Forest School News (2.17.25)

Last spring, the Forest PTC offered Forest families an optional service to purchase school supply kits. These kits were assembled by a vendor based on school supply lists created and shared by Forest teachers, then delivered to the school and distributed to each student's classroom before the first day of school. Families had the choice to purchase a kit through the PTC or to shop for supplies on their own. The price of kits ranged from $63-$103, depending on the grade level.

As we begin planning for next year, the Forest PTC would like to gauge interest in offering this service again for the 2025-2026 school year. Please indicate your interest in the quick poll below. This poll is anonymous; selecting "yes" or "no" does not commit you to purchase or not.

• Cars are expected to pull all the way up to the stop sign. 🛑
• Students are expected to get in and out of the car independently on the curb (passenger) side.
• Family members must stay inside the vehicle at all times. 🚗

• ✅ Parking is permitted/allowed on 5th Avenue between Forest School and Algonquin Middle School.
• 🚫 Parking is NOT permitted/NOT allowed in the Forest Staff Parking Lots or on 5th Avenue in front of Forest. The Des Plaines Police Department will begin ticketing those who are parked or idling in an area where parking is not permitted.

District 62 is hosting a month long challenge to collect goods to benefit the Self-Help Closet & Pantry of Des Plaines. The Student Council has worked to create advertisements to share information during morning announcements soon! If students bring in any food items to be donated, please send them towards the office. There is a red barrel inside the Door 1 vestibule for families to drop off donations and one inside the school near the Lost & Found for students to drop off any donations they bring to school. If a student brings in cash or check, please send that to the office.

Check out the D62 Bilingual Parent Advisory Council. Click here to read the flyer in multiple languages.

Dive under the sea with the Main West Fine Arts Department as they present Disney's The Little Mermaid. Check out this performance February 20-23. Check out the poster to learn more about dates, times, and how to purchase tickets!

Maine West Fine Arts Boosters are hosting an Under the Sea Carnival on Sunday, February 23 from 12:00-1:30 PM, prior to the matinee performance of The Little Mermaid. Please refer to the flyer for more details about location, how to RSVP, and admission costs.

Do you love pizza? The D62 Education Foundation is hosting the Battle of the Pizzas fundraiser this Sunday, February 23 from 2:00-4:00 PM at the Danube Swabian Center. Money raised from this event will go back into supporting D62 students. Come sample pizzas from local restaurants then vote for your favorite! Take a look at the flyer for more details and how to register in advance.

District 62's vision is to educate resilient, lifelong learners who think critically and solve problems collaboratively, which encompasses academics and social emotional learning. Students initially participated in this survey in the fall. Students will participate in this survey again from February 24-27 to help us better understand their SEL skills in the same way we screen for academic performance. This survey is called the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS). Please review the SAEBRS Family Letter (also available in Spanish / Polish / Russian).

If you have any questions regarding the SAEBRS Survey or if you do not want your child to be included in the SAEBRS survey, please contact Ms. Soike or Ms. Reiner by 9:00 AM on Monday, February 24, 2025.

Ramadan will run from March 1-31 this year. If your child(ren) will be fasting during Ramadan and you would like an alternate activity for your chidl(ren) to do and/or an alternate place for them to be during lunch time, please reach out to Ms. Soike or Ms. Reiner via email.

Is your child interested in building and programming LEGO Robotics Kits or coding Dash robots or OZO Bots? We have the perfect club for them! Robotics Club will be starting soon! Paper copies of flyers of the attached flyer have been sent home, but please feel free to print and return the PDF by 2/24 to share your interest. Space is limited to the first 16 students to respond.

Save the date for an upcoming Family Game Night at Forest. Ms. Zienty, Forest's very own LMC Specialist, wrote a proposal and won a grant from the D62 Education Foundation which will go toward funding this exciting event! Please see the flyer below for more information.

Please CLICK HERE TO RSVP.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, food insecurity, looking for community resources, or exploring opportunities for parent learning, look no further. Our SEL team created a Google Form you can fill out so they can be notified to follow up with you about any/ all areas you are looking for support. The responses to this form are confidential, and will only be seen by the SEL team unless you specify otherwise.

You can contact them here:

• Gina Biancalana, School Social Worker
• McKenna Corcoran, School Social Worker
• Mary McInerney, School Psychologist

Thank you to everyone who came out for the February PTC meeting. The next meeting will be Tuesday, March 11th. We hope you can join us!

