Mustang Families,
We hope everyone enjoyed the extended weekend and took time to reflect on our paths forward and the legacies we continue to build for ourselves, with our scholars and our community in the same frame as Martin Luther King Jr. while we acknowledged and celebrated this federal holiday yesterday.
D123 Hiring: Did you know our incredible district is looking for great professionals to be hired? Check out our job opportunities with this LINK.
PAC (Principal Advisory Committee): Huge thank you to our PAC members for their creative support and representation of solidarity! Our PAC members led the way in the creation of new artwork mounted in our halls, "Leaving Our Lasting Impression with Our Uniqueness as One." The OLHMS panels were colored with the thumb prints of each of our scholars! Thank you to Ms. Petraitis for her expertise!
Student IDs: Please remind our scholars that they should be maintaining and wearing their student ID daily. Student do receive charges for lost, missing or damaged ID's.
Cell Phones/ Social Media: Please remind our scholars that cell phones should be turned off and locked in their lockers daily. Also, critically important is monitoring the use of our scholars device. We are inundated with social media concerns taking place outside of school or on the weekends! Please remain vigilant with what is happening on social media- TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are consuming our scholars! Here is the perspective from the National Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) thinking about whether or not TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are safe for kids. Keep in mind each platform indicates a 13+ age rating.
Traffic and Buses: Thanks to our families who have continued to be respectful of our one way during arrival and dismissal. If you have a family member dropping off student(s) or adjusted your routine in the New Year, please remind them of this one way pattern on Oak Center Dr.
Also, another very important reminder is that our main entrance is for buses only. Parent should not be using the main entrance to drop students off in the morning or pick them up during dismissal. There is plenty of space behind the school to drop off and scholars dismiss from different exits to ensure smooth and consistent transitions at dismissal.
OLHMS Career Fair: We are looking for as many different career pathways and trades as we can represent as we begin planning a Career Fair here at OLHMS in the Spring (Possibly April). We are hoping to include our OLHMS families and community members. Looking forward to hearing from you and thank in advance for your support!
So, do you love your job? Love to share your expertise with others? Love presenting and talking to young adults? If you answered YES, to all three, please reach out about presenting in our OLHMS Career Fair. Please contact our 8th grade counselor, Mrs. Vanessa Follmar, at VFollmar@d123.org.
Illinois Science Assessment Results: 6th Grade Scholars brought home results from this assessment in October along with THIS letter. It had come to our attention that the state may have made a mistake and new results for students have been received. If you would like a copy of these results, please contact our Main Office and we will send a copy home with your scholar.
Skyward Family Access: Make sure you are checking/ logging into Skyward Family Access routinely. This is a great place to obtain supportive information such as student's courses, bus routes, student fees/ debts.
Student Debts: Please make sure to review student debts via Family Access. There are multiple students who have accumulated debts purchasing items from the cafeteria and lost ID's.
Dates to Keep in Mind:
2/1: D123 Late Start
2/3 & 2/4: OLHMS Musical
2/9: 8th Grade Graduation Absentee & Retake Picture Day
OLHMS PTSA: Next Meeting 2/6/23
All staff and families 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!
Membership can be online using this link: https://olhmsptsa.memberhub.com/store
Our PTSA is in search of a new Vice President for the rest of the school year. This role is an important part of our board, and if you are interested in learning more about this position and what it requires please reach out.
Our bylaws state, The vice president(s) shall act as aide(s) to the president, and shall in their designated order perform the duties of the president in the absence or inability of that officer to serve.
Reach out to Mrs. Shane, our PTSA President for more information (tmshane@gmail.com)
We will be looking for a New PTSA President for next year!! Do you have the desire to support or know of a great parent who might be interested, please let Mrs. Shane (tmshane@gmail.com know!
We will host a Family Handbook meeting at 6:30pm just prior to our next PTSA meeting for parents interested in adjustments or have thoughts on handbook revisions!
