May 14, 2021 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Fri, 05/14/2021 - 1:02pm

 

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Important Dates

May 26                     6:30 p.m. Parent/Student PVMS Information Night (See Mrs. Schuck's message below)
May 31                     Memorial Day Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed
June 10                    3-hour Early Dismissal
June 11                    3-hour Early Dismissal
June 14                    3-hour Early Dismissal
June 15                    Last Day of School!!!  (3-hour early dismissal)

Last Round of MAP Testing this week:

 

Please mark your calendars for our Spring MAP Testing:

  • G2:   Wednesday, 5/19 @ 9:30 - 11:30

  • G3:   Wednesday, 5/19 @ 9:30 - 11:30

Forest Ridge News...

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

CALLING ALL 5TH GRADERS!
Your counselor, Ms. Schuck, will be teaching Middle School Transition lessons in the upcoming weeks. This Monday, May 17th, be sure you attend all hybrid classes!
Monday 5/17
9:35- SEL time *You will view an important video in class! Show up to class as usual.
1:20- ELA time *You will hear important directions on how to join a MS visit during class!
1:30- PVMS visit (please join even if you're moving; there's great information to take away!)
  • Code: forestvisit
  • Time: 1:30-2 pm
  • PVMS facilitator: Samantha Armstead (AP at PVMS)
  • PVMS student speakers: Sami Baig; Grace Edmonson

Wednesday 5/26 @ 6:30 pm - Virtual Meet & Greet with Mr. Robb, the principal of Patuxent Valley Middle School!  

Students and parents will get the opportunity to hear Mr. Robb talk about all the exciting programs that are available at Patuxent Valley and have the opportunity to ask him and the PTA questions they may have about PVMS and what to expect next year.

How to Log on:  
Have your students log into their student account on hcpss.me and in Google Meet use the code PVMSROBB

Ask your teacher or Ms. Schuck if you have any questions!

Alyssa Schuck
School Counselor
301-880-5950

From Our Nurse in the Health Room - Student vaccination opportunity
Does your FRES student have an older sibling?  If you have a child who will be 16 as of May 12, 2021, they would qualify to receive the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Through a partnership with the Howard County Health Department and Safeway, HCPSS is pleased to provide HCPSS students age 16 and older the opportunity to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. You may share this link with eligible family members and friends. There are approximately 2,000 appointments available for this clinic. All time slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Pfizer clinic will be held Wednesday, May 12, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. at Howard Community College, 5500 Dragon Pl., Columbia. 

Please use this link to schedule a vaccination appointment. 
 
The second dose clinic will be held on June 2 at the same location. If your child is unable to attend an appointment on June 2, then they should not sign up for the May 12 clinic. Your child will receive information about how to sign up for the second dose clinic at their first appointment.

In addition to completing the online consent above required to secure the appointment, your child must bring a completed consent form to the appointment or must be accompanied by their parent/guardian at the appointment to provide verbal consent. 

Please note, only those receiving the vaccine will be permitted in the building. Parents/guardians will be asked to wait outside the building or remain in your car unless they are providing verbal consent. Siblings and other visitors may not come into the building.

While not required, it is recommended that your child brings a photo ID, if available, to the appointment. 

If your child is unable to schedule an appointment before all appointments fill up, please be patient as we hope to schedule additional clinics for HCPSS students through this partnership. You/they can also try the Maryland state distribution website or the website of a pharmacy that is getting vaccine doses directly from the manufacturer.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the Howard County Health Department’s website. Additional information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Media Matters

  • Contactless checkout has started back up for 2nd-5th graders. Books will be given to students who attend in person after being reserved with our online hold system. Books for students who are fully virtual will be put on the cart by the front doors of FRES. Students have been taught how to know when to pick up their books. Reminders can be found on their media teacher's canvas page. If you have any questions please contact heather_tordella@hcpss.org

Thank you for your support and assistance!
The Media/Tech Team
Clair Wise clair_wise@hcpss.org
Heather Tordella heather_tordella@hcpss.org
L'oreal Edmondson loreal_edmondson@hcpss.org

K-5 2021-22 New Student Registration and PreK Registration Open Now
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.

