Forest Ridge Forerunner

Trish Lannon | Principal

Ivye Pazornik | Assistant Principal

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

Address: 9559 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 23: Schools and Offices Closed
• September 25: Hispanic Heritage Celebration at PVMS 6:30pm
• September 26: School Spirit "International Day" - Wear clothing that represents any country you love!
• October 2: Schools & Offices Closed
• October 16: Family Math Night at 6:15pm
• October 17: Schools Closed for Students
• October 22: Unity Day - Wear Orange
• October 22: PTA Silver Diner Fundraiser
• October 24: Gr. 3 Field Trip to Science Center
• October 27 - 31: School Spirit Week
• October 28: Hearing & Vision Screening
• October 31: Schools Close 3-Hrs Early
• November 1: PTA Fall Fest

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

*FRES Academic Schedule can be found HERE.

*The HCPSS Related Arts Color Calendar can be found HERE.

*FRES School Spirit Days Calendar can be found HERE.

*FRES School Supply List can be found HERE.

*Arrival/Dismissal Map can be found HERE.

Dear FRES Families,

We have so much to celebrate this week at Forest Ridge! Our students are already soaring with learning, and our staff continues to go above and beyond to make sure every child feels supported and inspired each day.

We are excited to extend a warm welcome to two new members of our school family. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Ashlee Field, our newest kindergarten teacher, and Mr. Aaron Nelson, our new night custodial manager. We are thrilled to have them on our team and know they will bring great energy and dedication to our school.

Finally, we invite everyone to join us for our Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Thursday evening at 6:30pm. This year’s event will be held at Patuxtent Valley Middle School in collaboration with Bollman Bridge Elementary and Patuxtent Valley MS. It will be a wonderful evening of culture, community, and celebration. we hope to see you there!

~Mrs. Lannon & Ms. Pazornik

Individual picture day will be October 16. Parents may pre-order pictures by visiting schoolpix.com and using the pre-order code FRESF25. A copy of the flyer and price list is attached. The pre-order code will be good until October 17. If parents do not wish to pre-order, an envelope will be coming home with each child during the week leading up to picture day, and students should give the order envelope to the photographer when they go with their class to have pictures taken.

All students present on October 16 will be photographed using a blue background, since these photos will be used in the yearbook. New students and students who are absent on picture day will have the opportunity to have their photos taken at a later date, to be scheduled after the original photos ship to FRES.

Parents may occasionally need to change their child's dismissal plans. If you are aware of these changes in advance, please email the following staff members by 10am:

• Your child’s Homeroom teacher

• Front Office staff: kelli_davenport@hcpss.org and rebecca_jackson@hcpss.org.
  

If a change is made without prior notice, please call the school directly at 410-880-5950 after 9am and inform our secretaries. Teachers may not be able to check emails or may have a substitute on that day. You can find our staff directory and email addresses HERE.

Additionally, we kindly ask families to be mindful of early dismissal timing. To help our staff prepare efficiently, please ensure your child is picked up no later than 2:35pm if an early dismissal is needed. This allows us to call and ready your child before the school-wide dismissal begins and helps prevent congestion around our buses. Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring a smooth and accurate dismissal procedure.

Due to extenuating circumstances, HCPSS will not offer in-school/office seasonal flu or COVID vaccination clinics this year. Community members are encouraged to contact their doctor for vaccination information, or consider accessing vaccinations from local pharmacies, urgent care centers, retail stores, etc. Additionally, the Howard County Health Department will offer free flu shots at various community events this fall.

The BSAP Saturday Math Academy fall session is approaching! The program offers an in-person enrichment for Howard County Public School System students in all levels of math for grades 3-12, based on course availability. Registration will take place online on Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 9:00 am until capacity is reached. Class space is limited. Families can register by accessing the HCPSS Connect Website on the registration date.

For more information, please visit: https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2025/09/black-student-achievement-program-bsap-saturday-math-academy-fall-2025-program/

Click for the Flyers (below):

BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (English) / BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (Spanish)

BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (Chinese) / BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (Korean)

This fall, HCPSS again will offer a no-cost, evidenced based training program to assist parents/guardians in helping their children manage anxiety. Facilitated by HCPSS licensed social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists, the SPACE program (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is specifically designed for parents/guardians of children and adolescents with anxiety issues, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and other related concerns. Parents/guardians interested in participating in SPACE should complete the registration form associated with the group they wish to join (see below) by Sept. 26. Please note that space is limited; parents/guardians may be placed on a waitlist if sessions fill up. See flyer at this link.

We are working to build our recess equipment collection so that all students have plenty of fun and engaging options during their play time. To help us stock up, we’ve created this Amazon Wish List with items our students would love to use. If you’d like to support, please consider purchasing an item from the list - every contribution makes a difference in creating a joyful and active recess experience for our Eagles!