Mrs. Krueger is our February Staff Spotlight winner! Her interview and picture will be up on the website and Facebook soon. Thanks for all you do, Mrs. Krueger! You can nominate a staff member anytime by emailing Kristin Vana at vanakristin@gmail.com explaining why that staff member deserves to be recognized. Winners are randomly chosen at PTC Meetings.

Yearbooks are on sale now and can be purchased at this link!

Forest goes to the Wolves Game! We are going to the Chicago Wolves game on Sunday, February 23rd. You can purchase tickets at this link. The deadline to purchase tickets is this Friday, February 21st at 12pm CST. A portion of each ticket sold will be donated back to the Forest PTC. All of the details are on the attached flyer.

Talent Show is coming this spring! All of the details along with the permission slip went home in backpacks last week.

Some dates you need to know:

• In-Person Auditions: Tuesday, February 25th
• Video Auditions: due by Friday, February 28th
• Tech Rehearsal: Tuesday, April 22nd
• Talent Show Day: Friday, April 25th

We are so excited to announce that sign-ups are now open for the 2nd Annual Forest Family Arts & Multicultural Night on Thursday, April 10, 2025, from 6:00–8:00 PM!

Are you passionate about sharing your culture? We’re looking for families to:

• 🎉 Host a table to showcase your traditions, heritage, and pride!
• 🎶 Perform a cultural dance, song, or musical piece!

Hosting a table is easy and fun—your display could include:

• 📷 Photos, maps, or flags
• 👗 Traditional clothing or artifacts
• 🎲 Games or crafts
• 🍬 Pre-packaged snacks or candy
• ✨ Ready to join the celebration? Fill out this form to host a table.

🎤 Interested in performing? Sign up here.

Let’s celebrate the amazing diversity of our Forest School community together! 🌟

📅 Mark your calendar for April 10 and stay tuned for more details. We can’t wait to see you there!

Spirit Wear is a great way for your family to show their Forest pride. Spirit Wear is available to purchase on our website, and it will be delivered straight to your child's classroom.

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 our website: https://forest-ptc.square.site

This Week:

• 2/20: 3rd Grade Field Trip to Prairie Center for the Arts to see The Jungle Book play
• 2/20: BPAC Meeting from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Forest Boardroom
• 2/20-2/22: The Little Mermaid Musical at 7:00 PM at Maine West High School
• 2/20-2/22: Matilda the Musical at 7:00 PM at Maine East High School
• 2/23: Under the Sea Carnival from 12:00-1:30 PM at Maine West High School
• 2/23: The Little Mermaid Musical at 2:00 PM at Maine West High School
• 2/23: Matilda the Musical at 2:00 PM at Maine East High School
• 2/23: D62 Education Foundation Battle of the Pizza Fundraiser from 2:00-4:00 PM
• 2/23: Forest Families & PTC at the Chicago Wolves Game at 3:00 PM

Next Week:

• 2/24-2/28: SABERS Winter Assessment Window Opens
• 2/24: LEGO League from 6:30-7:30 PM at Des Plaines Public Library
• 2/25: Spring Picture Day
• 2/25: Friendship Club/Girls Club begins (during lunch & recess)
• 2/25: Talent Show Auditions from 3:30-5:00 PM in the Forest MPR
• 2/27: AMS Service Clubs students visit Forest to read to 2nd graders!
• 2/27: 3rd Grade Concert at 6:30 PM in the Forest MPR
• 2/28: Trimester 2 Ends
• 2/28: Munch Madness from 4:00-5:00 PM at the Des Plaines Public Library
• 2/28: Movies in the Corner (Tangled) from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Des Plaines Public Library
• 2/28-2/29: Matilda the Musical at 7:00 PM at Maine East High School

In Two Weeks:

• 3/3-3/7: National School Social Worker Week
• 3/3: Read Across America Day
• 3/3: Trimester 3 Begins
• 3/5: Chicago Wolves' Read to Succeed Program visits 5th Graders at Forest
• 3/6: Robotics Club begins from 3:30-4:30 PM at Forest
• 3/6: Graphic Novel Club (ages 9-12) from 6:00-7:00 PM at the Des Plaines Public Library
• 3/7: Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day
• 3/7: Trimester 2 Report Cards released at 3:40 PM on Infinite Campus
• 3/7: Online Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year opens
• 3/7: Middle School BINGO Night (FREE) from 5:30-8:30 PM at Prairie Lakes

Website: http://forest.d62.org

Address: 1375 South 5th Avenue Des Plaines, IL 60018

Phone: (847) 824-1380

Facebook: Forest Facebook

Principal: Ms. Amber Soike

Assistant Principal: Ms. Traci Reiner