![A cross country runner holding up her medal]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762920876/fenton100org/lym7zbdwbtzpji3hs8pw/Preview-of-Josslyn-Wade-All-State-Runner-2025.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762920876/fenton100org/lym7zbdwbtzpji3hs8pw/Preview-of-Josslyn-Wade-All-State-Runner-2025.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762920876/fenton100org/lym7zbdwbtzpji3hs8pw/Preview-of-Josslyn-Wade-All-State-Runner-2025.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762920876/fenton100org/lym7zbdwbtzpji3hs8pw/Preview-of-Josslyn-Wade-All-State-Runner-2025.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1762920876/fenton100org/lym7zbdwbtzpji3hs8pw/Preview-of-Josslyn-Wade-All-State-Runner-2025.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1762920876/fenton100org/lym7zbdwbtzpji3hs8pw/Preview-of-Josslyn-Wade-All-State-Runner-2025.jpg","width":1656}])
Week of November 3 to November 7 2025
Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic en la bandera en la esquina inferior derecha y cambie el idioma.
Update from Superintendent Bentsen
Dear Fenton School Community,
Congratulations to our Girls Cross County Team for qualifying to the IHSA State Finals. This is only the second time our girls TEAM has ever qualified for State, which marks a huge accomplishment.
The only other trip to State was in 2012 when Assistant Coaches Gissel Garcia and Mimi Valois were students on the team. It’s truly inspiring for our students to have coaches who are alumni that can speak to the exact situations, goals, and experiences our students are having.
Leading the way on our girls team was senior Josslyn Wade, who qualified for State on her own each of the last two years. This year she went for the third straight time and took her teammates with! Josslyn finished #9 out of 236 runners at state and earned the All-State Runner designation for the third straight year! Only the top 25 finishers are considered All-State Runners.
Josslyn qualified for state by taking 2nd Place at the Sectional Meet on November 1 and 2nd Place at Regionals the weekend before that. Very Impressive!
Congratulations to Coach Frank Kekstadt and his entire program for this incredible achievement!
Let’s also congratulate Matthew Andersen of the boys cross country team. He qualified for state individually and had a great experience competing at the highest level. Thank you to Matthew and his family for their devotion to our boys cross country program. Hats off to Coach Patrick Fritsch and his staff for their mentorship.
Our achievements inside the building are just as incredible!
At its October meeting, the Fenton Board of Education recognized 22 seniors who earned National Recognition from the College Board for outstanding academic achievements.
The award requires students to have a B+ GPA at the time they take the PSAT/NMSQT mid-junior year, and their score must fall within a certain range. Students can also be selected if they had a B+ GPA mid-junior year and earned a 3 or higher on at least 2 AP exams.
Students could receive the First Generation Award by meeting the same academic criteria but also being the first in their immediate family to complete a college degree. Eleven (11), or half of our recipients, doubled up with both awards.
Only 15% of high school students nationwide received these recognitions!
Congratulations to the following National Recognition recipients:
- Mawedda Abu-Shukhaidem
- Leslie Anzueto Palomeque
- Alec Brixius
- Casey Brock
- Giselle Castillo
- Marina Di Tullio
- Angel Garcia Roberto
- Kimberly Hernandez Vazquez
- Arturo Hurtado Jr.
- Oliwia Idziak
- Isaac Kashif
- Maja Makowska
- Isabella Medina
- Jan Olmos
- Sean Saltenberger
- Matthew Sarad
- Piotr Szostek
- Olivia Vallone
- Josslyn Wade
- Emilia Wierzbicki
- Michael Wrona
- Emir Yabukoglu
Thank you to all our students for your hard work, to our families for your partnership, and to our teachers and coaches for your dedication.
Sam Bentsen, Ed.D.
Superintendent
New Options for Reporting Attendance
Fenton is excited to provide an update on options parents can use to report absences, including new features on ParentSquare and PowerSchool. Click here to read more.
Deadline Approaches for Alumni to Join Holiday Concert!
The historic 100th Annual Holiday Band & Choir Concert is at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 14, 2025 and we are very excited to host many, many returning alums and to celebrate 100 years of music education!
November 14 is the deadline for any alumni would like like to go on stage and JOIN our incredible students for a few songs under spotlight. Click here if you're an alum who would like participate in the show.
There are other important deadlines, including for merchandise and seats at a reception. For more information and to sign up to participate, please read the latest time updates from our Fenton Music Department:
SEL/PBIS Monthly Newsletter
Fenton staff members have been busy rewarding students with Be REAL stamps in their student planners for following our Be REAL school-wide expectations. This month, students were able to redeem their stamps for prizes during their lunch periods.
Students were able to purchase gift cards, movie passes, snacks, fidgets, and other prizes with their stamps. We will continue these rewards monthly to help motivate our students’ positive behavior.
Click here to continue reading the November 2025 newsletter from Ms. Melissa To, Fenton’s PBIS and SEL Coordinator.
Picture Day Retakes/Makeups are November 14
Student portraits for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors were on October 16 and proofs were delivered to Bison Time classes on Wednesday. Retake/makeup picture day is set for Friday, November 14 during Bison Time and all lunch periods.
