The Eagle's Nest

Hello Families,

We had an exciting week at Flossmoor Hills! Thank you to all our Community Reading Volunteers for sharing with our students this past week. We had an engaging time learning from our community business owners, hearing from village officials and many of our parents also shared about their successful careers and businesses! We are also appreciative to the PTO for helping with family literacy night and Dad Force One for hosting an open gym on Friday for students. I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, enjoying your family and friends!

Reminder: There will be no school November 24th 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th for Thanksgiving break. School will resume on Monday, December 1st.

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

As part of our commitment to providing continuous service excellence to our families and our community, we are conducting a survey in partnership with Studer Education. Your feedback will help us determine what is working well in your child’s school and any areas that may need improvement.

The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. We encourage you to complete it in one sitting, as your responses will be saved once you click submit. The survey will ask you to select your child’s school, and you can complete a separate survey for each of the schools your children attend.

The Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey can be accessed here:

Click here: Flossmoor School District 161 - Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey

The survey is scheduled for November 14 - 29, 2025.

1. Parent Teacher Conferences - 1:00 - 8:30 p.m. - November 24th
2. Parent Teacher Conferences - 8:30 - 1:15 p.m. - November 25th
3. Flossmoor SD 161 School Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m. - December 1st
4. SIP Day: Early Release / Dismissal at 11:40 a.m. - December 5th
5. PBIS Student Reteach - December 5th
6. Winter NWEA MAP Testing for grades 1 - 5 - December 8th - December 12th
7. Winter AIMSweb Testing for grades K-1 - December 8th - 12th
8. Winter K-2 concert - 6:00 p.m. at Parker Jr. High - December 10th
9. FH Spelling Bee - December 16th
10. Winter Wonder Fest - December 19th
11. Winter Parties - December 19th
12. Last day of school before winter break - December 19th

Book Fair Sales End: November 17–25

Students have access to the following learning websites via their Chromebook's. The content on the websites are individualized to each child's specific learning needs.

1.IXL.com - grades 3-5

2. RazKids.com - grades K-2

3. Achieve3000 - grades 4 & 5

Reading and math at Home - There are many opportunities for students to engage in math at home over the break. Try having your student cook with you. Measuring ingredients and following recipes is a great way for hands on learning and family bonding!

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. You may also access the website below for support in our area.

Findhelp.org

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.

• 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.

Congratulations to Jordan Haynes on completing the 5k Butterball Burner in under 30 minutes. We are so proud of 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.

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