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 that you will need to open the newsletter from your browser in order to see the table of contents.

Dear Lincoln Early Learning Center Families,

Welcome to the 24-25 school year! We are thrilled to see our returning families again and extend a warm welcome to those joining us for the first time. We hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer break and are ready for a fantastic year ahead.

This year promises to be full of learning, growth, and memorable experiences for your little ones. At Lincoln, we are dedicated to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment where every child can thrive. Our team has been working diligently to prepare for the new school year, and we are excited to see the joy and curiosity in our students as they begin their educational journey.

We are also delighted to introduce Ms. Kim Stergios, our new Building Assistant Supervisor. Ms. Stergios brings a wealth of experience and a passion for early childhood education. She most recently served as a Speech and Language Pathologist for Hawthorn’s preschool program. Ms. Stergios is committed to supporting our staff and families and ensuring that Lincoln continues to be a place where every child feels valued and supported.

Thank you for being a part of the Lincoln Early Learning Center community. We look forward to a wonderful year of learning, laughter, and growth together. Please read your district’s section of this newsletter to find important information and dates for the start of the school year.

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.

The health office must have current telephone numbers for parents and designated emergency contact persons. Please select your emergency contacts carefully. This person should be familiar with your child, your family routine, and be available to transport your child home if necessary.

Please pre-plan for a telephone call from the health office. If your child becomes ill at school, you are responsible for picking up your child 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.

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

If you plan to pick up your child from school on a frequent basis please fill out this form. You will be given a sign that you will display in your car window. If you have completed the form prior to August 12, we will have the sign available at Meet and Greet. Please refer to our Pick Up and Drop Off Procedures for our specific guidelines.

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

Please review the Hawthorn School District 73 section for information about important dates. Please review your home district section for any other information.

First Day of School

• The first day of school is Monday, August 19, 2024.

• AM - 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

• PM - 12:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Please send your students with a full size backpack and a change of clothes (including socks, shoes, and underwear) to be kept here at school.

Class Placement

You will be able to log into TeacherEase and see your child's placement for the upcoming school year. If you have never logged into TeacherEase, go to www.teacherease.com, use your email address as your user i.d. and click “forgot password.” It will send you a link to set your password. You will also be receiving information regarding transportation information next week. Once you receive this information, do not hesitate to contact the appropriate person if you have any questions.

Meet and Greet

Meet and Greet will be held on August 15, 2024.

• AM students - 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (practice bus ride at 10:30 a.m.)

• PM students - 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (practice bus ride at 2:30 p.m.)

Please consider carpooling with another family, as parking is tight on this day. Parking is available on the side of the park or in the parking lot by Door #2 if the front parking lot is full. All parents/guardians and their students should enter through the main entrance at Door #1. Staff will assist in finding your child’s classroom.

There is not a required list of school supplies for our preschool program, but teachers always welcome donations. Some wish list items are listed below.

• Kleenex

• Paper towels

• Thin, cheap paper plates

• Clorox wipes

• Stickers

• Glue sticks

• Play-doh

• Dry-erase markers

Transportation

Bus route information for the upcoming school year will be disseminated by August 12. If you have any questions, please contact transportation@fsd79.org.

Evening Events

There will be two evening events this school year. More information will be sent closer to the date of the event.

September 19, 2024 - Curriculum Night 6:30 p.m. (parents only)

January 23, 2025 - Parent Involvement Night 6:00 p.m. (students and parents)

Photo Opt-Out Form

If you do not want your child’s name or photo used for school publicity purposes, please fill out the non-consent photo form and return it to your child’s school.

Important Dates

During the year, we have several days of school the preschool students do not attend due to preschool screenings and training days. Special parent events are scheduled on some of these days off for Lincoln. Specific information will be shared closer to the events. A breakdown is listed below.

