Today was an exciting day in Kindergarten as students had a special visit from the Morton Arboretum! Each class experienced a hands on program to extend their ELA learning about trees. Students learned new facts about trees and looked closely at different leaves, seeds, roots, and tree cookies (sliced tree trunks)!
Thank you to the PTA for sponsoring this curricular event for our students!
❤️ Our community is AMAZING! MES and MIS students raised a grant total of $60,844 for the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge! Thank you to our "Heart Heroes" for their generosity in this record breaking year! ❤️
7th grade scientists are having fun learning about amps, voltage and different circuits. 💡
Seven OUTSTANDING Kindergarten students presented their "Tree Research Projects" at our Board of Education meeting last night! We are so proud of their hard work, new learning, and public presentation skills. Let's give a big cheer to Rory, Layla, Maverick, Chloe, Cruz, Mack, and Josie as well as our Kindergarten teachers for a job well done!
Thank you to our crossing guards for keeping our students safe!
The Jazz Band and Choir performed a few songs at Bee You Therapy in Mokena. We had a great time performing for those in attendance and were grateful for the opportunity!
Thank you to Mrs. Spasojevic and Mrs. Stojak for coordinating our MIS Book Fair. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to get some great books, not to mention the funds that come back to the school from Scholastic.
Our Book Fair will be open all week.
Save the Date! Informational Meetings will take place on April 29th to share updates to our programming for Advanced Learners for the 2025-2026 school year.
Quality literature is the cornerstone of our reading and writing curriculum. 6th grade students are currently reading the novel "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen.
This novel not only supports students learning the reading standards, but also opens doorways to meaningful reflection and discussion about decision-making as students see how characters navigate complex situations and in turn it helps students learn to think critically about their own choices.
"Sometimes you're going to be faced with situations where the line isn't clear between what's right and what's wrong... In the end, all that's left is to look at both sides and go with your best judgment." (f)rom Carl Hiaasen's novel "Hoot")
This goal area aims to provide students with more opportunities to extend learning through exploratories curriculum areas. Accomplishments include:
-Addition of an Orchestra program at MIS and MJHS that started in 2022 with 28 students and now has 86 students!
-Project Lead the Way program adopted within the STEM exploratory at the junior high that includes the following classes: Design and Modeling, App Creators, Green Architecture, and Computer Science
☘️ Issue 2 of "Mokena Moments" has been published! You can view the new issue in your email inbox or by visiting our website at: https://www.mokena159.org/page/district-newsletter . ☘️
On Friday, our Administrative Assistant for Payroll, Diana Lopez-Cosme, our Transportation Coordinator, Ervin Walker and our Chief School Business Official, Dr. Teri Shaw presented at the state Bookkeepers Conference on "Payroll: Start to Finish for Transportation
'.
They were part of a roundtable discussion with four different school districts discussing their procedures for processing payroll for the transportation department.
We are very proud to have representation from Mokena 159 at the Illinois Association of School Business Officials Annual Bookkeepers Conference to share their collective wisdom!
Our 8th grade mathematicians celebrated Pi Day (3.14) yesterday by measuring circular objects to prove the ratio of circumference to diameter is pi!
Utilizing additional avenues for communication with our families and community is an ongoing goal. Our work thus far includes:
-Increased social media postings to highlight events, happenings, celebrations, and student learning throughout the district
-Creation of district app that allows families to have a mobile version of the website
-Use of a new communications platform, Apptegy, that has allowed administrators easier and more efficient access to communicate within multiple platforms at the same time
-Increased development of news stories that are published on the website and/or other news outlets
The MES cafeteria was full of 1st graders and their special someones as they made bird houses together as an extension to their reading and writing module about birds! We can't wait to see birds in their new homes around town! Thank you to the PTA for providing the bird house kits for this wonderful event! 🐦
As we approach warmer temperatures, The Matthew Kocher Foundation wanted to educate our students on water safety. Our students will learn or learned preventable measures to take near the water by learning the meaning of the flags at the beach, how to keep little siblings safe at home, and survival techniques if caught in a rip current. Ask your child to explain FLIP, FLOAT, and FOLLOW and be sure to share this information with family and friends.
A big thank you to Dave Benjamin from The Great Lakes Surf and Rescue Project for dedicating his life to educate others, as he himself is a survivor of drowning.
MIS and MJHS had their presentations last week. MES will have their presentation April 18th.
8th graders are applying their argument and speaking skills trying to negotiate their way onto one of the Titanic's lifeboats during their study of "A Night to Remember".
The nominations form for the Galaxy Award opens today! Check your email for more information.
Third grade students in Mrs. Lacny's class have been thoroughly enraptured with reading the novel Peter Pan! You can hear a pin drop in the classroom when they read each chapter. The students beg to read more each day!
Our MIS musicians put on a great show last night. Thank you to our directors, Ms. Clifford, Ms. Schubbe, and Ms. Nyder, for their hard work with our Rockets. Our Beginning Band, Cadet Band, and Orchestra never sounded better!
