Dec. 20, 2019 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 4:55pm

Important Dates:
December

21-Jan. 1 - WINTER BREAK

January
2    Return from Winter Break
3    Club and candid pictures taken for yearbook
4    Dad’s Club – Wizards Game, Capital One Arena – 8pm
7    PTA Meeting – Media Center – 7pm
8    Re-scheduled Band/Chorus Concert (will be at FRES)
9    Re-scheduled Orchestra Concert (will be at FRES)
10  Skate Night, Laurel Roller Skating Center – 7-10pm
15   FRES Book Club - The book will be Season of Styx Malone (more info to come)
17  Movie Night – 7-9pm
22  Family Fit Night – 6:30-8pm
23  Math Parent Night – 6:30-8pm

February
4   Schools and Offices closed for Special Election Day (see below)

Items of Note:

  • As the weather gets colder, there is the possibility that schools will be closed or open late because of inclement weather.  HCPSS sends out text messages to let parents know.  These messages usually go out between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m.  To receive text messages from FRES or HCPSS, you must opt in.  Please text "YES" to 67587 to receive text messages.
  • The last Chick-fil-A Spirit Day this year will be on March 18.  Proceeds will help to defray the cost of 4th and 5th grade field trips.

From our Administrators...

We would like to wish all of our families a safe, happy and peaceful holiday season. We are so fortunate to get to work with such amazing children, awesome parents/families, and an extraordinary staff every day.  Please take some time to relax, have fun, and reflect over this winter break.  We look forward seeing you next year.
See you soon in 2020 !

Mr. Conroy and Ms. Pazornik

Student News...

Congratulations to our Eagle Egg winners for the last week in 2019:  5th-Jayden L., 4th-Franceleyica P., 3rd-Collette C., 2nd-Victory K., 1st-Amie S., K-James G.

We appreciate you!

Forest Ridge News...

Rescheduled Winter Music Concerts
Band and Chorus - January 8, 6:30 (Students report at 6:00 p.m.)
Orchestra - January 9, 6:30 (Students report at 6:00 p.m.)

Parents, We Need Your Help
We can no longer allow students to go back to the classroom after 4:15 to retrieve items left behind.  Thank you for your help!

Watch DOGS
Many thanks to Mr. Matson and Mr. Pearson, who came in this week to serve as our Watch DOGS!

Schools Closed on February 4, 2019
Schools and offices will be closed on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, due to the special primary election to fill the 7th congressional district seat vacated following the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings. 

From the Media Center

  • The Media Center is soliciting for donations for future maker activities with our students. We are looking for donations of colorful duct tape, stickers, yarn, googly eyes, paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls and washi tape. This items can be sent in with your student or dropped off in the main office. Thank you for helping us to make learning fun and engaging! 

  • This decision and others unfold as you read our first book club selection of the year, Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon. The  FRES book club will be held on January 15, 2020 in the Media Center starting at 6pm. Registration forms were sent home in November but additional forms are available in the Media Center. Happy Reading!  For additional information or questions, please contact heather_tordella@hcpss.org 

Attention Parents of Rising 6th Graders
What: Patuxent Valley Middle School Rising Middle Schooler Parent Night
When: January 14th, 2020* at 6:00pm for Gifted and Talented Information; 6:30pm for Rising Middle Schooler Program
(*Snow Date: January 21st, with the same times listed above)
Who: All Parents of current 5th graders planning to attend PVMS in the 20-21 school year. Students are encouraged to attend as well!
Where: PVMS Cafeteria, 9151 Vollmerhausen Rd, Savage, MD 20763
Please Join PVMS Staff to learn what you’ll need to know to help your future middle schooler be successful next year. We look forward to meeting with you! 
View the flyer here: PVMS Rising Middle Schooler Parent Night.pdf

Science Fair
This year's FRES Science Fair will take place on February 20, 2020. If your child would like to participate in the fair, and is not participating currently in the Science Fair Seminar, please email Kim Clawson at kimberly_clawson @hcpss.org. to request an electronic or hard copy of our science fair packet.  We also have extra packets available on the bulletin board in front of the media center. Please take one from there if you are in the building. All students are invited to complete a science fair project. 

