FPE Community Newsletter 09/20/23

Thank you for supporting our academic and social development at school. When we take care of one another, we enhance our experiences and create a positive atmosphere every day. Supporting each other helps us all thrive! In this edition, you'll find information on how you can help through student attendance, along with various donation opportunities. We’re also excited to share upcoming events, including sign-ups for OBOB and the “State of the School” presentation. Please continue reading for more details!

Daily Attendance: I am so happy to greet students and their families each day upon arrival. Students may go to the cafeteria each school day morning at 7:45am for breakfast. Students may go to classrooms when the bell rings at 7:52am. Another bell rings at 8am to remind students they need to be in their classrooms unpacking and getting ready for the day. At 8.05am students will need to stop by the office to sign-in and get a tardy note for their teacher.

Please follow this link to our FPE attendance + ParentVue website. The ParentVue portal allows parents to easily update their students' attendance through a convenient app. It is important that students arrive at school on time, and join their teacher and class for morning routines and activities that set everyone up for success. Thank you for helping get your student into school each morning on time.

NEW! You can now email your student’s attendance updates to forestparkattend@pps.net. Attendance can also be updated through ParentVue (details above). Our FPE attendance line; (503) 916-5400 is still available (please clearly provide; student name, teacher name, date & time of absence, reason for absence, and a callback number).

FunRun BoosterThon: So far, we have raised $23,446—just a bit shy of our goal of $25,000. We can still reach this target! Fundraising continues until Friday, October 25th. Let’s keep up the momentum! Login here We’re ALL IN for our Kids!!

FIT @FPE: On Monday, October 28th, FPE students, teachers, staff, and volunteers will participate in the Fidelity of Implementation Tool (FIT) interviews. We use the feedback from these interviews to gain insights into our school climate. Please follow this link for more information.

Meal Train for Diane - Bus 127: At Forest Park, we take care of one another! Our students demonstrate daily how we can celebrate and support each other. A heartfelt thank you to the families who have used the MealTrain link for Diane to assist one of our own FPE Foxes, Ms. Diane (Bus Driver for route 127). Your generous donations will help to provide nourishing meals, and gift cards for groceries as Diane recovers from her ongoing treatment and prepares for upcoming surgery. A special thank you to Elizabeth Williams (Frances, and George Keeper’s mom) for organizing the meal train. Thank you so much for your support, Forest Park families!

Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) forms are due November 5th!!: OBOB is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries, in conjunction with a Library Services and Technology Act grant. OBOB’s mission is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and to promote cooperative learning and

teamwork among students. In the spring, Forest Park will host a competition with “battles” to determine our school’s winning team. That team will go on to compete against other winning teams from other schools!

OBOB forms will be coming home soon. All 3rd-5th graders are invited to participate. Your first step involves creating a team of 4 (with a designated parent lead) and submitting team forms to the library by Tuesday, Nov. 5th. Next, start reading! The list of books can be found here. If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact our OBOB coordinator, Carynne Drake, at carynneo@gmail.com

TAG Parent-info. night presentation: next Wednesday 10/30/24 at 6pm online (link here).

State of the School: On the evening of Thursday, November 14th, we will host a State of the School in the Library at 6pm. A GoogleMeets option will be available. Please RSVP here. Also, please follow this link to a form where questions may be submitted prior to the address.

Halloween day at school: Pajama day, Thursday, October 31st! Students may not wear costumes.

Dates to Remember:

• Field Trip - Kindergarten: Friday, October 25th from 10am-1pm at Plumper Pumpkin Patch

• FIT Assessments - Monday, October 28th (all day at Forest Park)

• FPE TAG Parent info. night Wednesday, October 30th 6pm (link to online mtg. here)

• Halloween - Thursday, October 31st, Pajama Day - no costumes please. If you are volunteering in classrooms, please check-in at the office and print your volunteer badge, to be worn throughout your visit to campus.

• No school for students on Friday, November 1st (Teacher grading day) & Monday, November 4th (Teacher planning day).

• State of the School - Thursday, November 14th at 6pm (in-person in the school Library and online - GoogleMeets link). Please RSVP here if you intend to attend in person in the Library (headcount needed for refreshments).

