PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER - Komarek School District 94

KOMAREK ON THE WEB 

The Principal Newsletter is available on the 

Komarek website. www.komarek94.k12.il.us/ 

PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER 

February 2011 

KOMAREK SCHOOL DISTRICT 94 

8940 W. 24 TH STREET 

NORTH RIVERSIDE, IL 605456-1158 

School hours 8:20 – 3:10 

My e-mail is: tcriscione@komarek94.org 

My phone number is (708) 447-8030 

X 1-104 

Contact me at any time. I will reply 

ASAP. 

Thank you, 

Tom Criscione 

Principal 

QUOTE OF 

THE MONTH 

I can accept failure. 

Everyone fails at something. 

But I can't accept not trying. 

Michael Jordan 

February is 

African-American History 

Month 

In Time of Silver Rain 

In time of silver rain 

the earth 

puts forth new life again, 

green grasses grow 

and flowers lift their heads, 

and over all the plain 

the wonder spreads 

Of Life, 

Of Life, 

Of life! 

In time of silver rain 

the butterflies 

lift silken wings 

to catch a rainbow cry, 

and trees put forth 

new leaves to sing 

in joy beneath the sky 

as down the roadway 

passing boys and girls 

go singing, tooin time of silver rain When 

spring 

and life 

are new. 

A Poem by Langston Hughes 

BOARD NOTES 

Our next Board of 

Education meetings will be held at 7:00 PM 

on: 

• Tuesday, February 8, 2011 

• Tuesday, March 8, 2011 

• Tuesday, April 12, 2011 

• Tuesday, May 10,2011

• Tuesday, June 14, 2011 

• Tuesday, July 12, 2011 

2:30 PM EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS 

• Thursday, February 17, 2011 

• Thursday, March 17, 2011 

• Thursday, April 14, 2011 

• Thursday, May 19, 2011 


February 2011 





DATES OF INTEREST 

• 7 th Grade Outdoor Education $55.00 

fee due – Friday, February 4, 2011 

• 100 th Day of School – Thursday, 

February 10, 2011 

• Friday, February 11 th – PTA Meeting 

8:30 AM Board Room 

• Friday, February 18 th – Progress 

Notices due for the 3 rd quarter 

• Friday, February 18 th – PTA 

sponsored ISAT Bears Assembly 

1:30 PM 

• Monday, February 21, 2011 – NO 

SCHOOL – President’s Day 

• Tuesday. February 22, 2011 – NO 

SCHOOL – P/T Conferences 

(appointment only) 12:00 PM – 7:30 

PM 

• Strategic Planning Committee 

Meeting – Thursday, February 17, 

2011 7:00 PM 

• WIP/WIK Pancake Breakfast – 

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 7:30 

AM – 9:45 AM 

• ISAT’S for Grades 3-8 and 

Stanford 10’s for Grades 1-2 

Monday, February 28 th – Friday, 

March 11 th 

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES 

P/T Conferences will be held on Tuesday, 

February 22 nd from 12:00 PM – 7:30 PM by 

appointment only. There is no student 

attendance that day. 

If you have any questions concerning P/T 

Conferences, please contact Mr. Criscione. 

DARE PROGRAM 

The 5 th grade DARE Graduation took place 

on Friday, January 21st. 

A big thanks you to the 5 th grade teachers 

and North Riverside DARE Officer Raul 

Pelayo for graduating another group at 

Komarek. 

ISAT NEWS 

The 2011 ISAT are scheduled for the weeks 

of February 28, 2011 – March 7, 2011 for 

students in grades 3-8. 

Students in grades 4-8 were given an ISAT 

Goal Sheet to complete with their parents. 

Please take the time to complete Goal Sheet 

with you child. Students that return the 

signed copy by Friday, February 11 th will 

receive a treat. 

It is very important for your child to take 

the ISAT’s seriously! 

If you have any questions concerning the 

ISAT’s, please contact Mr. Criscione.


February 2011 





STANFORD 10 ASSESSMENT 

Grades one and two will test during the 

ISAT assessment from February 28 th – 

March 11 th . 

SPELLING BEE 

Congratulations to 7 th grader, Marly 

Santora, for winning the Komarek 

Spelling Bee for the 3 rd time. She will 

represent Komarek at the District Spelling 

Bee at Mannheim School in Melrose Park on 

Thursday, February 10 th . The District Bee 

begins at 7:00 PM. 

Congratulations to 7 th grader, Izzy 

Echavarria for being the runner-up. She 

gave Marly a battle. Both ladies are very 

good friends! Also, congratulations to all 

the contestants that participated in the 

Bee. 

Students that participated in the Spelling 

Bee: 

3 RD GRADE 

• Michael Shicker 

• Symbrit Breaux 

• Lidia Bielobradek 

• David Waas 

• Alternates – Sydney Hamer, 

Elizabeth Marquez, Sean Par, and 

Briana Roy 

4 TH GRADE 

• Marta Janas 

• Emily David 

• Audrey Santora 

• Erica Such 

• Alternate – Erin Redovan and Mustafa 

Syed 

5 TH GRADE 

• Elise Mitchell 

• Ariyan Breaux 

• Abigail Martinez 

• Michelle Cejka 

• Ernesto Manlutac 

• Richard Alcantar 

• Alternate – Noah Hamer, Alana Waas, 

and Stephanie Johnson 

6 TH GRADE 

• Michelle Dinh 

• Alex Hamer 

• Erik Hartwig 

• Grace Pottle 

• Liddy Rowley 

• Fabian Villalobos 

• Brandon Bahamundi 

• Alternates – Jalen Brooks and Anna 

Makovetskiy 

7 TH GRADE 

• Isabelle Echevarria 

• Marly Santora 

• Victor Suarez 

• Joey Cannizzo 

• Shannon McDonald 

• Daniel Waas 

• Alternates – Antonio Jimenez and 

Christopher Molina

8 TH GRADE 


February 2011 





• William Bloom 

• Dominique Coronado 

• Michael Helf 

• Monika Janas 

• Eugene Makovetskiy 

• Christoher Olszewski 

• Lucy Roudebush 

• Alternates – Dionte Beasley and 

Natalia Gheewala 

I would also like to thank Mrs. Miller and 

Mr. Pellicci for helping me work the Bee. 

I would also like to thank Mrs. Stalla for 

helping me coordinate the Bee! 

8 TH GRADE PARENT MEETING 

DATES 

All 8 th Grade Committee Members worked 

very hard to get things done in a timely 

manner. Kudos to Mrs. Mascitti for doing 

a fantastic job serving as the Finance 

Chairperson! The committees kept the 

entire cost to $71.50! 

The March 8 th Grade Parent Meeting is 

cancelled, due to the committee member’s 

hard work. 

Committee Chairpersons: 

• Finance – Mrs. Mascitti 

• Restaurant and Menu 

Mrs. Ranieri and Mrs. Little 

• Cap and Gown – Diane Little 

• Pins and Ribbons – Mr. Zdarsky 

• Music – Diane Little 

• Photography – Mrs. Bonelli-Pottle 

• Invitations – Mrs. Olszweski 

• Party Favors – Mrs.Olszweski 

8 th Grade Dinner Dance 

Friday, May 13, 2011 

6:30 PM – 10:00 PM 

Via Bella Restaurant and Banquets 

5412 S. LaGrange Road 

Countryside, IL 

(708) 354-8884 

8 TH GRADE SPRINGFIELD TRIP 

The 8 th Grade Springfield Trip dates have been 

changed. The trip is Monday, April 25 th and 

Tuesday, April 26 th . Fifty-one students will be 

attending the trip. 

Great news! The total cost of the trip 

lowered to $240.00. 

Contact Mr. Criscione if you have any questions. 

7 TH GRADE OUTDOOR EDUCATION 

The 2011 7 th grade Outdoor Education trip to 

Camp Algonquin is scheduled for Tuesday, 

April 12, 2011 and Wednesday, April 13, 

2011. The parent meeting on Thursday, 

January 6, 2011 was well attended. 

The permission slip and $55.00 fee is due by 

Friday, February 4, 2011 at 3:30 PM. 

