For PTA News, Upcoming Event Dates, Counselor's Corner, and Community News, click here.

Forest Ridge Forerunner - School News...

Car loop behavior
Parents, we've had some incidents lately of parents being rude in the car loop (yelling at each other, not allowing others to merge).  At school, we try to teach your children to be kind to each other.  Remember that children are watching you.  Rudeness and nastiness have no place out in the car loop.  Traffic will flow much more smoothly if everyone works together.  Thank you in advance!

From Ms. Pazornik, Our Assistant Principal

Hello FRES families and community,

It was so nice to see so many of our families here at FRES for Parent Conferences.  Hopefully you were able to get a glimpse into your child’s math instruction. In the event that you weren’t able to meet with your child's math teacher, here is a resource to help you navigate to the Family and Community Canvas page.  This page contains a plethora of resources to help you as you support your child at home.  

The Winter weather has really made for some changes to our daily routines here and we are hoping to move to some more Spring-like weather so we can get back into our normal routines.  We appreciate everyone’s support with updating your child’s Family File in case of anymore early closings. In case you didn’t see the message from the school system regarding the updated calendar, here is the message:

In order to allow HCPSS families and staff to plan ahead, we wanted to provide this update regarding the last day of school for students. As of Monday, February 11, Howard County public schools have been closed due to inclement weather on four days this school year: November 15, January 14 and 30, and February 11. As a result, all four of the inclement weather make-up days reserved on the school calendar will be used. The last day of school is now scheduled to be Friday, June 21. The final three school days, June 19, 20 and 21, will dismiss 3 hours early. The updated HCPSS calendar is available online at https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/.

The opportunity for winter weather still lies ahead and additional inclement weather closing days may be required. However, there are no additional make-up days built into the Board of Education approved school calendar for the current school year. Maryland state law requires schools to be in session for a minimum of 180 days each year and waivers to this requirement must be approved by the Maryland State Board; these are not automatically granted even when a State of Emergency is in effect.  As winter progresses and should additional inclement weather days occur, the Board of Education will have discussions on how to proceed to account for those days. HCPSS will continue to update parents, staff and students on any further calendar adjustments.

Along the lines of weather, we had to make several changes to our MAP testing schedule.  Here is the most recent schedule and hopefully there won’t be any more winter weather causing us to reschedule.  

Grade 1:  February 21 & 22   9:20 - 11:20
Grade 2:  Completed
Grade 3:  February 19 & 20  1:30 - 3:30
Grade 4:  February 25 ELA 1:30 - 3:30
                February 26 Math 12:20 - 2:20
Grade 5:  February 19 & 20  1:20 - 3:20

We have already begun planning for next year and are looking to schedule some events based on the needs and wants of our community.  Please help us by completing the following brief survey.  

Did you know that HCPSS has a Pupil Transportation policy?  

The purpose of this policy is to establish a process by which transportation services for students are provided.  

1. The provisions of this policy apply to all students, public and non-public, for whom bus transportation is provided by the Howard County Public School System. This includes transportation to and from school, field/activity trips, athletic events, and other school system sponsored events.
2. Transportation will be provided to all students with needs of accommodations or assistance to public and non-public schools designated and approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and/or the Howard County Public School System subject to the availability of funding.
3. Transportation services provided to a student with an IEP/504 plan will be provided in accordance with that plan, as well as federal, state, and local laws/regulations.
4. When considering the need for and/or implementing school bus service, the staff shall consider:
   1. Reasonable levels of safety.
   2. Program efficiency.
   3. Economy of operations.
   4. Equity of service.
   5. IEP or 504 plan requirements.
5. Providing a reasonable level of safety shall be the major staff consideration.
6. Eligibility for transportation - Transportation services will be provided to students when the distance between their home and the home school is greater than the following:
7. Half-day Pre-Kindergarten morning, noontime and afternoon: 0.5 mile
8. Half-day Kindergarten, morning and afternoon: 1.0 mile
9. Half-day Kindergarten noontime: 0.5 mile
10. Full-day Kindergarten through Grade 8: 1.0 mile
11. Grades 9 through 12: 1.5 miles
12. The bona fide residence of the parent/guardian will be used to determine eligibility for transportation services. Distances will be calculated as follows:
13. Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Elementary and combined K-8 School students:
    1. Detached homes and townhouses – Measurement will be from the residence property line to the door(s) identified as the entrance to the school.
    2. Apartment complexes and condominiums – Measurement will be from the entrance to the building to the door(s) identified as the entrance to the school.
14. Middle and High School Students:
    1. Detached homes and townhouses – Measurements will be from the residence property line to the property line of the school.
    2. Apartment complexes and condominiums – Measurement will be from the entrance to the building to the property line of the school.
15. Other transportation service:
    1. The parent of a child in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8, who is eligible for transportation services, may request alternate bus service.
    2. The parent of a child in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8, who is not eligible for transportation service, may request space available bus service to or from a daycare provider.
    3. Temporary transportation service may be provided when the presence of unsafe walkways or pathways exists, or when a student’s medical condition warrants.Bus Stops
       • Students may be expected to walk up to four-tenths of a mile to and from a bus stop.
       • Students may be required to walk more than four-tenths of a mile where it is unsafe or not feasible to establish a bus stop within four-tenths of a mile of a student’s bona fide residence.
       • Students are expected to board and exit the bus from the same bus stop location that is closest to their residence unless otherwise directed or permitted to do so by a school system official.

