the Forest Hills Flyer

Forest Hills Families,

I can't believe we are down to the final 8 weeks of school! The year is flying by! I want to recognize our Robotics Team, the Robo Falcons, and their sponsors, Ms. Flowers & Mrs. Caraway. The Robo Falcons will be travelling to St. Louis, Missouri at the end of the month for the Robotics World Championship! This is a first for Forest Hills, and I am SO proud! Which leads me to my next point....with all the awards our robotics teams have gained this year, we are in need of a trophy case! All students in grades K-6 will participate in a "Fun Run" on April 28th. Leading up to the Fun Run, students will have the opportunity to fundraise. The funds raised will go towards a nice new trophy case and gaga ball pit! Please help support your student by pleding funds and attending our Fun Run!

We have ACAP testing beginning next week, so please be sure students arrive to school on time and well-rested. Digital devices are not allowed and are a major violation of testing security. To celebrate the culmination of testing, we will have our Faculty v. 6th Grade Basketball Game on April 30th. We also have our Multiplication Bee on April 27th, so if your child is in grades 3rd-6th, please help them study their multiplication facts. Being automatic and fluent with his/her multiplication facts will take your child far in life!

Finally, as May is quickly approaching us, you will want to scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to find all important dates for May (Relay Days, Awards Days, etc).

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

Sincerely,

Mrs. Fowler, Principal

#WeAreFalcons

ALL STUDENTS must be re-enrolled for the 26-27 school year. A snapcode will be sent to the email we have on file on Friday, March 6 at 5:00pm. Please use the link in the email to re-enroll your student.

Should you have questions or need help with the registration process, PLEASE call the front office at 256-768-2500. Mrs. Charly and Mrs. Emily are HAPPY TO HELP you enroll!

All students are encouraged to participate in our FREE breakfast program in our cafeteria each morning from 7:00-7:30 am. You can find the menu above. Other breakfast items from home should not be brought into the school.

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. Your child will have the opportunity to purchase ice cream for $1.00 one day each week.

Parents are encouraged to make sure their children are on time for school each day. Instruction begins at 7:30 am and students are counted as tardy after 7:35 am. Please note that Class I tardy offenses are cumulative for one semester only (meaning all students begin the second semester with zero tardies). Please review the chart below.

Purchase the 25-26 yearbook using the website above or by returning the order form that was sent home with your child!

6th grade parents - please send a baby picture of your child for Awards Day to ktittle@florencek12.org ASAP!

It's time for our 2nd Annual Lucky Duck Dive, and we are excited to kick things off!

The Lucky Duck Dive drawing will be held May 2nd at the Wilson Park Fountain at 12PM.

This year is bigger and better - six lucky ducks will be drawn, with one taking home the $5,000 grand prize and five additional prize winners!

Prizes include:

1. Apple AirPods

2. YETI Tundra Cooler

3. 4 YETI Ramblers +Red Light Therapy Package

4. Solo Stove Bonfire

5. Gift Basket fille with local restaurant Gift Cards

6. $,5,000 Grand Prize

Ducks are just $10 each, and you can adopt as many as you'd like! I have provided the direct link to purchase ducks online through our website at the bottom of this message. If you prefer to pay with cash or check, feel free to contact me. Order forms will also be available in your school office to complete and return. The deadline to adopt ducks online will be May 1st. The drawing will be live streamed on our FB page and on our website. You are welcome to come and watch us draw out the ducks, but you do not have to be present to win.

We are excited to kick off the month of April in Kindergarten!

In Reading, we will finish learning all of the letters of the alphabet with the letters: Qq, Vv, and Yy. We are continuing to focus on writing complete sentences. In our Reading series, we are talking about plants and what what they need to grow. In Math, we are focusing on teen numbers. We will show how teen numbers are made up of a group of ten with some ones. We will be using many different types of manipulatives to show teen numbers in different ways. Some of our Unit topics will include: Easter/ Bunnies, Insects, Frogs, Plants, and Trees. Some classes will be able to see how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, and release them into our Outdoor Classroom! We are looking forward to a fun month ahead!

We are excited to welcome the month of April in first grade! It’s shaping up to be a fun and engaging time full of learning and new experiences.

