The Eagle's Nest

Hello Families,

Thank you to our PTO and parents for a fun filled party day on Friday! We truly appreciate our PTO for sponsoring our fall parties with snacks and our room parents for planning engaging games and crafts for our students to participate in. It was great to see so many families join us for our costume parade. The weather was perfect and our students had a blast!

The state of Illinois State Board of Education has released the 2025 school report cards, which can be found here. Flossmoor Hills is designated as a commendable school. We have 65.9% of our 3rd-5th grade students meeting proficiency in ELA on the IAR and 51.4% of our 3rd-5th grade students meeting proficiency in math on the IAR. We are so proud of the hard work, perseverance and dedication of our students and teachers! We are incredibly grateful to our families for your partnership as we continue to lead our students in academic success.

Report cards were posted to Skyward on Friday. If you have any questions about your report card, please contact your child's teacher or Mrs. McNeil-Dobson with any questions. Additionally, all fall NWEA and AIMSweb reports for reading and math have been mailed to families. Here are the 2025 National Norms for NWEA. Please reference the chart to view the national average for students at every grade level. Families will receive the spring 2025 IAR reports for students in grades 4-5 in the next few weeks via US mail.

Please take a look at the updates in this week's newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Let's connect.....

Email address: emcneil@sd161.org

Office number: 708-647-7100

2025-26 Fall Assessment Update

Our Fall data discussion identified a number of strengths and opportunities for improvement. This link will take you to the Board report and this link goes to the actual data slide deck. On Thursday, October 30th, a letter was sent to District 161 families with information about the annual school report cards. At the Board meeting on November 17, 2025, we will discuss the summative ratings, the final 2024-25 Illinois Assessment of Readiness [IAR] data, and the current School Improvement Plans.

2026 Construction Scope

We are preparing for stage 2 of our school renovation work. During the summer of 2026, we are planning to renovate Parker Junior High School [paint, lighting, furniture, etc.], with HVAC improvements at Flossmoor Hills and Western Avenue Schools. During the summer of 2027, we will complete our Long Range Construction Plan by renovating Flossmoor Hills and Western Avenue [paint, lighting, furniture].

2025 Property Tax Levy

Discussions began regarding the 2025 property tax levy. It is important to note that the State of Illinois did not fund a Property Tax Relief Grant for the 2025-26 year. The administration presented three levy options to the Board of Education for consideration. The full presentation can be found here. At its next meeting, the Board will receive additional details on each of the options presented and will vote to approve one as a tentative levy.

1. Picture Retake Day - November 6th
2. Veterans Day Program - 9:30 a.m. - November 7th
3. No School - Veterans Day Observed - November 10th
4. Career Day - November 18th- (We need career day speakers, please consider volunteering)
5. School Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m. - November 17th
6. Family Reading Night at 6:00 p.m. - November 20th
7. Parent Teacher Conferences - 1:00 - 8:30 p.m. - November 24th
8. Parent Teacher Conferences - 8:30 - 1:15 p.m. - November 25th

If you are a veteran and would like to participate in our Veteran's Day Program on November 7th, please sign up via the link below. We would love for you to share your experience serving our country with our students.

Would you like to share your career with the students of Flossmoor Hills? Volunteer to talk about your exciting career and share with students about how they can create a path to success!

The One and Only Bob is the talk of the town!

Flossmoor Hills' "One Book, One School" initiative is almost to the halfway point and the buzz is still going. Bob is making his rounds to all of the classrooms to watch the students learn and read his book. Bob is also reminding students to keep reading and completing the weekly assignment so they can enter the raffle.

What do you win if you win the raffle? - - - Your student can win the chance to be Bob's caretaker for an entire school day!

Bob, with his friends Ivan and Ruby, are also hosting the annual Family Literacy Night on November 20th! The theme, of course, is "Wild About Reading" where students will go on a safari in search of letters, words, and stories.

Thank you to Dad Force One, Mr. Olsson and Mrs. Ericksen for representing Flossmoor Hills at the district Trunk or Treat event!

Parents can access the SD 161 Learning and Instruction webpage for detailed information specific to Standards Based Grading and Year Long Plans for every grade level content.

Cell Phones & Smart Watches:

Cell phones and smart watches should be kept in a safe place—such as a locker (devices should be neither seen nor heard)—and are not to be used during the school day or during on-campus school activities during school hours.

From the Office of the Nurse

Cheryl Gozzi, RN BSN

FH Health Coordinator

p. 708-647-7105

f. 708-798-2339

e. cgozzi@sd161.org

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD)

Health officials, including the Illinois Department of Public Health, have reported a surge in HFMD cases statewide. The virus is highly contagious, we’re asking all families to be extra vigilant. If you suspect your child has HFMD please keep your student at home and contact your doctor immediately.

HFMD is a common viral illness seen mostly in young children. It usually causes fever, sore throat, and small blisters or a rash on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth. The virus spreads easily through coughing, sneezing, or contact with saliva or contaminated surfaces.

When should my child stay home from school?

• Click here for health guidelines.

• Please make sure emergency contacts are in Skyward. If your student is sent home we ask that you or an emergency contact picks up the child within 30 minutes.

Please consider sending the following items with your student to store in their locker

• A full change of clothes: fall tends to be wet and muddy!

• An extra snack: to avoid afternoon stomachaches!

• An extra water bottle: drinking water makes us feel good, having one on the desk is great!

