Our School

About MES

"All of us at MES always try to do our best!"

The origins of a formal school system in Mokena date back to a log cabin on Route 30 in 1834.  That log cabin school has evolved into what is now three schools in Mokena School District 159.  

The current design of Mokena Elementary School, MES for short, is made up of an elementary school constructed in the 1950s and an intermediate school constructed in 1969.  In 1995 an addition was added to join the two schools to respond to the rapid enrollment that evolved from the housing boom in Mokena.  At that time, enrollment at MES was roughly 1,500 students, grades Pre-K through Fifth grades.

Today, MES is the home of the Stars.  We educate students from Pre-K through Third Grade, with an enrollment of approximately 700 students.  Basically, we are a large school in a small district.

MES proudly boasts a strong staff with long tenure, whose history in the district provides perspective and a deep understanding of the Mokena community during times of change and transition.  Many of our staff members are members of the Mokena community and have sent their children through the Mokena Schools.  This is just one of the many reasons MES is able to maintain a sense of community, regardless of the physical size of the building.

Here are some important facts for you to know about Mokena Elementary School:

  • Mokena Elementary School is commonly known as MES.

  • It is the only Pre-K through Third-grade elementary school in the district.

  • Students attend Mokena Intermediate School in the Fourth and Fifth Grades.

  • Students attend Mokena Junior High for Sixth through Eighth Grades.

  • Our school consists of the original Willowcrest School in the south wing, the original Mokena Elementary School in the north wing, then combining the two schools with an addition in the middle in 1995.  We have a lot of history in our school!

  • Our mascot is Starry the Star.

  • Our colors are green and yellow.

  • Our enrollment is roughly 700 students.

  • Our school has seven sections for each grade Kindergarten through Third Grade.

  • We have four playgrounds.

  • We have three gyms.

  • We offer after-school enrichment programs.

  • Right At School is our before and after-school program.  It is privately run and not affiliated with the Mokena School District.  More information can be found on their website.

  • We are a school that implements Positive Behavior Intervention Supports to teach students appropriate school-based behaviors to increase their engagement in the curriculum.  More information about PBIS can be found here.

  • All grade levels teach a social-emotional learning curriculum called Second Step.  More information about Second Step can be found here.

  • We have an award-winning Preschool Program called Early Start for students ages 3-5 who meet the criteria for enrollment.  More information about Early Start can be found here.

     

We are proud of our school and our students. Thank you for visiting our webpage.