Forest Ridge Forerunner

Trish Lannon | Principal

Heather Tracy | Assistant Principal

Website: https://fres.hcpss.org/

Address: 9550 Gorman Rd. Laurel, MD 20723

Phone: 410-880-5950

*For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" at the top of the screen and select the language of choice at the top of this page.

*Para otro idioma, haga clic en "Traducir boletín" en la parte superior de la pantalla y seleccione el idioma de su elección en la parte superior de esta página.

• September 7: Schools/Offices Closed
• September 9: Back to School Night Grades K - 2 @ 6:15pm
• September 10: Back to School Night for Advanced Academic Programs @ 5:30pm
• September 10: Back to School Night Grades 3 - 5 @6:15pm
• September 17: PTA General Membership Mtg 6:15 - 8pm
• September 21: Schools/Offices Closed
• September 23: PTA Sweet Frog Fundraiser (Laurel Location)
• September 24: PTA Fall Drama Club Starts
• September 30: Schools Close 3-Hours Early
• October 9: PTA Movie Night 6 - 9pm
• October 16: Schools Closed for Students
• October 24: PTA Fall Fest 2 - 5pm
• October 26: Vision and Hearing Screening

*HCPSS calendars can be found HERE. They can be downloaded, subscribed to and/or printed out.

*Related Arts Color Calendar can be found HERE.

*FRES School Supply List can be found HERE.

Dear FRES Families,

What a wonderful first week of school! It has been so great to have our students back in the building and to see our classrooms and hallways filled with learning, laughter, and lots of smiling faces. We are incredibly grateful to our staff for all they have done to help our students feel welcomed, supported, and ready for a successful year.

This week, we had the opportunity to visit with nearly every grade level to introduce ourselves and review some important school-wide expectations. We loved getting to spend time with our students, hear from them, and talk together about how we can all help make FRES a safe, respectful, and welcoming place to learn. We weren't able to get to our fourth graders this week, but they are first on our list Monday!

Throughout the first two to three weeks of school, teachers will continue explicitly teaching and reviewing expectations with students. This includes lessons and conversations around the Student Code of Conduct, Zones of Regulation, PBIS, and classroom and school-wide expectations. Taking the time to teach, model, practice, and reinforce these expectations at the beginning of the year helps set everyone up for success.

We also want to ask for everyone's continued cooperation with our arrival and dismissal procedures. These procedures are in place for one very important reason—the safety of our students, families, and staff. Parents and guardians may not park in the bus loop or in the school parking lot during arrival or dismissal, and no one should walk through the parking lot. With buses and cars moving through these areas, it is simply not safe. Families arriving by car should remain in the car loop and follow the directions of staff members assisting with arrival and dismissal. We appreciate everyone's patience and cooperation as we work together to keep our students safe.

Thank you for helping us start the year on such a positive note. We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to another great week at FRES!

Warmly,

Trish Lannon, Principal
Heather Tracy, Assistant Principal

In addition to School Messenger. Forest Ridge ES will be using TalkingPoints to help families and staff stay connected throughout the school year. You’ll begin receiving messages from our school and your child’s teachers in the coming weeks. Simply save the numbers in your contacts so you can easily recognize messages and respond whenever you have something to share.

With TalkingPoints, families can:

• Receive important school updates directly on their phones.

• Message teachers and staff with questions, ideas, or concerns.

• Receive messages in their preferred language based on HCPSS Synergy information.

• Download the TalkingPoints app for additional features.

It is VERY important to follow the arrival/dismissal directions so that we can keep things moving and keep staff and students safe. You can view the arrival/dismissal maps by going HERE.

Below are some important directions to follow for our car loop.

• Do not block the entrance to the school. When you do this, the buses cannot turn in and traffic gets blocked on Gorman Road.

• When you enter the school you MUST go to the right. Do NOT drive to the left and try to park in the parking lot or anywhere near the bus loop. That direction is for buses only.

• Staff will be outside to monitor and assist with the car loop at 8:30am.

• Please pull all the way forward. Once your car stops, have your children get out of the car immediately. They should not wait for a staff member to let them out unless they are in RECC.

• Students in grades RECC - 3 will enter through the main entrance under the awning. Those students in grades 4 and 5 will enter through the classroom door following the sidewalk by the bike racks.

• Adults please stay in your vehicle at all times. Exiting the car can create unsafe conditions for everyone and slow down drop off/pick up.

• Please have your child exit and enter your vehicle from the passenger side. This is the safest way to ensure they will never cross between cars.

