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What's Bruin in the Den
Newsletter 4.19.24
Letter From Mr. Martinez
Bruin Families,
I am not sure if spring arrived, or if it decided to give us a sampling of what summer feels like. Regardless, the school year is in the final stretch and before you know it, summer is here.
I had the opportunity to participate in several events over the last two weeks and all I can say is that our students do not cease to amaze me!
I had the opportunity to see:
· SpongeBob the Musical: A dazzling display of acting and singing with one of the largest ensembles I have seen in my years at Forest Park.
· Color Run: Despite the cool weather, students, parents, staff, and community came out to support St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital for Cancer Awareness. The colors were on display all over the place.
· Staff v Student Volleyball: Organized by our SALT class and supported by NAMI, students and staff played the inaugural volleyball match with the proceeds designated to support Morgan’s Message regarding athletes and mental health.
· Prom: A beautiful night along the Occoquan River at The Riverview. Students dressed to impress and dance their hearts out.
Our FCCLA had the opportunity to attend the VA FCCLA State Conference this year. No Place for Hate funding allowed an FCCLA team to compete in a leadership competition on the topic of Student Mental Health and the team won 2nd place in Virginia! As a result, they have qualified to compete at the National level in Seattle. The group also had five teams team compete in other categories and they came home with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place recognitions in the state. Of the five teams, two qualified to compete at nationals in Seattle. Finally, four of the five teams walked away with gold and silver medals.
Congratulations go out to Mrs. Shamshyna, Russian/German teacher, and our amazing students in our Russian program! Mrs. Shamshyna and her students received the results of Virginia State Olympiada of Spoken Russian. 20 out of our 22 students received medals. In total seven Gold Medals, nine Silver Medals, four Bronze Medals, and two Honorable Mentions.
Our music students have once again brought home the Music Blue Ribbon to Forest Park. Our Band, Orchestra and Chorale programs achieved 1’s in all categories this year. Congratulations to our students and their teachers, Ms. Brittain, Mr. Pereyra, and Mr. Ro.
As we move forward, district play in our spring athletic programs are in full play. Please come out and support these athletes who leave it all out there for our school.
Upcoming important meetings/events include Bruin Boosters on May 7, at 7 p.m., Principal’s Advisory Committee on May 20, at 7 p.m., Underclass Academic Awards on April 25, at 9 a.m., Senior Awards on May 28, at 9 a.m. and IT Awards at 11:30 a.m., A Street Bruins Prom on May 11, as well as Military Ball this evening, and last but not least, Graduation on May 30, at 2 p.m.
Parents, AP exams and SOL testing are upon us. Please note the modified schedule by viewing the attachment below to know what the schedule looks like as we enter AP/SOL/Senior/Underclass Exams. Please be sure your child arrives well rested and has a nutritious breakfast on these days.
I want to thank everyone who submitted nominations for our Novice Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Classified Staff of the Year. A committee reviewed the candidates, and we are ecstatic to share the following individuals are the Forest Park’s nominees who were submitted and are recognized as our selected staff to PWCS.
Congratulations to:
· Novice Teacher of the Year: Andrew Miller, School Counselor and Kathy Cameron, Mathematics Teacher
· Teacher or the Year: Emily Hunt, Social Studies Teacher
· Classified Staff Member of the Year: Morgan Ellis, Executive Administrative Assistant
Finally, this is the month of the military child and our JROTC organized a Spirit Week to commemorate the month. Forest Park acknowledges all our military connected students and as a Purple Star School, we thank them for their service and commitment to the freedoms we have. We are proud of you all and enjoy having the opportunity to instruct your children. This evening, I will be celebrating with our JROTC cadets at their annual Military Ball.
Be safe.
Sincerely,
Richard Martinez
Principal
Morning Traffic Patters
We would like to post a few reminders regarding the morning traffic patterns:
Only students with a parking decal should enter through the stadium entry to park. Parents should not enter at the stadium entry to drop off their child.
All commuter drop off traffic should use the left lane and follow the primary drop off route. This helps to ensure an even flow of traffic exiting campus. When necessary, school staff will direct traffic through the auxiliary commuter drop off route as needed.
In addition, for the safety of our students and staff we are asking all drivers to monitor the operating speed of their vehicle while traveling on campus and maintaining in a single lane.
We appreciate everyone's continued cooperation to ensure everyone's safety during our morning drop off time.
