Monday, September 7, 2026

D114 Weekly Family Updates 9/8/26

         



                                             

School Safety Drills 

School safety drills are an essential part of emergency preparedness; these experiences provide staff and students the opportunity to practice what to do in the event of an actual emergency. Each year we are required to conduct numerous safety drills.     

As part of Illinois HB2400, parents need to be notified and provided an opportunity to opt their student(s) out of the drill, if they choose, and have their student(s) complete alternative safety education.

As with fire drills and other safety drills, the goal is to acclimate staff and students to a plan that they will be able to follow quickly and safely if ever necessary. The safety of our staff and students is of utmost importance to us. Please do not hesitate to contact either site with any questions or concerns or to opt your child(ren) out of any drill. 


 Lotus Open House!!!
We're excited to welcome all Lotus Families to our Open House/Curriculum Night!
Wednesday, September 16 from 5-7 PM



✅Spirit Wear!!!
Spirit wear is here!  You have two stores you can purchase from. The first site is for District employees only and the second one is for our district parents. Please feel free to order for either or both sites. Here is the link
:

Orders are due by September 20th and Items will be delivered the week of October 5.  If anyone has any questions, please contact Sue Pinkawa at Lotus or sue.pinkawa@foxlake114.org. Thank you, Sue, for coordinating this! 



                          Transportation Reminders
ALL changes to a student's transportation must be communicated to the school office. Please DO NOT just email or communicate these to the classroom teacher--they are super busy during their day and may not see your email or get your voicemail. 


Please remember that our bus routes may run a little slower to start the year as everyone gets used to the times and as our PreK students join routes. Thanks for your patience! 

✅When dropping off or picking up students, PLEASE drive slowly! Our students and staff are our most precious people...so please drive slowly, follow the procedures, and stay off your cell phone. THANK YOU!!!

To help make our bus routes even more effective, clear, and safe, we are COLOR CODING routes. If your child rides a bus, you'll find a color coded bus tag on their desk at Meet and Greet. This tag matches their bus route color and will help us all make sure kids are on the correct bus. If your child rides more than one route...no worries! We will give them the tags they need!



Bus Drivers NEEDED--Full time AND Subs!


District will train drivers interested in obtaining CDL with passenger endorsement.

Applicants must:

  • Complete D114 Application
  • Hold valid CDL with passenger endorsement or complete training requirements
  • Complete DOT physical and drug screening
  • Complete D114 required fingerprint and background check for review

Drivers are subject to random drug testing. 
F/T position with benefits. Starting pay rate for the 2026-27 school year is $24.75/Hr, with 5 hours per day guaranteed.
Drivers may complete optional activity routes via sign up procedure. 





EAT OUT TO HELP OUT 
Wednesday, September 9th from 4-7
 McDonald's Spring Grove
We hope you'll join us, grab some dinner, and support our PTA at the same time! 




Be Part of our PTA!
Our first PTA meeting will be Tuesday 9/15 at 5:30 at Lotus in the Library before the Board of Education meeting and include this year's flyer.

2026-2027 PTA Family Membership is ONLY $10 
Every membership makes a difference!
By joining your donations helps support our students & teachers and provide District events FREE to all families:

                                                                    Book Fairs & Book Buddies
                                Family Events: Santa's Breakfast, Bing Night, Family Fun Fair, & Rocket Launch
                                                                    Stanton Halloween Dance 





                                                                       






*NOTE--PTA meetings will be the same nights at Board meetings starting in September!


This Week..

Monday, September 7--Labor Day--District Closed

Wednesday, September 9--PTA Eat Out to Help Out at McDonald's SPRING GROVE


Looking Ahead...

Tuesday, September 15
PTA meeting at Lotus at 5:30
Board of Education meeting at Lotus--7:00 PM or via Google Meet


Wednesday, September 16
Lotus Curriculum Night 5-7


















                                           







If you or your student are in a crisis, please call the following numbers as applicable:


For a Life Threatening EMERGENCY CALL 9-1-1


988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call or text 9-8-8 or chat 988.lifeline.org provides 24/7, free and confidential support 


CRISIS TEXT LINE:  text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States anytime. A live trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds.


The Trevor Project 1-866-488-7386 provides crisis support services to LGBTQ youth.


