Fremont Focus

November 8, 2023

Talent Recruitment Update

In alignment with the Strategic Plan goal area of Talent Recruitment & Development, Fremont School District 79 is continually exploring opportunities to attract and retain the best teaching and support staff talent. The work of the Strategic Recruitment Committee and our community outreach efforts have opened the doors to successfully attracting high-quality talent.

Highlights of our plan include:

2024-2025 hiring plan that initiates an aggressive recruitment timeline to market to the widest possible pool of candidates.
Targeted marketing materials for our hardest-to-fill positions such as bus drivers and special education teachers.
Standardizing our onboarding procedures for all employee groups to more effectively streamline the hiring process.

We are thrilled to be a recipient of this year’s Illinois State Teacher Vacancy Grant. The District has allocated a portion of the $109,000 award toward a new licensure pathway program, via a partnership with BloomBoard. BloomBoard works with higher education institutions to offer residency-like degree and certification programs that develop educators’ skills and advance their careers through a unique on-the-job learning model. The following individuals will be earning their certifications via the grant:

English Language Learning

Kelsey Crowley (Special Education Teacher - Resource)

Melissa Duitsman (1st Grade Teacher)

Dana Gallup (1st Grade Teacher)

Angela Schieffer (Teacher on Special Assignment)

Maggie Watson (Reading Interventionist)

Special Education (LBS1)

Sandi Bade (5th Grade Teacher)

Rebecca Cole (Early Childhood/Preschool Teacher)

Rebecca Garcia (5th Grade Teacher)

Teacher License

Anusa Ramani (Paraprofessional)

We are excited to share more information about the benefits of our BloomBoard partnership with our community in the coming weeks. To learn more about job opportunities and the benefits of working at Fremont School District 79, please visit our website.

📅 Important Dates

Please read the following newsletter for detailed information, but here is a summary of key dates for quick access:

November 8 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
November 10 - Veterans Day assemblies, 8:30 a.m. (Middle School), 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Elementary School)
November 10 - Students Not In Attendance (Lincoln only)
November 14 - Parent University event - Internet Safety and Cyber Security, 6:30 p.m. (Middle School Media Center - RSVP form)
November 15 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
November 20 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School)
November 21-24 - Thanksgiving Break (No School)
December 4 - Educational Master Facility Plan launch event - Global Perspectives, 6:30 p.m. (Fremont Intermediate School)

ISBE Summative Designation Status

On October 30, the Illinois State Board of Education announced the 2023 designation status for schools. Fremont Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle Schools all earned summative designations of “Commendable” or better this year with the Elementary School earning an “Exemplary” designation for the second straight year. The “Exemplary” designation is reserved for schools that perform in the top 10% across the state with no underperforming student groups.

Nov. 8 - Session 4 Right at School Deadline

Session 4 of the Wednesday after-school (3:08 - 4:08 p.m.) childcare program for K-5 students runs through the end of the calendar year and covers the following Wednesdays: November 15, November 29, December 6, December 13, and December 20. (There is no school on November 22 due to Thanksgiving break.) Please review the following two-step registration process:

FOR CHILDCARE

To participate, families must register via the Right at School website by Wednesday, November 8.

FOR BUS TRANSPORTATION

If 4:08 p.m. bus transportation home is necessary, parents must complete this form for every child needing bus transportation by Wednesday, November 8. These bus routes are run similar to activity buses with neighborhood group stops. If you do not register your child(ren) for bus transportation, you are committing to picking your child(ren) up each week.

It is important to note that requests made after November 8 cannot be accommodated due to our need to devise a safe supervision and transportation plan.

Parents/Guardians needed to join our NEW Bus Routing Task Force

Traditionally, the Transportation Department had staffing and capacity to accommodate door-to-door service for all age groups for many pickup locations. Fremont’s increased enrollment coupled with the current driver shortage no longer make this a sustainable model. The District is creating a “bus routing task force” to work with staff and families to best address the changing needs of the Transportation Department. The task force will evaluate efficiencies and safety of the door-to-door stops and cul-de-sac utilization. A final recommendation will be created that will best serve our transportation needs and the safety of our students.

If you have any interest in joining the committee, please complete an interest form via this link. The task force will meet four times on the following dates: 11/15, 11/29, 12/20, 1/10 at 6:00 p.m. at Fremont Middle School. Please submit your interest no later than Wednesday, November 8.

