What an exciting week at Fierke! Our Hive has been buzzing with learning, laughter, and so many wonderful experiences across all grade levels. From classroom activities to special moments shared with friends, staff, and family members, it is always a joy to see our students engaged, growing, and excited to come to school each day. Their smiles say it all!
We are so proud of all the amazing things happening throughout Fierke and I am grateful for our amazing staff for making each day meaningful for our students.
Be sure to check out this week's highlights below, especially our DINO-MITE Attendance Section (Mrs. Zimny & I put on dinosaur costumes & delivered popcorn to our winning classrooms!) and be sure to take a look at the important upcoming events on our calendar.
Have a wonderful weekend! 💛🐝
Mrs. Lamorte
Welcome, Ms. Wanda!
Food Service Specialist
Ms. Tracy, our food service specialist, was unable to finish out the year with us, and we wish her all the best!
We are also thrilled to welcome Ms. Wanda, who stepped in to help us out in a pinch! She has been absolutely wonderful with our students, and it didn't take long for her to become a familiar, smiling face in our Hive. Our students are already greeting her with big smiles each morning at breakfast and during lunch. We are so grateful to have her as part of our Fierke family!
Veteran's Day Celebration
We had an incredibly special Veterans Day Celebration at Fierke! We were honored to recognize and thank the veterans in our school community for their service and sacrifice.
The celebration began with a Veterans Parade throughout the building, as students and staff lined the hallways to show their appreciation and gratitude. Our veterans then joined us for a special assembly organized by our music teacher, Ms. Beck. All students participated in singing patriotic songs, including the Star-Spangled Banner.
One of the most meaningful moments of the assembly was watching this photo montage honoring the heroes within our Fierke family. The tribute was incredibly touching and heartfelt, bringing tears to the eyes of both students and staff. Following the assembly, our veterans enjoyed light refreshments alongside their Fierke students.
It was a beautiful celebration that brought our school community together in gratitude and reminded us of the importance of honoring those who have served our country. We are so thankful for all of our veterans, especially our very own Mrs. Olejniczak, our evening custodian (pictured below)!
A huge thank you to our amazing Fierke PTO for organizing and donating the refreshments and beautifully decorating to make our Veterans feel so special and appreciated! We are grateful for your generosity, time, and support in helping make this celebration memorable for our veterans and school community!
3rd Grade Disguise a Turkey Activity
Students had an opportunity to Disguise a Turkey with their families.
Students presented their disguise today, explaining materials used and who helped.
They also fielded questions from classmates to practice presentation and listening skills.
They did a great job!
Family Reading Night & Book Fair
Our Scholastic Book Fair and Family Reading Night were wonderful opportunities to bring students and families together around literacy. One of the biggest highlights of the evening, as always, was the therapy dogs! They were a huge hit with our students, who loved having the opportunity to read alongside and spend time with their furry friends. Events like these help foster positive reading experiences and create lasting memories for our students.
Surprise Attendance Day!
Being at school is DINOmite!
Something DINO-mite has officially stomped its way into Fierke! 🦖🎉
As you may have heard from your child, we started our Kick-off today... with a ROAR-some new attendance incentive with surprise visits from our very own Fierke Dinos!
Here's the prehistoric scoop:
On any given day, the classes with the top attendance may be surprised by our Fierke Dinos with a special treat or reward for showing up and being ready to learn!
And today, we had our very first DINO-mite winners! 🦕
🍿 Mrs. Lisula's Class
🍿 Mrs. Faustin's Class
🍿 Mrs. Bullington's Class
🍿 Mrs. Kristin's Class
These four classes were surprised with a visit and a POPPIN' good popcorn treat to celebrate their awesome attendance!
As you can imagine, word traveled faster than a T-Rex chasing lunch! 🦖 Many students saw the excitement or heard about the surprise, so please help us spread the word!
EVERY day is a chance for a DINO-mite surprise! The visits will be completely random, so they never know when our Fierke Dinos might come STOMPING down the hallway!
Let's keep encouraging our students to show up, be ready to learn, and make every school day ROAR-some!
Because at Fierke, great attendance is something to ROAR about! 🦖💚💛
As we approach the end of the first trimester, we want to remind families that standards-based report cards reflect student learning at a particular point in the school year.
Learning expectations develop throughout the school year. Some standards are assessed and reported in more than one trimester, with expectations increasing as students build their knowledge, skills, and independence.
A 3 (Meets) indicates that a student has met the learning expectations for the current trimester. A 2 (Developing) indicates that a student is making progress but has not yet consistently demonstrated those expectations.
Because expectations may increase from one trimester to the next, report card scores may change even as students continue to learn and grow. A lower score in a later trimester does not necessarily indicate a loss of skills; it may reflect more advanced learning expectations.
Report cards provide a snapshot of current achievement, highlighting students' strengths and identifying areas for continued growth.
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.
Honeycomb Connections
1st and 3rd Grade Buddies
Our First and Third Grades teamed up for an outdoor scavenger hunt this week.
Partners worked together to use their item checklist (shown below) and iPad camera to photograph items outdoors.
Kindergarten and 5th Grade Buddies
Students requested a Buddy Lunch Day, and our amazing Fierke staff made it happen! Our 5th-grade and Kindergarten buddies enjoyed some extra time together, sharing lunch, conversations, and plenty of smiles.
I had the opportunity to join in on the fun, and some of the conversations I overheard were absolutely priceless! From, “What books have you read for the Read-a-thon?” to “Can you help me open my milk?” these little moments captured what Honeycomb Connections is all about.
It's the friendships, encouragement, and connections across grade levels that make Fierke such a special place. A big thank-you to our staff for making these meaningful moments possible! It's the little things that make a big difference!
The Monthly Buzz
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.
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:
11/16 Watch D.O.G.S. informational meeting at 5pm
11/17 PTO Skate Night @ Tinley Roller Rink @ 5-7pm
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
December:
12/1 Winter MAP Testing begins
12/1 Winter AIMSweb Testing begins
12/3 PTO Gingerbread contest begins
12/3 Tentative Author John Schu visit for 4th & 5th Grades
12/4 STEAM Mobile ED Assembly
12/4 PTO Fierke Friday Spirit Day
12/7 PTO Elf Shelf Holiday Shopping begins
12/8 Winter AIMSweb Testing ends
12/10 5th Grade Too Good for Drugs Session
12/15 Fierke Spelling Bee 6pm-8pm
12/17 PTO Gingerbread contest ends
12/18 PTO Fierke Friday Spirit Day
12/18 Winter MAP Testing Ends
12/22 1/2 Day student Attendance
12/23 to 1/5 Winter break for Students
January:
1/6 Students return to 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.
