Fairmount Families Week END Report

Happy December! As we approach this festive time of year, we’re excited about the learning and celebrations ahead. This week’s newsletter is packed with important updates, upcoming events, and ways to stay connected with our school community.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to a wonderful month together!

Sincerely,

Lisa Niforatos

Be sure to follow me on X/Twitter @Fairmount58.

Fairmount School Attendance Form

Past Newsletters

The District 58 Science Fair registration is now open visit the District 58 Science Fair page or scan the flyer below for more details.

Student Council will be collecting new winter hats, scarves, gloves, and mittens to donate to those in need at the DuPage PADS location. We will collect items from December 9-18. Thank you in advance for your generosity and once again supporting the Fairmount Student Council!

Congratulations to the following students who were recognized at this week's PTA Reflections ceremony:

Zelda A. – Primary - Visual Arts - "Perfectly Imperfect Coconuts"

Rachel C. – Intermediate – Photography - "Weed in a Field of Flowers"
Sophie T. – Intermediate – Visual Arts – "Natural Beauty"
Will L. – Intermediate – Visual Arts - "The Great Pyramid"
Elizabeth L. – Intermediate – Visual Arts – "Anxiety"

A very special congratulations to both Rachel C. and Elizabeth L. who are advancing to the regional level.

Monday, December 9th is a Professional Learning Monday. All students are dismissed at 2:00 p.m. according to their regular dismissal plan. Please be sure you have made arrangements for your child to be picked up from Fairmount at 2:00 p.m. each Monday.

Fairmount School is focused on a handful of school improvement goals this year that involve our ELA curriculum implementation, a supportive focus on the Zones of Regulation as well as targeted goals centered around ELA/Literacy for K-2 and 3-6. Each month we will provide information in our "Home Connection to Learning" section of the newsletter focused on one of these goal areas.

Our 3rd-6th grade students are focusing on understanding literary elements. They will do this by analyzing point of view, identifying themes, identifying author’s purpose, and reviewing literary features and structure.

You can help support your child to read a variety of genres within their daily reading at home with books that are appropriate for his/her reading level.

We are fortunate to offer a variety of clubs at Fairmount. These include both teacher/staff sponsored clubs (see above) as well as clubs offered by outside organizations. Clubs will occur at various points throughout the school year, so please watch for sign-up/enrollment opportunities in future newsletters as the school year progresses. In addition to some returning clubs, we will have new clubs offered throughout the year as well. Please see information below regarding two Winter Club offerings.

Our Kindergarten students had an exciting week of learning! From their Creepy Carrots, to phonics work, marvelous math and more... our youngest learners are doing a wonderful job!

From Birthdays (or half-birthdays), Lost Teeth, Positive Behaviors and More... we love celebrating our Falcons!

We are so glad you are part of our school community! Whether this is your child's first or seventh year at Fairmount, we wanted to provide a fun way to get to know the many members of our teaching and school staff. We started this section two years ago and look forward to continuing it during the 2024-2025 school year. This year we have added a "school twist" for our staff.

Role at Fairmount: 5th Grade Teacher

Years at Fairmount: 15 Years

Favorite Subject in Elementary School: Social Studies and Science

Least Favorite Subject in Elementary School: Math

Favorite Grade in School: 4th Grade

A big part of why I became a teacher... My fourth grade teacher made it the best school year. He was an excellent role model and made school fun, enjoyable, and always encouraged me to do my best. It was because of this teacher that I knew I wanted to do exactly what he did.

A memorable moment of my time in school was... When my dad came in school to volunteer in the classroom. He was an electrician and my teacher reached out to see if he would help with our making electrical circuit boards activity.

If I wasn't a teacher/didn't work in a school I would... Actor :)

12.09: Wear Orange!, Student Dismissal 2:00 p.m.

12.10: Author Visit 10:45-11:30 a.m., Yearbook Club 3:00-3:40 p.m.

12.11: PTA Meeting Canceled (see PTA Falcon Flyer)

12.12: BAM Theatre for Registered Students 3:00-4:00 p.m.

12.13: Falcon Friday! Wear Spirit Wear or School Colors, 4th Grade Girls Scouts 3:00-4:30 p.m.

