Forest School News (3.29.26)

Over the next two weeks, Forest students in grades 3-5 will take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) test. Forest students will test on the dates listed below. Students who miss any of the tests will have an opportunity to do make-up testing next week.

Testing Dates:

• Wednesday, April 1 - English Language Arts
• Thursday, April 2 - English Language Arts
• Monday, April 6 - Mathematics
• Tuesday, April 7 - Mathematics
• Wednesday, April 8 - Mathematics

How can your child be prepared for testing?

• Make sure that your child attends school and is on time on the days of testing
• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before testing
• Have your child eat breakfast on the mornings of testing
• Remind your child to ask the teacher questions if they do not understand the test directions
• Let your child know that you have confidence in their ability to do their best
• Advise your child not to worry about the test, but to simply do the best they can

We appreciate your support in ensuring that students are prepared for testing and will arrive on time so they are in their classrooms at 9:00 AM. We know that our Forest Falcons will make us proud and show us everything they have learned so far this year!

Online registration is now open! Thank you to everyone who has already registered. If you have not yet registered, please consider joining us at an upcoming Family Registration Event on Tuesday, April 6 from 5:30-7:30 PM at Algonquin Middle School.

Information about District 62’s online registration process can be found on the Enrollment page, including:

• Annual Online Registration (returning students)
• New Student Enrollment (new to D62 students)
• Kindergarten Registration (kindergarten students)

Please note: District 62 will begin collecting next year's fees during registration. Our fees remain unchanged, however the cost to ride the bus for 2026-2027 is $430 per student each school year. For example, a family with two students riding the bus would pay $860 per year to transport both children.

The City of Des Plaines is organizing an Earth Month Clean Up event on Saturday, April 11 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Axehead Lake. Consider volunteering to help out the community and earth!

• Registration is encouraged, but walk-ups are welcome.
• Gloves, grabbers, safety vests, and trash bags will be provided for volunteers.
• Participation in the clean up is FREE.
• Visit the Des Plaines Sustainability website for more information.

Join the GENCenter and its sponsors on Sunday, April 12 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM for an afternoon of movies (a special double feature of Bad News Bears and Rocky) at the Des Plaines Theater. This event is FREE for the community. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

Showtimes

• 11:30 AM -- Bad News Bears
• 1:45 PM -- Rocky

Calling all Forest students to participate in the 5th Annual Kiwanis Cup! Students will have the opportunity to compete alongside their classmates to race against challengers from other local schools. Race distance is approximately 1 mile around the beautiful Lake Opeka.

Each runner will receive a t-shirt representing their school color. Let's make a Forest team!! Register by the April 24th deadline to receive a shirt. Click here to register now!

Our next Dine and Share is at Chipotle in Des Plaines on Sunday, April 12th from 4:00-8:00 PM. Stop by or place an online order (add the code on the flyer!!) and 25% of your purchase gets donated back to the Forest PTC.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 14th. All caregivers of Forest students are welcome to attend the meeting. Hope to see you there!

Save the date! This year Multicultural Night is on Thursday, April 16. We’re seeking families to host a table representing their culture. Hosting a table is a wonderful way to share your heritage, traditions, and pride with others! Your display might include:

• Photos, maps, or flags
• Traditional clothing, artifacts, or crafts
• Interactive games or activities
• Pre-packaged snacks or candy reflecting your culture

🙂 To Host a Table: Please fill out this form. Together, let’s make this evening a meaningful and memorable celebration for everyone!

🎲 Games Needed: Additionally, Forest staff would like to host a room featuring games from different cultures during Multicultural Night. They have created a sign-up sheet. If you have any of the games listed, we would love to borrow them for the night! Thank you so much for your support!

If you are interested in purchasing a yearbook for your child, please do so ASAP. The deadline to purchase yearbooks is Friday, April 17.

To purchase, visit buytheyearbook.com and enter our school's information.

Thank you to the students who auditioned for the Talent Show. The Forest community is in for a great show this year!

Talent Show important dates:

• Tuesday, May 12th: Tech Rehearsal
• Thursday, May14th: Talent Show Day

Do the events above sound fun but don't line up with your schedule? Or would you like to learn more about what we can do for our students? Please consider joining the PTC! Membership gives you our meeting minutes and the first opportunity to volunteer at school events! You can join us here: Membership Form. You can also check out the Forest PTC Website.

Spirit Wear featuring the new Falcon logo is now available on our website.

Week of March 30

• 4/1-4/2: IAR Testing begins (Grades 3-5) at 9:00 AM - Students need to be ON TIME to school!
• 4/3: NO SCHOOL - Holiday
• 4/3: Family Egg Hunt from 9:00-11:30 AM at Lake Park - Registration required.
• 4/3: Tween Movie & Pizza (ages 9-12) from 1:00-3:00 PM at the Des Plaines Public Library

Week of April 6

• 4/6-4/8: IAR Testing continues (grades 2-5) at 9:00 AM - Students need to be ON TIME to school!
• 4/7: Dance Club begins from 3:30-4:30 PM
• 4/7: D62 Registration Event from 5:30-7:30 PM at Algonquin Middle School
• 4/11: Earth Month Clean Up from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM at Axehead Lake
• 4/11: Fairy Fest from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM at Arndt Park
• 4/12: GENCenter Movie Fest from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at the Des Plaines Theater (FREE)

Week of April 13

• 4/13-4/17: Educating Outside the Lines at Forest (Grades K-5) during the school day
• 4/14: PTC Meeting at 7:00 PM
• 4/16: Multicultural Night from 6:00-8:00 PM at Forest
• 4/17: Yearbook Orders DUE!

• District 62 Community Partnerships & Resources - A full list of D62 community partnerships.
• Virtual Bulletin Board - View community flyers on the D62 website. Updated regularly.
• MaineStay Youth & Family Services - Click on the MaineStay tab for Youth Programs.
• MaineStay Spring Program Guide - Click to view various flyers for winter programs!
• Self-Help Closet & Pantry of Des Plaines - Learn more about available community resources.
• Community Backpack Project - Weekly backpack program - Contact Forest if interested.
• Des Plaines Public Library - A calendar of events at your local public library.

District 62, Forest, and the Des Plaines community have so many wonderful resources available for families. If you are experiencing financial hardship, food insecurity, looking for community resources, or exploring opportunities for parent learning, we are here for you!

To help the Forest SEL Team better understand what resources to connect you with, please fill out the Forest Family Resources form for us to follow up with you about any resources needed. Responses are kept confidential and will only be seen by the SEL team unless you specify otherwise.

Website: Forest Elementary School

Address: 1375 South 5th Avenue Des Plaines, IL. 60018

Phone: (847) 824-1380

Social Media: Facebook & Instagram

Principal: Ms. Amber Soike

Assistant Principal: Ms. Traci Reiner