the Forest Hills Flyer

A Note from the Principal

Forest Hills Families,

With the month of October, we have several fun and exciting events planned for students! Beginning October 1st, parents/guardians may begin eating lunch with their student. Please sign in at our office before making your way to the cafeteria. You will have the option of eating with your child in the cafeteria or at the picnic tables.

Thank you for your continuing to have your child to school on time! Please be sure to arrive to campus before 7:35. Any student arriving after 7:35 will be counted as tardy.

With cooler days ahead, please be sure to label all of your child's hoodies, jackets, pullovers, & coats. Our lost & found is already full! Any unclaimed items are donated monthly.

With the end of the nine weeks upon us in October, students will take benchmark assessments. Benchmark assessments are given at the end of each nine week grading period to help teachers evaluate mastery of standards that were taught during that nine week grading period. Benchmark assessments are used to drive instructional decisions and do NOT count towards your child's grade.

If I can ever be of assistance to you, please call, email, or stop by! GO FALCONS! 💙

Sincerely,

Mrs. Fowler, Principal

#WeAreFalcons

Use the link below to add money to your child's lunch account. While breakfast and lunch are free for all students, this money can be used to buy extra food at lunch or ice cream. The cafeteria will begin serving ice cream on September 29. Your child will have the opportunity to purchase ice cream for $1.00 one day each week.

Add money to your child's lunch account!

Kindergarten

In the month of October, Kindergarten students are involved in fun, fall themed lessons and centers! In Reading, we are working on syllable identification, first, middle, and ending sounds of words. We are also talking in depth on cause and effect. In Math, we are comparing and sorting objects. Students will be learning "Math Words" such as: greater than, less than, and equal to. Our themes for October include: Fall, Bats, Spiders, Pumpkins, and Halloween. We are excited about ending our study of Pumpkins at Isbell's Pumpkin farm on October 24th!

1st Grade

First grade has been busy and full of learning! We've been talking all about friendship, and students loved bringing in pictures of their friends to share on our concept/question board. In reading, we are practicing new sound spellings and working hard to grow into fluent readers. In math, we've been solving for unknown numbers in word problems and stretching our math brains each week with counting collections. We are looking forward to a wonderful month of October filled with even more learning and fun!

2nd Grade

Second graders are growing their wings every day. We have just begun a new unit in our reading series called "Earth in Action". We are excited to learn about Earth and the ways our planet changes over time. In math, we are adding and subtracting two digit numbers using many different strategies. Thank you for your continued support. We are so proud of this hardworking bunch!

3rd Grade

We are ready to FALL into learning in 3rd grade! This month we will be learning about Extreme Weather in our Reading unit. Students will do an informational writing piece at the end of the unit on their chosen type of extreme weather. In Math, students are continuing to master their multiplication facts and we will be working on relating multiplication and division this month. Please begin working with your child at home to begin memorizing their multiplication facts. We can’t wait to see the creative book character pumpkins that our students bring in on October 27th. Look for more information to be sent home by your child’s teacher about this optional project. On October 30th we will take our field trip to the Cook Museum in Decatur. We look forward to a fun day of learning!!

4th Grade

The 4th Grade Montgomery Field Trip is scheduled for March 11, 2026. Students are selling Krispy Kreme BOGO cards until October 8th to help raise money for their trip. See a 4th grader to purchase your BOGO card. In Math, students are learning about patterns in multiplication and division. Soon they will be tackling difficult multiplication by learning how to multiply 1-digit numbers by 2, 3, and 4-digit numbers. Knowledge of basic facts is so important to the success of deeper math problem-solving. Practicing multiplication facts at home up to the 12s will be beneficial for your child. 4th Graders have been learning about famous scientists and inventors in their reading stories. They are enjoying these stories about people making a positive difference in their community or country. This month, they will read stories about the Wright Brothers and Space explorers. We are so proud of our students and the conversations they are having on this topic.

