Fremd HS Principal's Newsletter
April 2024
From the Principal
Spring break is officially in the rearview mirror and our staff and students now have their eyes set on finishing the school year strong. Spring sports and activities are off to a great start following a very successful winter season. Please read through some of these accomplishments in the Kudos to Students and Staff section in this newsletter.
Tuesday, May 7th, is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and we will celebrate those adults whose extra efforts help make Fremd High School a better place for all students. I am asking parents and students to write a note of thanks to a member of the Fremd staff who has made a difference in their lives. There are approximately 350 staff members, including custodial/maintenance, technology services, food services, clerical support staff, student supervisors, coaches, sponsors, teachers, counselors, psychologists, social workers, therapists, teacher assistants, administrators and our nurse. Please take a minute to fill out an online staff commendation form to say thanks.
Thank you, and as always, Go Vikings!
Sincerely,
Mark Langer
Principal
Solar Eclipse Event 2024
The Fremd students and staff observe the 2024 Solar Ecipse and took the opportunity to engage in a school wide community building activity!
State Testing
During April, students across Illinois participate in required Illinois State Board of Education assessments. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors participate in one of the College Board Suite of Assessments. In addition, juniors take the Illinois Science Assessment. For the first time, these assessments will be administered digitally via district-assigned iPads.
We ask for your support in encouraging your student to attend with a fully charged school-issued iPad and charger for state testing. With your assistance, your child can turn these opportunities into valuable educational experiences. Please encourage your child to put forth his or her best effort. If you have additional questions, please contact your student’s school counselor.
School-day SAT with Essay: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 (Grade 11 and select grade 12)
PSAT 10: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 (Grade 10)
PSAT 8/9: Thursday, April 11, 2024 (Grade 9)
Illinois Science Assessment: Thursday, April 11, 2024 (Grade 11)
Senior Events
Senior Sunset
Monday, May 15th @ 6:00 p.m. on the North field
Graduation Rehearsal and Senior Picnic
Friday, May 17th
Graduation rehearsal @ 7:30 a.m.
Senior Send-off and picnic after graduation rehearsal
Senior Banquet
Monday, May 20th @ 11:00 a.m. at Concorde Banquets
Students provide their own transportation to and from the senior banquet.
Prom
Fremd Prom 2024 “Starry Night” will be held on Saturday, May 18th, from 6:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. Semi-formal or Formal Wear is required. Tickets will go on sale from April 15 -19 in My School Bucks.
For more information, please see the attached link https://adc.d211.org/Page/7080
Graduation Information
Time/Date: Wednesday, May 22nd @ 7:30 p.m.
Location: NOW Arena, Hoffman Estates
In accordance with School Board Policy and to fulfill the expectations of parents, faculty, and students, we will host a traditional, formal ceremony. Only students who have met the District 211 graduation requirements, or who are within 2¼ credits of the requirements, may march in the commencement ceremony.
Fremd students maintain a tradition of excellence in their academic and extracurricular programs. We expect them to model behavior of the highest quality at an event as momentous as their high school graduation. Participation in the ceremony is a privilege, and students who choose to participate will be expected to maintain the dignity of the ceremony by complying with the following dress and behavior guidelines:
Choose attire in accordance with guidelines in this letter.
Refrain from use of alcohol and other drugs.
Avoid participating in behavior that detracts from the dignity of the ceremony or interrupts the process. This includes beach balls, noisemakers and/or other pranks and distractions.
Students not heeding these guidelines will be removed from the ceremony and/or risk additional disciplinary measures. A large number of faculty members will be participating in the ceremony to honor the graduates and assist them in making good decisions.
The commencement ceremony will start promptly at 7:30 p.m. Graduates must report to their designated location, provided at rehearsal, no later than 7:00 p.m. Graduates who arrive late will not be allowed to march in graduation. Graduates should be carrying only their cap and gown as they enter the check-in area. No purses, sunglasses, etc. will be allowed into the building at the graduate entrance. The NOW Arena provides security that will take these items before entering.
The ceremony is located at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. All guests will require a ticket upon admission. Each graduate will be given 8 tickets at the commencement rehearsal. All guests will be checked by security at the main entrance of the arena. The NOW Arena will not allow signs, balloons and/or noise makers to be brought into the arena.
