School Services

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Menus

Forest Ridge Elementary School's school menu can be accessed through the LINQ Connect portal or mobile app. Families do not need a LINQ account to view menus, which are available to the public.

Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs)

HCPSS participates in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. To apply, go to the HCPSS FARMs webpage.

Prices

Breakfast and lunch are free for students who are enrolled in the Free and Reduced Meals program. For all other students, breakfast is $2.00 and lunch is $2.80 per meal.

Payment

Meal payments may be made via credit card using the LINQ Connect portal. On-site payments and prepayments may be made using cash or check. Parents/guardians will need to create an account to make online payments to their child’s meal account, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more.

Wellness and Quality Commitment

Information on the HCPSS wellness policy and commitment to quality is available online.

Health Room

Health Room Guidelines

Immunizations

A student may be admitted to a Maryland public school only if they have proof of required immunizations.  Your physician may provide you with a Maryland Immunization Certificate or you may provide a copy of your immunization record.  Records must be signed and dated by a Health Care Provider.  Your child needs to provide proof of immunizations to begin school the first day.

Required immunizations for Kindergarten-Grade 5 school entry:

• 4 DTP/DTaP (diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis)
• 3 Polio
• 3 Hep B
• 2 MMR (Measles, mumps, rubella) **The first must be given on or after the first birthday**
• 2 Varicella for students entering Kindergarten and first grade.   ** First must have been given on or after the first birthday.  Other grades require at least 1.

Pre-K Required Immunizations:

• 1 HIB on or after the first birthday
• 1 PCV (Prevnar)
• Students in Pre-K will need only one MMR and one Varicella on or after the first birthday.  Upon entering Kindergarten, the student will then need a second dose of MMR AND Varicella.

If you have any questions regarding immunizations, please feel free to contact us.

Health Information Forms

During registration, you will be asked to have the following forms completed:

• HCPSS Health Survey Form
• Maryland State Department of Education Health Inventory (Physical)- Part I of this form is completed and signed by the parent/guardian.  Part II is completed by your child’s Health Care provider and signed.  A physical exam by a physician must be completed within nine months prior to entering the public school system or within six months after entering the system. 
• Lead Certificate
• Dental Letter- to be completed by your child’s dentist
• Immunization certificate signed and dated by Health Care Provider

Special Health Needs

If you child has special health concerns, please let the Health Room staff know as soon as possible.  Some examples of health concerns include: asthma, food allergies, bee sting allergy, diabetes, seizures, heart conditions, etc. It is very important to keep us informed of these changes so we can meet your child’s health needs while they are at school.  With parent permission, we will share this information with staff as necessary. 

Medications

All medications should be given at home whenever possible. If it becomes necessary for your child to receive medication at school, a school medication order form will need to be completed and signed by your health care provider.  Parent/Guardian permission is also required. The Health Room staff can provide you with the appropriate form. A school medication order form is required for all prescription and over-the-counter medications.  Medications must be in their original container or pharmacy bottle with accurate label.  Over the counter medications are required to be in an un-opened bottle. The first dose of medication must be given at home with the exception of emergency medications.  Only an adult can deliver medications to the Health Room.

Family File

When completing the emergency information online, please include 3 different contacts.  This is important if we need to reach you regarding your child’s health or an emergency. 

Clothes

Accidents happen and it is always a good idea to have a change of clothes available in your student’s backpack. Even if your child is older, having extra clothes available makes handling food spills and slips in mud faster, so your student may return to class to learn!

Illnesses

There are times when illness may prevent your child from attending school.  Please consider the following information if your child does become ill to prevent the spread of illness and to help your child learn at his/her best:

• Children who have a fever (100 Degrees Fahrenheit or above) are to stay home until they are fever free for without medication for 24 hours
• If you child has symptoms of a contagious condition, such as “pink eye” or a rash, they will be excluded from school until they have written permission from their health care provider to return to school and have been under treatment for at least 24 hours. 
• Head Lice is a common problem among school-aged children and you may want to periodically inspect your child’s hair.  If live head lice are found on your child, they will be excluded and need to provide proof of treatment.  If it is found at home, please contact the Health Room for guidance. 
• Please consider keeping your child home if they experience
  • Sore throat
  • Headache
  • Vomiting/ diarrhea
  • Severe coughing

Injury

If your child is injured such as a fracture or has surgery, please let the Health Room know.  If physical restrictions are required (such as not participating in gym or recess), a doctor’s note will be required.  For long-term restrictions, a physical assessment form can be provided to be filled out by your doctor.

The Health Room team includes a School Health Assistant and a School Nurse.  Our goal is to keep FRES a healthy and safe learning environment for students.  If you have any health concerns or questions, please feel free to contact us at (410) 880-5950.

Before and After School Care

http://www.hcpss.org/schools/before-and-after-school-care/