Lincoln Weekly News

Lincoln Early Learning Center houses the preschool programs for three school districts: Fremont District 79, Hawthorn District 73, and Mundelein District 75.

⬅️ Check out the Table of Contents on the left for the latest news from your district.

Please note: If you are unable to view this message in its entirety (viewing all 3 district sections below), please open the message in a new browser so you are able to view important time-sensitive information for your respective district.

Dear Lincoln Early Learning Center Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back! We are thrilled to see our students’ smiling faces again as we begin this new chapter of learning and growth. After a restful winter break, we are focused on easing back into the school routine by nurturing relationships and reviewing classroom procedures to ensure a smooth transition for everyone. Together, we are Proud to ROAR, building a supportive and welcoming environment where every child can thrive.

As we embark on this next phase of the school year, we will prioritize reconnecting with our students and helping them feel secure and excited to learn. Teachers will spend time revisiting routines and expectations to help everyone re-establish a sense of structure and comfort in the classroom. Your support at home in reinforcing these practices is invaluable, and we appreciate your partnership in making this a successful transition.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the new families joining us from the December preschool screening! We are excited to have you as part of our preschool community. Please take a moment to review the health and arrival/dismissal procedures outlined in the sections below. If you are dropping off or picking up your child, we kindly ask that you request a sign for your car from the front office or your child’s teacher. This will help ensure a smooth and efficient process for everyone.

Additionally, we have several exciting parent involvement opportunities on the horizon. Each district—Hawthorn District 73, Mundelein District 75, and Fremont District 79—will have its own unique events, so please pay close attention to your district’s section in the newsletter for important details and dates. These events are wonderful ways to stay connected and engaged in your child’s preschool experience while also connecting with other families.

Thank you for your continued collaboration and support. Together, we create a community that is truly Proud to ROAR. Let’s make 2025 a year filled with learning, growth, and joyful memories.

Warm regards,

Katie O’Brien
Principal, Lincoln Early Learning Center

kobrien@fsd79.org

Kim Stergios
Building Assistant Supervisor, Lincoln Early Learning Center

stergiosk@hawthorn73.org

Absences

If your child will be absent from school because of illness, doctors’ appointments or vacation, please contact us at Lincoln at 847-949-2720. Please notify the school office by 9:30 a.m. the day of the absence to leave a recorded message regarding your child's absence. Keeping track of all the students on a daily basis is a huge task and we greatly appreciate your prompt attention.

Medical Forms

Annual Physical Examinations are required within the first 30 days of entering preschool. All forms can be emailed, faxed, or brought in with your student. If we do not receive your child’s physical, your child will be excluded from school and cannot return to school until submitted. Per IL State Law we must have a child’s physical by October 15 or within 30 days of starting preschool.

Illness and Injuries

Please remember that any child with a fever should stay home until they have been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medication, for at least 24 hours. Students should also remain home if they are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea. Students may NOT return to school for at least 24 hours after the last episode.

**We are seeing an increase in nurse office visits with sick students. It is imperative that the health office has current telephone numbers for parents and designated emergency contact persons. You are responsible for someone picking your child up within 30 minutes of the call.**

Medications

All medications, feeding, and treatment supplies are to be supplied by the parent per school policy.

Doctor’s orders for medications, feedings, and treatments are required at the beginning of each school year. The school nurse will not accept or administer any medications (including over the counter medications) or perform nursing services or treatments without a doctor’s order. Please do not send medication to school in your child's backpack. All medication must be brought to school by a parent or guardian.

Any questions related to the above health office guidelines should be directed to the health office staff.

Liz Mulé

847.949.2720 ext.1503

emule@d75.org or mulee@hawthorn73.org

efax: 847.388.4842

Parent/Guardian Pick Up and Drop off is at Door 2 on the east side of the building. Parents/Guardians who pick up their children on set scheduled days will have a laminated sign with their child's first and last name on it in their district’s color. Please make this sign visible so supervisors can easily identify you. If you need extras, please let the office know.

Parent/Guardian Drop Off

● Pull along the curb. The first car to arrive should stop at the first cone along the curb. There are 4 cones total. The line will continue along the curb and onto Ridgeland Ave if needed.

● Once at a cone, please wait in your car for a staff member. When a staff member is present, please exit your child curbside. Do not walk your child to the door.

● Do not exit your car until you have been able to pull up to a spot marked with a cone along the curb.

● Please keep in mind your speed when arriving and leaving as students, parents, and staff

members are arriving at school. Do not pull forward to an empty cone unless a staff member directs you to do so.

*If you are a family that walks to school from your own, please walk your child directly to the student line on the basketball court.

