Fairmount Families Week END Report
09.09.2022
Happy Friday, Fairmount Families!
It was another wonderful week of learning, and I continue to be so very proud of all the amazing things our students and staff are engaging in each and every day.
Our school completed our first safety drill (announced fire drill) of the school year, and everyone did an exceptional job. Information regarding upcoming safety drills will continue to be communicated through the Week "End" Report, and a follow-up message will be sent to parents/guardians at the completion of each drill.
Thank you for your continued attention to the information and items below. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Lisa Niforatos, Principal
Be sure to follow me on Twitter @Fairmount58.
Please be sure to check out the "Lens into Learning" and "Celebration" sections later in the newsletter for photo highlights from the week.
Building Bricks - Being our Best!
We will be continuously supporting students (both in and out of the classroom) to Be Ready, In Control, Kind and Safe.
Early Dismissal Monday
Monday, September 12th, is a 2:00 p.m. dismissal for students. All students are dismissed at 2:00 p.m. according to their regular dismissal plan. Please be sure you have made arrangements for your child to be picked up from Fairmount at 2:00 p.m.
Fairmount School Curriculum Night - 09.14.2022
Please see below for the presentation times offered at each grade level:
6:00-6:25 p.m. - Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade Presentations
6:30-6:55 p.m. - Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Presentations
7:00-7:25 p.m. - 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Presentations
This evening is intended for parent(s)/guardian(s) only and is an opportunity to have a lens into your student's learning this school year. Please note, that the evening is not intended for discussions about individual students, as that opportunity will take place in October during scheduled Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Picture Day - 09.15.2022
Upcoming Safety Drills
Please know that all of the drills above will be announced to students and staff ahead of time, so everyone will be aware of the drill/practice. Additionally, teachers and staff will provide grade-level appropriate follow-up with their classes and ensure students are supported before, during, and after each safety drill.
This week students and staff will engage in the following:
Tuesday, September 13th - Active Threat/Intruder Drill (without DGPD)
Please check the "Look Ahead Section" for additional drill/practice days.
Health/Physical Examination & Immunization Record due October 15th
As required by law, all new students, as well as students entering grades K, 2 and 6, must receive health examinations and immunizations and submit completed health forms by October 15th. To learn more check out the Health Services page on the District 58 website.
Thank you to many of the families who have already completed and submitted these forms. If you have not already scheduled your appointment this is a good time to plan ahead! Failure to comply with these requirements by the end of the day on Oct 15, or 30 days following registration for first-time registrants, of the current school year will result in the student's exclusion from school until such requirements have been met according to Illinois law. All sections of the child examination form must be completed including the health history, which must be completed by the parent.
District 58 communicates frequently regarding these requirements as it is our hope to avoid school exclusion for all of our students. If you are in need of additional assistance, our school nurses, (Jenny Mazur (jmazur@dg58.org) and Susan Donahue (sdonahue@dg58.org), would be happy to assist you in accessing resources or assisting in removing other barriers to completing this requirement.
Lost and Found
Please note iPads, eyeglasses and other valuables will not be placed in the Lost and Found. If your child ever misplaces these items, please have them check with the office.
Staff members will support students that need to check the Lost and Found during the school day as needed. Unclaimed items will be donated on a bi-monthly basis.
NWEA MAP Testing
Kindergarten and Make-Up MAP testing occurred this week at Fairmount. As needed, we will continue to support any students who need to take part in make-up or completion testing.
Reports from the fall assessments will be sent home on Friday, September 23rd.
The data gathered from these and other benchmark assessments are accessed and reviewed by our teachers and staff to further support differentiated instruction and tiered supports.
Teacher Feature
We are so glad you are part of our school community! Whether this is your child's first or seventh year at Fairmount, we wanted to provide a fun way to get to know the many members of our teaching and school staff.
We hope you enjoy learning a little more about each of our staff members in the NEW weekly Teacher Feature.
Teacher Feature - Mrs. Brejcha
Role at Fairmount: 6th Grade Teacher
# of Years at Fairmount School: I taught at Fairmount for 10 years from 1994-2004. I returned to teach at Fairmount in 2011, so I'm now starting my 11th year back at Fairmount!
Favorite Food: Chicken or Eggplant Parmesan
If she is not at school, you can catch Mrs. Brejcha on the soccer sideline or on the tennis court cheering on one of my three kids!
Favorite Quote: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou
The best thing about working with children every day is... Seeing the "a-ha" moment in their eyes when they understand something challenging.
PTA - Spirit Wear Sales
The 2022 Fairmount Spiritwear Sale has started! You can order online at
2022 Fall Spiritwear - Fairmount | Complete Image Apparel, LLC | powered by OrderMyGear (itemorder.com) A portion of all sales comes back to Fairmount. Orders are due by Friday, September 23, 2022. Any questions, please contact Vicki Epperly at vepperly@gmail.com.
