February 26, 2021 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Wed, 02/24/2021 - 4:29pm

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Important Dates

March 3                 FRES PTA Spirit Night - Kloby's Smokehouse, Johns Hopkins Road (across from Chick-fil-A)
March 13
              Community Clean-up Day
April 27, 28, 29     Picture Days (Save the dates!  More info to come)

From Our Administrators...

Dear FRES Community,

We have had a busy week welcoming most of our staff back in the building and getting ready for our first phase of students to come back in the building next week.  Our building is set up with blue tape and circle dots to help keep all students and staff safe.  

We have some news to share.  Our wonderful nurse, Mrs. Morris is relocating with her family to Jacksonville, Fl.  Unfortunately, her last day will be this Monday, March 1st.  We are so sad to see her leave, but wish her well on her new adventure in Florida.  We are so fortunate to have a substitute nurse until a new one is hired.  Please help us in welcoming Mrs. Joni Dorsey to the FRES Community.  Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Dorsey have been working together this week to help ensure a smooth transition to Hybrid learning. 

Just a reminder that starting March 1st the entire school community will be following a new schedule.  Our new school hours will be 9:35 - 4:05.  Click here to access the new FRES Master Schedule.  

On March 1st we will begin Phase 1 of the return to the school building.  Phase 1 includes invited students only who will return for 5 days a week. 

On March 15th, we will welcome back our Phase 2 students.  Phase 2 students are in PreK-2 grades and will attend school two days a week, while remaining virtual for 3 days.  They will attend Group A or Group B.  The group assignments will be shared  the week of March 1st. 

On March 29th, we will welcome back our Phase 3 students.  Phase 3 students are in 3-5 grades and will attend school two days a week, while remaining virtual for 3 days.  They will attend Group A or Group B.  The group assignments will be shared the week of March 1st.

Front Office Procedures

We encourage parents to call the school (410-880-5950) prior to:

  • Dropping off instruments, lunches, laptops, etc.

    • Parent/Guardian should come into the vestibule.

    • Parent/Guardian should ring the intercom to notify the secretaries that they are dropping off an item.

    • All items being dropped off need to be clearly labeled by the parent/guardian with:  Child's name and grade

    • Items will be left on the drop off table in vestibule for secretaries to retrieve and give to the student

  • Bringing students for Late Arrival:

    • Student and parent/guardian will come in the front vestibule and ring the buzzer. Parent will complete late arrival sign in form located on the table.

    • Only the student will be admitted into the front office.  Parents/guardian may not enter the building with the student.

  • Picking up students for Early Dismissals.

    • Parents/guardian will come into the vestibule and ring the buzzer for early dismissals.

    • We will ask Parents/Guardian to hold their driver's license up at the front door for the secretaries to see.

    • Once secretaries confirm in the Family File that the parent/guardian is listed as eligible to pick up the student, we will ask the parent/guardian to sign an "Early Dismissal form" located in the vestibule.

Visitors are not permitted into the building under the HCPSS Infectious Disease Plan.

We hope everyone has a restful weekend and we look forward to a great start with our new Hybrid schedule on Monday.

Mr. Conroy and Ms. Pazornik

Forest Ridge News...

From Mrs. Morris in the health room,
  1. Please watch these videos with your kids about hand washing, social distancing and knowing when to stay home from school.
  1. To ensure students are healthy enough to attend in-person instruction, parents/guardians are to perform a symptom check every day before the student leaves home. A child having any of the following symptoms should not be sent to school:
    • New onset cough or shortness of breath
    • Fever over 100.4 or chills within the past 24 hours
    • New loss of taste or smell
    • Fatigue
    • Muscle or body aches
    • Headache
    • Sore throat
    • Congestion or runny nose
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea

Para asegurar que los estudiantes estén lo suficientemente saludables como para asistir a la instrucción en persona, los padres / tutores deben realizar una verificación de síntomas todos los días antes de que el estudiante se vaya de casa. Un niño que tenga alguno de los siguientes síntomas no debe ser enviado a la escuela: 

