principal's newsletter november 2011 - Komarek School District 94

KOMAREK SCHOOL 

DISTRICT 94 

8940 W. 24 th Street 

North Riverside, IL 60546 

SCHOOL HOURS: 8:20-3:10 

Mr. Tom Criscione – Principal 

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 

To conserve natural resources and 

funds, we will no longer distribute a 

copy of the Principal Newsletter to 

every student. The newsletter will 

continue to be posted on the 

Komarek School District 94 website 

www.komarek94.k12.il.us each 

month and copies will be available 

in both offices. 

If you have any questions or 

concerns, please contact Mr. 

Criscione at (708) 447-8030 

X – 1- 104. 

PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER 

NOVEMBER 2011 

QUOTE OF THE MONTH 

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the 

hearts of honest men; but be careful that 

you do not take the day, and leave out 

the gratitude. 

E. P. Powell 

May your stuffing be tasty 

May your turkey plump, 

May your potatoes and gravy 

Have nary a lump. 

May your yams be delicious 

And your pies take the prize, 

And may your Thanksgiving 

dinner 

Stay off your thighs! 

Anonymous 

BOARD NOTES 

Our next Board of Education meetings 

will be held at 7:00 PM on: 

• Tuesday, November 8, 2011 

• Tuesday, December 13, 2011 

• Tuesday, January 10, 2012 

• Tuesday, February 14, 2012 

• Tuesday, March 13, 2012 

• Tuesday, April 10, 2012 

• Tuesday, May 8, 2012 

• Tuesday, June 12, 2012 

• Tuesday, July 10, 2012

2:30 PM EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS 

• Thursday, November 17, 2011 

• Monday, November 21, 2011 

• Thursday, January 19, 2012 

• Thursday, February 16, 2012 

• Thursday, March 15, 2012 

• Thursday, April 19, 2012 

• Thursday, May 17, 2012 

12:00 PM EARLY DISMISSAL 

DAYS 

• Thursday, December 22, 2011 

DATES OF INTEREST 

• Tuesday, November 1 st 

8 th Grade Parent Meeting 

• Friday, November 4 th 

Report Cards issued 

• Friday, November 

11 th Veteran's Day 

Assembly 

THANK YOU! 

A big thank to the Ruffolo Family! 

They donated 30 cases of Taffy 

Apples to support the 8 th grade 

Springfield Trip. They are one of 

many wonderful families in the 

Komarek community! 

8 TH GRADE NEWS 

Komarek will only conduct one 8 th 

Grade Parent Meeting this year. The 

meeting will take place on Tuesday, 

November 1 st at 7:00 PM in the gym. 



The meeting is mandatory for all 8 th 

grade parents. 

Parent Committees will be established to 

organize the 8 th Grade finances and the 

Dinner Dance for next spring. Komarek 

will handle everything related to the 

graduation ceremony. Students will still 

be responsible for the cost of caps and 

gown rental, pins, ribbons, and 

photography costs. 

The 8 th grade Taffy Apple sale to support 

the 8 th grade Springfield Trip was a huge 

success. We sold 65 cases of Taffy 

Apples. 

Thank you to all that families that 

purchased Taffy Apples. Your support 

is greatly appreciated! 

DATES OF INTEREST 

• "All Around RB" – Wednesday, 

November 9, 2011 – RB staff 

comes to Komarek 

presentation to the 8 th graders 

• We Are R.B – Wednesday, 

November 30, 2011 

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM 

• RB Placement Test – Saturday, 

December 3, 2011 – 8:00 AM 

• Make-up Placement Test 

Saturday, December 10, 2011 

8:00 AM 

• RB Pre-Registration Meeting 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 

7:00 PM

• Registration for Classes at RB 

Saturday, January 21, 2012 

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM 

If you have any questions or 

concerns, please contact Mr. 

Criscione at 447-8030 X – 1-104. 

ENRICHMENT PERIOD 2011-2012 

The Enrichment period is off to a great 

start. All changes to the program have 

been positive. The main focus will 

continue to be additional reading, math, 

and writing activities. Every 

Wednesday all grades participate in 

"Drop Everything and Read" 

(D.E.A.R). It has been a huge success. 

All grades have included a character 

building curriculum into the 

Enrichment period two Fridays a 

month. The materials model the 

Character Counts Program. 

Mr. Criscione 

SOCIAL WORKER 

NOTES 

This year is already flying 

by, and I cannot believe that we are 

already in November. We have started 

our Character Counts modules in the 

enrichment classes, and things seem to 

be running smoothly. Students in each 

grade are working on different aspects 

of character: trustworthiness, respect, 

responsibility, fairness, caring and 

citizenship. 

On October 12, we participated in 

Unity Day, a nation-wide Anti-Bullying 

campaign. All the students came to 



school wearing orange to show their 

support for anti-bullying. It was a 

wonderful sight seeing everyone uniting 

together. Thank you to all the students 

who helped me make the unity ribbons. 

In October I also started working in the 

classrooms to discuss different forms of 

bullying, what students can do when they 

are being bullied, and how to stop 

bullying. I will continue working with 

each grade level until I have reached the 

entire school population. 

If you have any questions or concerns 

regarding your student's social or 

emotional needs, please feel free to 

contact me at jpiatti@komarek94.org or 

708-447-8030 ext. 144. 

Jamie Piatti, MSW, LSW 

Certified school social worker 

SPECIAL EDUCATION 

DEPARTMENT NEWS 

Thank you students, parents and teachers 

for a wonderful start to the school year. 

Your child's program/IEP is in full swing, 

and all of our students are putting their 

best effort in each day. We are proud of 

the students' motivation and willingness 

to do their best. 

Thanks to the parents for your 

cooperation. 

Thanks to the teachers and para-pros for 

your patience, understanding and 

flexibility to help with a smooth start to 

the year. 

Please check your child's IEP Annual 

Review/3 Year Re-Evaluation dates. 

Meetings are scheduled at least 10 days in 

advance. If you need to re-schedule a 

meeting, just call, and we will

accommodate your work schedule 

whenever possible. Feel free to call us 

at any time with questions or concerns. 

If you would like any specific 

information concerning Learning 

Disabilities, ADHD or other special 

education needs please don't hesitate to 

call. Our team is as strong as its 

members. Parents are an integral part of 

our team. Your input is valued and 

appreciated. 

We all work together to assist your 

child in having a productive, successful 

school year. 

