OLHMS Update (2/3/26)

Did you know that District 123 had a comprehensive safety plan in place and activated it immediately during last week’s incident?

Our response was coordinated with local law enforcement and now the FBI, ensuring swift action while maintaining calm, care, and compassion for students and staff. This moment reminds us how preparation, reflection, and collaboration help keep safety and security at the forefront of everything we do.

Did you know our Musical has been rescheduled for is this weekend?

The show must go on! Our talented scholars will be performing Beauty and the Beast Jr. this Friday and Saturday (February 6th and 7th)! Do not miss your chance to see an outstanding performance on Friday at 7:00 pm and Saturday at 2:00 pm. If families need ticket exchanges or have challenges, please reach out to Kelly in our main office.

Did you know that Family Conference Scheduler will open on February 4th?

All District 123 families can log in to Skyward/Qmlativ Family Access starting February 4 at 10 AM to select their family conference time and date. Online conference scheduling will close on February 16 at 11:59 PM.

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

Parents, we NEED your help! Do not use the main parking lot during student arrival and dismissal. We are seeing a influx of cars impeding buses, blocking staff and creating dangerous conditions. We have had multiple student and staff nearly hit by cars using the parking lot during these closure times.

The 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 that our scholars do not need toys at school?

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 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!

Mustang Families,

Beginning this week, we want to take a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate our District 123 community.

This pause gives us the space to continue striving for growth while reaffirming that Safety and Security remain a high priority. Reflection allows us to thoughtfully assess our actions, learn from the moment, and adapt our plans to ensure we are always prepared to protect our scholars and staff. And celebration reminds us how genuinely proud we should be of a district that had a plan, implemented it swiftly, and responded with professionalism, composure, and compassion during an extremely challenging situation.

As shared previously, Friday’s incident has been confirmed by the Oak Lawn Police Department as an unsubstantiated online “swatting” incident that originated overseas. The situation continues to be investigated in collaboration with the Oak Lawn Police Department, Hometown Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). While the incident was determined not to be credible, we recognize how unsettling it was for our community.

We are grateful for the immediate and coordinated response between District 123 and our law enforcement partners. This collaborative and well-executed plan reflected the preparation, planning, and care in place across our district to keep students and staff safe.

We also want to celebrate and thank Dr. Enderle, our District 123 Superintendent, the D123 Leadership Team, and Officer Craig for their leadership throughout this event. Their transparency, compassionate collaboration, and professionalism were evident every step of the way and helped ensure that communication was clear, decisions were thoughtful, and the well-being of our students, staff, and families remained at the center of every action.

As we welcomed our scholars back to school on Monday, we would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our families. Thank you for your partnership in speaking with your children, guiding them calmly, and helping set the tone for a smooth and reassuring return to school. Your support and steady presence made a meaningful difference for our students as we moved forward together.

As part of our communication, if you didn't see the remote video briefing recorded for District 123 families and staff, it is linked below. In this briefing, district administrators and school principals review what occurred, outline the supports that will be in place in our schools, and share how we are working together to restore calm and reassurance for students, families, and staff.

Remote Family Briefing
VIEW THE VIDEO BRIEFING: link.d123.org/familybriefing

We understand that families may still have questions or concerns. To support open communication, we invite you to submit any questions using the form below:

Question Form
SUBMIT A QUESTION: link.d123.org/questions

Thank you for your continued partnership, trust, and support. Please ensure your information is correct in the Skyward/Qmlativ system if you did not receive the text and/ or email alerts.

Symbolizing our unity and pride, it was great to see all of our District 123 schools celebrating on Monday by wearing their school spirit gear. Together, we will continue to be prepared, supported, and proud to be District 123.

Sincerely,

Dr. McNichols

Spring 2026 Family Conferences will be held on:

February 19 from 5 PM - 8 PM &
February 20 from 11:30 AM - 6:30 PM

Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 Family Conferences will be completely scheduled online via Skyward/Qmlativ.

K-5 families will have the opportunity to schedule conferences with their student's grade-level teacher, encore staff, and specialists.
6-8 families will have the opportunity to schedule conferences with their student's advisory teacher, encore staff, and specialists.
Pre-K families at the Early Learning Center will have the opportunity to schedule conferences with their student's homeroom teacher.

All District 123 families can log in to Skyward/Qmlativ Family Access starting February 4 at 10 AM to select their family conference time and date. Online conference scheduling will close on February 16 at 11:59 PM.

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.

We are almost complete with 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.

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 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 is OPEN! The document link below has the updated information.

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!

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

Dates:

February 5, 2026: Graduation Picture Retakes

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.

If you pay online, please return the permission slip to the office.

GRADUATION FEES ARE DUE BACK TO OLHMS BY 04/10/2026.

For current 7th or 8th grade scholars

Meeting will be Monday, February 9, 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