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Week of January 5 to January 9 2026
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Update from Superintendent Bentsen
Dear Fenton School Community,
Welcome to 2026! Thank you for an outstanding first semester of the school year!! Highlights include:
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We started the year with the opening of our new STEM Wing, a monumental construction project that hasn’t happened for 50 years!
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We had an incredible 100th Annual Band & Choir Holiday Concert December 14th that was standing room only, filled with many alumni from around the country;
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Ezrael Lukman (cello) and Jan David Olmos (choir, Bass I) were selected to the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All State Honors Band and Honors Choir, which perform in January at the festival in Peoria, while Faith Wrzeciona was selected for the Future Music Educators Seminar;
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Our fall play “The Suessification of Romeo and Juliet” was Seuss-sational;
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Girls Cross Country qualified to the IHSA State Finals as a team for only the second time in school history, while senior Josslyn Wade earned the All-State Runner designation for the THIRD time after finishing 9th out of 236 runners at State;
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Matthew Anderson qualified for the IHSA Boys Cross Country State Finals;
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Our fantastic team of employees in the Athletic Department and the Building and Grounds Department did a great job hosting the IHSA Regional and Sectional tournaments;
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22 seniors earned National Recognition from the College Board for outstanding academic achievement;
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Boys soccer won their fourth Regional Championship in five years;
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The golf team met and received feedback from retired PGA Golfer Pete Jordan, who graduated from Fenton in 1982;
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Alita Thach was the first girls golfer to qualify to Sectionals since 2011, while Logan Krajecki also qualified to the golf Sectionals;
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19 students were recognized for earning 5 out of 5 points on their Advanced Placement (AP) exams last spring; and
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We had a generous donation from the Chicago Bears that allowed us to provide an extra Food For Families event during a difficult and uncertain stretch of time.
Attendance is Key to Success
Perhaps our biggest accomplishment was right before Winter Break when we delivered cookies to all freshmen for winning an attendance challenge.
We want to see our students all day, every day. Being in school is the best way to…
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Grow academically
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Develop friendships
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Form healthy habits
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Prepare for the future
As we start the second half of our school year, let’s continue our commitment to being at school and to being on-time.
Fenton’s Winningest Boys Basketball Coach
Congratulations to Coach Chaz Taft for becoming the winningest Boys Basketball Coach in Fenton history.
Coach Taft earned his 123th win as the Fenton varsity coach after a 44-31 victory over Woodstock North on December 20, 2025. That moved him one ahead of retired Coach Dennis Cromer’s record of 122 wins.
You can read more about Coach Taft and his time as Fenton’s coach a little later in this newsletter, but it was an honor to recognize him before Friday’s Pack the Place game. Coach Taft is one of the many major assets our school has on staff and we’re glad here’s here at Fenton.
Future Freshmen Night
As we get started on Semester 2, next year’s freshmen Class of 2030 will be here on Thursday, January 15 to get started on next school year. We know some of them are current Fenton Families with a second or third student about to become a Fenton Bison.
The purpose of this program is to assist in the transition from middle school to high school, explain the course selection process, and build awareness of elective courses and extracurricular opportunities.
The evening schedule includes:
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6 p.m. – Principal's Welcome Message at 6 p.m. in the Front Gym
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6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Electives Fair and Building Tours starting in the cafeteria
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7:30 to 8 p.m. – Activities and Athletics Fair in the Front Gym
Our Link Crew, which is made up of current juniors and seniors, will be available to help families navigate the building during each activity and answer any questions our guests might have about Fenton.
We look forward to meeting all of our new students on Thursday! Thank you to all the students and teachers who will join us in welcoming this next generation of Fenton Bison.
Again, welcome back!
Sam Bentsen, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Drive Safe in our Neighborhoods
As we return to school and build our routines for this semester, Fenton reminds all drivers to be courteous and safe while traveling through the neighborhoods around school. We need to be good neighbors to all the homes that surround our school.
It’s important to always focus on the road, obey the speed limit, and drive defensively. Drivers should be aware of crosswalks, especially along Grove Avenue, and yield to pedestrians as they approach the roadway.
Glenbard Parent Series Offers Two Great Parent Programs in January
Fenton is affiliated with the Glenbard Parent Series, which is a large group of area schools working together to find guest speakers and produce informative literature to help families navigate life with a growing teenager.
