What a busy and wonderful week at Fierke! There are so many amazing things happening across our grade levels and in each of our classrooms. One thing is certain: our students are happy to be at Fierke each and every day, and we see it in their smiling faces! We love seeing all the learning, growing, and exciting experiences taking place throughout our Hive. Be sure to read about all of the wonderful things that have been happening this week and take a moment to review the important upcoming events. There is always something buzzing at Fierke! 🐝
Mrs. Lamorte
Internet Safety Presentation
On Monday, November 23 at 6 p.m., the Tinley Park Police Department will be presenting to all D146 families on the topic of Internet and Social Media Safety in the CMS Cafetorium.
CMS’s Builders Club and NJHS students will be providing activities for younger attendees and there will be door prizes.
This presentation is a great opportunity for our D146 Families to learn about ways to keep our children safe while online and on Social Media.
District staff and their families are also welcome to attend to gather some very important information!
Watch D.O.G.S.
(Dads of Great Students)
Calling All Dads, Uncles, or Grandfathers!
We are excited to offer a special volunteer opportunity for our Fierke dads through Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)!
Dads who have completed the required background check will have the opportunity to volunteer throughout the school day. Volunteers may spend time helping in classrooms, joining their child for lunch, and supporting students during recess. Our goal is to increase positive male role models and provide additional opportunities for students to build meaningful connections with caring adults in our school community. We look forward to welcoming our Fierke dads into the Hive! If you are interested in joining Watch D.O.G.S., please look for our upcoming flyer that will share information regarding our first meeting. Anyone interested in volunteering must attend the first information meeting/training session on Monday, November 16th at 5 p.m. Please see the attached flyer.
National School Psychology Week
November 9-13 is National School Psychology Week, celebrating the contributions of school psychologists and the important role they play in schools and communities. We want to thank our school psychologist, Mrs. Trang, for all of her work in building meaningful relationships that support students, strengthen collaboration, and transform school communities.
First Grade Walking Field Trip
Our first graders enjoyed a fall nature walk, exploring and discovering the changes happening all around them as the seasons change! 🍂
Students also learned why leaves change colors in the fall and how animals use fallen leaves to find shelter, stay warm, and prepare for the colder months.
Honeycomb Connections
3rd Grade Writing
Third Grade Writers in Action!
Our third graders are building their writing and collaboration skills! Students created their first Google Docs to write personal narratives about their weekend. They also put their science knowledge to work by creating vertebrate riddles, using animal characteristics to help classmates identify and classify different animals. During a gallery walk, students solved one another’s riddles and participated in a thoughtful debrief, sharing celebrations and constructive feedback. We are so proud of their creativity, critical thinking, and growing confidence as writers and learners!
Student Council Food Drive
🥫 Student Council Food Drive: Small Acts, BIG Impact! 🐝
Our Fierke Student Council set an ambitious goal of collecting 5,000 cans to support Redeemer’s Little Food Pantry! While we didn’t quite reach our school-wide goal, we celebrated the incredible generosity, teamwork, and kindness shown by our Fierke community. Every can collected makes a difference, and we are so proud of our students for coming together to support others!
Together, our Fierke Stingers collected over 600 cans to help families in need right here in our community! That is over 600 items that will make a difference in someone's life!
We are incredibly proud of our students and families for showing kindness, generosity, and compassion. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated and helped make our food drive a success! Remember, Stingers, it's not always about reaching a number—it's about the difference we make when we come together to help others! 💛🐝
The Monthly Buzz
Staff Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Check out October's Monthly Buzz video below to see some of the wonderful learning experiences, activities, and celebrations happening at Fierke!
We are excited to continue highlighting the amazing things happening across all grade levels and throughout our building.
Join us for Family Reading Night!
Student Handbook
As we continue our school year, we encourage all families to take some time to review the Fierke Student Handbook. The handbook provides important information about school expectations, policies, procedures, and guidelines that help us maintain a safe, positive, and supportive learning environment for all students.
We appreciate your partnership in reviewing these expectations with your child and working together to ensure a successful school year for everyone. Thank you for being an important part of our Fierke Hive!
Buzz Tickets: Working Toward a School-Wide Celebration!
