Prior to winter break, our third graders also made ornaments for children who spent the holidays at Shriners Hospital, helping to spread joy and kindness during the season.

On January 9th, we celebrated our December Super Stingers, recognizing students who consistently model our core values and behavioral expectations. This celebration highlighted students’ leadership, kindness, and responsibility across our school community.

In addition, our fourth- and fifth-grade students demonstrated outstanding leadership by reteaching CHAMPS behavior expectations to all classrooms. Students nominated by their classroom teachers led instructional rotations throughout the building, teaching expectations in the specific locations where they apply, including the hallways, media center, classrooms, and other shared spaces. This peer-led approach reinforced expectations in an authentic and engaging way while empowering students as role models. Please see picture below.

Students are currently working on their Young Authors stories, which are due on Friday, February 6th. In April, Fierke will host another Explore Theater assembly, where selected top stories from grades K–2 and 3–5 will be featured.

We are also excited to have many students representing Fierke in the 2026 District 146 Math Challenge on Friday, February 6th. While there, students will compete in Mental Math, Written Computation, and Team Problem-Solving.  Awards will be given to the first-, second-, and third-place students in each category.  The top two students in each grade in the district will move on to the South Cook Math Bowl in April.

Overall, the week reflected a strong sense of community, student leadership, and a shared commitment to maintaining a positive, respectful, and safe learning environment for all.

Please see below for more important dates and information.

We appreciate your continued partnership and support as we work together to support the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Mrs. Lamorte

Students pictured from left to right top row: Harper Ramos, Jaxson Torres, Lily Weaver, Margaret Adams, Rigby Andrysiak, Quinn Sincock, and Eli Anaya

Students pictured from left to right bottom row: Tilly Morgan, Gavin Brongel, Abigail Almanza, Meghan Yerkes, and Grayson Blyth

These students met with our staff to plan and spent all week preparing for CHAMPS presentations. They did a wonderful job presenting to ALL K-5 students on Friday!!

This winter, students in grades 3–5 will once again participate in the Panorama Student Competency and Well Being Survey. This student self-assessment provides us with valuable insight into students’ experiences at school and helps us continue to strengthen our learning environment. Students will complete the survey during the week of January 19th. 

Some sample questions on the survey include: 

The Winter Panorama Survey gives us an important opportunity to reflect on student growth over time. By comparing the information gathered in the fall with students’ winter responses, we are able to identify trends, celebrate progress, and determine where additional support may be needed. This helps us make thoughtful, data-informed decisions that support students both socially and emotionally.

Students will complete the survey at school with support from their teachers during the winter survey window. The survey focuses on areas such as student engagement, sense of belonging, and perceptions of their learning environment. All questions are age-appropriate and designed specifically for elementary students.

Student responses remain confidential, and results are shared in aggregate to guide school-wide planning, classroom practices, and targeted support. The information we gather helps us refine interventions, strengthen relationships, and ensure that every student feels connected, supported, valued, and ready to learn.

If you do not want your child to participate, please complete the opt out form linked here or notify our office by January 15th. 

We appreciate our students sharing their voices and are grateful for your continued partnership as we use this information to grow and improve. 

Kindergarten Registration begins on February 17th. Please click on one of the links below to access a flyer for more information.

In the event of an E-learning day, the district will notify you via phone, district website, and parent square notification.

Your students' teacher will provide specific classroom information via seesaw.

Please find additional resources below:

Each morning, our school community connects through student-created video announcements that are watched in individual classrooms. Students take the lead by recording daily messages that are shared school-wide, helping set a positive tone for the day. These announcements amplify student voice, build leadership and communication skills, and ensure that all students begin their day informed, engaged, and connected.

Click on the link below to begin your day with us each morning!

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! 💛🐝

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.

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.

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:

We appreciate your support in reminding your child of these expectations so that everyone can travel to and from school safely.

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.”

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.

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.