On January 13, guest speaker Dr. Ken Ginsburg will share tips on guiding teens to develop independence and coping skills so they can navigate their own journey. This program is free and available on Zoom at 7 p.m.
Author Kirsten Jones will lead a discussion on January 21 titled “Empowered Athletes: Fostering Confidence for Peak Performance” on Zoom at noon and 7 p.m.
Both events are free of charge and open to the public!
We invite parents to bookmark their website https://gpsparentseries.org/ and sign up for their emails.
SEL/PBIS Monthly Newsletter
As we wrapped up the first semester in December, our focus has been on creating a school environment that is both respectful and supportive. From cleaning up our shared spaces to preparing for final exams, our students have shown incredible growth in their social and emotional skills.
We celebrated our students' hard work during our monthly Redemption Day! Students were able to use their hard-earned "Be REAL" stamps to purchase…
Click here to continue reading the December 2025 newsletter from Ms. Melissa To, Fenton’s PBIS and SEL Coordinator.
Fenton Teachers Keep Learning!
Even teachers continue to learn! As we prepared to welcome students back to school, our teachers gathered for a full of professional development on Monday, January 5.
Teachers and administrators broke into small groups to discuss a data dive on a wide array of Fenton metrics shown on the Illinois School Report Card.
Together we also learned about best practices for Artificial Intelligence, such as Google Gemini.
And a huge Bison Thank You to Dr. Mike Manderino from Northern Illinois University for his outstanding breakout sessions on Disciplinary Literacy.
Fenton is Looking for Career Week Guest Speakers
We are still seeking alumni, Fenton Families, and local organizations that are willing to share their career experiences with our students during the upcoming Career Week.
These new Career Talk sessions will take place on Tuesday, February 24th and Wednesday, February 25th and provide students with the opportunity to engage in small-group conversations with professionals about career journeys, day-to-day work, and advice for the future.
Each session is approximately 40 minutes. Participants are welcome to sign up for up to two sessions, if your schedule allows!
For more information, send an email to papanicolaou@fenton100.org, alumni@fenton100.org, or both.
Fenton Tri-M Music Honor Society Wins 2026 ILMEA Outstanding Service Award
Congratulations to the students in Fenton’s Tri-M Music Honor Society Chapter 6807 and their Faculty Advisor, Mrs. Seredy Williams, for being selected for the 2026 ILMEA Outstanding Service Award.
The Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) advocates for and celebrates music in schools while also providing professional development to teachers across the state. ILMEA hosts district and state-level festivals to recognize student performers and conduct workshops.
ILMEA’s Outstanding Service Award is given to Illinois Music Honors Society Chapters to recognize outstanding and ongoing service to the school and community in which the chapter is located. The award is not given every year, but instead only when exemplary nominations are received.
Tri-M Music Honor Society (formerly Modern Music Masters) is an international honor society that was founded in 1936 in Park Ridge, Illinois, for middle and high school students (grades 6-12) that recognizes musical and academic excellence, leadership, and community service through music, operating as a program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).
A Fenton Tri-M student is a dedicated and accomplished musician recognized for excellence in scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Tri-M members actively participate in the curricular music ensembles throughout their high school years and maintain strong academic performance, earning a minimum 3.0 GPA in both music courses and overall academics.
Tri-M students demonstrate leadership by engaging in advanced musical opportunities such as honor ensembles, solo and ensemble performances, extracurricular groups, private lessons, musical productions, and special concerts. They show commitment through their attendance and beyond the classroom by taking initiative, challenging themselves musically, and representing their school with pride.
Service is a key part of Tri-M membership. Members give back to their school and community through leadership roles, tutoring other students, organizing music resources, assisting with concerts, participating in service projects, and completing independent community service tied to music.
Above all, Tri-M students model outstanding character. They maintain perfect attendance at performances and consistently demonstrate responsibility, honesty, respect, reliability, punctuality, and strong citizenship. A Tri-M music student is not only a skilled performer, but also a role model and advocate for music education who positively impacts their music program, school, and community.
Mrs. Williams serves as the faculty advisor for the Tri-M Music Honor Society at Fenton and has taught at Fenton since 2007. She currently teaches choir, piano, and career internship courses. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she serves as an instructional coach and is an active member of the Diversity Committee, DELT Committee, and PBIS Committee. She is the director of the Swing Choir and co-vocal director of the Spring Musical.
Midwest Honors!