Bus stops for students with needs of accommodation or assistance will be determined consistent with the needs identified in the IEP and/or 504 Plan.
Walking Route Appeals

• Requests for re-evaluation of a walking route may be made to the Pupil Transportation Office.
• Appeals of the decisions made by the staff of the Pupil Transportation Office may be directed, in writing, to the Student Walking Route Committee.
  • The Student Walking Route Committee will submit its findings and recommendations to the Superintendent of Schools.
  • The Superintendent of Schools will review the committee’s findings and recommendations, as well as those of the Pupil Transportation Office, and render a decision that will be communicated to the appropriate persons.

If the person(s) is not satisfied with the Superintendent’s decision, a final written appeal may be made to the Board of Education.

To read the complete policy, click here.

Attention: Parents of Students Receiving Special  Education Services
It is the goal of the Department of Special Education to provide high quality special education services in a consistent and collaborative manner.  As a department, we are always looking for ways to improve our services and we value your voice. One way you can support our work is to complete The Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey.  We will utilize the results of this survey to develop action steps toward continuous improvement.  You are valued partners and we look forward to receiving your input. 

Surveys were mailed to families around February 4th.  They must be returned by mail or online by May 17th.  To complete the survey online use the following link: https://www.mdparentsurvey.com

Thank you.
 

From the Health Room - Very Important:

• Forest Ridge has nut free tables available to students with nut allergies in the cafeteria.
• No food from home is allowed to be eaten at those tables. 
• Friends who are invited to sit at the nut free table must eat only school provided lunches and snacks.
• Thank you for reviewing this important health and safety issue with your children.
• Please contact the health room if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Kay Morris, RN
Forest Ridge Cluster Nurse

Important Things to Know:

• The PVMS meeting for parents of incoming 6th graders has been re-scheduled to February 20 @ 6:30 p.m.  Please note NEW date.
• The office phones are answered 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 on Friday.
• Students should arrive to school by 9:10 a.m. so that they are able to put their things away and be ready to start the day when the bell rings at 9:15.
• Students go out for recess when the temperature with wind chill is 20 degrees or more.  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.
• To get text alerts from FRES or HCPSS, you must opt in to receive those alerts. Text "YES" to 67587 from the cell number that is on file in HCPSS/Connect.
• If your child's dismissal changes, due to a change in transportation, an after school class, etc., please email the teacher, and copy Dr. Varlack, Ms. Pazornik, Ms. Traini, Mrs. Jackson, and Mrs. Farrell.  All the emails can be found in the "Our Staff" section of our website.  We want to make sure the message is received!
• If you recieved a Federal Impact Aid form, please return it ASAP.  Thanks!

FRES’s 1st Annual Culture Fest
What an amazing event!!  The PTA's Culture Fest Committee (a collaboration between the PTA and FRES administrators and teachers) worked for months to plan this fantastic event last Friday evening.  We had 28 different countries being represented by over 40 families sharing their cultures through food, music, and activities with our FRES community filling up the cafeteria! 

Our very own media teacher Mrs. Edmondson emceed!  Students were given passports and collected “stamps” as they learned about different countries and cultures for an opportunity to earn a homework pass.  There were fun crafts, including making Dia de los Muertos masks, and activities, such as henna decorations!

We were fortunate to have special guests, Area Superintendent Marcy Leonard, Board of Education Member Jen Mallo, Board of Education Member Sabina Taj, and District 3 Councilwoman Christiana Rigby’s District Aide Felix Facchine, making time to meet our wonderful FRES community!  We’ve made quite an impression on them all!

Thank you to all the families who contributed and donated, FRES staff and administrators for constant help, and all the volunteers for their time!  Special thanks to Meara Hartzer who worked especially hard to help pull off the evening.  Looking forward to next year’s Culture Fest!

With gratitude,
Khaleda Hasan

Change Matters
The week of Tuesday Feb-19 through Tuesday February 26th, our school is proudly participating in a student philanthropy fundraising campaign called – Change Matters – to benefit Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center – Howard County’s only 24-hour homeless shelter and crisis center.
Did you know that Howard County is one of the richest counties in the United States?
But even in Howard County, many adults and children are homeless.

