OLHMS Update (10/21/25)

Did you know that we are wearing pink every Wednesday in October?

We invite all students and staff to wear pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This simple act unites us in showing support for those impacted by breast cancer and raises awareness about the importance of early detection, research, and hope.

Did you know our Annual High School Fair is this week?

Did you know our school community has the choice to participate in some additional fun wearing appropriate costumes on Halloween?

We enjoy adding some fun and school spirit on the half day of school! Halloween costumes are welcomed on the 31st! Here is the LINK for our guidelines.

Did you know that our annual 6K Walk for Literacy was a huge success?

Thank you to everyone who participated and volunteered in Saturday's 6K Walk for Literacy to build a library in Zimbabwe. We had over 300 participants and raised over $7,000. Please reach out to Mrs. McCarthy if you are interested in supporting the goal of $25,000 for the library in Africa!

Mustang Families,

We want to send a heartfelt thank you following our highly successful Family Conferences last week. The conferences were truly insightful, and we appreciate you sharing your perspectives, celebrating major milestones, and collaboratively laying the groundwork for the next phase of your scholar's growth. Your ongoing partnership helps make our community stronger as we celebrate every Mustang’s progress and success! We are incredibly proud of the hard work and growth our scholars have shown this year. The dedicated time spent during the conferences from the student-led discussions to your reflective conversations with our staff reinforces the core of our mission: ensuring that 100% of our scholars meet or exceed their growth targets in both math and English language arts. Together, we are making this happen!

We must also extend our deepest gratitude to our amazing 8th-grade Ambassadors. Their maturity and leadership were instrumental in making the conferences run so smoothly; they truly represent the best of Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School! The energy and community spirit displayed last week were exceptional, and we thank you for participating in all the events. Thank you for visiting the Media Center and supporting a love for reading at the Book Fair. Finally, your participation in our inspiring 6K Walk for Literacy was incredible! Every step taken helps bring books and opportunities to students around the world, supporting the creation of a new library in Africa. What a beautiful demonstration of the Mustang spirit! Thank you again for your continued enthusiasm and support. Because of your deep commitment and the incredible young leaders we have here, our future is brightly filled with hope!

This week 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.

We will also be completing another fire drill and the bus evacuation drill this week. Please take a moment to talk with your scholar about the importance of these safety practices and how they help us all stay prepared in case of an emergency.

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

Retakes will be available for scholars in the Summative Assessment category (70%). Retake procedures for the Summative Assessment category include:

• Students will complete a reflection form, which will include the corrected test.

• Students are to ensure all classwork/homework/independent work for that unit is completed before the retake date.

• Retake dates will be established within 10 days of the graded assessment.

• Retakes will not be allowed once the trimester has completed.

• Retakes will not be completed during regular instructional time.

It is great to see so many scholars taking advantage of the opportunity to come in early or stay after school for additional time and support with academics. Please remind our scholars that this time should not be treated as a social opportunity and our school expectations of being safe, responsible and respectful should be maintained at all times. We appreciate everyone's support and partnership. Parents can check out the available times for each grade level on the student portal page!

As technology continues to play a central role in students’ daily lives, we encourage families to stay actively involved in monitoring phone and device use. Recent research highlights the impact of excessive screen time and social media use on adolescents’ social and emotional health. Studies show that high daily screen time is associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, disrupted sleep, and challenges with peer relationships.

We recognize that challenges arising from online interactions don’t always stay “outside school hours.” Incidents that occur on social media or other platforms can extend into the school day, affecting students’ focus, emotional well-being, and relationships with peers. This makes the partnership between families and the school essential—working together to set boundaries, foster open communication, and support healthy digital habits helps ensure that all of our scholars feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.

Thank you for partnering with us to support the well-being and safety of every student.

Tell us what you think of our school nutrition program! Please take a quick survey and let us

know what you think. It is the goal of our Foodservice Management Company, Whitsons

Culinary Group, to Enhance Life One Meal At A Time,™ and they value your opinion and strive

to make continuous improvements to better serve the school community.

Either scan the QR Code or simply follow the web link below:

https://xmp.insight-surveys.com/s/ql9jfi

• 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!

• Thank you to our PTSA Board members, families and scholars for joining us last night for a wonderfully informative first meeting of the year.

• Membership(Click Here) is $7.00 per student and $10.00 per adult

• PTSA Meetings are at 6:00pm monthly

• PTSA Meeting- November 10, 2025 at 6:00pm
• Reach out to Delecta Harris, our PTSA President for more information (olhmsd123ptsa@gmail.com)
  
• PTSA Facebook
  

We want to remind families that OLHMS does not allow student lunch deliveries from outside services (such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, or other vendors). This practice minimizes disruptions and contributes to a safe and structured lunch experience for all students. On the note of lunches, if a student receives a lunch detention, a brown bagged lunch will be delivered to the student. Students are always welcome to bring their own lunch.

We’re glad to see our scholars taking pride in their hygiene and personal care! However, the use of cologne and perfume has become overwhelming at times and is occasionally being applied inappropriately during the school day. To ensure a comfortable learning environment for everyone, we kindly ask that students leave their scented products at home.

Please take a moment to discuss with your child the proper use and appropriate amounts of fragrance. While we appreciate the effort to smell nice, excessive scents can be distracting and overpowering in shared spaces. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a pleasant and respectful atmosphere for all!