IMPORTANT DATES
September 18 Professional Work Day - schools dismiss 3 hours early (12:15 for FRES)
September 17 PTA Tampico Grill Restaurant Night
September 19 6:30 PTA General Membership Meeting
September 19 Joe Corbi Fundraiser Begins
September 24 6:30 Watch D.O.G.S Kick-Off & Ice Cream Social (see below under PTA News)
October 3 Schools and Offices closed
October 18 Professional Work Day - schools closed for students
October 31 Professional Work and Development Day - schools closed for students
View the HCPSS Calendar in English
View the HCPSS Calendar in Spanish
View the HCPSS Calendar in Korean
View the HCPSS Calendar in Chinese
Forest Ridge Family and Friends,
It was another great week here at The Ridge! Our staff has worked hard to build relationships with their students, help students learn their new routines, and teach them the importance of following the rules. We are so lucky to have the best staff in Howard County!
We want to thank everyone for attending our Back to School nights. We had a great turnout and it was such a great chance for everyone to get to know one another and learn about FRES. You can view all the various presentations and handouts by going HERE.
Our next school spirit day is on September 17th - Wacky Tacky Day! Students and staff will have fun dressing “tacky” or mismatched. It is always great to see staff and students enjoying themselves and smiling all day long on these days.
Starting next week, students will start taking the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The MAP window runs through October 17th. Below is the schedule:
Grade 1 - September 19th & 20th
Grade 2 - September 24th & 25th
Grade 3 - September 26th & 27th
Grade 4 - September 23rd & 30th
Grade 5 - October 1st & 2nd
The data from the MAP assessment will help schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect grades and the difficulty adjusts depending on how your child responds. It is normal for students to only answer about half the questions correctly. To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/common-questions-families/
As always, that you for always supporting our staff and students so that we can achieve maximum success! We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
~Mrs. Lannon, Principal & Ms. Pazornik, Assistant Principal
Policy 9400
The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging, and supportive school environment that fosters the social and emotional safety, dignity, and well-being of all students. HCPSS acknowledges the need for employees:
to use an array of research-based positive behavior interventions, strategies, and supports to address student behaviors and keep students safe
to minimize the practice of exclusion from the classroom environment
to minimize the practice of physical restraint (which may only be used when necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm and only after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate).
It is an expectation that HCPSS employees will be responsive to all incidents of exclusion or physical restraint and appropriately case manage impacted students to minimize unsafe behaviors and maximize instructional engagement.
Additional information can be found at HCPSS Policy 9400 - Student Behavior Intervention. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.
2024-2025 Parent Academy KickOff, Sept. 25, 2024
HCPSS parents, guardians and family members are invited to join HCPSS Superintendent Willliam J. Barnes, school system leaders and community organizations for this valuable information night to prepare for a successful academic year. The event will also feature various workshop topics which provide access to resources and support.
The 2024-2025 Parent Academy Kick-Off will be held Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 6-8:30 p.m at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia. Dinner will be provided from 5:15-6 p.m. Registration is encouraged.
Workshop topics include:
Flyers for distribution:
Please contact 410.313.1293 for more information.
GT Presentation from Back to School Night
Here's the link to the presentation.
Tech Girls After School Class Open for Registration
Through our partnership with the Chinese American Parent Association (CAPA) we are able to offer this class free of charge for girls in 4th & 5th Grade, starting on Monday, September 30. View more information here. If interested, please return the parental permission form and pre-survey by September 25.
DEAR at Savage Library
FRES students are invited to attend DEAR at the Savage Branch Library the second Monday of the month at 7PM. Dogs Educating & Assisting Readers is a program where kids, K-5th, read to dogs to practice reading and reading aloud in a judgement free space; dogs are great judgement free listeners! Build reading skills and confidence!
Vision & Hearing at FRES
Our Vision and Hearing screening is scheduled for Thursday September 26, 2024, and Monday October 7th, 2024. Screenings will be completed on all PreK, Kindergarten, 1st grade and new students to Maryland Public Schools. Please see the attached permission letter and flyer for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Health Room at 410-888-8811.
FRES Learning Together Program (LTP)
The Forest Ridge Elementary School Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) prekindergarten programs are still accepting applications for students to participate as peers through the Learning Together Program (LTP). This class includes 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, applications are being accepted.
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, in person, or class quarantine). If you have any additional questions and/or would like to complete an application, please contact us at jennifer_black@hcpss.org or (410) 880-5950.
Girl Scout Open House
Is your daughter interested in joining Girl Scouts?
What: Girl Scout Open House
Where: Savage Library
When: Thursday, September 19, 6:00 p.m.
Join the Forest Ridge PTA!
The Forest Ridge Parent Teacher Association (FRES PTA) is a non-profit 501-c3 charity organization formed to support the FRES community. Its purpose is to promote collaboration, accountability, commitment, respect and the value of diversity. The goal of the National PTA organization is to engage and empower families and communities to advocate for all children to reach their full potential.
ALL Forest Ridge families and staff are invited to join our PTA and get involved in the community support work that it does. There is no "wrong way to PTA" - however you can participate - a lot or a little or somewhere in-between - is welcome and celebrated!
For a general overview, visit https://frespta.org/ or click MEMBERSHIP to go directly to the membership website to create an account and join! A PTA membership must be renewed each year so if you have joined in the past, please renew your membership for the 2024 - 2025 School Year! Membership Fees are:
Individual Parent/Guardian/Family Member $13
Family Membership $23
Faculty/Staff $7
Community Member $15
Watch this video to hear why others have joined a local PTA. Why Join PTA? https://youtu.be/xzGtGcYdEFs
Mire este video para saber por qué otras personas se han unido a una PTA local. Por qué Deberías Inscribirse en PTA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TCIZVt2gp4
PTA Committees
Committees are VITAL to the work of the Forest Ridge PTA! Committees make it possible for many people to carry out the mission of the PTA throughout the year and are a great way to get involved in a specific area of your interests or talents! Click here for more information about the 2024 - 2025 Committees. We hope you will sign up for at least one committee.
Watch D.O.G.S Kick-Off Ice Cream Social, Tuesday, September 24th 6:30 pm
Are you a Dad Of Great Students? Watch D.O.G.S is a family and community engagement program for elementary schools. It helps provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. Bring your child(ren) and join us in the cafeteria at 6:30PM for an Ice Cream social and information session. Activities will be available for the children in attendance. Watch D.O.G.S t-shirts will be available for purchase for $20.00. All dad, granddads, uncles and other male role models of FRES students are welcome to join.
Fall After School Activities
Fall 2024 Howard County Recreation & Parks before & after school classes for students at Forest Ridge ES. These classes provide fun, structured, educational and enriching activities for students, benefitting both the child(ren) and parents! Click HCRP Student Enrichment to see the flyer.
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.
HC Drug Free Events
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/
Stay Informed about What’s Happening in Howard County: Sign up for HC DrugFree’s newsletter at https://hcdrugfree.org/enews-signup/ to get updates on events as well as information to keep your family safe and informed.