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Week of April 7 to April 11
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Update from Interim Superintendent Bentsen
Dear Fenton School Community,
Welcome back from Spring Break. Boy it’s been a busy first week back in the swing of things! We have plenty to celebrate and look forward to. Please keep reading, because we have a lot to cover!
Group Interpretation Takes 3rd in State
Congratulations to Fenton’s Group Interpretation for their 3rd place finish at the State tournament! Their history-making performance of “Ride the Cyclone” earned them Fenton’s best finish in this event since 1979. This State finish comes on the heels of a Sectional Championship and Conference Championship
We have more information about GI further down in this newsletter.
Contest Play Wins State Championship for Drama Technical Performance
Congratulations to Fenton’s stage crew on the Contest Play production "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" for winning the 2025 IHSA State Championship for Drama Technical Performance.
The award involves how the set is created and managed. The performance itself placed 7th overall!
We also have more about Contest Play later in this newsletter.
Parent Recognition
We do a lot to make sure our students are recognized for their hard work, but often times our humble parents and guardians are sitting quietly in the background letting their students own the spotlight.
Oh Wednesday I had the distinct pleasure of honoring Mrs. Krista Stewart as one of our best Fenton Moms during the Illinois Association of School Administrators DuPage County Recognition Breakfast.
Mrs. Stewart is a parent who donates almost as much time toward supporting our student athletes as our coaches do. She is a mother of two high school student athletes, and her schedule these last four years could not be busier. From football in the fall, to wrestling in the winter, and then baseball and Track & Field in the spring, Mrs. Stewart is a reliable volunteer always asking "how can I help." She's most recognizable for her contributions to Fenton's concession stand, but she's most remembered as our loudest fan in the stands and the "second mom" to countless Fenton Bison.
Fenton Athletics is a better place for our students to learn and grow outside the classroom thanks to her invaluable feedback, willingness to run errands, time spent serving spectators, taxi-like carpool services, and her fandom that unifies team families. Fenton High School appreciates its partnership with Mrs. Stewart and gives thanks for her contributions to our school community.
ACT Testing
Our annual state testing is on Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17th. These tests are important for students as they plan and explore opportunities beyond high school.
Students only need to be present for their required testing day. Morning bus routes will run their regular pick-up schedules.
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Wednesday, April 16: Juniors are in school taking the ACT
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Thursday, April 17: Freshmen and sophomores are in school taking the PreACT as a way to practice and prepare for the actual ACT they will take in their junior year
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Friday, April 18: No Student Attendance
All exams are digital, and therefore all students will test on their school-issued Chromebook. Students must bring a fully charged Chromebook for the assessment.
Please get a good night’s rest before your exam and eat breakfast beforehand. We want you to succeed at your fullest potential!
Board of Education Election Update
The Fenton Community High School District 100 Board of Education was part of the April 1st Consolidated Elections and unofficial results indicate we will have three new board members joining us.
Congratulations to Bensenville residents Rachel Matug, Chris McCullough, and Michael Miller for unofficially winning seats to the Fenton Board of Education. We look forward to working with you to support and enhance our great school.
We would also like to express our extreme gratitude to the current Board Members whose terms will expire. Your service to our community is truly appreciated.
Juliet Rago has served on the Fenton Board of Education since 2017, Sylvia Hayde has served since 2021, and Kent Kovac has served since 2022. All three have contributed to our school in their own unique way and will be missed.
Additionally, John Radzinski is a current Board Member whose term is expiring, but he is going to continue serving on the Board under what’s known as a “holdover” provision. Under Illinois law, a current seated school board member’s term of office does not end until a qualified successor has been appointed or elected. This election only had three candidates run for four possible seats on the Board, and Mr. Radzinski was the only one of the four expiring current Board Members who expressed interest in continuing. Therefore, he is retaining the unfilled seat on the Board.
Ms. Matug, Mr. McCullough, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Radzinski will be sworn in at our April 23 Board of Education meeting. The election results will be finalized on April 22.
The current Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Saturday, April 12 in the ARC but they will immediately go into closed session to finalize my superintendent performance evaluation. The Superintendent Evaluation is completed annually. No formal action will occur during the open session and since it is a special meeting it will not be live streamed.
Again, we’re thankful to all who answer the call of public service.
Let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for your partnership.
Sam Bentsen, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent
Hey Bison Nation!
The Bison fan shop is open for a few more days, closing in the late evening of Monday April 14th. If you are in need of Bison gear, or you are a senior looking for something to celebrate being the Class of 2025, check out the fan shop.
Select "pick up" for orders and they will be shipped to Fenton. All orders will be delivered by May 15th.
Click this link to browse and order: https://risicatodesigns.com/fenton_high_school/shop/home
Free Senior Citizen Luncheon and Musical Matinee Saturday, April 26
Fenton High School cordially invites all senior citizens to a free senior matinee showing of our Spring Musical on Saturday, April 26.
A free lunch is available at 12 noon in our cafeteria and the matinee show begins at 1 p.m. in our auditorium.
Students will be performing a rendition of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The show 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.
To reserve seats, please 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.
Those who are attending lunch can use our main entrance by the large Fenton metal sign. If you are only attending the show, please use Door #3, which is near our tennis courts and ramps into our auditorium.
Regular Show Dates are:
- Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, April 26 at 7 p.m.
