What's Bruin in the Den

Bruin Families,

On behalf of the Forest Park High School administration and staff I want to take the time to wish you all the best during this Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! Regardless of one’s background, faith, or simply belief, I have always seen how this season changes hearts to wish the best to others.

Over the holiday break, I want to inform you that all PWCS buildings will be closed to the public during winter break, December 23, 2024–January 3, 2025.

As we return to school on January 6, in the morning, you will notice new signage directing student drivers and those dropping off students. Due to safety concerns, parents and those dropping off students are NOT permitted to use the student parking lot as a drop-off zone. Please follow the staff members directing traffic and to be attentive to the signage posted throughout the campus. The student parking lot will now only have one entrance and will be completely closed off with no exit for ANY vehicle until morning traffic concludes at 7:35 a.m. These changes have been made to ensure the safety of our students and the staff who are outside daily to facilitate the flow of traffic and receive our students. By following the directions provided during morning arrival/drop-offs you will contribute to a smooth experience for all.

The following diagram demonstrates our revised plan (see below).

RED = Drop off route.

Yellow = Student parking only. NO EXIT

Also keep in mind that vehicles should not be traveling at speeds greater than five mph. Also, vehicles should not be passing busses who have their RED LIGHTS on. Violators are subject to fines.

Our Family Academic and Community Engagement Specialist (FACES) is at work to provide opportunities and information to connect our community stakeholders to Forest Park and shared the following regarding the benefits of Family and Community Involvement in Schools:

• A more positive school experience
• Family engagement in schools contributes to positive student outcomes, including improved child and student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, improved parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and improved school environment.
• Improved academic achievement
• Family engagement is associated with higher grades, test scores, and attendance rates. It can also lead to faster literacy acquisition and fewer students dropping out of school.

• Positive health behaviors
• Family engagement can help students avoid health risks and participate in more positive behaviors, like physical activity. Family engagement can also be positive for a student’s mental health, where everyone works together to help the student be successful in school.

• Connecting families to resources
• Families can be connected to community resources that help with basic needs, such as food, housing, clothing, utilities, transportation, and childcare.

For more information, reach out to Aimee Linder via LinderAR@pwcs.edu

As we enter the season of giving, I see the need to share that our outstanding cafeteria balances are now over $18,000. PWCS Food Services and my office have sent emails and text messages to the respective families, however I would be remised to not bring this to the attention of our community.

Finally, I wish you the best with your families and see you in 2025!

Richard Martinez

Principal

December 23-January 3: Winter Break

January 6: Return to School

January 15: JROTC/IT Night

January 16: Curriculum Fair (9-11th grade families)

January 17: Last day of Second Marking Period

January 20: Holiday

Forest Park High School would like to announce our inaugural class for the Athletic Hall of Fame on May 9, 2025. The purpose of the Forest Park Athletic Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor former Forest Park High School student-athletes, coaches, and/or contributors who excelled in their respective roles to bring honor, recognition, distinction, and excellence to Forest Park High School.

The Athletic Hall of Fame Nomination form can be obtained by going to the Forest Park High School website and clicking on Activities and Athletics. The deadline to have nominees submitted is December 20, 2024. Thank you for your support of Forest Park High School Athletics. Go Bruins!🐻

Link: https://forestparkhs.pwcs.edu/activities_and_athletics/fphs_hall_of_fame

Highlights

• Winter Break is a great time to search and apply for Scholarships. Seniors planning to attend a 2 or 4- year college are reminded to log into Naviance and Click Scholarship Search to find local scholarship opportunities. Also, seniors are encouraged to register in Naviance for an upcoming Scholarship/Financial Aid Workshop taking place on January 28 during a flex period. Space is limited to REGISTER Now in Naviance.
• Seniors who are working on college applications and/or scholarship applications must request their transcripts through the official and approved process: COLLEGE/SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION TRACKING FORM (pwcs.edu)
• Congratulations to Sage McCumber and Lysha Rashid, who have been selected to represent Forest Park High School and attend the HOBY Leadership Seminar at JMU this summer.

