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Forest Ridge Forerunner - School News...

Car loop behavior
Parents, we've had some incidents lately of parents being rude in the car loop (yelling at each other, not allowing others to merge).  At school, we try to teach your children to be kind to each other.  Remember that children are watching you.  Rudeness and nastiness have no place out in the car loop.  Traffic will flow much more smoothly if everyone works together.  Thank you in advance!

From Dr. Varlack, our Principal

Greetings FRES Community,

This week, report cards came home. This was a great opportunity to converse with your child and help him/her set new goals for the third marking period. Goal setting is a life skill that helps us to hold ourselves accountable and measure what we focus on for improvement. Goal setting really does help to motivate a person. Join us in our journey of helping our students set meaningful, measurable goals that will improve their academic endeavors. Have a conversation with your child today.

We wanted to share a few items with you that you may not be aware of:

Did you remember that: Valentine’s Day is celebrated on Thursday coming, February 14th? Each grade will share with their parents their plan for celebrating a moment in that day. Just a reminder, if your child is sending in Valentines, including everyone is a nice, community building gesture.

Are you aware that: This week was National School Counseling Week and Forest Ridge saluted our amazing school counselor, Mrs. Alyssa Schuck? We tweeted out a pretty awesome picture of her in her glory!

To focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within our schools, we this past week, sponsored by ASCA, highlighted the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and set future goals! Please help us to continue celebrating Mrs. Schuck in the following ways:
 

• Help your child(ren) write a Thank You Note! ! Here are some great templates provided by the ASCA.
  • Download the "My school counselor taught me..." sign
     
  • Download the "Thank you for helping me set goals..." sign
     
  • Download the "My school counselor helps me..." sign

Finally, did you know that: there is a Student Behavior Intervention Policy *(Policy 9400)? After reviewing the policy, please let us know if you have any questions. The policy is below:

The purpose of this policy is to define the process by which the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) promotes positive behavior interventions to ensure the consistent use of exclusion, physical restraint, and seclusion as forms of student behavior interventions in schools and to ensure that the use is limited to necessary/critical situations.

IV. Standards

1. Staff members will use effective classroom management strategies followed by a continuum of positive behavior interventions, strategies, and supports to increase or decrease targeted student behavior.
2. Parents and school staff members may at any time request a meeting in order to, among other things:
   1. Conduct an FBA
   2. Develop, review, or revise a student’s BIP.
3. Trained school staff members will only use exclusion, physical restraint, or seclusion after a continuum of positive, less restrictive or alternative approaches have been considered, and either attempted or determined to be ineffective or inappropriate for the maintenance of a safe, positive learning environment. The use of exclusion, physical restraint, or seclusion may be used only without intent to do harm or create undue discomfort and consistent with known medical or psychological limitations and the student’s behavior intervention plan.
4. Trained school staff members may use exclusion to address a student’s behavior if the student’s behavior unreasonably interferes with the student’s learning or the learning of others and/or constitutes an emergency and exclusion is necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate; is requested by the student; or is supported by the student’s BIP.
5. The use of physical restraint or seclusion is prohibited in HCPSS unless:
   1. There is an emergency situation and physical restraint or seclusion is necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate; or
   2. The student’s BIP describes the specific behaviors and circumstances under which physical restraint or seclusion may be used; or
   3. The parents of a nondisabled student have otherwise provided written consent for the use of physical restraint or seclusion while a BIP is being developed.
6. If excessive exclusion, physical restraint, or seclusion is used for a student who has not been identified as a student with a disability, the student will immediately be referred to the school’s Student Support team (SST) or an IEP team.
7. If physical restraint or seclusion is used for a student with a disability, and the student’s IEP or behavior intervention plan does not include the use of physical restraint or seclusion, the IEP team will meet, within 10 business days of the incident to consider: the need for a functional behavioral assessment; developing appropriate behavioral interventions; and implementing a behavioral intervention plan.
8. The use of corporal punishment and mechanical restraint are prohibited in HCPSS.
9. Annually, HCPSS will provide professional development to designated school staff members on the appropriate implementation of this policy.
10. Designated staff members will be trained on how to administer physical restraint. Only those trained staff will implement physical restraints.
11. Each school will establish and maintain a team trained to implement physical restraints in emergency situations.
12. Each time a student is in a physical restraint or seclusion, school staff members will document the incident using Student Behavior Intervention Data Collection Form for Restraint or Seclusion.
13. Monitoring and Compliance
    1. Schoolwide resource personnel will review and collect data quarterly pertaining to physical restraint and seclusion and forward it to the Department of Special Education.
    2. Data will be collected by:
       1. Total number of physical restraint and seclusion incidents;
       2. Total number of students;
       3. Type of physical restraint utilized;
       4. Length of time of physical restraint or seclusion;
       5. Student’s gender, race, disability, and grade;
       6. Behavior that precipitated the use of physical restraint or seclusion; and
       7. Number of students referred to the school’s SST.
    3. In cases whereby a student, staff member or parent of a student feels there has been a violation or a misinterpretation of this policy or procedure, the grievance process outlined in the HCPSS Student and Parent Handbook, Policy 9020 - Students’ Rights and Responsibilities, and Policy 9200 Student Discipline will be utilized.
    4. The HCPSS Board of Education will, upon request, submit any information regarding any matter related to physical restraint or seclusion practices to the MSDE.

