Dear Families,
This past week was a busy and exciting week at Fierke! Our 3rd–5th grade students impressed us with their hard work and perseverance during the annual Spelling Bee. A special thank you to Trisha Honkoski for organizing such a successful event!
We want to thank you for attending Thursday night's show. We extend special thanks to Mrs. Riedel, our long-term substitute music teacher, and Ms. Beck for organizing the performance, and the PTO for decorating the gym. The students were so excited to share their music with all of you and celebrate the holiday season.
Weeks like this truly highlight the joy, growth, and strong sense of community at Fierke. And we are excited to see what the New Year will bring!
As we begin winter break in the coming week, we would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to seeing you all in 2026!
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Important Reminder: For the safety of all students, playground use before school requires direct parental supervision, especially for our younger learners. Staff supervision begins at 8:40 AM. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe.
We would also like to remind parents to drive all the way up to the end of the car line. We ask parents to remain in their vehicles as staff are available to support as needed. With additional families opting to drop students off through the car line for arrival, we would like to ensure that all students are able to enter the building prior to 8:50am. Should your vehicle enter the car circle after 8:50am, there will be no staff supervision so we ask that you bring your child to Door 1.
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We held our spelling bee on Tuesday, December 17th with 21 brave competitors! Our final three, Ahmmad S., Ben C., and Elliott A. could have well been predicted as they are either returning champions from prior bees or are masters of composure.
After thirteen rounds and his championship word, prognosis, Elliott emerged as our Fierke Spelling Bee Champion! Elliott Allphin and Ben Cyscon will represent Fierke at the District Spelling Bee on February 3, 2026, at Central Middle School.
Overall, we were extremely impressed by all of our participants. We would like to commend the fourth-grade students that were observed offering words of encouragement and demonstrating compassion when their peers were eliminated from the competition—an outstanding reflection of our Fierke values. Thank you as well to Rachel Dotseth and Todd Fitzpatrick for serving as judges for the event.
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12/20-1/4 Winter Break
January:
1/5 Classes Resume
1/9 MAP Reports go home
1/12 School Board Meeting
1/16 SIP Day - No School
1/19 MLK Day - No School
1/23 Hive Reading Day
1/27 PTO Meeting
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District Policy on Treats
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D146 Elementary buildings have three (3) classroom parties throughout the school year: October, December, and February.
We encourage celebrating with non-food novelty items like stickers, pencils, games and crafts however food is welcome during these 3 celebrations, only.
Classroom teachers and/or the PTA coordinate food donations. If you participate, all food must be pre-packaged and labeled by a manufacturer. No later than 1 week prior to the event, teachers will approve food submissions. Parents or guardians of students with documented medical food allergies are asked to collaborate with classroom teachers to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of their child.
Items strictly prohibited:
· Peanuts, tree nuts and all their derivatives
Please note: Teachers may implement additional restrictions based on student allergies in their classroom or grade level.
***Birthdays may be celebrated with NON-FOOD items. Examples include stickers and pencils.
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At Fierke, we believe every day counts! Regular school attendance is one of the most important ways you can help your child succeed. Each day of learning builds upon the last—when students miss class, they miss valuable instruction, collaboration, and connection with their peers. Even a few absences can add up and make it harder for your child to stay on track.
We know that illnesses and emergencies happen, and we appreciate your partnership in scheduling appointments and trips outside of school hours whenever possible. Together, we can help ensure every child is present, prepared, and ready to shine bright each day!
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Each month, we proudly recognize our Super Stingers – students who go above and beyond to demonstrate what it means to “Aim High and Shine Bright!”
These students are nominated by their teachers for showing exceptional kindness, integrity, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. They lead by example, treat others with respect, and consistently give their best effort in all that they do.
We are so proud of our Super Stingers - thank you for making Fierke a brighter place to learn and grow! We are so proud of their leadership, kindness, and commitment to our Hive values. Congratulations to this month’s Super Stingers! 💛🐝
November Super Stingers will be recognized on December 12th with a special Pizza Surprise Lunch with me, Mrs. Lamorte.
