IMPORTANT DATES
May 3 1:00-4:00 p.m. PTA Spring Carnival “Travel the World with FRES”
May 5-9 Teacher Appreciation Week. View the flyer.
May 6 5th grade field trip
May 7 Staff Professional Work & Wellness Day - schools close 3 hours early (12:15)
May 7 12:00-9:00 p.m. PTA Restaurant Night – Chuck E. Cheese
May 8 7:00-8:00 p.m. Drama Club spring musical - “Junie B Jones”
May 9 1st grade field trip
May 9 4th grade field trip
May 12 Last day to order Spiritwear. View the flyer.
May 13 Orchestra/Chorus Concert @ Hammond High School
May 14 Pre-K field trip
May 14 Band Concert @ Hammond High School
May 14 Last day to order a yearbook at this ordering link
May 15 3rd grade field trip
May 15 6:30-8:00 p.m. PTA meeting
May 16 Staff Professional Learning Day - schools close 3 hours early (12:15)
May 20 Field Day (Rain Date May 23)
May 22 5th Grade Simulated Congressional Hearing
May 26 Memorial Day - schools and offices closed
May 29 5th grade middle school visit
View the HCPSS Calendar in English
View the HCPSS Calendar in Spanish
View the HCPSS Calendar in Korean
View the HCPSS Calendar in Chinese
- Want to receive HCPSS text messages regarding weather-related closing info, late bus info, etc.? You must opt-in. FRES parents will need to opt-in from the phone that receives messages on the number we have on file for them. Text YES to 67587.
- Will your child be absent? Email fresabsence@hcpss.org.
From Our Administrators...
Dear Forest Ridge Families,
It’s been a great week here at school! We loved seeing so many smiling faces and positive energy all around the building. It was a lot of fun seeing so many people wearing tie dye on Wednesday!
One of the highlights was watching our amazing Super Squads cheerleaders perform at this week’s high school lacrosse game—what a proud moment for our school! A huge thank you to their dedicated coaches, Mrs. May and Ms. Durkin, for all the time and heart they put into supporting our students.
This morning, our bus riders did a fantastic job during our bus evacuation drill. Safety is always a top priority, and we’re proud of how seriously our students took this important practice.
A quick friendly reminder: if you need to pick your child up for early dismissal, please be sure to do so by 2:45 PM. After that time, the office gets very busy, and there are a lot of transitions happening throughout the building. It’s tough to manage early dismissals smoothly after that point—thanks so much for understanding!
Don’t forget—the PTA Carnival is tomorrow, rain or shine! We can’t wait to see everyone there for some fun and celebration.
And finally, next week is PTA Teacher Appreciation Week. Our incredible staff deserves all the thanks and recognition for their hard work and love they give the children. If you get a moment, we encourage you to send a quick note or kind word to one of our amazing educators—it really means a lot.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Warmly,
Mrs. Lannon and Ms. Pazornik
Student News...
Battle of the Books
HUGE congrats should go out to anyone who sees any of our Battle of the Books 5th graders. The participants were:
The Rambunctious Racoons
Elijah D, Ben N, Sam R, Aaron N, Eliezar
The Cosmic Readers (only 1 answer away from a silver medal)
Wedad, Lucy D, Malkia, and Ahana
The Smarties
Evan S, Finn C., Nick R, Jack H, and Mikel W.
The Novel Noodles (Took a Silver Medal!)
Elliot, Andre G, Inara, and Chloe E
FRES Five
Mahlet, Msgana, Temi, and Aidyn
They spent hours at optional lunch bunches (and one voluntary recess) with me over the past 2 months to make sure they were prepared AND had so much fun doing it! They worked well with their teams and they were dedicated team members together on their own time outside of school to get their posters made, costumes ready, and, most importantly, made sure they were reading their 9 books as part of their teams!
Forest Ridge News...
5th Grade Closing Ceremony
The 5th grade end of year ceremony will take place on Friday, June 13th at 1:00pm in the FRES cafeteria. 5th grade families are invited to attend. Each student will receive a total of 2 tickets for the ceremony. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our 5th grade students on this day! For any additional questions, please reach out to Mrs. Lacy, raelyn_boras@hcpss.org.
Interested in Ordering a Yearbook?
The ordering link is now open. Yearbooks are $23.00. The ordering deadline is May 14.
Spring Spiritwear Sale is Open!
The PTA Spring Spiritwear Sale is open until Monday, May 12th! Items will get to school approximately 3 weeks after the sale closes. View the flyer: Spiritwear Flyer
Is your 5th Grader Not Attending Patuxent Valley Middle School Next Year?
