This week, we surprised the recipients of our district's Galaxy Award! The Galaxy Award is designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of Mokena SD 159 employees, students, parents, and community members. Congratulations to this year's recipients:
⭐ Lindsay Robbert, 2nd Grade Teacher at MES
⭐ Sharon Youngblood, Instructional Coach at MES and MIS
⭐ Mike Rolinitis, Principal at MJHS
⭐ Melissa Chevalier, 7th Grade Teacher at MJHS
⭐ Brittany Kocher, Physical Education Teacher at MJHS and District Parent
Third grade students wrapped up their final ELA module of the year by studying the importance of clean freshwater around the world. Students chose a water issue they had learned about and then make recommendations to solve the problem. They created posters to share and present their learning and ideas! Awesome work, Stars!
It is our last week of school and we are celebrating our nine retirees! Together they have served the district for 182 years! We thank them for the impact they have had on our students and community! From left to right:
⭐Steve Stein, Superintendent
⭐Mike Rolinitis, Principal at MJHS
⭐Mariann Rankovich, Assistant Cook at MJHS
⭐Ann Lewandowski, Food Service Director
⭐Debi Blank, Kindergarten Teacher at MES
⭐Heather Esgar, 3rd GradeTeacher at MES
⭐Sharon Horvath, 5th Grade Teacher at MIS
⭐Karin McCutcheon, Paraprofessional at MES
⭐Stacie Kittler, Social Worker at MES
Mrs. Arduino's 1st graders learned the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. They listened to a story about what the poppy flower stands for and made their own poppy flowers!
5th Grade ELA students ended their module about natural disasters by bringing all of their learning together with their final performance task of the year. Student groups created and presented a prerecorded public service announcement about being prepared for natural disasters, researched to develop emergency preparedness kits, and unpacked their emergency kits with a rationale for each item in the form a presentation. The groups also created a leaflet backdrop that had graphics of the items in their kit and where to find more information. WOW! Great work, Rockets!
Alexis and Stella are coming home with medals from the IESA State Track and Field Meet! Alexis received a 7th place medal for the high jump event and Stella received a 4th place medal for the 1600 meter race! We are very proud of your accomplishments! Go, Meteors!
Mission: Math Possible! 🔍💸 Mrs. Berndt's 4th-grade class embarked on a thrilling math adventure, taking on 5 top-secret missions to protect a fortune from sneaky hackers. With each challenge, they put their math skills to the test, earning Spy Bucks and unlocking the next level. Can they crack the code and save the day? 🤔💡 #MathMission #4thGradeFun #ProblemSolving
Good luck to our 3 track and field athletes as they head down to State this weekend! Thank you to the Mokena Athletic Boosters for the celebratory t-shirts for each athlete.
Friendly reminder: No school on Monday!
🎶 Job well done to our band and orchestra students who performed for our Board of Education last night! This Student Spotlight shined a light on our Meteor Music programs at MJHS, our talented musicians, and our incredible directors! 🎶
Geometric masterpieces! 🎨📐 Ms. Horsch's 4th-grade class has wrapped up their math module on geometry and put their knowledge of symmetry to the test. Check out these stunning symmetric self-portraits, created with precision and creativity! 🤩💡 #GeometryInAction #StudentArt #MathMatters
1st graders didn’t let the cancellation of their outdoor field trip ruin their day! Instead, they turned it into a “stay field trip”! They did everything from listen to stories, make binoculars, went on an indoor scavenger hunt and even learned about animal traits and adaptations. It wasn't the day they expected, but they had a blast!
Congratulations to 3 of our track and field athletes for their 1st place sectional wins! We wish them all the best as they head to the state track meet this weekend!
🥇Gianna Y. - 1st place and sectional champion for shot put with a throw of 29 feet 5 inches!
🥇Alexis K. - 1st place sectional champion for high jump, jumping 4 feet 10 inches!
🥇Stella C. - 1st place and sectional champion for the 1600m run (1 mile) with a time of 5:35!
The six Mokena SD 159 staff members who received a "Those Who Excel Award" by the Illinois State Board of Education were honored at the state's banquet in Bloomington this past weekend. Congratulations again to our award recipients! We are Mokena proud of you!
Thank you to our PTA for a wonderful MIS Step Up Night. Not even a dust storm could put a damper on the fun Friday evening.
Today is National Speech Language Pathologist Day! Join us in thanking our wonderful SLPs as we recognize and appreciate their invaluable contributions in helping students overcome communication barriers and reach their full potential.
Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open! Please log into your Skyward account to register your child(ren) for the next school year today! Visit https://sites.google.com/mokena159.org/enrollment-and-registration/home for more information!
Today was the last day of Kinderbuddies. Our kindergarteners took a trip to the junior high to celebrate together!
Last week, MES Students participated in the Respect Week Campaign through Special Olympics of Illinois. In their classrooms, they learned about various disabilities and ways to be respectful and inclusive. In PE, classes welcomed LWSRA where they got to learn about and participate in adaptive sports!
Our MIS final concert of the year was a huge success! Thank you to our directors, Ms. Clifford, Ms. Schubbe, and Ms. Nyder, for all of your hard work and dedication to our Rocket Musicians. Congratulations musicians for an extremely successful school year!
