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Week of April 27 to May 1 2026
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Update from Superintendent Bentsen
Dear Fenton School Community,
I want to start this newsletter with a reminder about a road closure that starts on Monday.
The Village of Bensenville has notified us that Church Road between Irving Park Road and Main Street (near the train tracks) will be closed to vehicles from Monday, May 4 through Sunday, May 10 due to construction.
Students who drive to school and parents who drop off their students will need to plan for an alternate route if you normally use Church Road to go between Fenton and Irving Park Road.
Recommended detours include:
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Traveling west on Irving Park Road and using residential streets like Marshall Road to get to Route 83 and then over to Grove Avenue
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Traveling east on Irving Park Road and using York Road to access Main Street or Green Street
We have been told the sidewalks on Church Road will remain open and students who walk to and from school can continue to do so.
Senior Celebrations
Many of our seniors enjoyed celebrating their post-high school decisions on Friday during a barbeque and photo opportunity. You can read more about Decision Day later in this newsletter, but I want to congratulate this incredibly hard working Class of 2026 and share a few important upcoming dates.
As we move into the final few weeks of this school year, Fenton has several other celebrations and important events for the Class of 2026 to remember.
- May 13 – Senior Sundaes, enjoy an ice cream sundae bar during all lunch periods
- May 15 – Prom
- May 18 – Senior Awards, 6:30 p.m. in the Fenton Auditorium
- May 19 – Senior Brunch, 10 a.m. at White Pines Golf Club
- May 20 – Graduation Practice, 8:30 a.m. in the Fieldhouse
- May 21 – Graduation, 7 p.m. in the Fieldhouse
Staff Appreciation
As we ramp up our celebration of seniors, we will also celebrate the amazing staff that mentors and guides our students throughout their four years of growth. You’ll see a variety of activities expressing gratitude next week, but we got a small head start this week.
Tuesday, April 28 was National Bus Driver Appreciation Day and we gave thanks to all the incredible Fenton bus drivers who transport our students to and from school, to and from field trips, and to and from sporting events. They are the first adults many of our kids see in the morning and the last adults they see before they return to their families. Thanks for all that you do!
On Friday, May 1 we celebrated Lunch Hero Day, giving thanks to our wonderful cafeteria team. We appreciate their hard work day-in and day-out to make sure our students are receiving nutritious meals that allow them to focus on learning.
Friday also was Principal Appreciation Day, and we surprised Mrs. Ward with flowers, coffee, and notes of gratitude. The way she consistently interacts with students, parents, and staff is proof that she genuinely cares for the well being of everyone. We are thankful for the incredible leadership she brings to Fenton every day.
Let’s enjoy these last few weeks together, and finish the school year strong.
Sam Bentsen, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fee Waiver
All families can apply for their school fees and fines to be waived in accordance with Board Policy 4:140. Fenton High School charges fees for textbooks, consumable materials, extracurricular activities, and other school student fees. Students must also pay fines for the loss of or damage to school books or other school-owned materials.
Families can learn more about fee waivers on our website: https://www.fenton100.org/parents/fee-waiver
Seniors Celebrate Their Post High School Decisions
Friday, May 1st was National Decision Day and many of our seniors wore shirts representing the colleges, military branches, and trade programs they will attend next year.
We celebrated these decisions with a barbeque in the courtyard and fun photo opts in the Community Room. Students were encouraged to fill out and decorate a card with the college, trade, or branch of military they plan to pursue after graduation and then pose for a photo with it.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026 on your hard work and future plans!
Thank you to Mr. Cano, Mr. Cuellar, Mrs. Georgakis, and Ms. Leclercq for organizing this celebration.
Sign up for Summer Athletic Camps
Several Fenton athletic programs are hosting summer camps for current students, incoming students, and youth in the Bensenville and Wood Dale community.
Click the link below to view the catalog of programs.
More information on registering for camps, completing waivers, and joining ParentSquare groups for updates can be found on the Athletic Department website at www.fenton100.org/athletics.
VNA Health Care Offers Affordable, Local Options for Physicals and Immunizations
As we fast approach the start of the new school year, it is important to make sure that your child is up to date with any required school, sports, and camp physicals and immunizations. These check-ups are essential to maintain your child’s health and meet school and state guidelines—helping to prevent any missed days from school, sports or camp.
In Illinois, students are required to have a school physical along with updated immunizations at specific grade levels and for certain activities. Here’s when your child may need them:
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9th Grade: A physical exam is required to begin high school, along with any required immunizations
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12th Grade: Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine – All 12th graders must show proof of receiving the vaccine
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New to Illinois Schools or Change in School District: Any student enrolling in an Illinois school for the first time or moving to another school district must have a physical exam, along with required immunizations, regardless of grade.
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Sports Participation (Grades 6–12): A sports physical is required annually prior to tryouts for students who plan to participatein school athletic programs.
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Camp Participation: Many camps also require a recent physical to ensure children are healthy and cleared for activities.
VNA offers comprehensive and affordable school, sports, and camp physicals at 15 convenient locations (www.vnahealth.com/locations) with or without an appointment.
Now is the best time to schedule your child’s physical. Click here to read the full letter from VNA Health Care.
Seniors Sing in Final Choir Concert on May 4,
Fenton Choir to Sing a Story Created from a Family Affected by CHARGE Syndrome
Monday, May 4 is the final Choir Concert of the year and a heartfelt send off to the senior performers from the Class of 2026. This event is free to the public.