Komarek Special Education Team 

2011-2012 

Mrs. Lee Ann Wach, Cross- 

Categorical teacher 

Ms. Erin Houlihan, Cross- 

Categorical teacher 

Mrs. Birgit Hillmer, Resource 

teacher 

Mrs. Renee Ricchio, Resource 

teacher 

Ms. Lauren Shesek, Resource/RtI 

teacher 

Mrs. Margaret Lenehan, Speech 

Pathologist 

Mrs. Katie Fischer, Speech 

Pathologist 

Mrs. Sheila McCue, LADSE 

Psychologist 

Mrs. Maria Mullen, Special 

Education Director 

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS 

October has been a very busy month for 

us. At the beginning of the month the 

Junior High homeroom students elected 



their Room Representatives. The Room 

Representatives are … 

6 th Grade 

Jonathan Rodriguez 

Katie Mahoney 

Juan Quiroz 

Keon Frazier 

Billy Lukwinski 

Rachel Caldwell 

7 th Grade 

Natalya Petrenko 

Cassidy Miller 

Alondra Villalobos 

Missal Villegas 

Rose Torres 

Zachary Georgopoulos 

8 th Grade 

Danny DeLeonardis 

Fernando Barraza 

Kenny Ngo 

James Kaczmarczyk 

Jessica JnoBaptiste 

Jacob Angio 

Congratulations to them all! 

On Monday, October 

24 h the Student Council officers 

and the WIP Committee went 

on the annual Red Ribbon Walk with 

students from Hauser and Gross. We 

began our walk at Riverside-Brookfield 

High School and finished at the 

Community Health Services Building on 

Ogden. While there, we were able to see 

the Drug Free billboard, which showcases 

our school names. We also listened to a 

motivational speaker. The students had a 

great time and were motivated to prepare 

for Red Ribbon Week activities.

Red Ribbon Week was kicked off on 

Monday, October 24 th with Wear Red 

Day! Tuesday was “Sock It to Drugs 

Day” where everyone wore crazy socks. 

Wednesday was “Living Drug Free Is 

No Sweat Day” where everyone wore 

their sweat clothes. Thursday was 

“Blackout Drugs Day” where everyone 

wore all black. Friday was School 

Spirit Day where everyone wore 

Komarek School colors. During Red 

Ribbon Week the Student Council also 

passed out red ribbons for all of 

Komarek to wear proudly and 

decorated the halls and gym with red 

ribbons and posters. To conclude Red 

Ribbon Week, Komarek came together 

and pledged to be drug free at the Red 

Ribbon Assembly. The week was a 

success. Thanks to all who helped out 

and participated. 

During our November meetings 

we will be very busy planning 

fundraisers, holiday activities, and 

charity work. We are excited and eager 

to make this a great year!! 

Mrs. Jankowski and Ms. Vesecky 

NJHS NEWS 

NJHS is currently beginning a new 

recycling project here at school. There 

will be a container placed on 24 th Street 

where community members can drop 



off paper goods that they wish to recycle. 

Teachers and students will also be 

contributing to this project by recycling 

papers in the classroom. Please support 

NJHS and drop-off any unwanted paper 

goods. 

We will also be participating in a Wreath- 

Recycle Project. The wreath will consist 

of 100% recycled materials and help deck 

the halls of the Shedd Aquarium. Wreaths 

will be on display from December 1 st to 

January 5 th . Come check them out over 

the holiday break! 

The following students are the new 

officers for the 2011-2012 school year: 

President 

Dominic Sarro 

Vice President 

Victor Suarez 

Secretary 

Selene Anaya 

Treasurer 

Sam Bloom 

Reporter 

Izzy Echevarria 

Ms. R. Breiding and Ms. D. Vesecky. 

NEWS FROM THE READING 

SPECIALIST 

The following article is reprinted from 

the AdLIT.org newsletter. 

For Middle School: Activities to Build 

College-Level Reading Skills 

By: ACT (2009) 

ACT has developed the following list of 

activities to help middle-school students

improve their reading ability. Parents 

and educators can use this information 

to help ensure that these students are on 

target for college and career readiness. 

ACT research shows that to be on target 

for college and career readiness in 

reading by the end of eighth grade, 

students should be able to demonstrate 

the following skills: 

• Recognize the clear intent of an 

author or narrator in 

uncomplicated literacy 

narratives 



• Locate basic facts, e.g., names, 

dates, events) clearly stated in a 

passage 

• Determine in uncomplicated 

passages when, i.e., first, last, 

before, after, or even if an event 

occurred 

• Recognize clear cause-effect 

relationships described within a 

single sentence in a passage 

• Understand the implication of a 

familiar word or phrase and of 

simple descriptive language 

• Draw simple generalizations 

and conclusions about the main 

characters in uncomplicated 

literary narratives 

Individual students learn to read, and to 

improve their reading skills, in different 

ways. Getting students interested and 

maintaining their interest are essential, 

and the ideas in the chart below can 

help. We've listed the ideas under five 

headings, each relating to a different 

area of reading: Main Ideas and 

Author's Approach; Supporting Details; 

Relationships; Meanings of Words; and 

Generalizations and Conclusions. The 

items in each list are things an individual 

student can do independently, but they 

also lend themselves well to discussion 

with interested parents, educators, or 

fellow students. 

Each list is divided across two columns. 

The first column details reading activities 

at the Benchmark level or below, 

meaning that the skills they are meant to 

strengthen are skills that a student must 

have in order to be ready for college and 

career. The second column contains 

activities meant to strengthen more 

advanced skills (in increasing order of 

difficulty). 

To improve reading skills up to 

benchmark level, you can: To 

improve reading skills beyond 

benchmark level, you can: Main Ideas 

and Author's Approach 

• Find details in a story that reveal 

the author's or narrator's opinions 

or goals (for example, "I 

appreciated my aunt because she 

gave me more freedom than my 

mom.") 

• Note details in fiction that convey 

the author's or narrator's opinions 

or goals 

• Decide whether a paragraph in a 

short story or novel has its own 

main idea or serves mainly to 

support another point.



• Take notes on a challenging 

text; decide how the information 

fits together as a whole 

• Practice writing brief summaries 

of books you have read 

• Decide who is telling a story (a 

child, an adult, etc.) and if that 

viewpoint relates the story well 

• Use two different mediums, like 

sculpture and music, to 

summarize the main idea(s) of a 

text 

• Read a play or book, deciding 

what each scene or chapter is 

primarily for or about 

• Change a text's wording to alter 

its tone or attitude (for example, 

from serious to humorous) 

Supporting Details 

• Read an article or story and 

answer basic questions, like 

Who planned the attack? What 

did the person do all day? and 

Where did the person feel the 

happiest? 

• Practice looking quickly 

through a piece of writing to 

find specific dates, places, 

concepts, etc. 

