Forest Knolls Mustang Message

Email: Jennifer_Taylor-Cox@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/forestknollses
Location: 10830 Eastwood Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20901, USA
Phone: 240-740-1640

All Parents and Caregivers of students in Grades 1-5 are invited to attend Back-to-School Night on September 19, 2024 6:30-8:00 PM. Based on feedback from parents and caregivers, we have upgraded our Back-to-School Night priorities. The sessions will be held in classrooms so that you can get a feel for your child’s daily experience. We will engage in a “You Matter” community builder. There will be more time for parents to get to know one another, more time for questions, and less time “presenting.”

Please complete the Fall Survey for Forest Knolls Parents/Caregivers by September 30, 2024. Enter the Raffle to win pizza delivered to your family by the principals! As responses could vary, you are invited to complete a survey for each child and enter the raffle for each child. Thank you for your time and feedback.

Parents of fourth and fifth grade students, please reserve 5:30-6:15 pm on Thursday, September 19th, which is Back-school-night, to meet with Dr. Glabman in the media center as you find out everything you need to know about our fabulous and fun Forest Knolls instrumental music program. We have scheduled this time so that you can find out about instrumental music without missing any part of Back-to-School Night. Please note that this meeting is intended for students who will be taking an instrument for the first time. Parents of advanced 5th grade instrumental students are welcome to attend if they wish, but should feel no obligation to do so.

The small playground on the front side of our school building and the large playground in the back of the school building are used throughout the day for our students. Please refrain from having younger children on the playground during school hours. We appreciate your understanding.

Recently, we have noticed an increase in animal feces on our school playground, which raises concerns for the safety and cleanliness of our outdoor spaces. We are taking immediate steps to address this issue and ensure that the playground remains a safe and enjoyable environment for our students.

To assist in this effort, we kindly ask for your cooperation in the following ways:

• If you live near the school and walk pets in the area, please be vigilant in cleaning up after them.

• Remind your children about the importance of reporting any unsanitary conditions they may notice while playing outside.

We are committed to maintaining a safe and clean environment for all students and appreciate your attention to this matter. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

The safety of our MCPS community is critical, and being able to communicate with students, staff, and families during severe weather or other emergencies is of the utmost importance. Use this link to find all the ways you can connect with MCPS to receive emergency operational information from the school system. The current operating status options for the school district appear on the MCPS website and on individual school websites. In the event of a change in operational status, this link will provide more information about the MCPS Operating Status options.

As part of Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s entry plan, he will be meeting with as many stakeholders as possible to learn more about the Montgomery County community. Part of this includes upcoming listening sessions at three schools. Save the date for one of these sessions:

• Monday, Sept. 16, Poolesville High School, 17501 West Willard Road, Poolesville, 7–8 p.m.

• Wednesday, Sept. 18, (Updated Location) Rockville High School, 2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville, 7–8 p.m.

• Monday, Sept. 23, Montgomery Blair High School, 51 University Blvd. East, Silver Spring, 7–8 p.m.

Interpretation services will be available in Spanish.

The MCPS Social Studies team is hosting a series of Curriculum Night webinars for families to learn more about how social studies is taught in MCPS and how its curricula in kindergarten through 11th grade incorporate the history of various ethnic and cultural groups. The webinars will be held from 6:30–7:30 p.m. on the following dates:

• Thursday, Sept. 12–Black and African American History

• Thursday, Sept. 26–Asian History

• Thursday, Oct. 10–Hispanic History

• Thursday, Oct. 24–Arab History

• Thursday, Nov. 7–Indigenous History of the United States

• Thursday, Dec. 5–LGBTQ+ History (Middle and High School Only)

• Thursday, Dec. 12–Jewish History

To attend, families must register at the above links and a link to attend the webinar will be sent to them.

Mrs. Veronica Gonzalez, Forest Knolls Parent Community Coordinator, will share family resources throughout the year. Please contact Mrs. Gonzalez with questions, needs, or ideas at 240-740-4620 (office), 240-550-3254 (cell), veronica_gonzalez@mcpsmd.org (email).

• Have you joined the Forest Knolls PTA yet? The FKES PTA is an organization of parents, staff, and teachers who work together to help our students succeed, support our the FKES team, and build our community. We'd love for you to be a part of making a positive difference in your child's school! Learn more and join at fkespta.org. And check out our calendar of events here. The first 200 families to join will get a free FKES car magnet!

• The first FKES PTA meeting will be Tuesday, October 1 at 7:00 PM in the FKES Multipurpose room. Join us to learn about the PTA and ways you can get involved. FKES's Reading Specialist will join us to share information and answer questions about MCPS's new ELA curriculum. Spanish interpretation will be available and childcare will be provided by KAH for kids 5 and older. Send questions to president@fkespta.org.

• Our Octoberfest FKES PTA staff appreciation event is also on Tuesday, October 1st. We need your help. Visit the sign up genius at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CAEAD2BAAFEC70-51357169-fkes to learn more and sign up to donate or volunteer.

• New MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor is hosting listening sessions with the community. Join FKES PTA and community members on Monday, September 23rd from 7-8 PM at Montgomery Blair High School to hear from him and share your thoughts and concerns. Spanish interpretation will be available.

• Are you a bike rider? If yes, you should check out the FKES Bike Bus - a party on wheels. The FKES Bike Bus is an adult-led kids bike ride that takes students from the neighborhood to school along a pre-set route every Friday morning. Kids can join the bike bus at a convenient location along the route. Parents/adults are welcome but required! Text Ema for more information at 703-400-9560.

FKES Spirit Wear is here! Check out the great shirts, pants, hats, and more in kid and adult sizes at cutt.ly/2024spiritwear. Orders must be placed by Friday, October 18. Items will be shipped to the school and sent home with students. All sales final.