If you have any questions concerning Outdoor 

Education, please contact Mr. Criscione.

SOCIAL WORKER NOTES 


February 2011 





Helping young people develop self 

discipline: 

When children are very young parents offer 

rewards to control behavior. The problem 

with the continuation of this behavior is that 

external rewards loose their value and ability 

to motivate over time. The reward must 

become much bigger, to motivate, and this 

does not teach children life lessons. 

To teach self discipline at home: 

- Assign regular household 

responsibilities which are done 

without payment 

- Provide opportunities for making 

choices: allow children to experience 

the consequences of their choices. 

When parents soften the blow of a 

negative consequence, they remove 

the key lesson to be learned. 

- Establish behavior guidelines: for 

example, complete homework by 7 

P.M., treat others as you wish to be 

treated, pick up after yourself. 

- Help your kids evaluate personal 

behavior: Ask them what they did, 

and what might they do differently 

next time? 

- Have regular family meetings or 

times where your kids know you are 

available to talk to them about: 

o Schedules- as kids get older 

they have to coordinate their 

schedules around the families. 

o Special events- holidays, 

birthdays, school events 

o Progress- grades, projects… 

o Praise- make time to talk about 

what your children are doing 

well! 

If you have any questions or concerns please 

feel free to contact me at 

jpiatti@komarek94.org or 708-447-8030 

ext.144. 

Jamie Piatti, MSW, LSW 

School Social Worker 

NEWS FROM THE SPECIAL 

EDUCATION COORDINATOR 

Happy New Year from the Special 

Education Team!! 

Annual Reviews and 3 Year Evaluations are 

underway. Please let us know if you are unable 

to attend a scheduled meeting. 

Transition meetings have been scheduled for 

all 8th grade students. If you have not received 

notification please contact Mrs. Mullen @ 

708-447-8030 x1-124. 

If you are planning to move and your 8th 

grader will not be attending RBHS or Proviso 

High School, a Transition meeting still needs 

to be scheduled with your child's prospective 

high school. Any questions can be directed to 

Mrs. Mullen. If you child has not taken the 

entrance exam, please let Mrs. Mullen know 

that as well. 

As always, we appreciate your cooperation 

with your child's IEP meetings. Please don't 

hesitate to call anyone on the team with 

questions or concerns. 

Mrs. Maria Mullen 

Komarek School Special Education 

Coordinator 

708-447-8030 x124


February 2011 





SPECIAL EDUCATION TEAM 

Ms. Laura Senft 

LADSE school psychologist 

Mrs. Renee Ricchio 

Resource teacher 

Mrs. Birgit Hillmer 


Ms. Lauren Shesek 


Mrs. LeeAnn Wach 

Special Education teacher 

Ms. Erin Houlihan 

Special Education teacher 

Mrs. Margaret Lenahan 

Speech Pathologist 

Ms. Megan Whitters 

Speech team member 

Ms. Jamie Piatti 

Social Worker 

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR 

SOCIETY (NJHS) NEWS 

We are honored to announce the names of 

the first group of students inducted into the 

Komarek Chapter of the National Junior 

Honor Society. Membership into this 

prestigious organization has been earned by 

the effective demonstration of the five 

qualities held in high esteem by the society. 

These five qualities are: Leadership, 

Scholarship, Service, Citizenship and 

Character. 

The new members are: 

Nicole Cisar 

Daniel Dinh 

Natalia Gheewala-President 

Monika Janas-Treasurer 

Tiana Little 

Monica Mascitti-Reporter 

Michelle Morris 

Jillian Podborny- Vice President 

Larry Pottle 

Jonathan Ricchio 

Lucy Roudebush 

Jack Ruf 

Alicja Sacha 

Katelyn Smith 

Lacey Smith-Secretary 

Sierra Starks 

Jake Surprenant 

Emylee Zdarsky 

Please join us in congratulating this 

outstanding group of 8 th grade students. We 

would also like to express out thanks to Mrs. 

Lisa Stalla for bringing this program to our 

school! 

Ms. Roberta Breiding and Mrs. Diane 

Vesecky 

NEWS FROM THE READING 

SPECIALIST 

Reading for Meaning with Your 

Child 

Reading with comprehension means 

understanding what's been read. It takes 

practice, time, and patience to develop reading 

comprehension skills. Families can play an 

important role in helping a child learn to read 

for understanding. 

First, make sure your child is reading books 

appropriate for their reading level. If a book 

is too hard, all your child's energy will be put 

into decoding and reading word for word, with 

less energy available to figure out what the 

book means. Books that your child can read


February 2011 





with 98-100% accuracy are good choices for 

comprehension building. 

Reading comprehension skills can be 

developed using a before-during-after 

approach. Below are a few suggestions that 

will help build comprehension skills. 

Before 

Your goal is to help your child build an 

understanding of and purpose for what 

they're about to read. Look at the book's 

cover. Ask, "What do you think this book 

might be about? Why? Can you make some 

predictions?" Guide your child through the 

pages, discuss the pictures, and brainstorm 

what might happen in the story. Talk about 

any personal experiences your child may 

have that relate to the story. 

During 

Your goal is to help your child be an active 

reader. Read together and talk about what's 

happening as they're reading. Stop and 

discuss any interesting or tricky vocabulary 

words. Talk about any surprising or sad 

passages, and help them visualize parts of the 

story. Ask your child, "Do you understand 

what's happening here? What do you think 

will happen next?" If your child seems 

unsure, stop, go back and reread if necessary. 

Discuss any confusing parts. 

After 

Your goal is to help your child reflect on 

what they've read. Summarize and share your 

favorite part of the book. Have your child 

rate the book on a scale from 1 to 10 and say 

why. Have your child reread their favorite 

part or act it out. 

Take the extra time before and during reading 

to read with your child this way. You'll soon 

find yourself reading with a child who is 

motivated to comprehend and learn from 

everything they read. 

Reading Rockets (www.readingrockets.org) 

Ms. Roberta Breiding 

Reading Specialist 

JUNIOR HIGH SOCIAL STUDIES 

In 6 th grade Social Studies, students are 

studying Ancient Greece. Students are also 

working hard on their Country Box Projects 

which are due after Spring Break in the 

beginning of April. The “Country Fair” will 

be scheduled in early or mid-May. In 7 th grade 

students are studying the U.S. Constitution. 

The Final Exam consists of 100 questions and 

is divided into two parts… Part One is 48 

questions and Part Two is 52 questions. The 

Part One Final is tentatively scheduled for 

Tuesday, February 15 th . In 8 th grade students 

just finished a unit of study on immigration 

and urbanization and are beginning a unit on 

The Progressive Movement. 

Congratulations to 8 th grader 

Christopher Olszewski on winning the 2011 

Komarek School Geography Bee. Also, great 

job to 4 th grader Ian Hardin (runner-up) and 

the 28 other contestants on a fun, competitive 

Bee this year!!! 

Mr. Bedalow 

JUNIOR HIGH MATH/SCIENCE


February 2011 





Sixth graders are being introduced to 

Geometry in math. They are learning about 

shapes, angles, degrees, and formulas. In 

science we will begin our study of minerals. 

. 

7 th graders are also studying Geometry in 

math. We are currently learning about 

vertical, complementary, and supplementary 

angles. In science students are learning 

about viruses and fungi. 

8 th graders have been working with more 

complex Geometry. Interior angles, exterior 

angles, alternate interior angles, and alternate 

exterior angles are all topics being covered. 

In science we are currently studying 

electricity and magnetism. 

Ms. Vesecky 

JUNIOR HIGH READING 

It’s the month of love, so what better time to 

fall in love with reading? Make sure that you 

check out the wonderful selections each 

month in the book orders from Scholastic. 

Every student should have a book to read, 

since we go to the library every two weeks. 

Students should be reading every night at 

home, and filling out their Wildcat Calendars 

with the minutes they read. 

In class, the students have been reading a 

variety of genres. There have been stories, 

poems, and nonfiction selections to get us 

prepared for the upcoming ISAT test. We are 

focusing on literary terms such as; metaphor, 

foreshadowing, irony, and personification. 

Encouraging your child to read and write at 

home is one of the best ways you can help 

your child to become a better reader. 