• Decide the purpose of each 

paragraph in a short story or 

article (for example, to provide 

a specific example, prove a 

point, give a different opinion) 

• Explain in your own words why 

certain facts or details are 

important to the meaning of an 

• essay, a film, an ad, a picture, etc. 

• Understand textual details and 

how they contribute to the author's 

or narrator's message (for 

example, strengthening or 

clarifying it) 

• Write an essay about something 

you've read, supporting your ideas 

with evidence 

• Examine how an author develops 

an argument in a complex text 

(for example, issue and terms 

defined, position taken, reasoning 

used, evidence presented, 

counterarguments addressed) 

Relationships 

• Find an interesting topic in the 

news and learn how past events 

have affected the present situation 

(for example, how the careless 

dumping of trash has led to 

stricter rules) 

• Look for words like since, 

because, and consequently in a 

piece of writing to help you find 

causes and effects 

• Note how characters are described 

in a story (what they say and do), 

then tell what relationships are 

revealed (for example, they're best 

friends because they confide in 

each other) 

• Try different strategies, like 

asking "what if" questions and 

role-playing, to better understand 

possible causes and effects 

• Highlight words or phrases in a 

cartoon strip, short story, or novel



that suggest what happened 

first, second, etc. 

• Pick an event in a piece of 

writing and find statements that 

clearly show the reason(s) it 

happened and the final result(s) 

• Use a chart or web to connect a 

series of events in a text or film, 

or from an everyday occurrence, 

and justify your chosen 

sequence 

• Decide whether comparisons 

made by the author or narrator 

help you understand 

relationships in a text 

• Predict what would happen if 

events occurred in a different 

order in a text or not at all 

• Note how a character is seen 

and treated by others in a 

challenging text 

• Find details that suggest reasons 

for and effects of a character's 

actions or words 

Generalizations and Conclusions 

Connect two or more pieces of 

information to make a general 

statement about a character (for 

example, "a little girl" and 

"skinny arms" suggests "She 

had a slight figure") 

• Guess what a person might say 

or do throughout a story, 

checking the accuracy of each 

prediction as you read 

• Read brief reviews of a novel, 

then find evidence within the 

book that supports or contradicts 

the statements made (for example, 

"compelling… poignant… 

spellbinding") 

• Practice writing general 

statements about people or ideas 

you read about, using qualifiers 

like a few, typically, or sometimes 

when little information is 

provided 

• Review a variety of materials, 

looking for statements that 

oversimplify ideas or stereotype 

people 

• Identify details in a challenging 

text that support or challenge 

conclusions drawn by the author 

or narrator and by you or your 

friends 

• Defend or challenge the author's 

or narrator's claims in a text by 

locating key pieces of information 

in other sources 

• Make accurate generalizations— 

avoiding oversimplifications— 

based on details in the text (for 

example, "You live there—in that 

polka-dotted house?" suggests 

disbelief) 

• Combine information in 

challenging texts, reasoning 

clearly about people, situations, 

etc. 

Students in grades K- 5 will be receiving 

a user name and password that will allow 

them to log into www.raz-kids.com 

Raz-Kids is an interactive site that 

allows children to practice their reading 

skills on line. Activities include modeled 

fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

The books are beautiful and include 

both fiction and non-fiction selections. 

The information to access this site will 

be sent home with your child in the 

coming weeks. If you have any 

questions regarding the use of this site, 

please feel free to contact me. Enjoy! 

Ms. Roberta Breiding 

ELL NEWS 

The ELL program is off to a 

great start! We have been focusing on 

our reading fluency and sights words in 

Kindergarten through 3 rd grade while 

the older students are perfecting their 

grammar and word usage in everyday 

writing. 

I would like to remind parents to 

check out www.colorincolorado.com 

for many great tips to use at home to 

help your child with their language 

skills. Although this website is geared 

toward Spanish speaking families, 

many of the skills can be applied to 

families of many different languages. 

Ms. Gibson 

ELL Coordinator 

708-447-8030 X - 1-150 

JH SCIENCE 

5 THINGS PARENTS CAN DO TO 

HELP YOUR CHILD SUCCEED IN 

SCIENCE CLASS. 



1. Encourage them to call Mrs. 

Wade when they need help with 

their homework. Her phone 

number is in their science folder 

and in their assignment book. 

2. Frequently check their science 

notebook and folder to be sure 

they are taking notes and staying 

organized. Extra credit is given 

for organized folders. 

3. Encourage them to do the extra 

credit that is offered every 

quarter. There is an extra credit 

section at my website, 

https://sites.google.com/site/wade 

website/ 

4. Use their study guides to help 

them study for tests. 

5. Ask them what they are studying 

in class, talk to them about 

science related stories that are in 

the news and remind them to 

explore the textbook website 

online. There are many interesting 

science links there that help 

students review topics being 

studied in class. 

Upcoming topics of study: 

6 th grade – Matter 

7 th grade – Genetics 

8 th grade – Motion of Matter (including 

the world renowned egg drop and roller 

coaster projects) 

Mrs. Wade 

IMSA FUSION 

We are pleased to announce the 2011- 

2012 IMSA FUSION members: 

4 th Grade 

Lidia Bielobradek

Elizabeth Chavarin 

Aliana Chiquito 

Moira Ford 

Sydney Hamer 

Elizabeth Marquez 

Taja Martens 

Alyssa Sarro 

Melina Savaglio 

5 th Grade 

Elizabeth Amaya 

Elizabeth Casillas 

Ian Hardin 

Noah Hoadley 

Marta Janas 

Kailyn Ngo 

Carina Sandoval 

Audrey Santora 

Demetri Shmidt 

Aaron Vazquez 

JUNIOR HIGH SOCIAL STUDIES 

Once again, Junior High Social Studies 

students have on-line access to our 

textbooks. All students were given 

directions and codes to utilize the online 

textbook features. Hopefully, this 

will help in completion of reading 

assignments and eliminate the weight of 

the textbook in the backpack. 

To access the on-line textbook, go to 

http://www.glencoe.com/ose 



The access code for the 6 th grade book is: 

C7CA9AD687 

The access code for the 7 th and 8 th grade 

book is: F7E5B646F4 

In 6 th grade we are starting a unit on 

Ancient Egypt and beginning work on the 

country project (all students received 

their country assignment and should be 

researching historical figures and 

landmarks). In 7 th grade we are starting 

the pre-Revolutionary time period 

(Chapter 5). In 8 th grade we are starting 

post-Civil War Reconstruction (Chapter 

17). 

In mid-November we will hold the 

Classroom-level Geography Bees to 

determine the participants in grades 4-8 

for the School-level Bee in December. 

Mr. Bedalow 

Here goes another great 

year! 

