Mokena School District 159

Friendly reminder, tomorrow is an early dismissal day!

Today is Illinois Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Let’s give a HUGE thank you to all of our incredible bus drivers and transportation staff! 👏👏👏

Join us for our annual pink out games at MJHS TOMORROW! Games begin at 4:00 and 5:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

Dr. Johnson, Dr. Rolinitis, Mr. Munch, and Mrs. Lavelle presented to school leaders at the Illinois Principals Association statewide conference today. They were honored to share the amazing work of the district to a standing room only audience! #mokenaproud #inspireothers

Yay! Mokena Elementary School was named the #3 public elementary school in the area by the Southland News Group. Thanks for voting! ⭐️ View the article here: https://southlandnewsgroup.com/2024-southlands-best-education/collection_837653d7-befe-5642-84da-b15c38f75967.html#7

October 21-25 is National School Bus Safety Week. Please be aware of school buses and students at bus stops in our community. Drivers should always come to a complete stop when a school bus stop-arm is extended and the red lights are flashing.

Our sixth-grade young authors dove into revisions today, learning that great stories take time! Through self-revision and peer reviews, they’re embracing feedback and progress. Every edit brings them closer to their best work! #YoungAuthors #ProgressNotPerfection

BMX biker Matt Wilhelm wowed students at all 3 schools with an inspiring message of kindness, perseverance, and hard work! 🙌 Thanks to the Mokena PTA for sponsoring these incredible assemblies that left students feeling motivated to always do their best & support their peers!

Join the PTA at the Mokena Park District trunk or treat! The annual pumpkin decorating contest will be held here so more people can see the fabulous creations! Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNYl8rH6lW1Eixy3cKig5uuUyPbsgw9vg5SH_E1cBkNl3iig/viewform

Congratulations to our state bound cross country runners! They will travel to Normal, IL to compete in the state meet on Saturday! Let's go, Meteors!!

Congratulations to the 21 students who were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society at Mokena Junior High School last night. We are very proud of you! We look forward to seeing the impact you will continue to have as leaders in our school and community.

We're less than ONE WEEK out from our annual pink out basketball games on Tuesday, October 22 at MJHS! We hope to see you there! Games start at 4:00 and 5:00 pm.

Let's give a warm welcome to our new social worker Maggie Krol! Maggie will be with at MIS on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week. Welcome to Mokena! 🥳

1st grade students presented their "Magnificent Things" to their 3rd grade buddies today! Each group of 1st graders created something that fulfilled a need or solved a problem in their classroom then wrote about the steps to create it. The creations and writing were orally presented to their visitors as a way to celebrate the learning of the ELA module!

Happy Principals Month, Mrs. Pierik! We thank you for supporting our staff in growing their craft and supporting us with expertise on reading and writing instruction and data based decision making at MES. Let’s learn more about Mrs. Pierik in today’s principal spotlight: - Mrs. Pierik is in her third year as Assistant Principal at MES. Mrs. Pierik is proud of many things at MES! She is proud of the sense of community where everyone is welcome and respected. She is proud of the staff who always do everything they can to ensure that our students learn and grow. And Mrs. Pierik is very proud of our students for their positive character, academic excellence, and perseverance. - She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development from San Diego State University. Mrs. Pierik has three Master’s Degrees: 1)Teaching from Chicago State University, 2) Reading from Olivet University, and 3) School Leadership from Concordia University. - Prior to coming to MES, Mrs. Pierik was a reading specialist for 8 years, a MTSS coach for 1 year, and taught 5th grade for 5 years. Her varied experiences have greatly benefited our school and district. - Mrs. Pierik loves to spend time with her family which includes her husband and two kids, Ethan (12) and Eva (9), and their dog, Willow. She loves to read, garden, and watch her kids play sports.

Check out 👀 these AMAZING projects! Kindergarteners recently became play experts! They ended their unit by sketching their own toy- and then created it using materials found at home!

Friendly reminder, Mokena families: no school on Monday! Enjoy the long weekend!

The 8th grade boys volleyball team placed 3rd in the DPVC tournament after winning in two against Homer last night. Way to battle!

Happy Principals Month, Dr. Rolinitis. We thank you for cultivating collaboration and focused growth in our junior high. Your leadership in the school improvement planning process has led to immense success for our students at MJHS. We wish you the best “last year” as you head into retirement at the end of the school year! Let’s learn more about Dr. Rolinitis in today’s principal spotlight: -Dr. Rolinitis is in his 16th year as principal of MJHS and will be retiring at the end of this school year for a total of 33 years in education. When asked about his experience as a principal in Mokena, he stated, “The community is amazing. They care about their students. Character starts in the home and it shows. The staff is the best. The people who work in MJHS and District 159 are some of the best educators I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They are dedicated to their craft and they bring their best to the classroom each and every day. They work tirelessly for the good of the students. The students are special. The students we get to work with come from wonderful families and they have awesome teachers in the elementary school. They are learners and they want to give their maximum effort. They embody good Meteor Character in all that they do. I am so proud to see them become successful high school students and go on to become successful adults.” -He started his career in the early 1990s as a junior high and high school art teacher in Wilmington. He began in school administration as an assistant principal in Wilmington and also became Principal there. Dr. Rolinitis was also Principal and Assistant Superintendent in Kankakee before returning to the principalship, his true passion, in Mokena. -Dr. Rolinitis has a bachelor’s degree in Art Education and a master’s degree in General Administration from Illinois State University as well as a doctoral degree from the University of St. Francis. -Dr. Rolinitis has successfully transitioned three schools to the middle school model in his career. While in Kankakee, he put programming in place to reduce office discipline referrals from over 20,000 a year down to less than 2,000. He also earned the “Those Who Excel” statewide award in 2024 and has led MJHS to two record years of growth in writing and excellent statewide designations. -Outside of school, Dr. Rolinitis likes to spend time with his family and visit his daughter at school in Nashville. He likes to go on walks and bike rides with his wife. He loves cars and taking his Corvette to car shows. Dr. Rolinitis also likes to read and listen to podcasts.

Were you impacted by the storms that hit our community in mid-July? The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is now open to assist with the disaster assistance application process, answer questions, and help submit information online. See the flyer for more details.