5th Grade

In 5th grade Math, we are learning all about decimals. We have learned how to read and write decimal numbers, round decimals, and compare decimals. We will be moving in to adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals next! In Reading/ELA, we are wrapping up Unit 1 and preparing for our Unit 1 Grammar, Fluency, and Writing Assessments. Our students have worked so hard, and we are so proud of their progress! After Fall Break, we will begin working in Unit 2, where we will learn about cycles in nature. We will also work on our informational writing. Fifth grade is a big year for Reading, Writing, and English Language Arts, and we are looking forward to the great things our students will do in the coming months. In Science, we will be working on Unit 2: Ecosystems starting with Plant Survival, then Interactions of Living Things and Roles of Decomposers.

6th Grade

Here’s a quick look at what our 6th graders have been up to this past month:

Math: Students explored surface area using nets of 3D shapes, building their spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills.

ELA: We focused on the elements of plot and the impact of figurative language. Students also wrapped up their first narrative writing piece—great creativity on display!

Science: Our study of Earth’s materials included learning about rock types and the rock cycle. A class favorite was the Crayon Rock Cycle Lab, modeling real-world geological processes.

Social Studies: We finished our unit on Poverty and Progressivism and began exploring World War I, diving into its causes and global impact.

Thank you for your continued support—we’re excited for what’s ahead in October!

Have you heard about Wait Until 8th?

As a school community, we all want what’s best for our children—socially, emotionally, and academically. With the rapid rise of smartphones in childhood, many families are asking tough questions about how early is too early, and how we can collectively protect childhood in a digital age.

That’s why I want to share a resource called the Wait Until 8th pledge.

What Is the Wait Until 8th Pledge?

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to delay giving their children a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade. It helps parents do this together—reducing the pressure and isolation many feel when trying to go against the norm alone. Over 115,000 families across the country have already joined this growing movement.

You can learn more or take the pledge here: www.waituntil8th.org

Why This Matters

We now know far more about the effects of early smartphone use than we did a decade ago. Research shows that excessive smartphone use is linked to:

Increased anxiety, depression, and loneliness
Exposure to cyberbullying, explicit content, and online predators
Reduced academic performance, focus, and sleep quality
Signs of addiction, including phone dependency and emotional dysregulation

Many parents feel uneasy about giving their child a smartphone so early—but they also feel like they don’t have a choice, because “everyone else is.” The Wait Until 8th pledge offers a way to hold off—together—and help create a healthier norm.

Key Points About the Pledge

The pledge is for smartphones only. Families can stay connected using basic phones or limited-function smartwatches—without the risks and distractions of a smartphone.
It’s easier to wait when you’re not alone. Many parents give in early because they think “everyone else has one.” Wait Until 8th helps shift that norm by building community.
The pledge becomes active when 10+ families in the same grade sign on. At that point, parents receive a list of others waiting too from their child’s grade, with updates shared as more join.

Learn more

We’re sharing this with our community as an opportunity for reflection and dialogue—not to dictate how families should parent, but to offer a powerful tool that many may find helpful. If you’re interested in learning more, visiting www.waituntil8th.org is a great first step.

Thank you for all you do to support your child’s growth and well-being. We’re grateful to partner with you in creating a school culture that helps students thrive—in and out of the classroom.

Update for Walkers!

Beginning Wednesday, September 10th, we will have a staff member on duty as a crossing guard from 7:00-7:30 am at the intersection by the school parking lot entrance and Forest Hills Baptist Church. The crossing guard will hold traffic so that students can safely walk onto campus. We will also have a crossing guard help students across the intersection shortly after dismissal each afternoon (estimated time between 2:35 & 2:40). Parents are encouraged to meet their walkers at the Forest Hills Baptist Church parking lot. Please know that if you choose to let your child walk home after being released to the church parking lot, dismissal traffic will still be flowing, so parents should advise their students to use caution if walking home. We will also have a staff member continue to release other walkers to the track area, but this will now be occuring between 2:35 & 2:40. Please remember that parents MUST sign the waiver below before a child is permitted to be a walker.

Permission & Waiver to Walk Home

If you live within 2 miles of the school and would like for your student to walk home in the afternoon, please contact your child's teacher and request a waiver be sent home. Students will not be allowed to walk home without a signed waiver on file in our office.