As we reflect on the school year so far, I want to thank all of our families for your continued partnership and support. Your involvement has helped make the first trimester positive, productive, and full of energy. We are grateful each day for the trust you place in our schools and staff.
Earlier this fall, the Board of Education approved the 2025-2026 fiscal year budget, focusing our resources on high-quality instruction, student well-being, and safe, engaging learning environments. You can read more about the budget later in this update, and review it on the District 146 website.
Speaking of the website, we launched our new district website and introduced our new mass email platform over the summer. Both are designed to strengthen communication and engagement with families. Many of you have already used these tools, and your early feedback has been incredibly helpful.
Each year, our schools proudly honor Veterans Day through age-appropriate activities and ceremonies. These events help students understand the importance of service, and prioritize gratitude. It was inspiring to see our students show such respect as we recognized the brave individuals in our community who have served our country.
I want to take a moment to thank you all for your engagement and for being an essential part of our school community. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
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As we move into the winter season, it’s essential to prioritize the health and well-being of each other. Our goal is to keep students and staff healthy, learning, and in school as much as possible. During this time of year, common illnesses such as influenza (flu), respiratory infections, viruses, and colds increase.
If your child is feeling sick, especially with fever (100.4 or above), vomiting, diarrhea, persistent cough, runny nose, or other symptoms of illness, please keep them home until symptoms improve. Please inform the school nurse if your child is diagnosed with an illness. Students must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to school after an illness.
If your child is assessed by the school nurse and requires being sent home from school, please plan to pick up your child within 30 minutes of being contacted. While we realize this can be challenging, it is imperative you or your child’s emergency contacts can be at school promptly to limit the spread of infection.
Here are some everyday prevention habits and ways we can all take action:
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Stay hydrated. Drink water regularly as cold temperatures, dry air, and indoor heating can contribute to dehydration. Dry skin can be a sign of dehydration and bloody noses can become more frequent. Consider the use of a cool mist humidifier at night to add moisture to the air.
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Encourage good hygiene habits, including frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or bend of the elbow, and avoiding shared food or drinks.
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Clean and disinfect surfaces often.
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Dress appropriately. Proper clothing is key to staying warm. Hats and gloves help prevent heat loss from the head and hands. Dress in layers to stay comfortable both indoors and outdoors. Outdoor recess will continue, weather permitting.
Thank you for partnering with us to help keep our school community healthy this winter!
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At the beginning of the school year we launched a new website with a fresh design and updated information. At that time, we asked for feedback to determine what changes needed to be made to ensure the website is user friendly and information is easy to find. Based on that feedback, new pages were created, information was cross posted on multiple pages, broken links were activated, and some information was corrected.
Other comments and suggestions led to internal discussions about the changes in functionality and whether they were beneficial to the District and our families. One topic that received many comments are the new staff listings on the District and school websites.
Our previous website listed the name, title, and email address of each employee broken down by department or grade level. The new website automatically populates our staff lists and lets families send a message to the desired staff member
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While there were a few reasons that this change was made, it most importantly protects the District’s employees. Unfortunately, when email addresses are posted publicly on websites, they can be easily collected by automated tools and misused for spam or fraudulent activity which could target fellow employees and even families. By using the “Send Message” feature, families can contact a staff member without their actual email address being listed on the website.
Even though email addresses are not listed, the message delivered directly to the staff member’s email address. They can then respond to the sender and an email thread can begin.
We also heard from families who prefer the staff listing when organized by grade level or department rather than individually. The current staff list can be organized by grade level or department by tapping the “Title” header at the top of the list (left image below). For those using mobile devices, holding the device sideways (landscape), will expand the list and the additional columns will appear.
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We continue to seek ways to improve our website and other communications with our families. If you have any additional comments or feedback, please feel free to send them to kkociss@district146.org. |
During the first part of the school year, the Business Department dedicates much of its time to the creation of the new fiscal year budget. The 2025-2026 budget was approved by the Board in September. As always, fiscal responsibility is one of our top priorities.
The 2025-2026 budget was approved by the Board of Education at its September meeting, with a public hearing held prior. As always, the District’s budget reflects a continuing commitment to “Learning for All.” We continue to prioritize small class sizes and full inclusion for all our students.
Funding for the District’s educational programs is achieved with the support of the communities we serve. Property taxes and other local revenues are the primary source of income, amounting to 77% of this year’s budget. The State of Illinois is the source of 19% of District funding, while Federal funding is 4%.
The full District budget can be found on our website, along with the budgets and audits for the last 10 years. The District budget is managed with the goal of providing the best education possible while maintaining fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers of the District.
