Important Dates
September 4 Labor Day Holiday-Schools & Offices Closed
September 6 7:00 p.m. PTA meeting in the Media Center
September 7 Individual Picture Day - See Info Below
September 8 PTA Back to School Celebration (see below under PTA section)
September 12 6:30-8:00 p.m. Back-to-School Night for Grades 1 & 2
September 12 6:00-6:30 p.m. ESOL Presentation in Media Center (with Spanish and Burmese interpreters)
September 13 5:30-6:30 p.m. Gifted & Talented Presentation
September 13 6:30-8:00 p.m. Back-to-School Night for Grades 3, 4, & 5
September 15 Rosh Hashanah - Schools and Offices Closed
September 21 Standards-Based Instruction & Reporting Parent Info Night (see below)
September 25 Yom Kippur - Schools and Offices Closed
View the HCPSS Calendar in English
View the HCPSS Calendar in Spanish
View the HCPSS Calendar in Korean
View the HCPSS Calendar in Chinese
***Want to receive HCPSS text messages regarding weather-related closing info, late bus info, etc.? You must opt-in. Text "YES" to 67587 from the device on which you would like to receive messages.***
Forest Ridge Family and Friends,
We had a very successful first week of school and we could not be prouder of our students and staff! Thank you to the PTA for spoiling our staff before school started AND on the first day. Everyone truly appreciated the breakfast and the treats! We would also like to send a shout out to the Kendrick Family for providing our staff with lunch from Mission Barbecue! Thanks also go out to everyone who has contributed to our Amazon Wish LIst to help us stock the staff lounge for staff. Your generosity has been out of this world!
During the first week of school, students have been learning about school rules, classroom routines, and getting used to their new classrooms and schedules. We have been able to meet with our 1st and 5th grade students to talk about FRES expectations and rules and will be meeting with the other grade levels next week. The students have been so impressive! They are respectful, attentive, and have great questions! Thank you for sending us such amazing kids!
Our arrival and dismissal this week went really smoothly in the car loop. We just want to remind families to pull their cars all the way to the end. We need to keep cars moving and when you stop too early, Gorman Road stays blocked. The buses have made some improvements throughout the week. We will continue to send out text message updates each day so that families know when their child’s bus has arrived and left. Please make sure you are reading the updates from HCPSS about the improvements they are making to help arrival and dismissal issues. We have really appreciated your patience with all of this. We have staff that are staying late to support the students waiting for buses and secretaries staying to answer your phone calls. We are so thankful that we have such an amazing staff who are willing to help out as we work through the transportation issues.
As always, we are here to serve the Forest Ridge ES community. Please let us know if you need anything or have any questions. Enjoy your 3-day weekend!
~ Mrs. Lannon & Ms. Pazornik
Picture Day is Thursday, September 7!
Individual pictures will be taken on Thursday, September 7. Here's what you need to know:
Would You Like to Volunteer for Something You Can Do at Your Convenience?
Thank you to our wonderful volunteer who has been taking care of keeping our marquee sign updated for the last few years! She and her children will be moving to a different school next year, so we are in need of a new volunteer. You would keep the letters at home and choose important information (dates, etc.) from the Forerunner to post on the sign. This can be done during the day, in the evening, or on the weekend. Your children can even help! Training will be provided. Please email christin_traini@hcpss.org if you are interested. Thanks!
School Spirit Days for 23/24
We are excited to share our school spirit days calendar for the 23/24 school year! We hope this helps families plan ahead. There may be spirit days that pop up here and there based on activities that are going on in the building, but this calendar is what we will be following. You may want to print it out, put the dates on your personal calendar, hang it on the frig - whatever works for you to remember these fun days!
Back-to-School Nights (BTSN)
Parents ~ join us to learn more about what your children will be learning this year, classroom expectations and county policies
*Please note that the RECC & Kindergarten BTSN information was shared at the orientation on August 25th.