Ms. Schmit and Mrs. Jankowski 

JUNIOR HIGH LANGUAGE ARTS 

If you are looking for something to take the 

place of after-school video games, go to 

www.eduplace.com . This website offers a 

variety of activities which correlate with your 

child’s Language Arts and Spelling programs. 

You can find puzzles for each spelling unit, 

and many available tools to enhance writing 

skills. 

For “Test Prep and Assessment”, there are 

several benchmark papers offered at Levels 6- 

8. These are examples of papers written in 

response to various prompts. Students are able 

to compare student models with their own 

writing, and read the analysis provided, as 

well. 

Evaluation Station gives the students an 

opportunity to assess their own writing, while 

Grammar Blast offers a variety of skills 

games. Another valuable resource includes 

Power Proofreading, which combines the 

emphasis of grammar skills while having 

FUN! The next time your child complains of 

boredom, be sure to suggest 

www.eduplace.com . 

Mrs. Miller 

JUNIOR HIGH SCIENCE 

These are supplies that we use in class. If you 

have extra on hand and/or would like to make 

donations, it would be greatly appreciated. We 

will be using these materials next year, so a 

donation in the fall would be great! It is 

hands-on activities that helps make Science 

fun! Thanks so much!!

Mrs. Wade and Ms. Vesecky 


February 2011 





Wish List 

String 

Masking Tape 

Potting Soil 

Straws 

Coffee Cans with Lids (Small and Large) 

Wax Paper 

Iodized Salt 

Pipe Cleaners 

Small household candles 

Playdoh 

Vegetable Oil 

Bug Jars with Magnifier Lid 

Food Coloring 

Box of Latex Gloves 

Ethyl Alcohol 

Lite Brite Toy 

Wire Screen 

Plaster of Paris 

Flour 

Wire 

Sandpaper 

Wire hangers 

Yarn 

Corn starch 

Sugar 

Seeds 

Disposable ~12oz. Clear Plastic Cups 

Tempera Paints 

16oz. Red Plastic Cups 

16oz. Yellow Plastic Cups 

16oz. Green Plastic Cups 

16oz. Blue Plastic Cups 

Paper Towels 

Plastic Spoons 

Re-sealable Plastic Bags (Quart, Gallon and 

sandwich) 

Margarine Tubs, Other Plastic Containers 

Milk Cartons and Jugs 

Baby Food/Pickle/Jelly glass Jars 

Tall Thin Jars (Like olives come in) 

Potato Chip Cans 

Paper Plates 

Plastic Bag Twists 

Cardboard Rolls (paper towels, foil, etc) 

Sponges 

Oatmeal Containers 

Aluminum Pie Plates 

Large Plastic Bowls 

Large Plastic or Wooden Spoons 

Measuring Cups/Spoons 

Egg cartons 

Balloons 

Nail Polish Remover 

Glass Containers (all sizes) 

Alka Seltzer tablets (okay if past expiration 

date) 

Baking Soda 

White Vinegar 

One Liter Clear Bottles 

Wax Paper 

Iodized Salt 

Vegetable Oil 

Food Coloring 

Flour 

Yeast 

Sugar 

Disposable ~12oz. Clear Plastic Cups 

16oz. Red Plastic Cups 

16oz. Yellow Plastic Cups 

16oz. Green Plastic Cups 

16oz. Blue Plastic Cups 

Paper Towels 

Plastic Spoons 

Re-sealable Plastic Bags (Quart, Gallon and 

sandwich) 

Margarine Tubs, Other Plastic Containers 

Milk Cartons and Jugs 

Mrs. Wade and Ms. Vesecky


February 2011 





IMSA FUSION NEWS 

Each month the Komarek 4 th and 5 th graders 

who participate in the IMSA Fusion after 

school class have the opportunity to solve the 

problem of the month. The students log on to 

the IMSA internet site and submit their 

answer to the problem. We have had several 

students recognized for their correct answers. 

These students are: Erica Such, Elizabeth 

Amaya, Noah Hoadley, and Allison Kucera. 

Honorable mention has been given to: Isabel 

Zavala, Emily Brundage, Marta Janas and 

Audrey Santora. In November Erica Such 

was selected as a random winner of a gift 

certificate from Barnes and Noble. 

Congratulations to all of our Komarek 

winners. IMSA Fusion students have formed 

companies and are building bridges. We will 

be testing the strength of all the bridges soon. 

Mrs. Wade and Ms. Vesecky 

SPANISH NEWS 

Spanish – 6 th grade 

We continue to review basic vocabulary and 

phrases, including emphasis on correct 

pronunciation of the Spanish vowels and 

alphabet letters. I always tell the students 

how important it is to practice their 

vocabulary and any new sentences they have 

learned at least 15-20 minutes each day. 

This routine will help them speak Spanish 

more efficiently and also gain knowledge 

and an interest of the language. We are now 

studying pronouns and the verb “Ser”, which 

is used often when speaking Spanish. The 

students have learned the concepts very well. 

They were asked to write sentences using a 

variety of pronouns and verb conjugations. I 

am very proud of their progress. 


We have learned a lot of new verbs, which 

include activities students their age like to do 

in their spare time and with their friends. We 

are reviewing the conjugations of these verbs 

and have added the irregular verb of “querer” – 

to want, which is also a stem-changing verb. 

By learning all these verbs, they will be able to 

speak and write more complete and detailed 

sentences in Spanish. Our latest mini project 

was to write a letter to a friend, asking them 

what activities they like to do. They then 

performed dialogues in class. They all did a 

wonderful job! 


We are reviewing Spanish vocabulary and 

phrases that have to do with a department 

store, clothing items, what things are made of 

and phrases pertaining to the cost and opinions 

on fashion. The students were asked to work 

with a partner and role play the parts of a store 

clerk and a student shopping for clothes. They 

had specific questions and answers that had to 

be included in the conversation. These 

dialogues were performed in class and turned 

out great. They are all speaking faster and 

their pronunciation is very good! 

Spanish/Culture – 6 th , 7 th , & 8 th grade 

We have been learning a variety of new verbs 

and reviewing the verb “gustar” – to like. The 

students were asked to work on a mini project 

in class. They had a copy of a mapping 

diagram and had to write 10 things, nouns and 

verbs that they like to do. They also had to 

draw little pictures for each activity. Their 

projects were done very creatively. 

Primary – Spanish 

We have started Spanish off to a good start! I 

am happy that the 3 rd graders will also have 

Spanish this year. We are going over


February 2011 





vocabulary and phrases and having pairs of 

students model the questions and answers. 

The students are very excited about learning 

Spanish, which makes me feel so happy! 

Mrs. LaPietra 

SOCIAL STUDIES AND PE NEWS 

Social Studies classes will be completing 

their study of Chapter 21 and the Progressive 

Reforms from 1877- 1920. We then turn our 

attention to Chapter 22 and The Overseas 

Expansion from 1865-1917, covering such 

topics as: U.S.establishes naval base at Pearl 

Harbor, The Spanish-American War, The 

Roosevelt Corollary, and The Panama 

Canal. 

Health 

Further study of Chapter 2 with Making 

Responsible Decisions, Setting and Reaching 

Goals, and Building Good Character. 

Physical Education 

We continue our Hockey classes a few more 

weeks while turning our attention to 

volleyball and Badminton. We will also add 

new areas to our Physical Fitness Program 

besides our Run Across America and the 

World. And we would like you all to look 

for our next edition of Australian Rules 

Football History at Komarek next time in the 

newspaper. 

Mr. Norris 

ELL UPDATE 

Hello from the ELL Department! ACCESS 

testing is wrapping up, and everyone 

participating is working very hard. Parent 

score reports will be sent home in the Spring. 

These scores will determine ELL placement 

for next year. The ELL schedule will continue 

as normal again in February, and we will focus 

on getting ready for the ISATS. If you have 

any questions or concerns, please feel free to 

call or email me at. 

Ms. Lyndsay Rosenzwieg 

(708) 447-8030 x1-150 

NEWS FROM THE 

PRIMARY CROSS-CAT 

CLASSROOM 

In February we will reach our 

100 th day of school. To celebrate and work on 

counting skills we will use paint and ink, to 

stamp or paint 10 rows with 10 pictures in each 

row. When we reach 100 we will practice 

counting by 10s. 