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For the last several years, District 146 schools have been open on Veterans Day. This is intentionally scheduled each year so our schools can hold meaningful Veterans Day ceremonies. Having students and staff present allows schools to honor local veterans together, provide educational opportunities about the importance of the day, and create a shared experience of gratitude and respect.
Students at each building are encouraged to invite family members who have served to their school's ceremony. The guest veterans are treated to songs, snacks, parades, handmade cards, and a lot of gratitude. District 146 would like to thank all veterans who served, especially those who attended these events and shared their knowledge with our students.
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School Board member, and former Board President, Darcy Nendza has resigned from the Board of Education. The District 146 community would like to thank Mrs. Nendza for her many years of service to the District and the Board of Education.
The process of filling the vacancy is underway. More information can be found on the District's website.
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Students in 7th Grade Science took part in an Egg Drop Project, a hands-on experiment that challenged them to apply principles of physics and engineering design. Students worked together to create protective structures that could prevent an egg from breaking when dropped from a significant height. Throughout the project, they tested hypotheses, analyzed results, and made improvements to their designs. The activity was not only exciting to watch but also an excellent demonstration of creativity, problem-solving, and real-world application of scientific concepts. CMS Assistant Principal Mrs. Ferrebee and Dean Mr. Safarik were on hand to drop the egg structures from the CMS roof. |
Student Council Members at Fierke hosted an autumn food drive to benefit Redeemer’s Little Free Pantry. As part of the drive, a contest was held to see how much each Hive could collect. The number of items each Hive donated had the equivalent number of points added to their trimester total! Close to 500 items were collected, with Carnica winning the Hive competition! The student council would like to thank everyone who donated and supported the Fierke! |
As part of Bullying Prevention Month in October, Fulton's 3rd graders read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. They discussed the importance of using kind words and made paper hearts that crumbled each time something not so nice was said in the book. At the end of the book, they tried to straighten out their paper hearts. This activity represented the idea that even though one can apologize, the mean words can stay with us. Throughout October, students in all classes had lessons focused on bullying prevention and signs and posters were hung throughout the halls. A school-wide game show assembly called "Wheel of Wisdom" was also held. Students and staff were able to test their knowledge on bullying prevention. |
Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign encouraging communities to come together to take a visible stand against drugs. It occurs every year from October 23 through 31. Kruse recognizes Red Ribbon week every year with a week of Spirit Days. Students (and staff!) came to school dressed to follow each day’s theme. Themes included We are RED-y to be Drug Free (wear red), Put Drugs to Bed (wear pajamas), and Team Up Against Drugs (wear a sports shirt or jersey). While having fun dressing up, students learned the importance of living a healthy, drug-free life. |
Memorial hosted their annual Family Reading Night with a Fairy Tale Theme. Students visited four stations throughout the night, participating in reading fairytale books while enjoying tea party snacks, creating royalty crowns, completing obstacle courses through enchanted forests, and building “Three Little Pig” home structures that did not always withstand the huff and puff of the big bad Kindergarten Teacher Wolf. |
19: Half Day Student Attendance
22: Winter Break Begins
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5: Students Return from Winter Break
12: Board of Education Meeting
15: Band Parent Meeting
15: Beginning Band Demo
16: No School- School Improvement Day
19: No School- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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2: BoE Committee of the Whole Meeting
3: District 146 Spelling Bee
6: District 146 Math Challenge
9: Board of Education Meeting
11: Math Challenge Awards
12: No School- Parent Teacher Conferences
13: No School- School Improvement Day
16: No School- Presidents Day
19: Band Parent Meeting
25: End of Trimester 2
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Dr. Jeff Stawick, Superintendent
Kelly Voliva, Assistant Superintendent
Carey Radke, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Jeff Charleston, Director of Business Services/CSBO
Vern Bettis, Director of Technology
Matt Shanahan, Director of Buildings and Grounds
Brooke Dundas, Coordinator of Bilingual Education
Brianne Oliver, Special Education Coordinator
Dr. Don Hantson, Principal, Central Middle School
Rebecca Ferrebee, Assistant Principal, Central Middle School
Kevin Kuzanek, Assistant Principal, Central Middle School
Gina Lamorte, Principal, Fierke Education Center
Megan Mitera, Principal, Fulton School
Kim Hartnett, Principal, Kruse Education Center
Dr. Joe Trsar, Principal, Memorial School
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Julie Berry, President
Rick Lloyd, Vice President
Amy Hamernick, Secretary
Richard Bajner, Jr., Member
Dean Casper, Member
Jill Dunlap, Member
Darcy Nendza, Member
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6611 W. 171st Street
Tinley Park, IL 60477
708.614.4500
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