Fremont Focus

Dear Fremont Community,

We are proud of the tremendous strides in moving our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan forward this school year. Without the support of our families, this would not be possible. The following are a few examples of your partnership making a difference.

Early Release Wednesdays

First and foremost, we thank our families for accommodating this change in schedule. The District instituted a 30-minute early dismissal on Wednesdays for students, replacing multiple half-day planning sessions in our school calendar. Our staff now have four hours a month of uninterrupted team meetings to focus on our students, their learning, and instructional practices. Meetings are organized around these key questions:

• What do we want all students to know and be able to do?
• How will we know if they learn it?
• How will we respond when some students do not learn?
• How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient?

New Bus Routing Guidelines

This February, we announced new bus routing guidelines that will take effect for the 2024-2025 school year. The task force that advised the District included parent representatives. These updated guidelines address the impact of bus driver shortages, extending our ability to maintain our own transportation service. Although the new routes will result in changes for some of our students, the increased neighborhood group bus stops and a reduction in accident-prone cul-de-sac stops will help achieve significant routing efficiency. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding with this endeavor.

Parent University

A PTO and District partnership resulted in this new outreach series for our parents and guardians. We were able to host seven in-person and virtual workshops centered around topics of interest such as safety and security, mental health, math instruction, and standards-based grading. You can view recordings of some of these sessions on our website. Participants consistently rated these sessions with high marks, and we are eager to continue this programming next year.

We are incredibly grateful for the relationships that we have built and continue to build with our families. Thank you for your ongoing support and contributions as we strive to continuously improve and make Fremont the best it can be.

Sincerely,

Trisha Kocanda, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

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

• May 15 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• May 15 - PTO Meeting, 6:00 p.m. (Hawthorn Woods Country Club)
• May 20 - Board of Education meeting (live stream), 7:00 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)
• May 22 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• May 24 - Preschool Screening (Lincoln Early Learning Center)
• May 27 - No School (Students Not In Attendance)
• May 28 - 8th-Grade Graduation, 6:30 p.m. (College of Lake County)
• May 28 - Elementary School Field Day
• May 29 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• May 29 - Last Day of Student Attendance (PK/EC)
• May 30 - Intermediate School Field Day
• May 30 - Last Day of Student Attendance (Without Emergency Days); Special Event Dismissal Schedule (MS dismissed at 1:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 2:08 p.m.)

Four of our amazing Fremont School District 79 educators were recognized Wednesday night at the Lake County Educator of the Year ceremony. Congratulations to Juliana Hood (Early Career Educator), Kelsey Crowley (Diverse Learner), Denise Mazzocchi (Middle School Educator), and Beth Wax (Student Support Personnel; unable to attend). We are so fortunate to have such talented individuals on our Fremont team!

It's amazing to see our Fremont community come together for a great cause. Last Friday, intermediate and middle school students participated in the Miles for Mjoen color run to benefit our current middle school teacher and FSD79 alum, Jacki Mjoen, who has been battling health issues. It was an amazing time for a terrific cause!

The next meeting of the Fremont School District 79 Board of Education will be held Monday, May 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fremont Middle School Media Center. The meeting will include the following presentation:

• Educational Long-Range Facility Plan (ELFP) Update: Community Survey Results

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 May 20.

Fremont Intermediate and Middle School bands and choirs have been busy with their spring concerts. Please click below to watch some of the recent concerts. Additionally, the groups have been busy performing assemblies for their fellow students (pictured below), while the eighth-grade jazz band visited a pair of senior living communities on Monday to perform.

Providing leadership opportunities for our students is a focus of our strategic plan. It's Hope Week, and we'd like the highlight the work of our Jr. Hope Squad at the intermediate school. Monday morning, the students pasted notes of affirmation within the school building and then handed out stickers to their fellow students as they arrived at school. We are so proud of their efforts in creating a positive and caring environment within our schools!

