The Eagle's Nest

Hello Families,

We have begun the second quarter and our students and teachers are working incredibly hard. We had a wonderful time celebrating our Flossmoor Hills Veterans on Friday and we are so grateful for their service! We learned about our Veterans and what it was like to serve in the various branches of the military. Please be sure to check out the FH broadcast team's latest edition of News from the Nest for a segment on the veterans day program.

We are preparing for Career and Community's Readers Day on November 18th. There is still time to sign up, click the link below!

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

Parents and guardians, we need your help! We are experiencing concerns with our primary and intermediate students around fair play, taking turns and dealing with disagreements and conflicts. Please talk with your child about how to report and handle concerns.

A suggestion is to role play with your child on how they handle someone not letting them play with a piece of playground equipment, feeling that someone is not following the rules of a game or being excluded from a game they want to play.

Your partnership is crucial as we teach Second Step, PBIS and CKH lessons to help all students develop socially and emotionally. Please take a look at the handout on the home to school connection of our SEL programs.

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

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!

Our Book Fair is coming soon, and we’d love your help to make it a success!

Set-Up: Tuesday, November 12
Preview Days: Wednesday & Thursday, November 13–14
Book Fair Sales: November 17–25

If you can volunteer for any part of the event: set-up, preview days, or sales,

we’d really appreciate it. Please click the link to sign up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DAEAD23AAF8C70-60305837-fall#/

Congratulations to our exemplary student eagles! Students are nominated by staff to be recognized as Exemplary Eagles by demonstrating acts of kindness, excelling academically or following school expectations. Congratulations to this month's Exemplary Eagles! They received a certificate, give card and Level Up shirt!

The Flossmoor Hills PTO is partnering with the school to help support families! If your family is facing food insecurity and you need support, you can place a confidential phone call to our social worker, Mrs. Dickerson at 647-7126.

This school year, our students will participate in the Neptune Navigate Digital Citizenship curriculum. Each module is designed to be engaging and informative, taking 30 minutes or less to complete. Our goal is to ensure that students learn how to be safe and smart online and understand the importance of building a positive digital reputation.

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!

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• 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.

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.

Flossmoor Hills is seeking volunteers to run the Eagle Cart. The Eagle Cart has tons of goodies for students to shop with their hard-earned Eagle Bucks! Volunteers will go around to each classroom with the cart and collect Eagle Bucks as the students shop. The Eagle Cart runs all school year our Eagle Cart date is Friday, November 21st! As a reminder all volunteers must have a state issued ID scanned to participate

FLOSSMOOR HILLS: Eagle Cart 2025-2026

https://www.schoolstore.com/cgi/SSCHomePage?asd_number=undefined&userid=undefined

3721 Beech Street,

Flossmoor, Illinois 60422

708-647-7100

emcneil@sd161.org

Evita McNeil-Dobson, Principal