Von Steuben FAQ

This Frequently-Asked-Questions page is based off of questions submitted to Von Steuben through email. Hopefully you'll find what you're looking for here. If not, feel free to send in a question. With your help, we can make our site more informative. This FAQ was last modified on 10/10/08, and any time sensitive information that this page may refer to may be inaccurate if a year has passed. Please let us know if you catch something on here that is old and out-dated.

The Questions

About Von Steuben

Applying / Available Programs

Office Questions / General Information

Student Academic Assistance

Contact

Policy

Dates and Times

  • When should I be expecting progress reports?
  • When does school start/resume after summer break?

Website

The Answers

What kind of school are we?

Von Steuben is a "Metropolitan" school. We are not quite a magnet school, nor are we a pure neighborhood school. Like a magnet school, we accept students from across the city. Unlike a magnet school, we do not test students for admission. Von Steuben is called a "Science Center" since we have strong math and science programs. However, we emphasize a well-rounded education, and offer many extra-curricular activities. The clubs page lists our most popular clubs.

Do you have a Middle School, too?

Von Steuben shares its building with Albany Park Academy. This is a middle school, however it is not associated with Von Steuben other than sharing the building.

Do you have any programs for gifted students?

There are two main academic programs at Von Steuben - the General Program and the Scholars Program. Scholars and general students are integrated at most times, however, Scholars students are required to take all honors classes. Scholars students also get to go on more field trips, but also have more academic challenges, such as summer reading requirements (freshmen and sophomores).

What is the difference between applying to the General program and applying to the Scholars program?

Scholars students need to write an essay and get at least two teacher recommendations. There is a separate application form for scholars students, available on our website. If a student does not make the scholars program, s/he is automatically entered into the General program's lottery. General program students are entered into a lottery in which a certain number of random students are "drawn out of a hat".

Where do you take the IOWA tests if you haven't taken any before?

Parochial or other private school students who have not taken the IOWA tests are still required to turn in IOWA scores. You can take the IOWA tests at other schools which administer this test for admissions. Lane Tech is an example.

What is the Shadow Policy?

Von Steuben no longer allows for student shadowing. This means that you cannot just come in and shadow another student if you are considering applying to Von Steuben. You can arrange for a tour, however. Call the office.

Obtaining your old Transcripts / Records of enrollemnt

Go to the main office during school hours to get a copy of your official transcript. If you no longer live nearby, call: 773-534-5100. Please do not send mail to the webmaster to arrange for your transcript delivery! The first official transcript you request is completely free. Any transcript after that costs $3.00. You need to pay the office before they will print/send your transcript anywhere. Unofficial transcripts are always free, but these are not the kind that colleges require.

What are the various "School Codes?"

Our CPS School Unit Number is: 1610
Our area number is: 19
Our region is: 1
Our CEEB Code / the ID number most standardized tests (ACT/SAT) use is: 141-345

Can you break down the timing of a typical school day?

The bell schedules are located at the Calendar and Bell page. Here's the timing:

Schedule --> Regular Day Advisory Day Shortened/Staff Development
(AKA Teachers' Meeting) Day
Length of Period 46 minutes 40 minutes 28 minutes
Length of Passing Time 4 minutes 4 minutes 4 minutes
Length of Lunch Period 46 minutes 40 minutes 28 minutes
Length of Division/Advisory 10 minutes 40 minutes 10 minutes
Average Number of Instructional Periods 7 per pupil 7 per pupil 7 per pupil
 
Length of Instructional Day* 6 hrs, 50 minutes 6 hrs, 20 minutes 3 hrs, 26 minutes
Note: *Instructional day excludes the time required to enter and leave the building, passing time, lunch periods and any other non-instructional activities.

What is the Ethnic Breakdown of Incoming Freshmen?

Of the 457 freshmen accepted from 135 elementary schools,

  • 30% are African American
  • 29% are Caucasian
  • 23% are Hispanic
  • 17% are Asian
  • 1% are American Indian

Can I go out to eat?

Von Steuben is one of the few schools left in the area that has an open campus lunch. If you leave for lunch, however, you cannot return until the end of the period.

How do I approach the Scholars' Summer Reading Assignment?