From the Health Room
Hints from the Health Room - When Children Show Signs of Illness
Deciding when a child is too sick to go to school can be a difficult decision for parents to make.  When trying to decide, use the guidelines below to help you.

Stay at Home:  If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep your child at home or make appropriate child care arrangements:     

  • Appearance and Behavior - unusually tired, pale, lack of appetite, difficult to wake, confused or irritable.  This is sufficient reason to exclude a child.
  • Eyes - thick mucous or pus draining from the eye or pink eye.  With pink eye (conjunctivitis) you may see a white or yellow discharge, matted eyelids after sleep, eye pain and/or redness.
  • Fever - temperature 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.  Remember that a child must be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.
  • Greenish nose discharge and/or chronic cough - should be seen by a health care provider.  These conditions may be contagious and require treatment.
  • Sore throat - especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck.  (With strep throat, the child may return to school after 24 hours on antibiotics.)
  • Diarrhea - three (3) or more watery stools in a 24-hour period, especially if the child acts or looks ill.
  • Vomiting - two (2) or more times within the past 24 hours
  • Rash - body rash, especially with fever or itching.  Heat rashes and allergic reactions are not contagious.
  • Ear infections without fever - do not need to be excluded, but the child needs to get medical treatment and follow-up.  Untreated ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss.
  • Lice - children may not return to school until they have been treated and are free of live lice.  Make a habit of checking your child’s hair for head lice once a week.
  • Cough – your child may bring in non-medicated (non-mentholated) cough drops with a note from you giving permission for the cough drop. They will be stored in the Health Room.

If your child shows any of the above symptoms while at school, it will be necessary to pick him/her up from school.  Please make sure all emergency contacts are up to date and plan accordingly. Each student should have at least 3 emergency contacts listed. Students should be picked up within 30 minutes of receiving the phone call from the health room staff.

Anytime your child is absent due to illness please notify the school via e-mail at fresabsence@hcpss.org

Please put an extra set of clothes in your child's backpack for unexpected events at school.  Please make sure the clothing is appropriate for the cold weather.

Thank you, the health room staff

PTA News...

Dear FRES families,

FRES PTA plans several social events throughout the year to build our sense of community and give families a chance to connect.  Please mark your calendars for this year’s 2nd Annual Culture Fest on Friday, February 7 from 6:30-8:30pm!  This event highlights all the amazing diversity we have and gives everyone a chance to learn more about each other through activities, food, and displays.  Last year we had 40+ families representing 28 different countries and cultures!  Look out for flyers for participating or attending in mid-January.  The Culture Fest planning committee will be meeting on Wednesday, January 8 at 4pm in the Media Center.  Please join us if you’d like to help plan the event.

The Annual Variety Show will be on Friday, March 27 at 6:30pm.  Mark your calendars for this fun night of adorable performances and look out for flyers to participate and sign up towards the last week of January!

As the year winds down, I hope we all have a chance to spend quality time over winter break with family, be it holiday meals, jet-setting vacations, or lazy days in PJs.  The Hasans are leaning towards the latter!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Khaleda Hasan, FRES PTA President

More from the PTA

After School Enrichment Activities
The current enrichment classes will continue through the winter.  Flyers for some of the course offerings have been sent home.  If you have questions, please contact Korin Sharp at iamkorin@gmail.com or Monaca Noble at kojothecat@gmail.com.

Dad’s Club
Forms were sent home for the Washington Wizards taking on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, January 4 at 8pm.  We got a great response for this event!!  If there are any questions, please contact Ed Chrzanowski at edmund_chrzanowski@hcpss.org.