May 27, 2020

To Parents of our Eighth Graders:

Good evening,

It is finally time.  We have arrived at the time where we can begin the process of honoring our graduates, culminating with a ceremony that will be released online by June 8.

I realize it took us a little while longer to get to this point due to unforeseen circumstances.  But, I am confident that what we have planned will be fitting and proper for our graduation ceremony.

On June 1 and June 2, from 3 pm to 6 pm, graduates are invited to come to the school with their parents to be honored.  We are asking families to park in the east parking lot and enter the east doors near Mrs. Dierker's classroom.  Families will make their way to the gym where a podium and table will be set up.  The graduate's name will be announced, and he/she can proceed to the table to pick up his/her diploma and any awards.  Parents will be able to take pictures or videos.  After picking up the diploma, parents can take a few more photos at the other end of the gym next to the Freeburg Hornet logo on the mat.  Families will then be able to proceed out of the exterior doors.  You can then take additional pictures outside in front of the school and/or in front of the marquee, where the graduates' names are continuously scrolling.

We are asking families to please abide by the following guidelines when on school grounds:

1. Please maintain social distancing at all times.  Markers will be placed on the sidewalk and in the hallway to help with this;
2. Masks will need to be worn by everyone when on school grounds.  Masks may be removed for pictures;
3. Only two additional adults may accompany the graduate into the school; and
4. Please try to limit the pictures in the building so we can keep the line moving.  We will make every effort to accommodate your wishes, but we have many graduates to come through for their pictures.

Once the pictures are completed, we will then splice all of the speaking parts and photographs into a ceremony released online.  It is expected this will be completed in a few days after the pictures, hopefully no later than June 8.  We will send word to all of the parents when the video is completed.

Again, thank you for your understanding throughout this ordeal.  I am very proud of our graduates and hope this ceremony we put together will be memorable.

Stay Hornet Strong,

Tomi Diefenbach

May 11, 2020

The time has come for parents to come to the Elementary School to pick up your child's or children's belongings.  ALL items will be picked up at the Elementary School.  The Primary Center will be closed.  

It is hoped this will be an efficient process.  Parents will drive into the main parking lot (in front of the north wing) where you will be greeted by staff members.  Please give your child's grade and last name so we can communicate via radio to employees in the gym.  Your items will be retrieved and brought to you.  There will be no need to leave your car.

Here is the schedule:

May 18 - 9 am - 10:30 am = Kindergarten - 2nd Grade Last Names A-H

May 18 - 10:30 am - 12:00 pm = Kindergarten - 2nd Grade Last Names I-N

May 18 - 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm = Kindergarten - 2nd Grade Last Names O-Z

May 18 - 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm  =  3rd - 5th Last Names A-H

May 18 - 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm = 3rd - 5th Last Names I-N

May 18 - 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm = 3rd - 5th Last Names O-Z

May 19 - 9 am - 10:30 am = 6th - 7th Last Names A-H

May 19 - 10:30 am - 12:00 pm = 6th - 7th Last Names I-N

May 19 - 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm = 6 - 7th Last Names O-Z

May 19 - 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm   Extra Time

If you have children across other grade levels, please communicate that to the staff so we can retrieve all of their belongings to enable you to make only one trip.

For health and safety purposes, and in keeping with social distancing guidelines, there will be no public access to school buildings and families should stay in vehicles during pickup. 

The district has put the following pickup procedure in place:

• Parents will drive to the Elementary School north parking lot and remain in their vehicles. If possible, please open the trunk of the vehicle.
• All personal belongings of students have been placed in plastic bags, labeled with the child’s name.
• School staff will place the bag in the trunk of the vehicle.
• If a parent needs to open the trunk manually they can get out of the vehicle, manually open the trunk, and get back in the vehicle.
• Once the parent is back in the vehicle, school staff will place the bag with the personal belongings in the vehicle.

If parents have textbooks, Chromebooks, or library books to drop off, we ask parents to hand those to the staff while you are waiting for your belongings to be delivered to your vehicle. 

Please make every effort to be here for pickup in your designated time.  If you cannot make it, parents will need to make arrangements to pick up your belongings by May 29.  Any items not picked up by this date will be inaccessible until the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

Thanks for your cooperation throughout this school year,

April 22, 2020

Good afternoon,

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the student work days for the upcoming weeks.  We had originally scheduled a Teacher Professional Development day for Monday, April 27th.  We have decided to cancel that day.  Therefore, students will be responsible for work and marking attendance on the 27th. 

By canceling this professional development day and making it an instructional day, we are now able to tentatively set the final day of remote learning for May 20.  No assignments will be pushed to students after this date thereby making the start date of summer break of May 21.

Administrators and teachers are still working on ways for parents to efficiently and, more importantly, safely retrieve personal items from our schools.  I will be in touch with you in the coming weeks with more information on this.

We will begin collecting library books on Friday. You can drop books off during lunch pickups or in a box at the entrance of the Elementary School.  

Thank you for everything you are doing.  I appreciate your understanding and cooperation in the face of these difficult circumstances.

April 17, 2020 Update

Dear Parents,

I hope this message finds you and your families safe and well. Today, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced that remote learning in Illinois will be extended through the end of the 2019-20 school year. 

Although in-person learning has been suspended for the remainder of the year at Freeburg Primary Center and Freeburg Elementary, I assure you our entire staff remains committed to learning and engaging with all students through remote learning, as well as continuing with our food distribution program. 

Like you, we are saddened by the reality that our school community will not be able to reconvene in person this school year due to this public health crisis. However, the final chapter of this school year hasn’t been written yet. These past few weeks have proven our school community is more resilient, more capable and more compassionate than maybe what we previously realized. I am confident our collective strength will shine through during the remainder of the school year, and we will emerge even stronger.

Having said that, today’s announcement will result in significant and multiple scheduling changes in our district. As this announcement about the end of the school year was just made by Governor Pritzker this afternoon, it will take us a few days to sort out the many schedule details. Please be patient as we work as a district to get information to you in the next several weeks.

Meals will continue to be served at least until the end of the school year.  Meals are available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Elementary School from 11 am - 12 pm in addition to being dropped in Deerfield Court and Fayetteville.

Remote learning will continue just as it has.  Please continue to check-in each morning as a vast majority of you are already doing.  I know all of our students have been working hard to get what they can get done.  I appreciate that.  I also appreciate the tireless efforts of our parents managing their responsibilities, in addition, to ensuring their children's schoolwork gets completed.  

Administrators will begin working on devising a plan for students to pick up any belongings they have in our buildings.  We must formulate a plan to accomplish this while also maintaining the safety guidelines set forth by health officials. 

I know this is not the school year that any of us imagined, but I want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we have dealt with this unprecedented situation together. This period of Remote Learning offers us new ways to learn and grow, and out of this Pandemic, we will emerge stronger. Plans will be underway soon for the return to in-person learning next school year.

It is important we continue to work together and support our students. I can't thank you enough for all that you are doing as we all work together through this. I am sure there are many other questions.  We will continue to work through these in the coming weeks.  Questions can be directed to the Elementary School Office by calling 539-3188 from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm or via email at remotelearning@frg70.org

Sincerely, 

Tomi Diefenbach, Superintendent

Kindergarten Registration for the 2020-21 school year is ongoing!  Please click HERE for complete information.

Respect, Ownership, Citizenship, Kindness, Service

Freeburg Primary Center 2017 School of Character Award Winner