On February 2, we will learn more about 

groundhogs and Groundhog Day as we listen 

to “Cut and Tell, Scissors Stories for Winter- 

Little Georgie Groundhog.” Math and science 

can also be incorporated when we prepare a 

graph to compare animals who go underground 

and those who do not. 

Pinprick Valentines will be fun to make and 

will also require following directions and 

steps. Letter formation and writing complete 

sentences can be reviewed as we write our 

Valentine’s Day messages. 

Social Studies Units in February are going to 

focus on Black History Month and Presidential 

Birthdays. Penny and nickel mobiles will be 

hung in Honor of George Washington and 

Abraham Lincoln. Black History Month will 

be a good opportunity to explore music and/or 

books written by, or about African Americans.

Mrs. Wach 


February 2011 





NEWS FROM THE JH CROSS-CAT 

ROOM 

Ms. Houlihan's students are surfing their way 

through the internet as they begin composing 

emails to their new Email Pals. Students 

been brushing up on their technology and 

writing skills to create and utilize a new 

Gmail account to communicate with their 

Email Pals from universities around the area. 

Also, our class would like to 

congratulate Brandon Bahamundi for his 

wonderful performance in the Spelling Bee! 

Great job Brandon! 

Ms. Houlihan 

NEWS FROM THE SPEECH TEAM 

This February our speech students will focus 

on Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and 

President’s Day activities. We hope each 

student will continue to improve in all areas 

of their speech and language skills. Please 

remember to check your child’s speech 

folder and encourage them to practice often 

and use their skills in their writing and 

speaking. 

Mrs. Lenahan and Ms. Whitters 

KINDERGARTEN NEWS 

February is a very busy month in 

kindergarten. We are eagerly awaiting the 

arrival of our friend the groundhog. We 

would love an early spring! In science we 

have been learning about planets, the moon, 

and the stars. On February 4th we will take a 

field trip to Cernan Space Center 

to learn more about our solar 

system. In math we have been learning how to 

count money and how to tell time. We are 

very excited about our 100th Day of School 

celebration and Valentine's Day too! We will 

learn about some famous presidents like 

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. 

We will also learn about dental health. 

February is a little month but it is filled with 

fun and learning in kindergarten! Until next 

month.... 

Mrs. Scriba and Mrs. Albores 

1ST GRADE NEWS 

First grade is looking forward to a fabulous 

February! We will start out the month learning 

about being a Good Citizen in Social Studies. 

In Language, we will learn about verbs. All 

month long we will celebrate Black History 

Month and learn about Harriet Tubman and the 

Underground Railroad. We will also be talking 

about George Washington and Abraham 

Lincoln to celebrate President's Day. First 

grade will also have ice cream sundaes and 

pass out Valentine's for Valentine's Day on the 

14th. We can't believe we are in third quarter 

already, time is flying by! 

Mrs. Lid, Ms. Diehl, and Mrs. 

Santoro 

You can't copy anybody and end with anything. If 

you copy, it means you're working without any 

real feeling. No two people on earth are alike, and 

it's got to be that way in music or it isn't music. 

Billie Holiday 

2 ND GRADE NEWS


February 2011 





The 2 nd graders are very excited about 

February! The 100 th Day of School is 

Thursday, February 10 th . We will be 

celebrating with the other primary classes, 

doing different 100 day activities in each 

classroom. We will also be starting our 

penguin unit. We will learn all about the 

different names and sizes of each penguin, 

how they survive, and where they live. They 

will write penguin poems using all the 

information they learned in this unit. At the 

end of the unit the class will watch the movie 

Happy Feet. February is Black History 

Month and they will be learning about the 

famous African Americans who made a 

difference. The 2 nd grade will celebrate 

Valentine’s Day with ice cream sundaes, and 

will make special boxes to collect their 

Valentines in. February is going to be a funfilled 

month for 2 nd grade! 

Ms. Manno, Ms. Rossi, and Mrs. 

Ruesch 

3 RD GRADE NEWS 

As the bitter cold 

continues on a daily basis, so does the 

enthusiasm of the third graders. 

Multiplication practice, ISAT practice, 

Enrichment, and LTR just to name a few 

areas that keep us busy each day. The 

schedule seems rigorous, but nothing that 

isn't met with a smile and determination each 

day. We will take out time on February 14th 

to exchange Valentine's, and maybe a special 

treat. Yes, it is a busy time and we will 

continue to give our best! 

Mrs. Parolin, Mrs. Gouty, and Mrs. 

Greenenwald 

4 TH GRADE NEWS 

The Fourth Grade is busy preparing for the 

ISAT's. We have been practicing test 

strategies in reading, math, and science. Also, 

we have been working on the mastery of 

multiplication and division facts. In addition, 

we have been excited about writing in cursive. 

Any additional help at home in these areas is 

greatly appreciated. 

Mrs. Berger, Mrs. Daly, and Mrs. 

Sandoval 

5 TH GRADE NEWS 

Reading class has allowed us to 

apply all the skills we have been 

learning about to our selected readings each 

week. It is fun to follow the plot of a story as 

we make/confirm predictions, make 

inferences, and practice our oral fluency. We 

have also worked on taking factual information 

to create summarizations about famous African 

Americans in honor of Black History Month. 

Geometry and fractions have been keeping us 

busy in math! In Social Studies, our main 

focus has been the American Revolution. The 

Constitution is next! In Science, we have been 

learning a lot about ecosystems. We will be 

blasting off into space for our next unit! 

Language Arts continues to take us through the 

journey of the writing process. Officer Pelayo 

has been meeting with the children during 

D.A.R.E. to teach them effective ways to avoid 

drugs, alcohol and tobacco by avoiding peer


February 2011 





pressure. The students’ graduation from the 

program confirms their desire to be drugfree! 

Ms. Gibson, Ms. Keslinke, Mrs. 

Lovera, & Mrs. West 

PRIMARY PE 

Ms. Banas’ Kindergarten, First, and Second 

grade classes finished working with the giant 

Q-tips for hockey skills. The Third and 

Fourth grade classes not only worked on 

hockey skills, but they we able to play 

sideline Q-tip ball. It was a lot of fun. In the 

upcoming month our units will include 

paddle ball and volleyball. The Fourth grade 

will be introduced to badminton while the 

other grades will use ping pong paddles and 

tennis ball sized foam balls to play different 

paddle games. Time is flying by and we are 

all learning many new and exciting skills and 

sports. Hopefully it starts to warm up soon! 

Ms. Banas 

JH PE 

Happy, Healthy New Year to 

all! We are back in the swing 

of things in the gym! We 

started with some group dynamics activities 

and then went right in to Floor Hockey. We 

have learned about the rules of Floor 

Hockey, and practiced the skills of stick 

handling, passing and shooting. We have 

begun playing in games and everyone seems 

to be having a great time! Next up for PE 

class: badminton and then volleyball! 

Badminton is a great game to play at 

backyard gatherings or just with your friends 

on a lazy summer day (ahhhh, SUMMER!) 

It is one of those activities you can play most 

of your life. We will learn the rules and some 

of the skills needed to play both Badminton 

and Volleyball. We are continuing with our 

fitness days and our Marathon running. Ask 

your students how far they are in the 

Marathon. Prizes are being earned for every 5 

miles they run. The challenge is to have all 

students finish the Marathon by May. Wish us 

luck! 

Mrs. Frey 

JH HEALTH 

6th Grade Health 

A new quarter has brought a new group of 

students into Health class. Currently, the 

students are learning about health skills such as 

refusal skills, goal setting and decision 

making. Up next will be units on Personal 

Health, Healthy Relationships and Preventing 

Diseases. These units include role playing 

activities, group projects and individual 

projects. 

8 th Grade Health 

The 8 th graders this quarter have just finished a 

unit on Conflict Resolution which included 

role playing with peer mediation. Next up will 

be units on Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug Use and 

Body Image/Eating Disorders. The students 

will work with a partner, using the laptops to 

research the effects of drug use, as well as on a 

project researching eating disorders. We will 

learn about the importance of saying “no” and 

how to avoid or get out of certain situations 

through role playing. 

