Forest School News (4.12.26)
💚 4/13-4/17: Educating Outside the Lines
This week, Forest is excited to welcome back Educating Outside the Lines for the third year in a row! All students in grades K–5 will take part in engaging disability awareness and inclusion programming, beginning with a school-wide assembly on Monday and continuing throughout the week with meaningful classroom and grade-level activities. These experiences help build empathy, understanding, and a strong sense of inclusion for all learners in our school community.
🧠 4/20-4/24: Illinois Science Assesment
Forest students in 5th grade will take the Illinois Science Assessment test on the dates listed below. Students who miss any of the tests will have an opportunity to do make-up testing.
Testing Dates:
- Monday, April 20 - Science #1
- Tuesday, April 21 - Science #2
- Wednesday, April 22 - Science #3
- Thursday, April 23 - Make-up Testing
- Friday, April 24 - Make-up Testing
🦷 4/27: FREE Dental Care for ALL Students
Preferred Dentistry Associates, P.C. (located in Evanston) is coming to Forest Elementary School to provide free dental care for any student who wishes to participate. It doesn't matter whether you have dental insurance or not - all students qualify!
Please refer to the Free Dental Care newsletter for all of the details.
🚨 In order for your child to participate, you must complete a permission slip by Monday, April 20.
💙 Lunch & Learn Parent Series
District 62 and SEPAC are offering an informative virtual mini-series on AAC and Assistive Hearing led by Erin Ballman, D62's Assistive Technology Specialist (Sessions 1 & 2) and Beth Parker from NSSEO (Session 3). These sessions are free, virtual and designed specifically for families and open to any D62 parent/guardian. All sessions will be held on the following Wednesdays from 12:00pm - 12:45pm.
April 15th (Session 1 link) - AAC Overview and District Policies
April 22nd (Session 2 link) - Strategies for implementing AAC at home
April 29th (Session 3 link) - Assistive Hearing - NSSEO
We hope you can join us! Recordings will be available upon request for families not able to attend.
📝 D62 Parent Engagement Survey
District 62 is in the process of developing our Consolidated District Plan which outlines specific supports, training, and resources that we will put in place to improve outcomes for all of our students. Your voice is important in this process! Please take 2-3 minutes to fill out a very brief to share your thoughts with us! Thank you in advance for your time and your partnership!
🍎 Full Day Kindergarten Webpage
District 62 has launched a brand new Full Day Kindergarten webpage! Beginning next school year, all elementary schools in the district will transition to a full day kindergarten program. Families are encouraged to explore the webpage, which will continue to be updated throughout the spring, summer, and into next year.
On the site, you can learn more about:
- The transition from a half day to a full day program
- The benefits of purposeful play
- What the full day program will include
- How to prepare your child for kindergarten
🏆 5/30: Kiwanis Cup - Registration Now Open!
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!
🌯 4/12: Dine & Share - Chipotle
Our next Dine and Share is at Chipotle in Des Plaines HAPPENING TODAY 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.
💚 4/14: April PTC Meeting
🤩 Staff Spotlight
Don’t forget to submit your Staff Spotlight nominations! The next winner will be chosen at the January meeting. Staff Spotlight is a way to recognize any Forest staff member that makes students feel welcomed, cared for, and supported. Let us know the name of the staff member and what they did/are doing for their student or family at Forest. Any adult can be recognized, so in addition to classroom teachers, don't forget paraprofessionals, custodians, interventionists, and more! Email jamikolonski@gmail.com or michelle.marlega@yahoo.com with the staff member name and reason for the nomination. You can also submit your nomination on this form.
📸 4/17: Deadline for Yearbook Sales
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.
🎤 5/14: Talent Show
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
😎 Join the PTC!
💟 In Need of Resources?
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.
Contact Us
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