No School for Preschool Students

• Friday, September 27, 2024 - Parent Involvement

• Friday, October 11, 2024

• Friday, November 15, 2024

• Friday, December 13, 2024

• Friday, March 14, 2025

• Friday, April 4, 2025 - Parent Involvement

• Friday, April 11, 2025

• Friday, May 2, 2025 - Parent Involvement

• Friday, May 30, 2025 - Parent Involvement

Parent/Teacher Conference Days and Nights (Teachers will send out sign-ups later in the year)

• Thursday, November 20, 2024

• Monday, November 25, 2024

• Thursday, February 26, 2025

• Monday, March 6, 2025

Important Notice: FSD79 Family Handbook 2024-2025 Review

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we would like to bring your attention to the revised FSD79 Family Handbook 2024-2025, previously titled the Parent/Student Handbook.

We would like to take the time to emphasize the importance of the Portable Electronic Equipment Policy (Reference: Board Policy 7:190) outlined in the Family Handbook. Portable electronic equipment includes devices such as cell phones, video recording devices, smart watches, iPods, and other electronic devices are not able to be used during the school day. It is essential to adhere to the following rules regarding the possession and use of these devices on school premises:

• Portable electronic equipment includes devices such as cell phones, video recording devices, smart watches, iPods, and other electronic devices are not able to be used during the school day.

• All personal electronic devices must be kept powered off or silenced unless a supervising teacher grants permission. They should be stored out of sight in a Chromebook bag or sleeve (rather than in pockets or waistbands).

• Students will be permitted to use the school telephone in the main office when they need to contact their family.

• Use of devices may be permitted as an accommodation in a student’s IEP or 504 plan.

We appreciate your cooperation in following these guidelines as we strive to maintain a focused and productive learning environment for all students.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the building administrators.

August 15 - Meet and Greet: AM students - 10:00 a.m., PM students - 2:00 p.m.

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 August 14th.

Based on feedback from parents, we do provide childcare services for children ages 3+ 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

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

Instagram: @fremontpto

Facebook: Fremont PTO

BACK TO SCHOOL BASH

Join the PTO for our Back to School Bash at the NEW Intermediate School playground on Friday, August 16th at 5:30 for food, music, and fun! We're excited to welcome all of our Fremont families back to campus.

AUGUST 23rd NO COOK NIGHT!

We’re excited to announce our first No Cook Night of the school year, Friday, August 23rd from 6-10 pm at Panera Bread, 1575 S. Lake St. in Mundelein. Hope to see you there!

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.

First Day of School

• The first day of school is Monday, August 19, 2024.

• AM - 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

• PM - 12:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Please send your students with a full size backpack and a change of clothes (including socks, shoes, and underwear) to be kept here at school.

PowerSchool Parent Portal

The Parent Portal in PowerSchool will open on August 8 so families can view student schedules and teacher assignments. Transportation information for students riding buses and school fees will also be available at that time.

School Hours

School hours are:

• AM - 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

• PM - 12:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays)

• PM - 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Wednesdays)

School Supply Lists/Meet and Greet

Supply lists for each grade level are available on the Hawthorn website at www.hawthorn73.org/families/school-supply-lists.

Meet and Greet will be held on August 16, 2024.

• AM students - 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

• PM students - 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

On this special day, you will be able to bring all of your child’s supplies and meet their teacher(s).

Please consider carpooling with another family, as parking is tight on this day. Parking is available on the side of the park or in the parking lot by Door #2 if the front parking lot is full. All parents/guardians and their students should enter through the main entrance at Door #1. Staff will assist in finding your child’s classroom.

Student Handbook

The Hawthorn Student Handbook is available online and answers many common questions families may have.

2024-2025 School Calendar

The 2024-2025 At A Glance Calendar is your best resource for attendance days.

Evening Events

There will be two evening events this school year. More information will be sent closer to the date of the event.

September 12, 2024 - Ice Cream Social 6:00 p.m. (students and parents)

September 26, 2024 - Curriculum Night 6:30 p.m. (parents only)

Important Dates

During the year, we have several days of school the preschool students do not attend due to preschool screenings and training days. Special parent events are scheduled on some of these days off for Lincoln. Specific information will be shared closer to the events. A breakdown is listed below.