Help! I don't know what to do for the summer reading assignment for Scholars Sophomores. It says to write about the signifigance of particular quotes to the book. Does this mean to relate the theme of each quote to the theme of the entire book, or something else?

Basically. When I had to do it, the directions for the 9th grade and 10th grade summer reading were the same. This is how I approached it:

What I did was pick a theme which was brought out by a specific major quote. Then, I used other quotes from throughout the book to prove that it was a major theme and what the author was trying to convey/portray. You can do this about a general theme in the book, or a character analysis -- using quotes to analyze a specific feature/attribute/personality/action of a certain character.

The best way to approach this, in my opinion, is to think carefully about one big message you got from reading the book. First think more about what you learned from the story (the moral, etc), than the actual story itself. Then think about different events in the book that gave you this impression. Write them down. You can use the concepts as a basis for an outline, so that you can organize your ideas better. Then look for pages that discuss these different events/concepts in your outline, and write the pages down. Finally, search these pages for specific quotes/information that will help you prove your point.

An effective introduction may start off with an interesting remark to draw in the reader and get his/her attention. Your thesis (the main sentence which describes what the rest of your paper will be about) should be concise, direct and to-the-point. It typically is either the first sentence or the last sentence of your introduction. An example character analysis thesis: In _The Great Adventures of Dazed Yugo_, Macro Slyth is clearly an evil character, whose major goal is to prevent the mighty Dazed from accomplishing anything. You would then bring up different events, supported by different quotes, to prove this.

Your conclusion can be more than just a summary of the rest of your paper. If it were a character analysis, for example, you may spend a paragraph or two relating what you've discussed to what you think is the author's ultimate underlying message, or how this character relates to our real world.

If you still have any questions, or need a new copy of the directions and/or reading list, I would try emailing Mr. Trovato. If he's in town, it might be a good idea to send in your introduction and ask him for his opinion if you're headed in the right direction.

Tutoring / Tutoring Schedule

Von Steuben offers tutoring to all students in most subjects. Tutoring is held both before and after school. Consult the Tutoring Schedule for more information.

Who to contact for questions about Sports

You may be wondering why our sports listing on the website is so slim. This is because the webmasters have still not received a full list of sports from the Sports department. However, we do know that the only sport that Von Steuben does not offer is Football. Almost everything else is offered. You can contact Mr. Wiener, PE department head, for any more questions about sports. Update: As of 2003/2004, the sports listings are accurate.

Who to contact for the Alumni Association?

Mr. Wiener, head of Alumni Association. Email: alumni @ vonsteuben.org
Voice Mail: 847-622-5355
Snail Mail: Von Alumni \ P.O. Box 386 \ Glenview, IL 60025

How can I contact a teacher?

  • The first place to look is their online profile page. You can find it by clicking Lookup/ Teachers, sorting the list by the first letter of their last name, and clicking on their link.
  • A master list of email addresses for all administrators, staff, and faculty members can be found here.
  • If their email address is not listed in either location, please call the school (534-5100) and leave a message for the teacher with the office.
  • You can also schedule meetings with the teacher through the office, if you wish.

What can you do if you fail classes?

You have to take them again: Saturday school and summer school.

Why don't we have pictures on our website showing the students?

It's illegal to display children without parental consent. We don't care what other high schools do on their websites.

What kind of calculator you need and why

Von Steuben recommends you use a TI-83 type calculator. The TI-83+ model has flash memory, and the TI-83+ Silver Edition has even more memory. Most people buy the "plus" models since these are the models currently available in stores. They are expensive (~$80) graphing calculators which can draw complex graphs and interpret mathematical programs. All math classes involve curriculum which requires this calculator. We believe that technology should be used in the classroom as much as possible, and graphing calculators are great learning tools and allow students to check their work and see how complex equations are graphed. Given the hefty price tag, Von Steuben also has a couple of spare calculators for the classroom. We recommend that you keep your calculator in a safe place and label it with your name to ensure that you don't lose it. There are some classes that allow calculators but not graphing calculators (such as Physics). In this case, a TI-30 type calculator works fine (I recommend TI-30X IIS). The calculators are common and are available in most office supply stores (i.e. Office Max), Target, etc.

What is the policy regarding cell phones, radios, headphones, etc?