• How do some people become homeless?
• People may lose their job.
• Some get sick and can’t work.
• People have problems and need help to get better.
• They can't pay their bills and end up without a place to live.

You can help the homeless by contributing your small change to Change Matters. Your change will be used to improve the lives of homeless children and families at Grassroots. If you can donate, please bring in your change the last week of February and become a Change Matters Superhero! Remember that you are never too young to show kindness and make a difference in the lives of people who need help in our community!

How Girls Code:  Rocking Robots
Students gain hands-on experience building and programming various models of robots. Students will explore how robots are used in the real world, and what classifies models as robots. Using coding Apps, they will build Lego WeDo models and will write programs to animate them. Dash robots and Ozobots are some of the other models we will be using in this engaging session. Visit www.HowGirlsCode.com for more information and registration.

School:   Forest Ridge Elementary School

Grades: 2nd-4th

Dates and Times:  Mondays 3:45-5:15 pm, March 4-May 6, 2019 (8 Sessions) 
Instructor(s): Mrs. Kim Carey and Ms. Clair Wise
INCLEMENT WEATHER:  If after school activities are cancelled for HCPSS, HowGirlsCode classes will be cancelled as well. Scholarships available!

Science Fair News
Just a reminder that the Forest Ridge Science Fair is scheduled for February 21 from 6:30-7:45. Any student not in the Science Fair seminar who would still like to participate can request a science fair packet from Mrs. Hogan or Mrs. Clawson. This project will be completed at home and will need to be turned in on February 20. Please contact us at kimberly_clawson@hcpss.org or susan_hogan@hcpss.org if you are interested. 

Watch DOGS
Our Watch DOGS dad this week was Mr. Richardson.  Thank you so much!

If you are interested in supporting this awesome program by signing up for a day, or even part of a day, we are looking for YOU!! Simply copy the links included and paste them into your browser.   Keep in mind, you will also need to complete the Howard County child abuse and confidentiality training online, complete the certificate for each, and turn it in. Those links are also provided below.  Finally, to help make the Watch DOGS stand out while you are here, we encourage you to purchase a Watch DOGS t-shirt.  When you arrive at the school, you will be able to purchase one for $12 sizes S-XL, $14 for 2XL and $16 for 3XL  If we are out of that size we will order and and it will be sent home with your child as soon as it comes in.   You are also welcome to send in your money ahead of time and we will send your shirt home with your child right away.  Send your payment in an envelope with your name, child's name, teacher, and your shirt size.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact Craig Dorsey at dorseypremier@gmail.com or Jen Renkevens at trenkev@juno.com.

For Child Abuse- https://www.hcpss.org/f/employees/childabuse_ppt.pdf

CAMP IMPROV- Summer comedy camp for kids and teens!

Session 1: July 8-12, Session 2: July 15-19

Director: Kathryn Carlsen, Centennial HS Theatre

Website: campimprov.org

This camp is all about the joy of jumping in and finding the funny. Listening, saying “yes, and,” collaboration and flexibility are key. Though there is a focus on the basics, students with prior improv experience will find an opportunity to strengthen their basic comedy muscles.

Grades 2-5 : 9am-12pm

Students will work on creativity and  teamwork through improv, storytelling, and clowning exercises. Students will perform a show at the end of the week featuring the skills that they learned.

Grades 6-8: 9am-12pm

Students will work on teamwork, trust, support and artistic collaboration through improv exercises and short form games, like the ones played on Whose Line Is It Anyways? Students will perform a show at the end of the week featuring the games that they learned. (Level 1 and 2 available. If you have been at one year of Camp Improv, you can be in level 2).

High School Students: 1pm-4pm

Students will work on both short form games and long form improvisation. We will focus on character creation, creating patterns, timing, and heightening. Students will perform a show at the end of the week featuring both short form games and a long format.  (Level 1 and 2 available. If you have been at one year of Camp Improv, you can be in level 2)
 

Location: Camp Improv takes place at Centennial High School on the stage and in theatre room.

Cost: $195 includes a Camp Improv shirt

Performance: Students will perform on the Friday of the camp week at 7pm. All tickets to the show are complimentary!

Registration Due: June 1st. Returned check fee is $25.

Questions? Email Kathryn Carlsen at kcarlsen@hcpss.org

Camp Improv is supported by the Centennial High School Boosters.
Visit campimprov.org for information and registration.

From Howard County Recreation and Parks:
For Complete information on Before & After School classes, including how to Register, please go to  www.howardcountymd.gov/afterschool

For Parents of Incoming Kindergarteners (2019-2020 School Year)
Click here to learn how to get ready for kindergarten, including enrollment procedures.