OLHMS Update (1/27/26)

Did you know our Musical is this weekend?

Our talented scholars will be performing Beauty and the Beast Jr. this Friday and Saturday! Do not miss your chance to see an outstanding performance on Friday at 7:00 pm and Saturday at 2:00 pm.

Did you know that our main parking lot is closed during morning entry and afternoon dismissal?

Main Parking Lot, Circle Drive and 99th Street: Family drop off and pick up is done on Oak Center Dr. If family members are helping out, please let them know to use the rear of the building for drop off or pick up. Students should not be dropped off in the morning or picked up during dismissal via the main parking lot while buses are present. The main parking lot will be CLOSED from 8:15-8:45am and 3:15-3:45pm daily. When using the circle drive please pull all the way up, drop off your student and exit. Staff arrive at 8:15 am.

Did you know the Oak Lawn Hometown School District 123 PTA Council has opened the annual Helen Whalen Scholarship?

Additional information is below, the deadline is 2/27/26 to apply!

On behalf of the Oak Lawn Hometown School District 123 PTA Council, we would like to share the Helen Whalen Scholarship is available for application! This scholarship is designed to support and recognize outstanding D123 alumni as they pursue their educational goals.

Attached, you will find a flyer with all pertinent information about the scholarship, including eligibility requirements and application details.

Important Information:

Applications Link: https://forms.gle/kpHYzGq6BCEmKj849
Deadline: February 27, 2026, at 4:00 PM
All components of the scholarship application must be submitted by the deadline to be considered (please reiterate this to your students as last year we had quite a few incomplete).
Applicants will be notified of the winners by April 2, 2026.
Scholarship recipients will be invited to attend an awards dinner on April 20, 2026, at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School (OLMHS).

We kindly ask that you share this opportunity with any D123 alumni who may be eligible and encourage them to apply.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at ptacouncild123.scholarship@gmail.com.

Thank you for your support in helping us reach deserving students and celebrating the achievements of our alumni.

Mustang Families,

I wanted to take this moment to follow up on the message shared by Dr. Enderle and to thank you for the kind words, support, and messages I have already received.

Serving as the Principal of Oak Lawn–Hometown Middle School for the past seven years has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career. This school community, our scholars, families, and incredible staff, has made OLHMS a truly special place. Together, we have worked to uphold high expectations, foster meaningful relationships, and create an environment where every scholar is known, supported, and challenged to grow. That work, and that commitment, will always remain close to my heart and I am confident will continue after my departure in June.

While I am excited for this next chapter in my leadership journey, please know that I remain fully committed to OLHMS for the remainder of the school year. The work continues, the expectations remain high, and I look forward to continuing to support our scholars, partner with our staff, and work alongside our families each day as we live our mission and continue to Level UP together.

As Dr. Enderle shared, the district will begin a comprehensive search for our next principal. I strongly encourage families to participate in the survey. Your voice matters, and your input will help ensure that the next leader builds upon the strong foundation we have created and continues to move OLHMS forward with purpose and care.

Thank you for your trust, partnership, and continued support of our school. OLHMS will always be a part of who I am, and I am grateful for every remaining moment we have together this year.

Sincerely,

Dr. McNichols

Main Parking Lot, Circle Drive and 99th Street: Family drop off and pick up is done on Oak Center Dr. Students should not be dropped off in the morning or picked up during dismissal via the main parking lot while buses are present.

We have had a staff and scholars almost hit by cars driving through the parking lot during arrival and dismissal. Please help keep our school community safe!

The main parking lot is CLOSED from 8:15-8:45am and 3:15-3:45pm daily while buses are present.

Designating a pick up and drop off area/ location for our scholars to meet their ride has been extremely helpful and allows families to avoid the congestion.
Please do not have students run across 99th street or Oak Center Dr. to be picked up without adult supervision. We want to make sure all of our students and families are kept safe.
The rear doors (Oak Center Dr./ Circle Drive) will close at 8:35am during morning arrival and the rear doors will be closed at 3:30pm during afternoon dismissal.
School tardies will be assigned after 8:30am.
Please be patient and courteous!

We have begun the Winter MAP Assessment and most of our scholars have completed the SEL survey. Congratulations to our individual and advisory winners of the IXL competitions further preparing themselves for this round assessments. We will use this information to guide our next steps and carve our paths forward with purpose and confidence. We appreciate everyone being important partners in making a powerful difference building momentum and Level Up together.

All assignments should be completed. During an eLearning day, classroom teachers will be expected to take attendance. Attendance can be modified in the grade books after the actual eLearning day based on the student's completion of work. Students will have up to 2 full school days after a designated eLearning Day to turn in work for attendance credit. After 2 days have elapsed, teachers will determine if eLearning work is satisfactory. The classroom teacher will determine whether the student’s work is sufficient for being marked present during the eLearning Day. Please remind our scholars to finish up the work!

To comply with both District 123 policy and state law, you are asked to call the school before 8:00am if your child is going to be absent. You may leave a message with office staff at 708-499-6400. Please leave your child’s name. Grade level and reason for absence. If the office does not receive a call then the office staff will attempt to reach you at home or work to verify absence, however, please remember that the responsibility for reporting absences remains with parents/guardians. If a student absence is not called in, and office staff is unable to contact the parent/guardian, then the absence will be recorded as unexcused.

