Fremont Elementary & Intermediate
Weekly Update - September 26 - September 30 2022
This year, the principals are writing a joint letter each month to highlight areas of shared focus. Our first letter is dedicated to student safety. Safety is an ongoing effort that requires regular review and consistent practice. We make sure to work with our students in an age-appropriate manner, so they feel safe and know what to do if an emergency arises.
Daily Safety Practices
Every day begins with all exterior doors being locked from the outside, with the exception of the door that leads into the vestibule. There are a large number of staff outside during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. Designated staff members have two-way radios, so that they can ask for immediate assistance if needed during arrival, dismissal, and lunch/recess. Students are instructed to refrain from opening any exterior doors for others. Staff remain diligent with wearing their ID lanyards at all times.
Ongoing Drill Practices
The drills that we practice throughout the school year are the bus evacuation drills, fire drills, tornado (shelter-in-place) drills, and our ALICE drills. In each instance, we take the time to talk to our students so they understand why we are practicing it, the importance of it, and what they need to do in any given situation. We also work hand in hand with the Countryside Fire Protection District and the Lake County Sheriff's Office along with Mundelein Police Department who provide guidance and feedback as we practice our drills.
Intruder Drills (ALICE)
As Dr. Kocanda and Lt. Keller referenced in last week’s letter, one of our most important drills is our Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate (ALICE) drill. The preparations for this drill begin in the classroom where teachers walk the students through the drill in a very step-by-step manner. At the PK-5 level, this begins with a book which guides our discussion, and at the Middle School level it is a classroom discussion. When we practice this drill, we partner with the Lake County Sheriff's Office (Mundelein Police Department at Lincoln) who are on site to observe and provide feedback. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and ensure the safety of the students. Parents will also be notified when we will be practicing these drills and will have the opportunity to opt out.
We are dedicated to the ongoing focus placed on school safety, as we are able to embed practices into our daily and regular routines. Our goal is to empower our students and staff with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively in the case of an emergency. If at any time you have questions, do not hesitate to contact your child’s building principal. Parents are important partners in our commitment to safety.
Sincerely,
Carol Bennett
Director of Education Programs and Preschool Principal
Stefan Ladenburger
K-5 Principal
Krista Winkelman
Middle School Principal
Half Day - Friday, September 30
Do not forget, we have a half day on Friday, September 30 with a dismissal time of 11:50 a.m.
Parent Volunteer Training
For any family members that would like to volunteer in the classroom, help at room parties, or attend field trips, we are inviting you to a parent volunteer training. We will review school procedures as well as ways you can help as a volunteer.
Dates for Training (Please choose the date that would work best for you)
9/26 @ 10:00 a.m. in IS LRC
10/12 @ 8:30 p.m. via Zoom (Link - Meeting ID - 296 279 3768 Password - fremont)
We look forward to partnering with you all to help support our students in a variety of ways.
Parent Focus Groups
Parents, we invite you to join us in shaping the future of Fremont School District 79. Our new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Trisha Kocanda, is hosting a series of upcoming parent focus groups over the next two months. Participants will be asked to reflect and share ideas to inform the District’s next Strategic Plan. Make plans to join us for one of these upcoming opportunities:
Wednesday, Sept. 21 – 7:30-8:15 p.m., Fremont Middle School DEN (following PTO meeting)
Tuesday, Sept. 27 – 9:15-10:00 a.m., Fremont Intermediate School
Tuesday, Oct. 11 – 7:00-8:00 p.m., Fremont Middle School DEN
Wednesday, Oct. 26 – 7:00-8:00 p.m., Fremont Middle School DEN (Spanish interpretation services provided)
Childcare for individuals ages 3+ will be provided for the two October dates by Fremont Middle School students.
To RSVP, please visit: https://forms.gle/XUmqegmnYwPzsGoCA
Padres, los invitamos a unirse a nosotros para dar forma al futuro del Distrito Escolar 79 de Fremont. Nuestra nueva Superintendente de Escuelas, la Dra. Trisha Kocanda, organizará una serie de próximos grupos de enfoque para padres durante los próximos dos meses. Se les pedirá a los participantes que reflexionen y compartan ideas para informar el próximo Plan Estratégico del Distrito. Haga planes para unirse a nosotros en una de estas próximas oportunidades:
Miércoles, 21 de septiembre – 7:30-8:15 p.m., Fremont Middle School DEN (después de la reunión del PTO)
Martes, 27 de septiembre – 9:15-10:00 a.m., Escuela Intermedia Fremont
Martes, 11 de octubre – 7:00-8:00 p.m., Fremont Middle School DEN
Miércoles, 26 de octubre – 7:00-8:00 p.m., Fremont Middle School DEN (servicios de interpretación en español proporcionados)
Los estudiantes de Fremont Middle School proporcionarán cuidado de niños para personas mayores de 3 años durante las dos fechas de octubre.