Mr. Norris' 8th grade 

Social Studies class is 

presently studying The Civil War and 

what life was like during the war for the 

everyday civilians in both the North and 

the South. Future classes will include the 

war effort and the economy, the way to 

victory for the North, and the reviewing 

of key terms, key facts, and critical 

thinking. 

Mr. Norris 

HEALTH AND PE 

In Health, Chapter 3 will 

help all students begin to 

develop their own comprehensive health 

development plans

that will hopefully lead to a better 

lifelong learning fitness program. 

In Health the 7th grade class is in 

chapter 4 and studying nutrients for 

good health, creating a healthy eating 

plan, planning healthy meals, body 

image and healthy weight, and 

maintaining a healthy weight. For 

Physical Education, we have 

completed the Presidential Physical 

Fitness Testing, we are continuing our 

weekly fitness Runs Across the World, 

and have started our new unit of soccer. 

Please make sure that we look for a 

SPECIAL GUEST from way 

"Downunder" for November to come 

across the world to visit and work with 

our students. WE are looking forward 

to a very exciting new school year! 

In Physical Education, all our classes 

will continue our fitness programs and 

start our two new units of American 

and Australian Football. We will also 

be hosting one of Australia's premier 

coaches, Coach Paul James, in "Aussie 

Rules" Football, as he is coming to 

Komarek School the week after 

Thanksgiving for a few days to work 

with our students and help develop 

skills as well as help to learn about 

Australian culture!!!! This is a GREAT 

opportunity for all our students to see 

first hand how to play the game and 

have fun with the Australians! 

Our Enrichment classes will continue 

with our intense cursive writing, and 

reading programs. 

Mr. Norris 



JUNIOR HIGH MATH 

Geometry is an integral part of the junior 

high math curriculum. It is taught at 

every grade level. In 6 th grade, basic 

geometry concepts are covered. In 7 th 

and 8 th grades, the curriculum expands 

beyond the basics. In all grades, 

geometry is taught as a separate unit but 

geometry is also integrated into other 

parts of the curriculum. Geometry is 

important as a basic 

standard in math and 

has many practical 

applications. 

Geometry also trains 

the students to see 

beyond what is on a 

page and to think 

abstractly. 

Ms. Mizia 

6 th Math/Science-6 th 

grade students have 

recently completed 

their first book and will 

start learning about matter in science. In 

math we are currently working in chapter 

3. Please encourage your child to review 

and practice basic skills on a nightly 

basis. 

7 th Math/Science-I would like to 

congratulate the 7 th graders on an 

excellent job on the cell projects! Keep 

up the great work! 

8 th Math/Science-8 th graders will begin 

Newton’s Laws and prepare to do the 

very exciting egg drop from the overpass. 

If you are interested in donating supplies 

for this project we are looking for: 

Dixie cups

Toilet paper rolls 

Paper towel rolls 

Straws 

Plastic Coffee Lids 

Sandwich bags 

Plastic water bottles 

Thank you in advance for your 

donations! 

Ms. Vesecky 

JUNIOR HIGH 

READING 

The sixth graders are currently reading 

a novel entitled Number the Stars by 

Lois Lowry. The story takes place in 

Denmark during World War II. 

Annemarie, the protagonist in the story, 

sacrifices her own safety to help save 

her friend Ellen, who is in danger of 

being removed from her town by the 

Nazis. Our discussions have focused on 

the themes of the story- self-sacrifice, 

friendship, and the virtue of decency. 

The Cay by Theodore Taylor is the 

novel we have been reading in seventh 

grade. The main character, Philip, is a 

young boy living on the Caribbean 

island of Curacao. His father must stay 

behind for his job, while Philip and his 

mother board a ship back to the United 

States. It is during this trip that tragedy 

strikes. Philip is separated from his 

mother and must learn to survive the 

dangerous conditions of ocean life with 

only the help of an Islander named 

Timothy. The story's themes focus on 

unconditional friendship, trust, and 

survival. 



The eighth graders have been reading The 

Giver by Lois Lowry. In this novel, Jonas 

lives in a world of strict rules, where 

everyone is treated the same. Every 

aspect of each individual's life is 

regulated- from the clothing you are 

permitted to wear to the job you will take 

on as an adult. Jonas soon learns that he 

possesses a very special gift. This gift 

means knowing the truth about all things 

previously kept from the community. 

Jonas must decide how to handle this new 

responsibility. Our discussions have 

centered on the ideas of individuality, 

making choices, and the significance of 

memory. 

Mrs. Lovera 

READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS 

The sixth graders are reading Number the 

Stars by Lois Lowry. This novel, set in 

Denmark during the Holocaust, has long 

been a favorite of Komarek students. It 

focuses on the Danish Resistance, and 

asks the question of how far one would 

go to save the life of their friend. The 

students will be working on reading 

fluency, comprehension, and making 

historical observations with this novel. 

The seventh graders are reading Pictures 

of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff. 

This novel focuses on the themes of 

friendship, family, and belonging. We 

learn about the life of Hollis Woods, a 

girl who uses art to deal with a difficult 

life. This book was made into a Hallmark 

movie, so the students will be comparing 

the movie with the book after reading.

In eighth grade, the students are reading 

The Giver, another Lois Lowry award 

winning novel. This novel follows the 

life of Jonas, a boy living in what seems 

like a perfect world. The students will 

be in shock and awe as they read this 

book, and will find themselves wanting 

to read more and more. Each year, I 

look forward to the excitement for 

reading that this novel brings to my 

students; they truly love reading this 

book! 

All three grades recently finished a 

large grammar unit focusing on 

subjects, predicates, fragments and runons. 

It is now time for more intense 

writing! The 6 th graders will work on 

creating effective introductions for 

expository writing, while the 7 th grade 

centers their work on transitions and 

elaboration. The 8 th grade will be 

working on persuasive writing. 

Ms. Schmit 

SPANISH NEWS 

Spanish - 6 th grade 

The 6 th graders have been working very 

hard this quarter, and I am happy to see 

how excited they are about learning 

Spanish. The students have learned 

basic Spanish vocabulary and phrases, 

including greetings, goodbyes and 

asking how a person feels. I am amazed 

at how fast they are catching on to some 

difficult verbs and other grammatical 

points. I decided to try something 

different this year and thought the 

students would like my idea. They were 



all given a vocabulary list and the script 

for the play, “Caperucita Roja” (Little 

Red Riding Hood). They were all 

assigned groups and given parts by their 

group leader. They have been practicing 

very hard and will be performing the play 

in class. Their pronunciation has been 

excellent. It has been a wonderful 

experience! 


