Fremont Focus

The Fremont Feature video series provides a firsthand view of the District’s strategic work. Our latest episode details some helpful school bus safety tips and aligns with our Strategic Objective: Implement high-quality, consistent social-emotional health, wellness, and safety practices for adults and students. October 16-20 was National School Bus Safety Week and October 22 was School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Thank you to all of our amazing FSD79 bus drivers for all that they do on a daily basis to ensure the safe transport of our students to and from school.

Fremont School District 79 greatly values regular communication with its stakeholders in order to keep parents/guardians and community members aware of noteworthy happenings in and around the District. As such, the Public Relations department creates an annual Communications Plan which outlines the District's priorities, goals, and objectives for keeping our constituents informed. The 2023-2024 Communications Plan has four primary areas of focus:

• Implementation of a District rebrand
• Development of the Parent University program
• Enhancing the District's employee recruitment and retention efforts
• Supporting implementation of the Strategic Plan

In addition, FSD79 has created a marketing plan with the objective of marketing the District in order to gain recognition both within and beyond our immediate community. It is important to give our community a firsthand view of the District’s strategic work. Much of what happens in schools is not visible to the wider community, and we want to change that, including through items such as our "Fremont Feature" video series and earning story placement from local media outlets.

Our students, teachers, staff, and administrators do amazing work on a daily basis and we are excited to continue sharing those stories with our Fremont community.

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

• October 25 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• October 25 - PTO Meeting and Open House, 6 p.m. (Middle School Media Center)
• November 1 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• November 8 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• November 10 - Veterans Day assemblies, 8:30 a.m. (Middle School), 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Elementary School)
• November 10 - Students Not In Attendance (Lincoln only)
• November 14 - Parent University event - Internet Safety and Cyber Security, 6:30 p.m. (Middle School Media Center - RSVP form)

Traditionally, the Transportation Department had staffing and capacity to accommodate door-to-door service for all age groups for many pickup locations. Fremont’s increased enrollment coupled with the current driver shortage no longer make this a sustainable model. The District is creating a “bus routing task force” to work with staff and families to best address the changing needs of the Transportation Department. The task force will evaluate efficiencies and safety of the door-to-door stops and cul-de-sac utilization. A final recommendation will be created that will best serve our transportation needs and the safety of our students.

If you have any interest in joining the committee, please complete an interest form via this link. The task force will meet four times on the following dates: 11/15, 11/29, 12/20, 1/10 at 6:00 p.m. at Fremont Middle School. Please submit your interest no later than Wednesday, November 8.

FSD79 was pleased to welcome psychologist and educator Dr. Doug Bolton for a presentation on ways to understand children's meltdowns and provide strategies for supporting them in their hardest moments. If you were unable to attend the presentation or would like to watch it again, please see below. Thank you to Dana Ladenburger, who documented the presentation via her tremendous live sketchnoting. Visit our Parent University webpage for a complete listing of resources and upcoming events.

Parents, we are pleased to invite you to take part in our next Parent University event. An investment in parent outreach strengthens trust and better equips both the school and families to support learning. An RSVP is not required, but it is appreciated if you intend to take advantage of childcare for individuals ages 3+, which will be provided by Fremont Middle School students.

Tuesday, Nov. 14 - Internet Safety and Cyber Security

6:30 p.m. • Middle School DEN • 90-minute presentation

Now more than ever, individuals are susceptible to a variety of potential dangers and threats when it comes to the internet and cyber security. Lt. Sara Balmes of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office will lead a presentation with information about a variety of apps, in addition to providing parents tips as their students navigate social media.

In an effort to connect the FSD79 Board of Education and the community, the District offers a summary of monthly, regular Board meetings. To view a recap of the October 23 meeting, please click here.

Individuals who reside within Fremont School District 79 boundaries should keep their eyes on their mailboxes next week for the Fall 2023 edition of the Fremont Digest, our newsletter which is mailed out twice per year. This upcoming edition focuses on our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan and provides important information on upcoming District future planning. Be sure to check it out!

