401 Students Shine Across the Community

At District 401, we’re proud to have students who are so active in the community. Take a look at some of the newest events, highlights, and achievements from our students—outside the classroom!
 

Ivy Oliaro performs as one of Mother Ginger’s children in Act II of The Nutcracker

Anthony Losurdo – Leyden Wrestling
4th grader Anthony Losurdo is currently in his third season with the Leyden Wolfpack Wrestling Club. With a 10–2 record so far this season, Anthony has qualified for regionals and sectionals in each of the past two years. He also competed in the IKWF (Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation) State Tournament this past season. Congrats Anthony—keep up the good work!

Anthony competing in the Leyden Wolfpack Wrestling Club (left)

Maddox Lerner – All-Tournament Baseball
Student Maddox Lerner, Principal Lerner’s son, recently competed in the Panama City Beach tournament for the 9U Orange Crush Baseball Team. He was previously named MVP for his Cangelosi Sparks 9U team and went 8–9 at the plate in a JP Sports All-Star game, earning an invitation to join the Panama City team. His performance in Florida was outstanding, ultimately landing him a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Maddox plays as catcher, first baseman, and pitcher, showing versatility on the field.

Maddox delivers a dominant pitching performance in the Panama City Beach tournament

Edward & Santiago Zacarias at the USL Youth National Championship

Emilio Rodriguez’s VFW Award
8th grader Emilio Rodriguez recently received the Outstanding Young Spokesperson of the Future award from the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). Earning third place after writing an essay for their Patriot Pen contest, he received a $100 prize and a medal! Participating at the VFW River Grove location, Emilio joined the Young Marines in October of 2024. This program focuses on lessons in leadership, community service, healthy lifestyles, and drug-free choices.

Emilio's award from the VFW

Key Club Blood Drive
The Key Club at EPHS is a service organization that participates in activities to help the community throughout the year. One of their most recent events was the annual blood drive in partnership with the Red Cross. This event took place on Dec. 2, and 43 people came out to donate! With that, they were able to collect 30 units, saving up to 90 lives! Congratulations and thank you to all who participated!

Student Christine Ptack takes part in the blood drive

Transition Program Community Work
The Transition Program at EPHS supports former students ages 18–22 as they build skills for independent living. Participants focus on everyday life skills such as cooking, cleaning, organization, communication, and personal responsibility. They learn to manage schedules, tasks, and goals while gaining confidence and independence.

A huge part of the program is community work. Students spend 1–2 hours a week assisting local businesses such as The Quinn Center of St. Eulalia Church, D’Agostino’s Pizza, and We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym. This article’s featured photo shows students Edwin Chavarria-Beza and Melina Paxtian Velasquez preparing parmesan packs for D’Agostino’s! Other program activities include recreation, outings, and service projects—including making holiday cards for the Village of River Grove.

A big shoutout goes to Bridget Flood, Megan Bremer, Corrine Buffalo, and all support staff. We are proud of this program and excited to see all the wonderful things our students are achieving in the community!

Transition Program participants make holiday cards for the Village of River Grove

Together, these experiences outside the classroom help students build confidence, responsibility, and leadership skills, contributing to their growth as well-rounded individuals. For more community-related stories, check out our “We Are 401” series on YouTube!