Senior Yard Signs
We are excited to share our Senior Yard Sign Fundraiser! Senior Yard Signs are available to all graduating seniors! Each sign is $20, and families can buy additional signs for a friend or additional family members who want to show BRUIN PRIDE for their senior. This fundraiser is going to support and benefit all classes for future events and activities.
Yard Signs must be purchased with CASH or ONLINE PAYMENT (on studentquickpay.com) prior to pickup. Please bring your emailed receipt or cash to the front office when picking up. Parents can pick up signs from 8 a.m - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday in the front office. Students who are picking up their sign must pick it up after school. Signs are not permitted on the bus due to safety reasons.
Upcoming Events
April 29: SOL Testing Begins
May 2: IT Night for Rising 9th Graders
May 6: AP Testing Begins
May 7: Boosters Meeting at 7 p.m.
May 11: A Street Prom at 7 p.m.
May 20: PAC Meeting at 7 p.m.
May 24: Advisory Picnic
May 27: Holiday- No School
May 28: Senior Awards and IT Awards
May 30: Graduation (Early Dismissal for Underclassmen)
June 7: Last Day of School
Counseling Connection
Highlights:
- All students should have selected their courses for next year. The last day to make changes to a 24-25 schedule is June 3, 2024. After June 3, students will NOT be able to make any modifications to their schedule choices.
Upcoming:
- School Counselors will be meeting with all seniors the week of April 15 through their Government classes to assist with various end-of-year surveys (Plans after graduation, Scholarships received, etc.). We will also be sharing important dates and reminders for seniors during this time.
- Thursday, April 25: Dept Awards for Seniors and Underclassmen; during Flex; in the Auditorium; letters will be sent home to award recipients soon.
- Class of 2024--
You have plans to go great places and do great things and we are proud of you! To honor your plans, we are planning your Decision Day Celebration! Mark your calendar for Friday, May 3. During lunches on May 3, seniors are invited to a party in the courtyard. As a part of the celebration, we are creating a Senior Decision Day video. Plan to join the fun and be a part of the video, click on the link below to submit information on your plans—college, work, military, trade school-- whatever your next step is. Decision Day Video '24. The Deadline to submit is Sunday, April 28, 11:59 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 28, at 9 a.m.: FPHS will hold our Senior Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 28, at 9 a.m. in the school auditorium. This event is by invitation ONLY. Seniors receiving verified scholarships and other awards will receive an individual invitation, as well as their parents. Seniors can report any and all scholarships by completing the Scholarship Survey found in Naviance. We will not report scholarship amounts. Students will indicate in the Scholarship Survey if they want to be recognized. To be recognized at the senior award ceremony, information MUST be received by no later than May 10, 2:15 p.m.
School Status-Resubscribe
Once a recipient has unsubscribed, PWCS staff cannot resubscribe them without that recipient taking action.
The parent or guardian must initiate the resubscribe by scanning the QR Code below or by emailing: subscribe@schoolstatus.email
Once resubscribed, the contact will receive a reply email stating that they have been removed from the unsubscribe list.
Text Messaging
Help a parent check their Subscription Status
The contact should text STATUS to 939393 to check the status of a subscription to messages from SchoolStatus. They will receive an auto-reply that lets them know whether or not they are already subscribed to receive messages from their child’s school.
Help a parent subscribe to School Messages
The contact should text START to 939393 to subscribe to messages from their child’s school. They will receive an auto-reply message that lets them know that they have been subscribed to receiving those messages.
Clinic Corner
Attention all families of rising seniors,
The state of Virginia requires ALL rising seniors be appropriately vaccinated with a Meningitis (ACWY) vaccine at the start of their senior year. If your student has already received one dose of the vaccine (usually around middle school), the second dose is required after age 16. If they have not received any doses of the Meningitis ACWY, one dose of the vaccine is required after age 16.
Please call your medical provider ASAP for a vaccine appointment.
Vaccine statements for Meningitis in other languages:
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/mening.html
Parent Liaison Corner
To view the most updated information from our Parent Liaison, please visit our website. The site shares upcoming events, family resources and newsletters.
S.P.I.N. Meeting
Our next S.P.I.N. meeting will be held April 23 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
Below is the Zoom information:
https://pwcs-zm-edu.zoom.us/j/86426584268? pwd=dHJWOFg1bE01UTRZakhqOUNabHRtZz09 Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID:
864 2658 4268
Passcode: 702190