Behind every great high school is an incredible team of Assistant Principals! This past week we celebrated National Assistant Principals Week. Thank you Mrs. Julia Bray and Dr. Eric Koranda for leading the way with positivity, passion, and purpose. We appreciate all that you do!
Fenton Hosts Young Women’s Leadership Summit
In continued recognition of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Fenton hosted a Young Women’s Leadership Summit on Friday, April 11 filled with performances by the Fenton Choir, a panel presentation, and small group activities.
The panel included an Elmhurst police officer, CEO of a logistics company, non-profit leaders, a tech innovator, and a Cook County Victim Witness Advocate. This variety of professionals shared their experiences in choosing their career and how they advocated for themselves in a changing world. Special thanks to…
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Joan Velez,
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Lourdes Alvarez,
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Jazmin Patino,
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Anahi Hernandez,
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Talia Hawkins,
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Claribel Quintana (keynote speaker)
National Honor Society Inducts New Members,
Celebrates Graduating Seniors
Fenton’s chapter of the National Honor Society hosted its annual induction ceremony on Tuesday, April 8. Inductees included students from the Class of 2025, 2026, and 2027 that honorably demonstrated the required qualities of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
The ceremony was coordinated by Dr. George Mussman and Ms. Sara Pahl (Fenton’s NHS advisors) as well as the NHS student Executive Board. Ms. Shelly Bible, a Fenton Science Teacher, gave the keynote speech.
Seniors were bid farewell one-by-one, receiving a medal and a rose in recognition of their years of high achievement. Each student selected a meaningful adult who supported them along the way to be the person who gives them their rose upon crossing the stage.
Fenton’s Group Interpretation Wins 3rd in State!
Congratulations to Fenton’s Group Interpretation for their 3rd place finish at the State tournament! Their history-making performance of “Ride the Cyclone” earned them Fenton’s best finish in this event since 1979. This State finish comes on the heels of a Sectional Championship and Conference Championship.
Group Interpretation is a 30-minute play that focuses on storytelling without the use of character-defining costumes, makeup, props, lighting, or any of the other trappings of traditional theatre. Students rely solely on their voices, bodies, and musical instruments to bring a story to life.
The students worked tirelessly to compete strongly against the very best in Illinois. It was a wild ride on the Cyclone, one that will not be forgotten!
All-State Cast Honors were awarded to the following Fenton GI members:
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Arturo Hurtado Jr.,
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Analia Arteaga,
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Alita Thach,
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Aldo Benitez,
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Greg Platek,
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Angelina Varghese,
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Manny Flores,
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Javier Quinones Jr., and
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Sebastian Botello
Contest Play Wins State Championship for Drama Technical Performance
Congratulations to Fenton’s stage crew on the Contest Play production "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" for winning the 2025 IHSA State Championship for Drama Technical Performance.
The crew builds and manages the sets and props used in the performance, as well as manages the audio, visual, and lighting. Their actions are timed and measured just as rigorously as the performers on stage.
Fenton previously won State Championships for Drama Technical Performance in 2023 for the production of “Sylvia” and in 2015 for the production of "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck.
This year’s performance itself placed 7th overall! One week earlier, Fenton’s cast qualified for state by winning the Sectional Championship!
All-State Cast Honors were awarded to the following Fenton Contest Play members:
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Lita Aguilar,
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Lex Mikulski,
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Faith Wrzeciona, and
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Emir Yabukoglu
FCCLA is State Bound!
Good luck to six incredible Bison who were in Springfield Thursday and Friday competing in the FCCLA state finals.
Senior Kamila Rivera, junior Katie Niehoff, and sophomores Madison Boik, Karen Hernandez, Isabella Reyes, and Alexa Torres Pineda are competing in the "Children's Literature" event and the "Entrepreneurship Food Truck" event.
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.
Thank you to their awesome coaches, Fenton teachers Kellie Engle and Ashley Giganti.
The team left too early for a State Bound sendoff breakfast, but students and staff still posed for photos wishing good luck to the traveling Bison.
Flag Football Players Sign to Play in College
Congratulations to Kinsley Mann and Ava Gonzalez for signing to continue their flag football careers at College of DuPage. This year was the first season that girls flag football was an IHSA sanctioned sport, and both student athletes were instrumental in the development and growth of Fenton’s team.
Kinsley plays wide receiver and scored an epic 40-yard touchdown that is among the top plays in the Bison 2024-2025 highlight reel. Ava is credited as one of Fenton’s best centers, reliably snapping the ball before running routes.
Literary Legends!
Congratulations to Fenton’s Kaleidoscope Literary Magazine and all its student authors for their success at Friday’s Upstate Eight Literary Festival held at Glenbard South.
Shout Out to…
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Francesca Parrino, who took third place in Short Fiction,
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Kaitlyn Sisto, who took first place in Personal Essay,
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Lucy Johnson, who received an honorable mention in Spoken Word Poetry,
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Wren Hamilton, who received second place in Personal Essay,
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Maya Mroszczak, who received an honorable mention in Personal Essay,
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Daniel Garfias, who received first place in Dramatic Script, and
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Elijah Rivera, who received third place, first place, AND a Critic’s Choice Award in Poetry!
Preparing for International Guests
On Thursday, Fenton’s International Club made German style soft pretzels and did German Trivia in preparation for the German Exchange students that will arrive at Fenton on Tuesday, April 15.
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 16 – Juniors take the ACT
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April 17 – Freshmen and Sophomores take the PreACT
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April 18 – No School
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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