We have been reviewing basic 

vocabulary and important verbs (ser, 

estar, gustar and “ar” verbs and their 

conjugations. I am happy the students 

remember a lot of the grammar from last 

year. They are able to form longer and 

more complex sentences. We have been 

working on dialogues, incorporating 

vocabulary pertaining to sports and 

activities they like to do. They all did a 

great job acting these out in class. Our 

cultural focus with be Mexico and the 

beautiful sites in that country. They will 

be learning food vocabulary and things in 

a restaurant, which will be learned to 

perform a restaurant scene dialogue. We 

have had a productive quarter in Spanish! 


We have been reviewing regular and 

irregular (stem changing) verbs. The 

students have been participating very 

well. Their pronunciation is also very 

good. The vocabulary included words 

used in a clothing store. They all did 

dialogues, playing the roles of the sales 

clerk and the customer. They were 

required to use a lot of descriptive 

adjectives. The dialogues went great! I 

am trying to teach and review as many 

grammatical concepts as possible, so the 

students have a good background in

Spanish when they go on to high 

school. I've enjoyed a great quarter with 

the 8 th graders and wish them the best 

next year! 

Mrs. LaPietra 

HEALTH AND 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION 

What’s new in Health? 

With the start of a new quarter, a new 

group of students has rotated into the 

Health room. The 8 th grade will start 

with conflict resolution, including 

discussions on bullying and violence, as 

well as role playing resolving a conflict. 

They will then move on to learning 

about the effects of tobacco use, alcohol 

use and drug use, involving researching 

and creating power point presentations 

on a specific class of drug. Healthy and 

unhealthy eating habits will be the last 

unit for the quarter. 

The 6 th grade begins with units on 

health and wellness and personal health, 

followed by healthy relationships. 

Health skills and communication skills 

are stressed in these units. The students 

then will learn about preventing 

diseases and staying healthy, learning 

causes of some common illnesses. 

What's new in PE? 

Mrs. Frey’s PE classes are currently 

enjoying a unit on football where we 

are learning basic rules and history of 

American football, practicing throwing 

and catching skills, and playing in some 

modified games. Most of the students 

enjoyed the game and improved their 

throwing and catching skills. We will 

next be starting on basketball, learning 



and practicing dribbling, passing and 

shooting. We will then break up into 

basketball teams and begin playing 

games, as well as other activities that 

include the skills of basketball. We 

continue with our Fitness Days on 

Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as game 

days on Fridays. We are running on 

Fitness Day three days per month and 

adding up our miles, just to see how far 

each student can run in one school year! 

Mrs. Frey 

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE 

We have some new students in speech 

and language class. Welcome!!! All of 

the children are making great progress in 

achieving their individual goals. For the 

month of November activities will focus 

on vocabulary, words, phrases and 

sentences with a Thanksgiving theme. 

Please remember to check your child's 

folder to review homework or for 

important notices. If you have any 

questions, please don't hesitate to contact 

us. 

Mrs. Fischer (ext. 120) and 

Mrs. Lenahan (ext. 142) 

NEWS FROM THE PRIMARY 

CROSS-CAT CLASSROOM 

Room 101 celebrated Hispanic 

Heritage month by making 

paper-mache maracas and listening to the 

story by Gary Soto, The Bushy Mustache. 

We also watched Hola Amigos and did 

some counting in Spanish. Leaves and 

twigs were gathered to make frames and 

pictures of colorful fall leaves. Apples

seeds from snack were saved and used 

to start our apple sprouts activity. 

We enjoyed visiting our Reading 

Buddies in Ms. Houlihan’s class and 

listened to Halloween stories and a 

book about baseball. Our orange 

maracas were decorated and 

transformed into Jack O’ Lanterns to 

celebrate Halloween. October ended 

with cutting and gluing giant pizza 

costumes. Pizza toppings were made in 

all shapes, colors and sizes. Ordering 

pizza for our Halloween party gave us 

another opportunity to use our math 

skills as we counted and used fractions 

to serve the pizza. 

Social studies will include discussions 

and activities to honor veterans on 

Veterans Day. “Hands On” math and 

language arts will include using shaving 

cream to form letters and numbers and 

beans for patterns, sorting and counting. 

We will conclude November with 

projects and stories to learn about the 

first Thanksgiving and to prepare for 

our Thanksgiving Presentation. Our 

class presentation will provide 

information as well as promote reading 

fluency. 

Mrs. Wach 

NEWS FROM THE JH CROSS- 

CAT ROOM 

Ms. Houlihan's students have been 

increasing their homework completion 

each week! Keep up the good work! 

Parents please continue to support your 

student by initialing his reading log 

daily. Homework assignments are 

written and initialed by teachers daily in 

the student's assignment 



notebook. Please be sure to check that he 

has completed these assignments and has 

put them back in his backpack to 

be returned to school. The Junior High 

Cross-Cat students and staff appreciate 

your support! 

Ms. Houlihan 

PRE-SCHOOL 

NEWS 

During early November we will be 

focusing on a book called Apples and 

Pumpkins. We will be doing lots of fun 

language and math activities with apples 

and pumpkins. The next few weeks of 

November we will read a book called 

Pete’s a Pizza. On November 21 st we 

will be taking a fieldtrip to Connie’s 

pizza where we will tour the restaurant 

and learn how to make pizzas from 

scratch. I am looking forward to meeting 

all the preschool families at parentteacher 

conferences and discussing the 

progress that your child is making. 

Mrs. Olson 

KINDERGARTEN NEWS 

In November, we will 

be learning about the 

first Thanksgiving and 

the history of the 

Pilgrims and Wampanoag 

Indians. We will make a necklace that 

tells the story of the first Thanksgiving. 

We will focus on the things we are all 

thankful for. We will also learn about the 

Plains Indians and their way of life. We

will learn some Native American 

symbols and make a medicine bag. In 

Math, we will continue our number 

writing and recognition practice. In 

Reading, we will continue to learn a 

letter each week while focusing on 

memorization of sight words and 

building fluency as readers. We look 

forward to seeing you at parent/teacher 

conferences! 

Mrs. Scriba, Mrs. Albores, and 

Ms. Kroneneberger 

1ST GRADE NEWS 

November is an exciting time for the 

first graders. We will be learning about 

the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags, who 

were the tribe to feast with the Pilgrims 

on the first Thanksgiving. We will be 

celebrating this historic event by having 

a feast of our own on Friday, November 

18 th . During our feast, we will be 

making noisemakers, jewelry, playing 

games, reading stories and eating some 

snacks. The first grade teachers are very 

thankful for their wonderful students 

this year! 

Ms. Diehl, Ms. Lid, and Mrs. 