CAPS & GOWNS: The graduates have purchased their caps and gowns and may keep them. Caps and gowns will be worn uniformly at commencement.
DRESS: The Senior Committee, with the support of the administration, encourages graduates to wear semi-formal attire under the graduation gown.
PHOTOS: A professional photographer from Lifetouch will take photos of students as they receive their diplomas. Your son/daughter will receive price information prior to graduation rehearsal. Should you wish to purchase these photos, arrangements are to be made directly with Lifetouch, as indicated in the information packet.
TICKETS: Because of the size of the class and limited seating, extra graduation tickets are not available. Handicapped seating will be available directly inside the entrance doors to the NOW Arena. Every individual attending graduation must have a ticket. Graduates participating in the ceremony do not need a ticket. Doors will open approximately one hour before the ceremony begins. PLEASE DO NOT LOSE YOUR TICKETS - Tickets cannot be replaced.
The commencement ceremony takes approximately 1.5 hours. The distribution of diplomas absorbs most of the program time. In order for each student to be recognized, we ask for your cooperation by not applauding or recognizing individual graduates. Any guest who disrupts the ceremony will be asked to leave. There are approximately 675. graduates and to have individual recognition would lengthen the program time greatly and distract other spectators from hearing their graduate’s name being recognized. We solicit your thoughtful consideration to honor the class as a whole after all diplomas have been distributed.
Additional details can be found on the senior class page on the main Fremd website under Activities/Senior Class. For questions or concerns please contact the Senior Class Sponsors: Mrs. Courtney Billittier (cbillittier@d211.org) or Mrs. Sarah Braverman (sbraverman@d211.org).
Senior Finals Exemption Policy Reminder
This is a reminder of the Board of Education's policy involving the exemption of seniors from their last semester final examinations. In order to qualify, seniors must meet the following criteria:
Have at least a "C" average in the course
Have fewer than six absences from the class
Have never been truant from the class
Have never been suspended from the class
Not be incomplete on assignments required by the teacher
Seniors who are not exempt from last semester final examinations will take their examinations at the regularly scheduled times for semester examinations. No exams will be given early.
Summer School '24
Looking for information on summer school? Click here to access the District 211 Summer School website. Online registration for current D211 students will begin on Wednesday, April 3rd at 7:00 a.m. Online registration for incoming freshmen will begin April 15th at the school they will attend in the fall. All are encouraged to register early. Walk-in registration is also available. Be on the lookout for additional information regarding course offerings and summer camps in the near future. Please note the following dates for each semester of summer school:
1st Semester June 3– June 25
2nd Semester June 26 –July 18
Summer School Food Services Program
Breakfast and lunch will be available during summer school. Prepayments can be added to a meal account using a credit card at MySchoolBucks.com. Incoming freshmen can be added to an account in MySchool Bucks after May 1st. The most current information pertaining to meal service can be found on the District's website here.
If you are interested in applying for a fee waiver or for free or reduced-price meals for summer school, please complete a meal application. If you have already completed an application for school year 2023-2024, you do not need to complete a new application for summer. Meal application information can be found here.
Way to Go Vikes!
Click HERE to see Successes and Celebrations. Congratulations!
Dates to Remember
April 10-11 State Testing (See information above for details)
April 18-19 Musical “Chicago” - Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
April 20 Musical “Chicago” - Auditorium, 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
April 26 Senior Recognition Orchestra Concert - Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
April 30 Honors Convocation - Main Gym, 7:00 p.m.
May 1 Senior Recognition Band Concert - Main Gym, 6:30 p.m.
May 3 Prom Fashion Show
May 6-17 AP Testing
May 10 Early Dismissal - 11:50 am
May 14 Senior Recognition Choir Concert - Auditorium, 7:00 pm
May 15 Senior Sunset - North field, 6:00 p.m.
May 17 Senior Graduation Practice - Main Gym, 7:30 a.m.
May 17 Senior Picnic - Stadium, after graduation practice and Senior send-off
May 17 Thespian Induction - Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
May 18 Prom - Renaissance, 6:00 p.m.
May 20 Senior Banquet - Concorde, 11:00 a.m.
May 22 Graduation - NOW Arena, 7:30 p.m.
May 22-24 Finals
May 24 Last Day of School
May 27 Memorial Day - No School
June 3 First day of 1st semester Summer School
For the most up-to-date calendar, please visit the website or click HERE.