Jan. 18, 2019 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Thu, 01/17/2019 - 11:55am

For PTA News, Upcoming Event Dates, Counselor's Corner, and Community News, click here.

Student News...

FRES Spelling Bee
Congratulations to Smrithi K. (winner) and Jolessa B. (runner-up)!  Smrithi will represent FRES at the county bee and Jolessa will be the alternate.  Great job, girls!

Forest Ridge Forerunner - School News

Important Things to Know:

  • The PVMS meeting for parents of incoming 6th graders has been postponed to January 30 @ 6:30 p.m.  Please note, 2nd date change.
  • Students should arrive to school by 9:10 a.m. so that they are able to put their things away and be ready to start the day when the bell rings at 9:15.
  • Students go out for recess when the temperature with wind chill is 20 degrees or more.  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.
  • To get text alerts from FRES or HCPSS, you must opt in to receive those alerts. Text "YES" to 67587 from the cell number that is on file in HCPSS/Connect.
  • If your child's dismissal changes, due to a change in transportation, an after school class, etc., please email the teacher, and copy Dr. Varlack, Ms. Pazornik, Ms. Traini, Mrs. Jackson, and Mrs. Farrell.  All the emails can be found in the "Our Staff" section of our website.  We want to make sure the message is received!
  • If you recieved a Federal Impact Aid form, please return it ASAP.  Thanks!

Hello FRES families and community,

We hope everyone survived our first big snowstorm of the winter.  During this time of the year, weather can be unpredictable at times.  Please continue to dress your child for colder weather conditions. Students will have outdoor recess when the temperature is above 20 degrees. If the possibility of inclement weather exists or is forecast, the director of Pupil Transportation begins at 2:45 a.m. to review weather temperatures across the county and review national weather service forecasts via the Internet and AccuWeather Winter Storm Service.

Additionally, for information regarding School Emergency/Weather Closings please refer to the following HCPSS information:

https://www.hcpss.org/schools/emergency-closings/

Did you know that HCPSS has a Trespassing or Willful Disturbance policy?

The purpose of this policy is to define the circumstances and conditions under which individuals are allowed access to school property, to define the circumstances and conditions under which access may be denied, to define the procedures for denying future access, and to establish the procedures for responding to an incident of trespassing or willful disturbance.

To read the complete policy, click here.

Did you know that three FRES Fifth-Graders presented their concerns to Calvin Ball?

Three members of the FRES fifth-grade Green Team and a Green School Committee member presented their concerns about single-use plastics in Howard County. Grace Edmondson, Katie Lindenmann, and Wilo Dixit attended the Calvin Ball listening session on Wednesday evening at Wilde Lake High School and presented their experiences, hopes, and dreams for the county when it comes to plastic bags. They received compliments from Dr. Ball and warm applause! Thank you to Mrs. Major for also presenting at this event!  Thank you to Mrs. Clawson for prepping the students for this important presentation.

Job Opportunity
Are you interested in supporting our students here at Forest Ridge? Do you know someone who is? We are currently seeking candidates to provide close adult supervision to some of our students. This position would be contracted through Social Service Consultants, Ltd. The pay rate for this position is $10.50/hour. Health benefits are not included. If you are interested, please email Ivye Pazornik (ivye_pazornik@hcpss.org) for additional information and next steps. Thank you!

Science Fair News
Just a reminder that the Forest Ridge Science Fair is scheduled for February 21 from 6:30-7:45. Any student not in the Science Fair seminar who would still like to participate can request a science fair packet from Mrs. Hogan or Mrs. Clawson. This project will be completed at home and will need to be turned in on February 20. Please contact us at kimberly_clawson@hcpss.org or susan_hogan@hcpss.org if you are interested. 

Watch DOGS
Our Watch DOGS dads this week were Mr. Brooks, Mr. Collier and Mr. Prieur.  Thank you so much!

If you are interested in supporting this awesome program by signing up for a day, or even part of a day, we are looking for YOU!! Simply copy the links included and paste them into your browser.   Keep in mind, you will also need to complete the Howard County child abuse and confidentiality training online, complete the certificate for each, and turn it in. Those links are also provided below.  Finally, to help make the Watch DOGS stand out while you are here, we encourage you to purchase a Watch DOGS t-shirt.  When you arrive at the school, you will be able to purchase one for $12 sizes S-XL, $14 for 2XL and $16 for 3XL  If we are out of that size we will order and and it will be sent home with your child as soon as it comes in.   You are also welcome to send in your money ahead of time and we will send your shirt home with your child right away.  Send your payment in an envelope with your name, child's name, teacher, and your shirt size.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact Craig Dorsey at dorseypremier@gmail.com or Jen Renkevens at trenkev@juno.com.

For Child Abuse- https://www.hcpss.org/f/employees/childabuse_ppt.pdf

From Howard County Recreation and Parks:
For Complete information on these Before & After School classes, including how to Register, please go to  www.howardcountymd.gov/afterschool

Forest Ridge ES Winter 2019 - Before & After School Classes with Howard County Recreation & Parks:

  • Abrakadoodle Art/5-12 yrs /Classes: 6/Mondays starting Feb 4/3:55-4:55pm/$99
  • Learn Now Music After School Drums/Grades K-5 Classes: 6/Tuesdays starting Feb 12/ 3:55-4:55pm /$139
  • Learn Now Music After School Viva Violin/Grades K-5 Classes: 6/Tuesdays starting Feb 12/ 3:55-4:55pm /$139
  • Play-Well Tek Ninjaneering with LEGO/5-6 yrs /Classes: 8/Tuesdays starting Jan 22/3:30-5pm $175
  • 3D Printing- The Mighty Amazon/Grades 1-3/Classes: 6/Fridays starting Feb 8/ 3:50-4:50pm/$115
  • App Attack with Black Rocket Productions/Grades 3-5 /Classes: 6/Fridays starting Feb 1 3:50-5:20pm/$119
  • TGA Premier Youth Tennis/6-11 yrs /Classes: 6/Mondays starting Feb 4 /3:50-4:50pm /$90

From the Bright Minds Foundation - Announcing School Meals Funding Campaign to Support Families in Need

Bright Minds Foundation, the foundation of the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), announced today the launch of an initiative to raise funds to eliminate outstanding school lunch balances. HCPSS recently reported that its school meals fund carries a growing deficit, which currently stands at more than $50,000 and is increasing rapidly. The deficit reflects the significant economic challenges faced by many Howard County families, which are exacerbated by the federal government shutdown.
 
“Thank you to Bright Minds Foundation for its leadership and for taking this important proactive step,” said Superintendent Dr. Michael J. Martirano, who this week announced expedited processing of Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs) applications to support families impacted by the federal government shutdown. “It is critical that every child has their needs met before we can expect them to thrive in an academic setting. This important initiative will help us support many of our students and families.”
 
Bright Minds and HCPSS also encourage all families to check their eligibility for the FARMs program. To learn more about the benefits of the FARMs program, check eligibility status and apply, visit the HCPSS FARMs website.
Contributions to the Emergency Lunch Fund may be made online at brightmindsfoundation.org or by check to the Bright Minds Foundation, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042. Please designate “Emergency Lunch Fund” in the comment field or on the memo line.
For more information, please contact Liz Crammond, Executive Director of Bright Minds Foundation, at 410-740-0707 or liz@brightmindsfoundation.org.
 
Bright Minds Foundation is the educational foundation of the Howard County Public School System. Bright Minds enhances the educational opportunities of all Howard County public school students by bringing together private and community support for academic initiatives and opportunities. We help level the playing field so all students have a chance to succeed.