Fremont Middle School

August 9, 2024

A Message From the Principal

Dear Fremont Community,

Fremont School District 79 takes extensive measures to ensure the safety of all students when using school-issued electronic devices. Behind the scenes, robust firewalls and security systems are in place to protect against potential threats. In the classroom, tools such as Gaggle, Hapara, and Securly assist in monitoring students’ technology usage, further promoting a secure learning environment. Additionally, the District’s policy on cell phones and personal electronic devices requires students to keep these devices powered off and stored safely during school hours. If a student needs to contact their parent or guardian, they may do so by using the school telephone in the main office. This policy is designed to maintain a safe and focused environment for all students throughout the school day.

One valuable resource for parents that we’d like to continue to highlight is Securly. Our continued partnership with Securly ensures effective internet content filtering on student-issued devices. Registered parents and guardians can actively participate in their child’s online safety by accessing the Securly Home Web Portal or the Securly Home App, available for both Android and iPhone. The Securly Home App offers additional features, such as push notifications for flagged activity, the ability to schedule offline times for student devices, and options to pause or unpause internet access on school-issued devices while away from school.

Below you will find resources to help you set up and navigate Securly.

As a reminder, parents who have never registered for Securly in the past should have received a "Welcome to Securly” email from noreply@securly.com at the beginning of September. For registration issues, please contact the Director of Information Systems and Network Security, Craig Albers at calbers@fsd79.org.

Students are also participating in lessons this month during Flex class on internet safety. Resources for families and educations can be found at Commonsense.org.

Katie O’Brien

Principal, Lincoln Early Learning Center

Beth Carmody

Principal, Fremont Elementary School

Stefan Ladenburger

Principal, Fremont Intermediate School

Dr. Emily Loerakker

Principal, Fremont Middle School

Morning Announcement - Week of December 9th

NWEA MAP Testing - 12/9 and 12/10

Students will take the NWEA MAP Assessment on 12/9 and 12/10. Help your child do their best by making sure they get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive on time with a fully charged device. Please see the schedule for the testing days below.

We are excited about our first Fremont Student Council-sponsored dance of the year. Please remember that students must follow school expectations at after-school activities. The dance will take place in the big gym. In addition to a dance, we will also have a movie room and a variety of board games in the cafeteria. There will not be an open gym option for the Neon Dance. The entrance fee is $5, and food/drinks will be available for purchase (menu of items). Students are not allowed to leave the dance before pick-up time, this will only be allowed in the event of an emergency. Please pick up your student at the following times:

6th grade: Dismissal at 8:15 pm
7th grade: Dismissal at 8:25 pm
8th grade: Dismissal at 8:30 pm

Please see this link for the map of drop-off and pick-up procedures.

Parent Book Club - “The Anxious Generation”

As part of our Parent University programming, FSD79 and the Fremont PTO will be co-sponsoring a Parent Book Club event on New York Times #1 Bestseller, “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt. We will be hosting a one-night discussion on the book on February 11, 2025. For more information on the book club event, please visit our table at next Friday’s Reading Rally. Additional information will be shared with families in the near future. Secure your physical or audio copy of the book now to prepare for the discussion.

Free Mental Health Services

Dear Fremont Families,

As we approach the holiday season, it's important to remember that our students' social-emotional and mental health remain top priorities, especially during this time of year. Please take the time to review our new Family Resources document created by the Fremont Mental Health Team to help support our students and families.

Additionally, ReferralGPS is a service providing assistance to our community in finding local mental-health and substance use-related treatment resources. The service compliments the District's existing support systems as a tool for student service teams and families to connect with treatment. Along with a searchable database of treatment options, ReferralGPS provides Care Navigation to assist families in triage and appointment setting.

School district staff and families may access ReferralGPS in two ways:

Contact Student Services (social workers, psychologists, counselors) to seek out treatment options
Visit this link to search for treatment resources or connect with a Care Navigator anonymously

The platform has the ability to filter by mental health concern, clinician gender/specialty, location, and insurance acceptance. The service is available for all types of private and public insurance options including PPO, HMO, Medicaid, and families that are uninsured or underinsured.

ReferralGPS is available for use by District students, staff, and families at no cost. All information entered on the ReferralGPS tool is completely confidential and securely stored.

Please note, this service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory in any way. If you are interested in seeking counseling-related services at this time, please consider reaching out to the Student Services team or visit https://referralgps.com/find-help/FSD79.

Your involvement and understanding are vital as we navigate this holiday season together, ensuring a supportive environment for our children. Thank you for being an integral part of our school community.

