Fox Ridge Family Newsletter

Week of 9/23-

Early Morning Orchestra Rehersals Start PLEASE check the info from Mrs. Borkowski or Mr. Brito for your child's rehersal day!

Monday,9/23-2C Meet and Greet

Tuesday, 9/24-1st Early morning Band rehearsal

Wednesday, 9/25-Elementary Early Release 2:35pm Dismissal

Friday, 9/27-Make Up Picture Day/ Picture Re-takes

At Fox Ridge, each student will achieve grade level standards in literacy, math and social emotional and behavioral skills.

This week was another great one at Fox Ridge. On Tuesday, we started our first after-school club: Girls on the Run for girls in grades 3-5, led by coaches Ms. Kappele and Ms. Semenek. I joined the group on Thursday, and what a fantastic group of girls we have! This program is so important during early adolescence, as it helps build our girls' self-esteem and social-emotional skills, in addition to the physical stamina needed to complete a 5K.

We also launched our student council campaigns. Next Friday, students will elect our student council officers. Campaign videos will be shared throughout the week, and those we’ve seen so far are excellent. I am so proud of the initiative our students have taken to be part of the process and to take the risk of running for an officer position.

In addition, we are excited to introduce two new programs that will begin in a few weeks. Last night, we hosted our WATCH D.O.G.S. kick-off meeting, and it was wonderful to see fathers join us and commit to supporting the Fox Ridge community. This program is open to all male role models—fathers, older brothers, grandfathers, uncles, or any male over the age of 18 who is involved with families in our Fox Ridge community. WATCH D.O.G.S. will officially begin on October 4. If you’re interested and missed the meeting or sign-up at the beginning of the year, please email Ms. Kappele at amy.kappele@d303.org.

Finally, in a few weeks, we will hold one of our major school fundraisers: the Fox Trot. Students will run during their class time to raise money for our Fox Ridge PTO. Please see the information below on how the PTO plans to use the funds and how you and your family can contribute.

If you have interest in supporting Fox Ridge in clerical work which may include copying, laminating, cutting out visuals, and other similar tasks please complete the form. We will craete a schedule, this will take place during the day to support our teachers/staff.

Please fill out this form

September 2024

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The core values of St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 are Belonging, Perseverance, and Achievement. To begin the school year each student will respond to questions in the following areas:

• Self-Management

• Emotional Regulation

• Social Awareness

• Grit

• Self Efficacy

• Sense of Belonging

• Teacher-Student Relationship

This information is helpful in understanding students’ sense of belonging, perseverance, and overall social-emotional learning skills.

The complete SEL Survey will be completed twice this school year in September and May

In November and February, on the last student attendance Monday of each month, students will respond to the four or five question Sense of Belonging portion of the survey. The information will be used to understand students and groups of students' connection with the school.

Additional information about this, and other assessments and surveys for students in District 303 may be found on our website at https://district.d303.org/departments/assessment. Thank you for your support and assistance in ensuring each of our students has the opportunity to achieve academic and social-emotional success.

Please feel free to contact your building principal or me if you have questions.

Sincerely,

David Chiszar

Executive Director of Assessment and Accountability

331-228-4911

David.Chiszar@d303.org

Dear Families of 5th Grade Students!

We are thrilled to announce that this year D303 is again offering a 5th Grade Choir Program for ALL Elementary Schools! This program will run in a similar fashion as the current Elementary Band and Orchestra programs with a weekly before school rehearsal, but will NOT conflict with current band and orchestra rehearsals. The choir program will run through May, with our first rehearsal being Monday, September 23!

Choir will meet on Monday mornings at Norton Creek Elementary School from 8:10-8:50 a.m. Parents/guardians are responsible for dropping off their choir students at Norton Creek between 8:00-8:05 a.m. D303 Transportation will provide a bus for Fox Ridge students, who are enrolled in Before the Bell on Mondays, which will pick Fox Ridge students up at Munhall and bring them to Norton Creek for choir rehearsal. D303 transportation will also transport Fox Ridge students from Norton Creek to Fox Ridge after the morning rehearsal for the start of their school day. There will not be rehearsals on student non-attendance days. In addition to Monday rehearsals, we will be having choir rehearsals on the following days in which D303 elementary schools are following the Monday schedule to balance attendance days:
Tuesday, 10/15, choir rehearsal

Thursday, 1/9, choir rehearsal

The cost for choir is $20 for the school year. You will be charged the choir fee through Pushcoin once choir registration has closed. Please email your school’s Administrative Assistant if you are having any challenges with payment. Students will also be asked to purchase a choir t-shirt which is required for choir performances--that info coming after rehearsals begin.