Non-Emergency Community Help Line 2-1-1




               


D114 is a special place to be! Thank you for your partnership with us! We are blessed to get to work with our students! 


                                                                  

Sunday, August 30, 2026

D114 Weekly Family Updates--8/31/26

          

We made it through the first full week of school, and we welcomed our PreK students! Now everyone is back to school, and our hearts are FULL!!!! 

                                             
 Spirit Wear!!!
Spirit wear is here!  You have two stores you can purchase from. The first site is for District employees only and the second one is for our district parents. Please feel free to order for either or both sites. Here is the link
:

Orders are due by September 20th and Items will be delivered the week of October 5.  If anyone has any questions, please contact Sue Pinkawa at Lotus or sue.pinkawa@foxlake114.org. Thank you, Sue, for coordinating this! 



                          Transportation Reminders
ALL changes to a student's transportation must be communicated to the school office. Please DO NOT just email or communicate these to the classroom teacher--they are super busy during their day and may not see your email or get your voicemail. 


Please remember that our bus routes may run a little slower to start the year as everyone gets used to the times and as our PreK students join routes. Thanks for your patience! 

✅When dropping off or picking up students, PLEASE drive slowly! Our students and staff are our most precious people...so please drive slowly, follow the procedures, and stay off your cell phone. THANK YOU!!!

To help make our bus routes even more effective, clear, and safe, we are COLOR CODING routes. If your child rides a bus, you'll find a color coded bus tag on their desk at Meet and Greet. This tag matches their bus route color and will help us all make sure kids are on the correct bus. If your child rides more than one route...no worries! We will give them the tags they need!




Fees for 2026-27


If you'd like to be considered for a fee waiver, we are HAPPY to try to help. Please complete this form OR fill out the form attached to the email you received and return it to the Business Office, located at Lotus Elementary. Please drop it off or mail to:


D114 Business Office

Attn: Natalie Udstuen

29067 W Grass Lake Road

Spring Grove, IL 60081


Please note that this information will ALWAYS be kept confidential. 




FREE Immunization Clinic

Be ahead of immunization compliance! We'll be holding a FREE clinic open to ALL D114 families!

  • Clinic Dates: 09-02-26
  • Clinic Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Location: Stanton Middle School
    101 Hawthorne Ln. Fox Lake, IL 60020





Bus Drivers NEEDED--Full time AND Subs!


District will train drivers interested in obtaining CDL with passenger endorsement.

Applicants must:

  • Complete D114 Application
  • Hold valid CDL with passenger endorsement or complete training requirements
  • Complete DOT physical and drug screening
  • Complete D114 required fingerprint and background check for review

Drivers are subject to random drug testing. 
F/T position with benefits. Starting pay rate for the 2026-27 school year is $24.75/Hr, with 5 hours per day guaranteed.
Drivers may complete optional activity routes via sign up procedure. 





EAT OUT TO HELP OUT 
Wednesday, September 9th from 4-7
 McDonald's Spring Grove
We hope you'll join us, grab some dinner, and support our PTA at the same time! 




Be Part of our PTA!
Our first PTA meeting will be Tuesday 9/15 at 5:30 at Lotus in the Library before the Board of Education meeting and include this year's flyer.

2026-2027 PTA Family Membership is ONLY $10 
Every membership makes a difference!
By joining your donations helps support our students & teachers and provide District events FREE to all families:

                                                                    Book Fairs & Book Buddies
                                Family Events: Santa's Breakfast, Bing Night, Family Fun Fair, & Rocket Launch
                                                                    Stanton Halloween Dance 





                                                                       






*NOTE--PTA meetings will be the same nights at Board meetings starting in September!


This Week..

Wednesday, September 2--FREE Vaccination Clinic--information posted above 🠉



Looking Ahead...

Monday, September 7--Labor Day--District Closed

Wednesday, September 9--PTA Eat Out to Help Out at McDonald's SPRING GROVE

Wednesday, September 16
Lotus Curriculum Night 5-7

























                                           







If you or your student are in a crisis, please call the following numbers as applicable:


For a Life Threatening EMERGENCY CALL 9-1-1


988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call or text 9-8-8 or chat 988.lifeline.org provides 24/7, free and confidential support 


CRISIS TEXT LINE:  text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States anytime. A live trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds.