We are in need of tissues, as the cold and flu season has seemed to have started at FRES! If you can donate any tissues, feel free to drop them off at school or send them in with your child. Thanks!

Check out these websites for more information about Hispanic Heritage Month and how you can celebrate virtually and at home!

• Celebrate Hispanic Heritage
• National Hispanic Heritage Month
• September: Civics: Hispanic Heritage Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month - Teaching Tolerance
• Hispanic Heritage Month - NEA
• A Comprehensive List of the Essential Latin Music Genres
• 23 Books By Latinos That Might Just Change Your Life

As a reminder, our doors open to students at 8:30am. The final arrival bell rings at 8:45am, at which time teachers will begin to take attendance. Students will be marked absent/late beginning at 8:46am.

If you drop your student off after 8:45am, you are required to exit your vehicle and sign your student in as a late arrival. This includes walkers, as a parent is required to sign their student in late at the elementary school level. Please contact the Front Office with questions.

We are very excited to have volunteers to assist teachers and students. If you have not already done so, please complete the necessary trainings in order to be a volunteer by going to https://forms.gle/2FT2GTdq41jQtKv99. Once this is done, you will be cleared to both volunteer at the school and to chaperone. This does have to be completed before coming in to volunteer. Thanks.

The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get free meals regardless of income, and students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Those eligible for Free and Reduced Meals receive both breakfast and lunch for free.

Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. Please go HERE to apply.

Beginning Sept 15, 2025, students in grades 1-5 will participate in the fall administration of the MAP assessment. MAP is an untimed, computer-adaptive assessment that provides our teachers with detailed, specific information about where your child is performing in Reading and Mathematics. Our grade-level teams collaborate with administrators as well as the Math & Literacy Coaches to analyze the data from the MAP assessment and plan instruction that builds on your child’s strengths and supports areas where there is room for improvement.

Please look for communication from your child’s classroom teacher regarding specific testing dates. We ask that you ensure that your child gets a good night’s rest, eats a good breakfast, and is on time to school on testing day to help them do their best. If you have any questions, please email our School Test Coordinator, Ivye Pazornik at ivye_pazornik@hcpss.org and she will get back to you.

Please consider helping our teachers out with their Amazon Wish Lists. Our amazing PTA is trying to help our teachers get the items they need for their classrooms and their students. Your support is greatly appreciated!

New Date: Friday, Sept. 27, 9:00 am–12:00 pm

Location: Oakland Mills High School

This districtwide event is open to all HCPSS families and will feature:

• A session with Superintendent Bill Barnes

• Resource tables hosted by HCPSS offices and local organizations

• Information on programs, resources, and services available throughout the school year

• Childcare and language access provided

For additional information, please visit the Family Academy Kickoff HCPSS News Post.

Flier: English | Spanish | Chinese | Korean

This year, staff created a school spirit calendar that they hope is easier to follow. For the most part, they have made every school spirit day a Friday. The exception is a school spirit week and Unity Day.

We have linked the school spirit day calendar above under "Important Dates" so you have access whenever you need. When no spirit day is listed on a Friday, those days are "Egg-cellent Eagle" days where we encourage students to wear our school colors (blue and yellow) and/or FRES spiritwear. The FRES School Spirit Days Calendar can be found HERE.

All absence notes should be sent directly to fresabsence@hcpss.org

In your absence email, please include the following:

• Student’s full legal name

• Homeroom teacher

• Dates of absence

• Reason for absence (e.g., illness, bereavement, observance of a religious holiday, lack of transportation)

You can read our attendance letter by going HERE.

Calling all FRES families, teachers, staff and community members. THE FRES PTA NEEDS YOU! You can join by going to this link: https://frespta.givebacks.com/shop

Your membership in the PTA helps support & fund numerous programs, activities and events at our school. With your membership and involvement, collectively the PTA can:

• Supplement the cost of school field trips to reduce the individual expense for families and students
• Supplement learning with an assortment of after school programs, activities and cultural arts that enrich our students
• Organize events such that allow families and staff to connect and have fun as a school community.
• Support classroom activities through special funding and volunteer support.
• Show appreciation for our teachers and staff for the countless hours that go into educating our children.
• Advocate on behalf of the FRES community at the county, state and national levels to ensure our students receive the necessary and appropriate resources.

There are no requirements to being a PTA member. Your membership is the first step to supporting the FRES PTA and after that we encourage you to participate in any way that you can!

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/

The Salvation Army again shares the 2025 Angeltree Program in Howard County. To learn more about this program review flyer at this link. Proof of parent/guardianship required for gifts for children 12 and under. Applications will be taken Wednesday,September 24th – Tuesday, September 30th 2025, 10:00am – 2:30pm. See all details at this link.