FSD79 has an immediate opening for a Payroll and Benefits Coordinator. To learn more about the position and to apply, please click here. For a complete listing of all current job openings with the District, please click here.

Congratulations to our Fremont Middle School girls soccer and 7th-grade White girls basketball team on bringing home conference tournament titles last week! Great job, ladies!

Thank you to Kamins Farm Sanctuary for hosting our youngest learners from Lincoln for a fun morning on the farm last Friday.

We are pleased to report that we have been able to regain access to our original Facebook page (facebook.com/FremontSchoolDistrict79) and we intend to use that page again going forward. We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding throughout the process and we have initiated a number of safeguards to hopefully prevent the issue from happening again.

The school lunch menus for the month of November are now available and can be found here.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
We welcome you to join our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), meeting every third Wednesday of the month during the school year in the Middle School Den at 6:00 pm. It is a great way to get involved at Fremont Schools and in your child's education by getting to know staff members and meeting new friends through the membership. We are always looking for extra helping hands on our committees and would love for our talented parents to join in collaboration with our teachers and school staff. We hope to see you there - we welcome anyone interested to come and check it out at any of our meetings!

Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2023-2024 school year.

***NEW THIS MONTH: We are so excited to host our first PTO open house on October 25 and give you an evening out. The purpose is to get our parents excited about joining our group by learning about us and how we impact our Fremont community both in and outside of the classroom, and most importantly, how you can help! Join us for the happiest hour!

CHARLESTON WRAP FUNDRAISER
Charleston Wrap has begun and will run until November 3. All orders are placed online with direct shipping. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

ART AWARENESS
Are you interested in finding out more about the Art Awareness program? Join us for our informational meeting October 26 at 6:00 p.m. in the Middle School Media Center. We will be answering all your questions and demonstrating what an art awareness project could look like in the classroom. If you would like to volunteer in your student’s classroom or have questions, please email Tmrlatter@gmail.com or Lauren.rollinger@gmail.com. Please complete this Google Form if you plan to attend Oct. 26.

SPIRIT WEAR
All spirit wear orders have been delivered! Please check your child's backpack for your order. We appreciate your support and are always so proud to see so much school spirit! Any questions please contact Melissa Duitsman - melissa_duitsman@yahoo.com

HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTIES
Party Hosts for the Halloween Classroom Parties have been assigned and notified. Each class party is designated 3 Party Hosts. If more than 3 parents signed up for a classroom party, volunteers were chosen at random. Please note: All remaining parents who have not been notified, have not been assigned to host a party will not be invited to attend the party.

ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK NOW - 10% DISCOUNT EXTENDED
Order your student's 2023-2024 yearbook by October 31 and get 10% off. Use the correct school code from our flyer when you order!

HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE
It’s that time of year! Mark your calendars for our annual Holiday Boutique, Saturday November 11 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Featuring 20+ vendors and little makers, it’s a one-stop holiday shop! Don’t forget to drop your littles off at the kids’ holiday shop to do their own shopping too!!

Questions- feel free to reach out to Tiffany Latter - fsdvppreschool@gmail.com

HAPPY LITTLE FLAME FUNDRAISER
We are excited to be partnering with Happy Little Flame again this year with clean, non-toxic candles!! Perfect for gifting, filling your home with delicious scents around the holidays, or just because! Order your delicious smelling scents using this link TODAY!

The fundraiser runs from October 20 - November 3 with a pick-up date/ship date on November 15! Want to smell the scents before you order? Not a problem! Pop into the Elementary front office and go sniff all the scents!!

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. Current offerings include:

• Mundelein Baseball & Softball Association

The next edition of the Fremont Focus will be distributed on Wednesday, November 8. 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

Twitter: @FSD79

Instagram: @FSD79

YouTube: youtube.com/FSD79