This policy does not prohibit school personnel from initiating appropriate student disciplinary actions; nor does it prohibit law enforcement, judicial authorities, or school security personnel from exercising their responsibilities.

From the Health Room

1. Our in-school dental clinic was a great success.  If your child was seen, a pink paper with a report of the visit should have come home.  If you did not receive a pink paper please contact the health room.
2. Flu season is in full swing.  If your child has been absent and diagnosed with the flu please contact the health room to report that information.

Important Things to Know:

• Conference scheduling will close Monday evening at 5:00. 
• MAP testing for 3rd grade has been changed to 2/11 and 2/13, 10:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
• The PVMS meeting for parents of incoming 6th graders has been re-scheduled to February 20 @ 6:30 p.m.  Please note NEW date.
• The office phones are answered 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 on Friday.
• Students should arrive to school by 9:10 a.m. so that they are able to put their things away and be ready to start the day when the bell rings at 9:15.
• Students go out for recess when the temperature with wind chill is 20 degrees or more.  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.
• To get text alerts from FRES or HCPSS, you must opt in to receive those alerts. Text "YES" to 67587 from the cell number that is on file in HCPSS/Connect.
• If your child's dismissal changes, due to a change in transportation, an after school class, etc., please email the teacher, and copy Dr. Varlack, Ms. Pazornik, Ms. Traini, Mrs. Jackson, and Mrs. Farrell.  All the emails can be found in the "Our Staff" section of our website.  We want to make sure the message is received!
• If you recieved a Federal Impact Aid form, please return it ASAP.  Thanks!

From our Reading Support Teacher, Ms. Blackburn
WANTED:  Enthusiastic, Patient Volunteers for Kindergarten! 
Hello Parents, 
Kindergarten is in need of parents to volunteer to work with small groups of students from 11:20 to 12:20.  If you are available, please contact Patti Blackburn at patricia_blackburn@hcpss.org.  Thank you in advance!  Please remember that to volunteer you must have completed two trainings: Confidentiality and Child Abuse Reporting, and printed, signed, and turned in the completion certificates.

Change Matters
The week of Tuesday Feb-19 through Tuesday February 26th, our school is proudly participating in a student philanthropy fundraising campaign called – Change Matters – to benefit Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center – Howard County’s only 24-hour homeless shelter and crisis center.
Did you know that Howard County is one of the richest counties in the United States?
But even in Howard County, many adults and children are homeless.

