Ferson Creek eNews

Happy Friday Ferson Creek Fox Families,

We had so much fun cheering on our teachers during the inflatable race this afternoon. We enjoyed the dance party too! Thank you to all of the families who donated to our PTO Booster fundraiser. This was one of the fun events students earned for reaching our fundraising goal.

Please welcome our administrative Assistant, Amanda Hodnik to the main office. Please contact her for any absences and late arrival/early pick ups. Her contact information is below.

Email Address: Amanda.Hodnik@d303.org

We hope to see you at FEARson Fest tonight!

-Mrs. Salto and Ms. Pigoni

October

October 23rd-FEARson Halloween Fest-5:30PM-8:00PM

October 27th-PTO Meeting-11:30AM-12:30PM

October 28h-Elementary Early Release Day-2:30PM Dismissal

November

November 2nd- CHESS club @ 3:35 in the art room

November 3rd- Election Day (no school)

November 4th & 5th- Big Hearts Holiday Gift Donation Drive during arrival

November 5th-Picture Retakes

November 6th- Trimester 1 ends

November 9th-13th CogAT testing window for grades 3 & 5

November 10th- 5th grade orchestra concert 6p.m. @ TMS

November 13th- Student Leadership Club Meeting 8:05 in STEM room

November 16th- 20th CogAT makeup testing for grades 3 & 5

November 16th- CHESS club @ 3:35 in art room

November 17th- PTO Meeting 12:30-1:30

November 18th- Early release at 2:30p.m.

Trimester report cards available to parents in Synergy ParentVue

November 23rd-29th- No school. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Halloween is just around the corner! We will celebrate Halloween on Friday, October 30th. This year, we will hold our Halloween parade outside at 2:10 pm. Parents are welcome to view the parade from the blacktop area behind the school. In the event of inclement weather, the parade will be cancelled. Classroom celebrations will take place after the parade. While wearing costumes is optional, there are a few guidelines:

• Props representing weapons are not allowed.
• Students should not wear costumes which promote gore, violence, or inappropriate imagery.
• No costume face coverings or masks can be worn.

October 30th – Classroom Celebrations

Pre-arranged volunteers should plan to sign in and get their visitor’s badges just prior to the start of the classroom celebrations. Volunteers should ensure they have completed the district volunteer form. Our celebrations are scheduled from 2:25 pm-3:10 pm. Party volunteers will be allowed down to classrooms at 2:00 pm. Please note that only the party volunteer or room parent are permitted to attend the classroom party. Additional family members, including siblings, should not attend. Thank you for cooperation.

We will be celebrating Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11th with an all-school assembly. If there is a veteran that you would like to recognize by having them included in our Veterans Day video, please email our LRC director Renee Ignoffo at sharon.ignoffo@d303.org. In your email, please include your child's name, the veteran's name, the veteran's relation to your child, a picture of the veteran, and branch of the military. Please send all pictures to Mrs. Ignoffo no later than Monday, October 26th. If you sent pictures last year, you do not need to resend them as Mrs. Ignoffo still has the images.

If you have a veteran in your family, or a friend of your family, and your child would like to invite them to attend our assembly on Wednesday, November 11th at 9:30 am (brief pre-assembly welcome at 9:15am with breakfast snacks), please rsvp to Amanda Hodnik at Amanda.hodnik@d303.org, no later than Monday, November 2nd so that we can plan accordingly.

I am also looking for a couple people who would be willing to help with decorations for the Veterans Day assembly. If you are creative, love a craft, or just have an abundance of red, white, and blue decor you'd be willing to let us borrow, please reach out to Kara Salto at Kara.salto@d303.org.

Our Student Leadership Club and PTO are collaborating with Big hearts of Fox Valley for the holiday toy drive. Student Leadership Club members will we available during arrival on November 4th and 5th to collect any donations. There is also a box for donations located near the main office.

Birthdays are such an exciting time for students! To help every child feel included and prevent hurt feelings, birthday invitations may be handed out at school only when inviting the entire class.

Please do not send invitations to school to be handed out to select students, including children in other classrooms. If you are inviting a smaller group or individual friends from other classes, please contact those families directly outside of school.

We encourage everyone to sign up for the PTO Directory, which is a helpful way to find participating families’ names, phone numbers, and email addresses for invitations and other connections.

Thank you for helping us create a kind and caring classroom where every child feels valued!

At the end of October, Ms. Daley and Mrs. Sheridan, school social workers, will begin Erin's Law lessons utilizing the Second Step Child Protection Unit. For more information regarding Erin's Law and the Second Step instructional resource, please see the letter below.

Please see the attached letter below for additional information.

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 23rd from 5:30-8:00 pm for the Ferson Creek PTO's FEARson Halloween Fest! Enjoy trick-or-treating around the school, a Halloween dance in the gym, fun games and raffles, and delicious food trucks. Proceeds support field trips, birthday books, assemblies, and more for our students. More details to come!

Get your costumes ready! The Ferson Creek Halloween Festival is coming up on Friday, October 23rd, from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

Our trick-or-treat trail around the school will take place from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. Trick-or-treaters can stop by decorated classroom doors to collect candy passed out by volunteers. Be sure to visit our outdoor photo station to capture some great family memories!

