FRES News and Events...

Medication Pick Up is on 6/8/2020; 6/9/2020 and 6/12/2020

Please note:

• Please do not come to school if you are sick (temp of > 100 F, cough, shortness of breath) or if you have been asked to self isolate or quarantine.
• Do not exit your vehicle.
• You must wear a mask.
• We encourage you to wear gloves.
• Please email Nurse Kay at margaret_morris@hcpss.org with the name of the adult picking up the medication if it is different than a parent.
• Bring an ID to verify the identity of the designated person picking up the medication - show through the car window.
• After verification of identity, we will ask you to either pop your trunk or open a back window so that we can place the medication in your car.

If you do not pick up the medication (or send an authorized person in your absence) the medication will be destroyed in accordance with HCPSS Health Services guidelines.

​Epi-Pen warning for Impax Auto-Injectors:
Some auto injectors do not have the safety stop mechanism in place and there is a risk of over dosing of medication.  See the link below for more details and on how to check if your epi-pens have the yellow safety stop mechanism.

From the PTA...

Dear FRES families,

It has been a very rough several weeks for many members of our community following racist incidents at the national level and at the local level.  I am thankful for HCPSS leadership under Dr. Martirano and BOE Chair Mavis Ellis for their statement acknowledging the horrific incidents and the pain it has caused, and for stressing a commitment to healing and building a more empathetic and more inclusive school environment where all children can feel safe and nurtured.  I know we have had to have some very tough (but age-appropriate) conversations in our home and I encourage everyone to explore the resources provided by HCPSS about how to talk to children about traumatic events.

Shifting gears, I wanted to thank the yearbook committee for working tirelessly to finalize the design of the yearbook.  We think you’ll be VERY pleased by the final product!  Look for the yearbooks to be shipped directly to your home at the end of June.

I also wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to Adam K., Carrie P., Korin S., Mrs. Schuck, Ms. Pazornik, and Mr. Conroy for working together to apply for a Phase 1 COVID Relief grant from National PTA (sponsored by TikTok) on very short notice with tight deadlines.  The focus of the grant is to provide support in the area of Social Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health.  This week, we got word that we are one of the grant recipients!!  FRES PTA will be working with admin to plan an event for this toward August.

We have been looking for more guidance for conducting elections for next year’s PTA Board.  We may finally have some guidance soon!  Please see the statement below:

Message from the PTA Council Howard County

“…The document outlines steps the State PTA is taking and dates of compliance required. Of particular note is the section relating to elections. Early feedback from our local PTA survey indicates this is an item of growing concern. Earlier this year, we forwarded advice from the State PTA to place a hold on elections due to meeting restrictions from the COVID-19 virus. Later, an additional option for mail-based elections was provided by the State and posted on the PTACHC website. The most recent letter provided to our membership indicates that National PTA has provided advice for the State to develop electronic elections guidance and to deliver this advice by June 12, 2020.

There have been several inquiries about expediting the process. We hope that details and information arrive prior to the deadline, but in the meantime, we are still obliged to follow State guidance, just as they are obliged to follow National PTA guidance. It is suggested that local PTA units (including the Council) continue to operate their nominating committees to be best prepared for elections with the least amount of additional delay. PTACHC will share information as soon as it becomes available.”

In the meantime, we are continuing the search for nominees to fill next year’s board.  Please see below for more details!

Have a great weekend!

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!

Attention ALL 5th graders!!!
The 5th grade committee has been working hard to end the year with something special.  The PTA is providing shirts for each 5th grader (as we do each year) and will also be distributing commemorative yard signs to our 5th graders!  These are covered by the 5th Grade Activities T-shirt line item and the Red Robin 5th grade fundraiser. Check emails for more details about pickup!