Fremont Focus

Dear Fremont Community,

We sincerely appreciate your ongoing support as we navigate the significant growth anticipated from Mundelein’s Ivanhoe Village development. Your engagement is invaluable, and Monday night’s Village of Mundelein board meeting demonstrated the strength of our community. Many shared thoughtful perspectives on the importance of ensuring our schools and other essential needs are considered as the Village prepares to approve the development plan this spring. We commend the Village for responding to community concerns by removing school impact fee action items from Monday’s agenda.

We are encouraged that Fremont School District 79 and Mundelein High School District 120 have been invited to another negotiation session with the Ivanhoe Village development team and Village representatives. This meeting, scheduled for Thursday, March 13, provides another opportunity to advocate for a fair and mutually beneficial agreement. Our recently adopted Educational Long-Range Facility Plan will serve as the foundation for demonstrating the capital projects necessary to support enrollment growth—most notably, the need for a new middle school to accommodate 1,000 students. We will present detailed data and studies conducted over the past year to illustrate the direct impact of Ivanhoe Village on our schools.

While we are grateful for the opportunity to continue negotiations, the outcome remains uncertain. We remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for our students and taxpayers by presenting data-driven, factual information. A fair agreement is essential for all parties, and we encourage you to stay engaged in this ongoing effort. Your voices matter and continue to drive progress as we work toward the best possible future for our Fremont community.

Sincerely,

Gabriela Whipple

Board President

Trisha Kocanda, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

To learn more about Ivanhoe Village, view our Frequently Asked Questions document.

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

• March 12 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• March 14 - Preschool Screening Day (Students Not In Attendance - Lincoln only)
• March 15 - PTO March Madness Basketball Game, 2:00 p.m. (Mundelein High School)
• March 17 - Board of Education Meeting (live stream), 7:00 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)
• March 19 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• March 19 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)
• March 24-28 - Spring Break (Students Not In Attendance)
• March 31 - Classes Resume
• April 2 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)

The next meeting of the Fremont School District 79 Board of Education will be held Monday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fremont Middle School Media Center. In addition to a performance by our middle school jazz band in recognition of Music in Our Schools Month, the agenda will include the following highlights:

• Recognitions: Lisa Bordelon and Stacie Brown (ISBE Those Who Excel and Teacher of the Year Award Winners); Intermediate School PAWS Committee
  
• Presentations: CTE/STEM Strategic Goal Update; Ivanhoe Village Update

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 March 17.

District administrators, teachers, and students hosted a virtual Parent University presentation Tuesday night on the topic of artificial intelligence. We shared how the District is currently integrating AI, and how parents can use AI to support their child’s learning experience. If you missed the presentation, it can be viewed below. Please share your feedback via this form to provide your thoughts on the presentation and to help us plan for future events. For more information on our Parent University programming, please visit our webpage.

Artificial Intelligence Presentation Slidedeck

Fremont School District 79 greatly values your feedback as it relates to your student’s educational experience. Once again, the State of Illinois has partnered with 5Essentials to create a forum by which you can provide your input. To date, we have the following parent participation rates:

Elementary School: 12%

Intermediate School: 13%

Middle School: 16%

We need at least a 20% participation rate for each of the schools in order to receive a report. Please help us reach this threshold! If you have not already done so, we would greatly appreciate it if you would take the brief survey by visiting: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Your responses are vital for continuous improvement and long-range planning for your child's school. Parents are welcome to answer the survey for each of their children’s schools. The deadline to complete the survey is March 28, 2025.

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year at Fremont School District 79 is now open. More information regarding registration can be found by visiting our Registration webpage.

Fremont School District 79 is encouraging parents to preregister for the tuition-based preschool program for the 2025-2026 School Year. Please fill out Tuition-Based Preschool Program 2025-26 to show your interest in enrolling your child in this program for Fall 2025.

The cost is $3,500 per year without transportation and $3,750 with transportation. FSD79's tuition-based program runs 2.5 hours a day, 5 days a week, and is closely aligned to the 2025-2026 Fremont school calendar. Certified staff prepares students for the Fremont kindergarten program.

If you have questions, please contact Katie O'Brien at kobrien@fsd79.org or at 847-949-2720.

All households within the District boundaries will be receiving the Spring 2025 edition of our Fremont Digest newsletter in the coming days. This edition features a look at our newly approved Educational Long-Range Facility Plan (ELFP), planning for enrollment growth, learning highlights, a financial report, safety & security updates, employment information, and much more.

FSD79 is committed to providing a secure and connected environment for our students, staff, and community. We’ve recently completed several important safety and technology upgrades, including:

• Installation of new bus radios to improve communication during transportation;
• Additional handheld radios for staff to enhance coordination during events and emergencies;
• Expanded key card access at our Transportation Department; and
• Installation of additional key card access systems at school buildings

We are also upgrading our phone system with advanced security features. This will improve the reliability and safety of communication for staff, parents, and students. These initiatives underscore our commitment to safety, security, and staying ahead of technological advancements to support our community.

The winter sports season brought continued success for our Fremont Middle School athletics teams. Congratulations go out to our eighth-grade girls volleyball team on capturing the school's sixth conference title already this school year. An additional shout-out goes to two members of the wrestling team for advancing to the IESA state meet in DeKalb last weekend, fifth-grader Daniel and eighth-grader Nathan.

Thank you to everyone who has listened to and subscribed to our new podcast, "Fremont Leads." Hosted by Fremont Middle School teacher Jacki Mjoen, this series features interviews with our outstanding student leaders.

In our newest episode, we catch up with Fremont Middle School eighth-grader James to discuss his involvement in Fremont Ambassadors, choir, the middle school musical, and more. Subscribe via any of the platforms below so that you don't miss an episode!

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube Music | iHeartRadio

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 p.m. Our next meeting is on March 19. 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

PTO ELECTION INFORMATION - HELP WANTED!
The Fremont PTO School Board is looking for passionate and dedicated parents to join our team for the 2025-26 school year! Open positions include President, Vice President of Elementary School, Vice President of Intermediate School, Treasurer, and Secretary.

If you want to help build experiences, support fundraising efforts, and be a voice for our Fremont community, this is your chance to make a difference! Our mission is to strengthen the connection between school and home, encourage parent involvement, and foster a close relationship between parents, teachers, and students.

More information on each position will be available soon. In the meantime, if you're interested, here’s the link for self-nomination, and our flyer with more information.

MARCH MADNESS
Saturday, March 15 - Come support your favorite Fremont teachers at Mundelein High School as they play against one another in basketball. All proceeds raised will go to The Fremont PTO to help fund inflatables for Field Day! See the flyer for more info!

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!

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!

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.

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. Check back regularly for upcoming offerings.

• Lake County Lobos Girls Lacrosse
• Liberty Prairie Summer Farm Camp
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Grayslake Scout Troop 303
• Ela Soccer Club
• Stevenson HS Community Education (PREP) Programs
• Special Gifts Theatre

The next edition of the Fremont Focus will be distributed on Wednesday, April 2. 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

Instagram: @FSD79

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/fremont-school-district-79

YouTube: youtube.com/FSD79