No School for Preschool Students

• Friday, September 27, 2024

• Friday, October 11, 2024

• Friday, November 15, 2024

• Friday, December 13, 2024

• Friday, January 17, 2025 - Parent Involvement

• Friday, March 14, 2025

• Friday, April 11, 2025

Parent/Teacher Conference Days and Nights (Teachers will send out sign-ups later in the year)

• Monday, November 25, 2024

• Tuesday, November 26, 2024

• Thursday, February 13, 2025

• Friday, February 14, 2025

BrightArrow

BrightArrow is a mass communication tool that reflects our commitment to keeping you informed in the most efficient and reliable manner possible. BrightArrow enables us to send emails, text messages, and make calls to registered parents, guardians, and emergency contacts when necessary. To ensure important messages are not sent to your email’s spam folder, please add no-reply@hawthorn73.org to your contacts or “safe senders” list.

Additionally, we kindly ask that you save 847-973-5958 in your phone contacts as “Hawthorn District 73” to prevent these calls from displaying as spam. To receive text message notifications, we need all Powerschool-listed parents, guardians, and registered emergency contacts to opt-in. Please complete this process by texting the word “Yes” to 87569 from the cell phone numbers registered in Powerschool.

PTO

The Hawthorn PTO is an invaluable and vital part of our school, and I urge you to take an active role. More information about getting involved can be found on the PTO website.

Hawthorn Staff

There have been several exciting staffing changes at Lincoln.

• Kelly Yasutake - Tri-District Structured Classroom Teacher

• Gina Samuelian - Tri-District Structured Classroom Speech and Language Pathologist

• Kathy Tooley - Instructional Assistant

August 16 - Meet and Greet - AM students - 8:30 a.m./PM students - 12:30 p.m.

August 19 - First Day of School

August 21 - Early Release- Afternoon Dismissal at 3:00 p.m. (Recurring every Wednesday)

August 22 - Annual Test of the Emergency Notification System
September 2 - No School - Labor Day

September 12 - Ice Cream Social - 6:00 p.m. (parents and students)
September 26 - Curriculum Night - 6:30 p.m. (parents only)
September 27 - No School

October 15 - Immunization and Physicals due

October 18 - Picture Day

First Day of School

• The first day of school is Friday, August 16, 2024.

• AM - 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

• PM - 12:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Please send your students with a full size backpack and a change of clothes (including socks, shoes, and underwear) to be kept here at school.

Class Placement and Transportation

You will receive communication regarding class placement and transportation by August 5th.

Meet and Greet

Meet and Greet will be held on August 13, 2024.

• AM students - 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

• PM students - 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Please consider carpooling with another family, as parking is tight on this day. Parking is available on the side of the park or in the parking lot by Door #2 if the front parking lot is full. All parents/guardians and their students should enter through the main entrance at Door #1. Staff will assist in finding your child’s classroom

Evening Events

There will be two evening events this school year. More information will be sent closer to the date of the event.

August 29, 2024 - Ice Cream Social 6:00 p.m. (students and parents)

September 5, 2024 - Curriculum Night 6:30 p.m. (parents only)

Important Dates

During the year, we have several days of school the preschool students do not attend due to preschool screenings and training days. Special parent events are scheduled on some of these days off for Lincoln. Specific information will be shared closer to the events. A breakdown is listed below.

No School for Preschool Students

• Friday, September 20, 2024

• Friday, October 11, 2024

• Friday, October 25, 2024

• Friday, November 15, 2024

• Friday, December 13, 2024

• Friday, January 17, 2025 - Parent Involvement

• Friday, February 14, 2025

• Friday, March 14, 2025

• Friday, April 11, 2025

Parent/Teacher Conference Days and Nights (Teachers will send out sign-ups later in the year)

• Wednesday, October 23, 2024

• Thursday, October 24, 2024

• Thursday, February 13, 2025

August 13 - Meet and Greet - AM students: 10:30 a.m./PM students: 11:30 a.m.

August 16 - First Day of School

August 29 - Ice Cream Social - 6:00 p.m. (parents and students)

September 2 - No School - Labor Day

September 5 - Curriculum Night - 6:30 p.m. (parents only)

September 20 - No School