In reading, we are beginning a unit on plant life cycles. Students will explore different kinds of plants and learn about their purposes. As we grow our understanding, we will also focus on discussing our ideas and building comprehension through fun activities like literacy circles.

In math, we are expanding our knowledge by adding tens to two-digit numbers. Students will practice solving problems in a multitude of ways—whether that’s using math tools, drawing models of tens and ones, or working with expanded form.

We are also looking forward to our upcoming field trip to Isbell’s Farm! We can’t wait to enjoy a beautiful day outside filled with hands-on learning and fun with classmates and teachers.

Thank you for your continued support—we’re excited for a wonderful month ahead!

We can’t believe there are only 8 weeks of second grade left! Time has flown by!

We are beginning a new reading unit on storytelling, and students are excited to explore different versions of familiar stories while learning how authors tell stories in unique ways.

In math, we are exploring shapes and learning all about arrays, an important foundation for multiplication skills students will use in third grade.

We look forward to celebrating all the progress students have made as we prepare for the ACAP assessment. Please help your child be successful by ensuring they arrive at school on time and well rested.

ACAP Testing Dates:
• Reading — April 7 & 8
• Math — April 21

We will also be visiting Bear Creek on April 29 & 30. Please return all field trip forms and complete the online waiver as soon as possible. If you need the waiver link, please contact your child’s teacher.

Let’s finish the year STRONG!

Third graders will be showing what they know in April!!!

In Math students will be learning to Classify Quadrilaterals. We will also discuss Area and Perimeter before ACAP testing. Don’t forget to keep practicing those multiplication facts! The Fluency Bee will start in your child’s homeroom the week of April 13th!

We are looking forward to starting Unit 5, Government at Work. Please remember to have your child read their fluency passage three times a week.

Most of the month of April is focused on ACAP review in both reading and math. Some great things you can do at home to prepare you child are, make sure they get a good night’s sleep before each test, make sure they eat a healthy breakfast, and most of all make sure they don’t stress about taking the test. They are all prepared and ready to show what they have learned! Thank you for your support at home.

This month, 4th grade reading students are diving into U.S. History. We will be learning about our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and more. Within these stories, students will practice comparing and contrasting, summarizing, and finding cause and effect of historical events. Students are also ready to tackle the Reading ACAP this month on the 15th and 16th.

In Math, we have been hard at work on the Geometry and Measurement unit. This is the last unit before taking the Math ACAP at the end of the month on the 21st. Students have had daily reviews for the past few months in preparation.

Parents and Guardians, it's time to cheer your child on! They have worked so hard…now it is time to show the state their talents! We got this. HARD WORK PAYS OFF!!

We cannot believe we only have eight weeks left of school! This year has flown by, and we are so proud of how much our students have grown. In ELA, we are currently focused on ACAP Test Prep. This includes a cumulative review of skills taught throughout the year, additional writing practice, and learning test-taking strategies to reduce test anxiety and help with thinking through answer responses. Following the ACAP, we will dive into a new story titled "Why Is the World Green?" in which students will learn about the environment and how plants and animals work together. In math, we are wrapping up our last units on order of operations, coordinate grid, and input/output tables. We are working really hard in small group and WING time to refresh our memories on everything we have learned in preparation for ACAP testing on April 21st. In science, students will be taking their module test second visit this week! Then we are moving in to Earth's Place in Space and Stars and Their Patterns. We are looking forward to the busy and exciting weeks to come!

Although April is testing month, there are many exciting activities and learning opportunities to look forward to in 6th Grade! Students are excited about our upcoming Kickball Tournament and field trip to Main Event, as well as the Student and Faculty Basketball Game. In the classrooms, students will explore exciting new topics.

In Reading, students will be reading and discussing stories that focus on defining moments—important experiences that shape a person’s character, decisions, or perspective. As part of this unit, students will reflect on their own lives and begin preparing a short oral presentation about a meaningful moment or experience that has influenced who they are or how they think. We will guide students through brainstorming, organizing their ideas, and practicing their speaking skills in a supportive classroom environment. This is a great opportunity for students to build confidence while making connections between literature and their own lives.

