IMPORTANT DATES
April 19 7:00 Battle of the Books @ Merriweather
April 24 Sweet Frog Fundraiser - View the flier.
April 26 9:30 5th Grade Panoramic Picture
April 26-28 PTA Silent Auction
April 30 School Spirit Day - Dress Like a Teacher/Student Day
May 4 PTA Spring Carnival
May 6-10 Staff Appreciation Week
May 7 Orchestra & Chorus Concert at Hammond High School
May 14 Primary Election Day. Schools and offices closed
May 15 5th Grade Simulated Congressional Hearings
May 17 Staff Work Day - Schools close 3 hours early (12:55)
May 21 Field Day
May 30 STEAM Night. View the flyer in English & Spanish
View the HCPSS Calendar in English
View the HCPSS Calendar in Spanish
View the HCPSS Calendar in Korean
View the HCPSS Calendar in Chinese
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 fridge - whatever works for you to remember these fun days!
Forest Ridge Family and Friends,
We are thrilled to share the fantastic news from Wednesday night's band concert! Our 4th and 5th graders delivered an outstanding performance, showcasing their hard work, dedication, and musical talents. A big round of applause to all our students for their commitment and passion for music!
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Pompei for his exceptional leadership and guidance with our band students. His expertise and enthusiasm have truly made a positive impact on our young musicians, and we are grateful for all he does to inspire them.
Additionally, a huge thank you to our entire music team for their unwavering support of Mr. Pompei and our band program. Your collaboration and efforts behind the scenes were instrumental in ensuring a successful and memorable concert for our school community.
Let's continue to celebrate our students' achievements and the wonderful music education they receive here at FRES. Thank you again to everyone involved in making our band concert a resounding success!
~ Mrs. Lannon & Ms. Pazornik
Forest Ridge News...
Transportation Reminders
As we finish out the school year, we have had a number of bus referrals. Please review the following link with your child/children in order to finish out the year strong. Thank you for your continued support.
2024-2025 School Year Bus Transportation Registration is Open
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Parents/guardians whose children are eligible for bus transportation are asked to register to receive bus service each year to help the school system plan for student transportation needs. The transportation registration process will open at 9 a.m. Monday, April 8 through May 31, and will be completed online via HCPSS Connect Synergy. Registration must be done for each eligible child.
To be eligible for bus service, your child’s home address must be outside of a school’s walk zones. You can verify address eligibility in the HCPSS School Attendance Area Locator. After inputting your address, a window will appear that will indicate either bus or walk for each school level. Please note, the attendance area locator also includes a link for the bus stop locator, which is set for the current school year. Bus stop information for the 2024-2025 school year will be available in August.
You do not need to take any action if:
Details on bus transportation registration, including a guide to register and scenarios families may see when registering, can be found online.
From our School Counselors, Ms. Norris and Mrs. Braxton-Cheek
Hello, FRES parents! We are having a career program on Friday, May 31, 2024, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. We are looking for grown-ups to present information about their careers. If you are interested, please select the following link to complete the Google Form: Career Day Program Interest Form
2024-2025 Kindergarten Registration is OPEN!
Registration for the upcoming school year, 2024-25 is now available. All registrations will be completed online, https://www.hcpss.org/enroll/ After submission, the registration will be reviewed, and the registrar will reach out to you to schedule an in-person appointment to complete the registration. Please upload the required documentation if able. Kindergarten is a mandatory grade in Maryland. Children must be 5 years old by September 1 in order to enroll in Kindergarten. Every child who is 5 years old by September 1 must be enrolled in a Kindergarten program this fall or have an approved waiver on file. (Waiver form for the 2024-25 school year will be available March 1st) Parents or guardians are to register their child at the serving school for their residence.
The Forest Ridge Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) prekindergarten programs are making preparations for classes for the upcoming 2024-25 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 years old by September 1st, applications are available and are currently being accepted. Please see the link below for information and link to the application:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16QzgRZdlq0mglYunqo2yFdeQXGJo6Nsx/view?usp=sharing
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, in person, or class quarantine). If you have any additional questions, please contact Tricia Walls at tricia_walls@hcpss.org
Income Eligible Pre-K for children who will be 4 years old by September 1, 2024:
In alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future, Forest Ridge RECC continues to offer a prekindergarten program for income eligible children who will be four years old by September 1. Applications are available in the front office and online. Our program will fill up. All slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants are not processed until all necessary paperwork has been received. To apply, visit: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/
Spirit Wear Sale – Ends Today!
The PTA Spring Spirit wear Sale is open now until Fri, 4/19. Orders will arrive at school and be distributed approximately 3 weeks after the closing date.
https://www.selectspiritwear.com/v5store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=281
Sweet Frog (Laurel) – April 24th, 3pm-9pm
Meet your family, friends, and neighbors every 4th Wednesday of the month from January to May, at Sweet Frog in Laurel for a sweet treat from 3pm – 9pm. FRES PTA will receive 25% of your order.
Silent Auction – April 26-28
Our online silent auction will be on PTboard again this year. Save the date to bid on items from Kendra Scott, MD Science Center, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Rasing Canes, Sweet Frog, each grade level and many more!
If you would like to help source items for the auction or have a basket to donate to please contact@frespta.org. or click here https://frespta.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=umjFZ498SK6mdsOLeXjJy3N___52Nq_8L3___nFUKiJ_
Spring Carnival – May 4
The FRES PTA Carnival is May 4th 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now! An order form was sent home this week. Click here to purchase tickets: https://frespta.ptboard.com/formvw?store=4292&form=7
Reminders:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
We need your help to make this event possible! Please sign up at the link below to volunteer to help out at Carnival. Middle & High School Students are welcome to volunteer and volunteer hours will be verified. Carnival Volunteers
CAKE WALK DONATIONS
Do you love to bake??? Please consider donating a cake, cupcakes or other dessert for the carnival cake walk. Items can be dropped off at school on Friday 5/3 between 6:30 - 9:30 or Saturday 5/4 by 12:00. What's a cake walk? A cake walk is a game played at carnivals, fundraisers, and funfairs where participants walk around a circle of numbers on the floor while music plays. When the music stops, everyone lands on a number and the person that lands on the number called wins a cake. Sign up here Cake Walk Donations
Staff Appreciation Week – May 6-10
PTA will be celebrating Staff Appreciation Week in May with the following themed days:
Monday – Coffee Donated by Starbucks Fulton and Bagels donated by THB Columbia
Tuesday – Hydration Bar
Wednesday – Stock the Lounge (click here to donate) https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050849AAA82DA6F58-49210178-fres
Thursday – Make your own trail mix bar
Friday – Lunch
If you would like to contribute towards any of these days monetarily please email contact@frespta.org or leave a donation with the front office.
5th grade parents – New Information
Attention Fifth Grade! Save the Date! The 5th Grade Dance will be June 1, 2024 from 6pm to 8pm. More information will be coming home soon. Let's Glow It Up!
Art to Remember:
Attention Fifth Grade Families! Your child's personalized Art to Remember order form is now available and should be coming home either today (4/19) or early next week, so ask your students if they received one! This fundraiser is a great way to both get a keepsake to commemorate your child's elementary school years and to help support 5th grade activities and the Art department. All orders are due by May 1, 2024.
Want to stay up to date on PTA information? Follow us on facebook at Forest Ridge Elementary PTA (FRES) or visit our website at www.frespta.org for more information.
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.