Forked River School Newsletter

Season’s Greetings from the Forked River School staff! We hope your December will be filled with holiday cheer!

The Forked River School PTA will host their annual Holiday Shop for students on December 9th, 10th, and 11th during the school day in our library. As always, we would like to thank our PTA members for their ongoing dedication to enhancing our students’ educational experiences at the Forked River School! A copy of the Holiday Shop information will be sent home soon.

Our annual Holiday Chorus Concert will take place on Thursday, December 19th. Students will be performing for parents at 7:00 PM in the Lacey Township High School Auditorium. The Lacey Township High School is located at 73 Haines Street, Lanoka Harbor, NJ 08734. Our chorus members will also be performing two concerts during the school day as well for our students and staff.

As part of our ongoing community service efforts, our Hero Club students, led by their advisor Mrs. Nachman, are accepting donations of non-perishable food items as well as children's new winter hats, socks, gloves, scarves and ear muffs for the Lacey Food Bank. We are accepting the non-perishable food items through December 16th and we are collecting new children’s winter hats, socks, gloves, scarves and ear muffs through December 3rd. All food and clothing items collected will be donated to the Lacey Food Bank for distribution to Lacey families in need.

The first trimester of the 2024-2025 school year ends on Monday, December 9th. Report cards will go home and they will be available in your Parent Portal on Tuesday, December 17th.

School will be closed for the Winter Holiday Break from Monday, December 23, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025. School will reopen for students on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Please note that Friday, December 20th is a 1:00 PM early dismissal day for students. Breakfast will be served and lunch will not be served. Students should pack a snack and students attending the Champions Afterschool Program should pack a lunch for when they arrive at Champions after dismissal.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our November Students of the Month at the Forked River School. These students were chosen by our special area teachers for their positive attitudes, kind nature, and commitment to learning:

November

Art: Sadie Luepke and Jonathan Docs

Library: Mariah Carvalho and Alexander Salvatore - Nackos

Music: Hadley Gibson and Owen Glasser

Physical Education: Bella Riggio and Sophia Riggio

World Language: Gabriella Butler and Angel Torres-Castro

Our Spirit Committee is hosting the following Spirit Days during the month of December:

• Friday, December 6th and 13th - Wear your FRS and or Lacey spirit wear!
• Monday, December 16th - Winter Wonderland Day - Wear blue, silver, and white!
• Tuesday, December 17th - Warm and Cozy Day - Wear your favorite sweater!
• Wednesday, December 18th - Wear your holiday colors!
• Thursday, December 19th - Wear your holiday hat!
• Friday, December 20th - Wear your pajamas with your normal footwear! (no slippers)

As the winter season approaches, 92.7 WOBM FM will broadcast emergency school closings for the Lacey Township School District and our automated communication system will also be used. Closings are also posted on our website as well, https://www.laceyschools.org/frs.

Mrs. Ward, our school nurse, has provided the following health information to help parents and students stay healthy through the winter season:

A good night of sleep is important for children. Eight to ten hours of sleep for elementary-aged children is recommended. Breakfast is an important meal for children to prepare them both mentally and physically for the day ahead. Snacks and meals should be nutritional and not high in sugar content. Washing your hands with warm, soapy water is one of the best ways to prevent illness. Please remind children to wash their hands before meals, after using the restroom, and after a cough or sneeze. It is important to keep your child home from school if:

• Your child was ill during the night or in the morning of a school day.
• Your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher. A child should have a temperature under 100 degrees without the use of Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, or similar products, for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
• Your child has vomited within the past 24 hours or has severe nausea, stomach pains, or diarrhea.
• Your child has a painful throat or glands on the side of the neck that are swollen, red eyes with drainage, an earache, a rash, or flu-like symptoms.
• Your child has a persistent and/or productive cough. Please note, cough drops or lozenges are allowed in school but must be dropped off by a parent and kept in the health office.

In the event that your child will be absent from school, please call 609-971-2080 and then dial 2 to reach our 24-hour absentee line for reporting your child’s absence. If your child was seen by a healthcare provider, kindly obtain a note regarding your child’s absence. The New Jersey Department of Education identifies a student as chronically absent when their absence rate exceeds ten percent of the number of days school has been in session.

Recess is an important time for our students to develop their social skills while engaging in free play with their classmates and to exercise ahead of their afternoon studies. During the winter months, students will be going out for recess if the wind chill temperature is 37 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Please be sure students have warm coats, hats, and gloves, so they may have an enjoyable time outside.

In closing, we would like to wish all of our families a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

The Forked River School Staff

Email: efiedler@laceyschools.org
Website: https://www.laceyschools.org/frs
Location: 110 Lacey Road, Forked River, NJ, USA
Phone: 609-971-2080