
Hometown School Newsletter
January 17, 2023
Bencik's Buzz
Hometown Families:
It is heard to believe that we are already in the middle of January. We are looking forward to some great events to finish out the month. We will have our bingo night this Friday. Our title I family reading night will be January 25th. We look forward to seeing all of the families out to learn the reading games.
We do try to go outside for recess. Please remember to dress your children with winter hats and coats to go out. We will go outside if weather permits.
Bingo- Friday January 20th
The PTA will be hosting family fun night Friday, January 20th at 6pm. Please use the attached flyer to sign up. We are still in need of volunteers to help. Please sign up.
Title I Family Game Reading Night
Please look at the attached flyer for our family reading night. We would love to see all of the Hometown families at this event.
Goodies With Grandparents- January 31st
Great News!! We got a volunteer to host the event! This is a great event where students bring grandparents to a morning with donuts. Grandparents spend time with children and are able to see the school. The flyer will be going home with your children today or tomorrow.
Yearbook Pictures
Our students who participate in a club or after school program will take yearbook pictures tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18th.
100 Day Celebration
We will be celebrating 100 Day on January 31st. Our students are going to be celebrating all of their learning they have completed this year. Students are invited to dress up as if they were 100 years old. Ideas include: suspenders, bow ties, gray hair, old glasses, ect. This is not a complete list, but suggestions.
Family Dance- February CANCELLED
Unfortunately, we will be canceling the family dance. We did not get a volunteer to coordinate this event.
Sign up to Help
In order to sign up for the events please use the link below.
Here is the link for the Sign up genius for PTA
Morning Drop off
The front parking lot is reserved to our buses and families with passes. Please do not pull up and let your child off. Park down a side street and walk your child up to the correct door.
ACCESS Testing
District 123 will continue ACCESS testing the next few weeks. This assessment is given yearly at Hometown School and throughout Illinois to monitor the language development of students identified as English Learners. There are four ACCESS test sections that measure speaking, listening, reading and writing. Hometown English Learners will participate on various dates between January 11 and mid-February. Please contact your child’s English Learning teacher for more information.
MAP Testing
MAP testing will start on Thursday, January 19th. The second day of testing will be January, 24th. Please make sure students get a good breakfast and rest.
Kids Heart Challenge Kickoff
Kids Heart Challenge Time!
Hi Hometown families,
We are excited to pair up with the American Heart Association for our Kids Heart Challenge this year. We just recently kicked off our event last week on Thursday, January 12th. Your child should have brought home an information sheet on the fundraiser. This is an online only fundraiser. Please do not send any cash or checks. Every Friday from now until January 27th students will receive their instant gifts that they earn if they are participating in the Kids Heart Challenge. Some of the gifts come later after the event date is over. The event date is on February 3rd during your child’s PE time. Students can fundraise up until February 3rd. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Kicho or Mr. Dare. Thank you!
Mrs. Kicho x7839 or kkicho@d123.org
Mr. Dare x4389 or ddare@d123.org
What's UP in Kindergarten CASE?
Our CASE Kindergarten class is taught by Mrs. Kapelinski and we are lucky enough to have a few amazing aides who help out in that room as well! For the month of January, the Kindergarten CASE kiddos are learning about the theme past and present. Students are learning about items that kids used long ago and items that kids use now. They will also be working on literacy, math and social studies activities that all focus on the past and present theme.
Every month, the students have a core vocabulary focus. This month, the words they are focusing on are UP, DOWN and IN. Mrs. Kapelinski, the Kindergarten teachers, has been reading stories and working on different activities that revolve around the use of those words. These core vocabulary lessons help to give the students a powerful and flexible tool to communicate whatever they want to say!
Fine motor activities that help students increase their ability to make movements using the small muscles in their hands and wrists. Students have been working on some winter based fine motor activities during centers times. During these center times, students are working on cutting, writing and pre-writing activities.
Another focus in CASE is on social skills. Social skills are the skills we use to communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language and our personal appearance. Students have a social skills group that focuses on playing together and taking turns. You may walk down the hall and hear a rowdy game of Duck, Duck, Goose or see students playing catch. Students are using their individualized communication systems to gain the attention of their friends and participate in the game all while playing together.
We love hearing all about what's UP, DOWN and going on IN Kindergarten CASE.
Register NOW!
Use this QR code to register your child. Just hold your phone to the code and it will take you to the website.
Save the Date
Please see the attached flyer for tacos and trivia.
Baseball
Please review the flyer to participate in baseball.
Principal Hometown School
Email: abencik@d123.org
Phone: 708-423-7360
Twitter: @AmandaBencik
Hometown Elementary School
Website: d123.org/hometown
Location: 8870 S Duffy Ave, Hometown, IL, USA
Phone: 708-423-7360
Twitter: @d123hometown