Don't bring them, they're not welcome here. Cell phones should be turned off while in the building. CD Players, radios, etc, can all be stolen by peers, which is why we recommend you do not bring any valuable items. Besides, if you use any of these things in school, they can be confiscated. In other words, noisy stuff that causes distraction is not allowed. To even be allowed to carry a cell phone while in the building, you need to fill out the proper form, which can be obtained in the office.

Describe the Science curriculum

Being a Metropolitan Science Center, Von Steuben offers a wide range of science courses. However, there is a requirement that every student take at least Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students can do whatever they want their fourth year. So long as they've completed the standard requirement, the option is up to them. The fourth year science course can be any science class not already taken. Some exceptional students have arranged for extended courses outside of school. Usually people don't do this, though. You might be able to get away with not taking a fourth year science class at all. Some students have taken environmental science/earth science as a substitute for physics, but I do not recommend doing this. You could take either of these (as well as anatomy, etc, etc) for fourth year. I recommend taking AP classes your fourth year. What happens is you take Regular or Honors Biology Freshman year, Regular or Honors Chemistry Sophomore year, and Regular or Honors Physics Junior year. Senior year you typically take an Advanced Placement (College Level) class of either Biology, Chemistry or Physics. You may also take AP classes your Freshman/Sophomore/Junior years, if you're up for the challenge (and your grades meet requirements, and teachers recommend you, etc). All our science courses are listed on our website. If you look where it says "lookup" on the side, click "departments" and then click on Science. If you click on course listings, you'll see what's available.

Describe the Math curriculum

Like mentioned above, all course offerings are available through Lookup. This is usually the course of events for a student at Von: As a Freshman, the student takes Algebra I, Sophomore year the student takes Geometry, Junior year the student takes Algebra II/Trig, and Senior year the student takes College Algebra. However, if the student did well in Algebra, Junior year he or she will be boosted into Precalculus, so that Senior year he or she can take AP Calculus. Finally, students who already took Algebra in middle school may take Geometry for Freshman year, and take Calculus by Junior year, leaving an even more advanced option open for them Senior year, or allowing them not to take a math class Senior year. To take Geometry Freshman year, you need to have an Algebra credit from an approved school. Inquire with Von Steuben administration regarding this issue. Each year more and more Freshman are allowed to take Geometry, and the 'approved school' requirement seems to be less enforced. If you really want Geometry first year, you can probably get it.

Describe the "Gifted Programs"

The gifted programs are special courses that are offered throughout the city. You must apply and be accepted for these classes through the Board of Education Gifted Office. These classes must be elected through consultation with your counselor. They're usually taken Junior or Senior year. Just remember that if you take one of these, you still have to make up credits that you miss for other required classes. One reason why students take these classes is because they're one day a week, and for the rest of the week students just get out early. I only recommend taking one of these enrichment courses if you're really into the topic that's being studied. Either that, or if you like going home early and don't mind having less electives the following year.

Where can I browse the courses that Von offers, and what do the course symbols mean?

The Von Steuben Webmasters maintain an online version of the course catalog. On the navigation bar (to the left), where it says "Lookup", choose what you'd like to browse. If you'd like to see what courses Von has to offer, it'd make most sense to click on "Departments", locate the department you're interested in, and click "Show course offerings" when the page of that department loads.

  • "AP" and "ADV" stand for "Advanced Placement" Course/Credit - An "A" is worth 6 GPA points.
  • "NP" stands for "North Park University Course" (Discontinued; Now offered as AP)
  • "H" and "HON" stand for "Honors" Course/Credit - An "A" is worth 5 GPA points.
  • "R/H" and "RH" stand for "Regular and Honors" Course/Credit (Combined courses have "extra" activities for students seeking honors credit)
  • "R" and "REG" stand for "Regular" Course/Credit - An "A" is worth 4 GPA points.
  • "N" and "NON" stand for "Non Denominational" Course/Credit - An "A" is worth 4 GPA points (like Regular). NON courses are most common where the academic challenge is the same for all students - such as Art and Music courses.

© 2006 Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center
5039 North Kimball Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625
email questions or webmaster at vonsteuben.org
ph: 773/534-5100     fax: 773/534-5210
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