Standards-Based Instruction & Reporting Parent Night
If you are the parent of a student in grades PreK - 2nd grade, please join us at 6:30pm on September 21st in the media center to learn more about the new report card that starts this school year. We will be sharing with you what it looks like, how students will be evaluated, and how you can support your children at home. Change can be hard, but we are here to support you and make it easier.
INSCRIPCIONES ABIERTAS para Banda, Coro y Orquesta!!!! ¿Estás interesado en actuar en un conjunto musical? Visita http://forestridgemusic.weebly.com/ para registrarte en...
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Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) Saturday Math Academy HCPSS Bullying Prevention & Investigation Once the form is submitted, school administrators will ensure the parent/guardian of both the alleged target and alleged offender are aware of the report and will begin an investigation within two school days of receiving the report. Parents/guardians can expect a school administrator to reach out to them during the investigation. Once the investigation is completed, parents/guardians will be provided written notice of the outcome of the investigation within fifteen days of receiving the compaint, excluding extenuating circumstances. I want to take a moment to specifically lift up cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying using electronic media like computers, cell phones, and game systems. Our digital interconnectedness makes bullying different and more damaging than it’s ever been before. It allows hatred and publicly humiliating gossip or photos to be instantly far-reaching and inescapable as electronic media is everywhere. It can NOT simply be ignored. In October 2013, the State of Maryland enacted Grace’s Law, making misuse of interactive computer services a criminal offense. Its purpose is to prohibit anyone from using electronic media (computers, tablets, phones, etc.) to maliciously engage in conduct that inflicts serious emotional distress on a minor and/or places that minor in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury. A person who is found guilty of violating this law is subject to imprisonment and/or fines. While this will be reviewed with students at school, we are asking you to do the same at home. Thank you for your partnership. More information can be found on the HCPSS Stop Bullying website. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator. |
You did it! Week 1 Complete! Looking ahead…
Your Family is invited to a Welcome Back to School Celebration on Friday, September 8th starting at 6 pm!
Please mark your calendars for our first major social of the year! The PTA will be hosting a Welcome Back Celebration for ALL students and families to come enjoy pizza, dessert, and games together on the playground! Then you're invited to set out your lawn chairs and blankets for an outdoor movie (weather permitting). Of course, to make it all happen, your support is needed! The volunteer tasks sign up can be found at: https://frespta.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=umjFZ498SK6mdsOLeXjJy3N___52Nq_8L3___nXa4Ars
Please Plan to Attend Our First Meeting: Wednesday, September 6th at 7 pm in the FRES Media Center
All FRES parents and staff members are welcome to attend PTA General Membership meetings. Come meet us, get updates from school leadership, hear an overview of this year's plans, and consider your future level of involvement! Also, mark your calendars: future meetings will generally be the 1st Thursday of the month starting October 5th at 7 pm.
You’re Invited to Join the Forest Ridge 2023-2024 PTA!
The Forest Ridge Parent Teacher Association (FRES PTA) is a non-profit 501-c3 charity organization formed to support the FRES community. Its purpose is to promote collaboration, accountability, commitment, respect, and the value of diversity. The goal of the National PTA organization is to engage and empower families and communities to advocate for all children to reach their full potential.
ALL Forest Ridge families and staff are invited to join our PTA and get involved in the community support work that it does! There is no "wrong way to PTA" - however you can participate - a lot or a little or somewhere in-between - is welcome and celebrated!
A PTA membership must be renewed each year so if you have joined in the past, please renew your membership for the 2023-2024 School Year! For a general overview, visit https://frespta.org/ or click https://frespta.ptboard.com/ to go directly to the membership website to create an account and join!
This video explains why other parents have joined a local PTA. Why Join PTA? https://youtu.be/xzGtGcYdEFs
Este video explica por qué otras familias participan en PTA a nivel local. Por qué Deberías Inscribirse en PTA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TCIZVt2gp4
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 Drug Free Events
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/
Stay Informed about What’s Happening in Howard County: Sign up for HC DrugFree’s newsletter at https://hcdrugfree.org/enews-signup/ to get updates on events as well as information to keep your family safe and informed.