Forest Park Flyer
Forest Park, a place to dream, believe and achieve!
October 2021
The character trait for the month of October is Respect.
From the Principal...
Tuesday, November 2nd - Students are only in attendance until 11:30. Conferences will be
scheduled in the afternoon on this day.
Tuesday, November 12th - Students are not in attendance on this day. Conferences will be
scheduled all day.
Wednesday, November 24th - Students are only in attendance until 11:30. Conferences will
be scheduled in the afternoon on this day.
We look forward to discussing your child's progress with you in November.
Report Card Distribution Dates
Throughout the course of the year, parents are always welcome to contact their child's teacher if they have questions or concerns about their child's performance. At the parent conference in November, you will receive feedback about where your child is academically and the goals on which staff will be working with your son or daughter throughout the year. In addition to the parent conference in the fall, you will also receive a report card which formally documents the progress your child has made toward meeting grade level benchmarks. Report cards will be distributed three times during the year, December 10th, April 1st and on the last day of school. Our report card is standards based so it may look different from the document you have seen in year's past. In each content area, your child will be assessed on a variety of skills from the New York State Common Core curriculum. A rating of a 4, 3, 2 or 1 will be assigned in an effort to communicate if your child is exceeding, meeting, working toward or not meeting each standard. You will also receive feedback about your child's social skills and work habits along with comments about their specific strengths and areas for growth as learners. At the K-4 level, academics are definitely a focus; however, we are also spending a great deal of time teaching your child to be a student and helping them understand how to interact with their peers and with others as social beings. As you review your student's report card, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our staff if you have questions or concerns. As always, it is our pleasure to work together with our families to ensure the needs of all of our students are met.
Communication During School Hours
If, during the day, an emergency arises resulting in a change in your child(ren)'s dismissal plan, please be sure to contact a member of the staff in the main office at (518) 869-3006. Teachers rarely have time to check email or messages on Parent Square during the school day because they are hard at work in the classroom providing instruction to our students. The staff do check their messages before and after school and will get back to families within 24 hours. The members of the Forest Park staff recognize the importance of continued communication with the members of our school community and work hard to keep the lines of communication open while balancing their lives at home and lives at school. We appreciate your willingness to work together to ensure emergency messages are not missed.
Thank you again for all of your support of our students and staff. Together we will help all of our children reach their full potential as learners!
Mrs. Penn
Using Aspen
Once you have established an account, you will go to the Family View when you are attempting to locate information about your child. On that page, you can access tabs that will provide you with bus information, state test scores and, on the date that grades are posted, your child's report card. If you have an account but are unable to access it, you can contact our Aspen administrator clicking on the help link on the Aspen portal. If your contact information changes at any point during the year, please be sure to notify a member of the staff in our main office. Parent Square is connected to Aspen, so we want to make sure you remain connected and informed.
Library News from Mrs. Kuno
Digital Citizenship
Beginning in October and continuing throughout the year, students will be learning about digital citizenship. Topics to be covered include knowing your their digital footprint, media balance, cyber bullying, and online privacy. These developmentally appropriate lessons will help students to take ownership of the their digital lives and help them to make smart choices online and in life. Information will be coming home about the what students are learning as well as activities and tips you as a family can do and use to support what students are learning in school.
We will be using the curriculum designed by Common Sense Education who partnered with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education to develop lessons that look at the real challenges and digital dilemmas that students and families face today. For more information about the curriculum and resources for families click on the link below.
All Are Welcome Story Walk
News from Nurse Criscione
According to the NYS rules and regulations, students in grades PK, K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 & 11 (both in person and virtual) are required to provide an updated physical within the first 30 days of school. Please be sure to provide a copy of your child's physical exam signed by a physician dated 9/08/21 or later. If your child has an upcoming appointment please let the school nurse know the date of this appointment. All records, or the date of exam, are required in the health office by October 8, 2021.
Exams can be sent in with your child in an envelope marked nurse, emailed to criscionee@scolonie.org, or faxed to 518-869-5891. Exam dates, questions or concerns can be relayed to Nurse Criscione at 518-869-6863 or via email.
Health and Safety Updates
Q. Are parents required to ensure their child or children do not show symptoms of COVID-19 or a fever before boarding the bus or entering school each day?
A. Yes. All families are required to complete the health and safety measures daily which include answering the four questions on the attached sheet honestly and taking their child(ren)’s temperature each day. This information does not need to be recorded or submitted.
Q. Is a COVID-19 test required if symptomatic?
A. If your child demonstrates any COVID related symptoms they may only return to school with a note from a health care provider with an alternative diagnosis or a negative COVID test.
Q. What if a symptomatic student is not tested for COVID-19?
A. Students are unable to return to school until it has been 10 days since the onset of symptoms AND 3 days since their last fever without the use of fever-reducing medication and improvement of symptoms.
Q. What happens if a child demonstrates COVID symptoms while at school?
A. If a child demonstrates ANY of the COVID symptoms while at school, they will be put in the isolation area in the Nurse’s Office. There are clear shower curtains around each cot so the students can see the nurse and the nurse can maintain visual contact with the students. Families will be contacted immediately and a parent, guardian or designees must pick the child up within the hour. When you arrive, you will receive an informational sheet outlining what steps need to be taken from there, including contacting your medical provider.
