Flossmoor School District 161

Happy Administrative Assistant's Day to our amazing team! Thank you for always brightening our days and for all you do for our District 161 families. We couldn't do it without you!

Staff Appreciation Week begins on May 2! We will be showcasing all of our staff members over the course of the next two weeks. Today we would like to thank our awesome maintenance and custodial staff for all of their hard work. Thank you Dave, Scott, Ricky, Don, and John!

In honor of volunteer appreciation week, we want to send a huge thank you so all of our families, students, staff and community members who commit their time and energy to District 161. Thank you for all that you do to make our District extra special!

Future paleontologists at Heather Hill! Our kindergarteners had a blast during their fossil-filled Dino Dig in Mrs. Dalstrom's STEAM class!

It was a special morning at Serena Hills today, when the Homewood-Flossmoor Baseball Team stopped by for a visit. They read some books, taught us what it means to be a good teammate, and played Simon Says! Thanks to Coach McCarthy and all the players for the special visit!

No School on Monday, March 7 As a reminder to all families, Flossmoor School District 161 is closed on Monday, March 7 in observation of Casimir Pulaski Day.

Good evening District 161, Skyward, the main communication system that we use to send bulk emails and to contact parents is currently out of service and is expected to be down until tomorrow evening around 6 p.m. Unfortunately, that means that the District 161 weekly letter and other communications will be delayed. Once the system is up and running again, we will have the information out to you.

​​All Flossmoor District 161 buildings will be closed on Thursday, February 17, 2022, due to inclement weather and bus transportation issues. Students will participate in their learning activities from home. The school day will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. Teachers will share coursework and meeting links through Canvas. Students in early childhood and kindergarten previously brought home packets and materials to complete. If you have any questions regarding the schedule for the day, please contact your child’s teacher or building principal. There is no school on Friday, February 18, because of a pre-scheduled Institute Day.

Flossmoor School District 161 is hosting a COVID vaccination clinic from 3 to 7 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, February 15, at Normandy Villa, 41 E. Elmwood, Dr. in Chicago Heights. The clinic is open to all District 161 and District 153 families and staff, and the first 30 people to arrive will get a $100 gift card! Vaccines are safe, effective and free for all regardless of insurance and immigration status. First, second, boosters and pediatric doses are available. No appointment necessary. A parent must be present for all children 5 to 17 years old. Please direct all questions to Kathy Knawa at (708) 647-7009 or kknawa@sd161.org.

Updated Feb. 2, 3:00 p.m. – All Flossmoor District 161 buildings will remain closed on Thursday, February 3, 2022, due to inclement weather and bus transportation issues. Students will participate in their learning activities from home. The school day will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. Teachers will share coursework and meeting links through Canvas. Students in early childhood and kindergarten should have previously brought home packets and materials to complete. If you have any questions regarding the schedule for the day, please contact your child’s teacher or building principal. We plan to return to in-person learning on Friday, February 4, 2022.

All Flossmoor School District 161 buildings will be closed on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, due to inclement weather. Students will participate in their learning activities from home. The school day will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. Teachers will share coursework and meeting links through Canvas. Students in early childhood and kindergarten have previously brought home packets and materials to complete. If you have any questions regarding the schedule for the day, please contact your child’s teacher or building principal. A determination about whether students will remain in e-learning on Thursday, February 3, will be made Wednesday afternoon and will be emailed to all District 161 families and posted on all school websites.

Flossmoor School District 161, publishing on 01/28/2022 at 01:00PM Now serving the entire surrounding community, Flossmoor School District 161 will begin hosting FREE weekly SHIELD testing clinics every Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, at Parker Junior High School. SHIELD your family. SHIELD your friends. SHIELD your coworkers. Know your COVID status in less than a day!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the District 161 Board of Education meeting scheduled for today, Tuesday, January 11, 2022, has been canceled. The next meeting will take place on Monday, January 24, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. This meeting will take place in-person at Normandy Villa (41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights, IL 60411). All Illinois Department of Public Health COVID-19 guidelines will be followed.

The Illinois Rental Payment Program provides financial assistance for rent to income-eligible Illinois renters and their landlord who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Illinois renters may be eligible for up to $25,000 and 18 months of emergency rental payments under the program. This is a grant that does NOT have to be repaid. Applications are available until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 8, 2022. Apply online at www.illinoishousinghelp.org. Learn more about the application process below: https://youtu.be/OHyDLyLw7jA

Santa paid a special visit to Serena Hills School today to wish all a happy holiday, including his pal Gingy the gingerbread man!

Reminder to all of our District 161 families that tomorrow, Tuesday, December 21 is the last day of student attendance before our winter break. Enjoy the winter break and have a happy holiday! See you in the new year!

Flossmoor's new Holiday Lights Parade tradition kicks off tonight at 4:30 p.m. at Central Park Avenue and Elm Street. The fleet of police, fire and public works vehicles will travel through nearly every Flossmoor neighborhood adorned with holiday lights and displays. Set up some lawn chairs or a blanket and enjoy the evening of celebration. If the parade route doesn't pass by your house, the HF Park District has set up bleachers at Heather Hill School where you can watch.

Flossmoor Hills third-grader Alana Cook meant business as Superintendent for the day! She enjoyed her tour of Parker Junior High School and couldn't believe how big everything was, especially the students! She made quite the impression on the Parker staff and made a strong bid for bringing recess to the junior high level. Great job as Superintendent, Alana!

Reminder that our second COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 16 at Normandy Villa. The clinic is open to all Flossmoor School District 161 and Homewood School District 153 families and staff. There will be first and second doses, boosters, and pediatric doses available during the clinic.

While we may see some mild temperatures this week, we all know what to expect in a Midwest winter! Please make sure to dress students appropriately for outdoor recess. This includes winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves, etc. Schools will NOT have outdoor recess when: Temperature is below 20 degrees Wind chill is lower than 11 degrees In rain or icy conditions Or in extremely high winds