The photos will be available for purchase by creating an account or logging into your existing account at www.lifetouch.com/. Parents also should have received emails directly from Lifetouch with links to their student’s photos.
For those who have not already ordered photos, pre-orders for the November 14 retakes can be made on the Lifetouch website with code EVT9HPHHD.
Extra paper order forms are also available in the main office and counseling office.
This retake/makeup day is not for seniors.
Drive Thru Food Pantries on November 25 and December 4
In response to the growing need during these uncertain times, the Fenton community is fundraising to bring more mobile food pantries to our school.
Fenton High School and the Bensenville-Wood Dale Food Pantry have a special Food For Families distribution on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. or while supplies last.
There is also a regularly scheduled Food For Families on Thursday, December 4 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
These unique opportunities are open to anyone in the area who is in need of food; supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first come first served basis. Please drive through our bus lane, remain inside your car, and open your trunk when you approach our teams.
Please do not line up before 3:30 p.m. due to school dismissal schedule.
Seeing Is NOT Believing While on Mind-Bending Field Trip
Our AP Psychology students recently visited the Museum of Illusions - Chicago, an interactive museum that brings to life key concepts from their units on sensation, perception, and cognition. Students quickly discovered that our senses—especially sight—can be easily deceived!
This exciting field trip also included a tour through Mindworks, a unique space created by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where behavioral science comes to life. Students engaged in hands-on exhibits and participated in real research exploring how and why people make the decisions they do. One key takeaway: before making a choice, it’s worth asking 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦—whether by advertisers, social media, schools, or even the people we love.
Thank you Ms. Rajendran for an incredible learning experience!
A Marathon of Healthy Habits
Sophomores earned a new appreciation for consistent exercise routines and accepting daunting challenges after participating in a makeshift "marathon" on Wednesday, October 29 during their PE classes with Ms. Izabelle Kopczewski and Mr. Chaz Taft.
Students trekked around the Fenton stadium until they completed two miles. Inflatable characters and upbeat music welcomed students as they progressed through the journey. Principal Kate Ward and other teachers visited to cheer and celebrate the sophomores.
Not many finished the "marathon" in one stride; most slowed to a walk or paused for snacks and water. But everyone eventually finished, proving that any challenge can be overcome. Ms. Kopczewski and Mr. Taft encouraged students to channel that feeling of accomplishment into a continuous healthy habit.
Alumni Visits to Share Career Experiences as an Occupational Therapist
Thank you to Laura Jennison, a Fenton Class of 2013 alum, for visiting with two of our Introduction to Health Care Occupation classes. Ms. Jennison shared her journey from Fenton through college and into her career as an occupational therapist. She explained the daily tasks, industry requirements, state regulations. She even provided examples of laws her clients might have to follow for their wide-ranging jobs, which she needs to stay informed on so she can plan rehabilitation exercises accordingly.
Fenton Blood Drive Helps 108 Patients
Students, staff, and community members once again rose to the occasion and helped save lives by donating blood. Fenton’s November 6th blood drive collected 36 units of blood and helped 108 future hospital patients.
The annual spring blood drive was coordinated and operated by the Student Council, with support from Ms. Lauren Lemm and Assistant Principal Julia Bray. A special thank you to Versiti Blood Centers for being our partner and allowing our students to engage in meaningful community service.
New in 2025 is the Double Red Cell Donations, also known as Power Red or Super Red. Donors who agreed to this new option sat for twice as much time as the machines collected blood and separated the red blood cells from the plasma platelets and then returned the plasma to the donor. This procedure allowed for twice as much blood to be collected from one person and for the blood to be used by hospitals much quicker. Five (5) Fenton donors volunteered for the Double Red Cell Donation.
From January through this November blood drive, Fenton High School’s three blood drives combined for 105 units of blood that potentially saved 315 lives!
Fall Choir Concert
Thank you to all the Fenton Families and community members who attended the Fall Choir Concert on Sunday, October 26. Students performed on stage in front of a live audience for the first time this year. Mark your calendars for the joint band and choir holiday concert, which is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 14 in the Auditorium. All are invited; the event is free and open to the public.
Noteworthy Dates
- November 13 – Vocal Solo & Ensemble Contest, 6 pm
- November 13 – Padres Unidos Meeting, 6:45 pm
- November 14 – Picture Retake and Make Up for Fresh/Soph/Jr., during school
- November 15 – ILMEA District 1 Jazz Festival
- November 19 – Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm
- November 25 – Food For Families Mobile Pantry Distribution, 4 to 5:30 p.m. while supplies last
- November 26 – Thanksgiving Break
- November 27 – Thanksgiving Break
- November 28 – Thanksgiving Break
- December 1 – NHS Fall Community Service Deadline
- December 4 – Food For Families Mobile Pantry Distribution, 4 to 5:30 p.m. while supplies last
- December 4 – Students on Stage (Bison Scripts) Showcase, 7 pm
- November 11 – Padres Unidos Meeting, 6:45 pm
- December 12 – Holiday Assembly
- December 13 – Recital for Band and Choir Holiday Concert
- December 14 – 100th Annual Band and Choir Holiday Concert, 2 pm