Mrs. Frey 

NOTES FROM THE SHOP


February 2011 





Greetings from Komarek’s woodshop! 

Things are moving along and we’re already 

well into the third quarter. Hard to believe, 

isn’t it? The students are working hard on 

their plates and many have moved on to 

woodworking projects. Here’s what’s going 

on in the shop right now … 

The eighth graders have begun to glue up the 

material for their C/D racks. Once that’s 

done, they’ll begin to cut, plane, file, and 

sand their C/D racks into shape. Many of 

them have had previous wood working 

experience, so we’re expecting this quarter’s 

finished product to be done with exceptional 

skill. Also, by the looks of things, many 

eighth graders will be doing a project in 

plastics later in the quarter. Always 

something to look forward to! 

The seventh graders are working on their 

series of mechanical drawings, and some 

have moved on to begin creating their own 

projects on the lathe. These lathe projects 

are designed by the students and are a real 

challenge. The projects this quarter look 

great! As the quarter progresses the students 

will begin to plan and create their own 

plastics projects, as well. Most of the 

students are excited because the plastics 

section of the course is always their favorite. 

The sixth grade students have been working 

diligently at their introduction to mechanical 

drawing. They can now read, understand, 

and even create their own plans! With that 

part of the course complete, they’ve started 

their woodworking projects. For many of 

these students, it’s their first experience 

creating a project of this kind. All this 

considered, we’re sure the sixth graders will 

create some beautiful birdfeeders that will last 

for many years to come. 

Well, that’s it from the shop for now! 

Mr. Kartje 

NEWS FROM THE 

PRIMARY 

COMPUTER LAB 

Open Computer Lab. The computer lab is 

open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and 

Thursday, mornings at 7:30 A.M. to 8:10 

A.M. (unless Mrs. Zilka has a meeting or 

duty). The lab is also opened Tuesday and 

Thursday after school from 3:15 P.M. to 4 

P.M. (with the exception of meeting dates or 

early dismissal days) for student to work on 

projects or get additional help. All students 

must obtain a pass from Mrs. Zilka the day 

before for scheduling purposes. 

Grade 7 and 8 just completed a Musical 

PowerPoint Presentation to persuade someone 

to do something for them...let’s hope they were 

successful with their wishes! Students added a 

variety of transitions, animations, and music to 

their presentations. They learned how to 

create a bibliography/source slide. They also 

learned how important it is to source pictures 

and music. Students have also started using 

Excel to create spreadsheets and a variety of 

graphs. 

Grade 6 students are completing their 

PowerPoint Presentations on Ancient Egypt. 

We look forward to their presentations at the 

end of January. In addition, they have been 

working hard on learning how to keyboard 

using the correct fingers and have been 

graphing their scores in Excel.


February 2011 





Grade 5 students are creating a thank you 

poster for someone special in their life. They 

will be using the scanner and digital camera 

for this project. They are working hard on 

learning all their keys without looking. 

Keycovers are now in place for all timings. 

They have learned how to type documents in 

Word, add page numbers, and work with a 

variety of the Word toolbars. 

Grade 4 has been hard at work learning the 

ins and outs of PowerPoint. Each student is 

creating a two-slide rock PowerPoint 

presentation that will be assembled into a 

class presentation. Any fourth grade student 

that has a jump drive will be able to bring the 

presentation home and show it off! In 

addition to working in PowerPoint, students 

have been working hard to learn the home 

row keys without looking. They have started 

doing five minutes of typing each night to 

increase their speed and accuracy! 

Grade 3 has been hard at work learning 

Word and working with the drawing toolbar. 

They created some wonderful holiday trees 

and snowmen. In addition, to learning Word, 

they have been typing the home row keys 

and using the website 

www.freetypinggame.net/. 

Grade 2 has been working hard on using the 

drawing toolbar in Word and using Tux 

Paint. They are currently working on using 

stamps to represent various activities during 

winter and summer. They have gone on the 

Internet and practiced their reading skills at 

www.starfall.com. 

Grade 1 has been busy learning how to use 

the program called Tux Paint. They 

practiced finding penguins, dressing the 

penguins, and feeding the penguins. They also 

selected stamps describing the winter and 

summer seasons. 

Kindergarten students have been working 

hard on logging in and out of the computers. 

They know how to change the volume levels 

on the laptops and use the caps lock. They 

also have begun learning the Tux Paint 

program. They practiced finding penguins, 

dressing the penguins, and feeding the 

penguins. 

If you want to work on projects at home, 

PLEASE BRING A JUMP DRIVE/FLASH 

DRIVE to school with you. You can save 

your files and bring them home. 

IMPORTANT WEBSITES 

EXTRA CREDIT PRACTICE is available 

at: www.freetypinggame.net/. Save and print 

your scores. 

Tux Paint (free download) which is available 

at: www.tuxpaint.org/. 

Starfall (free) which is available at 

www.starfall.com. 

Congratulations to Our Top Keyboarders 

for Quarter II. Each student was presented 

with a certificate and prize. 

Grade 8 

Monika Janas (66 WPM) 

Grade 7 

Selene Anaya (46 WPM) 

Joey Cannizzo (46 WPM) 

Grade 6 

Liddy Rowley (50 WPM) 

Grade 5 Brandt

Alanna Waas (34 WPM) 

Grade 5 Lovera 

Emanuel Barcenas-Cervantes (27 WPM) 

Grade 5 West 

Megan Migle (25 WPM) 

Stephanie Johnson (25 WPM) 

Grade 4 Berger 

Kailyn Ngo (25 WPM) 

Jamal Bailey (25 WPM) 

Grade 3 Gouty 

Kyla Miller (32 WPM) 

Grade 3 Parolin 

Lidia Bielobradek 

Mrs. Zilka 

COMPUTER CLUB 


February 2011 





Did you know that Komarek now has a 

computer club for students in Grades 4 and 

5? The purpose of our computer club is to 

provide opportunities for students to increase 

their knowledge of technology. Students 

will be learning skills where they could assist 

teachers, other students, and or community 

members in using a computer. Our computer 

club meets after school from 3:15 to 4 P.M. 

every Monday. Congratulations to our 

members: Elizabeth Amaya, Emanuel 

Barcenas, Anina Black, Rebecca Borow, 

Marcello Cole, Killian Klotz, Abigail 

Martinez, 

Maggie Munoz, Joshua Nava, Kailyn Ngo, 

Megan Padilla, Jamie Pena, Rocco Reyes, 

Audrey Santora, 

Amanda Steinke, and Jodan Thormeyer! 

Mrs. Zilka 

WE LOVE ART! 

Please contact Mrs. Symowicz with any 

questions or comments. 

msymowicz@komarek94.org 

708-447-8030 ext. 121 

HOME ECONOMICS 

FCCLA 

Both the 7th grade and the 8th grade FCCLA 

groups are working on one of their service 

projects. They are creating blankets to donate 

to Project Linus, a national organization that 

strives to provide comfort and security to 

seriously ill or traumatized children. 

Mrs. Corlett 

KOMAREK STUDENT 

COUNCIL NEWS 

The holidays were a busy time for student 

council. We hosted our annual Door 

Decorating contest and art contest. We’ve also 

been busy discussing ideas for fundraisers and 

food drives. 

Our annual door decorating contest was held in 

December. This year each participating room 

was given a holiday shape-ornament, tree, 

present or gingerbread person-to use as the 

theme for the door. The winners this year 

were: Mrs. Olson (primary), Ms. Shesek 

(intermediate), Mrs. Jankowski (Jr. High), and 

Ms. Piatti (office). Thank you to all who 

participated. The halls looked so festive!


February 2011 





The second annual art contest has come to an 

end and the Student Council officers were 

very busy judging all of the entries. There 

were a lot of really great Winter Wonderland 

scenes! The winners were Alex Hamer, 

Angelica Redovan, and Daniel Dinh! 

Congratulations!!!!! 

For Valentine’s Day the Student Council will 

be selling lollipops and cards to the Junior 

High students. The week before Valentine’s 

Day students will be able to place an order 

and have their lollipop and cards sent to their 

friends at the Valentine’s Day dance. There 

is a limited supply so make sure to place 

orders early! 

