Flossmoor School District 161

Flossmoor School District 161's annual Visual Arts Expo will be open for viewing on Thursday, May 11, and Friday May 12. Stop by the District Office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to see the amazing art created by District 161 students.

Join Flossmoor School District 161 and UChicago Medicine Pediatric Services for a virtual parent university. This parent university will focus on identifying ADHD in children including initial diagnosis, support, and treatment options. The session will take place on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Register at: https://bit.ly/3GMhKtN

Parker Junior High School Industrial Arts teacher, Kyle Marti, recently received the Middle School Program of Year award from the Technology Education Association of Illinois. The Technology Education Association of Illinois recognizes outstanding middle school/junior high technology, engineering, or industrial focused programs. Furthermore, this award recognizes programs that have staff that constantly update their curriculum and activities, maintain a positive rapport with staff and students, and continually keep up-to-date with modern technologies and techniques.

The Board of Education recognized the Parker Junior High School Chess team this evening. The team had a great season and represented District 161 at the Illinois Elementary School Association [IESA] state chess meet. A special shout out to eighth-grader Makhi Fox who earned a medal at the event. Way to go Falcons!

Western Avenue's production of Aladdin was AMAZING! Congratulations to the cast and crew for two stellar performances this week. A special thank you to Mrs. Pasqua, Ms. Watson, and Ms. Hanzelin for helping our students showcase their talents. Thank you, parents and families for your support.

Students in Parker Junior High School's Humanities classes recently participated in the National History Day competition. The top 15 teams from the school competition advanced to the regional competition which was held at the University of Illinois Chicago on March 4th, 2023. Three of the team projects qualified to compete at the Illinois State Competition which is being held on April 22, 2023. Go Falcons!

We had so much fun meeting our future Eagles, Hornets, Stars, and Wolves at kindergarten registration last night! If you were unable to attend, please visit www.sd161.org for information about kindergarten registration.

The Parker Junior High School eighth-grade boys basketball team was recognized at the Board of Education Meeting on March 13. The team had an excellent season and represented District 161 at the Illinois Elementary School Association [IESA] state basketball tournament.

District 161 Spelling Bee participants were recognized at the Board of Education Meeting on March 13. Congratulations to our super spellers!

Kindergarten registration begins tonight from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. We can’t wait to meet our future Eagles, Hornets, Stars, and Wolves! Visit www.sd161.org for more information.

Calling all incoming kindergarteners! It's almost time to register for the 2023-24 school year. Kindergarten registration and residency verification will be held at our four elementary schools on Thursday, March 16, 2023, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Visit www.sd161.org to learn more about kindergarten registration.

The March to May Million Pages Challenge has begun! At the kickoff event, the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra Brass featured storytime and music based on the book Milo Imagines the World. After the performance, the brass trio shared interesting facts and information about each of their instruments and answered questions from the audience. What a marvelous way to start our challenge! Make sure you are reading and logging those pages!

All Flossmoor School District 161 buildings will be closed on Friday, March 3, 2023, due to inclement weather and the anticipated bus transportation issues. Students will participate in their learning activities from home. Tomorrow is a scheduled School Improvement Day in the afternoon, so there is an early dismissal for students. As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, March 6, 2023, in observance of Casimir Pulaski Day. If you have any questions regarding the schedule for the day, please contact your child’s teacher or building principal for assistance.

As a reminder to all families, Friday, March 3 is a School Improvement Day and there is an early dismissal for all students. The District is closed on Monday, March 6 in observance of Casimir Pulaski Day.

On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, Julie Lythcott-Haims will share her profound insight into parenting with Flossmoor School District 161. Julie Lythcott-Haims is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult and Real American. She holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard Law School, and an MFA from California College of the Arts. The event will occur at Parker Junior High from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Registration is required. Visit www.sd161.org or scan the QR code in the image to register.

We can't wait for you all to join us for a great diversity dinner tomorrow, Thursday, February 9! Fajitas will be served at 6:30 p.m. and guests can enjoy a variety of toppings and delicious desserts, but more importantly, an incredible presentation from DeEtta Jones, a go-to strategist on equity, diversity, inclusion and workplace transformation! We'll see you there!

District 161 kicked off Black History Month with some special guests as the Homewood Flossmoor Step Team performed for students at Flossmoor Hills School! The kids had a great time and the steppers gave a spectacular performance!

We had a wonderful Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service across Flossmoor School District 161 with projects at each of our schools! Our students, families and community always impress us with their volunteerism, especially on a day off from school. Thank you for supporting our District 161 projects!

The 5th graders at Serena Hills took some time yesterday giving to those in need as they helped assemble “Manna Packs” for Feed My Starving Children. During their session, the students helped pack 70 boxes, or 2,520 pouches, of food; enough to feed 41 children for an entire year! Amazing work done by our Serena Stars!

It was a special morning at the District Office as we were treated to a holiday performance from the Flossmoor Hills choir! Great job by Mrs. Sumner and all the talented carolers at Flossmoor Hills!