Safe 2 Help
District 58 has partnered with Safe2Help to give students a safe and confidential way to report potential threats or crises. Safe2Help was launched by the State of Illinois in December 2020 and aims to help prevent suicide, bullying, school violence and other threats to school safety.
With Safe2Help, students can connect with a trained crisis professional during their own crisis, or to report a potential threat. Students can submit a Safe2Help alert via the following ways:
- Website: https://app.safe22helpil.com
- Text: SAFE2 (72332)
- Phone: 844-4-SAFEIL (844-472-3345)
- App: "Safe2Help Illinois" app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
- Email: HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com
All alerts are responded to by a trained Safe2Help crisis professional. Safe2Help is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
District 58 staff are not the initial responders to the alert and will receive each alert after the Safe2Help professional provides support. District 58 staff will review alerts sent by Safe2Help during regular school hours, unless the nature of the alert necessitates immediate school action.
Learn more about Safe2Help and District 58's crisis resources.
Attendance & Change of Dismissal
If your child's dismissal plan will be different (e.g. not taking the bus), please communicate this to both the school secretaries and classroom teacher as promptly as possible. This is especially important for our younger students, so we can support their dismissal process. In the event of a last-minute change, we ask that you please call the school office (630-719.5830) as staff members may not check their emails prior to daily dismissal.
Lens into Learning
Kinders CAN!
Amazing Art
Loving Learning...
Celebrating Students
A few individual and a whole class Positive Office Referral to wrap-up a great week.
Mark your Calendars!
09.12: Happy Monday! Wear Orange!
09.13: Active Threat/Intruder Drill; 6:30-7:30 p.m. PTA Meeting
09.14: Curriculum Night 6:00-7:30 p.m.
09.15: School Picture Day (see above for ordering information)
09.16: Falcon Friday- show your school colors!
09.16-09.17: Education Foundation Oktoberfest (Click HERE for more information)
A Look Ahead...
09.20: Active Threat/Intruder Drill with the Downers Grove Police Department
09.26: Bus Evacuation Drill with First Student
10.06: Fire Drill with Downers Grove Fire Department
10.10: No School - Columbus Day
10.18 & 10.20: Evening Parent Teacher Conferences
10.21: No School Students (Parent/Teacher Conferences/School Improvement)
Calendar Highlights:
Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 23-25, 2022
Winter Break: Dec. 19, 2022 -Jan. 2, 2023
Spring Break: March 27-31, 2023
Last Day of School: Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (if no emergency days are used)
Cub Scouts Opportunity
Below the Line
Birthdays, Celebrations & Additional Information
Please note, no food or edible treats may be brought in on/around your child's birthday, however, you are welcome to send a small token (pencil, sticker, etc.) on/around their birthday if you choose to do so. If you choose to do this, please make sure there is one for each child in their classroom.
Along with the above, teachers cannot support your student in distributing birthday invitations unless one is provided for each member of the class. If you would like your child's teacher to distribute an invitation for each member of their class, we kindly ask you not to put names on the invitations as this supports the distribution process.
A friendly reminder that teachers and office staff cannot provide contact information, student names, etc. if requested by individual parents. The best way to gain access to this information is by joining the PTA as you will then be able to access any families who have opted into PTA communications.
If you do not want your child celebrated on their birthday, please contact the school office. We will not post/include birthday photos for anyone who has opted into our Do Not Photo list.
Phone/Wearable Technology Use
While a student can bring their electronic device (including cell phones and AirPods) to school, all non-district-issued technologies are to be silenced and out of sight throughout the school day. Students are allowed to wear smartwatches, but they are to be silenced during the school day. The district-provided technology will be utilized for students to participate in lessons and complete assignments. Please be sure to go over the expectations with your student as the policy was recently amended.
District 58 Handbook
District 58 has published the 2022-23 Schools of 58: A Handbook for Families. Please take time to review this important handbook with your child, as it offers an overview of the District’s policies, procedures, resources and student expectations. During the first full week of school, all families will receive a handbook receipt to sign, acknowledging that they and their child reviewed and understood the handbook. Please sign and return the handbook receipt at Curriculum Night or sooner. Here are the links to this year’s family handbook. If you need a print copy, please contact the school office at 630-719-5830, and we can print you a copy.
Fairmount Office Contact Information
Lisa Niforatos, Principal lniforatos@dg58.org
Jillian DeRango, Secretary jderango@dg58.org
Jill Darrah, Secretary jdarrah@dg58.org
Email: lniforatos@dg58.org
Website: www.dg58.org/fa/
Location: 6036 Blodgett Avenue, Downers Grove, IL, USA
Phone: 630.719.5830
Twitter: @Fairmount58