Fremont Focus

In January 2024, Fremont School District launched a District-wide SEL committee, consisting of a wide range of staff and administrators from Pre-K to 8th grade. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a common phrase used in schools but often remains unclear to the wider community. To provide a clear definition, we share the following from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a national, non-profit organization that leads the way in this work.

• SEL is for everyone. SEL develops skills that help us be successful in all parts of our lives—like communicating effectively, setting goals, staying motivated, and making decisions that benefit ourselves and others. With these skills, we can build healthy relationships, succeed in schools and workplaces, and contribute to our communities.

• SEL is based in science. Hundreds of independent studies show that SEL leads to better academic performance, improved well-being, and safer schools. It creates positive school environments where children learn the skills they need to succeed in school and in their futures.

• SEL brings families, schools, and communities together. The way SEL is implemented in schools and which skills are emphasized are driven by partnerships between families and schools and tailored to the local community’s priorities, cultures, and needs.

The SEL committee recognizes that today’s students need different supports than when our SEL program was implemented more than a decade ago. We are committed to working together on reviewing current SEL practices and determining the best path to embed SEL practices throughout the day and across grades in a comprehensive manner. We ground our work utilizing the CASEL framework. We will also further integrate and grow our positive behavioral supports (PBS) and the use of restorative practices.

Finally, we invite all families to take part in our next Parent University event, a virtual presentation from Jacqueline Rhew on March 6 at 6:30 p.m. The presentation, which is entitled “Building Resiliency: Supporting our Children’s Mental Health,” will provide helpful tips for parents and guardians to help their children in their times of need. More information will be forthcoming.

Sincerely,

Krista Winkelman

Executive Director of Student Services

“Education is hard work, and it is heart work. We need each other. We need to help each other and connect with each other. We are all in this together,” stated educator Greg Moffitt.

Please read the following newsletter for detailed information, but here is a summary of key dates for quick access:

• February 19 - Students Not In Attendance
• February 21 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• February 21 - PTO Meeting, 6:00 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)
• February 26 -Board of Education meeting (live stream), 7:00 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)
• February 28 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• March 4 - Parent-Teacher Conferences; Students Not In Attendance
• March 6 - Parent University event - Building Resiliency: Supporting our Children's Mental Health, 6:30 p.m. (virtual)

The next meeting of the Fremont School District 79 Board of Education will be held Monday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fremont Middle School Media Center. The meeting will include the following presentations:

• Student Services Update
• Educational Long-Range Facility Plan & Ivanhoe Village: Potential Impact

A live video stream of the meeting will be available via the District’s YouTube page. The stream will go live shortly before the start of the meeting. Recaps of previous Board meetings can be found here. The Board meeting agenda and materials can be accessed here. Board materials are available by noon on February 26.

• Fremont students matriculate to three different high schools.
• 70% of our graduates attend Mundelein High School, 27% attend Stevenson High School, and 3% attend Grayslake Central High School.

Fremont School District 79 greatly values your feedback as it relates to your student’s educational experience. Once again, the State of Illinois has partnered with 5Essentials to create a forum by which you can provide your input.

If you have not already done so, we would greatly appreciate it if you would take the brief survey by visiting: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Your responses are vital for continuous improvement and long-range planning for your child's school. Parents are welcome to answer the survey for each of their children’s schools.

The deadline to complete the survey is March 29, 2024. Thank you for your assistance!

Congratulations to our three individuals from FSD79 who were named award recipients by Illinois State Board of Education this week. Thank you for all that you do!

FSD79 has immediate openings for the following positions:

District Office

Summer School Director

Fremont Intermediate School
Social Worker (Long Term Substitute)
Reading Specialist
Lunchroom Supervisor (Substitute)

Fremont Middle School
English Language Learner Paraprofessional (Spanish)

Transportation
Bus Driver

The following job postings are for the 2024-2025 school year:

Fremont Elementary School
Special Education Teacher (Resource)

Fremont Intermediate School

Reading Specialist

Fremont Middle School
Social Worker

To learn more or for a complete listing of all current job openings throughout the District, please click here.