Santoro 

2 ND GRADE NEWS 

The second graders 

have been reflecting 

on things they are thankful for as the 

holiday season approaches. Some 

activities we are taking part in include 

learning about the history of Squanto 

and creating a class book, a cornucopia 

sharing activity with tasty treats, and 



making a festive turkey mobile. The 

children will also reflect on 

things they are thankful for through 

journal writing. We look forward to 

seeing all parents at Parent- Teacher 

Conferences on November 21 st and 22nd 

to discuss your child’s progress up to this 

point. We hope you and your families 

have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Ms. Manno, Mrs. 

Ruesch, and Mrs. 

Greenenwald 

3 RD GRADE NEWS 

Fall is in the air, and students continue to 

greet their teachers each day with 

enthusiasm for learning and meeting the 

challenges of third grade. The students 

just completed Stanford Testing, and each 

child came prepared each day to do 

his/her best. We enjoyed some great 

afternoons as students shared favorite 

books, things they were proud of and 

favorite pictures. Next we will be writing 

"Pumpkin Stories" which gives each 

student an opportunity to use their 

creative writing skills, along with facts, to 

instruct us on how they would grow their 

own pumpkins. Finally, on November 

10th, the Third Grade Class will be taking 

a wonderful field trip to see "Once Upon 

A Mattress", a play performed by Morton 

West High School. A big thank you to 

Carli’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Delmonico, 

for making all the arrangements. We 

can't wait. 

Mrs. Parolin, Mrs. Gouty, and 

Ms. Rossi


As our 2nd quarter begins, 

students will be using the 

cursive writing skills they 

have been practicing in Enrichment. 

Beginning on October 31st, all 

assignments, with the exception of 

Math, are to be completed in cursive. 

Please take the opportunity to practice 

as much as possible at home. 

In Reading, all groups will be working 

on their 1st book report. The book 

report will include a written piece 

covering: 

* a brief summary 

* description of main characters and 

setting 

* detailed paragraph of the problem 

* detailed paragraph of the solution 

Parents will be asked to read and look 

over all rough drafts. The due date for 

the book report will vary according to 

the Reading group. Information will be 

sent home regarding the book report. 

Here's to a successful second quarter!! 

Mrs. Berger, Mrs. Daly, and 

Mrs. Sandoval 


Reading class continually gives us a 

chance to improve our comprehension 

and oral fluency as we practice these 

skills in class daily. In addition, we are 

learning to make predictions, ask 

questions, as well as make connections 

and observations while we read our 

stories and novels. Multiplication 

patterns, solving equations using 

variables, long division, and solving 



word problems using the basic operations 

keep us busy in math. We will begin 

working on geometry next! We are 

learning about the life cycles of plants 

and animals in Science now. We will 

even be learning about how traits are 

passed on from one generation to the 

next! In Social Studies, we have been 

having a blast learning about the Native 

Americans and strengthening our map 

skills. Explorers will be our next unit of 

study. In Language Arts we continue to 

work on nouns and practice our writing 

skills while composing a 

compare/contrast essay. The Fifth 

Graders have been very busy beautifying 

our hallway with their fabulous work! 

Mrs. Brandt, Mrs. Miller, and 

Mrs. West 

INDUSTRIAL ARTS 

Greetings from Komarek’s woodshop! 

It’s hard to believe the first quarter is 

over, and a new group of students will be 

coming down to experience the shop for 

second quarter. The first quarter students 

did a great job, and all can be proud of 

their work. Just think, soon the newly 

arrived class of students will be creating 

projects in wood and plastic, too. 

During my entire time here, we’ve always 

been lucky to enjoy the generosity of the 

Komarek families through their donations 

of jars and containers to the shop. We are 

very thankful for them. Unfortunately, 

though, recently we’ve run desperately 

short of baby food jars, and are in dire 

need of them. Any donations of these 

types of jars would be greatly 

appreciated! 

Mr. Kartje

COMPUTER NEWS 



Hello from the computer 

lab! Everyone’s been 

busy working on projects 

and practicing their 

typing skills … so …let’s 

see what projects our 

students are working on 

by grade level: 

Our sixth grade students have finished 

their introduction to research and are 

now working on their first Power Point 

presentations. The subject of their 

research is ancient Egypt, and the 

students seem excited about their 

results so far. Ancient Egypt has always 

been a favorite, and we can’t wait to see 

how the presentations turn out. 

The seventh grade has begun to present 

their first project of the year. They’ve 

selected and researched a famous figure 

from early American history, to get 

ready for their presentation. So far the 

reports have been very well prepared 

and quite informative. Good job 

seventh grade! 

The eighth grade has been working on 

the pictures and sounds project. They’re 

finishing their image collection and are 

now beginning work on animation. The 

animation takes time and patience, but 

the students usually find the finished 

product to be something to be proud of. 

Keep working eighth grade! 

Well, that’s it for now from the 

computer lab, 

Mr. Kartje and 

Ms. Aloi 

PRIMARY COMPUTER 

In kindergarten, we have been practicing 

our clicking skills while learning our 

letters by playing the game “Starfall.” 

First graders have also been busy reading 

while learning computer skills. The game 

“Letterbugs” allows them to practice 

sounding out words to complete three 

different types of games and collect bugs 

for each letter of the alphabet. 

Second graders have been learning to 

draw on the computer, using the Open 

Office drawing program. They've made 

some very creative pictures, and are now 

learning how to save their projects. 

Meanwhile, third grade students are 

flying through the levels of “Dance Mat 

Typing,” learning to keep their fingers on 

home row while different cartoon animals 

dance and sing. Some students are 

enjoying this so much, they've even 

chosen to practice at home! 

Fourth and fifth grade students recently 

completed scavenger hunts that teach 

them different keyboard shortcuts. Now 

fourth graders are practicing computer 

drawing, while fifth grade students are 

creating their own movie posters and 

synopses. 

That's all for now! 

Ms. Aloi 

PRIMARY PHYSICAL EDUCATION 

Ms. Banas’ PE classes started their 

tossing/throwing and football units last 

week. With kindergarten and first grade 

we are learning how to underhand toss 

and overhand throw. We played some fun

games involving throwing and rolling. 

My second, third, and fourth grade 

classes have started our football unit. 

We are throwing, catching, throwing at 

targets, and even catching on the move! 

After we learn and review our skills we 

will play some modified football 

games. We already look better than the 

Chicago Bears! 

Ms. Banas 

WE LOVE ART! 

This week the 

permission slip and informational sheet 

about Art Club went home with all 

students in grades 3 through 8. The 

permission slips were due on Friday 

and I am so happy to see how many 

students signed up! Art Club will be 

held on Tuesdays after school until 

4:10. We will start on November 1 st 

with the 3 rd and 4 th graders during 

quarter 2. Grades 5 and 6 will have Art 

Club during quarter 3 and grades 7 and 

8 will be during 4 th quarter. In Art Club 

students will get to explore new art 

supplies, enter art contests, and make 

projects to take home. I am looking 

forward to beginning! 