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Nov. 14 Parent University - Internet Safety and Cyber Security

Parents, we are pleased to invite you to take part in our next Parent University event. An investment in parent outreach strengthens trust and better equips both the school and families to support learning. An RSVP is not required, but it is appreciated if you intend to take advantage of childcare for individuals ages 3+, which will be provided by Fremont Middle School students.

Tuesday, Nov. 14 - Internet Safety and Cyber Security

6:30 p.m. • Middle School DEN • 90-minute presentation

Now more than ever, individuals are susceptible to a variety of potential dangers and threats when it comes to the internet and cyber security. Lt. Sara Balmes of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office will lead a presentation with information about a variety of apps, in addition to providing parents tips as their students navigate social media.

Calling All Fremont Community - Planning for our Future!

The District is embarking on the development of an education-based, 10-year Educational Master Facility Plan (EMFP) that encompasses enrollment forecasting, facility and systems assessments, grounds, traffic management, as well as other community-based considerations. This extensive process will take approximately one year to complete. A variety of stakeholders will have a voice to provide feedback and direction. Please mark your calendars to participate in a community launch event:

Global Perspectives

Monday, December 4 • 6:30 p.m.

Fremont Intermediate School (28754 N. Fremont Center Road)

Individuals interested in learning more about our EMFP process, including your potential involvement may complete an interest form available here.

Halloween Recap

FSD79 students sported some very fun and entertaining costumes for Halloween last week. Watch the video below and check out the photo gallery to see for yourself.

📸 Halloween Photo Gallery

November Board of Education Meeting Preview

The next meeting of the FSD79 Board of Education will be held Monday, November 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fremont Middle School DEN. The evening will begin with a public hearing for the Truth-In Taxation Levy. The regular meeting will include a recommendation regarding the K-5 administrative restructure.

A live video stream of the meeting can be accessed here. Recaps of previous Board meetings can be found here. The Board meeting agenda and materials can be accessed here. Board materials are available by noon on November 27.

Weather Closing Protocol

With the winter season just about upon us, please review this page as a reminder of our winter weather school closing procedures.

FSD79 is committed to making well-informed decisions that are in the best interest of the safety of our entire school community. In general, if school will be closed, the District will notify families and staff by 5:30 a.m. the day of the closing. Even if the schools are open, the final decision about a child’s attendance remains with the parent.

In the event that schools will be closed due to winter weather, the District intends to utilize eLearning days in lieu of emergency days at the end of the school year.

District Office Job Opportunities

FSD79 has immediate openings for the following positions:

Payroll and Benefits Coordinator

Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and the Board of Education

To learn more or for a complete listing of all current job openings throughout the District, please click here.

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 p.m. Our next meeting is on November 15. Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2023-2024 school year.

Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2023-2024 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

READING RALLY AND BOOK FAIR

Join Us for a Cozy Night of Storytelling on Friday, November 10 at 6 p.m. at the Intermediate School! Come in your favorite pajamas and enjoy listening to our teachers and staff read their favorite stories. Attend three engaging read-aloud sessions with teachers located around the school. Don't forget to drop by the Wildcat Cave and grab a new bedtime story at the book fair (open until 8 pm). Click here to sign up for the eWallet to make shopping easier! Just scroll to the bottom of the link and click get started to create an account.

FAMILY NIGHT AT PANERA

Ditch your kitchens on Thursday, November 9 and support your PTO at the same time! Join us at the Mundelein Panera Bread ALL DAY, and 20% of sales will benefit FSD79. Check out the flyer for the order code and more information.

HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE

It’s that time of year! Mark your calendars for our annual Holiday Boutique, Saturday, November 11 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.! Featuring 20+ vendors and little makers, it’s a one-stop holiday shop! Don’t forget to drop your littles off at the kids’ holiday shop to do their own shopping too!! See the flyer for more info!

Questions- feel free to reach out to Tiffany Latter - fsdvppreschool@gmail.com

Virtual Backpack

FSD79 offers local groups and organizations the opportunity to advertise their upcoming events in the Virtual Backpack. To submit your group's event for consideration, please submit a PDF flyer to publicrelations@fsd79.org. Current offerings include:

The next edition of the Fremont Focus will be distributed on Wednesday, November 29. This will be in addition to the weekly e-newsletters sent on Fridays from principals at the school level.

🗓️ 2023-24 FSD79 School Calendar