Volunteers Needed to Pass Out Candy!

We need your help to make this night magical for the kids! Please click the link below to sign up for a volunteer shift. We have two 45-minute shifts available:

- Shift 1: 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM

- Shift 2: 6:15 PM – 7:00 PM

Click here to volunteer.

Tickets for the event can be purchased by clicking here.

Raffle Tickets for lunch with your favorite teachers can be purchased here.

Halloween Costume Contest!

Show off your spooktacular Halloween costumes! Whether you’re going for cute, creepy, funny, or creative, we want to see your best Halloween looks! To enter the contest, you MUST submit your costume entry using the Google Form linked here. Entries will only be counted if submitted through the form, so don’t forget to enter! All entries are due by 10/22 at 12:00 p.m.!

If you do not have access to the form and would like to enter, please email victoria_baur@yahoo.com with your submission.

-Your PTO Team!

This festive event is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and we’d love for Ferson Creek students, families, and staff to get involved! There are multiple ways to join in the fun:

• Create your own gingerbread masterpiece — solo, as a family, or with a group! All ages and skill levels welcome. There will be prizes in multiple categories.

• Join us on December 6th. Stop by the event from 11am – 3pm to enjoy music & treats, and vote for your favorite gingerbread house.

• Admission is FREE!

Lunch and Recess

Parent volunteer positions for lunch and recess are currently on pause.

Birthday Lunches

Parent(s)/guardian(s) are welcome to join their child for lunch on their birthday (or an alternate day for summer birthdays).

• Check-in Required: All visitors must check in at the main office to receive a visitor tag before entering the lunchroom.
• Pre-Registration/RSVP Google Form: Please fill out the RSVP Google Form below at least 24 hours in advance so the office and lunchroom staff can plan for extra seating. We are limiting attendance to 2 adult guests per student. Click here to complete the birthday lunch RSVP Google Form.
• Guidelines and Rules: Food may only be shared with your own student. For student privacy, no photos may be taken during lunch. When lunch is over, you must return to the office to sign out.
• Grade-Level Lunch Times

Kindergarten 12:35-12:55

1st Grade 11:05-11:25

2nd Grade 11:25-11:45

3rd Grade 12:55-1:15

4th Grade 11:50-12:10

5th Grade 12:10-12:30

School Start Time - 9:05 am

Earliest Drop-Off Time - 8:50 am

School End Time - 3:25 pm

Early Release End Time - 2:35 pm

There are three easy ways to report your child's absence:

📱 Synergy Parent Portal/App: Click "Report Absence" on the home screen or in the attendance section

📞 Call: 331-228-2300, press option "1"
📧 Email: cheryl.wiley@d303.org

Phone/email details:

• Messages can be left 24 hours a day
• Please include: your name, your child's name, your phone number, reason for absence, and symptoms (if ill)
• Already emailed the teacher about the absence? Please copy cheryl.wiley@d303.org on that email as well — this helps you avoid a daily attendance verification call

Using Synergy ParentVue?

1. Click the Report Absence button on the home screen or in the attendance section
2. Select the Start and End Date for the absence
3. Choose a Reason from the drop-down menu
4. Enter a Note explaining the absence
5. Upload documentation (e.g., doctor's note) if required, then click Save

Please refer to Chapter 2 of the 2026-2027 Student Handbook for detailed district attendance policies and procedures. Click button below for handbook!

All schools in St. Charles CUSD 303 have moved to Synergy SIS as the district’s new student information system, replacing HAC (Home Access Center). ParentVUE is the secure parent/guardian portal where you will be able to view your student's information, such as grades, report cards, attendance, and online registration.

Please activate your ParentVUE account by following the steps below.

Activate Your Account

Click here to begin: ParentVUE Account Activation

1. Review the Privacy Statement.

2. Click I Accept at the bottom of the page.

3. Create your username and password, and enter your email address.

4. Click Complete Account Activation.

You will then be logged into ParentVUE!

Important Notes

• Initially, you will see one tile: Student Information.

• Student Information: We kindly ask that you click into Student Information and verify that your student’s information is accurate. If edits are necessary, click Edit Information.

• On August 10 in the afternoon, you will see additional information and tiles in the portal.

• Each parent/guardian should create their own account. Do not share accounts.

• You only need one account, even if you have multiple children enrolled in the district.

• You must activate your web portal account before using the mobile app.

• Students in middle and high school will receive their own StudentVUE accounts, which provide similar information. Please do not give your student(s) your ParentVUE login credentials.

Using the ParentVUE Mobile App

1. Download the free ParentVUE app by Edupoint from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

2. Open the app and either allow location services or type your zip code, then tap the district name.

3. Log in using the username and password you created during activation.

If you need assistance, please contact your student's school.

Thank you for completing your ParentVUE activation!

The District 303 Parent/Guardian Attendance Resource Guide is officially launching on the D303 website. This comprehensive resource is organized into three sections: D303-specific attendance resources, community-based attendance resources, and general attendance information, providing families with a clear, accessible starting point for navigating attendance concerns.

Gianna Pigoni, Assistant Principal

Website: https://fersoncreek.d303.org/
Location: 38W160 Bolcum Road, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: 331-228-2300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ferson-Creek-Elementary-1492773537612187/