Fremont Middle School

August 9, 2024

A Message From the Principal

Dear District Families,

As we settle into the second half of the school year, we want to take a moment to share some insights about the purpose and importance of Institute Days and Wednesday early release days, as well as how these dedicated times directly support your child’s educational experience.

Institute Days: A Commitment to Excellence

On January 6, we welcomed our staff back from winter break with a full-day Institute Day focused on professional growth and collaboration. This day was carefully planned to align with our district’s strategic goals and included sessions designed to enhance teaching practices, strengthen student support, and foster staff well-being. Highlights of the day included:

Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) Training: Equipping staff with strategies to ensure student safety and de-escalate challenging situations effectively.
Literacy Sessions: Focused on strengthening instructional practices to support reading and writing skills for all students.
PLC Collaboration: Providing teacher teams with dedicated time to collaborate on instructional strategies and curriculum alignment, ensuring impactful learning experiences for all students.
Special Education Collaboration: Ensuring individualized education plans (IEPs) are thoughtfully implemented to meet the unique needs of each student.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): This session emphasized the restorative circle approach, a powerful strategy for building community and fostering open, respectful communication among students.
Staff Wellness Breakout Sessions: Offering opportunities for our educators to recharge and focus on their own well-being, recognizing the vital role they play in supporting our students.

These sessions are part of our ongoing commitment to providing your children with high-quality instruction, personalized support, and a nurturing school environment.

Wednesday Early Release Days: Prioritizing Collaboration

In addition to Institute Days, our district reserves Wednesday early release times for Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). During these sessions, teachers work collaboratively to address the four critical questions of a PLC:

What do we expect students to learn?
How will we know if they have learned it?
How will we respond when some students do not learn?
How will we extend and enrich learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency?

This collaborative time ensures that every child benefits from a cohesive and well-planned educational experience, as teachers continuously improve their practice and align their efforts across grade levels and subject areas.

We are grateful for your support and understanding of these professional development opportunities. By investing in our educators, we are investing in the success of our students and preparing them for a bright future. If you have any questions about Institute Days, early release Wednesdays, or any other aspect of your child’s education, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for partnering with us in your child’s educational journey.

Warm regards,

Katie O’Brien

Principal, Lincoln Early Learning Center

Beth Carmody

Principal, Fremont Elementary School

Stefan Ladenburger

Principal, Fremont Intermediate School

Dr. Emily Loerakker

Principal, Fremont Middle School

Morning Announcements - Week of January 21

Washington DC Sign Up

Parent University - January 21

Parent Book Club - “The Anxious Generation”

As part of our Parent University programming, FSD79 and the Fremont PTO will be co-sponsoring a Parent Book Club event on New York Times #1 Bestseller, “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt. We will be hosting a one-night discussion on the book on February 11, 2025. For more information on the book club event, please visit our table at next Friday’s Reading Rally. Additional information will be shared with families in the near future. Secure your physical or audio copy of the book now to prepare for the discussion.

Reminder: Varsity Tutors for Schools - Free Access for All FSD79 Students!

A friendly reminder that every student in FSD79 has access to the Varsity Tutors for Schools platform. This access includes:

24/7 On-Demand Chat Tutoring
On-Demand Essay Review
100+ Weekly Live Classes
Recorded Enrichment Classes
Self-Study & Practice Resources

Here is a pamphlet and a video that provides an overview of the platform features. Students can go to their Clever Dashboard and select the Varsity Tutors icon to login to the platform. Any chat sessions students participate in are recorded and posted on their dashboard for future reference.

Early Pick-Up Procedures

If your student needs to be picked up early, please notify our main office at 847-566-9384 or send an email to the receptionist, Karolina O'Malley, at komalley@fsd79.org. A parent/guardian or designated person must present identification to pick a student up early. Please note that the latest pickup time is 2:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and 1:30 PM on Wednesday. Parents cannot park in handicapped parking spots near the gym as it interferes with bus pick up.

Absences

If your child will be absent from school because of illness, doctors appointments, vacation, or for any other reason, please call 847-566-9384 and select option 2 to report it to the school office by 8:00 a.m. the day of the absence. Keeping track of all the students on a daily basis is a huge task, and we greatly appreciate prompt notification of any absence.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The Fremont PTO would love to see you at our meetings this year! Meetings are on the third Wednesday of the month in the Middle School Den at 6:00 pm. Our next meeting is on February 19th.

