OLHMS Update (5/12/26)

Tuesday's Top of the Mind

Did you know that we celebrated our final PTSA meeting of the year?

Last night we hosted our final meeting of the year, acknowledged all of our volunteers with a meal from Barracos and welcomed the 2026-2027 new board members. Thank you to our entire PTSA! Special appreciation to each of the current board members!

Did you know that a small group of selected artists were on display for SWIC Invitational Art Exhibition?

The SWIC Invitational Art Exhibition was held earlier this week at Simmons Middle School. The artwork of eight student artists was selected to represent OLHMS. Certificates of Excellence were given to 6th graders Reese W., Nadiah H., and Cassie C. and 8th graders Sofia D. and Jimena G. Honorable Mention medals were awarded to 8th graders Xavi O. and 6th grader Anya H. The Best of School Award was bestowed upon 8th grader Maddie P. Congratulations to these Mustangs on their artistic talents and creative accomplishments! Their outstanding artwork is currently on display across from the Art room.

Did you know that we started the NWEA MAP assessment?

Our scholars are celebrating their learning by taking the MAP assessment in ELA and Math! Please remind our scholars to get plenty of rest, stay focused and charge their chromebooks.

LEVEL UP

Mustang Families,

May is here and it’s exciting, eventful, and yes… a little exhausting, so hold your Mustangs! We have officially entered one of the busiest and most rewarding stretches of the school year. This week, our scholars began NWEA MAP testing, and we are excited for them to showcase all they’ve learned this year while giving their best effort to surpass their goals in both ELA and Math. We know they are ready to Level Up to the challenge!

We also want to once again celebrate the success of our Annual Service Learning Day and extend an extra special thank you to Mrs. Maggie Omiecinski for her exceptional leadership in coordinating such a meaningful experience for our scholars. Be sure to check out thisSpecial Edition for highlights from a day that truly reflected what it means to serve others.

Our Fine Arts programs continue to make us incredibly proud! Congratulations to our OLHMS Band on earning a Superior Plus rating at state, an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects their talent, dedication, and countless hours of preparation. After an incredible band concert, we are looking forward to even more performances this week, including our School of Rock concert on Friday and another outstanding performance from our award winning chorus.

Last night, we also hosted our final PTSA meeting of the year, where we celebrated our current board, recognized our incredible volunteers, and welcomed our new 2026–2027 leadership team: President Amana Stone, Vice President Kristen Moffitt, Secretary Denise Masse, and Treasurer Corey Chavosky. Thank you to our PTSA and every family member who continues to support our events, our scholars, and our staff. Your kindness during Teacher Appreciation Week meant so much to our team.

Together, we will continue to Level Up, finish the year strong, and make these final weeks unforgettable as we prepare to celebrate our outstanding Class of 2026! Go Mustangs!

Reminders and Updates

Class of 2026

Graduation Fees are PAST DUE: The online system is now closed! If you missed the online deadline, cash and check payments can still be made in the office, also bring the signed permission slip!

Class of 2026: The LINK is the updated letter with the reminder expectations, future dates, and now graduation fees.

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! Applications went live on 1/23 and have closed. Recipients will be finding out next month!

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

Dates:

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)

GRADUATION FEES:

Great America Trip* $75.00 (Tickets and Picnic Lunch)

Graduation Items $85.00 (Not Optional)(Gown, Stole, Diploma, Program, Tickets, etc.)

T-Shirt $10.00 (Not Optional)

Yearbook $30.00 (Not Optional)

TOTAL FEES $200.00

NOTE: *Students with a Season Pass:

The Season Pass must be brought to the office before paying for the trip for verification purposes. The student must then remember to carry his/her Season Pass on the day of the trip for park admittance.

Students with a Season Pass will only be required to pay $30.00 for the picnic lunch.
The total amount for graduation fees for a student with a Season Pass is $155.00.

NO REFUND will be given for season passes purchased after the 8th-grade fees have been paid.

Payments for Graduation Fees can be made in the following ways:

Credit cards online via the Skyward System will be accepted for the full amount of $200.00 and the discounted Season Pass fee of $155.00. Please log onto your Skyward account for options.
Checks must be made payable to Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School.
Cash must be submitted for the exact amount.

Spring Weather

As we welcome spring and enjoy the warmer weather, we want to take a moment to remind everyone of our middle school dress expectations. While we are excited to see students taking advantage of the sunshine, it is important that clothing choices remain appropriate for the school setting.

We appreciate your support in reinforcing our uniform dress standards with your child. As outlined in District 123 policy, “Clothing with holes, rips, tears, and clothing that is otherwise poorly fitting, showing skin and or undergarments may not be worn at school.”

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure a positive, respectful, and focused learning environment for all students as we head into the final stretch of the school year!

Toys?

We have seen an increase of gel toys like Needoh and Tech Decks coming to school and distracting the learning environment. These have also caused large messes around the building as they are breaking. We are reevaluating school issued fidgets and students with individual plans will be maintained.

Main Entrance Parking Lot/ Oak Center Dr.

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!

Cell Phones, Smart Watches & Headphones

We have noticed an uptick in student cell phone and smart watch usage during school hours. As a reminder, we do have very simple cell phone policy. All scholars should be turning cell phones off and leaving them locked in their lockers during the day. Smart watches will be treated the same if students are using these devices to do anything other than check the time. We have also noticed student wearing headphones, these should also be left in lockers. Students needing headphones for school use should have wired headphones.

Student are given a warning on the first offense with documentation in skyward. Students will receive consequences for subsequent violations.

School Safety: Guests and Visitors

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.

Next OLHMS PTSA Meeting

August, 2026

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!

2026–2027 OLHMS PTSA Board:

President, Amana Stone

Vice President, Kristen Moffitt

Secretary, Denise Masse

Treasurer, Corey Chavosky

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

OLHMS Book Fair!

May 18th-22nd!

“The Book Fair is just days away! The Fair encourages students to read AND raises much-needed funds for our school. The easiest way for kids to pay is with an eWallet. Create one for your child so they can shop cash free and independently! Visit our school homepage to get started: https://scholastic.com/bf/oaklawnhometownmiddleschool"