June 11, 2021 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Fri, 06/11/2021 - 12:28pm

 

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Important Dates               

June 14                    3-hour Early Dismissal
June 14                    5:30-6:30 Kindergarten Drive-through for Virtual Students
June 14                  6:30-7:15 PTA Fly-by Ice Cream Social (note new date & time)
June 14                    7:30 p.m. Virtual Variety Show/PTA Meeting (Open to all; note new time)
June 15                    Last Day of School!!!  (3-hour early dismissal)
June 15                    Last Day to Order a Yearbook (see PTA News below)
June 16                    12:00 p.m. Report Cards Ready for Parents to View at HCPSS Connect

From our Administrators...

Dear FRES Community,

First and foremost, we want to send a huge "Congratulations and Best Wishes" to our 5th graders as they transition to middle school.  We are so proud of you!  Thank you to all the 5th grade parents for your partnership and support especially during this year.  Last night’s drive through celebration was fantastic and it was great seeing so many of our wonderful students.  Thanks to the fifth grade Parent Committee. 

Due to the rain in the forecast for today, the PTA has decided to postpone the Ice Cream Social for tonight until Monday.  We look forward to seeing many of our families on Monday night.  This event will take place in the car loop and we have heard that Eddie the Eagle may make an appearance. 

We hope everyone has a great weekend,

Mr. Conroy and Ms. Pazornik

From the Food & Nutrition Office
HCPSS will continue to provide free meals this summer to any HCPSS student and any children 18 years of age and under.  Meals will be served on Mondays and Thursdays, beginning on June 21 at 13 locations throughout the county.  In addition to the summer meal service for the public, free meals will be provided to all students participating in HCPSS summer school programs at the 33 program locations. 

As we wind down the school year, we have a few important items to share:

  1. As HCPSS looks to normalize operations for the Fall 2021, start and ending times for each school will return to the original, pre-COVID schedule.  Forest Ridge’s student hours will be 9:15 - 3:45.  

  2. What do I do with my Chromebook after June 15th?

  • Students leaving the school system at the end of the 2020-2021 school year MUST return their HCPSS assigned device(s) by the last day of school, which is June 15th.  

  • Families who do not wish to keep possession of HCPSS technology device(s) may return them to their school or Technology Support Center.

  • All students who will remain enrolled for the 2021-2022 school year may continue to borrow the device(s) assigned to them over the summer. 

  • Review the Chromebook Care guidelines to ensure that the devices are kept safe over the summer.

  • Chromebooks are to be used for instructional purposes only.

  • No extensions should be downloaded to the Chromebooks.

  • Technology support will NOT be available at FRES over the summer.

  1. Schedule for Week of June 14th:

MAP Testing Results
Spring 2020 MAP test results for students in grades 1-8 who participated in the May MAP assessment are now viewable in Synergy. A PDF copy of the student MAP progress report has also been posted. Read here how to access the scores.

Clothing Give Away June 26th
HCPSS has partnered with Neediest Kids and COAD to hold an event that will provide an opportunity for families in need to get new clothing for free.  View the flyer here.
 
Howard County Library Program:  Kindergarten Here We Come!
The Howard County Library System (HCLS) is offering in-person, online, and pre-recorded Kindergarten, Here We Come! 2021 classes in August for children entering Kindergarten this fall. Registration required. The class features stories and activities to help mark that all important first day.  Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Forest Ridge News...

Reminder:  We Still Have Quite a Few Picture Envelopes That Haven't Been Picked Up
Hello Parents of Virtual Students - If you brought your child to school for pictures on April 28 and haven't yet picked up your envelope, please come to the FRES office between 8:30 & 4:30 to pick them up.  Remember, everyone who was photographed on April 28 has an envelope to pick up, whether they ordered in advance or not.