The student council is also working on antidrug 

posters that we will enter into the 

annual contest hosted by the State’s Attorney 

Office. The contest is open to all junior high 

students in Illinois. If one of our students 

wins, their poster will be incorporated into a 

2012 calendar! 

If you have any questions or concerns, 

please contact Mrs. Symowicz or Mrs. 

Jankowski 

The 2010/2011 Student Council Officers 

are..... 

President 

Monica Mascitti and Nicole Cisar 

Vice President 

Tricia Scalise and Rubi 

Salgado 

Secretary 

Katelyn Smith 

Treasurer 

Eugene Makovetskyi and 

Natalia Gheewala 

Public Relations 

Samantha Bloom and Angelica Melone 

VOCAL MUSIC PROGRAM 

The winter program season has come to 

a close. After a great performance by the 

Komarek Chorus in December, the third, 

fourth and fifth graders presented a lively 

program on January 12 th . The program closed 

with an ensemble of almost 150 students 

singing “Over the Rainbow”. It was 

wonderful! 

The primary children shared their 

voices January 26 th with a full gym of 

appreciative family and friends. Their voices 

might be young and inexperienced, but no one 

can deny their “cute factor”. 

Third graders will be starting their 

Recorder Study during the third quarter. Sixth 

graders will begin a formal study of music 

theory, and demonstrate what they’ve learned 

by playing simple songs on the piano. 

Chorus rehearsals resume Thursday, 

February 17 th , 7:30-8:15am. Everyone in fifth 

through eighth grade is invited to return or 

start fresh. 

“The Singer has an advantage above 

all other musicians; he has been practicing 

(Author unknown) 

since the day he was born.” 

Marilyn Bykowski 

Teacher, Vocal Music 

Director, Komarek Chorus 

BAND NEWS 

Congratulations to all four Komarek bands on 

a fine winter concert this past December. I 

thought each band did an outstanding job and I 

am extremely proud of all the students who


February 2011 





were involved. But we can’t rest on our past 

successes as the concert season must go on! 

Due to a new baby arriving in the Moffett 

household in late February, our next concert 

has been pushed back on the calendar. The 

new concert date is Wednesday, March 16 th . 

Our rehearsal schedule has also been altered 

as I will be home with the baby for a while. 

During the weeks of February 21 st and 

February 28 th all morning band rehearsals 

and band lessons are cancelled. Normal band 

activities will resume on Monday, March 7 th . 

Please make a note of this schedule change 

as it will affect all four bands. 

Upcoming Komarek Band dates- 

• Wednesday, March 

16 th - Band Concert, all 

grades - 7PM - 

Komarek Gym 

• Saturday, April 30 th - 

Solo & Ensemble 

Contest, 6 th -8 th grade. - 

Komarek, 9-Noon 

• Wednesday, May 25 th - Band 

Concert, all grades - 7PM - 

Komarek Gym 

Musically, 

Mr. Moffett 

Komarek Band Director 

BOYS BASKETBALL 

Congratulations to Ms. Shesek 

and the 7 th grade girls’ 

basketball team on capturing 

the SCVC Championship this season!! Our 7 th 

grade girls finished 9-1 in conference, 11-3 

overall. In addition to a first place conference 

finish, the girls also placed 4 th in the Berwyn 

YMCA Thanksgiving tournament. The 8 th 

grade team finished strong with a 3 rd place 

finishes in the SCVC Tournament… they were 

9-7 on the season. Great job, girls!!! 

Our 7 th grade boys’ basketball team has 

played five games already, posting a 3-2 

record. Members of the 7 th grade squad are 

Zach Georgopoulos, Mikey Berscheid, Kenny 

Ngo, Daniel Rafael, James Kaczmarczyk, Alex 

Martinson, Maurice Guthrie, Dominic Sarro, 

Jacob Angio, Zach Witken, Justin Everhart, 

and Danny DeLeonardis. The 7 th grade team 

manager is Natalia Gheewala and the Head 

Coach is Mr. Bedalow. 

Our 8 th grade team consists of Sotero 

Barraza, James Robertson-Lopez, David 

Gutierrez, Nico Ranieri, Jake Surprenant, 

William Bloom, Antone Dixon, Otis Dortch, 

Luke Surprenant, Eugene Makovetskiy, and 

Dionte Beasley. The 8 th grade team manager 

is Monika Janas and the Head Coach is Mr. 

Czajka. 

The boys have three more conference 

home games and one non-conference home 

game remaining. Come out and see some 

exciting basketball and outstanding 

cheerleading performances!!! Good luck to 

both teams and the cheerleading squad on a 

successful season!!! 

Tuesday, February 1 st : at Hauser 

Thursday, February 3 rd : vs. Lindop 

Tuesday, February 8 th : at Gross 

Thursday, February 10 th : vs. Albright 

Tuesday, February 15 th : at Hillside 

Wednesday, February 16 th : at Lindop

Wednesday, February 23 rd : vs. Hauser 

Thursday, February 24 th : vs. Freedom 

(non-conference) 

Saturday, February 26 th : 8 th Grade SCVC 

Tournament at R/B High School 


February 2011 





Coach Bedalow and Coach Czajka 

CHEERLEADING NEWS 

Congratulations to the 2011 Komarek 

Cheerleading Squad! We are very excited 

about this season! The girls have been 

working very hard everyday after school 

preparing for the games. Practice has 

consisted of running, stretching, cheering, 

jumping, and of course stunting. We are 

lucky to have such wonderful talent this year. 

Everyone brings something special to the 

squad. Come cheer us on at the next home 

game! Finally, we want to say thank you to 

everyone who tried out this year! 

Wildcat Cheerleaders 

Selene Anaya 

Samantha Bloom 

Michelle Dinh 

Gracie Garza 

Tiana Little 

Grace Pottle 

Alivia Ranieri 

Lucy Roudebush 

Tricia Scalise 

Sarah Schoenheider 

Elexis Walker 

Breuna Wilson 

Thank You! 

Ms. Rosenzweig and Mrs. Jankowski 

TRACK NEWS 

Spring must be just around the 

corner because we are talking 

about Track! Try-outs for the Komarek Track 

Team will be held after school on Monday and 

Tuesday March 7 th and 8 th from 3:30 until 

4:45. If you make the team, expect to start 

practicing on Wednesday March 9 th . 

Permission slips will be available in February 

so listen for the announcement! 

Coach Frey 

BEFORE AND AFTER CARE 

It may not be warming up outside…but the 

Komarek Childcare is! Every Thursday and 

Friday we are kicking it up, punching it out, 

and jumping all about, with aerobics club. We 

are sweating to the Oldies, Kicking to Get Fit, 

Hip Hop Dancing, and more. A New Year a 

New us! 

We are also getting ready for our Valentine’s 

Day Party. Love is all around this place; as we 

will be talking about friendships, kindness, and 

using good manners, in and out of school. 

WE WISH EVERYONE A LOVELY 

VALENTINE’S DAY! 

Ms. Gron, Mrs. Scafidi and the 

Childcare Staff 

POWERSCHOOL 

Komarek School has implemented the 

PowerSchool Home Component for grades 

4-8 effective January 8 th . All 

parents/students were given a username and 

password.

Please call Mrs. Busking with any 

questions concerning the PowerSchool 

Home Component. 


February 2011 





Please be patient with us during this process. 

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. If 

you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call 

me. 

Mr. Criscione 

ROAR INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR 

PRIMARY 

R.O.A.R. 

We will be starting a new character incentive 

program at Komarek for the primary 

students. Look for more information to 

follow in the coming weeks. 

Mrs. Stalla and Ms. Piatti 

I say luck is when an 

opportunity comes along and 

you're prepared for it. 

Denzel Washington 

WILDCAT/WILDKIT INCENTIVE 

PROGRAMS 

The annual Pancake Breakfast is scheduled 

for Wednesday, February 23 rd from 7:30 AM 

– 9:45 AM. The JH students (WIP) will eat 

from 7:30 AM – 8:45 AM. Grades 4-5 

students (WIK) will eat form 8:45 AM – 9:45 

AM. WIP Student Committee members will 

serve as kitchen help, servers, set-up, and 

clean-up workers. 

