Fox Ridge Family Newsletter

Please do not reply to this email or any sent from our mass communication system. These are noreply products. A few families have attempted to email me using this email or replying to this email, but fortunately they also included their teachers so it was received and we noticed the noreply email which was intended for the principal. The correct email is michelle.woodring@d303.org.

Monday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in the LRC - Monthly PTO Meeting
Friday, March 14 at 3:25 p.m. - Final Chess Club Session

Friday, March 14 from 6-8 p.m. - Science Night

Tuesday, March 18 from 4-8 p.m. - PTO Fundraiser at Noodles & Company
Wednesday, March 19 - Deadline to Create Custom Yearbook Pages
Friday, March 21st - St Baldrick's Challenge-St Charles East HS 6pm

Wednesday, March 26 - Elementary Early Release 2:35pm Dismissal

SPRING BREAK Monday, March 31st - Friday, April 4th

Please check your child's HAC (Home Access Center) account for emergency contacts. All students should have at least one emergency contact that is not a parent. In case of emergencies or illness an emergency contact is someone who can pick your child up from school within one hour of being called. Please email Nia.York@d303.org or Colleen.Monahan@d303.org to add an emergency contact for your child or children.

If for ANY reason you need to get out of your car while picking up your child from school (ie-strapping child into car seat, child needs assistance), PLEASE PARK and walk to pick up your child. There is NO exiting of vehicles in the Pick Up/ Drop Off Lane. This is too dangerous and delays the Pick Up/Drop Off lane from moving! In addition, as you are waiting on Tyler to enter the parking lot at arrival or dismissal time, it is suggested that you put your hazards on so that other moving traffic is aware that you are stopped.

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

Today, we wrapped up our One Book, One School initiative with a schoolwide celebration and assembly, generously funded by our PTO. Thank you for sponsoring this wonderful event, as well as providing books for every Fox Ridge family and staff member. Our students truly enjoyed reading Once Upon a Tim!

The assembly was a fantastic way to culminate our reading journey, and our students had the opportunity to learn from Omegaman.

This week, we also celebrated our amazing social workers—Mrs. Griffiths, Mrs. Wollak, and Mr. Tronc—who are invaluable members of our community. The students created heartfelt cards, and we treated them to lunch as a token of our appreciation. Additionally, we recognized Mr. Kammes and our incredible buildings, grounds, and maintenance department for their hard work in supporting our first year at Fox Ridge. Their dedication has made such a difference!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this week so special!

As you may have seen, we are kicking off two reading programs: Ozzie Reading and One Book One School (OBOS).

Ozzie Reading is a reading incentive program in partnership with the Kane County Cougars baseball team. We are starting a new tradition in which our entire Fox Ridge community will work together to meet the required reading minutes. Parents will verify these minutes through a Google Form sent via our weekly bulletins.

This program is unique because our school will attend a Cougars game as a whole-school field trip during the school day. This special experience is funded by our school building budget and serves as a wonderful way to celebrate our readers in the spring. Unlike other schools that may have done similar programs, families will not attend with us during the school trip. However, students will receive an additional ticket to attend a future game with their families.

We are committed to ensuring that all students in our school read or are read to for the required minutes. We will keep track using the google forms and provide make up opportunities to ensure all students are able to earn the free ticket through their reading. We know the importance of daily reading, and nothing supports student growth as readers more than consistent reading practice.

During our second semester, all classroom teachers are identifying MVP's related to iReady. Last week was our first week, below are the students that were recognized by their classroom teacher's. They all had the photos taken and are highlighted in our front hall frames. We will do this moving forward to encourage iReady engagement and completion. We know that completing 45 minutes in both areas reading and math supports students in achieving their typical growth and stretch growth.

This is what teachers were asked to do-Please review your students data from the past week, identify a student that is most improved in reading and another that is most improved in math (this can be someone who is putting in more effort, time, passing more lessons, anything to recognize and acknowledge their work.)

Here are the students from this week - 3/3-3/7 Congratulations!

CHANGE OF CLOTHES:

Please remember to send a weather appropriate change of clothes to school with your student.

Also, we are in desperate need of donations of new or gently used GIRLS underwear sizes 5/6 and 7/8.

ILLNESS:

If your student is diagnosed with an illness or infection, please notify the health office. We are tracking our students' health 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.

