Forest Ridge Forerunner - School News
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From Our Administrators, Dr. Varlack and Ms. Pazornik

Dear Parents,

Here's hoping you have been enjoying the fall weather! Our students are loving being outside. I wanted to take a moment to share a few items you may not be aware of:

Did you know that: When Ms. Childress welcomes her Kindergarteners she does it with a ukulele? The Kindergarten students in Ms. Childress’ class spent some time recently learning about rhythm while listening to songs.  Seeing her sing and hearing her play is so pleasant. The students respond to her well.

Did you know that: FRES' PTA celebrated Halloween with and for our students earlier this month at the dance and party. If you missed it... I am sorry. It was so much fun. That was our ONLY celebration of Halloween. Costumes and candy should stay home. Students should not come to school dressed in costume or with any costume pieces. October 31st is a normal school day for our eagles. Those who do celebrate Halloween, will do so with their families after school.

Did you know that: There is a policy for Electronic Devices.

Please see the following guidelines for students who bring a cell phone or electronic devices to school.

• We recommend students do not bring cell phones/electronic devices to school.  However, we understand that some students may need to bring them for safety reasons.
• Students will not be allowed to use any electronic personal communication devices during the school day.
• Students will not be allowed to use any electronic personal communication devices during arrival and dismissal procedures, but may use them after school procedures are completed.  
• All cell phones/devices must remain off during the school day.
• All cell phones/devices must be stored in the student’s backpack during the school day.
• The school is not responsible for any lost, stolen or broken cell phones or devices.
• Due to phones/devices being off at all times, parents/guardians should call the school to communicate transportation changes for their child.
• If a student does not adhere to these guidelines his/her cell phone/device may be confiscated by the teacher for the remainder of the day.  The student will be responsible for picking up the cell phone at the end of the student day.
• There may be circumstances in which a parent is required to pick up the cell phone/device.
• These guidelines also apply to smart watches and any other personal communication devices.

These guidelines can also be found in the HCPSS Student-Parent Handbook.  An online version can be found here. We ask that you also review these expectations with your child at home. 

Student News...

Congratulations to the following students, who were our Eagle Egg winners for this week:
Fiona M., Logan J., Mason R., Kemar S., Ayla B., Aliyah U.

Forest Ridge News...

Watch D.O.G.S.
Our Watch D.O.G.S. program is in full swing!  The students really enjoy seeing the dads greeting them in the morning and volunteering in classrooms, recess, lunch and anywhere else they are needed.  Our heartfelt thanks go out to:

Mr. Bastin, Mr. Chapman, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Lee, Mr. Louie, Mr. Murphy, Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Pandohie, and Mr. Warne. 
We will be highlighting our Watch D.O.G.S. each week, so watch this space!  If you are a dad who's interested in participating in the Watch D.O.G.S. program, please email Alyssa Schuck at alyssa_schuck@hcpss.org or Jennifer Renkevens at trenkev@juno.com.

PLASTIC POLLUTION AWARENESS AND ACTION
Forest Ridge Elementary cares about plastic pollution! Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form. Fifty percent of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away, and enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times. Plastic is a growing problem, and Forest Ridge Elementary’s student Green Teams, along with the Green School committee, want to make students and the community aware of this issue and take action. We will be implementing Straw-Free Fridays this fall to compliment Trash-Free Fridays. Students will be researching this topic and sharing their newly acquired knowledge in the Forest Ridge Forerunner.  During lunch shifts, all students will have the opportunity to view a presentation on the negative impact of plastic pollution on our environment. Stay tuned!

Reminders from the Office

• Before you can volunteer at FRES or chaperone a field trip, you need to complete two trainings: Confidentiality and Child Abuse Reporting.  Please print out the certificates at the end of the trainings and turn them in to the office.  Thank you!
• You must complete the Family File through HCPSS Connect each year.  Your child will not be able to attend a field trip unless the emergency information is completed in the Family File.  Thanks for your help!