The following staff will help in the kitchen: 

Chef Pellicci 

Chef Stalla 

Chef Norris 

Chef Corlett 

Chef Galindo 

Chef Criscione 

Teachers evaluate which students earn the 

trip. Only students are invited to the 

Pancake Breakfast. The following students 

are invited: 

The following students earned the 

WIP/WIK Pancake Breakfast on 

Wednesday, February 23 rd : 

6 TH GRADE 

1. Bianca Bahamundi 

2. Brandon Bahamundi 

3. Samantha Bloom 

4. Alex David 

5. Michelle Dinh 

6. Alexia Flores 

7. Marlyn Flores 

8. Mikayla Garbauski 

9. Zach Georgopoulos 

10. Miracle Harris 

11. Erik Hartwig 

12. Natalie Jensen 

13. Taylor Jensen 

14. Arturo Lopez 

15. Gustavo Lopez 

16. Anna Makovetskaya 

17. Angelica Malone 

18. Cassidy Miller

19. Stephannie Molina 

20. Ronaldo Mondragon 

21. Daniel Morales 

22. Gianna Panzani 

23. Natalya Petrenko 

24. Grace Pottle 

25. Alivia Ranieri 

26. Ayanna Robinson 

27. Diamante Rodriguez 

28. Joshua Rodriguez 

29. Andrew Roudebush 

30. Elizabeth Rowley 

31. Christian Roy 

32. Emmanuel Salther 

33. Manuel Sida 

34. Zach Smith 

35. Camille Such 

36. Chloe Theus 

37. Rose Torres 

38. Alondra Villalobos 

39. Fabian Villalobos 

40. Misael Villegas 

7 TH GRADE 

1. Selene Anaya 

2. Jacob Angio 

3. Ricardo Barraza 

4. Amanda Barrios 

5. Sydney Barrueta 

6. Emile Bax 

7. Michael Berscheid 

8. Nathan Bolda 

9. Melanie Caldwell 

10. Jacob Dorado 

11. Isabelle Echevarria 

12. Justin Everhart 

13. Andres Garcia 

14. Sophia Giurini 

15. Odalis Gomez 

16. Maurice Guthrie 

17. Max Hoadley 

18. Ayleen Huerta 


February 2011 





19. Josline Jimerez 

20. Jessica Jnobaptiste 

21. James Kaczmarczyk 

22. Gabriel Kirkines 

23. Ian Klima 

24. Jazmin Manjarrez 

25. Alex Martinson 

26. Shannon McDonald 

27. Andrejana Misic 

28. Christopher Molina 

29. Michael Murgia 

30. Kenneth Ngo 

31. Callista Orrico 

32. Cristina Palacio 

33. Cynthia Palacio 

34. Angelica Redovan 

35. Mariel Sandoval 

36. Marlene Santora 

37. Dominic Sarro 

38. Sarah Schoenheider 

39. Dimitri Sosolis 

40. Victor Suarez 

41. Brenda Ulloa 

42. Areli Vargas 

43. Sonia Villalobos 

44. Daniel Waas 

45. Alexis Walker 

46. Breuna Wilson 

47. Zach Witken 

48. Cashanay Wriddley 

8 TH GRADE 

1. Jazmin Anablo 

2. Jermaine Averhart 

3. Sotero Barraza 

4. Luke Bates 

5. Dionte Beasley 

6. William Bloom 

7. Nicole Cisar 

8. Dominga Coronado 

9. Dominique Coronado 

10. Mario Crespo

11. Daniel Dinh 

12. Antone Dixon 

13. Zachary Erdman 

14. Natalia Gheewala 

15. Nicholas Giurini 

16. David Gutierrez 

17. Empress Harris 

18. Michael Helf 

19. Aryana Huerta 

20. Monika Janas 

21. Tiana Little 

22. Gabriela Lopez 

23. Eugene Makovetskiy 

24. Jesus Martinez 

25. Monica Mascitti 

26. Clarisa Mayweather 

27. Mia Moore 

28. Michelle Morris 

29. Christopher Olszewski 

30. Jillian Podborny 

31. Lawrence Pottle 

32. Nicolas Ranieri 

33. Jonathan Ricchio 

34. Maribel Rodriguez 

35. Lucy Roudebush 

36. Jack Ruf 

37. Alicja Sacha 

38. Rubi Salgado 

39. Patricia Scalise 

40. Katelyn Smith 

41. Lacey Smith 

42. Sierra Starks 

43. Jake Supernant 

44. Luke Supernant 

45. Joshua Sylvie 

46. Asiah Thurman 

47. Emylee Zdarsky 

5 TH GRADE 

1. Richard Alcantar 

2. Liliana Andablo 

3. Kiara Beasley 


February 2011 





4. Trevor Bork 

5. Rebecca Borow 

6. Ariyan Breaux 

7. Rachel Caldwell 

8. Michelle Cejka 

9. Angela Fasano 

10. Alexis Garcia 

11. Lorena Gonzalez 

12. Tyler Hinz 

13. Stephanie Johnson 

14. Allison Kucera 

15. Morgan Litavecz 

16. William Lukwinski 

17. Katie Mahoney 

18. Migle Medelis 

19. Elise Mitchell 

20. Mikayla Orrico 

21. Mary Padilla 

22. Megan Padilla 

23. Jamie Pena 

24. Katherine Polanski 

25. Jesus Quiroga 

26. Joshua Ricchio 

27. Amanda Steinke 

28. Isabella Suarez 

29. Alina Willhoite 

30. Isabel Zavala 

4 TH GRADE 

1. Jamal Bailey 

2. Derwin Bass 

3. Anina Black 

4. Adam Bojovic 

5. Emily David 

6. Rolando Gonzalez 

7. Marta Janas 

8. Marie Labellarte 

9. Michael Labellarte 

10. Tiondra Little 

11. Itzel Mancilla 

12. Kailyn Ngo 

13. Justin Padilla 

14. Erin Redovan

15. Rocco Reyes 

16. Christopher Robertson 

17. Carina Sandoval 

18. Keeley Scalise 

19. Demetri Shmidt 

20. Erica Such 

21. Mustafa Syed 

22. Jordan Thormeyer 

23. Natasha Turner 

24. Josue Villalobos 


February 2011 





PAW PRINTS 

Paw Prints has had a very 

successful year so far. I encourage you all to 

read our latest issues online. The students 

involved in Paw Prints should read 

newspapers and watch the news on TV. This 

will help them see how articles are best 

written. We want to represent the whole 

Komarek School, so let us know if you have 

an idea for an article! 

Ms. Schmit 

LIBRARY NEWS 

Students in grades K-3 will again participate 

in the Monarch Award this year. We will 

enjoy reading 6 books together and then vote 

on our favorite. 

Our pick is often the favorite of other Illinois 

primary students and wins the award! 

Mrs. Lesher 

RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION 

RTI 

Changes in federal and state laws have 

directed schools to focus more on helping all 

children learn by addressing problems earlier 

within the general education setting. 

This new process of providing interventions 

to students who are at risk for academic or 

behavioral problems is called RTI 

(Response to Intervention). 

RTI is a process designed to help schools focus 

on high-quality interventions that are matched 

to student needs and monitored on a frequent 

basis. The information gained from an RTI 

process is used by school personnel and 

parents to adapt instruction and to make 

decisions regarding the student’s education 

program. 

The Komarek RTI Leadership Team is 

comprised of administrators, teachers, 

Komarek support staff, parent/board member, 

and a LADSE support team. The team meets 

monthly to develop and assist the teachers with 

implementing the plan. Our teaching staff is 

already utilizing RTI interventions in the 

classrooms. A data team is also meeting 

regularly to monitor student progress. 

Students that are being serviced have 

already received letters of notification. 

The Komarek School Reading Program is 

funded in part by Title 1 Federal Funds. 

If anyone has any questions, please contact 

Mr. Criscione, Ms. Shesek, or Ms. Breiding. 

“THUMBS UP” PROGRAM 

The “Thumbs Up” Program will continue this 

year. The program monitors student behavior 

and academics on a bi-weekly cycle. Mr. 