Ms. Corlett 

HOME ECONOMICS 

FCCLA 

The 7th and 8th Grade FCCLA groups 

are off to a great start this year. Both 

groups participated in the North 

Riverside Chilli Cook-Off and 

Scarecrow contest. Thank you to 

everyone who came out and supported 

us. The 8th grade group is busy 



planning their cupcake decorating 

competition, details coming soon! 

Mrs. Corlett 

VOCAL MUSIC 

PROGRAM 

The Concert Choir had a great time at the 

Junior High Choral Music Festival hosted 

by RBHS. They represented Komarek 

well both as musicians and guests. 

Reminder: the Concert Choir will be 

taking no new members after the first 

quarter. Mid-year auditions will not be 

held until January. Primary music will 

start working on the Holiday Program 

shortly while Intermediate students 

have been working on their rhyming 

skills. 

Keep singing! 

Mr. Riegle 

BAND NEWS 

All three bands are in 

their final moments of 

preparation for our first 

concert of the year, and 

it is sure to be a scream! On Thursday, 

October 27 th at 7PM the Komarek 

Beginning, Cadet, and Concert Bands 

will be presenting Harmonies to Haunt 

You. If you are a band member be sure to 

report to the band room at 6:30 on 

Thursday evening. No on will be allowed 

to enter the building before 6:30. Band 

students may wear Halloween costumes 

during this performance or their normal 

band attire (black pants, white shirt for 

Beginning and Cadet Bands, black pants, 

band polos and capes for Concert Band).

Jazz Band is set to begin shortly; we 

will have our very first rehearsal on 

Friday, November 4th. If you are 

interested in being a member of Jazz 

Band be sure to add your name to the 

sign-up form located on the wall 

outside the main gym. We need all 

standard band instruments as well as 

rhythm instruments such as keyboard 

(piano), guitar, bass, and drum set. 

All of the bands at Komarek are doing 

extremely well this year, thank you to 

students and parents for all your 

dedication and hard work. A note to 

students- Remember to take your 

instruments home on days you do not 

have band. At home practice is very 

important to the success of the band, 

and without an instrument it is very 

hard to do! If you are wondering how 

long you should be practicing, strive for 

25 to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. 

And make sure to practice something 

that is challenging to you, do not just 

repeat things that you already play well 

or material that comes easy for you. 

Challenge yourself; it is the best way to 

improve! 

Please make a note of these band 

dates for the 2011-2012 school year: 



• Thursday, October 27 th - Fall 

Band Concert - 7PM - Main 

Gym (all bands) 

• Friday, November 4 th - Jazz 

Band rehearsals begin – 7:50 

AM (6 th , 7 th , & 8 th graders 

eligible) 

• Tuesday, November 8 th - 

Riverside Brookfield High 

• School 8 th Grade Band Festival 

(8 th graders rehearsal and 

perform at RB during school 

day) 

• Friday, December 16 th - Concert 

Band Holiday Music Tour (7 th 

& 8 th grade-during school day) 

• Wednesday, December 21 st - 

Winter Band Concert - 7PM - 

Main Gym (all bands) 

• Wednesday, March 21 st - Spring 



• Saturday, April 21 st - Solo & 

Ensemble Contest – Komarek, 

9AM to Noon (6 th , 7 th , & 8 th 

graders) 

• Wednesday, May 23 rd – Final 



• Friday, June 1 st - Bands 

perform during Honors Day 

Assembly (Jazz, Concert, & 

Cadet Bands) 

Mr. Moffett

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL 

Volleyball News 

It doesn't get any better then this! The 

7th grade volleyball team completed the 

2011 season undefeated with a record 

of 10-0. This flawless season put the 

girls in first place as conference 

champs. These girls gave everything 

they had never doubting themselves or 

their abilities. They proved that spirit, 

focus, and determination are the key 

factors in being a successful team. 

The 7th grade team: 

Valerie Carillo 

Alexia Flores 

Mikayla Garbauski 

Gracie Garza 

Arta Latifi 

Elise Mitchell 

Mikayla Orrico 

Gianna Panzani 

Alivia Ranieri 

Manager: Breuna Wilson 

The powerful 8th grade team also took 

first place in the Salt Creek Conference 

and second place in the conference 

tournament. With a winning record of 

8-2 the girls developed strong skills and 

teamwork. The team demonstrated that 

polished skills, confidence, and passion 

were instrumental in having a 

triumphant season. 

A big "thank you" to all of our 

supportive parents, fans, teachers, 

administrators, and classmates. Our 

managers Alexis Walker and Breuna 

Wilson were an important factor in our 

team’s success. 

The 8th grade team: 

Selene Anaya 



Izzy Echevarria 

Sophis Giurini 


Shannon McDonald 

Calli Orrico 

Sarah Schoenheider 

Brenda Ulloa 

Areli Vargas 

Thank you for a great season, 

Coach Gouty 

8 TH GRADE 

SOCCER 

The 8 th grade soccer 

team had an excellent 

season finishing 1 st in 

the SCVC Conference with a 10-0 record. 

Thanks to great team chemistry, and hard 

work at practice, the team was able to 

complete their goal of remaining 

undefeated throughout the season. A 

highlight of the season was winning the 

SCVC conference tournament on October 

23 rd at RB stadium. After games against 

Hillside and Albright, the Wildcats 

proved to be the conference champs once 

again! Coach Diehl really enjoyed 

working with this group of talented 

soccer players. This team worked hard 

together, pushed each other to be 

competitive at practice and learned from 

each other as well. Each athlete 

contributed to the team’s overall success 

and they represented Komarek School in 

a positive way each time they hit the 

field. Finishing with a record of 12-0, 

scoring 38 goals and only allowing 3 the 

Wildcats truly had a wonderful season. 

Way to go 8 th grade team! Conference 

Champions!!

The team members include: Daniel 

Waas, Erik Casillas, Daniel Rafael, 

James Kaczmarczyk, Alex Martinson, 

Max Hoadley, Dan DeLeonardis, Mike 

Berscheid, Fernando Barraza, Joey 

Cannizzo, Vito Toscano, Zach Witken, 

Antonio Jimenez, Dominic Sarro, 

Victor Suarez, Kenny Ngo and Jacob 

Angio. 

Thanks for a great season!! 

Coach Mindy Diehl 

7 TH GRADE SOCCER 

Last week the 7th grade 

soccer team wrapped up 

their season finishing 

with a fabulous record of 

7-3. The team improved greatly 

throughout the course of the season as 

we faced some very tough competitors. 