Upcoming:

• Grade 10 Parent Workshop scheduled for 1/22/25, 8 am, for Sophomore Parents.
• Parents of College -Bound Seniors

Are you stuck on a FAFSA application question? Do you need help with creating your FSA ID or some other quick question about the FAFSA in general? You can stop by the FAFSA drive by Q & A on January 22nd in the FPHS school library from 9 am - 10:15 am. You may stop by anytime between 9 :00-10:15 am. There will be FAFSA/Financial Aid experts on hand to answer your questions and guide you in the right direction. This session is DIFFERENT from the January 28 Hands on Help Session, where you will be able to receive one on one assistance with completing the FAFSA application and for which Registration is Required. For January 22nd, registration is not required; however, we do ask that you click the link below if you plan to attend. Doing so helps determine the level of interest and to plan for this event. Please complete by no later than January 15th.

Registration Link

We are excited to share our Stanley Fundraiser with our families, just in time for the holidays! If you would like to purchase, please order online through Rycor. We have a limited supplies, so order while you can. Each cup is $50 with the custom 25 year logo.

You can view payment in all student Rycor accounts. Due to limited supplies, we will not be able to accept cash or checks. Please bring a copy of your reciept to the front office for pick up.

Have a business or organization that you would like to advertise? You can purchase a business ad to put in the Forest Park Yearbook. Please see the flyer above for more information.

Visit Jostens (https://www.jostens.com) to order a business ad to be featured in this year's Yearbook. Order your business ad by February 13, 2025.

FULL: $400

1/2: $250

1/4: $160

1/8: $100

QUESTIONS? CONTACT MS. BECKER IN ROOM 1141 OR AT BECKERME@PWCS.EDU.

For updated information from our parent liaison, Ms. Ceron, please view the current newsletter and website.

Hello there,

My name is Aimee Linder and I am a school counselor here at Forest Park. I am also Your FACES connection. What is FACES? FACES stands for Family Academic and Community Engagement Specialist. I will be working closely with our administration and our parent liaison, Kimberly Ceron, as a liaison between students, home, schools, and community. Together we can provide information and resources to students and families to support students' learning at home and promote academic success.

Here is my contact information:

Aimee Linder

Linderar@pwcs.edu

Some of the Benefits of Family and Community Involvement in Schools

A more positive school experience

Family engagement in schools contributes to positive student outcomes, including improved child and student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, improved parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and improved school environment.

Improved academic achievement

Family engagement is associated with higher grades, test scores, and attendance rates. It can also lead to faster literacy acquisition and fewer students dropping out of school.

Positive health behaviors

Family engagement can help students avoid health risks and participate in more positive behaviors, like physical activity. Family engagement can also be positive for a student’s mental health, where everyone is working together to help the student be successful in school.

Connecting families to resources

Families can be connected to community resources that help with basic needs, such as food, housing, clothing, utilities, transportation, and childcare.

Behind the Wheel 90 Minute Meetings have been scheduled with PWCS. Please view the PWCS Site for locations and dates. Families may attend any location. Dates are subject to change, so please check the site for any changes. Meetings begin promptly at 7 p.m.

As we move to continue to support our students, PWCS now has Mental health telehealth services available to PWCS students at no cost to families through Hazel Health.

Looking for ways to support your student's mental health? Hazel Health provides personalized, weekly therapy for PWCS K-12 students at no cost to families, ensuring that every student can receive the support they need.

Hazel Health offers:

• Convenient evening appointments with no waitlists

• 1-on-1 telehealth sessions with licensed therapists specializing in kids and teens

• Bilingual therapy is available in over 19 languages

• Services are available at no cost to families, regardless of ability to pay, insurance status, or immigration status

Visit the PWCS Mental Health Telehealth Services for Students website to learn more.

This feature went live on October 1, 2024.

Please visit the “Parent Library Controls” webpage for more information on the Additional User Type.

While the school shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the student is not provided with access to such materials, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure that the student understands the restriction and does not attempt to access the materials.

Restriction of library materials using the “Additional User Type” is a parent's responsibility. Librarians and school administrators can provide access to the link but cannot provide support within the system.

As previously communicated, Follett School Solutions, the PWCS library management system, recently released the first version of the Additional User Type that allowed parents to connect to their child’s school library catalog and designate restrictions on student-selected library materials.

Prince William County Public Schools is adding additional features to the “Additional User Type.” The new features allow parents and guardians to see what books are currently checked out to their student(s) and what books their student(s) has read previously.