Cold Weather, Allergies and Asthma

Any student with allergies or asthma needs an action plan completed by your doctor and on file in the nurse’s office. If your student has a health condition that prohibits them from going outside in cold weather, your doctor must fax a note to the nurse at 708-798-2339

Medications at School

Any student that needs medication while at school must have a medication authorization form completed by their doctor and turned into the nurse before medication can be brought to school. This includes over the counter medications.

• The 30 day grace period for free and reduced lunch has expired. If parents have not either been confirmed by the state for SNAP/TANF or Medicaid status or have not completed a new free/reduced lunch application in Skyward, their lunch status may be back to paid. Complete a lunch form in Skyward to correct your status!

• Online Safety Parent Meeting

• Please save the date for an important parent presentation, “Keeping Our Kids Cyber Safe,” on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Parker Junior High School (2810 School Street, Flossmoor).

• Detective Rich Wistocki (RET) from Be Sure Consulting’s Cyber Safe Schools Team will share valuable insights and practical strategies to help parents protect children online and encourage safe, responsible digital habits.

• Please RSVP here by Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

• We hope you can join us for this important event!

************************************************************************************

• Reserve la fecha para una presentación importante para padres, “Manteniendo a nuestros niños seguros cibernéticamente”, el martes 11 de noviembre de 2025, de 6:00 a 7:30 p. m. en Parker Junior High School (2810 School Street, Flossmoor).

• El detective Rich Wistocki (RET) del equipo de escuelas cibernéticas seguras de Be Sure Consulting compartirá información valiosa y estrategias prácticas para ayudar a los padres a proteger a sus hijos en línea y fomentar hábitos digitales seguros y responsables.

• Por favor, confirma tu asistencia aquí para el martes 4 de noviembre de 2025.

• ¡Esperamos que puedas acompañarnos en este importante evento!

• Click here [insert link to your school’s virtual backpack] to access our school’s virtual backpack. This page is intended to provide information on resources and activities that may be of interest to our students and families.

All K-5 students enter the building at 8:30 a.m. daily. The school day begins at 8:40 a.m. and students are dismissed at 3:15 p.m. Students may arrive on campus at 8:25 a.m. and line up on their playground areas. There is no supervision before 8:25 a.m. Students that arrive before 8:25 a.m. will have to wait on their playgrounds unsupervised. Breakfast will be available in the gym room at 8:25 a.m.

• Pre-K Morning Session: 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• Pre-K Afternoon Session: 12:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Bus Routes

• Student bus routes are available in Skyward. Log into your Skyward account to check where your child's bus stop is located. If you have any questions regarding bus routes, call Wanda Alexander at 708-546-7072.

• If your child is routed for a bus and will not ride the bus due to you dropping them off or picking them up daily, email Rose Spotora at rspotora@sd161.org.

• If your child will not ride the bus everyday, the front office needs a schedule for your child. Please email Rose Spotora at rspotora@sd161.org AND your child's classroom teacher.

• Sign up to receive bus bulletins. You can learn more here.

Dismissal Changes

• Parents must call the office or email the administrative assistants by 2:15 p.m. if you need to make a change to your child's dismissal procedure (i.e., not riding the bus, not attending an after school program, etc.). The procedure helps to ensure the safe dismissal for all students.

• The office number is 708-647-7100. Our administrative assistants can be contacted at rspotora@sd161.org and nfonseca@sd161.org.

Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. Students eating breakfast should enter the main entry doors (Door A) upon arrival to school.

Grade Level Lunch Times

• Kindergarten and 5th Grade - 11:30 a.m. - recess begins at 11:50 a.m.
• 1st Grade and 3rd Grade - 12:10 p.m. - recess begins at 12:30 p.m.
• 2nd Grade and 4th Grade - 11:50 a.m. - recess begins at 12:10 p.m.

If you need to drop off lunch to your student after the school day has started, you may utilize the grade level bins on the cart in the foyer. Please label your child's lunch bag.

Reminder: Lunches sent to the school by food delivery services such as Uber Eats, GrubHub, DoorDash, etc. are not allowed.

1. Please do not pull or park vehicles in the bus lane. These lanes are for school buses only.
2. Parents and guardians should never board a school bus. The bus company is instructed to call the police if any adult other than school personnel boards the bus. If you have an issue with the bus or driver contact Mrs. McNeil - Dobson.
3. It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus.
4. Cell phone usage in a school zone is prohibited.
5. Students will learn bus expectations during the first days of school. Please reinforce at home that students should be seated at all times to be safe.

All visitors staying in the school building must be scanned in by our administrative assistants using the raptor. You will have to present your driver's license as proof of i.d. Once you have been cleared through the system, you will receive a name badge to wear. No visitors or volunteers will be allowed in the school without being cleared by the system.

If you would like to celebrate your child's birthday in school, please send non edible items to share (i.e., pencils, bubbles, stickers, etc.). We cannot allow students to share outside food/treats in school. Food items will be returned to you.

Congratulation to Camilo for on his upcoming appearance on the television show Chicago P.D. Camilo is an actor and model and can be seen in television commercials, advertisement's and on television shows. We are so proud of you Camilo, keep up the amazing work!

If you would like to share good news happening in the FH neighborhood or share an achievement for your child outside of school, please email me a photo and blurb detailing the event. I will be sure to include it in the weekly newsletter.

3721 Beech Street,

Flossmoor, Illinois 60422

708-647-7100

emcneil@sd161.org

Evita McNeil-Dobson, Principal