June
19 Half Day
22 Half Day
23 Half Day - Last Day of School!!
Dear FRES Community,
We hope you had a great weekend and were able to enjoy the beautiful weather! We appreciate everyone coming out last week for the students’ drop offs and pick-ups. We recognize that not all families were able to attend the dates and times last week. This week we will be offering one last chance to pick up school pictures and/or 5th grade t-shirts/signs. Please come to the FRES Bus Loop on Thursday morning (June 18) from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Any items not picked up will be delivered at the start of the next school year.
This week's check-ins will all be at their normally scheduled times. There may be some other activities happening during the check-ins but each teacher will communicate that with their students.
School Counseling Connection Newsletter
The HCPSS Elementary School Counseling Connection Newsletter is a great resource for students and parents to read together. Included in this new issue of the School Counseling Connection newsletter are great self-care ideas and fun activities for home.
Kindergarten and New Student Registration
Parents/guardians of kindergarten and new students enrolling for the 2020-2021 school year (who are not already enrolled) are able to enroll online. A list of all required documents is provided. Medical forms are available on our website.
A+ Partnership with the Howard County Library System
As part of the A+ Partnership with the Howard County Library System, summer reading lists developed by HCPSS library media specialists and Howard County Library System Children’s Instruction and Research staff are available for students in all grade levels. Books included are just a sampling of what students may enjoy reading during the summer. Students are encouraged to check out other books by the authors included, as well as explore additional book topics at the library.
Recommended lists for all grade levels are available both in schools and online.
All families are also invited to participate in the summer reading challenge to help make a difference during this challenging time for so many in our community. Beginning June 1, log books and activities in one of three games: Imagine Your Story (for infants to age 10 and ages 11 to 17) and Read for Good (for adults).
Instead of physical prizes upon completion, you will earn a donation to Community Action Council of Howard County.*
Visit hclibrary.org/summer to get started. New activities and challenges added each week online, so keep reading and checking in!
Sponsored by Friends & Foundation of HCLS.
* Friends & Foundation of HCLS will make a donation of up to $5000 in food and goods to the Community Action Council of Howard County after Summer Reading ends. Donations earned by each reader will have a variable value. If you are interested in donating directly to CAC or learning more about their services in Howard county, please visit cac-hc.org.
Thanks and have a great week,
Mr. Conroy & Ms. Pazornik
From Nurse Kay in the Health Room
These numerous health forms do help Ms. Nowell and myself know your child better so that we can care for them to the best of our ability while they are at school and away from home.
Birthdays!
We are still wishing happy birthday to our FRES students during this new distance learning phase! Select this link for this past week's celebrations!
Services from our School Counselor and Psychologist
Hello FRES families,
Thank you to all the families who joined the virtual PTA meeting last Tuesday! We had nearly 30 friends connect and get updates on the end of year. If you missed it, you can check out the meeting minutes here: https://frespta.org/about-us/meetings/
In the meantime, we are continuing the search for nominees to fill next year’s board. Please see below for more details!
We hope our 5th graders felt the love from FRES PTA and from the school today! We’re so proud of you and wish you the best of success in middle school! Thank you to Jen R., Heather T., and Jess P. for working through quarantine to organize the 5th grade T-shirt and yard sign orders!
Khaleda Hasan, FRES PTA President
PTA Nominations
The FRES PTA still needs several volunteers to serve on the board next year! Technically, as of July 2020, every board position in the FRES PTA will be vacant. To date, we've received some interest, but we really need more parents to step up and lead our PTA.
Would you like to get more involved? Submit those nominations for officers and committee heads now. Do you know someone who would be a great candidate? Tell us! Or, nominate yourself for a position. We will get in touch with you to go over the details and answer questions. Check here for additional information or to nominate someone!
New Continuity of Learning Website and Help Function.
The HCPSS' Continuity of Learning website has been restructured to give you an even more user-friendly and easily navigated resource, providing information essential for ensuring students continue to learn and thrive. The new site features pages with schedules and information dedicated to high school seniors and students at each level. All of our previous content remains online and can be accessed via the new Continuity of Learning site.
There is also a new HCPSS Help site, which is grouped by subject to allow quicker and easier navigation, and includes a convenient new keyword search function. This new Help site will make it easier for parents, students, staff and community members to quickly find answers to their most frequently-asked questions.
Food Access Resources - Please see the following links for resources that you and your family can access as we continue through this time.
SNAP Benefits-Emergency Allotments Flyer-English
Apply for SNAP Benefits today-Flyer-English
Apply for SNAP Benefits Today-Flyer-Spanish
Grocery Delivery Flyer-English
Grocery Delivery Flyer-Spanish
Food Pantries:
Community Action Council Pantry
Free Grab N Go Meals
Free Grab-N-Go meals are served weekdays from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. to anyone age 18 and under and/or any HCPSS student at Forest Ridge Elementary. Participants are encouraged to bring bags to carry meals home. Please note that parents/guardians may pick up meals for their children, who do not need to be present. Social distancing is in place during meal distribution.
Want to Receive Text Messages from HCPSS?
To receive text messages from HCPSS, please text the word "YES" to 67587 from the cell phone number on file in HCPSS Connect.
Canvas and Canvas Announcements
Teachers have and will continue to send messages to students using Canvas. Visit https://www.hcpss.org/connect/faq/#notify to ensure that your child is set up to receive notifications. This page is also a great resource to make sure that you understand Canvas and Synergy. Parents/guardians unfamiliar with Canvas may find it helpful to review the features in this Canvas Orientation.
Setting Canvas Notifications to receive emails of all Canvas notifications.
Account Self-Service for Students
Students now have the ability to retrieve their usernames and reset passwords, independent of teachers and staff. Directions on using self-service can be found online.
Internet Access
Comcast has opened free access to its Xfinity WiFi network, making hotspots across the country available to anyone, including non-subscribers, at no cost. Search by zip code or city to find a hotspot near you at wifi.xfinity.com. Comcast is also providing low cost internet access to eligible families through its Comcast Internet Essentials program.
2020 Census
Several HCPSS programs rely on funding based on accurate census information, so all families are encouraged to participate in the 2020 census, which may be completed online. Learn more.
Supporting Language Needs
Find information on the ways that HCPSS is supporting the language needs of families through in-person and online resources.
Special Education Continuity of Learning
This new webpage provides an overview of special education services for continuity of learning, timeline for service delivery and links to online resources for family use at home.