FSD79 has immediate openings for the following positions:

Fremont Elementary School

Lunchroom Supervisor

Fremont Intermediate School
Lunchroom Supervisor (Substitute)

Fremont Middle School

6th Grade Homebound Tutor

English Language Learner Paraprofessional (Spanish)

Transportation
Bus Driver

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

District Office

HVAC Technician

Lincoln Early Learning Center

Special Education Paraprofessional

Social Worker (Part Time)

Fremont Elementary School

Special Education Paraprofessional

2nd Grade Teacher

Fremont Intermediate School

Special Education Teacher (Resource)

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

Our Fremont Family Multicultural Fair on May 2 was an amazing time. What a terrific opportunity to celebrate our rich Fremont diversity learning about different cultures, food, and fun! Watch below for some of the highlights of the evening.

Our Fremont team definitely felt the love during last week's Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week! Thank you to everyone for your generosity in acknowledging our hard-working crew! Below is a video of some of our students giving thanks.

Congratulations to our second-graders on an amazing performance of the Three Piggy Opera last week. We certainly have some talented young singers and actors!

This Summer Online Learning Access document highlights the programs that students have access to over the summer, should you wish to access them for independent summer learning. These are the same online, personalized, self-paced, student-directed programs FSD79 uses during the school year. Prior to summer break, your child’s current classroom teacher(s) will provide reminders regarding the necessary login information needed to access these tools.

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.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The Fremont PTO would love to see you at our meetings this year! Our next meeting is on May 15 at 6 p.m. at the Hawthorn Woods Country Club.

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

Instagram: @fremontpto
Facebook: Fremont PTO

CALLING ALL 8TH GRADE PARENTS!!

The 8th Grade Graduation Dance Committee is seeking donations for the dance. We want to make the night as magical as possible for the kids, but we need your help. Please take a look at our Amazon wish list and help purchase items that are needed for the dance, be it decorations, snacks or supplies. We appreciate your help in making this a memorable night for our graduates. If you have any questions, please contact Stacie Brown at pto@fsd79.org or Danielle Weger at daniweg29@gmail.com. Thank you to those who have purchased items on the Amazon Wish List and offered to let us borrow your items! It is greatly appreciated!

Click *here* for 8th Grade Graduation Dance Invitation!!

We are encouraging the whole class of 2024 to attend to close their chapter at Fremont. In the past, students have worn dressier outfits as they wear to graduation. Dresses, dress pants, khaki pants, dress shirt, tie optional, etc. Regular school dress codes must be followed.

Dance Volunteer Information

The dance committee needs your help to make the dance special for our kids. Please sign up to volunteer here. We are looking for help with set-up and clean-up. If you may sign up for as many spots as you'd like.

1st DAY SCHOOL SUPPLIES

It's time to order your 1st Day School Supply kits for the 2024/2025 school year! I know it’s crazy to think that it’s that time already but before you know it, summer will be here. It's important you order your supplies before it's too late! Let’s start the school year with the exact supplies your teacher requested, and give your child the confidence they need to conquer next year! Order yours HERE today!

Questions? Please email Elisabeth Reigle at fsdvpes@gmail.com.

FREMONT MOTHER/SON BOWLING & PIZZA EVENT 2024

The Fremont PTO is excited to host our annual Mother/Son Event on Saturday, May 18 4-6 p.m. Bring your smile, wear your Fremont gear, bring your competitive spirits and Fremont camaraderie as we bowl, eat good food and share in some fun memories. Either click on the Registration Link for Mother Son Event, or see the flyer for more information.

At Fremont we value and support diversity and inclusion. For this event any parent can attend with their child.

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:

• Fremont Library
• Illinois Juniors Volleyball
• College of Lake County Summer Camps
• Stevenson HS Community Education (PREP) Programs
• Mundelein Baseball & Softball Association
• Stevenson HS Mélange and Repertory Dance Companies Auditions
• Sweeps and Sculls Rowing
  
• Mundelein HS Tennis
  
• Mundelein SC Soccer
  
• Stevenson HS Girls Feeder Flag Football
• Grayslake Scout Troop 303
  
• Libertyville Scout Troop 72

The final edition of the Fremont Focus for the 2023-2024 school year will be distributed on Thursday, May 30. 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