Having up-to-date emergency contact information for our families is vital. We need all families to complete the annual Back to School Packet. Until this packet is complete, parents/guardians will be unable to access important information in ParentVUE to start the new year (including student schedules and bus information). If you do not have an active ParentVUE account, please call our office. For questions about ParentVUE, please contact the Help Desk at 703-791-8826.

The Back to School Packet is where parents/guardians can review emergency cards, update contact information, and complete annual policy reviews and acknowledgements. The packet is completed online in ParentVUE.

All families should complete the Back to School Packet as soon as possible .The information you provide will allow school staff to ensure the safety of your student this school year. Parents/guardians will need to complete the Back to School Packet before accessing student information in ParentVUE including class schedules and bus information.

➡️ View instructions for completing Back to School Packet

When entering Forest Park as a visitor, you must have a valid form of ID. This applies to early dismissal requests, meetings, etc. Please have identification available. We can not accept photos of IDs.

Although most PWCS devices are covered by a basic warranty, we highly encourage our families to purchase additional insurance to cover things like loss and vandalism (not covered by the basic coverage), you can purchase supplemental coverage from Securranty.

Forest Park strives to make early dismissals as smooth as possible. All requests must be delivered no later than 1:45 p.m. on the day of dismissal. This helps ensure the pass is provided to your child in a timely manor and helps smooth traffic flow for buses and parents.

Requests can be accepted in many ways. Below are some ways to request dismissals in advance:

1. Have your child bring a note the morning of the dismissal. They will deliver to their alpha administrative assistant to confirm. Please note that we MUST confirm the note with you.
2. Call the morning of the dismissal. You will be transferred to the alpha administrative assistant to confirm. Please note that ONLY parent/guardians may call in for requests. We can not accept calls from emergency contacts.
3. Send an email the morning of the dismissal. Below is a list of the alpha administrative assistants and their emails:

• A-Con: Mrs. Campbell campbeGW@pwcs.edu
• Coo-Hem: Mrs. Mejia mejiaCS@pwcs.edu
• Hen-Men: Mrs. Bambling bambliSE@pwcs.edu
• Meo-R: Mrs. Rocco roccoSM@pwcs.edu
• S-Z: Mrs. Burgos burgosNX@pwcs.edu

Families can report absences to the school in ParentVue or by sending an email to our attendance assistant at arguetJL@pwcs.edu

Absences must be reported to the school with in five days of absence.

This show is an opportunity for Prince William County students, staff, and parents to come out and show their talent, while having a chance to win some amazing prizes, they are also giving back to families in need, because through proceeds from the show we are able to purchase Christmas gifts for underprivileged children! How amazing is that!

Students, staff, and parents can audition, as there is no age requirement. The talent doesn’t have to be a Christmas rendition, must be age appropriate, and no profanity or vulgar language, no obscene gestures, and talent must be age appropriate. This show is hosted by non-profit 501 ( c) (3), PowerMax Company. We hope that your staff, parents, and students will join us!

This year's breakfast and lunch fees are listed below. Student cafeteria balances can be managed at My School Bucks or making a direct payment with the manager via cask/check.

The following are the USDA-approved school meal prices for the 2024-25 school year:

Breakfast

Student full price - $1.60

Adult price - $2.75

Lunch

Elementary student full price - $2.60

Middle student full price - $2.75

High student full price - $2.85

Adult full price - $4.65

A la carte - Milk, $1

If you have questions, please contact the Food and Nutrition Department at 703-791-3151.

The Community Eligibility Provision list is updated for the 2024-25 school year, and the free and reduced-price meals application is open.

Find information on the PWCS School Meals webpage.

If you have questions regarding the free and reduced-price meal application process, contact the PWCS Food and Nutrition Department at 703-791-7314.

PWCS students in kindergarten through 12th grade have access to free online tutoring 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

Throughout our partnership with Varsity Tutors, every student has unlimited access to trained tutors to ask questions or get feedback on their writing, as well as practice independently in a variety of subjects to grow their confidence.

Varsity Tutors is a secure, online tutoring service that provides students with unlimited, 24/7 academic support. Whether you’re stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions for your essays, there will always be experts available online to assist students in all subjects.

For more information please visit PWCS Varsity Tutor for more details.

Keep in mind that students must have a completed physical form dated after May 1, 2024, have completed their concussion training, and have submitted a completed emergency card. Please contact the Athletics Office for more information by calling the school at 703-583-3200.

PWCS is hiring! Please CLICK HERE to view current vacancies.