March 5, 2021 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Thu, 03/04/2021 - 11:03am

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Important Dates

March 10th               7:00 PM   Parent Information Session for parents of students in grades PreK - 2   Code:  fresprek2
March 13                   Community Clean-up Day (see GT News message for more information)
March 15th               PreK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades Group A students start back
March 18th               Prek, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades Group B students start back
March 24th               7:00 PM  Parent Information Session for parents of students in grades 3 - 5 Code:  fres35
March 29th               Grades 3-5 students in Group A start back
April 1st                    Grades 3-5 students in Group B start back
April 2-6                     Spring Break - Schools closed    
April 14                       Schools close 3 hours early - end of 3rd quarter              
April 27, 28, 29          Picture Days (Save the dates!  More info to come)

From Our Administrators...

Dear FRES Community,

We have had an outstanding week welcoming some of our students back to school this week.  It has been great to finally see and hear students back in our classrooms and hallways.  Our staff continues to work hard to get their classrooms ready and set up while following our new safety protocols and procedures.  Thank you to all families for your continued support as we navigate this new Hybrid learning.  

If you opted for your child to return to the building 2 days a week, you should have received an email from Forest Ridge on Monday indicating which two days your child is assigned to come back to the building.  You can also check HCPSS Connect to see your child’s A or B assignment.  Unfortunately we are unable to make changes to those cohort assignments.  

Here are some important dates coming up:

  • March 10th - 7:00 PM   Parent Information Session for parents of students in grades PreK - 2   Code:  fresprek2

  • March 15th - PreK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades Group A students start back

  • March 18th - Prek, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades Group B students start back

  • March 24th - 7:00 PM  Parent Information Session for parents of students in grades 3 - 5 Code:  fres35

  • March 29th - Grades 3-5 students in Group A start back

  • April 1st - Grades 3-5 students in Group B start back

We look forward to welcoming more of our students back in the next few weeks.  Parents and guardians are reminded that we cannot have any visitors in the building.  

Thank you for your continued support,

Mr. Conroy and Ms. Pazornik

Supporting Your Child's Wellbeing During School Re-entry
Join a panel discussion with HCPSS staff and community agencies to learn about guidance, coping strategies, and resources to support your child's social emotional needs during school re-entry.

Saturday, March 6th, 9-10:30 am

For parents/guardians of children PreK-12th grade

Register at:  http://hcpssne.ws/SupportWell

Join Zoom Meeting

https://hcpss.zoom.us/j/98390928377

Meeting ID: 983 9092 8377

Flyer

Forest Ridge News...

News From Mrs. Schuck
Don't forget to check out Mrs. Schuck's Guidance Page Here!

Picture Day Will Look a Little Different This Year
The pandemic can't stop us from having Picture Day!  Students who attend on "A" day will have their photographs taken on April 27; students receiving virtual-only instruction will be photographed on April 28; and those students attending on "B" Days will have their pictures taken on April 29.  All orders will be placed online and mailed to parents.  Details will be shared as the dates get closer.

Media Matters and Tech Tidbits
  • Return Media Books- If you still have HCPSS media books (from any school), you may return them at FRES during school hours in the drop-off bin in the main vestibule. 

  • Tech Reminders- 

    • If your student is coming into the school building to learn, please be sure to send their headphones, their Chromebook fully charged and their charger. 

    • If your Chromebook has been having audio or video issues, try the Refresh and/or Reset process.  The link provided has video directions to guide you.

K-5 2021-22 New Student Registration Open Now and PreK Registration Coming Soon
Registration is online.  Visit www.hcpss.org/enroll for information and to register.  Note:  If your child is currently enrolled at FRES and will continue to attend next year, you do not need to re-register.  Your child will automatically be "rolled over" into the new school year.

Families are encouraged to visit the Grade K Family and Community Resources page for more information about the kindergarten instructional program and ways families can support their children at home.

Pre-K Registration begins the week of March 15, 2021.

The Prekindergarten Family and Community Resources page also contains resources for families and providers for children currently in their prekindergarten year.

Learning Together Program – Prekindergarten
The Forest Ridge Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) Pre-Kindergarten programs are making preparations for classes for the upcoming 2021-22 school year.  These classes include children with and without disabilities. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills.   Parents of children who will be 3 by September 1st or are already 4 may learn more about the program by reviewing the Learning Together Program (LTP) Flyer (English).  Applications will be accepted starting February 11, 2021 and priority will be given to applications received by April 1st.  

If you need assistance to complete the application, please contact Early Intervention Services at earlyinterventionservcies@hcpss.org or at 410-313-7017.

HCPSS is committed to providing instruction based on the statewide Early Learning Standards which are in alignment with Kindergarten Readiness. The fees listed in the application will be collected monthly regardless of the learning model determined by HCPSS throughout the upcoming school year (virtual, hybrid, or in person).   If you have any additional questions , please contact Tricia Walls at tricia_wallls@hcpss.org or 410-880-5950.

GT News
...from the Green Team

Taking care of your yard and community is a great way to help our environment. Let's do this together! Saturday, March13th has been designated as a FRES Community Clean Up Day. Do you have some time to pick up trash in your yard and neighborhood? Click Here to find out more.

Is your Family File up to date?
In preparation for the return of students on March 1, please make sure your emergency information is up to date in the Family File.  Follow these instructions:

1.  Visit www.hcpss.org/connect
2.  Log in to your account. (User name = your email address)
3.  You will see a list of options on the left side of the screen.  At the bottom of the list, choose "More Options" and then "Family File."
4.  Follow the prompts to update the information. 
5.  You will receive a confirmation upon successful completion of the Family File.