• Please stay in line and do not pass other cars unless directed to by one of the staff on duty. Patience is appreciated.

• No one should be parking in the parking lot and walking through the lot to take their child to the door. This is extremely dangerous, slows down arrival/dismissal, and is not following our directions..

Afternoon Parent Pick-up Reminders

• No one should be lining up with their cars until 2:45pm. Early parents will continue to form the line. Please pull forward until you reach the top of the car loop.

• A staff member will begin greeting vehicles around 3:10pm to identify the student who is being picked up. Please follow the directions of the staff on duty.

• Drivers please display a sign with your child’s name and grade level on it. If you want one that we created, GO HERE. Be sure the name/names are written large and in thick marker so it can be seen. Place it on the passenger side dashboard.

• We start our dismissal at 3:10pm and it ends promptly at 3:30pm. Please ensure students are picked up ON TIME. Staff leave at 3:30pm for the day.

Each year, families update/complete their child's Family File with all emergency information. We are currently at 71% completion. As of today, we have 244 students who do not have an updated Family File.

Please complete this info ASAP. We will be using TalkingPoints this year to assist with communication and we need your updated information. It also notifies how to communicate in case their is an emergency.

This is required EACH year. We appreciate your assistance!

https://www.hcpss.org/connect/

Quick Reference Guide

Many HCPSS families are eligible to participate in the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) program, which provides children with a wide range of benefits including free or discounted college tuition, testing and application fees, academic and athletic program fees and many others in addition to free or discounted meals.

Families are urged to check their eligibility and complete a FARMs application as soon as possible. Families must submit a new application every school year.

Details on the Free and Reduced Meals program are available online. Use this link to apply:

REMEMBER - You have to apply EVERY year. If you were approved last year, it will expire mid-October if you don't reapply.

Did You Know?

Participation in the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program qualifies students for the following opportunities:

• Access to HCPSS Pre-K program.

• Free registration fees for SAT and SAT I subject tests

• Free registration for ACT tests

• Reduced AP exam registration fees.

• Up to four free college applications

• Reduced tuition for HCPSS Summer Programs (High School, G/T Summer Institute, CTE, Summer Institute)

• Reduced tuition for HCPSS Innovative Pathways Program which offers an evening and summer program

• Reduced tuition for HCPSS Digital Education Program which promotes anywhere, anytime learning

• Free or reduced JumpStart tuition offered through our dual enrollment partnership with Howard Community College

• Free access to participate in the Outdoor Education Program for 6th graders. Contact the sixth-grade team leader at your child’s school for more information.

• Free registration for the NCAA Clearinghouse for DI or DII athletics

• Discounted internet through Comcast Internet Essentials program

Students may be eligible for these additional opportunities:

• Reduced health insurance coverage through Maryland Children’s Health Programs

• Reduced Columbia Association (CA) membership fees and access to the CA Youth and Teen Center

• Tuition-based scholarship at Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts

• Reduced Howard County Rec and Park Program fees (applies to before- and after-care; after-school clubs; sports leagues)

• Reduced YMCA fees (applies to before- and-after- school enrichment; preschool; summer camp)

• Free Head Start classes or Pre-K through the Community Action Council (CAC) of Howard County

• Access to Child Care Subsidy program through the Maryland State Department of Education

• Access to Bridges to Housing Stability

• Access to CAC Housing Assistance and CAC Energy Assistance

• Disability resources, food supplement applications, and medical assistance applications through the Maryland Department of Human Resources

Please contact the front office if you have any questions or need assistance with applying for the Free and Reduced Meal Program.

Brand new this year for our school - all students, regardless of income, can get a free breakfast.

Any student needing breakfast should go straight to the cafeteria as soon as they arrive to school. They will get breakfast and take it to their classroom to eat. Breakfast ends at 8:45am

If your child is a bus rider, it is important that they ride the bus to which they are assigned. You can view your child's bus assignment in HCPSS Connect.

Some neighborhoods may have multiple buses providing service. Bus assignments are made by the Office of Student Transportation to ensure that every student has a seat and to prevent overcrowding, which helps keep students safe.

Accurate bus rosters are also important in the event of an emergency. These rosters allow us to quickly identify which students are on each bus and communicate with the appropriate families.

Riding a Different Bus

Students who are not eligible for bus transportation may not ride a school bus. Students also may not ride a different bus to accommodate a playdate or other after-school activity.

