OLHMS Update (12/16/25)

Did you know we have a 3 days until Winter Break?

We have added some additional holiday cheer as we look forward to Winter Break. We have been running attendance and behavior incentives along with random admin "Grinch" drop ins! Scholars may be winning gift cards or extra gym time! The Grinch has noticed the extra school spirit days! Check out the flyer below! To all of our OLHMS and D123 Families, happy holidays! Please enjoy this break with your loved ones to relax and rejuvenate!

Did you know that we hosted our annual Feed 6 event this Saturday?

Oak Lawn–Hometown School District 123 proudly hosted its 12th Annual Meal Packaging Event at Oak Lawn–Hometown Middle School, bringing together students, staff, families, D123 alumni, and community members in a powerful show of service and compassion. Nearly 200 volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked side by side to packaging over 50,000 nutritious pasta meals in basil marinara sauce for neighbors facing food insecurity. Check out the Feed 6 Article from Southwest Regional Publishing or use this LINK from Feed Six for another publication!

Did you know that our scholar's impact continue to have a rippling effect?

The Oak Lawn Elks hosted the Manteno Vets this week for an annual luncheon and due to service projects, they used our scholars artwork as placements! This is just another great example of how our mission and vision is being actualized!

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,

Happy Terrific Tuesday! We loved kicking off the day showing our “Let’s get Vest-ive” holiday spirit by wearing a vest today. Can you believe it? Just three days until Winter Break! This is the perfect time to focus, finish strong, and shine. Keep up with assignments, give your best effort in class, and support each other, let’s make the most of these final days before the holiday. Our sock drive for Cradles to Crayons is still underway, every pair counts! Donations will be accepted through Friday, so help us make a difference in our community.

Spirit week is in full swing! Yesterday, our Grinches moved through a few grade levels, so hold on to those tickets as the excitement continues. The Grinches loved seeing the IDs, but that wasn’t the only thing being watched, we hope to see even more school spirit this week as we all stay “vested!” A special congratulations to Mrs. Julien, Mr. Martyn, and Mrs. Loch’s advisories for returning 100% of their report card envelopes. Your efforts earned you extra gym time tomorrow morning during advisory! And, speaking of spirit, tomorrow’s theme is “Fa-la-la-la Fashion Show,” wear your festive or tacky holiday sweater and join the fun.

We also want to celebrate the incredible 12th Annual Meal Packaging Event at Oak Lawn–Hometown Middle School. Nearly 200 volunteers of all ages came together to package over 50,000 nutritious pasta meals in basil marinara sauce for individuals and families facing food insecurity. The energy in the gym was inspiring, and the teamwork, dedication, and generosity of our students, staff, families, and community members made this milestone possible. This year’s event pushed the total number of meals packaged through OLHMS events to more than 400,000 meals, each representing nourishment, hope, dignity, and the power of a community coming together. Oak Lawn–Hometown School District 123 continues to show that service learning and community engagement can make a lasting difference—one meal, one volunteer, and one act of kindness at a time.

Finally, I-Fest planning has begun! Sign up by December 19th for your chance to showcase your talents, support your peers, and enhance our learning experiences.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and the support you show our school every day. We are truly grateful for our Mustang families and the vibrant community we continue to build together. Wishing our entire school community a happy, healthy holiday season! Let’s make these last few days fun, festive, and full of Mustang pride!

School attendance is a huge predictor for school success! That said, we know the weather changes and this time of the year can be difficult with multiple sicknesses going around. We appreciate our families communicating with the school when our scholars are out! Please remind our scholars to take care of themselves by getting proper rest, eating as healthy as possible and washing their hands. Now that we have the snow and chilly temperatures, this is also a good time to remind our scholars to dress prepared for the weather- hoodies are great as a layer, but may not keep you warm.

As we are all aware, Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 transitioned to Qmlativ (Skyward 3.0) for the 2025-26 school year. Qmlativ offers enhanced features across a wide range of areas, including student information, grades, scheduling, attendance, food service and much more. Hopefully, each of our OLHMS families have logged into the new system!

If you have not logged in for the first time to the new Qmlativ Family Access, you will need to click "Forgot Your Username or Password" and follow the steps to log in to your account.

Log in to your account here. Please note, School District 123 does not keep track of passwords, however, your school’s main office can send you a reset link.

For additional information and resources about Qmlativ Family Access, we have created a family resource page on our website with helpful videos to guide you through the new Qmlativ Family Access platform.

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.

As technology continues to play a central role in our students’ daily lives, we encourage families to stay actively engaged in monitoring phone and device use. Research continues to show that excessive screen time and social media use can impact adolescents’ social and emotional health, leading to increased anxiety, disrupted sleep, and challenges with peer relationships.

We know that online interactions often extend beyond “after-school hours” and can sometimes affect students’ focus, well-being, and relationships during the school day. That’s why our partnership with families is so important. By setting healthy boundaries, fostering open conversations, and supporting positive digital habits, we can help ensure all Mustangs feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.

We’ve recently noticed elevated challenges on social media, so please take a few moments to talk with your child and check their online activity. Your ongoing support and proactiveness make a tremendous difference!

Here’s a helpful resource for families on preventing cyberbullying.

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.

• 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- January 12, 2026 at 6:00pm
• Reach out to Delecta Harris, our PTSA President for more information (olhmsd123ptsa@gmail.com)
  
• PTSA Facebook