At Fierke, we celebrate students who demonstrate good character and go that Extra Degree! Students earn Buzz Tickets for showing trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
Each ticket recognizes a student’s positive choices and gives them a vote for our school-wide celebration: Show & Tell Day, Board Game Day in the Library, or Pajama Party!
Our students have been busy filling up the jars, and the excitement is building! 🎉 Stay tuned—we will soon announce which celebration our Fierke community has chosen!
Recess Weather
We know that outdoor recess is an important part of the school day, and we want our students to have the opportunity to enjoy it whenever conditions allow. We use the chart below to help us determine when students should stay indoors.
Our team closely monitors temperature, heat, rain, storms, and overall weather conditions throughout the day. When conditions improve or the weather changes, we will absolutely take advantage of opportunities for students to safely go outside.
Please know that we take the health, safety, and well-being of your child very seriously. Decisions regarding outdoor recess are made with student safety as our first priority.
Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we navigate these changing weather conditions!
Also, please make sure your child comes to school with appropriate outdoor clothing so they can stay warm and comfortable during outdoor activities and recess.
School Hours
Kindergarten through 5th grade students will attend school from 8:55 AM - 3:35 PM each day. Our expectation is that students are in their seats and ready to learn at 8:55 AM.
1/2 Day School Attendance is from 8:55 AM - 11:45 AM.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
November:
11/10 Nonna's Dine Around 4pm-8pm
11/12 Fierke Family Reading Night (5:30-7pm)
11/13 PTO Read-a-Thon Ends
11/16 Watch D.O.G.S. informational meeting at 5pm
11/19 Too Good for Drugs Session for 5th Graders
11/19 First Trimester Ends
11/20 PTO Fierke Spirit wear Friday
11/20 Picture Retake Day
11/24 Report Card Day
11/24 1/2 Day SIP Day - 11:45am Student Dismissal
11/25 No School
11/26 Thanksgiving Day - No School
11/27 No School
Feedback Form
We Value Your Feedback! 🐝
At Fierke, we are always looking for ways to grow, improve, and make every family's experience the very best it can be. Your voice is an important part of that work!
🌟 Shout out a teacher or staff member who has made a positive difference
💬 Share a suggestion or concern or something you would like us to know about
💡 Provide general feedback or suggestions to help us continue improving
Whether you have something wonderful to celebrate, an idea to share, or a concern we can help address, we want to hear from you.
Your feedback helps us continue Growing. Learning. Leading—Together and making Fierke a place where every student and family feels welcomed, supported, and valued.
Attendance
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.
Research consistently shows a strong connection between regular school attendance and student achievement. Even at the elementary level, missed days can have an impact. In fact, research has found that absenteeism as early as kindergarten can be associated with lower achievement in reading, mathematics, and general knowledge, as well as increased absenteeism in later grades.
We know that illnesses and emergencies happen, and we appreciate your partnership in scheduling appointments and trips outside of school hours whenever possible. However, did you know that missing more than 10% of school attendance days may have a negative effect on student learning?
When reporting an absence, please call the school office, use the 24 hour voicemail system, or enter the absence into PowerSchool anytime, day or night. If notice is not received , District procedure is for the school office to attempt to make contact via all phone numbers provided during registration. If unsuccessful, all emergency contacts will be called until confirmation of the absence is received. If all attempts to contact are unsuccessful, a District administrator and/or designee will notify local law enforcement to ensure the safety and well being of the student.
Please let us know if you are having any difficulties with your child wanting to come to school. Together, we can help ensure every child is present, prepared, and ready to shine bright each day!
Front Office Information
Office Communication
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.
If notice is not received, District procedure is for the school office to attempt to make contact via all phone numbers provided during registration. If unsuccessful, all emergency contacts will be called until confirmation of the absence is received. If all attempts to contact are unsuccessful, a District administrator and/or designee will notify local law enforcement to ensure the safety and well-being of the student.
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 pm. Informing the office in a timely way makes dismissal run more smoothly for all.
Bussing
Bus Students
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:
Enter and Exit the bus slowly and safely.
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).
Keep hands and feet to themselves
We appreciate your support in reminding your child of these expectations so that everyone can travel to and from school safely.
Bus Bulletin
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.
PTO
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.
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.
When available, monthly menus will be posted to the district website, https://www.fdmealplanner.com/, and the FD MealPlanner app.
Background Checks
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.