Criscione and Mrs. Stalla will meet with 

teachers at weekly team meetings to discuss 

student issues (academics and behavior) and 

curriculum.


February 2011 





“Thumbs Up” is a form of cooperative 

discipline. It is proactive, and will be one 

component of the discipline piece for 

“Response to Intervention” (RTI). “Thumbs 

Up” will review the academics and behavior 

for all students. Most students will be 

“Thumbs Up”. 

If a student receives a “Thumbs Down” an 

administrator/social worker will have a brief 

visit with that student to voice their concerns. 

The meeting must take place within 24-48 

hours, but most likely sooner. Conferring 

with the student as soon as possible will be 

more effective. Most meetings will take 

place at lunch, recess, and physical 

education. The meeting will take a minute or 

two. Hopefully, the meeting with the 

administrator will improve the behavior or 

work effort. If the negative behavior 

continues, discipline action will be taken. 

The teacher will monitor the academics and 

behavior of the student and return a followup 

“Thumbs Up” form to the office. The 

teacher will give a follow-up report at a 

future meeting. 

The goal of “Thumbs Up” is to prevent 

situations from escalating toward a bigger 

problem, and to decrease referrals. Students 

that are continually “Thumbs Up” will earn 

WIP and the end-of-the-quarter parties. 

Mr. Criscione and Mrs. 

Stalla 

HOMEWORK DETENTION 

PROGRAM 

The Homework Detention Program will 

continue this year for grades 3-8. 

Homework Detentions will be held in the 

cafeteria for all grades. 

Protocol for Homework Detention is in the 

Parent/Student handbook. . 

If you have any questions concerning the 

Homework Detention Program, please 

contact Mr. Criscione. 

HOMEWORK CLASS 

Contact Mr. Pellicci or Mrs. Anderson if you 

have any questions concerning Homework 

Class. 

YOUR COOPERATION IS GREATLY 

APPRECIATED 

If you have a concern with a teacher, please 

contact him/her first to discuss the issue. If the 

issue is not resolved, then contact the 

Principal. I will do whatever it takes to take 

care of the problem. If you are not satisfied 

with the Principal’s decision, you can discuss 

the matter with the Superintendent. 

Remember, our goal is always to provide a 

safe, academic environment for all Komarek 

children. We want all of them to achieve 

academic success, but they need to follow the 

school guidelines and complete classroom 

work. 

If you ever have any questions or concerns, 

please give me a call. 

Mr. Criscione 

“Hating people because of their color 

is wrong. And it doesn't matter which


February 2011 





color does the hating. It's just plain 

wrong.” 

Muhammad Ali 

PARKING AND DROP-OFF 

CONCERNS 

We are now a school 

with over 500 students 

and close to 80 staff members. Traffic and 

parking during drop-off and pick-up is not 

showing improvement. Several parents, 

residents, and staff members have witnessed 

students almost getting hit by a car due to 

motorists not following traffic and parking 

rules. Please, follow all traffic and parking 

rules to avoid accidents around the school. 

Our main concern is the safety of our 

children as they come to school and go 

home at the end of the day. 

For this reason, we are again requesting that 

our parents follow a certain procedure for 

drop off and pick up. Your cooperation is 

greatly appreciated. 

For drop off and pick up, please follow 

these simple guidelines: 

A. Students in grades 4 - 8 should be 

dropped off and picked up at the designated 

area on 12th Avenue between the alley and 

24th Street. The students in grades 6 - 8 will 

then walk along 24th Street to the 

playground area where they will line up to 

enter the building. 

B. Students in kindergarten to grade 3 should 

be dropped off at the designated drop off 

area on 24th Street, west of 13th Avenue. 

Cars should pull into this area as far west as 

possible and then depart once the children have 

left the car. It is illegal to sit or park in this 

drop off area. 

C. Parents can pick up primary students by 

using the area on 23rd Place which is 

designated for pick up and drop off. This is 

not an area to sit or park the car. 

Please avoid the following: 

A. DO NOT drop students off on 24th Street 

between 12th and 13th Avenues. It is 

dangerous and causes traffic to back up. 

B. DO NOT drop the students off in front of 

the 13th Avenue barricades. This can also be a 

dangerous situation. 

C. DO NOT park on the south side of 24th 

Street and let students out on the street side of 

the car. This is an obvious dangerous 

situation. All students who disembark on the 

south side of 24th Street should walk to the 

nearest corner to cross over to the school. 

Drivers who are violating these stated 

guidelines run the risk of receiving a traffic 

citation from the North Riverside Police 

Department. 

We are very concerned about the smooth flow 

of traffic around the buildings and especially 

the safety of our school children and staff. 

Please contact Mr. Criscione or Mrs. Stalla if 

you have any questions. 

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL 

SECURITY 

We will continue to provide increased staff 

supervision around the building before and 

after school. This has decreased the amount of


February 2011 





before and after school student behavior 

problems. We will not hesitate to get the 

North Riverside Police involved, if 

necessary. 

We encourage parents to inform their 

children to go home immediately after school 

and stay off the property of others in the 

community. 

Please report any issues to Mrs. Stalla. 

Mr. Criscione 

PLEASE BE PATIENT! 

We are asking parents to be understanding 

with the office staff and teachers. Shouting 

at Komarek staff members will not be 

tolerated at any time, and could result in 

police involvement. Also, parents should 

never approach any students on the 

playground to reprimand them. If parents 

have conflicts with other parents or approach 

any students, police will be notified by the 

administration immediately. Your 

cooperation is greatly appreciated. 

If you have any disputes with others on 

campus, please contact Mr. Criscione or 

the North Riverside Police Department 

immediately. 

PLEASE COOPERATE! 

If your child is sent home from school due to 

a fever or vomiting, please keep your child 

home the following day to fully recover. It 

may require a doctor visit. These guidelines 

follow the state requirements for H1N1 

prevention. 

Also, if your child is home for five days in a 

row, a doctor’s note will be required to return 

to school. 

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated! 

Mrs. Busking and Mr. Criscione 

LEAVING OFF-CAMPUS 

FOR LUNCH? 

Any student leaving the school 

grounds during lunchtime must have a lunch 

permission slip on file with the principal’s 

office. All phone calls or notes requesting 

permission to leave for lunch must be 

received in the principal’s office before 9:00 

AM. Please clearly print your child’s name 

on the note. Students in violation of 

permission to attend off-campus lunch will 

be considered truant from school. 

Don’t forget that the lunch period is 30 

minutes. 

DOGS ON CAMPUS 

We need a favor from parents. 

Some parents pick up their 

children and bring the dog 

along. That's OK, but please keep any dog 

away from the children. Some dogs may not 

appreciate children approaching them. We 

would not want any children to get bitten. 

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. 

If you have any questions or concerns, 

please give me a call! Thank you! 

Mr. Criscione


February 2011 





Family is life; acting is making 

a living. 

Denzel Washington 

PLEASE, FOLLOW THE RULES! 

Students are not allowed to bring ipods, 

skateboards, roller blades, or large sums of 

money to Komarek School. They should not 

bring anything valuable to school. The 

school is not responsible for lost or stolen 

items. 

Mr. Criscione and Mrs. Stalla 

CELL PHONES 

Students need to follow the school cell phone 

rules. Cell phones are to be turned off and 

placed in book bags or lockers during the 

school day. They are only allowed to be 

used in the event of an emergency. If a 

student needs to call home, please ask the 

teacher to call from the school phone when it 

does not disrupt class. Any student caught 

using the phone, texting, or taking pictures at 

school will be suspended and lose the right to 

have a cell phone at school. 

Please follow the rules stated in the 

Parent/Teacher Handbook and the Cell 

Phone Agreement signed at registration. If 

you have any questions or concerns, please 

contact Mrs. Stalla. 

PTA Board 

Kathy Ranieri, President 

Laurie Berscheid, Vice President 

Jamie Kucera, Treasurer 

Jill Cannizzo, Secretary 

Teresa Jimenez, Membership 

Jovi Evans Fundraising 

Janet DeLeonardis, Parent Liaison

PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER - Komarek School District 94

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