12.20.24: PTA Classroom Winter Parties (AM) and School-Wide Celebration (PM)

12.21.24 - 01.05.25: Winter Break

01.20.25: No School, District Closed

02.17.25: No School, District Closed

2024-2025 DG58 School Calendar (PDF)

Important Calendar Highlights:

• Winter Break: Dec. 21, 2024 -Jan. 5, 2025

• Spring Break: March 31-April 4, 2025

• Last Day of School: Friday, May 23, 2025 (if no emergency days are used)

If you are looking for any information from our amazing Fairmount PTA, please visit their website:

Fairmount PTA

Information regarding upcoming events, spiritwear, membership and more can be found throughout the site.

Please note that information BELOW this point is repeated information that has been shared in a previous newsletter(s), but is still made available here for your reference.

If winter weather requires schools to close, District 58 will promptly email and call all families and staff. The District will also post school closure information on the website, www.dg58.org, and social media channels.

District 58 has the option to use an e-learning day or an emergency day (also called snow day) during bad weather.

This year, District 58 will likely use e-learning days. E-learning days do not need to be made up at the end of the school year. District 58 needs to maximize the summer for referendum construction, so e-learning days would allow District 58 to keep on its construction schedule.

Learn more about District 58's winter weather procedures.

Read District 58's e-learning plan.

As we enter the month of December and have now experienced our first snowfall of the year, we wanted to share a few important reminders regarding outdoor gear to help support students during their recess and playtime outside.

Students will go outside, weather permitting, each day. In the event of inclement weather or the combined temperature and wind chill is below 0 degrees and/or if the conditions outside do not support safe play (e.g. extreme ice) students will take part in indoor recess.

It is important that students come prepared for outdoor weather each day. We certainly know that the weather can vary significantly at this time of year, so students are encouraged to have a “gear bag” that includes hats, gloves, snow pants, and snow/winter boots. Thank you, in advance, for writing your child’s name on all of their gear to support finding lost items.

In the event of snowfall/accumulated snow on the ground, students MUST have both snow pants and snow boots to play in the snow. This includes being on the field/grass area. While students do not need snow pants to play on the playground equipment, they do need to have snow boots in order to access the playground area.

If your family faces hardship in purchasing/securing winter gear, please contact Jen Mejdrech (jmejdrech@dg58.org) or Lisa Niforatos (lniforatos@dg58.org) for assistance.

Fairmount students and staff held a short program on Monday honoring our country's veterans. Fairmount is honored to acknowledge the devotion and sacrifice our men and women have given to our country. Thank you to all our family members and friends who have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces.

It’s time to form your teams and start reading, because The Reading Games competition is returning! The Reading Games is an annual trivia-style reading competition for District 58 and District 61 students in grades 3-8. It will take place Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 at O'Neill Middle School. Registration is open now through Friday, Nov. 15.

To participate, complete the following:

1. Form a team and complete the team registration OR complete an individual registration and The Reading Games will do their best to find a team for your child. Teams must have between five and eight students. They can represent a mix of grade levels and schools, but must attend District 58 or District 61.

2. Collaborate with your team to read nine books from one of two book lists. List 1 is geared for readers in third and fourth grade. List 2 is geared for readers in fifth and sixth grade. To prepare, students can meet to discuss the books and quiz each other.

3. Participate in The Reading Games on Feb. 22, 2025! During The Reading Games, students will face other teams to answer questions about the books they've read. Teams are encouraged to dress up and have fun, and prizes are awarded.

The Reading Games is sponsored by the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58 and the Grove Express Foundation.

Learn more about The Reading Games registration process. Visit The Reading Games website.

The Education Foundation invites you to thank a special District 58 staff member with a Green Apple Award and donation to the Foundation, which supports many student and staff programs. Learn more. Give a Green Apple.

If your child's dismissal plan will be different (e.g. not taking the bus), please communicate this to both the school secretaries and classroom teacher as promptly as possible. This is especially important for our younger students, so we can support their dismissal process. In the event of a last-minute change (anytime after 11:30 a.m.), we ask that you please call the school office (630.719.5830) as staff members may not check their emails prior to daily dismissal.

Lisa Niforatos, Principal lniforatos@dg58.org

Jillian DeRango, Secretary jderango@dg58.org

Andrea Laama, Secretary alaama@dg58.org

Website: www.dg58.org/fa/

Location: 6036 Blodgett Avenue, Downers Grove, IL, USA
Phone: 630.719.5830
Twitter/X: @Fairmount58