Skip to Main Content
McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

MCHS teacher Heidie Dunn is shown working hard.

Hard work pays off

Maggie Demski, Chief Copy Editor March 20, 2025

Heidie Dunn comes to school one morning excited to teach her students, and her students are just as excited to learn from one of their favorite teachers. Students enter the class room and settle at their...

MCHS has used initiatives like "Orange and Black on Track" at the Upper Campus and "Beat the Blahs" at the Freshman Campus to promote student growth during a time of year where many students lose motivation.

A season for ‘Blahs’

Eli Frommes, Staff Writer March 17, 2025

A student sits in their classroom with work piling up and no motivation to do any work so they just sit on their phone and push the problem to another day. As their GPA rises and their willingness to go...

Freshman swimmer Robbie Rosenbaum qualified for state.

Sprint to success

Ele Kinser, Staff Writer March 13, 2025

Robbie Rosenbaum, goggles on and ready to race, stood on the block feeling nervous; expectations were high and he needed to meet them. “Take your mark … Go!” The starter shouts, beginning the race....

MCHS competed at BPA last weekend.

Members of BPA return from weekend at state

Sydney Boswell, Staff Writer March 11, 2025

MCHS’s Business Professionals of America, or BPA, went to state in Oakbrook from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1. MCHS went to state for its second year in a row. McHenry has had a BPA team for two years. The BPA...

Slow walkers around the school can make it harder for students to get to classes on time.

Opinion | A walk to hopefully forget

Sydney Boswell, Staff Writer March 7, 2025

The timer in the hallway is counting down, and a student looks for a path to their class, while a stampede of slow walkers blocks any possible exits. They look at the timer over and over, praying they...

Students at MCHS are encouraged to engage in Inclusion week starting on March 3rd.

Warrior Buddies hosts Inclusion week

Rose Wenckebach, Artistic Director March 3, 2025

Warrior Buddies are celebrating Inclusion week during March 3-8. During this time students are aiming to make others feel included despite differences. During this week MCHS and Warrior Buddies will...

Dr. Jeff Prickett, who has served as one of MCHS's principals since 2017, announced Wednesday that he will be leaving District 156 at the end of the school year.

Upper Campus principal to leave MCHS at end of school year

Ffion Curtain, Online Managing Editor February 27, 2025

On Wednesday, Dr. Jeff Prickett announced his resignation from MCHS as the Principal of Upper Campus. He is heading to Meadowview Elementary School in Grayslake, IL. Prickett has been an administrator...

Act fast!

Michalina Sotka, Print Managing Editor February 21, 2025

As the season for standardized and state testing approaches, both students and teachers are dealing with the new-ness of the ACT, with many of them approaching it in different ways. The ACT is new to...

From going to work or the doctor to getting to school, students at MCHS are feeling the effects of the Trump's recent immigration orders.

How this affects us

Aika Villa, Page designer February 19, 2025

A student walking down a busy hallway during the passing period scrolls through social media and sees a video that catches their attention. The video covers something that happened in the news. It states...

MCHS celebrates Valentine's Day by sending flowers and Crush sodas to others.

Love in the air

Sydney Boswell, Staff Writer February 14, 2025

Valentine's Day was Friday, and students at MCHS celebrate in unique ways. In years past, MCHS has done various ways of celebrating Valentine's Day. At Freshman Campus, students could purchase “Crush”...

Sophomore students perform their deep, emotional poems in the auditorium to classmates and the judges during the Poetry Slam on Friday.

Poets in action

Sydney Boswell, Staff Writer February 11, 2025

A sophomore student sits in their AIM, re-reading their poem making sure it's perfect. The announcements interrupted, blaring, “Don't forget the poetry slam Friday in the auditorium, good luck!” The...

Elizabeth Holden tours MCHS more than two and a half decades after graduating from MCHS in 1999. Since, she has become a published author, started a travel business, and works at UW - Platteville as a physics professor. She spoke at the Freshman Campus during Writer’s Week.

Dream come true

McKenzie Woods, Copy Editor February 10, 2025

Elizabeth Holden describes how becoming an author has always been a dream for her since she could remember. She describes the process of becoming an author and the things that come with being one. She...

Load More Stories