Notes:
* If it is not allowing you to click "Next" on a particular page, there is information missing. 

* If you have more than one child at FRES, please be sure to update information for all of your children.
Thank you for your help!

Need Food Support? 
The North Laurel/Savage MutliService Center (9900 Washington Blvd, Laurel) is running a food pantry weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-4, and every third Saturday of the month from 9-1. Please reach out to Ms. Schuck if you need assistance with transportation or have other needs at this time!
View the flyer in English
View the flyer in Spanish

For our community:
Dear 4th and 5th grade families:

The Dance Obsession is a community program that offers free dance lessons to youth ages 9-14 (4th-8th Grades). Based in Howard County MD, our goal is to offer an opportunity to anyone who wants to learn how to dance without enrolling at a dance studio, or to anyone who is looking for a virtual extra-curricular program. Through this initiative, we hope to promote diversity and inclusion within the Howard County dance departments and in the dance community as a whole.

Taught by advanced level dancers from Howard County high schools, you can trust that The Dance Obsession will prepare you for dance classes/teams at your future high school and beyond!  Our sessions will be held through Google Meet, using your HCPSS student account. If you have any questions, please email danceobsession5678@gmail.com!

We will meet every Wednesday from 2-3 PM. Our start date is March 24th and the end date is May 19th!  The last day to sign up is March 17th! PLEASE submit ONE response. We are accepting the FIRST 50 students that sign up (PLEASE only sign up if you will actually attend)! We cannot wait to dance with you!"

This program is teacher-advised by Brooke Kuhl-McClelland brooke_kuhl-mcclelland@hcpss.org (Hammond High School Dance Director/HCPSS Head of Dance) and Holli Tucci holli_tucci@hcpss.org (Oakland Mills High School Dance Director), so feel free to email them if you have any questions.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/1eepLmxzT5JNY2ta7

From the PTA...

Thanks to everyone who came to the Spirit Day at Kloby's for some yummy BBQ. FRES PTA will receive a donation of $260! 

At Monday's PTA meeting we will be having a special guest, Anisha Thompson, the Black Student Achievement Program liaison at Patuxent Valley Middle School, who will be stopping by to provide brief remarks on the program. Please join us on Zoom at 7 p.m.  Meeting ID: 983 0999 7211 Passcode: frespta

Wish Lists: FRES PTA has compiled an Amazon Wish List to help make the transition to hybrid school as easy as possible for teachers and students. The wishlist can be found at http://tiny.cc/freswishlist and can be directly shipped to the school. You can also purchase from another store and drop items off at FRES. Teachers may have classroom-specific wish lists. Some supplies have already begun arriving. Thank you for your support!

FRES Culture Fest 2021: Through Culture Fest over the past few years, FRES PTA celebrated the many cultures that make our FRES community diverse and strong. Due to the pandemic, this year FRES PTA is teaming up with Bushy Park ES PTA to join them for their county-wide virtual International Night over Zoom!! Mark your calendars for April 23, 2021 from 7pm - 8pm! There are many ways to participate and highlight your culture or country of origin!  You can make a slideshow about your country/culture or record a dance or special talent unique to your culture.  You can share recipes or crafts to represent your country/culture.  You can even recommend children's books that highlight your culture/country. To sign up or see more ways to participate, see: https://www.bushyparkpta.org/international-night-2021 For more information, contact Khaleda Hasan at kbhschools@gmail.com.

Spirit Wear: We have a NEW promo code for the month of March. Save up to 30% with code MARCH21 at checkout! New designs have been added, you won't want to miss this new spring gear! Order here and save 20% off $50 with promo code LAYER21. Purchases will be shipped directly to homes. FRES PTA will receive a quarterly donation for 10% of sales. 

Grocery Rewards: Please remember our rewards programs while you are shopping. We are participating in Weis, Amazon Smile, Harris Teeter (requires annual renewal), BoxTops, and Coke Rewards. Please visit https://frespta.org/ways-to-support/grocery-storeshopping-programs/ for more information on these programs that provide financial support to FRES based on purchases you already make.

Communication: There are several ways to receive communications including www.frespta.org, the FRES PTA Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FRESPTA/, and Twitter @frespta. There is also a group that was formed for discussion and support and is for current FRES families.

Membership: We seem to be holding steady at 78 members. If you have not yet joined, you can do so at www.frespta.org/membership and it's only one $10 payment for the entire year! 

Volunteers Needed: We are looking for volunteers and leaders for several committees. Please check out the list and comment with your name and email address so we can contact you with more information.

Save the Date:

  • Upcoming General PTA Meetings: March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14. Please join us on Zoom at 7 p.m.  Meeting ID: 983 0999 7211 Passcode: frespta
  • Spirit Nights: May 3 - Sweet Frog
  • Culture Fest: April 23, 2021 from 7pm - 8pm

Feedback: Please let us know if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions either by email or via our suggestion box. Suggestions are anonymous, so if you would like a reply, please include your email address. Please email Korin Sharp at president@frespta.org if you have any questions on this week’s update. Thanks and have a great weekend!

In the Community...

New HCPSS Community News and Programs Site: 
In response to community requests for resources, HCPSS’ new Community News and Programs website makes it easy for families to find educational and recreational resources, events and after-school programs beyond the school day by non-profit organizations.”

Community organizations requesting their announcements be shared in school newsletters should visit community-programs.hcpss.org for more information. Questions should be directed to the Public Information Office at publicinfo@hcpss.org.