Preschool – 6th Grade
Charger News
11/3/25
Early Release Day – Tuesday, November 4
Students will be released early on Tuesday, November 4 for Teacher In-Service Day.
- Elementary School Early Release at 11:15 AM
- Junior High & High School Early Release at 11:30 AM
- Preschool Early Release at 11:30 AM
A Month of Giving
As we enter this Thanksgiving season, we have three special opportunities to live out of faith by giving to those in need. See below for three special giving opportunities at ILS this month: Fill the Van, HTP, and Thanksgiving baskets.
Thanksgiving Baskets
We are partnering with Alicia’s House in South Chicago Heights, to provide Thanksgiving meals to the poor. From November 10-12, each classroom will have a collection bin to collect the following items.
- Boxed stuffing
- Boxed dessert mixes – such as brownies
- Boxed bread items – quick breads, muffins, cornbread, etc.
The class with the most donations will win a prize. If we hit our school goal of 300 items donated, the whole school will receive a special treat!
HTP Foundation
Sixth grade students have organized the HTP (Helping the Poor) Foundation with the goal of raising funds to help those in physical and spiritual need in our community and around the world. Every Tuesday morning in November and December beginning November 4, HTP will be selling snacks before school (7:30-7:50). All proceeds will be split between the Crete Food Pantry and mission work in Nepal.
Alumni Association Charger Christmas Ornaments – Orders Due by November 10
The Charger Alumni Association is selling Illinois Lutheran Charger themed ornaments to raise money for tuition assistance. These ornaments are hand crafted one-of-a-kind ornaments and are made to order. Makes a great Christmas gift for your Charger!
How much would you like to donate? Your purchase means that you have purchased an ornament, which makes a donation to Illinois Lutheran tuition assistance. Please submit one order per ornament with payment and be sure to include which design you would like in the notes.
Questions? Contact Jen Ovadenko, Alumni Coordinator, at jovadenko@ilhs.org. Thank you for your support!
It’s a Wonderful Christmas Miracle
A play that recreates favorite scenes from classic Christmas movies to spur childhood recollections, create new memories, or simply renew your faith in the things that truly matter.
Performances: Friday and Saturday, November 21-22, 7:00 p.m. November 23rd, 3.00pm
Place: Illinois Lutheran High School Gym 1610 Main St, Crete, IL 60417
Ticket Price: Free will donations
Concessions will be available for purchase through the Charger Booster Association.
Wreath Sale – Deadline November 12
The Illinois Lutheran High School National Honor Society is selling live greens to be delivered for the Christmas season. If you are interested in purchasing any beautiful wreaths, roping, or swags for Christmas decorations, please get in touch with a National Honor Society member or contact Mrs. Katty Van Arnold at kvanarnold@ilhs.org. Orders are due by Wednesday, November 12.
Scholarship Opportunity for 6th Graders
Illinois Lutheran works with LINK Unlimited Scholars, where minority students complete a six-year fellowship that is advanced through one-on-one mentoring. Their programming elements include Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, Career Exposure, and College Access. There are eligibility requirements and an application process. Applications are now open through February 7, 2026.
Fundraise the Roof
The ILES roof was in need of replacement before the start of the school year. The voters at Trinity Lutheran Church approved the replacement project at a cost of $187,000 and now are conducting a “Fundraise the Roof” Campaign to pay for the project. To support the project, you can give online at trinitycrete.org. As always, we appreciate your support in our fundraising efforts. The first of which is a Thanksgiving bake sale where a portion of the proceeds will go to the project.
Veterans Day Breakfast – November 14
Illinois Lutheran High School will be hosting a Veterans Day Breakfast on Friday, November 14 from 9 – 11:30 AM. A light breakfast will be served. Veterans are welcome to attend and bring a spouse or family member. All veterans are welcome to bring photos, medals, or memorabilia. This is an opportunity for students to learn first-hand accounts of the veterans’ experiences.
If you are interested in attending or volunteering, please RSVP by email to Debbie Biasella-Cantu at dbcantu66@gmail.com or by text/call to 708.899.9517. You can also call the high school office at 708.672.3262 with your name and how many will be attending. Hope to see you there!
ILS Christmas Service and Concert
We are looking forward to celebrating Christmas with you in a few months. We want to share some changes we are making to our services and concerts so that you can plan to attend those in which your child(ren) is/are involved. We are involving the junior high students in the elementary school service to provide opportunities for them to lead and provide an opportunity for our PreK-8 students to worship together. Save the following dates on your calendars:
- Thursday, December 11 @ 7:00 PM – High School Christmas Concert (High School Band and Choir)
- Sunday, December 14 @ 2:00 PM – PreK-8 Christmas Service (Junior High Band will play preservice music for this service)
Charger Booster Association Meeting – Wednesday, November 12
Our next Charger Booster Association Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the high school campus in the multipurpose room. We look forward to seeing you there!
Mark Your Calendars
This Week
- November 4 – Early Release
- November 7 – Fill the Van Food Drive
- November 9 – Grade 1-2 sing at Zion, 9 am
Other Upcoming Dates :
- November 13 – Preschool & Kindergarten Field Trip
- November 14 – Veteran’s Day Breakfast at HS, Grade 1-2 sing
- November 21-23 – High School Play
- November 23 – Grade 1-2 sing at Trinity, 8 am
- November 26-28 – No School, Thanksgiving Break
- December 6 – Crete Country Christmas at ILS
- December 14 – Grades PreK-8 Christmas Service, 2 pm