• How do some people become homeless?
• People may lose their job.
• Some get sick and can’t work.
• People have problems and need help to get better.
• They can't pay their bills and end up without a place to live.

You can help the homeless by contributing your small change to Change Matters. Your change will be used to improve the lives of homeless children and families at Grassroots. If you can donate, please bring in your change the last week of February and become a Change Matters Superhero! Remember that you are never too young to show kindness and make a difference in the lives of people who need help in our community!

How Girls Code:  Rocking Robots
Students gain hands-on experience building and programming various models of robots. Students will explore how robots are used in the real world, and what classifies models as robots. Using coding Apps, they will build Lego WeDo models and will write programs to animate them. Dash robots and Ozobots are some of the other models we will be using in this engaging session. Visit www.HowGirlsCode.com for more information and registration.

School:   Forest Ridge Elementary School

Grades: 2nd-4th

Dates and Times:  Mondays 3:45-5:15 pm, March 4-May 6, 2019 (8 Sessions) 
Instructor(s): Mrs. Kim Carey and Ms. Clair Wise
INCLEMENT WEATHER:  If after school activities are cancelled for HCPSS, HowGirlsCode classes will be cancelled as well. Scholarships available!

Daycare Providers in Our Community
As a service to our parents, we advertise daycare providers who are located in the Forest Ridge district:
Saira Ali
License #250550
Ages 6 weeks to 12 Years; Before & After School Care
Uses a State-Approved Curriculum
Phone:  240-463-8333

Jigna Bhatt(Just Like Mom Daycare)
Loving and caring, just like mom
Licensed day care in Stone Lake community
Care available for kids 2 years and older
Jignabhatt@gmail.com
301-776-8624
www.justlikemom.org
Lic# 16-0504

Christine Hernandez (Christine's Family Daycare)
license  #130138
8 weeks & older
I can provide before/after care but I do not transport children to/from school. I watch school age children over the summer as well
Hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
tine1975@verizon.net
301-221-4055

Afshan Masood
Busy Bee home daycare
301-498-2971
officialbusybee1@gmail.com
Transportation: not right now but in the future
license # 254960
Hours: 6:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday 

Science Fair News
Just a reminder that the Forest Ridge Science Fair is scheduled for February 21 from 6:30-7:45. Any student not in the Science Fair seminar who would still like to participate can request a science fair packet from Mrs. Hogan or Mrs. Clawson. This project will be completed at home and will need to be turned in on February 20. Please contact us at kimberly_clawson@hcpss.org or susan_hogan@hcpss.org if you are interested. 

Watch DOGS
Our Watch DOGS dad this week was Mr. Jerome.  Thank you so much!

If you are interested in supporting this awesome program by signing up for a day, or even part of a day, we are looking for YOU!! Simply copy the links included and paste them into your browser.   Keep in mind, you will also need to complete the Howard County child abuse and confidentiality training online, complete the certificate for each, and turn it in. Those links are also provided below.  Finally, to help make the Watch DOGS stand out while you are here, we encourage you to purchase a Watch DOGS t-shirt.  When you arrive at the school, you will be able to purchase one for $12 sizes S-XL, $14 for 2XL and $16 for 3XL  If we are out of that size we will order and and it will be sent home with your child as soon as it comes in.   You are also welcome to send in your money ahead of time and we will send your shirt home with your child right away.  Send your payment in an envelope with your name, child's name, teacher, and your shirt size.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact Craig Dorsey at dorseypremier@gmail.com or Jen Renkevens at trenkev@juno.com.

For Child Abuse- https://www.hcpss.org/f/employees/childabuse_ppt.pdf

From Howard County Recreation and Parks:
For Complete information on Before & After School classes, including how to Register, please go to  www.howardcountymd.gov/afterschool

For Parents of Incoming Kindergarteners (2019-2020 School Year)
Click here to learn how to get ready for kindergarten, including enrollment procedures.