Congratulations to our six Fenton band students who were accepted to the Elmhurst University Midwest Honor Band based on their musical resumes and previous achievements. Join us in congratulating:
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Denisse Hermida – Percussion;
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Paula Serpa – Tenor Sax;
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Garrett Wawczak – Trombone;
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Yoselin Colin – Clarinet;
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Bella Van – Clarinet; and
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Abby Schmidt – Flute
These six musicians will have the opportunity to prepare and perform a concert with 65-70 of their peers from around the Midwest on Saturday, January 17th at 4:00 PM at Elmhurst University's Hammerschmidt Chapel.
Taft Becomes Fenton's Winningest Boys Basketball Coach in School History
Congratulations to Coach Chaz Taft for becoming the winningest Boys Basketball Coach in Fenton history.
Coach Taft earned his 123th win as the Fenton varsity coach after a 44-31 victory over Woodstock North on December 20, 2025. That moved him one ahead of retired Coach Dennis Cromer’s record of 122 wins.
Fenton recognized this accomplishment and honored Coach Taft prior to Friday's game, which was our first home game after returning from Winter Break.
Prior to joining Fenton in 2016, Coach Taft was the head boys basketball coach at South Elgin and Waubonsie Valley, and the head coach at Notre Dame for Girls. Coach Taft surpassed 300 career wins in February 2025 – a huge coaching milestone.
“As a 1996 Fenton alum, I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity to make an impact at the school and in the community that gave me so much,” Coach Taft said. “All credit goes to my student athletes and their dedicated families. They put in the work, they believed in themselves, and they trusted each other with a shared goal for our team.”
Under Coach Taft’s leadership, Fenton won 17 consecutive games against Upstate Eight Conference opponents spanning from the 2022-2023 season into the 2023-2024 season.
The 2023-2024 team won the Upstate Eight Conference Championship while setting the best single season record in school history at 28-5. It was the first time Fenton won a conference championship outright since 1949. Fenton previously tied for first place in the Metro Suburban Conference in 2011.
The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association selected Alejandro Diaz and Xavior Gonzalez for All-State Recognition in 2024, and later selected Coach Taft as District 7 Co-Coach of the Year.
Alejandro Diaz also was named the 2024 Upstate Eight Conference Player of the Year and he currently holds the all-time school records for scoring, assists, steals, and blocks. In total, 14 players in Coach Taft’s nearly nine years as coach have been selected for All-Conference honors.
Three players have eclipsed more than 1,000 points scored during their varsity career, which is a rare high school accomplishment. Those players include:
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Diamon King (2020)
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Alejandro Diaz (2024)
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Xavior Gonzalez (2024)
Seven of Coach Taft’s Fenton players have continued their basketball careers in college, including:
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Amari Reed (2018) - Aurora University
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Diamon King (2020) - Benedictine University
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Andre Reed (2020) - Benedictine University
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Sherby Brown (2021) - Culver Stockton College
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Caleb Lewis (2023) - Rockford University
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Alejandro Diaz (2024) - North Central College
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Xavior Gonzalez (2024) - Elgin Community College
"Coach Taft's basketball program exemplifies the high standard Fenton Athletics strives to provide for all of our student athletes,” said Pedro Rodriguez, Director of Athletics and Division Leader for PE, Health, and Driver’s Education. “We are proud to have him on our staff as a teacher and coach."
Fenton Seeks Cafeteria Workers
Fenton's cafeteria vendor, Whitsons Culinary Group, is seeking new Fenton team members in the following areas:
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Cook
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Food Service Worker
Anyone who is interested can contact recruiter@whitsons.com or click here to visit their website.
Noteworthy Dates
- January 15 – Future Freshmen Welcome Night, 6 pm
- January 15 – Padres Unidos, 6:45 pm
- January 16 – Tri-District Choral Festival, 12 pm
- January 19 – No School - MLK Day
- January 27 – Talent Show Auditions, 3:30 pm
- January 28 – Spring Musical Auditions, 3:30 pm
- January 28 – Talent Show Auditions, 3:30 pm
- January 28 – Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm
- January 29 – Spring Musical Auditions, 3:30 pm
- January 30 – Spring Musical Auditions, 3:30 pm
- February 2 – NHS Winter Community Service Deadline
- February 5 – Future Ready Fenton Day
- February 5 – PreACT (juniors) and ACCESS Testing