Sept. 28 Schools and Offices closed
Sept. 29 Canvas Night Grades K, 1 & new students
Sept. 30 GT Information Night 5:00
Oct. 7 MAP Reading Testing: Grades 2-5 (Details will be sent)
Oct. 14 MAP Math Testing: Grades 2-5 (Details will be sent)
Oct. 16 Schools close 3 hours early - Details will be sent
Nov. 3 Schools and Offices closed
Nov. 6 Schools close 3 hours early - Details will be sent
Nov. 16 Quarter 1 Report Cards Issued
Nov. 24-25 Parent Teacher Conferences (Details will be sent)
Dear FRES Community,
What a great week we had! It was so nice to be able to see so many of our families at our Back to School NIght programs. We want to thank everyone who was able to attend them this week. If you were unable to attend please check your child's teachers' Canvas pages for missed information. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s teachers and/or administration. We are in this together.
FRES GT fall seminar opportunities are becoming available soon! Please take a look at the choices offered on the google form and then make your grade appropriate choices. Please note that you will need to be logged into your child’s HCPSS account to access the google form. Questions? Please email susan_hogan@hcpss.org or kimberly_clawson@hcpss.org.
Congratulations to all of the FRES families for embracing and persevering with challenges faced during our virtual learning!
This week’s helpful hints and reminders:
We want to celebrate your student. - If your student participated in the Howard County Summer at Your Library program, please complete this VERY brief survey so that we may recognize your student's achievement. If you have any questions, please contact your student's media teacher.
If your Chromebook isn’t responding the way it normally does, try turning it off, waiting a minute, then signing in again. This helps to reset apps.
Option in Canvas: There are two ways to view your child’s Dashboard in Canvas, Card View and List View. You can change from one to the other to see which view works best for you by going to the peapod (three vertical dots) at the top of the Dashboard between the grey icon and the search bar. You will see that you can select Card View (shows individual classes) or List View (shows entire day.) In Card View, you can view class grades by scrolling down below the To Do list, Coming Up, and Recent Feedback sections on the right, and clicking on the View Grades button. In List View, you can view class grades by clicking on the Grades icon to the right of the plus sign at the top.
If you have a question about Canvas, a great reference is on your child’s Canvas Dashboard. At the top, look for the icon in a grey box with a child sitting at a desk, labeled “Orientation,” to access directions and tutorials for all of your Canvas needs. You are also welcome to reach out to the FRES Media/Tech Team for assistance.
Check out this list of ways to help your child become more independent during virtual learning. It also contains information on virtual learning etiquette.
Looking for a little extra math help for your child/children? Well, look no further! The BSAP's (Black Student Achievement Program) Fall session for Saturday Math Academy is about to get underway once again....and yes, though it's all virtual, it is still the highly sought after resource that it has been for 28 years. SMA provides all certified teachers who help enrich the math experience for ALL students on ALL levels. Students are grouped according to their current ability and taught strategies that will help them excel to the next level. Finally, classes fill quickly for below, on, and above grade levels. Don't miss this opportunity. The real testimony...Our students say it's fun learning the lifelong skills that SMA teaches! So, sign up for the six week Fall session on Sept. 26, 2020. The cost is $80 ($40 FARMS) for the entire session for each student. Hope to see your child's smiling face in the space!
BSAP SMA Virtual Fall 2020 Program.
Dear 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Forest Ridge Families,
On Wednesday October 7 and 14, students in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will take the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The MAP assessment is an online tool that will help teachers gauge where your child is starting the year academically. The assessment is designed to adjust the difficulty of the questions based on student response. It may appear that the test is too hard or easy for your student however as they progress, the test questions will be geared more towards their level. The MAP assessment does not affect your child’s grade. It is normal for students to only answer about half the questions correctly. To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/common-questions-families/
Please note that we are offering two time slots for your child to log into the Google Meet to take this assessment. Your child only needs to attend one time slot on each date and you can choose whatever is most convenient for your schedule. Students should work through the assessment independently. Students who require accommodations during the assessment will be contacted by a teacher prior to testing.
Wednesday, October 7th 9:00am-11:00am or 1:00pm to 3:00pm- Reading MAP assessment
Wednesday, October 14th 9:00am-11:00am or 1:00pm to 3:00pm- Math MAP assessment
If your child is unable to attend, makeup testing will be offered during asynchronous learning times.
