Fremont Elementary School

Welcome to a brand-new school year! A special shout-out goes to our newest Wildcats and Kindergarten families joining our community for the first time. Stepping into a new school environment can feel like a big step, but please rest assured that our team is ready to guide you through every detail. Our main priority is to ensure every student and parent feels welcomed, safe, connected, and fully supported from day one.

• The first few weeks of school naturally bring a mix of excitement and nervousness for kids and adults alike. Shifting back into early alarms and structured days takes time, but new routines will quickly become second nature. If your child is feeling anxious, validate their feelings without dwelling on them. A simple, "It’s normal to feel nervous, but I know you can do this, and your teacher is there to help," goes a long way. Building predictable morning routines and ensuring consistent daily attendance are the best tools to help your child feel secure, confident, and ready to learn.

If back-to-school jitters persist, please reach out to your child’s teacher or one of our social workers so we can work together on a plan. We can't wait to have our hallways filled with energy again!

Sincerely,

Beth Carmody

Principal

• August 18 - Kindergarten Kickoff: 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the Elementary School Playground (More Information)

• August 19 - Meet and Greet: 1:00-3:00 p.m. Students are invited to drop off supplies and meet their teacher (School supply lists). Students with last names beginning with A-L attend from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and M-Z attend from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Stop by the Intermediate School Gymnasium to pick up bus tags and meet your child’s bus driver; set up and pay for lunch accounts at the Quest table (Lunch account Set Up Info); drop off health forms to Nurse Dana at the Nurse’s table; and visit host representatives from our PTO, Fremont Public Library, Mundelein Recreation and Park District, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, and Right at School.

• August 19 - PTO Meeting: 6:00 p.m. at Fremont Middle School Den

• August 20 - First day of School:
• Elementary school hours are 8:50 a.m. to 3:38 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Please keep in mind that doors open daily at 8:45 a.m. and students begin each day promptly at 8:50 a.m.
• Each Wednesday will be an early release day so that teachers and staff may participate in professional learning. Elementary School students will be released at 3:08 p.m.

• August 25 - Curriculum Night: 6:15-7:45 p.m. See below for more details.

• August 28 - PTO Back-to-School Bash: 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Fremont Intermediate School

Excused Absences Include

• Illness (physical, mental or behavioral) Please note, after 3+ consecutive days of an illness related absence, a doctor's note is required on day 4 in order for the absence to be considered excused moving forward
• Medical/Therapeutic appointments
• Religious Holidays
• Family emergencies or civic events
• Parenting or safety-related concerns

Vacations

• Vacations during school are discouraged and count as unexcused absences.

We encourage you to keep your child IN SCHOOL before and after field trips and special events.

Key expectations:

• Cell phones must be turned off and stored in a Chromebook bag or sleeve during the school day. For the Elementary School, devices must remain in backpacks while at school.

• Smartwatches must be in school mode and used only to tell time.

• Devices may not be used in classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, lunch, or recess.

• Students may use the main office phone if they need to contact a parent or guardian.

• Approved use may be permitted through a student’s IEP or 504 Plan.

All visitors, including parents/guardians and siblings, must enter through the front door of the building. Visitors should identify themselves and inform office personnel of their reason for being at school. All FSD79 buildings have secure entrances. Upon being buzzed into the school office, the office staff will scan a picture ID using the Raptor visitor management system. The visitor shall wear a printed visitor ID badge if further entry is required. Visitors are required to proceed immediately to their location in a quiet manner. They must then return to the school office and sign out before leaving the school. (Reference: Board Policy 8:30)

Final bus route information for the upcoming school year was shared via email last Friday afternoon. If you have any questions, please contact transportation@fsd79.org.

The My Ride K-12 mobile app allows parents and guardians to stay connected with their student’s transportation schedule. Through the use of GPS technology, the app provides updates to the pick-up and drop-off times based on the bus location.

To learn how to download the app, create your account, and link your student’s information, please visit our Transportation webpage.

While our goal is always to drop off our students on time, we want to make you aware that there may be some minor delays on the first few days of the school year. To ensure the safety of our students, bus drivers will be taking attendance and ensuring that all students are on the correct bus. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we help familiarize the students with their bus routes.

If you plan to pick up your child from school on a frequent basis please fill out this form. You will be given a sign, through your youngest child at school, that you will display in your car window. If you have completed the form prior to August 15th, we will have the sign available at Meet and Greet. Please refer to our Pick-up and Drop-off Procedures for our specific guidelines. PLEASE NOTE: Second-grade Elementary School students who are the youngest sibling at Fremont and who have an Intermediate School sibling will walk to the Intermediate School to meet their sibling(s) for pickup there.

Following our Raptor DismissalSafe app trial last spring, the ES is officially moving to this new parent pickup system! Your family sign will now include a unique family code to help keep dismissal fast and safe. More information to come.

Fremont utilizes Quest Food Management Services to provide lunch service for our students. For more information, including how to set up a lunch account for your student, please visit our Food Service webpage. Parents will need their student's Lunch PIN to set up a lunch account. This information can be found in TeacherEase by clicking on the Miscellaneous tab and then selecting Locker/Lunch PIN.

Please note that if you require lunch assistance through available programs, you must complete and submit the Free and Reduced Lunch Application found in the Miscellaneous tab of your TeacherEase portal. Contact Tony Smith, Food Service Director, at asmith@fsd79.org with any questions.

You may have recently seen reports regarding a public health notice about a Cyclospora outbreak linked to certain fresh produce.

While there are no known links to our school dining programs or food suppliers, our food service team at Quest is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety and peace of mind of our students and families. Out of an abundance of caution, iceberg lettuce and fresh jalapeños have been temporarily removed from all cafeteria menus until further notice.

Quest is working closely with its distributors and we are monitoring updates from health authorities to keep our school community safe and healthy. Thank you for your support and understanding. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Health information and medical forms are available on the FSD79 Health Services website page. Please drop off forms at your child’s school.

• Kindergarteners must show proof of current physical/immunizations, as well as dental and eye exam forms.

• Second graders must complete a dental examination prior to starting school.

Registration is closed for this year's no-cost Wednesday early release program for K-5 students that runs from 3:08-4:08 p.m. To be added to the waitlist in the event additional spots open, please contact Kimberly Mingo from Right at School.

The Elementary School Curriculum Night will be on Tuesday, August 25. Mrs. Carmody will present a quick introduction at 6:15 p.m. and repeat the introduction at 7:00 p.m. in the Elementary Gym. Each homeroom teacher will give two identical presentations so you only need to attend one of them. More details will be communicated after the start of the school year.

• 6:15-6:25 p.m. Principal Presentation in ES Gym

• 6:30-7:00 p.m. Teacher Presentation #1

• 7:00-7:10 p.m. Principal Presentation in ES Gym (repeat)

• 7:15-7:45 p.m. Teacher Presentation #2 (repeat)

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Address: 28908 N. Fremont Center Road

Phone: (847) 837-0437

Website: elementary.fsd79.org

Instagram: @FSD79

YouTube: youtube.com/FSD79