Forest Elementary Newsletter

I would like to take a moment and welcome our new familes to Forest. We are happy that you have decided to join our Forest family. Forest is a safe and warm community that prides itself on being pirates and working hard to always do our best. You can expect a newsletter from me at the beginning of each month to keep you up to date as to what is happening here and the fun activities taking place in the classrooms.

I would like to cordially invite all our families to attend open house next Wednesday, August 27th from 5:00-6:30 PM. During this time, you will get to explore the building, see your new classroom and meet all of your teachers. If you would like to bring your child's school supplies at that time and drop them off in their classroom, feel free to do that as well.

To ensure a smooth start to the school year, please make sure that you have logged in to PowerSchool and completed all the necessary forms. Having valid emergency contact information is very important!

Schoology is our learning management system that you will want to join if you have not already. The Forest Elementary Schoology code is X685-T2NZ-5PVHB. Please make sure you add this to your Schoology account so you don't miss out on any important school information. Feel free to call the office (see below) and talk to Ms. Annie for help. Or, your child's teacher can assist you in joining this group. Also, we have an amazing parent club, here, at Forest. They also have a group on Facebook that is called "Forest Parent Club" that I encourage you to join as well.

Teacher assignments will be available for students and parents to see in PowerSchool by noon on Wednesday, August 27th. Teacher assignments will also be posted on our front doors by that same day and time.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call Ms. Annie or myself in the office.

GO PIRATES!

gmeli@riverviewschools.com

(734) 479-2550, press #4

Ms. Meli has been an educator for 23 years. She started out as a Special Education teacher and worked in Grosse Ile for 12 years before moving on to Riverview for an adminstration job. She began her Pirate admin career at Seitz Middle School where she was the Assistant Principal for two years. She then became the Forest principal eight years ago. While being at Forest, Ms. Meli has enjoyed getting to know families and working with teachers to help develop the whole child. Her goal is to enable students to leave Forest feeling confident, loved and able to tackle the academic and emotional demands of their middle school years and beyond.

Ms. Meli is mother to Marcello (18), Julian (13) and Gia (12). Gia, her youngest, attends Seitz Middle School as a seventh grader. She also attended Forest Elementary.

Ms. Annie Prusakiewicz, secretary (ext. 4)

Email: aprusakiewicz@riverviewschools.com
Website: riverviewschools.com/Forest
Location: 19400 Hampton Street, Riverview, MI, USA
Phone: (734) 479-2550, press #4

August:

27th- Teacher Class Lists posted on front doors and in Power School (by noon)

27th- Open House/Meet the Teacher 5-6:30 PM

September:

1st- NO SCHOOL

2nd- First Day of School (all grades, K-5)- FULL DAY

10th - First Parent Club Meeting (see flier below)

25th - Picture Day

25th- Watch D.O.G.S. Kick Off (6-7 PM)

• Make sure your child can open all items that you put into their lunchbox. The go-gurts and pizza sauce in the Lunchables are VERY difficult to open, even for the adults! Practice opening these items at home (and send only what they are able to open by themselves).
• Do not send huge lunches. 2-3 items (and a drink) is more than sufficient. They do have snack time as well.
• Practice at home for our younger kids! Set a 20 minute timer when your child starts eating. When the timer goes off, talk with your child about how much they have eaten. We don't want to rush our students, but it is 30 minutes from lunch line to clean up & line up again. Most of the time, families have much longer to sit and talk while they eat. They may not be used to this. A timer can help to give them a better concept of their time alotted to eat.
• Reinforce and remind your child of positive behavior in the lunchroom. Keeping hands and feet to self (especially while in line), facing forward (so that they can see when to move forward) and talking once they have eaten the most important parts of their lunches are all key.
• Do not send in sugar-loaded lunches. This causes a major crash later that afternoon.
• Supervise or oversee your child, if they make their own lunch.

