The safety of our students is always a top priority. The administration and board of education takes very seriously their responsibility to ensure the safety of the students. OLCHS has a plan in place to handle emergency situations, and our staff has made great strides in recent years to increase security.

Beginning later this month, you will see more evidence of this commitment to security in the form of "no concealed carry" signs posted around campus. The Illinois' concealed carry law was passed in 2013 and allows individuals to apply for licenses to carry a concealed firearm. However, carrying a concealed weapon is prohibited in school buildings or on school property, according to the law (430 ILCS 66/). Public Act 98-63 requires that schools, hospitals, most buildings of the State's executive or legislative branch agencies, public parks, sports stadiums, and museums post this sign.

In an effort to keep our students safe and to be in compliance with state law, OLCHS will display the Illinois State Police issued signs shown in this notice on our school doors to remind those with concealed carry licenses that firearms are not permitted in Oak Lawn Community High School or on school grounds such as the Spartan Athletic Complex.

In addition, parents and students are reminded of the zero tolerance policy enforced by the Oak Lawn Police Department regarding driving violations within the school zone. Some of the violations include: no phone usage, no texting while driving, speeding in a school zone, passing a school bus while loading or unloading, and seat belt violations to name a few.

Keeping our students safe is a top priority, and the administration is grateful for the police presence around our schools to help enforce these laws. Your efforts and cooperation in keeping our schools safe is appreciated.  <<read more>>

It was obvious from the first day LaTondra Brooks stepped onto the Spartan Gymnasium floor that she was no ordinary girls' basketball player. Even as a sophomore, she displayed dynamic moves and a hunger to put the ball in the basket. So three years later, it is no surprise that LaLa has eclipsed the 1,000 career-point mark and has set the Oak Lawn Community High School All-Time Record for Career Points.

Friday night in a South Suburban Conference crossover game against TF South, she entered with 1,231 career points, and Kathy Krzak's record of 1,235 rested on the record board having not been touched since it was established in 1999. However, when Brooks buried a three-point basket in the first quarter to build a nearly insurmountable lead against the Rebels, LaLa had taken over sole control of the record. She went on to score 15 points in the game, and the Spartans cruised to victory.

"LaTondra has been a great addition to our program," head girls basketball coach Janet Meyers said. "She has made everyone on the floor better players because of her unselfish passing and ability to make things happen on the court. She is very humble and her teammates respect her for that."

While the individual scoring record is a great accomplishment, even more impressive is the success the team as a whole has attained since Brooks joined the squad. In her three years at Oak Lawn, the Spartans won the SSC Red Championship last year, narrowly missed the title the year before, and they are in the driver's seat to make it back-to-back titles so far this season. In fact, Oak Lawn has posted an overall record of 56-15 (counting Tuesday's win over Argo) in the three years since Brooks' arrival and a conference mark of 27-7. The Spartans are 17-1 overall and 7-1 in conference this year.

But it has not only been scoring for Brooks. When Meyers says that LaLa gets the other girls involved, she is not kidding. She has amassed 349 assists, and she has totaled 478 steals for her career.  <<read more>>

A Financial Aid Workshop will take place on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Media Center. Any senior attending a college in the fall of 2014, or any junior student who will graduate in January 2015, should fill out the 2014-15 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). OLCHS counselors and volunteers from the Illinois Assistance Commission will provide hands-on assistance in filling out this information. Please bring the following information for both the parent and student: 2013 tax forms and W-2's (e.g. 1040a, 1040), any untaxed income information, such as social security, disability, etc., current bank statements, social security cards, driver's license, records of business, farm, and assets (stocks and bonds), PIN numbers (obtained at www.pin.ed.gov) and a calculator. If you have questions about this event, please contact Guidance Counselor Susan Szala at 708/741-5631 or Kelly Kenny at 708/741-5853.  <<read more>>

Each year, LifeSource offers area high schools the opportunity to earn valuable scholarship money. Oak Lawn Community High School has earned the scholarship money for the past five years. Schools who wish to participate must host a minimum of two blood drives per year. Parents and community members can also have their donation credited to their local high school every time they donate at a community donor center or mobile blood drive. By simply providing the OLCHS donor code of OL94, the school receives credit for the donation. Please refer to the LifeSource website for a convenient donor center at http://www.lifesource.org and be sure to mention donor code OL94 when donating blood. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to communicate with stakeholders, OLCHS partnered with SchoolMessenger on the development of our very own app. Download the app now for your smartphone or smartdevice using these links or search for the app by name, Oak Lawn CHS - in the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android. 

Family and friends will gather to honor the late Megan Hurckes with a birthday bowling benefit at Arena Lanes on Saturday, February 1, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. The friends and family of Megan Hurckes are honoring her birthday by participating in one of her favorite past times -bowling.

Megan is the late daughter of former Oak Lawn trustee Jerry Hurckes. Since Megan's death at age ten in 2009, the Hurckes have celebrated Megan's birthday by raising money for a good cause. The Hurckes Family is taking over Arena Lanes to raise money for the Megan Hurckes Scholarship Fund. Rather than mourn her death, the family started the fund as a way to celebrate Megan's life and keep her name and memory alive. "When Megan passed away we asked people not to give flowers but donate to a memorial fund," Jerry Hurckes said.

The family have raised over $40,000, which has gone to high school students continuing on to college, grammar school students going to high school, the Children's Museum and Westside Baseball.

The bowling benefit/birthday party kicks off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2014, at Arena Lanes, at 4700 W. 103rd St. (103rd Street and Cicero Avenue).  <<read more>>

Tim Nickos was an amazing individual who lived every day to the fullest by inspiring and motivating others through his contagious smile and great sense of humor. Tim was to be the captain of the Oak Lawn Community High School varsity swim team his senior year and was also a proud member of the OLCHS band. Most importantly, Tim always provided for everyone around him. Tim was tragically taken from us in his sleep at the young age of 17. He had a heart condition called Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) that went undiagnosed. This led to cardiac arrhythmia, which took his life on June 28, 2011. 

Tickets are $25 for students or $30 for adults and include three games of bowling and dinner. There will also be a cash bar, raffle prizes and split the pot. Additional information is available on the OLCHS website.  <<read more>>