Media Matters and Tech Tidbits

  • Summer reading at the Howard County public library is back! The program offers reading events, activities and has weekly challenges for every grade level. Prizes will be given to students who complete the program. Also, FRES students who complete the program will be recognized in the Forerunner and will get a special surprise treat in the fall. To sign-up, visit http://hclibrary.org/summer/
  • Summer Slugger Program with Howard County Library:  Help stop summer slide and satisfy young baseball fans! The Orioles have partnered with Everfi to offer Summer Slugger, a free game-based learning program with online math and reading challenges designed for students entering 4th and 5th grades. Learn how to sign up for this fun and engaging program.  https://howardcounty.librarycalendar.com/events/summer-slugger-online-5
  • Wondering how to care for your Chromebook over summer break? Check out this helpful page. https://www.hcpss.org/devices/chromebook-care/
From the Health Room
  • Reminder:  Please pick-up your student's medication by Tuesday, June 15th. Medications cannot be kept in the health room over the summer.
  • Child Immunization Clinics at HCHD:  Have a student that needs Tdap, MCV4, Varicella, MenB or HPV?
    When: every Thursday afternoon in June from 1:30pm-3:30pm
    Location:  Howard County Health Department, 8930 Stanford Blvd, Columbia MD 21045
    How: Call 410-313-7500 to make an appointment : bring your immunization record
    Covid, Tdap and MCV Clinics at Deep Run ES on Monday, June 14 from 4-7pm

K-5 2021-22 New Student Registration and PreK Registration Open Now
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.

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

Hammond High School Boosters Summer Sports Camps
Hammond Boosters is proud to once again offer summer sports camps to rising 4th-9th graders.  Campers will be coached by HS coaches, grouped by age/ability, have drill periods, competitions, and get better!  Each camp is $125 and each participant receives an Under Armour Hammond High School t-shirt.  Please see the attached flier for details and contact information. 

From the PTA...

FRES Ice Cream Fly By: The PTA will be passing out a cup of ice cream or Italian Ice to FRES students now on MONDAY, June 14 from 6:30-7:15 p.m. along with a little surprise to help get your summer started. A special guest Eagle will be "flying by" to say hi! Frozen treats brought to you in part by a donation from Weis Markets. Register here to help us know how many treats we need. 
 
Fifth Grade Activities: A special thanks to the 5th Grade Activities Committee: Lauren G., Tangie S., Jen G., Kris M., Nisa A., and Samois R. for planning the 5th grade drive through event. Thank you also to the many teachers and staff members who stayed late to cheer and say farewell to the 5th graders as they drove by FRES and prepare to transition to middle school. View pictures from the event here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/33v4Qdg6tGUcqZVv5
 
School of Excellence Survey DEADLINE EXTENDED to June 12: FRES is continuing the process towards becoming a National PTA School of Excellence and your help is needed. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Surveys are due by June 12. Here is a letter with some background information on the process. http://tiny.cc/FRESsurvey2 
 
Yearbook ordering is fixed! The deadline to order yearbooks is June 15! The cost is $19.50 plus shipping, taxes and fees. Yearbooks will be shipped to your home address, not the school.   
How to order:
2) Select "Second Chance Order Form" at the bottom of of the home screen
3) The access key for the yearbook is QGPYBPCC
4) Enter your student's name and your contact information. If you want to order a book for more than one child, you'll see a "(order another)" next to your child's name at the top of the page. Chick that link to order another.
5) Proceed to the cart and checkout as you normally would. Note, your full mailing address may not show up on the billing screen, but should be visible on your receipt. 
Expect to receive your yearbook in about four to six weeks.
 
Variety Show: The Variety Show will now be held during the last PTA meeting of the year on June 14. 
 
Volunteers Needed: We are looking for volunteers and leaders for ALL committees for next year. Please check out the list and comment with your name and email address so we can contact you with more information. 
 
NEW Spirit Wear Promotion for June: New Spirit Wear Promotion for June. Free shipping on orders $50+ with code SUMMER21-FS  https://1stplace.sale/44343

Save the Date:

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...

Howard County Pride/Rainbow Convention Fundraiser at Shake Shack
Shake Shack in Columbia is giving HCPSS Pride/HoCo Rainbow Conference 25% of their sales on the last day of school - June 15th! What a great way to end the year AND to help fund Rainbow-related activities for the 2021-22 school year. You MUST use code DONATE25 when ordering through the app or show the attached flyer at checkout for HCPSS Pride/HoCo Rainbow Conference to receive credit.

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.

Receive HC DrugFree's Free Newsletter: To receive HC DrugFree's free electronic newsletter packed with information for parents and opportunities for students, go to https://hcdrugfree.org/enews-signup/