Our first concert will be Vertical Voices, on January 27, 2025 at Wredling Middle School, which will encompass D303 choir students from 5th through 12th grades. I will update you when I have more details. We will also have 2 more performances in the spring--both TBD.

The goal of the 5th grade elementary choir program is to offer a formal choral music opportunity to our young students and to enrich their musical experience while preparing for middle and high school vocal music possibilities. We will work on ensemble practice, team building, vocal technique, vocal health, unison and part-singing, all through a rich variety of vocal music repertoire. I look forward to this adventure and hope your child will be a part of this wonderful experience!

If you would like to register your student for 5th Grade Choir, please click the link below:

Choir Registration Form

Registration will be open through 9/23.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to email me!
Sincerely,

Mrs. Beetstra
St. Charles CUSD 303
Norton Creek/Fox Ridge General Music and 5th Grade Choir Director

adrianne.gallaugher-beetstra@d303.org

D303 will host the 4th annual Pathways Night at Compass Academy on October 30. This career fair welcomes employers and educational institutions supporting careers that don't require a 4-year college degree. If you are a business owner and wish to participate in Pathways Night, please complete this form. More information for students and families interested in attending will be available in the next few weeks.

District 303 is proud to partner with the Glenbard Parent Series (GPS) to offer our families broader access to information sessions and resources that support their child’s development.

For decades, GPS has been offering free programs that aim to empower and strengthen families, individuals and communities. As a partner organization, District 303 will support promoting upcoming programs and their importance to our local community.

Fox Ridge students can join Ms. Adolph and Mrs. Harry in holding our school banner before the North vs East football game at North High School on October 4th! We also need plenty of cheering for the Fox Ridge Kicker, Mrs. Johnson! If your student will be there to carry the banner around the track with the teachers before the game, please email Mrs Monahan in the office at Colleen.Monahan@d303.org to be included in further communications. We look forward to seeing many Fox Ridge Foxes there! To donate to the Kick-A-Thon to benefit Fox Valley Food for Health and the Colette A. Miles Foundation, please use the QR code below

KICK-A-THON is a local event that began over 30 years ago as an effort from the St. Charles High School Dance Team to raise money to help kick cancer. It has grown to include East and North High School Dance Teams and other amazing charities. This charity event will benefit the Fox Valley Food for Health, Colette A. Miles Foundation, and the high school dance teams. To date, we have raised over a million dollars and need your help to keep that number growing. Please join the St. Charles High School Dance Teams as we raise money to kick cancer.

This year’s event will take place on Friday, October 4th, 2024, at St. Charles North High School, prior to the start of the varsity football game between St. Charles North and St. Charles East. Local community members who help with fundraising will form a kick line alongside the dance team members and kick 100 times in an effort to raise money for these charities.

Link to donate and support! See you there!

If your student is diagnosed with an illness or infection, please notify the health office. We are tracking illness closely to watch for any trends in the classrooms. This includes, but not limited to Respiratory Illnesses, COVID, Flu, Pink Eye, and Strep. We appreciate any information you give us regarding your student in the event they are ill.

Please remind your student to cover their coughs and sneezes and wash their hands often.

Christina Marello, Building RN, 331-228-2404, christina.marello@d303.org.

Purchase a yearbook by Monday, September 30 to receive a 10% discount. Purchase here: www.treering.com/validate. Use our school passcode: 101723832789399.

Support the Fox Ridge PTO! Funds raised from our Foxtrot FunRun will help us provide the following events, programs, initiatives, and materials for the 2024-2025 school year: assemblies; Basket Raffle; Bingo Night; Fall Fest; Field Day supplies; field trips; grounds beautification; Lip Sync; One School, One Book; Science Night; staff appreciation efforts; teacher classroom allotments; 5th grade celebratory items; and more.

Foxtrot FunRun Fall Fundraiser

We kindly ask that all 5th-grade families submit a candid first day of school photo from both kindergarten and 5th grade. Photos should be emailed to foxridgeyearbook@gmail.com and include your student's name and classroom in the subject line. Photos will be used for a number of PTO-based projects, including the yearbook and class video. Thank you!

I would like to have any interested parent/s that where unable to attend Curriculum Night to send me an email if they are interested in being the room parent or if they would like to volunteer for parties and/or class needs.
They can send me an email at

foxridgeptovicepresident@gmail.com

foxridgepto.com

ptofoxridge@gmail.com

Fox Ridge PTO Group | Facebook