The Trevor Project 1-866-488-7386 provides crisis support services to LGBTQ youth.


Non-Emergency Community Help Line 2-1-1




               


D114 is a special place to be! Thank you for your partnership with us! We are blessed to get to work with our students! 


                                                                  

Sunday, August 23, 2026

D114 Weekly Family Updates--Week of August 24, 2026

         

What a FABULOUS first two days of school!!!!! The excitement and happiness was bubbling all over D114! We look forward to our PreK students starting on Thursday! CAN'T WAIT!



                                             




                          Transportation Reminders
ALL changes to a student's transportation must be communicated to the school office. Please DO NOT just email or communicate these to the classroom teacher--they are super busy during their day and may not see your email or get your voicemail. 


Please remember that our bus routes may run a little slower to start the year as everyone gets used to the times and as our PreK students join routes. Thanks for your patience! 

✅When dropping off or picking up students, PLEASE drive slowly! Our students and staff are our most precious people...so please drive slowly, follow the procedures, and stay off your cell phone. THANK YOU!!!

To help make our bus routes even more effective, clear, and safe, we are COLOR CODING routes. If your child rides a bus, you'll find a color coded bus tag on their desk at Meet and Greet. This tag matches their bus route color and will help us all make sure kids are on the correct bus. If your child rides more than one route...no worries! We will give them the tags they need!




Fees for 2026-27


If you'd like to be considered for a fee waiver, we are HAPPY to try to help. Please complete this form OR fill out the form attached to the email you received and return it to the Business Office, located at Lotus Elementary. Please drop it off or mail to:


D114 Business Office

Attn: Natalie Udstuen

29067 W Grass Lake Road

Spring Grove, IL 60081


Please note that this information will ALWAYS be kept confidential. 




FREE Immunization Clinic

Be ahead of immunization compliance! We'll be holding a FREE clinic open to ALL D114 families!

  • Clinic Dates: 09-02-26
  • Clinic Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Location: Stanton Middle School
    101 Hawthorne Ln. Fox Lake, IL 60020





Bus Drivers NEEDED--Full time AND Subs!


District will train drivers interested in obtaining CDL with passenger endorsement.

Applicants must:

  • Complete D114 Application
  • Hold valid CDL with passenger endorsement or complete training requirements
  • Complete DOT physical and drug screening
  • Complete D114 required fingerprint and background check for review

Drivers are subject to random drug testing. 
F/T position with benefits. Starting pay rate for the 2026-27 school year is $24.75/Hr, with 5 hours per day guaranteed.
Drivers may complete optional activity routes via sign up procedure. 





JOIN THE PTA!!!! 

EAT OUT TO HELP OUT event!!!! Wednesday, September 9th from 4-7 at McDonald's Spring Grove! We hope you'll join us, grab some dinner, and support our PTA at the same time! 

Did you know you can join the PTA for just $10 when you pay your fees? By joining, you share YOUR voice. Your donations help us support our students & teachers and provide District events FREE to families:
  • Book Fairs & Book Buddies
  • Family Events: Santa's Breakfast, Bing Night, Family Fun Fair, & Rocket Launch
  • Stanton Halloween Dance 




                                                                       






*NOTE--PTA meetings will be the same nights at Board meetings starting in September!


This Week..

Wednesday, August 26
Board of Education Meeting at 7PM at Lotus or via Google Meet
and
Stanton Curriculum Night 6:30-7:45

Thursday, August 27
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR PreK!!!



Looking Ahead...

Wednesday, September 2--FREE Vaccination Clinic--information posted above 🠉

Monday, September 7--Labor Day--District Closed

Wednesday, September 9--PTA Eat Out to Help Out at McDonald's SPRING GROVE

Wednesday, September 16
Lotus Curriculum Night 5-7

























                                           







If you or your student are in a crisis, please call the following numbers as applicable:


For a Life Threatening EMERGENCY CALL 9-1-1


988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call or text 9-8-8 or chat 988.lifeline.org provides 24/7, free and confidential support 


CRISIS TEXT LINE:  text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States anytime. A live trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds.


The Trevor Project 1-866-488-7386 provides crisis support services to LGBTQ youth.


Non-Emergency Community Help Line 2-1-1




               


D114 is a special place to be! Thank you for your partnership with us! We are blessed to get to work with our students!