Fremont School District 79 has immediate openings for bus drivers. The position offers a number of outstanding benefits and a tremendous family-friendly culture. Watch the video to learn more or click here to apply!

Thanks to an investment by the Lake County Regional Office of Education through June 30, 2027, every student in FSD79 now has access to the Varsity Tutors for Schools platform. This access includes:

• 24/7 On-Demand Chat Tutoring

• On-Demand Essay Review

• 100+ Weekly Live Classes

• Recorded Enrichment Classes

• Self-Study & Practice Resources

Here is a pamphlet and a video that provides an overview of the platform features. Students can go to their Clever Dashboard and select the Varsity Tutors icon to login to the platform. Any chat sessions students participate in are recorded and posted on their dashboard for future reference.

We encourage you to explore this tool with your child(ren) as an additional resource to support our students’ growth and achievement.

Fremont Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade students participated in their winter band concert on February 9. Check out the video below to watch the performance.

Fremont Intermediate School students have been working on team-building activities in their physical education class as they work together to accomplish a variety of tasks.

Our students love participating in STEM activities! Thank you to High Touch High Tech Science Made Fun for coming out to do some fun science experiments with our Fremont Elementary School second-graders.

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 February 21. Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2023-2024 school year.

We are excited to share that we have listened to feedback from parents and will now be providing childcare services for children ages 3+ at ALL of our upcoming PTO meetings. Please use the form below to let us know if you will be bringing a child to the meeting. It is not required to RSVP; however, we ask that you please do so if you plan to take advantage of childcare. Care will be provided by Fremont Middle School students for individuals ages 3 and up.

RSVP Form for childcare: https://forms.gle/ceerdTKn7Pa51mVt7

To stay in the know of what Fremont PTO is up to, follow and tag us on social media:

Instagram: @fremontpto
Facebook: Fremont PTO

SPIRIT WEAR
Our Spring sale begins NOW! This online sale runs until Tuesday, February 20. Check out the new designs and replenish your Wildcat gear. All items are custom-made for you! Once the online sale is complete, items will go into production, which takes approximately 3-4 weeks before being shipped to Fremont. They will then be sent home with your child. Each item is unique and comes from different manufacturers, so please check the sizing guide on each item you are purchasing.

PERSONALIZED YEARBOOK PAGES
The deadline to complete your personalized yearbook pages is April 22. Every yearbook includes two custom pages for free. You can also purchase additional pages if you choose to. All pages must be completed by April 22!

Don’t forget to order your student's 2023-2024 yearbook. Use the correct school code from our flyer when you order!

Please visit the PTO webpage for the most up-to-date information.

FSD79 offers local groups and organizations the opportunity to advertise their upcoming events in the Virtual Backpack. To submit your group's event for consideration, please submit a PDF flyer to publicrelations@fsd79.org. Current offerings include:

• Mundelein Baseball & Softball Association
  
• Mundelein Soccer Club
  
• Lake Co. Girls Wrestling Program
  
• MBSA Softball Clinics
  
• Heart of the City Soccer
• Lake County Lobos Lacrosse
• Veterans Appreciation Dinner
• Stevenson HS Boys Hockey
• Laremont School Special Needs Resource Fair
• Cub Scout Pack 189 Portillo's Fundraiser

The next edition of the Fremont Focus will be distributed on Wednesday, February 28. This will be in addition to the weekly e-newsletters sent on Fridays from principals at the school level.

Address: 28855 North Fremont Center Road, Mundelein, IL

Phone: (847) 566-0169

Website: fsd79.org

Facebook: facebook.com/FremontSchoolDistrict79

Twitter: @FSD79

Instagram: @FSD79

YouTube: youtube.com/FSD79