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

Need Food Support? 
The North Laurel/Savage Multi-Service 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...

In case you missed the PTA meeting on Monday, here is the link to the materials. FRES PTA issued a statement of educator support approved during this meeting. 
 
School of Excellence Survey is Here!: FRES is continuing the process towards becoming a National PTA School of Excellence and your help is needed. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Surveys are due by May 28. Here is a letter with some background information on the process.
 
Yearbook Update: The form to order yearbooks will go live next week. Stay tuned for more details. 
 
Fifth Grade Activities: Save the Date! All fifth graders and their families are invited to drive through the bus loop at FRES between 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 10, to celebrate our wonderful students moving on to middle school. 
 
Call for Two New PTACHC Delegates (to start in September 2021): Do you have an interest in playing a key role in the FRES PTA, but don’t have a lot of time to commit? Volunteer to be a county-level PTA delegate for FRES for the next school year! We will need two FRES delegates for the PTA Council of Howard County [PTACHC] for 2021-2022 since our current delegates are moving on. You will hear first-hand about new developments at the county level, and how they may impact FRES and your family. The meetings are typically held the first Monday evening of the month in Ellicott City. Website: https://www.ptachc.org/ With two FRES delegates, you’d alternate meetings, so the commitment would be one meeting every other month to attend and report back to FRES on the highlights. With 70+ PTAs in Howard County, the meetings are large and held in a lecture-type setting. No previous experience is necessary. Please view the FRES PTACHC job description here. If you are interested, please email Korin Sharp president@frespta.org by Friday, May 14 . Thank you!
 
Volunteers Needed: We are looking for volunteers and leaders for ALL committees for next year. Please check out the list and comment with your name and email address so we can contact you with more information. 
 
May Spirit Wear Promotion: New Spirit Wear Promotion for May! Save 10% off orders $50+, 20% off orders $75+ and 30% off $100+ with the code SPRUCE21. https://1stplace.sale/44343
 
Grocery Rewards: We are participating in Weis, Amazon Smile, Harris Teeter (requires annual renewal in August), 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.

Box Tops – Earn Cash for FRES via App or Send in Physical Clips to School: FRES families can scan their grocery receipts for cash for FRES! Look for Box Tops logos on cereal, granola bars, Annie’s products, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Nestle water, Paper Mate pens, etc. Download the Box Tops app to scan your receipts; FRES earns 10 cents per product! Receipts must be scanned within 14 days of purchase; digital receipts (for online food purchases at Walmart, AmazonSmile, etc.) can be emailed. See boxtops4education.com for instructions and a complete list of participating products. The Box Tops program will continue to honor physical Box Top clips from products until they expire. Send any Box Tops into school with your child in a baggie or envelope. Or stop by the FRES building for contactless drop off in our Box Tops bin in the vestibule during school hours. Thank you for your support

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.

Save the Date:

  • Upcoming General PTA Meetings: June 14 at 7 p.m. (Open to all)
  • Spirit Night: Olive on Main, Wednesday, May 26, lunch and dinner!

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.

HC DrugFree Updates for Parents/Guardians:
Free Parenting Classes: HC DrugFree and the Howard County State's Attorney's Office, partnering with HCPSS and the Health Department, will once again provide evidence-based classes for families to gain skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will engage in risky behaviors including using drugs. This 4-class series for parents of 9-14 year olds will be held on Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, May 4, 11 and June 1, 8. Parents/guardians must register at  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCDrugFreeSpring2021 If you have questions, email Joan Webb Scornaienchi, HC DrugFree’s Executive Director at Admin@hcdrugfree.org.  View the flyer here.

Receive HC DrugFree's Free Newsletter: To receive HC DrugFree's free electronic newsletter packed with information for parents and opportunities for students, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/enews-signup/