New this season was a golden goal 

overtime, which we got to experience 

two times. Instead of going right into a 

shoot-out if there was a tie, games went 

into a 10 minute overtime, with the first 

to score becoming the winner of the 

game. Our first overtime experience 

was against Gross, where we came out 

victorious. Our second encounter was 

against Hauser, and unfortunately, we 

did not score first. All in all it was an 

awesome season and Coach Banas 

would like to thank and recognize all of 

her athletes. 

Adrian Castro 

Arturo Lopez 

Josh Rodriguez 

Katie Polanski 

CharlieTapia 

JuanQuiroz 

Ronaldo Mondragon 



Alanna Waas 

Isabella Suarez 

Zach Georgopoulos 

Allie Kucera, 

Nick Mascitti 

Gustavo Lopez 

Natalie Jensen 

Taylor Jensen 

Coach Banas 

GIRLS BASKETBALL 

Below is the home 

schedule for girls' 

basketball... come out 

and support our Lady 

Wildcats!!! 

Thursday, November 3 rd vs. Hillside 

Thursday, November 10 th vs. Hauser 

Wednesday, November 16 th vs. Albright 

Monday, November 28 th vs. Heritage 

Tuesday, December 6 th vs. Lindop 

Tuesday, December 13 th vs. Gross 

Boys' Basketball permission slips will be 

available from Mr. Bedalow starting on 

Monday, November 28 th . Permission slips 

are due Thursday, December 15 th by 

3:20pm. In addition to a signed 

permission slip, boys must have a valid 

sports physical on file with the Principal's 

Office and paid the Athletic Fee in the 

Business Office in order to try out for the 

team. Try-outs will be held on Monday, 

December 19 th and Tuesday, December 

20 th from 3:20-5:30pm. 

Coach Bedalow and 

Coach Diehl

POWERSCHOOL 

Komarek School has implemented the 

PowerSchool Home Component for 

grades 4-8. All parents/students were 

given a username and password. 

Please call Mrs. Busking with any 

questions concerning the 

PowerSchool Home Component. 

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 PROGRAM 

R.O.A.R. 

The ROAR Committee wants to give a 

big congratulations to Mrs. Gouty's 

class who earned the ROAR reward for 

September with a total of 26 ROAR 

tickets! The class celebrated on October 

14, 2011 with a classroom party. Below 

are the winning students in each home: 

KA --- Madison Bernal 

KS --- Joey Scheidler 

1D --- Ricardo Ulloa 

1L --- Ray Mular 

2R --- Jax Giampietro 

2M --- Isabella Tokarz 

3R --- Austin Collins 

3P --- Ryan Lach 

3G --- Daonte Harris 



4S --- Revish Williams 

4B --- Donavan Molina 

Wach --- Luis Aguilar 

5W --- Xavier Olvera 

5M --- Marta Janas 

These students were celebrated during 

lunchtime on September 30 th ! 

~ The R.O.A.R. Committee ~ 

Mrs. Stalla and Ms. Piatti 

WILDCAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM 

The following students are members of 

the WIP Student Committee: 

8 TH GRADE 

Shahbaz Chaudrey 

Odalis Gomez 

Ashley Gurschke 

Karilu Alarcon 

Selene Anaya 

Vito Tuscano 

Calli Orrico 

Fernando Barraza 


Areli Vargas 

Kenny Ngo 

Mariel Sandoval 

Max Hoadley 

Joseline Jimenez 

Brenda Ulloa 

Sebastian Barcenas 

7 TH GRADE 

Samantha Bloom 

Misael Villegas 

Thomas Little

Zach Georgopolous 

Taylor Jensen 

Natalie Jensen 

Zach Smith 

Stephannie Molina 

Angelica Melone 

Gracie Garza 

Natasha Petrenko 

Dimarea Okaparji 

Jhalen Williams 

Kaela Vloedman 

Alexia Flores 

Marlyn Flores 

Alondra Villalobos 

6 TH GRADE 

Carlos Tapia 

Allie Kucera 

Katie Mahoney 

Elise Mitchell 

Alina Willhoite 

Josh Ricchio 

Mikayla Orrico 

Amanda Steinke 

Matthew Przybylski 

Morgan Litavecz 

Isabelle Zavala 

Stephanie Johnson 

The 8 th graders boxed and delivered 

the taffy apple orders. The 6 th and 

7 th graders assisted Ms. Piatti with 

Unity Day. 

It's a great group! 

Mr. Criscione 

PAW PRINTS 

Our year of Paw Prints is 

well under way. Our student writers 

have been busy interviewing and 

researching for our articles. Once all of 

our information has been checked, we 

then begin drafting articles. We will be 



selecting our student editors for this year 

very soon. There is so much work that 

goes into each issue behind the scenes! 

We meet every Tuesday in either room 

205E or the computer lab. Look for Paw 

Prints both in print and on the school’s 

website! 

Ms. Schmit 

BEFORE AND AFTER CARE 

BBRRR! It's cold outside, but it's warm 

in Komarek ChildCare. Inside the 

ChildCare the smells are sweet as the 

children make warm apple cider, gooey 

caramel apples, and homemade crock pot 

apple sauce for cooking day. As 

Halloween approaches we will be making 

jack- o -lanterns to be displayed in the 

children's windows at home. We also 

will be discussing Thanksgiving, and how 

we can be thankful this year. We hope 

everyone enjoys the beautiful looks of 

fall. If you need ChildCare please come 

to see or call Ms. Gron. 708-447-5927 

Ms. Gron and Komarek 

ChildCare Staff 

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. 

Reward Zone for Schools 

Did you know that 

every time you make 

a purchase at Best 

Buy, the Reward 

Zone points you earn can be donated to 

Komarek School. The Reward Zone 

Program for Schools is another means 

by which you can give back to your 

community. For all purchases that are 

donated, 2% is given back in Reward 

Zone certificates! We can then use the 

Reward Zone certificates to purchase 

technology products for our school. 

Komarek’s Reward # is 2704510052 or 

simply, each time you make a 

purchase, just tell the cashier to 

donate your points to Komarek 

Elementary School. 

Choose to donate your points today and 

together we can help schools provide 

the latest and greatest learning 

technologies for today’s students. 

https://myrewardzone.bestbuy.com/ 

http://www.bestbuy.com/ 



PTA Board 

Jovi Evans, President 

Kathy Ranieri, Vice 

President 

Jamie Kucera, Treasurer 

Jill Cannizzo, Secretary 

Teresa Jimenez, Membership 

Fundraising 

Janet DeLeonardis, Parent 

Liaison

principal's newsletter november 2011 - Komarek School District 94

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