  • Tos o dificultad para respirar de nueva aparición 
  • Fiebre superior a 100.4 o escalofríos en las últimas 24 horas 
  • Nueva pérdida del gusto u olfato 
  • Fatiga 
  • Dolores musculares o corporales 
  • Dolor de cabeza 
  • Dolor de garganta 
  • Congestión o secreción nasal. 
  • Náuseas o vómitos 
  • Diarrea 
  1. If your child is sick and needs to go home:
    • Please have your family file updated
    • Please make a plan so that your child can be picked up between 30 minutes after notification from the health room
  1. Medication can be brought to school during school hours by an adult.  Please call the health room at 410-888-8811 when you arrive in the car loop.  A health room staff member will meet you at your car to obtain medication and the order.  
  1. The health room will not have extra clothes to loan.  Please make sure your child has a change of clothes in their backpack.
  1. I will be moving to Florida and my last day is this week.  I have enjoyed my time working with the FRES community.  Please email all health forms to Ms. Nowell at arvena_nowell@hcpss.org

News From Mrs. Schuck
Don't forget to check out Mrs. Schuck's Guidance Page Here!

Picture Day Will Look a Little Different This Year
The pandemic can't stop us from having Picture Day!  Students who attend on "A" day will have their photographs taken on April 27; students receiving virtual-only instruction will be photographed on April 28; and those students attending on "B" Days will have their pictures taken on April 29.  All orders will be placed online and mailed to parents.  Details will be shared as the dates get closer.

Media Matters and Tech Tidbits
CELEBRATE READING: Howard County Public is celebrating Read Across America Day on Tuesday, March 2! They are hosting two live classes with celebrity guest readers from the community and familiar faces from the library. In addition to books, we'll share recommended reading promotions and activity demonstrations. To learn more visit: https://howardcounty.librarycalendar.com/events/read-across-america-day-live-online

K-5 2021-22 New Student Registration Open Now and PreK Registration Coming Soon
Registration is online.  Visit www.hcpss.org/enroll for information and to register.  Note:  If your child is currently enrolled at FRES and will continue to attend next year, you do not need to re-register.  Your child will automatically be "rolled over" into the new school year.

Families are encouraged to visit the Grade K Family and Community Resources page for more information about the kindergarten instructional program and ways families can support their children at home.

Pre-K Registration begins the week of March 15, 2021.

The Prekindergarten Family and Community Resources page also contains resources for families and providers for children currently in their prekindergarten year.

Learning Together Program – Prekindergarten
The Forest Ridge Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) Pre-Kindergarten programs are making preparations for classes for the upcoming 2021-22 school year.  These classes include children with and without disabilities. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills.   Parents of children who will be 3 by September 1st or are already 4 may learn more about the program by reviewing the Learning Together Program (LTP) Flyer (English).  Applications will be accepted starting February 11, 2021 and priority will be given to applications received by April 1st.  

If you need assistance to complete the application, please contact Early Intervention Services at earlyinterventionservcies@hcpss.org or at 410-313-7017.

HCPSS is committed to providing instruction based on the statewide Early Learning Standards which are in alignment with Kindergarten Readiness. The fees listed in the application will be collected monthly regardless of the learning model determined by HCPSS throughout the upcoming school year (virtual, hybrid, or in person).   If you have any additional questions , please contact Tricia Walls at tricia_wallls@hcpss.org or 410-880-5950.

GT News
...from the Green Team

Taking care of your yard and community is a great way to help our environment. Let's do this together! Saturday, March13th has been designated as a FRES Community Clean Up Day. Do you have some time to pick up trash in your yard and neighborhood? Click Here to find out more.

Is your Family File up to date?
In preparation for the return of students on March 1, please make sure your emergency information is up to date in the Family File.  Follow these instructions:

1.  Visit www.hcpss.org/connect
2.  Log in to your account. (User name = your email address)
3.  You will see a list of options on the left side of the screen.  At the bottom of the list, choose "More Options" and then "Family File."
4.  Follow the prompts to update the information. 
5.  You will receive a confirmation upon successful completion of the Family File.

Notes:
* If it is not allowing you to click "Next" on a particular page, there is information missing. 

* If you have more than one child at FRES, please be sure to update information for all of your children.
Thank you for your help!

