Forest School News (11.16.25)

Ever wonder what your child is up to in specials? This year, we'll give you a peek inside the specials classrooms. Each month this school year, one of Forest's specials teachers or departments will be featured in Forest School News. Our goal is to highlight the fantastic learning happening in our specials classrooms throughout the year.

With our first snowfall last week and colder weather on the way, please be sure your child comes to school with appropriate winter gear.

• Students will go outside for recess unless conditions are too cold or unsafe.
• When snow is on the ground, students may play in the snow, but only if they have a winter coat, snow pants, boots, and mittens or gloves.
• Students without full snow gear will still go outside but will be asked to play on the blacktop.

If your family needs help securing winter gear, please fill out the Forest Family Resources Form or reach out to any member of the Forest SEL team (Ms. Biancalana, Ms. Donnelly, Ms. McInerney, Ms. Soike, or Ms. Reiner).

Additionally, information was shared last week about Forest's Winter Gear Drive. Please review the Winter Gear Drive message!

Students in 4th and 5th grade have been working hard to prepare for their upcoming performance. There will be two performances - one during the school day for grade K-3 and one at night for families!

Families are encouraged to attend the evening performance on Wednesday, November 19th at 6:30 PM. 4th and 5th grade students should arrive early at 6:15 PM to get ready for the show!

Trimester 1 report cards will be available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal on Friday, November 22 at 3:45 PM. Families must have their Infinite Campus Parent Portal set up in order to view the report card for Trimester 1. More information can be found on the Campus Parent page of the Forest website.

Forest has a new club starting soon. Ms. Huvaere will be leading a Drawing Club for 1st and 2nd grade students throughout the months of December and February. Be on the lookout for the flyer (below) to come home this week. Spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

District 62's Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) will have their next meeting on Thursday, November 20 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Westerhold Early Learning Center (ELC).

Thank you to everyone who came to the November PTC meeting. The next meeting will be held Tuesday, December 9th.

The November Staff Spotlight winner is Mr. Sloan!! You can learn more about Mr. Sloan, and all of the Staff Spotlight winners here.

Want to recognize a teacher or staff member for doing a great job? You can 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.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Fall Pool Party at Prairie Lakes Aquatic Center on Friday. Save the date for the next Pool Party on Friday, March 13th!

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Little Caesars Fundraiser so far! We are so close to reaching our fundraising goal. Now through Sunday, November 23rd you can purchase a Pizza Kit, or In-Store Meal Deal, and $6 from every kit you order will come back to the Forest PTC! You can place your order at this link. Thank you for your support!!

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.

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

Week of November 17

• 11/17: Board of Education Meeting at 7:00 PM at Central Elementary School
• 11/19: 4th & 5th Grade Performance at 6:30 PM at Forest in the Multipurpose Room
• 11/20: D62 BPAC Meeting from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Westerhold Early Learning Center
• 11/21: Trimester 1 Report Cards available in Infinite Campus Parent Portal
• 11/22: Maine West Warrior Con from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM at Maine West High School

Week of November 24

• 11/24-11/28: NO SCHOOL - Fall Break - School resumes Monday, December 1st

Week of December 1

• 12/1-12/5: Winter Fastbridge Assessments
• 12/4: PTC Ornament Decorating at 3:30 PM in the Multipurpose Room
• 12/5: Des Plaines Holiday Tree Lighting from 4:00-6:30 PM
• 12/6: Des Plaines Winter Fair and Trolley Tours from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM at DPPL

• 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.

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.

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