• Each morning, children will be greeted by their teacher and enter the building through their assigned pod door. Every grade level has their own "pod" with their own assigned set of doors, where students will enter and exit each day. These doors are located around the building and will be labeled in chalk during the first week of school. (See diagram below.)
• If your child comes between 8:20-8:40 AM and is eating breakfast, they should use the front doors.
• Pod doors will not be open until 8:35 AM
• Parents of non-busing students can either walk their child up to the door or use the drop off lane. There will be parent club volunteers and staff members to assist children getting out of cars in the drop off lane.
• Parents should not walk with their child into the building.
• When walking from the parking lot to the building, you MUST use the crosswalk (located directly in front of the flag pole and painted as such).
• Please do not walk in between cars in the drop off lane. This is very dangerous!
• Please assist your child in crossing the crosswalk, especially our younger students.
• Drivers, DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR IN THE DROP OFF LANE! If you must get out, please find a parking spot, so we can continue the traffic flow.
• If your child is not ready to get out of the car quickly (and without you), do not use the drop off lane. In this case, please park.
• When using the drop off lane, please pull all the way up to the sign that says "STOP" (to the left of the front office).
• DO NOT USE THE STAFF PARKING LOT! There are more staff than there are spots. Let's give these amazing people the privilege of not having to walk far, after teaching our children all day. This way, they can make sure they are ready and able to be there to teach your child on time.
• DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO GET OUT FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR WHILE IN THE DROP OFF LANE!!! This is a HUGE safety issue!!
• DO NOT let your child out across the side street and allow them to cross to get to school. This is a another safety issue. We have crossing guards to make sure everyone is safe!
• The warning bell will ring at 8:35 AM
• Please make sure your child is in the doors and ready to learn by 8:40 AM
• If your child arrives at 8:45 AM or later, the pod doors will be closed and locked (for safety). In this case, please follow our tardy procedure, which is outlined below.
• If your child is consistently tardy, please enroll them in Champions before and after school care (see below).
• Many of our intervention classes (for those that need more support in reading and/or math), and classroom circles occur first thing in the morning. It is imperative that all students arrive to school on time consistently to ensure their emotional and academic needs are being met. Also, breakfast (if your child chooses to buy it) is first thing in the day as well.

• Students will be dismissed at 3:20 PM from their pod doors.
• Parents must be there to pick up their child(ren) promptly. We know there may be an exception or two that you are unable to avoid. If you know you will not be on time consistently, please enroll your child in Champions (before and after school care)-see below.
• All K-2 students that are being picked up can only be picked up by family listed on their emergency contacts. You can always call the office to add on to these or change them.
• Also, K-2 students must have the adult picking them up come to the pod doors. These students are not allowed to walk out to the cars alone.
• DO NOT PARK IN FIRE LANE FOR ANY REASON. If your car is parked in fire lane, you may be issued a ticket.

You will find a poster on the front doors (next to buzzer)- see pic below. If you are signing your child in to school late (after 8:40 AM) or you are picking your child up early, please use this QR code. You can do so by going to your camera on your phone, as if you are getting ready to take a picture. A "website or code" yellow box will pop up on your screen. Click on that box to access the sign in/out form. Once form is completed, ring the buzzer to alert our secretary. You would also use this process when bringing your child (back) to school from an appointment.

Busses to and from Forest will be available for Riverview residents. Please visit our website for bus routes and times (please note: schedules may not be updated yet)

https://www.riverviewschools.com/departments/transportation

If you have a transportation question, please contact our bus garage at (734)285-3900.

If you or another family member would like to volunteer at Forest Elementary, please fill out the following form:

https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2FBvTqkJTPW3erJv3W9&data=05%7C02%7CAPrusakiewicz%40riverviewschools.com%7C09e1c064b415401ed22208dde4d8280f%7C3ff5944c9a834684a5faf0c1b78e8f3c%7C0%7C0%7C638918339298047476%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wpC4XPCAexN7Bpx2zLs%2FKUXHPyRxdS8fo9gCEhb%2FD7Y%3D&reserved=0

Once you have been approved you are good to volunteer for the entire 25.26 school year. Background checks must be done at the beginning of every year.

If your child will need to take prescribed medication at school, (an inhaler, epipen, etc.) or if there is the possibility of your child needing over-the-counter medication, please have your child's doctor fill out and sign the form (below). As the parent/guardian, you will sign it as well. Lastly, please turn the form into the office with the original/prescribed bottle or box of medication.

https://www.discoverchampions.com/our-locations/riverview/mi/001393