In science, students spent much of March researching and analyzing Natural Hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe weather). Moving into April, we will explore how humans impact the environment and climate of Earth. We have also been reviewing with sample ACAP questions and are feeling confident that we are going to ROCK that test!

In social studies we have been studying the causes, events, and outcomes of World War II. Moving forward we will learn about the Cold War tensions and highlight major historical events from then to now.

In math, we are focusing on building strong algebra skills! Students have been learning how to write, simplify, and evaluate algebraic expressions, as well as solve equations. These skills help lay the foundation for higher-level problem solving and critical thinking.

It will be great to see their confidence grow as they work through new experiences and challenges.

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.

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.

Please scan the QR code below to learn about all of the support services our counselors offer to students at Forest Hills.

Don't forget ALL Kids is here to help make sure your kids aren’t sidelined this season because they don’t have health insurance!! ALL Kids offers low cost healthcare coverage to eligible children in Alabama that can keep your team covered and in the game. Coverage includes regular checkups, immunizations, doctor and dentist visits, hospital care, mental health services, prescriptions AND MORE--APPLY FOR ALL KIDS TODAY!!

https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/allkids/apply.html

April 2 - PTO Meeting in Gym Lobby 7:45am

April 2 - Robotics Practice 2:30-4:00pm

April 3 - $1 Hat Day

April 7-8 - 2nd & 3rd Grade ACAP Reading

April 7 - 5/6 Music Ensemble Rehearsal 2:30-4:30pm

April 8 - Talent Show Rehearsal 2:30-4:30pm

April 9 - Robotics Practice 2:30-4:00pm

April 9 - 4th-6th Grade Talent Show

April 14 - 5/6 Music Ensemble Rehearsal 2:30-4:30pm

April 15-16 - 4th-6th Grade ACAP Reading

April 16 - Robotics Practice 2:30-4:00pm

April 17 - 4th & 6th Grade ACAP Science

April 17 - 1st Grade Field Trip to Isbell's Farm

April 21 - 2nd-6th Grade ACAP Math

April 21 - 5/6 Music Ensemble Rehearsal 2:30-4:30pm

April 22 - 6th Grade Picnic at Park

April 23 - Progress Reports

April 23 - Robotics Practice 2:30-4:00pm

April 24 - No school for students

April 28 - Fun Run

April 28 - 5/6 Music Ensemble Rehearsal 2:30-4:30pm

April 29-30 - 2nd Grade Field Trip to Bear Creek

April 29-30 - ELA iReady Diagnostic 3

May 1 - AR Celebration

May 4-8 - Falcon Appreciation Week

May 4 - Top 4 AR Field Trip

My 6-7 - Math iReady Diagnostic 3

May 7 - Music Ensemble End of Year Performance 6:00pm

May 11-12 - Relay Days

May 12- Music Ensemble End of Year Party 2:30-4:00pm

May 14 - STEAM Night 5:00

May 18 - K-2nd Awards Days

May 19 - 3rd-5th Awards Days

May 20 - 6th Grade Awards Day / WING Ceremony

May 21 - Last day for students

Email: lfowler@florencek12.org
Website: https://www.florencek12.org/Domain/12
Location: 101 Stovall Drive, Florence, AL, USA
Phone: 256-768-2500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057754536339
Twitter: @ForestHillsEle

Laurie Fowler - Principal

lfowler@florencek12.org

Jon Ray Russell - Assistant Principal

jrrussell@florencek12.org

Konnie Lee - Assistant Principal

kllee@florencek12.org

Shelia Holt - Assistant Principal

smholt@florence12.org

Charly Carter - Secretary

cncarter@florencek12.org

Emily Scruggs - Attendance

ekscruggs@florencek12.org

Andrea Hutcheson - Bookkeeper

adhutcheson@florencek12.org

(256) 768-2510

Allison Scott - PTO President

fcsfhespto@gmail.com

Ali Jones - Nurse

(256) 768-2519

Cafeteria

(256)768-2509

Social Media Accounts

Follow us on Facebook here and Florence City Schools here

Follow us on Twitter here and Florence City Schools here

Follow us on Instagram here and Florence City Schools here

Follow the PTO on Facebook here