We assume all FRES 5th grade students will attend Patuxent Valley Middle School next year and unless we hear otherwise, will transfer all 5th grade records directly to PVMS over the summer. If you have moved or your child will not be attending PVMS for another reason, please contact Mrs. Jackson, our registrar at rebecca_jackson@hcpss.org.
Incoming Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open now! Families of children who will be five years old by September 1, 2025, should enroll their child in kindergarten or submit a kindergarten waiver. Please share with your neighbors! Families can find more information about enrolling children in kindergarten, as well as resources to support kindergarten readiness, the kindergarten waiver, and more on the HCPSS website here: https://www.hcpss.org/enroll/kindergarten/
Learning Together Program
The FRES Early Childhood classes are making preparations for the 2025-26 school year and are accepting applications for general education students to participate as peers through the Learning Together Program (LTP). These classes include general education and special education students. 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 1, 2025, applications are available now.
In alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future, new LTP applications for students turning 4 by September 1 will not be available. HCPSS continues to offer Prekindergarten for income eligible children who will be 4 years old by September 1. For additional information contact the school or visit: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/ .
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. If you have any additional questions , please contact Jen Black at jennifer_black@hcpss.org or (410) 880-5950.
From the ChildFind Office
Attention Parents of Rising Kindergarteners: Don't Wait for Summer to Address Developmental Concerns!
If you have concerns about your child's development - whether it's their speech, motor skills, social skills or learning - it's important to act now. Waiting until the summer for a referral can delay crucial support that your child may need before starting kindergarten.Contact us today to schedule a screening. Let's work together to ensure your child has the best possible start in kindergarten! Call 410-313-7046 or email ChildFind@hcpss.org
WatchDOGS Sign Up Link
Interested in being a WatchDOG? Sign up here.
From the PTA...Get More PTA Info at the PTA Website
SPRING CARNIVAL IS TOMORROW – SATURDAY 5/3 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm RAIN OR SHINE!!!
Tickets are $10.00 for children ages 3+. Tickets are not required for adults. Cash is preferred the day of event.
VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers are key in making our events a success!!! We will start set-up on Friday 5/2 at 6:00 pm. Come any time after 6:00 to help. Saturday 5/3 set-up will start at 9:00. During the event there are 2 volunteer shifts. Please check in at the volunteer table at 12:30 for first shift and 2:00 for the second. All stations will close by 3:45 for the Holi celebration. Any time you can give is valued! VOLUNTEER HERE to be directed to Sign-Up Genius where you can sign-up to volunteer.
CULTURAL DISPLAYS AND PERFORMANCES: If you signed up for a cultural display or performance you can arrive to set-up anytime after 10:00. Please be set-up by 12:30.
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK Monday, May 5th - Friday, May 9th
It's a whole week of celebrating our amazing teachers and staff. Be on the lookout for all the ways you can show your appreciation! Volunteers are needed to help with lunch on Monday. If you are available please email contact@frespta.org.
RESTAURANT NIGHT – Chuck E. Cheese Wednesday, May 7th 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
It’s a half day of school on Wednesday, May 7th. Bring your kids to Chuck E. Cheese for pizza, games and lots of fun!!! 20% of all sales are donated to the FRES PTA. English Flyer Spanish Flyer
FRES DRAMA CLUB SPRING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE Thursday, May 8th 7:00 pm
Over 30 of our amazing students grades K – 5 have been hard at work rehearsing for this year’s musical – JUNIE B. Jones. This is a one night only performance on Thursday, May 8th from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The performance will be held in the FRES Cafeteria/Stage. No tickets are required; free of charge. Concessions will be available for purchase—cash only.
Parents of rising PVMS 6th graders…..we need you!
The PVMS PTSA is looking for parents interested in serving on the board this upcoming school year. Without your help we risk not having a PTA next year. Did you know that the PVMS PTSA is responsible for your child’s back to school event, school dance, spirit wear, game nights, and many more social events that help make your child’s middle school years memorable? Please consider being involved and email pvmsptamd@gmail.com for more information on open positions!
In the Community...
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 Updates
- Teen Advisory Council - Open to Howard County students in grades 8-12. Earn Community Service Hours and make meaningful contributions to the community. Next meeting: Monday May 19, 2025, from 5:30-7:00pm on Zoom. For more information, visit: https://hcdrugfree.org/teen-advisory-council/
- 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.