dance studios in the new fieldhouse.
Yin Ding writes Chinese
calligraphy during the
Voyage to Excellence
program.
Got a passion for dance? Homewood-Flossmoor High School has a few clubs for that.
How about music? H-F has band, orchestra, choir, jazz, guitar and more.
Enjoy playing sports? H-F has 24 sports options.
And the list goes on and on.
Students and faculty welcomed eighth graders and their parents for the annual H-F High School Voyage to Excellence on Dec. 2. It was a dizzying array of all things H-F from academics to extracurricular opportunities — approximately 300 course options and nearly 120 clubs and sports.
around showing off a parakeet
as a member of ZooBots, a club
focusing on the care of animals.
Incoming members of the Class of 2020 moved from table to table to learn about the programs. Some H-F students approached them, including members of the ZooBots Club with birds on their shoulders or rabbits to pet. The award-winning H-F Steppers gave a demonstration and the Guitar Club played a few selections.
H-F staff members Arlene Kadar and Kay Holden manned the table selling H-F sweatshirts and T-shirts. “We want them to get the school spirit,” Holden said of the incoming class. H-F has designated school days when students sport the red and white H-F colors.

about student art projects with
participants at the Voyage
to Excellence.
Tyler Thompson of Flossmoor came with his daughter, Anna, who stopped at the music programs table. She is thinking about joining choir and H-F senior Rosie Joyce explained every step, from freshman to senior year, that will keep Anna involved in the music department’s program.
Michele Daley says her son, Daniel McGhee, is a very involved student at Parker Junior High. He was recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society, and is a member of Spanish Club and the band. He also plays volleyball, but this night his interests were moving toward the H-F broadcasting program. Daley said she was sure the high school would offer him the perfect extracurricular.
Flossmoor High School mascot,
helped inspire the Class of
2020 with his school spirit.
Tricia and Steve Pearl know their twins, Dennis and Evelyn, will find a niche for their interests. Evelyn is already attending H-F as an eighth grader enrolled in the Chinese language class. She’s thinking her extracurriculars next year may be swimming and ZooBots.
Her brother is into sports. Baseball may prove to be a good fit, but Dennis Pearl also has an interest in math, and he wants to take the small engines class.
Jan Barry, a volunteer at the Homewood-Flossmoor Parents Association table, was at her 12th and final Voyage to Excellence Program. Her daughter, Jessica, is a senior.
“I am delighted it got moved to the fieldhouse,” she said. “Before it was in the gym and the cafeteria and there was never enough room for people to walk around. The noise was pretty deafening, too.” The new location made all the difference giving parents and students a great experience, she added.
with coach Catherine Ross-Cook, standing on far right.
The Steppers won first place at the Nov. 21
E-Town Stomp Down at Evanston Township
High School.
Photos by Marilyn Thomas/HF Chronicle.