Thank you for taking care of each other, which helps all of us have better days, Dr. Martini

Friends of Forest Park Newsletter! [read our entire newsletter HERE]

Important FOFPE Links For This Week!

• THANK YOU for your incredible support and generosity! Our Fun Run raised $23,446! Donations came from 36 different states and 6 countries! 58% of donations came from non-parent donors! 82% of our students registered and 70% of students pledged!

But it’s not over yet! We had a school-wide challenge to hit a goal of $25,000 to go toward fun school events, capital improvements, teacher appreciation and student experiences. As a school, we also get a fun popcorn or ice-cream party if we hit our goal!

We are almost there. . . Can you help us reach $25,000?!? Donations will be collected until Friday, October 25, 2024. Go To: MyBooster.com

Once again, thank you for your unwavering support, whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word. Your involvement has made a tremendous difference and showcases the strength of our school community!

• DO YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME? SEE BELOW!

• Interested in helping with the Coat Drive, Food Drive, or the Blood Drive with American Red Cross? Email presidentfofpe@gmail.com to get more information!

• School Beautification: Have you seen all the work that’s been done to our school garden?!? You should check it out! There’s still more work to do! If you’d like to help make FPE a more beautiful place to learn, please complete the form or reach out to Jenn Colbach directly: 415.310.0244

• Lunch Recess Volunteer: Sign up to volunteer at recess.

• Visual Arts Volunteer: Sign up to help our visual arts teacher in class.

• Volunteer Form: Interested in learning what we do throughout the year and helping out with what interest you? Fill out our form!

• ONLY 1 MORE WEEK LEFT TO ORDER!

• Spirit Wear: We have a spirit wear store for students, teachers and families that will be open until October 31 to place orders. Get your Forest Park spirit wear now! [password: fpe2024]

• SAVE THE DATE!

• Get your sitter now…. Our Spring Auction is Saturday, March 15, 2025, at the Nines. More details to come soon!

• Interested in helping with the auction or classroom art projects? Email our auction chair, Cynthia at cynthiaglausi@gmail.com

• ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS! Want something fun for your child to do after school? Check out all the amazing programs offered to our students this fall!

• Rose City Chess Club is Back! Grades: 2-5; Wednesdays 2:30-3:30pm; September 11th - December 11th (They are happy to prorate for late joiners!)

• Journey to STEAM: Registration is now open for the Journey to STEAM after-school program at Forest Park! Fall Term: October 4, 2024 to December 20, 2024; Winter Term: January 24, 2025 to March 21, 2025; Spring Term: April 11, 2025 to June 3, 2025. Time: Fridays 2:30 PM -3:30 PM. Location: Forest Park Elementary. Cost: $255 per term.

• Program Description: The theme for their upcoming program is LEGO Architects! Students will embark on a creative journey where they will explore the world of design and construction. Each week, students will be given a design prompt such as building the tallest tower, the strongest bridge, a fantastic castle, or a collaborative town. Students will work together to bring their architectural ideas to life.

• Learning Objectives: Students will build and improve the durability of their structures using key elements such as foundations, supports, and strong shapes. Students will be able to build designs using the simple machines wedges and inclined planes. Students will understand and apply sustainability concepts including limited resources, renewable energy, and waste management. They will build solutions to real world problems

• Collaboration and Soft Skills: Students work together to collaborate, test, and refine their designs. They will also practice explaining their build process, how their build relates to the daily theme, and ways to improve their design.

• Music Club: Grades 2-5. Wednesdays 2:15-3:15pm. Sept 25- Dec 18. Sign up now!

• Rock Dojo: Students will master epic riffs, boost their confidence, and become part of our Rock Dojo community. Grade K-5. Mondays 2:30 - 3:30. Sept 16 - Dec 16.

• Shared Spark Arts Academy: Family-based performing arts experiences for parents and children. This fall they will be performing a musical adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

• After School Golf Multi-Sport Class (Golf, Volleyball, Lacrosse, & Pickleball) at Forest Park. Thursdays 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. 10/03/24 - 11/14/24 at FPE

• Yoga: Unfortunately, Yoga did not get enough kids registered for the fall program, but they hope to get more interest for winter. If you’re interested in signing your child up, contact Barbara Lee, Director of School Programs, 503.807.9720, www.yogaplaygrounds.com