Please reach out to Ivye Pazornik at ivye_pazornik@hcpss.org or by calling 410-880-5950 if you have any questions regarding the administration of the MAP assessment. Teachers will share Google Meet information and your student’s testing group as we get closer to the Oct 7th date.
Thank You,
Ivye Pazornik, Assistant Principal
Student Testing Coordinator
Pre-registration is required, during which parents/guardians or staff will schedule an appointment at the clinic of their choice. Registration will be open September 21-30 at www.vaccineconsent.com. Please make sure that the clinic states Influenza Vaccine, is the correct school, and the correct date. High School locations will be the most crowded with longer wait times.
Flu clinics will take place outdoors and will utilize a drive-through or walk-through system. Anyone attending a clinic will be required to wear a mask or protective face covering.
All clinics will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the following dates/location
Wednesday, October 7
Atholton HS
Centennial HS
Ducketts Lane ES
Stevens Forest ES
Thursday, October 8
Applications and Research Laboratory (ARL)
Jeffers Hill ES
Glenelg HS
Hammond HS
Wilde Lake HS
Friday, October 9
Hammond MS
Howard HS
Laurel Woods ES
Marriotts Ridge HS
Monday, October 12
Bryant Woods ES
Cradlerock ES
Mt. Hebron HS
Reservoir HS
Tuesday, October 13
Deep Run ES
Harper’s Choice MS
Lisbon ES
Oakland Mills HS
Wednesday, October 14
Gorman Crossing ES
Longfellow ES
Long Reach HS
River Hill HS
Please contact Kay Morris, RN at margaret_morris@hcpss.org with any questions or concerns.
See the attached flyer regarding free food distribution on Saturdays in October at Ducketts Lane Elementary School.
After school cheerleading (virtual while schools are closed) starts soon for the Fall Semester! Contact www.supersquads.org, supersquadsinfo@verizon.net or 410-796-2244 to join!
From the PTA President, Korin Sharp
We've made it through another week! In my home, we're still getting used to navigating Canvas and understanding what is due and when, as well as decoding the Related Arts schedule. Know that you are not alone if you are still finding distance learning a little bit challenging. FRES PTA wants to know how we can support you during this time. We have a 5 question survey to find out what types of events, topics, and activities would be most helpful to FRES families, along with a Zoom session (details below.)
Are you new to PTA? Check out this informational video
Upcoming Events:
SPECIAL MEETING Announcement - 7-7:30 p.m. this FRIDAY, September 25 to vote on the budget. All members from the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years are eligible to vote. Meeting will be socially distant and held on Chaton Rd. It is important to have a quorum. Maryland PTA does not currently permit voting via virtual meeting. RSVP by emailing President@frespta.org
Friday, Oct. 2, 9:15-10:15 a.m., PTA Coffee Talk/Listening Session: Drop in for an informal chat to ask questions and provide feedback. http://tiny.cc/freszoom Meeting ID: 964 1688 9572 Password: fres
Future General PTA Meetings: October 12, November 9, December 14, January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14
Communication: There will be several ways to receive communications including school communications, www.frespta.org, the FRES PTA Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FRESPTA/, and Twitter @frespta. Last year, there was a group formed for discussion and support. That can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2135313649893726/ and is for current FRES families. New this year, we will also be utilizing Band groups. These can be accessed via web or mobile app.
Grocery Rewards: NEW Weis now has a rewards program:
IT’S EASY!
1. REGISTER *Your school’s barcode only needs to be scanned one time to register.
2. SCAN your Weis Club Card each time you shop on participating products.
3. EARN cash for your school based upon your qualifying purchases.
We are also participating in Amazon Smile, Harris Teeter (requires annual renewal), BoxTops, and Coke Rewards. Please visit https://frespta.org/ways-to-support/grocery-storeshopping-programs/ for more information on these programs that provide financial support to FRES based on purchases you already make.
Questions and Suggestions: Please email contact@frespta.org with any questions, feedback, or suggestions or contact me directly at president@frespta.org
For those observing Yom Kippur, I wish you a meaningful fast and time of reflection.
Have a great weekend!
Korin Sharp, FRES PTA President