-year plan, Sophomores and Juniors will make course selections, and Senior students will learn about college readiness and how to use SchooLinks to assist them in their college application process. All students will also have the opportunity to update their completion of volunteer hours and other career-ready indicators, which count towards Distinguished Bulldog and Bulldog Scholar recognitions. We look forward to helping each of our students build their “Pathway to Decision Day.” Decision Day is a celebration day for Senior students where they celebrate their college and career commitments. I am personally excited to learn about our students’ hopes and dreams, and encourage conversations with students to help them shape their goals and find out what they did during our activity schedule on November 4.

On November 11, we will be honoring the veterans in our community through our Veterans Day event. Last year, we welcomed veteran alumni, staff members, family members, and community members to participate in panel discussions with our Social Studies students. We are looking forward to welcoming our local veterans back to school this year to share their service experiences with our students to reflect on the meaning of service within our community. Our Choir will also attend a community Veterans Day celebration to sing for veterans and community members. We are thankful for the service of each veteran in our Bulldog Community and extend our thanks to each of you in advance of Veterans Day.

I look forward to our events in the coming month and am excited to see what November holds for our Bulldog Community.

Go Bulldogs!

Mr. Blair Schoell
Principal

October 2025

It was an exciting and busy September!  Thank you to everyone involved in helping us make our 2025 Homecoming celebration special. With many homecoming events throughout the week, athletic competitions, the parade, and dance over the weekend, we demonstrated how special it is to be part of the Bulldog community. I appreciated the conversations with parents, students, and alumni over the week and was left feeling very proud of our school and what we are accomplishing together as a community invested in the success of our students. We received many compliments over the week from our visiting alumni, and that is a testament to the quality of our staff, the quality of our students, and the quality of our families, who all contribute to who we are and how we represent ourselves as a community. It was truly a great week, and I am thankful to the many people involved who made it a memorable experience for our students. 

To continue to enhance and build upon our Bulldog community, we will be hosting our annual “Feeder Night,” during our football game against Wauconda on October 3. We look forward to welcoming future students and families to participate with us in the band and be recognized for their participation in the Jr. Bulldogs youth sports programs. We anticipate hosting nearly 100 middle school band members to play alongside our Marching Bulldogs, which is an experience they likely won’t forget. We are excited to have that many musicians on the field and in the bleachers that night and hope to continue to build culture around our fine arts with experiences like this. We look forward to seeing our community come together on October 3 for what promises to be a memorable night! Our Bulldog Boosters, who are our primary supporters of our events, are still looking for volunteers to help them on this night. If you would like to help, please sign up.

In the past month, we hosted our second Parent University of the year, “College 101, Financial Aid, SchooLinks, and Tech Campus.” We were happy to welcome nearly 100 families to join us for an evening designed to provide valuable information and resources to help guide our students on their journey toward college and career readiness.  With over 80% of our students pursuing admittance to a college or university, and 16% pursuing an apprenticeship, a career, or military service, this night helps set the stage for how each student and family can successfully prepare themselves for college and career pursuits. Throughout the evening, families gained important insights into the college admissions process, expectations for enrollment, and key information every family should know heading into senior year. Families also learned about financing college, with information about FAFSA, scholarship opportunities, and grants. We also highlighted the work students are doing on SchooLinks, our all-in-one college and career readiness platform, and highlighted the Lake County Technology Campus and the opportunities they provide to prepare students for their next step. Our next Parent University will be on October 15 and will focus on college and career pathways. Please register to attend.

October also takes us into our first rotation of testing. On October 3, students will take the first round of the State Seal of Biliteracy tests. When students taking these tests demonstrate proficiency in English and another language, they become eligible for advanced placement in language programs at Illinois colleges and universities, and may also earn between 8 and 12 hours of college credit. There will be multiple rounds of testing for this throughout the year.  Students will also have the opportunity to take the NMSQT exam on Saturday, October 11, where students may become eligible for National Merit Scholarships. Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior students will take the PreACT on October 14 in preparation for ACT testing in the Spring.

October will be another month full of excitement, and I look forward to what we will accomplish together! 

Go Bulldogs!