Childcare services for children ages 3+ will be provided at ALL of our upcoming PTO meetings. Please use the form below to let us know if you will be bringing a child to the meeting. It is not required to RSVP; however, we ask that you please do so if you plan to take advantage of childcare. Care will be provided by Fremont Middle School students for individuals ages 3 and up. Here is the form.

RSVP Form for childcare: https://forms.gle/ceerdTKn7Pa51mVt7

Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2024-2025 school year.

To stay in the know of what Fremont PTO is up to, follow and tag us on social media:

Instagram: @fremontpto

Facebook: Fremont PTO

JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT PARENT UNIVERSITY EVENT - JAN. 21

Parents, make plans now to join us for our next Parent University engagement series session at Fremont Middle School on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. In this presentation, Jennifer McAdams, LCPC, CEDS-S joins Fremont parents to discuss how to support kids through emotional validation, compassion and positive boundaries. Borrowing from Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), this presentation will empower parents to lean on proven strategies in order to let go of guilt and foster a caring environment where their child feels emotionally safe and supported. Click here to RSVP and to register for free child care. You may find more information about this session here.

SWEETHEART DANCE

Our annual Sweetheart Dance is Saturday, February 8th from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Fremont Intermediate School. Please have your daughter/s arrive with an important adult figure in their life. Be ready to dance, play games, eat light refreshments and enjoy a fun night together. The PTO will be hosting a similar event for sons in May. All ages are welcome to put on their best and pose with their adult for pictures. Here is the Sweetheart Dance registration form. Pre-registration is due by Monday, February 3rd.

FREMONT PTO BOOK CLUB

Feeling overwhelmed by your child’s screen time and social media?

As parents, we’re all on a learning journey – let’s make that journey easier and more insightful together! Join us February 11, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Middle School Den for the Fremont Parent Book Club.

Pick up a copy of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and dive into this eye-opening book. We’ll explore all three sections together, share thoughts, and discuss how to navigate the challenges of raising kids in the digital age.

Don’t miss out – start reading today and come ready to connect, learn, and grow as a community!

SHOP. SCAN. EARN.

Forget the scissors - Box Tops for Education has gone digital! Simply download the Box Tops for Education app (see www.boxtops4education.com for more info), select Fremont School District 79 (in Mundelein, IL) as your beneficiary, and you're all set! Enter the code H02P2R0D when you register for bonus points. Then simply scan your receipts after shopping, and watch the points (and $$) add up for our schools!

UPCOMING DINE-IN NIGHTS

Please join the Fremont PTO at Portillo’s on January 30th for our next dine-in night. It’s located 221 Townline Rd in Vernon Hills, and runs from 5 pm to 8 pm. 20% of sales will benefit the PTO. You can also order online or in the app for pickup - just use the code PORTILLOS18 before checkout in the "Apply Offer" field. More info is in the flyer. We have a full year of dine-in nights ahead – check out the list here!

ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK NOW!

Don’t forget to order your student's 2024-2025 yearbook. Use the correct school code from our flyer when you order!

PTO MEMBERSHIP/ONLINE DIRECTORY FOR 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

If you already have an account in Membership Toolkit, thank you for creating and/or updating your Membership Toolkit account last year.

If you don't have an account in Membership Toolkit, set it up now for free! Once you have created an account in Membership Toolkit your child will appear in the online directory immediately (that's if you choose to do so). To create an account, go to fsd79.membershiptoolkit.com and follow the directions in the attached form (Online Student Directory Set Up Instructions 2024-2025).

To gain access to the Online Student Directory your account must be active and you must pay the $15 PTO Membership Family Fee. If you paid your PTO Membership fee through your TeacherEase account before June 15th, your payment has been confirmed and you currently have access to the Online Student Directory. If you didn’t pay your PTO Membership Family Fee before June 15th, you can pay the $15 PTO Membership Family fee thru Venmo @Fremont-PTO; or by bringing or sending the attached form with your cash payment or check made payable to Fremont PTO to any school front office. The option to pay the PTO Membership Fee thru your TeacherEase account is no longer available. Once we receive confirmation of your payment, we will give you access to the online directory. Please note it may take up to one week to be granted access to the online directory.

Don't forget to download the FREE Membership Toolkit app to your smartphone-search "Membership Toolkit" in your app store.

BIRTHDAY BOARD

Celebrate your Fremont Student's special day! "Happy Birthday, Your Child's Name" can appear on the Fremont Electronic Message Board. Just complete the Birthday Board Request Google Form 2024-2025; or complete the birthday board form and send it back to any school front office with your $5 payment per birthday message. If you have any questions, please contact Christie Johnson at cjohnson@fsd79.org.