OLHMS Update (5/19/26)
Mustang Families,
What an exciting time of year filled with celebrations, accomplishments, unforgettable memories, and yes, maybe a little exhaustion, so hold on to your Mustangs! We have officially entered one of the busiest, most energetic, and most rewarding stretches of the school year, and the excitement around OLHMS can truly be felt in every hallway and classroom.
This week, our scholars will complete the NWEA MAP Assessment, and we are excited for them to showcase all they have learned this year while striving to surpass their goals in both ELA and Math. We have already seen so many of our scholars truly Level Up, demonstrating perseverance, growth, and pride in their accomplishments. We are incredibly proud of the hard work they continue to put forth each and every day!
We also want to once again celebrate our outstanding 8th Grade Ambassadors. We proudly recognized more than 240 student leaders who generously donated their most precious resource, time, to our school community. Collectively, these Ambassadors have already contributed more than 1,800 hours of service this year, not including Service Day. With Service Day included, this incredible group will surpass 3,000 hours dedicated to supporting and strengthening our OLHMS family. Their leadership, kindness, and commitment truly exemplify what it means to be a Mustang.
Adding to the excitement, we were thrilled to welcome back alumni Jacie, now a country music recording artist, to perform on our stage alongside both of our OLHMS rock bands. It was an unforgettable experience for our students and a wonderful reminder of the amazing accomplishments of our OLHMS alumni.
Congratulations as well to our OLHMS Rock Bands on hosting our very first Rock Concert this past Friday! What an incredible way to end the week and kick off a beautiful weekend. The energy, talent, and enthusiasm on display were absolutely amazing, and our students truly rocked the stage!
Together, we will continue to Level Up, finish the year strong, and make these final couple of weeks even more memorable as we prepare to celebrate our outstanding Class of 2026.
Go Mustangs!
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. We are planning to announce recipients this week!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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:
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Please bring a valid driver’s license or photo ID when picking up a student during the school day.
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For everyone’s safety, visitors may not leave the main office without a staff escort.
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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.
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
5/19/26: MTSS Trip, 8th-grade College Tour- Moraine Valley
5/20/26: Jazz Night, 7th-Grade Field Trip
5/21/26: 7th-Grade Field Trip, 6th-Grade Field Trip, BPAC Meeting
5/22/26: Book Fair Ends
5/25/26: No School
5/26/26: Beginning Band Breakfast/Chorus Breakfast 7:30 AM
5/27/26: OLHMS Band Breakfast 7:30 AM
5/28/26: 8th-Grade Trip, 7th-Grade Awards Breakfast/Incentive
5/29/26: 8th-Grade Dance, 6th-Grade Awards Breakfast/Incentive, Tri 3 Celebration
6/2/26: SELECT 123 Breakfast 7:30 AM, 8th-Grade Award Ceremony 9:00 AM, Graduation Walks
6/3/26: Graduation
6/5/26: Last day- Half day!
Thursday
May 21st