There are some exceptions for child care purposes. Please review the following forms for more information:

• Application for Alternate Bus Service

• Application for Space Available School Bus Service

Thank you to all of our FRES families for your patience during the first week of school with bus transportation. As part of their continuous improvement efforts, the Office of Student Transportation is making adjustments to some of our bus routes to support on-time arrival, improve route efficiency, balance overcrowding, and accommodate students who enrolled after the summer routing deadline. These changes will not begin until WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2nd.

At FRES, there will be changes that impact the following buses:

• 233070

• 233195

• 233265

If your child rides one of these buses, please check your Family File in HCPSS Connect for the most up-to-date transportation information, including bus numbers, pick-up and drop-off times, and stop locations.

Again, any changes you see in HPCSS Connect will not go into effect until WEDNESDAY, SEPT 2nd.

Notes:

• Bus 233201 will be replaced by Bus 233208 permanently

• Bus 233188 will be replaced by Bus 233248 permanently

Any bus issues or questions? Please reach out to Ms. Tracy at Heather_Tracy@hcpss.org

We have 11 buses providing transportation for FRES students this school year. Each bus will display a six-digit number. To make communication about buses easier for students and families, FRES will refer to buses using the last four digits of the bus number.

233070 = BUS 3070

233174 = BUS 3174

233182 = BUS 3182

233188 = BUS 3248

233195 = BUS 3195

233201 = BUS 3208

233206 = BUS 3206

233265 = BUS 3265

234276 = BUS 4276

234291 = BUS 4291

234292 = BUS 4292

Track Your Child's Bus with the Zum App

All of our buses are Zum buses, which means families can use the Zum app to track their child's bus in real time.

Important: When using the Zum app, you will need to enter the full six-digit Zum bus number, not the four-digit FRES bus number listed above.

To start using the Zum app, please follow these instructions:

1. Download the app- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zum-student-transportation/id1076430968

2. Log in to your account with the phone number or email address you have listed on your child’s record in Family File in HCPSS Connect.

3. Verify your access by entering the one-time code sent to your device.

4. Check the notification settings to ensure you’re receiving Zum notifications, if desired, so you’ll know when the bus is approaching and when your child has arrived at school.

Student Bus Identification Cards

Students who rode the bus last year should have received a student bus identification card. Over the next few weeks, we will work with the Office of Student Transportation to ensure that our Preschool/PreK and Kindergarten bus riders, as well as other students who are new to FRES and assigned to a bus, receive their identification cards. We will communicate with families when the cards are distributed.

If your child received a bus ID card last year but misplaced it over the summer, please use this form to request a replacement card. A new card will be provided to your child as soon as it is received by the school.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and ensuring that our bus rosters remain accurate!

For those families new to FRES, here is some additional information about this process that was shared with families when the ID cards were provided:

Students who are eligible for bus service will receive an RFID (radio-frequency identification) card. If your child is eligible, but does not utilize HCPSS bus transportation, they can either keep their card in case they need to utilize the bus transportation or return it to the school’s front office.

Student bus cards use the same contactless RFID technology found in metro transit passes, corporate access cards, and other commonly used ID cards. Tapping the bus card records only the student boarding or disembarking the vehicle. The Zum RFID bus cards are not GPS-enabled and cannot track or follow a student’s movements outside of getting on or off their bus.

No eligible student will be denied bus service if they lose or forget their card.

Parents/guardians will have access to their student’s ridership information via the Zum app, which many families already use for bus pickup/drop off information. The Zum app is available for free download on the Apple Store and Google Play. Additional details on downloading and using the Zum app are available online.

While the use of an identification card for student bus riders is not required, it does assist us in providing safe and efficient bus transportation. With student safety at the forefront of everything we do, the use of the student bus card will:

• Ensure students on the bus are quickly identified in an emergency situation

• Allow parents to track when students enter and exit a school bus

• Assist if a student is reported lost

• Identify if an unauthorized rider tries to board a school bus

Student bus cards help HCPSS improve bus service efficiency by providing accurate ridership data, enabling better route and capacity planning.

In alignment with the State’s Comprehensive PreK-3 Literacy Policy, HCPSS students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 who demonstrate difficulties in reading will receive a Student Reading Improvement Plan (SRIP). This is a personalized plan that includes assessment information, reading goals, targeted instruction, and progress monitoring to support a student’s continued literacy growth.

If an SRIP is implemented for a student, school staff will provide details to parents/guardians. More information about this new initiative/intervention will be shared at Back to School Night.