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Families are asked to submit required health forms as soon as possible. Requirements for specific grade levels are listed below. Please turn in all medical forms to Nurse Cailin or call her directly if you have any questions about these requirements.
Kindergarten: Physical exam with up-to-date immunization record, dental exam and complete eye exam.
Grade 2: Dental exam
Transfer students: Physical exam with up-to-date immunization record. Complete eye exam (if attending an Illinois school for the first time). Parents are ultimately responsible for providing copies of the physical exam and immunizations if receipt of these records is delayed by the transfer school.
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To ensure the safety of all students and to remain in compliance with state law, parents are required to notify the school office if their child will not be in attendance. This notification must take place within the first hour of school. When reporting an absence, please call the school office, use the voicemail system, or enter the absence into PowerSchool.
Additionally, if your child will have a change in dismissal plans (leaving early, not taking the bus, riding with a neighbor etc.), please let the office know by 2:00. Informing the office in a timely way makes dismissal run more smoothly for all.
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To ensure that all students have a safe and positive experience on the bus, we are reinforcing our bus riding expectations. Students are expected to:
- Sit in their assigned seats at all times.
- Follow the bus driver’s directions promptly and respectfully.
- Remain seated while the bus is moving.
- Keep all parts of their body inside the bus.
- Refrain from littering or leaving belongings behind.
- Use quiet, respectful voices (no screaming or yelling).
We appreciate your support in reminding your child of these expectations so that everyone can travel to and from school safely.
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American School Bus is using Bus Bulletin to alert District 146 parents of bus delays and schedule changes.
Bus Bulletin sends parents instant notifications via text message, email, and/or phone call. There is no cost for parents to sign up and receive notifications.
To sign up for notifications, please visit the Bus Bulletin website. Click Register, Select Parent/Student, Select SD 146 from drop down and complete personal information. Once an account is created, you can choose which bus route you want to be notified for both AM/PM.
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Walkers/Bussers: Please enter through the main entrance door #1. Car Riders: Enter the parking lot moving east on Victoria. There is no left turn into the parking lot while moving west on Victoria during arrival/dismissal. THERE IS NO PARKING ON VICTORIA DRIVE DURING ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL. Drivers may ONLY make a right turn when exiting the parking lot. See the included map for more details.
Car riders are dropped off at the car circle line and enter via Door #8. Door #8 will close promptly at 8:50am. Car riders arriving after 8:50am must be dropped off at the main entrance.
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade walkers will dismiss via the east doors. Kindergarten students will dismiss via their classroom doors on the south side of the building. Car riders will enter vehicles at the car circle line for dismissal.
Ivy League: Door #10 (South Cafeteria Door). Students using this before/after school program will enter and exit DOOR #10 of the cafeteria black top.
Every child, on a daily basis, should know if they are a “car rider,” “bus rider,” or “walker.”
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Fierke PTO strives to create a strong community and raises money to fund special programs and events throughout the school year. By joining, you will make a positive impact for students and our Fierke community.
For more information:
Crystal Budney (President)
Lindsey Zaldivar (Vice- President)
Kim Salmich (Secretary)
Becky Cook (Treasurer)
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We will continue to offer free/reduced/paid lunches for the upcoming school year. The costs for each paid category are: Breakfast $1.50, and Lunch $3.75. We use a debit card system through Pushcoin. Funds can be added to your child’s card via a Pushcoin link available on our district website: www.district146.org
Breakfast will be available each morning for students using the debit card system. Students needing breakfast will go to the cafeteria to pick up their breakfast and then return to their classroom. Students will eat breakfast in their classrooms.
The daily hot lunch program will begin on Thursday, August 21st The student’s debit card is
scanned and deducted $3.75 whenever a hot lunch is “purchased”. Debit card accounts can be opened or re-activated by paying online or writing a check to School District 146 marked with “debit card-student’s name” in the memo line.
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Anyone who would like to volunteer in classrooms or at school events must have a background check on file. Please be sure to submit an application here: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/ODQzMzplbi1VUw== If you are unsure whether you have submitted a background check in the past, please contact the office. |
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If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach out via the following links:
Phone: (708) 614-4520
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