Week of April 14 to April 18
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Update from Interim Superintendent Bentsen
Dear Fenton School Community,
We understand that keeping your children safe is your top priority, and Fenton High School is committed to supporting the safety and well-being of our students. We are continuing our partnership with the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago to offer Part 2 of the Empowered Parents Series and to host their Clothesline Project on Friday, April 25.
The Clothesline Project began in 1990 as a way for survivors of sexual violence to share their experiences and raise awareness through decorated t-shirts, each telling a unique story. Inspired by the AIDS quilt, visual artist Rachel Carey-Harper proposed using a clothesline—a traditional symbol of women’s work and community connection—to give voice to survivors. Today, the project continues to honor survivors.
On Friday, April 25th, the Front Gym will be open all day for students and staff to view the project. YWCA counselors will give a brief 5-minute overview of the history of the Clothesline Project at the beginning of periods 2 through 8, after which students and staff can independently view the exhibits. Additionally, YWCA counselors will be available the entire day to support any staff or students who need support during or after viewing the project
Empowered Parents is a three-part educational series designed to equip parents with essential knowledge and practical tools to recognize warning signs, protect their children, and respond appropriately to concerns.
The series will be delivered over three months and will cover the following critical topics:
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Recognizing and responding to child sexual abuse
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Protecting children from grooming and sexual exploitation
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Breaking barriers, teaching consent, and responding to disclosures of abuse or sexual assault
This new resource, as well as other programming offered by Fenton, can be found on our new “Parent Resources” page on our website under the parents tab.
Our goal is to provide parents with valuable tools to support their children’s safety, growth, and well-being. By increasing awareness and preparedness, we can work together to prevent harm and ensure every child feels safe and protected.
We invite you to continue this important series with Part Two: Protecting Children and Teens from Grooming and Sexual Exploitation
Empowered Parent Presentation – Part Two
Link: https://ispri.ng/xg0K3
Password: FentonParentEPart2
Link Expires: May 30, 2025, at 5pm
Click HERE to download more parent resources.
Haga clic AQUÍ para descargar recursos para padres.
If you were unable to view Part One of the series, Protecting Our Youth: A Guide to Recognizing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse, you can access the recorded session through the link below.
Empowered Parent Presentation – Part One
Link: https://ispri.ng/vBR2y
Password: FentonParentEPart1
Link Expires: May 30, 2025, at 5pm
Let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for your partnership.
Sam Bentsen, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent
Spring Musical Tickets are Now on Sale!
Fenton High School cordially invites all Fenton Families and the general public to our Spring Musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Tickets are $5 and show dates include:
- Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m. and at 7 p.m.
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is based on the hit cartoon from Charles M. Schulz and the 1967 Broadway musical, which was remade in 1999. Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang explore life’s great questions while enjoying hobbies, fumbling through homework, obsessing over crushes, celebrating friendship, and of course…singing.
Senior Citizens are invited to attend the show for free during the 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 26. The show is preceded by a free lunch at 12 p.m. in the Student Commons. Senior Citizens wishing to reserve seats can call our hotline at 630-860-8620 and leave your name, number in your party, and whether you would like to attend lunch and the show or just the show.
An Exchange of Friendship
Fenton is a Second Home to Students from Rottweil, Germany
On Tuesday, April 16 we met our 20 German exchange students at O'Hare International Airport and brought them back to Fenton for a surprise welcoming from their host families and a potluck dinner in the cafeteria.
These students are from Leibniz Gymnasium (high school) from a small town called Rottweil. They will be in Bensenville and Wood Dale for two weeks. Then our 20 students head to Germany over the summer. Please join us in welcoming our guests!
Fenton Student Wins Award at Regional Graphic Arts Competition
The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) has announced that Fenton High School Graphics student Connor Cheney is an award winner in the 2025 Graphics Excellence Awards (GEA) competition winning an Award of Excellence in the student division. The judging was conducted on March 5-7, 2025, by a team of independent judges. The GEA competition is one of the largest regional printing competitions in the nation.
Connor’s graphic shows an acting photo of his football teammate Nate Stewart cut out and superimposed on a stadium photo of Quincy University, where Nate will continue his football career after graduation.
A panel of independent judges with extensive experience in printing. packaging and print production was brought in to examine the work. Each entry was judged on its own merit in a category with similar printed pieces. The judging criteria included registration, crossovers, clarity and neatness, sharpness of halftones and line drawings, richness and tonal qualities of color, paper and ink selection, ink coverage, difficulty of printing, effective contrast or softness, finishing, bindery and overall visual impact.
Honoring Speech State Champion Tereza Belej
Our latest Speech State Champion, senior Tereza Belej, is joining all the other Speech and Drama state champions on the Fenton sign near Door 1. Her celebratory championship plate has arrived and will soon be added to the metal sign everyone sees while entering our school.
Tereza won 1st place and the individual Speech State Championship for Informative Speaking at the IHSA Speech State Finals in February. Her victory is our 8th individual speech state championship in the last 7 years!
FCCLA Brings Home The Medals
Congratulations to our six Fenton students who competed at the April 10 FCCLA statewide competition in Springfield for Children's Literature and Entrepreneurship Food Truck.
Early Childhood Education students Kamila Rivera and Katie Niehoff earned silver medals and sophomore Karen Hernandez earned a bronze medal for Children's Literature.
Culinary 2 students Isabella Reyes, Madison Boik, and Alexa Torres Pineda earned a silver medal for their score in Entrepreneurship Food Truck.
Family Careers & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national organization where students have the opportunity to explore career opportunities and build real world skills by developing projects, engaging and participating in events, and competing regionally and nationally for scholarships and awards. The work of FCCLA helps students and teachers focus on a variety of youth concerns and career pathways such as education, hospitality, human services, and design.
Need a Summer Job? Fenton Seeks Student Workers
Fenton’s Building, Grounds, and Transportation Department needs several summer workers to do routine school maintenance. Some of the positions involve outdoor tasks while other positions focus on needs inside the building. Students should be available to work between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting the last week of May. Applications can be picked up and dropped off at the Building, Grounds, and Transportation Department office -- Room 934 in the music hallway (before you get to the Athletic Department Office).
Noteworthy Dates
- April 23 – Spring Assembly
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April 23 – Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm
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April 24 – Spring Musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", 7 pm
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April 25 – Spring Musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", 7 pm
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April 25 – Senior Bison Time Meeting (TCD students will be excused to attend this meeting)
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April 26 – Spring Musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", 1 pm and 7 pm
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May 1 – Decision Day, with celebrations during all lunch periods
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May 1 – AP Art Show, 7 pm
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May 5 – Spring Choir Concert, 7 pm
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May 8 – Spring Band Concert, 7 pm
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May 13 – Music Department Awards Night, 7 pm
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May 15 – Padres Unidos Meeting, 6:45 pm
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May 16 – 12:08 Early Dismissal
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May 15 – Prom, 6 pm
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May 19 – Senior Awards Night, 6:30 pm