Forest School News (10.26.25)

🙂 10/27-10/31: Kindness Spirit Week

October's PBIS goal is kindness. To end the month, Forest teachers created a kindness spirit week. Check out the schedule below!

🎃 October 30-31: Halloween Activities

Thursday, October 30th - Regular School Day

10:00 a.m. - AM Kindergarten Parade (through the school)
10:30 a.m. - AM Kindergarten Party
2:00 p.m. - PM Kindergarten Parade (through the school)
2:30 p.m. - PM Kindergarten Party

Friday, October 31st - NO SCHOOL FOR KINDERGARTEN / Early Dismissal @ 12:00 PM for Grades 1-5

10:00 a.m. - Halloween Sing Along (for students and staff only)
10:30 a.m. - Halloween Parade (outdoors, weather permitting) - Families are invited!
11:00 a.m. - Halloween Parties
12:00 p.m. - Early Dismissal

If you would like to opt your child out of any Halloween activities, please email Ms. Soike by Tuesday, October 28th at 3:30 PM so that there is time to plan and prepare alternate activities.

👻 Halloween Costume Guidelines

Students are invited to come to school in their costumes. For the safety of all students, costumes must meet the guidelines listed below. If an inappropriate item is brought to school and/or an inappropriate costume is worn, the student will need to remove the item and/or may need to call home for a change of clothing.

Costume Guidelines:

All costumes must meet the D62 Dress Code rules, based on the Student Handbook.
No weapons or weapon look-alikes. This includes swords, guns, clubs, lasers, etc.
No blood or gore.
Masks may be worn during the parade if they allow for students to have a clear line of vision.
Face paint may be worn, but we must be able to identify the student easily.
Costumes should not portray a stereotypical image of any group of people or culture, or be offensive to any racial, ethnic, or religious group.

🎉 Halloween Parade

Students in grades 1-5 will participate in an outdoor parade (weather pending) from 10:30-11:00 AM on Friday, October 31st. Families are encouraged to find a spot along the parade route (pictured below) to enjoy the parade! If you are planning to attend, please plan to arrive no earlier than 10:15 AM. In the event of inclement weather, the outdoor parade will be canceled.

🍭 D62 Treat Policy

Per the D62 Student Handbook, students, families, and staff are not allowed to bring and distribute food treats for any occasion during the school day. However, families could send non-edible treats such as stickers, pencils, erasers, or books. Families may reach out if they have any questions.

📲 10/27: Family Workshop - Screen Time & Technology

SEPAC is hosting a virtual family workshop on Monday, October 27 at 6:30 PM. Join the virtual Zoom presentation to learn how technology affects childrens' mood, sleep, and focus and how your own habits play a role. Get practiceal tips to set healthy limits, spot red flags, and support balanced screen use at home.

⭐ This virtual session is open to all families.

💻 Zoom in English with Jacqueline Rhew, Co-founder of the Center for Emotional Wellness

💻 Zoom in Spanish with Steve Knope, Counselor at the Center for Emotional Wellness

🏀 11/8: Elks Club Hoop Shoot Contest (Ages 8-13)

The Des Plaines Elks Club is hosting the annual Hoop Shoot competition on Saturday, November 8th at Chippewa Middle School. This is a free throw shooting contest for both boys and girls ages 8 up to 13 years old. The event is free to attend and participate in. Click here for more information!

🍕 10/24-11/23: Dine & Share

Deliciousness is here! NOW through November 23rd, we're selling Little Ceasars Pizza Kits and In-Store Meal Deals. to raise money for the Forest Parent Teacher Council. $6 from each sale comes back to the Forest PTC!

Pizza Kits are delivered directly to your home via FedEx, so you can share the link with family and friends across the U.S.!
Promo Codes for In-Store Meal Deals can be redeemed at your local Little Ceasars restaurant. Codes expire one year from the date of purchase.

Go to the Little Ceasars & Forest PTC Fundraising page to order now!

🌊 11/14: Pool Party

Save the Date! The PTC is hosting a Pool Party at Prairie Lakes Aquatic Center on Friday, November 14th. Stay tuned for more details on how to register for this event.

😎 Join the PTC!

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.

💚 Forest Spirit Wear

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

Upcoming Events - Please save the dates!

Week of October 27

10/27: Screen Time Family Workshop from 6:30-7:30 PM - Join virtually! All are welcome!
10/29: 5th Grade Game Club begins from 3:30-4:30 PM
10/30: Chorus Field Trip to Maine West for Des Plaines Choral Festival
10/30: AM Kindergarten Halloween parade at 10:00 AM & Halloween party at 10:30 AM
10/30: PM Kindergarten Halloween parade at 2:00 PM & Halloween party at 2:30 PM
10/30: Choir Performance at Des Plaines Choral Festival from 6:30-8:30 PM
10/31: NO SCHOOL FOR KINDERGARTEN
10/31: Halloween Sing Along from 10:00-10:30 AM (for students and staff only)
10/31: Grades 1-5 Halloween parade at 10:30 AM and Halloween parties at 11:00 AM
10/31: EARLY DISMISSAL at 12:00 PM (for all students in grades K-5)

Week of November 3

11/5: Family Storytime at Des Plaines Public Library from 7:00-8:00 PM
11/6: Munch Madness (ages 9-12) at Des Plaines Public Library from 4:00-5:00 PM
11/8: Elks Club Hoop Shoot Contest at Chippewa Middle School starting at 9:00 AM

Week of November 10

11/10: PTC Meeting at 7:00 PM
11/11: NO SCHOOL
11/14: PTC Pool Party at Prairie Lakes - More info coming soon!
11/16: Chorus Club performance at the Chicago Wolves Game at 3:00 PM

Subscribe to the Forest Family Google Calendar

Subscribe to the District 62 Google Calendar

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 Fall 2025 Catalog - Click to learn more about a range of fall events and activities.
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.

💟 In Need of Resources?

District 62 has so many wonderful resources available for families. 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 and share any resources needed! Responses are kept confidential unless you give permission otherwise.

D62 Student Handbook