May 21, 2021 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Fri, 05/14/2021 - 1:07pm

 

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Important Dates

May 26                    12:30-2:30 Picture Pickup for Virtual Students Only (In-person students' pictures will be sent home with the students)
                                  Spirit Night: Olive on Main, lunch and dinner!
                               6:30 p.m. Parent/Student PVMS Information Night (Parents - check your email for details and the code)
May 27                     4:15-5:00 Picture Pickup for Virtual Students
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 14                    7:00 p.m. PTA Meeting (Open to all)
June 15                    Last Day of School!!!  (3-hour early dismissal)

Forest Ridge News...

Picture Pickup for Virtual Students
If your child is learning virtually and had their picture taken, you may pick up the pictures on Wednesday, May 26, 12:30-2:30, or Thursday, May 27, 4:15-5:00 p.m.  Pictures will be sent home with students who are learning in person.

Grade 5 Closing Activities

1. We’re sure you have been awaiting news about the Grade 5 Closing Ceremony. This year our ceremony will be virtual. On June 9th, we will hold two Google Meet sessions. We split the ceremony into 2 different times due to the size of the grade. During these Meet sessions we will present a slideshow celebrating the students. The slideshow will be available to view after the Meet sessions on the Team 5 Canvas page. Please read over all the details below:

  • Date: June 9, 2021
    Times:
    Mrs. O’Connell’s and Ms. Plunkett’s classes @ 10:00 a.m.
    Mrs. Ports’, Mr. Whiteford’s, and Ms. Yi’s classes @ 11:00 a.m.

  • Parents and Guardians can log on to the Meet with their child. Your child will need to use his/her HCPSS account to log on to the Meet; no outside emails will be permitted to join the Meet sessions.

  • Usually in-person E students are in school on Wednesdays. If your child will be in school that day and you will need assistance with joining the Meet, please contact your child’s teacher before June 4th. 

  • Codes for the Meet will be sent out the week before.

2.  5th Grade Drive-Through Celebration & Marquee Photo-Op - Evening of June 10
All 5th graders and their families are invited to drive through the FRES bus loop between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 10, to celebrate our wonderful students moving on to middle school! The PTA's 5th Grade Activities Committee is working with FRES Staff on plans for a drive through where students and families can see their teachers and receive a few gifts from the PTA, including 5th grade t-shirts and FRES yard signs. We’ll also have a photo op (with props) at the FRES marquee sign, so families are welcome to park in the lot and stop by the marquee to take a fun photo. Suggested timeframes: Last name A-G arrive 6 pm to 6:30pm; Last name H-N arrive 6:30pm to 7 pm; Last name O-Z arrive 7 pm to 7:30pm. If you need to arrive at a different time than suggested, no problem - this is a guide to regulate traffic flow. We hope to see all of our 5th graders to wish them all the best next year!

Media Matters and Tech Tidbits

From the health room:  A reminder for parents
Please make sure that your child comes to school wearing a mask, and that it fits properly. They must have a mask to enter the building.  Please have an extra mask in their backpack in the event of a nosebleed or if a strap breaks. Students are to wear their masks during the school day while inside the school. During recess masks do not need to be worn.
 
The weather is getting nicer and warmer. The students are going outside daily, playing around, and getting hot and sweaty. Please send your student to school with a water bottle. We encourage the students to stay hydrated.
 
Thank you, and have a great weekend!!
 
Joni Dorsey RN/School health services
Forest Ridge health room
Joni_dorsey@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.

From the PTA...

Congratulations to the yearbook cover art winners Emily Knutson and Sophia James!
 
The 2021 yearbook is ready to order!! The cost is $19.50 plus shipping, taxes and fees. Yearbooks will be shipped to your home address, not the school.   
How to order:
2) Select "Second Chance Order Form" at the bottom of of the home screen
3) The access key for the yearbook is QGPYBPCC
4) Enter your student's name and your contact information. If you want to order a book for more than one child, you'll see a "(order another)" next to your child's name at the top of the page. Chick that link to order another.
5) Proceed to the cart and checkout as you normally would. Note, your full mailing address may not show up on the billing screen, but should be visible on your receipt. 
Expect to receive your yearbook in about four to six weeks.
 
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.
 
Variety Show: The Variety Show will now be held during the last PTA meeting of the year on June 14. 
 
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.

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/