Need Food Support? 
The North Laurel/Savage MutliService Center (9900 Washington Blvd, Laurel) is running a food pantry weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-4, and every third Saturday of the month from 9-1. Please reach out to Ms. Schuck if you need assistance with transportation or have other needs at this time!
View the flyer in English
View the flyer in Spanish

From the PTA...

Thanks to everyone who came to Chalk the Walk to welcome teachers and staff back to the building!  FRES PTA was able to provide breakfast and Frosty key tags to all of the teachers and staff in coordination with the Admin team. Check out some pics. A special thanks to FRES PTA board members Faith and Monaca for their help in preparing for the breakfast.

Our next Spirit Night will be at Kloby's Smokehouse on Wednesday, March 3.  We hope you can join us for a takeout meal and a percentage of sales will be donated back to FRES PTA.

Wish Lists: FRES PTA has compiled an Amazon Wish List to help make the transition to hybrid school as easy as possible for teachers and students. The wishlist can be found at http://tiny.cc/freswishlist and can be directly shipped to the school. You can also purchase from another store and drop items off at FRES. Teachers may have classroom-specific wish lists

5th Grade Activities Committee: There will be a meeting on March 2 at 6 p.m. to plan 5th grade activities for this year. All are welcome! Please email psulauren@yahoo.com for the meeting link. 

FRES Culture Fest 2021: Through Culture Fest over the past few years, FRES PTA celebrated the many cultures that make our FRES community diverse and strong. Due to the pandemic, this year FRES PTA is teaming up with Bushy Park ES PTA to join them for their county-wide virtual International Night over Zoom!! Mark your calendars for April 23, 2021 from 7pm - 8pm! There are many ways to participate and highlight your culture or country of origin!  You can make a slideshow about your country/culture or record a dance or special talent unique to your culture.  You can share recipes or crafts to represent your country/culture.  You can even recommend children's books that highlight your culture/country. To sign up or see more ways to participate, see: https://www.bushyparkpta.org/international-night-2021 For more information, contact Khaleda Hasan at kbhschools@gmail.com.

Spirit Wear: Need some gear to show your FRES pride? Masks, tee shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, and more are available in many different designs. Order here and save 20% off $50 with promo code LAYER21. Purchases will be shipped directly to homes. FRES PTA will receive a quarterly donation for 10% of sales. 

DEADLINE March 1 - Reflections Arts Awards Opportunity: Reflections artists of color and their allies are invited to share artwork that expresses and affirms their beliefs and identities—as well as the importance of Black lives. Select works will be used to help the National PTA celebrate diversity in the arts.  Submit your student’s art by March 1 at this link. Categories include: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts.

Variety Show:  The FRES Variety Show is on for this year! Stay tuned for more information and let your students know so they can start preparing if they wish to participate.

Grocery Rewards: Please remember our rewards programs while you are shopping. We are participating in Weis, 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.

Communication: There are several ways to receive communications including www.frespta.org, the FRES PTA Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FRESPTA/, and Twitter @frespta. There is also a group that was formed for discussion and support and is for current FRES families.

Membership: We seem to be holding steady at 78 members. If you have not yet joined, you can do so at www.frespta.org/membership and it's only one $10 payment for the entire year! 

Volunteers Needed: We are looking for volunteers and leaders for several committees. Please check out the list and comment with your name and email address so we can contact you with more information.

Save the Date:

  • Upcoming General PTA Meetings: March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. 
  • Spirit Nights: March 3 - Kloby’s, May 3 - Sweet Frog
  • Culture Fest: April 23, 2021 from 7pm - 8pm

Feedback: Please let us know if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions either by email or via our suggestion box. Suggestions are anonymous, so if you would like a reply, please include your email address. Please email Korin Sharp at president@frespta.org if you have any questions on this week’s update. Thanks and have a great weekend!

Korin Sharp
President

Forest Ridge Elementary PTA

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In the Community...

New HCPSS Community News and Programs Site: 
In response to community requests for resources, HCPSS’ new Community News and Programs website makes it easy for families to find educational and recreational resources, events and after-school programs beyond the school day by non-profit organizations.”

Community organizations requesting their announcements be shared in school newsletters should visit community-programs.hcpss.org for more information. Questions should be directed to the Public Information Office at publicinfo@hcpss.org.