Para confirmar su asistencia, visite: https://forms.gle/XUmqegmnYwPzsGoCA
Updates From Our PTO
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
- The Fremont PTO would love to see you at our meetings this year! Meetings are on the third Wednesday of the month in the Middle School Den at 6:00 p.m. Our next meeting is on October 19. Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2022-2023 school year.
- Jimano's Pizza Fundraiser Tuesday, October 11! More information to follow.
- And our Holiday Boutique is back on Saturday, November 12. More information to follow.
PICTURE DAY- IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO ORDER YOUR COPIES!
Don't worry if you have not ordered your Picture Day pictures yet, you will still have a chance! When pictures arrive at school, you will receive a picture proof with an ordering code.You will be able to use that code to order photos directly from Color Portraits.
PANERA FUNDRAISING NIGHT!
Support Fremont PTO by ordering from Panera in Mundelein anytime Tuesday, September 27! Show them our flyer and 20% of the proceeds from your order will be donated to the PTO.
HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTY HOST SIGN UP
Sign up now to volunteer to be a Party Host at the Halloween class parties! Halloween parties will be held on Monday, October 31st. Party Times are as follows: K AM 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM, K PM & Grades 1-5 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m., Lincoln AM 10:45 - 11:30 a.m, Lincoln PM 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. Each class party is designated 3 Party Hosts. If more than 3 parents sign up for a classroom party, volunteers will be chosen at random. Please note: All remaining parents who have not been assigned to host a party will not be invited to attend the party.
The sign up will close on September 30. Volunteers that are chosen to be party hosts for the Halloween parties will be notified on October 5.
YEARBOOK INFO
Order your student's 2022-2023 yearbook before September 30 and get 10% off. Use the correct school code from our flyer when you order!
CHICAGO WOLVES GAME
Join the Fremont PTO at the Chicago Wolves Game on October 15. The Chicago Wolves will be raising the banner for the Calder Cup Champs at this game!
TRUNK OR TREAT
Mark your calendars! Our Trunk or Treat event is Saturday, October 22 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. See flyer for more info!
Would you like to decorate your trunk for this event? Please fill out this form!
Questions? Contact Elisabeth at fsdvpes@gmail.com
PTO MEMBERSHIP/ONLINE DIRECTORY FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
If you already have an account in Membership Toolkit, thank you for creating and/or updating your Membership Toolkit account last year. All accounts have been rolled over for the 2022-2023 school year but you do need to update/confirm your account information to activate your account. If you do not update/confirm your family information and directory preferences by November 1st, your account will be removed from Membership Toolkit.
If you don't have an account in Membership Toolkit, set it up now for free! Once you have created an account in Membership Toolkit your child will appear in the online directory immediately (that's if you choose to do so). To create an account, go to fsd79.membershiptoolkit.com and follow the directions in the attached form (Online Student Directory Set Up Instructions 2022-2023).
To gain access to Online Student Directory your account must be active and you must pay the $15 PTO Membership Fee per family. If you paid your PTO Membership fee thru your TeacherEase account before June 30th, your payment has been confirmed and you currently have access to the Online Student Directory. If you didn’t pay your PTO Membership Fee before June 30th, you can pay the $15 PTO Membership fee thru Venmo @Fremont-PTO; or by bringing or sending the attached form below with your cash payment or check made payable to Fremont PTO to any school front office. The option to pay the PTO Membership Fee thru your TeacherEase account is no longer available. Once we receive confirmation of your payment we will give you access to the online directory. Please note it may take up to one week to be granted access to the online directory.
Don't forget to download the FREE Membership Toolkit app to your smartphone-search "Membership Toolkit" in your app store.
BIRTHDAY BOARD
Celebrate your Fremont Student's special day! "Happy Birthday, Your Child's Name: can appear on the Fremont Electronic Message Board. Just complete the birthday board form and send it back to any school front office with your $5 payment per birthday message. If you have any questions, please contact Christie Johnson at cjohnson@fsd79.org.