Best regards,

Ms. Krista Winkelman
Executive Director of Student Services

Varsity Tutors

Reminder: Varsity Tutors for Schools - Free Access for All FSD79 Students!

A friendly reminder that every student in FSD79 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.

Donations Accepted!

Chicago Wolves Fall Reading Challenge

There are less than 2 weeks left of the Reading Challenge! All Kindergarten through 8th-grade students can participate. Students can earn a FREE TICKET to any Chicago Wolves home game by reading 400 minutes from November 8- December 18. Once completed, fill out the Google form and a ticket order form will be sent home. The Google form is due by Wednesday, December 18. If you have any questions, please contact Rachal Swiderski at rswiderski@fsd79.org.

Access this link for more information and a reading log to keep track of minutes. Have fun reading!

Early Pick-Up Procedures

If your student needs to be picked up early, please notify our main office at 847-566-9384 or send an email to the receptionist, Karolina O'Malley, at komalley@fsd79.org. A parent/guardian or designated person must present identification to pick a student up early. Please note that the latest pickup time is 2:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and 1:30 PM on Wednesday. Parents cannot park in handicapped parking spots near the gym as it interferes with bus pick up.

Absences

If your child will be absent from school because of illness, doctors appointments, vacation, or for any other reason, please call 847-566-9384 and select option 2 to report it to the school office by 8:00 a.m. the day of the absence. Keeping track of all the students on a daily basis is a huge task, and we greatly appreciate prompt notification of any absence.

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 pm. Our next meeting is on December 18th.

Childcare services for children ages 3+ will be provided 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

Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2024-2025 school year.

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

Instagram: @fremontpto

Facebook: Fremont PTO

FREMONT PTO BOOK CLUB

Join us for the Fremont PTO Book Club. The Book Club will meet Tuesday, February 11th 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Middle School Den. We will be discussing "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt. Stay tuned for Reading Reminders! Looking forward to having you join us!

Please secure your copy now.

JOIN THE FREMONT PTO FOR A FUN WINTER BREAK ACTIVITY!

Looking for something exciting to do during winter break? Come skate with us at Glacier Ice Arena!

When: Friday, December 27th
Time: 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Where: Glacier Ice Arena, 670 Lakeview Pkwy, Vernon Hills, IL 60061
Cost: $10 per skater (includes skate rentals!)

Whether you’re a pro on the ice or just trying skating for the first time, everyone is welcome. Bring your friends, family, and neighbors for a day of fun on the ice!

New to skating or want to try hockey? No problem—reach out to Charice Paoli at charice@glacierskate.com.

We can’t wait to see you there!

HAPPY LITTLE FLAME FUNDRAISER

Don't forget! If you placed your order for in-store pick up, they are ready for you to pick up at the shop location in Libertyville. All shipping orders have shipped, and if you chose free shipping they are now back at the shop if you did not grab them from the PTO meeting Wednesday.

Please email Elisabeth if you have any questions at FSDVPIS@gmail.com.

SHOP. SCAN. EARN.

Forget the scissors - Box Tops for Education has gone digital! Simply download the Box Tops for Education app (see www.boxtops4education.com for more info), select Fremont School District 79 (in Mundelein, IL) as your beneficiary, and you're all set! Enter the code H02P2R0D when you register for bonus points. Then simply scan your receipts after shopping, and watch the points (and $$) add up for our schools!

UPCOMING DINE-IN NIGHTS

We have a full year of dine-in nights ahead – check out the list here!

ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK NOW!

Don’t forget to order your student's 2024-2025 yearbook. Use the correct school code from our flyer when you order!

PTO MEMBERSHIP/ONLINE DIRECTORY FOR 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

If you already have an account in Membership Toolkit, thank you for creating and/or updating your Membership Toolkit account last year.

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 2024-2025).

To gain access to the Online Student Directory your account must be active and you must pay the $15 PTO Membership Family Fee. If you paid your PTO Membership fee through your TeacherEase account before June 15th, your payment has been confirmed and you currently have access to the Online Student Directory. If you didn’t pay your PTO Membership Family Fee before June 15th, you can pay the $15 PTO Membership Family fee thru Venmo @Fremont-PTO; or by bringing or sending the attached form 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 Request Google Form 2024-2025; or 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.

Sincerely,

Emily Loerakker

Fremont Middle School Principal

Nick Atchley

Fremont Middle School Assistant Principal

2024-25 FSD79 School Calendar

Important Dates

‼️ December 9-10 - MAP Testing (Special Schedule)
🛑 No School - Winter Break December 23 - January 6, School resumes January 7
📌 March 6 - Parent Teacher Conferences (11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.)