In accordance with Maryland’s Ready to Read Act (2019), COMAR (2026) and the direction from the Howard County Board of Education, all Howard County Public School System students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade will participate in the 26/27 administration of the Amplify mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition universal screener to identify potential reading difficulties during predetermined windows. See the links below for more information and dates.

Parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any HCPSS school. Limiting access during the school day ensures safe and secure school communities by removing unnecessary access to students and school buildings, reducing disruptions, supporting student routines, and minimizing non-essential traffic in student areas. Parents are encouraged to communicate with school staff to stay engaged in their child's learning and seek opportunities to volunteer in an official capacity at the school.

Parents continue to not be permitted to visit during any recess blocks.

Although the policy for having lunch with your child has been changed, we are still permitted to use parent volunteers for specific needs.

We are in need of parent volunteers to help out during Kindergarten and First Grade lunch shifts. These students will need help carrying trays, opening milk/drinks, etc. If you are interested in volunteering for this over the next 3 weeks, please GO HERE and sign up. Thanks in advance.

Our amazing teachers are working hard to make sure they have everything they need to make this a great year for all of their students!

If you are interested in helping them out, you can go HERE to check out their Amazon Wish List to see what they need. Any help is always appreciated. Feel free to share the list with others who may be able to help them out!

The Student Code of Conduct is updated for the 2026-2027 school year and can be found online. Students will be getting lessons fromt heir homeroom teachers about the rules over the next week or two. We highly recommend that parents read through it.

Please remember that staff work hard to set up consistent procedures and rules to assist student in a positive school experience. In the event that a student makes a mistake that has to be addressed, we ask that families help support the work we do to support your children. We want to work together to help every child make the right choice.

HCPSS is seeking community members to serve on curriculum advisory committees, which provide a forum to share ideas and support continuous academic excellence. Interested stakeholders should submit an online interest form by September 11. Please click here for more information and to submit your application.

🎉 We’re 135 Members Strong!🎉

Our goal is 200 members by the end of 2026, and we’d love your help getting there.

Visit our new website to learn more about the PTA, join us, or sign up to volunteer. Every member and every helping hand makes a difference! 💙💛

Visit our Website - Join the PTA

Curious about volunteering? Fill out our general interest form, or select a specific event to volunteer at (these will be updated throughout the year)

Also follow us on Facebook HERE.

What is a PTACHC Representative? Often called a Council Delegate, this person is a volunteer who acts as a direct link between a local school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the Parent Teacher Association Council of Howard County (PTACHC) in Maryland.

The FRES PTA is in need of two representatives for the 2026-2027 school year. Representatives must be paid members of the FRES PTA and be able to attend the monthly PTACHC meetings held on the 1st Tuesday of each month from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm at the Homewood Center Cafeteria located at 10914 Clarksville Pike. If you would be interested in serving in this position please contact president@frespta.org.

The 4th Wednesday of the month we partner with Sweet Frog in Laurel and a portion of the proceeds support the PTA.

Fall Drama Club - In partnership with the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts the FRES Drama Club presents LION KING Jr. this Fall. Have a kid that would love to get on stage and perform? Sign them up for the Fall Drama Club! Rehearsals begin after school on Sept 24th, so don’t delay in signing them up here.

The PTA’s Annual Fall Festival will take place in October and we are seeking volunteers to join the planning committee. If interested you can fill out the volunteer form linked above or email president@frespta.org.

In alignment with Howard County Board of Education, the following announcements have been approved by the Public Information Office for distribution. To view upcoming events click: https://community-programs.hcpss.org/

Howard County Recreation & Parks is offering a number of Before & After School classes for FRES students. These classes take place at Forest Ridge before or after school. See the FLYER or go to FRES Registration Page for more information about the classes offered this fall.

Check out this FLYER for information about other after school activities offered at FRES.

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 6:30-8:30pm
Patuxent Valley Middle School

Join us as we kick off a new school year of connecting families, sharing information, and learning together. This month’s meeting will include information on:

• HCPSS Special Education Department Strategic Plan Update
• The Individualized Education Program (IEP)

We are looking forward to reconnecting with familiar faces, welcoming new families, and starting another great year together. Visit registration page. Sponsored by SECAC, the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee.

The information above may be of interest to families of HCPSS students with an IEP. For a full list of events, please view our special education parent and guardian calendar at hcpss.org/special-education/calendar/

Howard County has a network of food pantries that provide essential supplies to those in need. Locate the nearest pantry by clicking the button below.