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.
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!
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
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.
The nominations form for the Galaxy Award opens today! Check your email for more information.
🏐 Come out tonight to cheer on the 8th grade girls volleyball team as they compete in the Regionals Championship Game! The game is at 4:30 at Summit Hill Junior High. 🏐
Join the MIS Beginning Band, Cadet Band, and Orchestra for an evening concert tomorrow night! The event starts at 6:30 at Mokena Junior High.
Continual work in this goal has been a major focus of the district and will continue to be throughout the life of the Strategic Plan. Some highlights of the ongoing and completed work in this goal include:
-English Language Learner (ELL) program review conducted by ELL teachers and Administrative Team which included the strengthening of our programming models and processes for monitoring exited students
-Multilingual Guidebook created by above committee that outlines district wide programming models, procedures, and expectations
-Interventionists reviewed current instructional materials and resources for reading and math intervention classes and have added materials for both content areas based on the needs of students
-Addition of teachers within our Interventions, Special Education, and ELL departments based on student needs
-Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) staff committee created district wide processes and procedures for interventions which includes the development and publication of a staff MTSS Guidebook to ensure consistent practices from school to school
-Creation of three year school-based MTSS improvement plans based on above guidebook
-Strengthening of differentiated practices for all students in reading and math through professional development
-Special Education programming review conducted with recommendations for furthering the department’s work
-Special Education Steering Committee formed to utilize recommendations and currently planning for next steps in improvement
Looking for a fun family event this weekend? The Lincoln-Way ArtWorks Festival is Saturday from 10-3 at Lincoln-Way East. Many of our students will have art on display in addition to hands-on workshops, music, and more!
Mrs. Hentsch's 4th grade students are learning about the Midwest's climate and how the geography of the Midwest affected those who lived here long ago. Students are using their learning to begin to plan for their "Midwest Road Trip" Inquiry Project together!
The Superintendent leads an annual evaluation of staffing needs to maintain equitable and appropriate class sizes and supports for student learning needs, while remaining within budget guidelines. Highlights of this work include:
-Annually monitor spending by student through building based budgeting and site based accounting
-Annual evaluation of staffing needs for core and non-core staff based on school and student needs
-Yearly staffing recommendations presentation provided to the Board of Education based on above evaluation
Join the PTA on Tuesday for their school board candidate meet and greet!
Our district has conducted ongoing work on this goal area to ensure all students are engaged in rigorous curricular programming as well as extending opportunities for advanced learners. Below are highlights of this work:
-Curriculum program adoptions for ELA and Math were all centered around the alignment to the rigorous Illinois learning standards
-Updated information and procedures for the district’s Accelerated Placement Programs were made available on the district website
-Reviewed MJHS Math Enrichment Course criteria and expanded additional sections for these courses
-Partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development to conduct a district review on advanced learning needs in our district which included staff, student, and parent feedback
-Convened a District Task Force that utilized Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development’s report to identify, plan for, and strengthen opportunities within the district for advanced learners
-The Board of Education approved the Task Force’s recommendations to expand advanced learner programming across the district starting in the 2025-2026 school year
-Professional development for staff focused on differentiation and instructional practices for advanced learners
⭐ Attention 2025-2026 kindergarten families! Please save the date for kindergarten informational night! ⭐
Last week, our 4th graders had the wonderful experience of squid dissection as part of our science curriculum and connection to our ELA curriculum module on animal defense mechanisms. We brought in a "squid-pert" to lead the engaging activity. We want to thank Frank's Shrimp and Chicken for donating all of the fresh squid for the activity!
Thank you to the Mokena Fire Protection District and Fire Marshal Tom Murray for providing members of our staff with important CPR training throughout the day. We appreciate your partnership and support!
Goal 3A: The district has developed a Facilities Master Plan to organize, prioritize, and forecast maintenance and infrastructure projects. Funds from the 2019 referendum are utilized to pay for these critical projects to ensure our schools are “warm, safe, and dry”. In addition to the many projects at individual schools, below are project highlights that have occurred in all three schools:
-Renovations or replacements of HVAC systems
-Updated and expanded parking lots
-Improved sidewalks
-Tuckpointing and building envelope work
-Exchanged exterior door locks and added multiple keyless entry points
-Expanded security coverage with additional interior and exterior cameras
