Forest Knolls Mustang Message

November 3, 2024

Dr. Taylor-Cox, Principal

Forest Knolls Elementary School

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

This Week's Mustang Message Includes:

Message from Dr. Taylor-Cox
Open House
Forest Knolls ES Book Fair
Parent-Teacher Conferences
ParentVUE
Respiratory Illnesses
Piano Sales
Family Resources
Message from our Forest Knolls PTA
Important Dates

Message from Dr. Taylor-Cox

I appreciate the opportunity to serve as Forest Knolls ES principal. It warms my heart each day when I greet the students as they enter the building. They bring so much joy, excitement, and energy. Thank you for sending your child to school with us.

Open House

Parents/Caregivers are invited to attend the Forest Knolls ES Open House on Monday, November 11th from 9:00-11:00 AM. This is a time for you to visit your child’s class to see a glimpse of a typical morning in school. Other than soft greetings and affirmation signals (such as a wave, smile, thumbs up), there is minimal parent/child or parent/teacher interaction during the visit, unless specifically initiated by the teacher. You are invited to observe your child’s engagement and learning within the classroom environment. In order to maximize the experience for all participants, we ask parents/caregivers to limit their individual classroom visits to 30-45 minutes. Parents/caregivers must sign-in and pick-up a Visitor Sticker upon arrival. We are unable to accommodate younger children in classrooms. We encourage families with babies or toddlers to work together to create an opportunity to visit classrooms. We invite you to complete a survey about your experience after Open House. We look forward to seeing you!

Forest Knolls ES Book Fair

Fall into a Good Book with the Scholastic Book Fair!

Forest Knolls will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair in November! Families are invited to shop the fair with their child after school (see the schedule below). Fair proceeds will support the school library and also be used to purchase a book for every student who wishes to buy one, regardless of financial ability. Please reach out to Media Specialist Rachel Burroughs (Rachel_burroughs@mcpsmd.org) if you need a book voucher for your student. Volunteers welcome – sign up here!

Book Fair Schedule

Mon. November 11, 9:00-11:00 AM: Adults are invited to preview the fair during Monday’s Open House. No sales at this time.

Tues. November 12, 3:30-5:30 PM: Families invited to shop at the fair.

Wed. November 13, 3:30-5:30 PM: Families invited to shop at the fair.

Thurs. November 14, 5:00-7:00 PM: Families invited to shop at the fair. FINAL NIGHT

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences offer the opportunity to discuss your child’s academic progress and growth, as well as your child’s strengths, needs, and behaviors. Teachers and parents become better informed about our students by learning from each other. This year, Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 25 & 26 which are MCPS early dismissal days. Conferences will be in-person unless parents request a virtual option. Your child’s teacher will contact you with information on how to sign up for a specific date and time. Our wonderful teachers will work with you to find a time that best works for all even if that time is outside of the designated days.

Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher conferences are a great opportunity for home and school to learn from each other. When you meet with your child’s teacher, take advantage of the time to ask questions that you feel will help you support your child at home. Here are a couple of tips to consider in preparing for the meeting:

Share. We all appreciate the feedback we receive. If you feel something is working well, please be sure to share. Our goal is to provide a successful instructional program for your child.
Prepare. Think about what you would like to accomplish during the meeting. Identify questions that will inform you of progress or curriculum. Remember, meetings are usually scheduled back-to-back, so having things written down may help with pacing. Feel free to schedule another meeting or phone conversation if you run out of time.

Communicate. Think of ways to communicate questions or concerns that foster a productive conversation. We know students are more successful when we work together.

ParentVUE

You have access to your child's Marking Period 1 Interim Report and MAP Reports from the Fall administration in ParentVUE. Both reports can be found in the Documents section. Interim reports reflect a snapshot of student progress based on the first half of the marking period. MAP assessments are given 3 times a year; the 2nd administration window is 12/16-1/28. If you need help locating the information, please contact our Staff Development Teacher, Ms. Jackie Martins.

Respiratory Illnesses

In a response to an increase in reports of respiratory illnesses in Montgomery County Public Schools, we are providing the following general information.

Parents of children who are 2 years of age or younger or who have a chronic health condition and are experiencing these symptoms should immediately contact their health care provider.

Respiratory illnesses are infections in the airway and/or lungs that may be caused by a variety of organisms including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Respiratory illnesses can range in severity. Antibiotics and antiviral medications may be used to treat respiratory illnesses.

Symptoms of respiratory illness include:

Fever, sweating and chills
Cough, which may produce thick sputum
Difficulty breathing
Chest pain when breathing deeply or coughing
Fatigue and muscle aches
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Headache

Contact your health care provider if you are experiencing:

Difficulty breathing
Chest pain
Fever of 102° or higher
Persistent cough
Coughing up a lot of sputum

You can prevent respiratory illnesses by:

Getting a seasonal flu shot
Washing hands regularly or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Cover your cough
Staying fit and rested

Piano Sales

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has a business partnership with Schaeffer’s Piano Company, Inc., providing 15 grand, upright, and digital loaner pianos to MCPS at no cost. MCPS provides maintenance for the instruments and informs our students, parents, and guardians of the partnership. Background Schaeffer’s Piano Company, Inc., has a public sale of instruments twice a year—the first sale is scheduled for November 16–24, 2024. During this time, the public can purchase pianos at reduced prices. Our partnership with Schaeffer’s Piano Company, Inc., commits MCPS to provide the notice of this sale to each student.

Piano Sale Program E

Piano Sale Program S

Family Resources

The next Latino Parent Coffee is November 20, 2024 at 9:00-10:00 in Room 48.

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).

Caring Matters Virtual Family Nights Grief Support for the Whole Family

Message from our Forest Knolls PTA

Do you like to bake? Do you like to eat baked goods? Then the FKES Election Day Bake Sale sponsored by the 5th grade class is for you!! Volunteer to supply some baked goods (homemade or store bought, we aren't picky) or simply come to Forest Knolls Elementary School on Election Day and buy some delicious baked goods - even if you voted early, you can still stop by for treats or coffee. Can't wait to see you there and tell your neighbors! Visit cutt.ly/2024bakesale to donate items and/or volunteer to help out.

The November FKES PTA meeting will be Wednesday, November 6th from 7:00-8:15 PM instead of our regular Tuesday meeting. New this month - mingle time with Dr. Taylor-Cox from 6:45-7 before the meeting starts. Special guest Dana Gillespie, Program Specialist Services with Autism Spectrum Disorders will join us to talk about the new Autism program at FKES. Email questions to president@fkespta.org. Please join us to hear updates about all the fun stuff happening at FKES. Spanish translation provided. Free childcare provided by KAH.

Have you joined the Forest Knolls PTA yet? The FKES PTA funds and plans the extra events like Hispanic Heritage night, materials for clubs, and fun things like the running club that make our school community great. 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!