Parent/Guardian Pick Up

● Pull along the curb. The first car to arrive should stop at the first cone along the curb. There are 4 cones total. If the curb is full, please wait in the line to pull to a cone along the curb.

● Once at cone, please wait inside of your car until a staff member brings your child

to you. Please do not walk to the door to get your child.

*If you are a family that walks to school from your home, please wait by the basketball court with your sign.

Please refer to our Pick Up and Drop Off Procedures for our specific guidelines.

Change in Dismissal

Please contact América Lanuza (lanuzaa@hawthorn73.org) or Danielle Garcia (dgarcia@d75.org) at the Lincoln Front Office(847-949-2720) if there are any end of day changes throughout the school year. Teachers may not always be able to pick up their phone or check email throughout the day, so it would be best to call the front office with any changes. América and Danielle will relay any changes to the classroom teacher after you contact them. Please contact the main office by 10:00 a.m for the morning session and 2:00 pm for the afternoon session for any changes in regards to a child's dismissal procedures.

As a reminder, if your student is in our Tri-District classroom, they will follow the arrival and dismissal times below:

• AM: 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
• PM: 12:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m

District Parent Involvement Events

*All Tri-District families are welcome to attend the Hawthorn Parent Involvement event on January 17 at Aspen Library, as your teacher will be at this event.

*Mundelein Tri-District Families are welcome to attend the Mundelein Parent Involvement Event on January 17 at the Fremont Library. The classroom teacher will not be present.

*Fremont Tri-District Families are welcome to attend the Fremont Parent Involvement Event on January 23 from 6:00 - 7:00 at Lincoln Early Learning Center. The classroom teacher will not be present.

Please call the Lincoln Front Office if you are unsure which event your family should attend.

Please see below or review the Hawthorn School District 73 section for information about important dates.

January 17 - No School - Parent Involvement Event

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

February 13 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 3:30 - 8:00 p.m.

February 14 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

February 17 - No School - President's Day

Please review your home district section for any other information, including PTO, spirit wear, and other fun things happening in your home district!

Parent Involvement Night - January 23

Get ready to sing, clap, and dance along during this visit by award-winning musician

and author Jim Gill. Jim Gill’s distinctive music play creates the spirit of a family room in

the concert hall and is an invitation to children, parents and grandparents to sing, dance

and play together!

Biography

Jim Gill is a musician and author with unique credentials among children's artists. Jim is

a child development specialist, completing his graduate studies in child development at

the Erikson Institute of Chicago with a special emphasis on the study of play. For this

reason, each of Jim's recordings and books is created as an opportunity for playful

interactions between a child and a caring adult. Anyone who has experienced one of

Jim's family concerts knows that rather than performing for the children and parents,

Jim leads them to sing and play together.

Jim has released ten award-winning CDs of music play for young children that are

favorites in family rooms, classrooms and playrooms. Jim is also the author of two

children's books. A Soup Opera is a silly sing-along opera inspired by concerts that

Jim performs with symphony orchestras. His first book, May There Always Be

Sunshine, continues to inspire children from across the country to share their heartfelt

wishes and extraordinary illustrations in community VIDEO book projects that Jim

carries out with libraries, school districts and other community organizations.

You can view a video of one of Jim's songs below. His other songs can be streamed on any of the streaming services (such as Pandora, Spotify, Amazon or Apple Music) if you'd like to hear a sample of the type of musical games they can expect at the concert. In addition, here is a link to a playlist on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6oBSgH23Zgsck8gQv1fjIF?si=d3e28b26331e414a

Join Us for our Next Parent University Event - Jan. 21

Parents, make plans now to join us for our next Parent University engagement series session at Fremont Middle School on Tuesday, Jan. 21. In this presentation, Jennifer McAdams, LCPC, CEDS-S joins Fremont parents to discuss how to support kids through emotional validation, compassion and positive boundaries. Borrowing from Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), this presentation will empower parents to lean on proven strategies in order to let go of guilt and foster a caring environment where their child feels emotionally safe and supported.

Join Our Team!

Check out our listing of teaching and support staff openings for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. Learn more: https://www.fsd79.org/jobs

Participate in Our Parent Book Club Night - Feb. 11

As part of our Parent University programming, FSD79 and the Fremont PTO are co-sponsoring a Parent Book Club event on New York Times #1 Bestseller, “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt. We are hosting a one-night discussion on the book on February 11, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Fremont Middle School. Secure your physical or audio copy of the book now to prepare for the discussion.

January 7 - School Resumes

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 23 - Parent Involvement Night - 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. - See specific information above.

