Happy Friday, Fairmount Families!
The month of October continues to fly by, and our students are thoroughly enjoying their learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom. This week was especially eventful, with our 1st graders visiting Naper Settlement—thank you to the PTA for supporting this wonderful trip! We also held our Monthly Matters assembly, where we focused on promoting Respectful, Responsible, and Safe behaviors in the classroom and other learning spaces.
I am looking forward to seeing many of our parents/guardians at this weekend's PTA Trivia Night! It’s sure to be a fun evening for everyone. As we approach Halloween, don’t forget to join us for our festive events, including Monday evening’s PTA Trunk or Treat, and our school parade on October 31st (see details below).
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Lisa Niforatos
Be sure to follow me on X/Twitter @Fairmount58.
Costumes
All students are invited to wear a costume to school on Thursday, October 31st. As you prepare your child for this day, please take note of the following costume guidelines:
Costume Guidelines Kindergarten-6th Grade:
Costumes should allow for safe classroom navigation and participation as students will be in their costumes for the whole school day
Costume/Look Alike Weapons of any kind are NOT allowed at school
Costumes should not glorify violence and/or be offensive to any culture/group
Costumes should not impair vision or ability to walk (costume masks will only be allowed during the outdoor parade)
Costumes should allow children to be comfortable in the weather/temperature as students will go outside for recess, as well as the Halloween parade
Parade and Classroom Celebrations
Parade and Classroom Celebrations
Parents/guardians are welcome to view our outdoor Halloween parade (weather permitting), which will take place at 1:40 p.m. for all students. Parents are welcome to view the parade by standing along the parade route. Students will parade out Door 4 and follow along the blacktop and reenter at Door 3. Spectators may view the parade from anywhere on the blacktop area. Classroom parties will take place immediately after the parade. Parents/guardians who are confirmed volunteers for the celebrations may begin checking in at the office immediately following the completion of the parade. In the event of inclement weather, the outdoor parade may be canceled and parade spectators will not be allowed in the building for a modified student parade.
Additional information
Additional information
There will be no food or drink provided or distributed to students during the celebration. This includes any goody bag that students may bring to school to distribute to classmates. If your child would like to bring a “favor” to share with his/her classmates, this must be a non-edible item such as a pencil, stickers, or another small token, and have one for each member of the class. This is, of course, completely optional.
The PTA has coordinated 3-4 parent volunteers for our Halloween classroom celebrations. Specific guidelines related to volunteering have been shared with confirmed volunteers. Please note that parents/guardians who are not confirmed volunteers will not be permitted in the building for the classroom celebrations. All confirmed volunteers will need to check-in outside Door 1 with our office staff and the PTA Room Rep Chair to receive a volunteer/visitor badge.
Thank you for your attention to the above guidelines and details, which will support a safe and eventful Halloween celebration for our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
Sign up for The Reading Games!
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.
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.
Zones of Regulation
In order to support the social-emotional skills of our K-5 students, each classroom will learn about The Zones of Regulation. The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum that focuses on helping students learn skills to consciously regulate their actions, which leads to increased emotional regulation & problem solving abilities. Through this curriculum, students will learn how to identify their feelings and learn about different calming strategies that they can put inside their “Tool Box”.
We are so proud of our students and all that they have been learning about the Zones of Regulation. Be sure to check back next week for a Student Feature on the Zones of Regulation as we wrap up our October Home Connection to Learning.
You can also learn more information about The Zones of Regulation here.
Talk about Tuesday
Taking the Lead
Cool Collaboration
Dress Like a Teacher
6th Graders in Mrs. Chick's class did an amazing job dressing like a teacher or staff member!
Teacher (& Staff) Feature
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.
Meet Mrs. Glennon - Reading Specialist
Role at Fairmount: Reading Specialist
Years at Fairmount: 8 Years
Favorite Subject in Elementary School: Writing
Least Favorite Subject in Elementary School: Social Studies
Favorite Grade in School: 2nd Grade
A big part of why I became a teacher... A big part of why I became a Reading Specialist is because of a reading practicum class that I took in college. I was placed in a 1st grade classroom with a literacy specialist who not only did a fantastic job teaching first grade but also wrote books and taught workshops on how to effectively teach reading and writing. I really grew interested in how to support students in these subject areas that can be extremely difficult, and when I was ready to get my Masters Degree, I knew I wanted it to be in reading.
A memorable moment of my time in school was... being on Homecoming Court freshman year of high school.
If I wasn't a teacher/didn't work in a school I would... as an event planner or be a stay at home mom.
Mark your Calendars!
10.28: Wear Orange! Student Dismissal 2:00 p.m., PTA Trunk or Treat 5:45-6:45 p.m.
10.29: Run Club for Registered Students 3:00-3:40 p.m., Yearbook Club for Registered Students 3:00-3:40 p.m.
10.30: 3rd Grade Field Trip, Chess Wizards for Registered Students 3:00-4:00 p.m.
10.31: Halloween Parade (weather permitting) 1:40 p.m., Halloween Classroom Celebration 2:00-2:45 p.m.
11.01: Falcon Friday: Wear School Colors or Spiritwear, 2nd Grade Girl Scouts 3:00-4:30 p.m.
A Look Ahead...
11.05: No School, Election Day
11.06: PTA Meeting: Virtual
11.27-11.29: No School, District Closed - Thanksgiving Break
2024-2025 DG58 School Calendar (PDF)
Important Calendar Highlights:
Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 27-29, 2024
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)
PTA Information
If you are looking for any information from our amazing Fairmount PTA, please visit their website:
Information regarding upcoming events, spiritwear, membership and more can be found throughout the site.
PTA Reflections - Projects due November 1st
This year’s theme is “Accepting Imperfection” students may start projects at any time enter into the following categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts, Accessible Art. Link to Council's website https://sites.google.com/view/dupageeastcouncilsite/home
Projects are due to front office by Friday, November 1st.
If you have questions please email reflectionsfairmount@gmail.com volunteer opportunities are available.
Student Change in Dismissal
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.
Fairmount Office Contact Information
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