Mr. Blair Schoell
Principal

September 2025

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! We had an amazing start to school with excellent attendance at Material Pick-up Days, Freshmen Orientation, Parent University, Fall Athletics Night, an exciting Welcome Back Pep Rally, our Red White Scrimmage Night, and Back to School Night. Thank you to all the families and students who got involved in those events to start the year in such a strong, positive way.  

This year, we will prepare students for success beyond high school by offering opportunities for each student to develop their skillset to harness the power of communication, learn perseverance, demonstrate integrity, practice adaptability, problem solve, and develop an empowered learning mindset. Remember that no goal is too big at Grant Community High School. As students dedicate themselves to success through a daily commitment to excellence, our staff is dedicated to meeting student goals by providing opportunities to grow and excel inside and outside of the classroom. I challenge every student to build a connection to our school community by getting involved with one club, organization, or team this year. We look forward to the wonderful ways in which our students will engage in our community and define what it means to be a Bulldog for future generations.

Our staff will be focusing on “Pathways of Purpose” as we chart the road ahead as a district, define curricular pathways for our students, and help our students find the pathway to prosperity in their lives beyond GCHS.  In the school, we will build on the strong dedication, energy, and enthusiasm of our faculty and staff to work as a building team to make GCHS the best school for our students and a source of pride for our community. As a school community, we support the experience and outcomes for our students and it takes all of us to accomplish that mission. I encourage all family members to explore the different ways to provide support to our students through engagement with our school through volunteerism. Our Booster Club offers excellent opportunities for leadership and direct support to our athletics and activities, while we also have opportunities for guest speakers, business coaches for our IncubatorEDU class, and more as we expand our pathways. Please reach out to me if you think you have something to contribute as we establish our “Pathways of Purpose” for our students.  

On August 19th, our students engaged in our first College and Career Readiness schedule of the year. On that day, students became familiar with the Schoolinks platform. Schoolinks continues to be an asset for our students as they identify future career pathways, define their goals for the year, and record the necessary data needed for the pursuit of the Bulldog Scholar and Distinguished Bulldog recognition levels. All of these efforts are proving to be meaningful to students, as our enrollment in Lake County Technology Campus courses, Dual Credit courses, and Advanced Placement courses continue to grow again this year. Be sure to ask your student(s) about what they learned during the College and Career Readiness activity and what goals they set for themselves.

With so much happening at Grant, staying connected with your student is always important. We are continuing to use Skyward as our Student Information System and Schoology as our learning management platform. Parents have access to both systems, giving you access to your student’s academic progress. Please see our Technology Department for any access questions. Both systems’ information provides parents with timely information and easy starting points to talk with your children about their school day.

It has been an exciting start to the year. On behalf of the entire staff, we look forward to celebrating all the incredible achievements our students will accomplish this year!

Go Bulldogs!

Mr. Blair Schoell
Principal

August 22, 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This communication is intended to notify parents/guardians that next week is Grant’s annual safety week.  Every school year, the State of Illinois requires that school districts carry out multiple safety drills with the participation of both police and fire departments. All drills have been planned in coordination with Grant’s Safety Committee, Fox Lake Police Department, and Fox Lake Fire Protection District leadership.

Next week, students and staff will utilize TEAM Time to review and perform several drills:

• Hold (Safe Mode) & Secure (Lock-In)  Drill - Monday, August 25
• Shelter-Severe Weather & Shelter-Earthquake Drill - Tuesday, August 26
• Lockdown (Enhanced Lockdown) Drill - Thursday, August 28
• Evacuate Drill - Friday, August 29

Each drill will minimally include a drill overview from TEAM Teachers and an informational demonstration video. For the Secure, Hold, and Lockdown drills, teachers will verbally explain and may demonstrate safety protocols. For the Lockdown, an options-based approach will be available in the event of a true emergency, including barricading, countering, and evacuating. Active simulations will not be part of the Secure, Hold, and Lockdown drills. For Shelter-Severe Weather, Shelter-Earthquake, and Evacuate drills, teachers and students will actively participate in safety procedures. 

Welcoming all to a safe, secure, and supportive environment remains a district priority; so, please remember that these safety practice drills are to proactively help maintain our school as a safe place to learn and work. If you have any questions regarding any of these safety drills, please contact the Main Office.

Sincerely,

Mr. Blair Schoell
Principal