February 17 - No School - President's Day

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 January 15th.

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. Here is the form.

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

VALENTINE’S DAY CLASS PARTY HOST SIGN UP

Sign up now to volunteer to be a Party Host at the Valentine’s Day class parties! Valentine’s Day parties will be held on Friday, February 14th. Party Times are as follows: Kindergarten Classes: Lindley, Martinelli & Van Reck 10:30-11:15 AM; Kindergarten Classes: Eddy, Goldman, Hay, Hoehne, Perna, Sherman, & Kastein and Grades 1st - 5th Grade 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM; Lincoln AM 9:45 - 10:15 AM; Lincoln PM 2:00 - 2:30 PM.

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 January 15th. Volunteers that are chosen to be party hosts for the Valentine’s Day parties will be notified on January 19th.

Volunteer Sign Up

JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT PARENT UNIVERSITY EVENT - JAN. 21

Parents, make plans now to join us for our next Parent University engagement series session at Fremont Middle School on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. In this presentation, Jennifer McAdams, LCPC, CEDS-S joins Fremont parents to discuss how to support kids through emotional validation, compassion and positive boundaries. Borrowing from Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), this presentation will empower parents to lean on proven strategies in order to let go of guilt and foster a caring environment where their child feels emotionally safe and supported. Click here to RSVP and to register for free child care. You may find more information about this session here.

SWEETHEART DANCE

Our annual Sweetheart Dance is Saturday, February 8th from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Fremont Intermediate School. Please have your daughter/s arrive with an important adult figure in their life. Be ready to dance, play games, eat light refreshments and enjoy a fun night together. The PTO will be hosting a similar event for sons in May. All ages are welcome to put on their best and pose with their adult for pictures. Here is the Sweetheart Dance registration form. Pre-registration is due by Monday, February 3rd.

FREMONT PTO BOOK CLUB

Feeling overwhelmed by your child’s screen time and social media?

As parents, we’re all on a learning journey – let’s make that journey easier and more insightful together! Join us February 11, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Middle School Den for the Fremont Parent Book Club.

Pick up a copy of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and dive into this eye-opening book. We’ll explore all three sections together, share thoughts, and discuss how to navigate the challenges of raising kids in the digital age.

Don’t miss out – start reading today and come ready to connect, learn, and grow as a community!

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

Please join the Fremont PTO at Portillo’s on January 30th for our next dine-in night. It’s located 221 Townline Rd in Vernon Hills, and runs from 5 pm to 8 pm. 20% of sales will benefit the PTO. You can also order online or in the app for pickup - just use the code PORTILLOS18 before checkout in the "Apply Offer" field. More info is in the flyer. 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.

January 17 - No School - Parent Involvement Event

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

February 13 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 3:30 - 8:00 p.m.

February 14 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

February 17 - No School - President's Day

BRIGHT ARROW

• Our BrightArrow notification system enables you to stay in touch in the event of emergencies, delays/cancellations, and other important events throughout the school year. In order for you to be able to receive these notifications, it is vital that you keep your contact information accurate and up to date with your child’s school.
• You can confirm and/or request to update your contact information by contacting your student's school. We encourage you to take a minute to make sure your contact information is up-to-date so you don't miss out on important notifications.

To Receive Text Alerts

1. You must have your mobile phone number on file with your child’s school to receive text messages. (If you’re not certain whether you’ve done this, please contact your child’s school.)
2. To opt in to text messages send the word Yes to the shortcode 79041. Once you opt-in, BrightArrow will send you a confirmation that your phone number is subscribed.
3. After opting in, you should be receiving text messages along with email notifications. If you still are not receiving text messages (only email) please contact your child’s school to update your telephone number.

PTO Updates

Tonality Dine Out Nights - Head to Tonality (D75 Family Business) for a night of no cooking. Show this flyer or mention D75 PTO and Tonality will donate 15% back to the PTO! Each night is themed to a school in the District, but you can attend any of the listed nights.

January 15th - Washington

January 22nd - Lincoln

January 29th - Mechanics Grove

February 5th - Carl Sandburg

Box Tops Update:

We have currently raised $472.10 for the 2024-2025 School year. January is filled with bonus offers to earn extra Box Tops for our schools. The top 50 schools that complete the January Monthly Challenge will earn an additional 2500 Bonus Box Tops ($250). As a reminder families simply need to download the app and either search for District 75 PTO Mundelein or enter code PNKN0SEQ.

January 17 - No School - Parent Involvement Event - 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. - See specific information above.

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

February 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

February 14 - No School - Teacher Institute Day

February 17 - No School - President's Day