The CDC recommends that people with strep throat stay home from work, school, or daycare until they meet the following criteria:

• They are no longer feverish
• They have been taking antibiotics for at least 12–24 hours

People with strep throat should also:

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve
• Wash hands frequently
• Wash cups, utensils, and other items that have been touched by an infected person

CDC 2024

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

Nurture your inner scientist at Science Night on Friday, March 14 (Pi Day!) from 6-8 p.m. Families will participate in hands-on STEM activities, live demonstrations, and a Glow Room that help students learn about specific scientific concepts. Children will earn stamps on their scientist passports as they travel from station to station. Come explore and discover how to unleash the wonders of science and more!

Featuring the following organizations, schools, and businesses:

American Heart Association

American Science & Surplus

Elgin Community College

Forest Preserve District of Kane County (LeRoy Oakes)

Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

Kane County Health Department

Kane County Recycling/Sustainability

Mathnasium

NIU American Meteorological Society

St. Charles East and North Robotics

St. Charles Fire Department

St. Charles Public Library

University of Illinois Extension

We need your help to ensure the success of this event! Please consider volunteering for a shift at one of our activity tables.

Order your FREE Fox Ridge car magnet through the PTO's spirit store. We ask that you only order one per household.

The elections will occur at our monthly meeting on Monday, April 14 at 7 p.m. in the LRC. Anyone who is interested in running for a position should email PTOFoxRidge@gmail.com by April 4. No additional names will be accepted after this deadline. Per our bylaws, new officers will start their term over the summer.

Our Basket Raffle spring fundraiser will take place on Friday, April 25 at 6 p.m., and we need your help to make it a success. We rely on the generosity and support of our wonderful volunteers. Whether you're a seasoned PTO volunteer or new to the community, we appreciate any time and effort you can contribute!

How You Can Help

1) Volunteer: We are seeking volunteers to organize and prepare baskets and to assist on the day of the event. A signup link is forthcoming.

2) Classroom Baskets: Be on the lookout for communication from your child's room parent. They will be reaching out to provide more information about themed classroom baskets and the specific types of donations needed.

3) Donations: We are looking for donations from local businesses for the raffle. Do you own a business or know of a local business that might be willing to contribute a gift basket, gift card, merchandise, or services? Let us know!

Stay tuned for more event details, including pre-sale tickets that will be available in April. Questions? Feel free to contact Chi Kersten or Johnie Carroll, our event organizers.

foxridgepto.com

PTOFoxRidge@gmail.com

Private Facebook Group

As we embark on the season of planning for the 2025-2026 school year, the identification process is underway for accelerated placement for next year’s 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Here is some helpful information:

• All 3rd grade students are automatically considered for potential placement in Academically Talented (AT) Math and AT ELA programming. You do not need to request it. However, you can reach out to ask questions about the process anytime using the contact information below.
  
  

• 5th grade students are also automatically considered for potential placement in an additional Accelerated Math Pathway that starts in middle school. This pathway provides for the completion of Algebra before entering high school by allowing students to complete more than one grade level of math in 6th grade and 7th grade.
  
  

• 5th grade students who are currently in our AT programming may be identified for potential placement in the Infinity Gifted Program at the middle school level. These students may take part in additional testing in February. Parents will be informed in advance if additional testing is requested.
  
  

• Families of students who are identified for placement in our AT Math, AT ELA, Infinity Gifted or Accelerated Math programming will be informed by March 28. Please refer to the Identification Timeline for additional information.
  
  

Yvette Stahl, Gifted Coordinator

yvette.stahl@d303.org | 331.228.6166

As part of our school wide behavior incentives, individual students earn Golden Paws from teachers for meeting our behavior expectations of being respectful, responsible and safe. The Paws are entered into a raffle drawing that takes place on Fridays during lunch time. Students are recognized by their peers and are able to select a small prize. If you have items you would like to donate (stickers, croc charms, pokemon cards, etc), please send them in to Mrs. Patty Griffith, our Student Support Interventionist.

The locked glass display case in our front lobby is a great opportunity for students to show off things they like to collect. Some examples of collections that could be displayed in the case: cards, figurines, stickers, stuffed animals, rocks/shells, or books. We will curate any collections submitted by students to ensure they are school appropriate. Collections will be displayed for 2 weeks. Interested? Fill out our Display Case Form for a chance to have your collections featured.

The Fox Ridge/Munhall 4th grade Girl Scout troop is in a contest to win tickets to Medieval Times! Voting goes until Sunday, March 9

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.

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