August 13, 2021 Forest Ridge Forerunner

Fri, 08/13/2021 - 1:41pm

Dear FRES Community,

    Summer is coming to an end and we have been busy getting ready to welcome back our staff and students in the next few weeks.  Our staff will be returning this Thursday.  

    It was shared at the Board of Education meeting that Howard County has a significant Bus Driver shortage which may affect many of our bus routes.  Please refer to the Bus Transportation message that was sent out by the county yesterday evening.  Please notice that bus routes won’t be available until August 24 on the School Bus Locator page of the HCPSS website.  As soon as routes are available we will send them out as well.  

    We also want to update you on some of the staffing changes for the upcoming school year.

New Staff:

  • Kerri Lewis - New Cluster Nurse coming from AA county
  • Annie Allen - New PT Art teacher and a transfer from WatES
  • Kyle Pompei - New PT Music teacher
  • Esther Jean-Louis - New Media/Technology teacher and a transfer from MHMS
  • Julie Newton - New MINC-PS teacher
  • Rajalakshmi Jeyaraman - New MINC-PS paraeducator
  • MaryBeth Rees - New PT Speech teacher
  • Heather Graham - New PPW
  • Charlene King - New PT Reading teacher and a transfer from GES
  • Felicia Williams - New ESOL Paraeducator

Good luck to these staff members:

  • L’oreal Edmondson - Took a new job in North Carolina
  • Rachel Winter - Took a new job in North Carolina
  • Bailey Schinner - Resigned to pursue a new job opportunity
  • Kristen Smith - Transferred to WatES to be the FT Music teacher
  • Kevin Lee - Reassigned to other HCPSS schools
  • Carol Spaulding - Retired
  • Barb Riley - Retired
  • Parris Muse - Transferred to THES
  • Annamarie Skinker - Reassigned to another HCPSS school
  • Dina Barrett - Relocated to North Carolina

Congratulations to these staff serving in new roles:

  • Megan O’Neill - Grade 1 ITL
  • Connie Haymon - Grade 4 ITL
  • Tiffany Yi - Grade 5 ITL
  • Michelle Dukes - FT Art teacher

Important Dates

  • Friday, August 27, 2021 - 10:00am  Kindergarten & RECC Open House
  • Friday, August 27, 2021 - 12:15pm  New Student Orientation (Grades 1-5)
  • Friday, August 27, 2021 - 1:00pm  Grades 1 & 2 Open House
  • Friday, August 27, 2021 - 2:00pm  Grades 3, 4, & 5 Open House
  • Monday, August 30, 2021 - School starts for students in grades K - 5
  • Thursday September 2, 2021 - RECC students start (This is a correction from last week's email)
  • Monday & Tuesday, September 6 & 7 - No School
  • Thursday, September 9, 2021 - Individual Picture Day
  • Monday, September 13, 2021 - 6:30 pm  Back to School Night RECC - Grade 2
  • Tuesday, September 14, 2021 - 6:00 pm  Back to School Night GT
  • Tuesday, September 14, 2021 - 6:30 pm  Back to School Night Grades 3 - 5

Family File
It is time to update your student’s 2021-2022 emergency information using the Family File.   Reminder - this needs to be done each year.  Currently we have only 31% of our students completed.  We need to be at 100% before school starts.  The following video walks you through the process of completing the Family File.  Please begin the process now, so that the information is updated before school begins. If your family file is completed you will be able to view your child’s teacher on August 25th.  Help us achieve a 100% completion rate before the first day of school!

You can access the Family File by logging in to the HCPSS Connect at www.hcpss.org/connect/. Once you have logged into the HCPSS Connect, select the Family File tab on the left-hand side, and then select the blue underlined "Family File" towards the center of your screen. Once logged in, parents/guardians will be asked to provide, update, or confirm the following information:

  • Student Information
  • Parent/guardian Contact Information
  • Emergency Contacts
  • Medical Information
  • Media Release (photo approval)
  • Data Confidentiality
  • PTA/PTSA Directory

Please note, if the section you are looking at is not allowing you to move forward, then there is a question/checkbox on that page that may still need to be addressed. Please make sure to read the prompts at the top of each tab, and click to expand each section. To access our quick help guides, CLICK HERE.

Parents who have forgotten their login credentials may click the “Forgot Password” link on the sign-in page.  Your user name is your email address.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: A change of address may not be made through the Family File. If you have recently moved, please contact Mrs. Jackson at rebecca_jackson@hcpss.org, Ms. Traini at christin_traini@hcpss.org, or Ms. Williams at chantel_williams@hcpss.org for further assistance.

Student Registration
We need your help.  FRES staffing is based on our enrollment.  If you have an incoming FRES student who hasn't been registered for the 2021-22 school year, please register now at  www.hcpss.org/enroll.  If you have a new neighbor with school-age children, please encourage them to register ASAP. 

Thank you so much!  As always, you may call the FRES office with questions at 410-880-5950.

School Supplies
Now is a great time to begin to shop for school supplies.  Click here to view our school supply list.  The list can also be found on our FRES website

Have a great weekend,

Mr. Conroy & Ms. Pazornik

Is Your Child Up to Date on Immunizations?

The Howard County Health Department is offering a free back to school vaccination clinic. Please find flyers in English & Spanish to provide to your school community. Thank you!

Dates:August 30 & August 31, 2021

Time: 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Howard Community College Athletic Center, 5500 Dragon Place, Columbia, MD 20144

Vaccines offered:

  • Varicella (Chickenpox)
  • MCV4 & MenB (meningitis vaccines)
  • HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
  • Tdap & DTaP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
  • Polio
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
  • Hepatitis B
  • COVID-19 (children ages 12+)

Before attending this clinic, please note:

  • Check with your child’s doctor to see if they have already received these vaccinations, and provide a copy of this record to your school.
  • Bring a copy of your child’s immunization record and any notice received from your child’s school regarding overdue immunizations.

**The COVID-19 Vaccine WILL be available during these clinics**