Hometown School Newsletter

February 1, 2022

Bencik's Buzz

Bencik's Buzz

Hometown Families:


Happy beginning of February! Even though it is the shortest month, we have many activities going on to fill the days! We will have an e-learning day tomorrow! Please expect my email to arrive in your in box at 8:30am. Teachers will be sending out information about work at 9am. We have postponed activities for 100 day until Thursday. We will not have our Goodies with Grandparents event tomorrow. We will reschedule the event. We will continue with our career day on Friday.

Bencik's Buzz
5Essentials Parent Survey

5Essentials Parent Survey


Students and teachers across Illinois now have the opportunity to participate in the ninth annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. Additionally, your 4th-8th grade student will be asked about their experiences in school to help give school leaders critical student input and help develop future school improvement plans. If you would like to view the student survey questions or opt-out your student please complete the form found at: d123.org/five. You and your student's identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and anonymous. To get started with the survey head to d123.org/five.

5Essentials Parent Survey

PTA Meeting

We will host the PTA meeting on Thursday, February 3rd at 6pm. We will have a virtual option. Use the link below to log on to the meeting.


meet.google.com/kea-fwqb-dmy

Shield Testing

Shield testing will be postponed due to inclement weather tomorrow. We will keep you updated as to whether or not it will be rescheduled for the week.

Friendship Parties

Our Friendship parties will take place next week Friday, February 11th. The room parents will provide activities for the children to do starting at 2pm. We ask that no food items be purchased to hand out.

Family Dance

Our new date for the family dance is March 11th from 6-8pm. Be on the look out for information coming in the future.

Calling all Careers!!

Our students will participate in the career day from grades 3-5 in the afternoon. Presenters will rotate classrooms for 20 minute presentations. We are looking forward to the learning about the careers.

World Read Aloud Day

Wednesday, February 2nd is World Read Aloud Day. We have postponed our day to celebrate reading. We will reschedule it for a future day. Parents with the e-learning day tomorrow take some time to read a short story to your children. Take a family picture with the book you read and email it to abencik@d123.org. I will post them in the next weekly.

Shield Parent Portal

If you would like to be able to view Shield Covid results, the attached flyer gives directions on how to set up the parent portal. Please follow directions in the flyer.

Goodies with Grandparents- CANCELLED!

We have cancelled this event for the day due to the inclement weather. We will reschedule for March 16th.

100 Day- Postponed Until Thursday.

We will be celebrating 100 Day on February 3rd. Our students are going to be celebrating all of their learning they have completed this year. Students are invited to dress up as if they were 100 years old. Ideas include: suspenders, bow ties, gray hair, old glasses, ect. This is not a complete list, but suggestions. Please have your child dress on Thursday, February 3rd for 100 day.

Meet Mrs. Demetra Woulfe

Every week we shine a spotlight on one of our amazing staff members. This week we will meet Mrs. Woulfe.


How long and what grades have you taught?


It's hard to believe I've been teaching over 20 years already! I'm so fortunate to have taught 7 years at the 5th grade level over at Covington, stayed home to raise my 4 children for 8 years, and now I've been back here teaching 4th grade at Hometown for the past 14 years!


If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?


I would definitely travel to Greece and Ireland with my husband and four children (Danny, Elena, Collin, and Kate) so that they could learn about their heritage.


What is the best thing about working at Hometown?


The very best thing about working at Hometown is the family atmosphere. From the moment we all walk in the door here, we can feel that there is a whole community of people that love and care about one another.


What is your favorite food?


That's a tough one! My husband, Dan, is an awesome cook so anything he makes is a crowd pleaser from Italian to Mexican to Greek, but I'd have to say it's his lasagna!


Who is someone you admire and why?


Dan and I are blessed to be the youngest of large families with lots of siblings that we've always admired and looked up to, but our parents, Duke and Helen, and Ed and Evelyn are truly the people I admire most. They have worked hard their entire lives and instilled that same work ethic in us, all the while having lots of fun along the way.


If you see Mrs. Woulfe in the hallway, make sure you say hi!

Kindness Week

The district will host kindness week February 14-18th. Please see the attached calendar to use for the different dress up days and kindness challenges.

February Menus

You will find that attached breakfast and lunch menu for February listed below. Please let us know if you have questions.

Ice Skating

PTA will be hosting a skating event in February. Please see the attached flyer for information.
Hometown Elementary School

Hometown Elementary School

Hometown Elementary School

8870 S Duffy Ave, Hometown, IL, USA 708-423-7360 d123.org/hometown
Mrs. Bencik's Picture

Principal Hometown School

Mrs. Bencik's Picture

abencik@d123.org 708-423-7360