Students are expected to be in school except in cases of emergency or for reasons stated below, which according to School Code, are the only legal excuses for absences from a school.

Illness (the school may require a note from a doctor)
Observance of a religious holiday
Death in the immediate family
Family emergency
Other circumstances outside of the student’s control as identified by the Board of Education in each district
Other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for the safety or health of the student

Absences and Extracurricular Activities

A student who misses a full day of school may not participate in any extracurricular activities on that day.
Students who report to school before 11:30 am may participate in any extracurricular activities on that day.
Students who leave school during the school day, due to illness , may not participate in after school extra curricular activities.

Graduate Ads: The yearbook recognition ad will close on 1/31! Here is the LINK.

Graduate Yard Signs: Place your orders by April 17th.

Plant some school spirit on your lawn with a OLHMS Mustang Pride lawn sign! Cost is $10 and can be purchased online at: https://olhmsptsa.givebacks.com/shop/items/2fd003152f

Graduation Fees: The online system will open in March!

Class of 2026: Here is the LINK to the letter sent home with the reminder expectations and future dates.

SELECT 123:SELECT 123: In partnership with our D123 Ed Foundation, SELECT 123 is a prestigious group of scholars who embody aspects of our D123 mission and vision. This is our fourth year to acknowledge twenty three scholars who have not only demonstrated academic excellence, service and contributed to our community- they have each modeled expressions of perseverance, drive and integrity. These 23 leaders will be featured on our “Wall of Fame” for the 2026/ 2027 school year! More than being featured on a wall, we will expect this prestigious and unique group of alumni to remain connected to D123 and provide valuable insight for years to come! Our Class of 2026 will began brainstorming their opportunity to apply as applications went live last week on 1/23!

We expect and desire to have 100% of our scholars earn the opportunity to walk the stage with their graduating 2026 Class!

May 28, 2026: 8th-Grade Trip

May 29, 2026: 8th-Grade Dance

June 2, 2026: SELECT 123 Breakfast(7:30am) & 8th-Grade Awards(9:00am)

June 2, 2026: Elementary Grad Walk(1:30pm)

June 3, 2026: 8th Grade Commencement Ceremony (7:00pm)

For current 7th or 8th grade scholars

Meeting will be Monday, February 2, 7:30 AM in Cafetorium

Community Service Hours - minimum of 15 hours -Due April 6th.
Grading - A majority of A’s and B’s (Every C needs to be balanced with an “A”) during Trimesters 1-3 of the petitioning year in both Core and Encore classes. No overall “D” or “F” are allowed in any trimester.
Creating and maintaining a Digital Portfolio which highlights examples of the five NJHS pillars (scholarship, citizenship, leadership, character, and service) -Due February 2nd
Completion of a Capstone Project focusing on service on Service Learning Day April 25th
Regular attendance at NJHS meetings before school at 7:30 am in the cafetorium

Monday, February 2

Monday, March 9

Monday, April 13

Thursday, May 7- Mandatory Induction Ceremony Rehearsals (7:30 AM) & Ceremony (7:00 PM)

NJHS Sponsors Contact: Ms. Jen DiSalvo jdisalvo@d123.org

Mrs. Maggie Omiecinski mmomiecinski@d123.org

Mrs. Alyssa Zajack azajack@d123.org

Our main entrance vestibule will serve as the visitor reception and waiting area. Guests will continue to be warmly welcomed, greeted by the staff member hosting them, and escorted to their meeting location. This update is part of our continued effort to strengthen safety and streamline visitor check-in procedures.

As we continue partnering with our local safety agencies, we remain committed to refining our practices and keeping safety at the heart of all we do. Ensuring a secure environment for our students, staff, and families is always our top priority.

To support this shared goal:

Please bring a valid driver’s license or photo ID when picking up a student during the school day.
For everyone’s safety, visitors may not leave the main office without a staff escort.
All students, staff, and guests are expected to wear their designated ID badges while on campus.

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our Mustang community safe, connected, and thriving.

We love having fans here to support our Mustang Athletes. Here is the LINK for our Spectator Permission Form and Code of Conduct for student spectators. Student fans unaccompanied by parents, must have an electronic or paper form on file to attend home games. Students cannot stay in the building for games unless they are part of a club or activity.

All parents/ guardians/ staff & students are highly encouraged to join the PTSA and attend meetings. This is an incredible opportunity, partnership and fun way to support our scholar’s experience at the middle school!
If you are interested in supporting our school in a different capacity please reach out to our PTSA! Maybe you do not have the time to donate, but your contributions can still be made through your membership!
We are looking for candidates for PTSA officers for the 2026-2027 school year. If you are interested or know someone who is, you can nominate them by emailing us at olhmsd123ptsa@gmail.com. (flyer attached)
The application for the Helen Whalen Scholarship is now open offering a $1,000 scholarship to three deserving students. Click here to apply: https://www.d123.org/about-us/helen-whalen-scholarship (Flyer attached)
Plant some school spirit on your lawn with a OLHMS Mustang Pride lawn sign! Cost is $10 and can be purchased online at: https://olhmsptsa.givebacks.com/shop/items/2fd003152f

Membership(Click Here) is $7.00 per student and $10.00 per adult
PTSA Meetings are at 6:00pm monthly
PTSA Meeting- February 9, 2026 at 6:00pm
Reach out to Delecta Harris, our PTSA President for more information (olhmsd123ptsa@gmail.com)
PTSA Facebook