Also at Monday’s show our students will perform a unique song commissioned based on a story written by three young Chicago area children – Gianna (6), Michael (8), and Dominic (2) via a partnership with the Sing Me a Story Foundation.
Gianna is affected by CHARGE Syndrome and is nonverbal, and together with her two siblings they wrote a story of strength, love, and deep connection. Michael led the way in their story writing.
When given the opportunity to write about anything he wanted, Michael imagined a fast-paced and wildly creative adventure starring himself and his siblings. In the story, the trio embarks on an action-packed journey filled with invisible spray, daring flying rescues, and even a trip to the garbage station after Dominic sleepwalks into the trash. Along the way, they collect endless amounts of candy and overcome each challenge with creativity and humor.
Through all the excitement, the siblings work together to save the day again and again. Their adventure ends in celebration, complete with a triumphant basketball win and a motorcycle jump into the sunset.
The children even drew the story in a book! You can read their full story here: https://www.singmeastory.org/stories/the-adventures-of-the-cukierski-siblings
This family experience of writing a short story and seeing it transformed into a musical performance was made possible by a grant from the Bensenville Arts Council, which allowed Fenton to partner with the Sing Me a Story Foundation and the CHARGE Foundation.
Our students are excited to participate in such a meaningful partnership.
Celebrate Seniors at Fenton’s Final Band Concert on May 6
Join us on Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium for this final concert featuring and celebrating the band Class of 2026.
Fenton Faces Recipients Celebrated at Breakfast
Our "Fenton Faces" program acknowledges dedicated students for their outstanding aptitude, participation, or specific contributions to a class.
Each department is asked to select a couple of students per semester for its Fenton Face(s). Each teacher that nominates a student for this honor is asked to write a few sentences about the student and why they were selected.
Students selected in the second semester were honored during a breakfast before school on Wednesday, April 29. Partway through the breakfast, Principal Ward and Assistant Principal Bray called up each student one-by-one and read the nomination from their teacher before presenting them with a certificate.
Congratulations to all!
More photos are available on our social media accounts: @fentonhs
See Tomorrow’s Business Leaders at INCubator Pitch Night on May 8
Fenton’s new INCubator program is hosting its second annual Final Pitch Night at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8th at Fenton. The evening will closely resemble the hit TV show Shark Tank, with real money going toward real business ideas.
Students in the full year Entrepreneurship class (also known as INCubator) work with real-world entrepreneurs and local industry-leading mentors to create and fully develop their own product or service and incorporate it into a real-world business they own. Students experience the full range of business operations, including ideation, research, marketing, accounting, human resources, as well as the legal aspects of running a business.
The public is invited to Fenton’s May 8th INCubator Final Pitch Night. These are tomorrow’s business leaders. Please consider attending and encouraging them!
Celebrating our Internship Mentors
Fenton hosted an Internship Mentor Celebration on Thursday, April 30 in the ARC with industry professionals being treated as honored guests.
This year Fenton has 60 students placed in various professional environments with 41 mentors. The placements range from real estate, to a law office, welding, printing, automotive, nursing, and even veterinary services.
These valuable partnerships provide our students with real-world experiences that can validate their career choice or allow them to change course before going to college.
Over the course of an internship, mentors help students grow confidence by discovering and building upon their strengths together, and students acquire valuable skills that give them an advantage in the next phase of their education or workplace journeys.
During the celebration, two pairs of students and mentors spoke about their experiences. First was Jayshaun Shipp and Lieutenant Wade Fry from the Bensenville Fire Protection District. Next was Jayden Mojarro and Marshall Subach from the law firm Hunt and Subach Ltd.
Each mentor was given a certificate of appreciation, and students later shared presentations with their mentors that highlight valuable skills and experiences they are grateful to have learned during their time together.
Thank you to our internship coordinators, Mrs. Lauren Lemm and Mrs. Seredy Williams, as well as Mrs. Michelle Papanicolaou, Fenton’s director of Postsecondary Pathways, for all their time and energy in finding partners to match our ambitious students with.
More photos from this event will be posted on our social media accounts.
Caution on Campus Grass
District 100 will be applying fertilizer, herbicide and vegetation control throughout Fenton High School grounds starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 16.
The best weed prevention is a healthy lawn and the majority of the applications will be feed for the grass. A limited amount of weed control will also be used in very low concentrations. All EPA guidelines will be followed. The chemical dries in less than an hour. For further information, please contact Building & Grounds at 630-860-6274.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Act
Families that are experiencing homelessness, defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act (42 U.S.C. § 11301) as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, may be eligible for support services to assist students with continued success in school. Information regarding the Act can be found on our website at: https://www.fenton100.org/parents/enrollment-withdrawal/homelessmckinney-vento-act.
For further information or to discuss your needs, please contact Dr. Eric Koranda, school district homeless liaison, at 630-860-6255.
Noteworthy Dates
- May 4 – Spring Choir Concert, 7 pm
- May 6 – Spring Band Concert, 7 pm
- May 7 – AP Art Show, 7 pm
- May 12 – Music Department Awards Night, 7 pm
- May 15 – 12:08 pm Early Dismissal
- May 15 – Prom, 6 pm
- May 18 – Senior Awards Night, 6:30 pm
- May 19 – Senior Brunch, 10 am
- May 20 – Graduation Practice, 8:30 am
- May 21 – Graduation, 7 pm
- May 25 – No School – Memorial Day
- May 27 – Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm
- May 28 – Final Exam Day 1
- May 29 – Final Exam Day 2
- June 1 – Final Exam Day 3