Q. What happens if my child’s sibling is sent home for demonstrating COVID symptoms while at school?
A. Per the state guidelines, the siblings of a child who is in isolation cannot come to school unless the sibling or family member tests negative for COVID. All students who have a sibling with symptoms will be sent home from school or should remain at home until a negative COVID test result has been received or for 10 days.
Q. If my child goes home with symptoms, when can they return to school?
A. A student may return to school after they have been cleared by a medical provider, receive a negative COVID test and are fever free for 48 hours without fever reducing medication. Paperwork verifying this must be in the health office before the child can return.
Q. If it is necessary for a class to quarantine or the school to be closed, who will make that
determination and how soon will families be notified?
A. Any decisions made regarding quarantines or closure will be made by the Albany County Department of Health and/or the New York State Department of Health. The decision to close
school or quarantine a class is not a local decision. Families will be notified as soon as the school receives information about a closure. Please be sure your contact information (cell, home number and email address) is updated in Aspen so you can ensure you receive any and all notifications from the district or building.
*All guidelines listed above are from the CDC and/or Department of Health. These are not specific to Forest Park Elementary School. They are the current safety guidelines in place for all schools.
Birthday Celebrations and Toys at School
I also wanted to remind families that students should not bring toys from home to school. This rule also applies to poppers. Often, when toys are brought from home, children decide to trade with friends, items get lost or distractions can occur. At school, we have a number of items that children can use during their free time. We also have stress management tools for those individuals who like to use the poppers to help them refocus or relax. Thank you for ensuring your child refrains from bringing toys from home to school.
Real Kids Wear Pink
The Real Kids Wear Pink movement has given kids the opportunity to become leaders in the fight against breast cancer by providing a platform to raise funds and awareness – including wearing PINK on Friday, October 22nd, the official 2021 Real Kids Wear Pink Day. Forest Park will once again participate in Real Kids Wear Pink Day - for $1, your student(s) can wear pink and support the American Cancer Society.
Wanted: Painters
We have a wonderful courtyard area that was created by a past student, Patrick Hilt. This was his Eagle Scout Project! He made all of the wooden benches that many students use each and everyday. With the constant exposure to the elements, they've begun to age.
Are you involved in a Cub Scout/Boy Scout troop? Brownie/Girl Scout troop? Church group? Neighborhood friends' group? And...would you like to have a community service project?
Here's your chance! The benches desperately need to be stained. If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Shawn Healy, Kindergarten teacher and courtyard enthusiast, at healys@scolonie.org
Many thanks.
Kids' Corner - Mrs. Reilly
Falcon Fest Dance Fit Fundraiser
The Forest Park Elementary School PTA is hosting a two-week fundraiser powered by the Boosterthon team! Instead of selling items, families will gather pledges to help our school, while students experience a world-class character program. Each day, we will post the character education video we reviewed together at school on ParentSquare so you can participate at home. This year, the character theme is "Sports City Worldwide." Some of the topics to be covered in the character education videos include curiosity, practice, confidence, humility and endurance. The videos we have viewed in year's past have been amazing, and we expect nothing less this year!
The kick-off for the event will be held on Monday, October 4th at or Morning Program, but you and your child can begin collecting pledges today! All of the pledges will be collected on-line. Go to www.mybooster.com to create a dashboard where friends and family members can make donations on behalf of your child.
On October 15th, all of our students will participate in a danceathon as a culminating event!! During the two weeks leading up to the program, we will have a number of school spirit days to get everyone excited about this school wide event so be sure to check ParentSquare each day for the character video and to see what school spirit day is coming up next!! Thank you, as always, for your support of our school and our PTA.
October 12th - Crazy Hair/Hat Day
October 13th - Backwards/Inside Out Day
October 14th - Pajama Day
A Look Ahead
October
10/4 BoosterThon Kick-Off
10/5 PTA Meeting - Link will be shared by PTA
10/6 School Pictures
10/7 Go Home Early Drill (Parents should be at bus stop 5 minutes early)
10/8 Staff Only/No School for Students
10/11 Columbus Day - No School
10/15 BoosterThon Day
10/22 Real Kids Wear Pink Day
10/29 School Spirit Day
PTA News and Notes
Hello! Thank you to everyone who has paid their dues and rejoined the PTA for the 2021-2022 school year! We appreciate your support and look forward to joining everyone virtually at the next PTA meeting! If you haven’t had a chance to sign (back) up yet, no worries, it’s not too late! Go to our Memberhub store: https://forestparkelementaryschoolpta.memberhub.store/ and you’ll be able to add everyone who wants to become a member of the PTA. You can even pay your dues directly using the link. Thank you in advance for your support of the school, teachers, staff and children!
We are excited to be partnering with Boosterthon for our third annual Dance Fit Party. This year's theme is Sports City Worldwide. Sports City Worldwide is an international sports theme all about playing sports and demonstrating good character while competing. Students will travel the world and meet 5 REAL kid-athletes who play with character. We’re continuing the fun from our previous theme that focused on kid-athletes in the U.S and will be hearing about inspiring stories from kids worldwide! From our coordinator, Nicole:
On October 4th, we’ll kick off our Falcon Dance Fit Challenge! Our goal is to raise $11,500 toward new playground equipment. This year, more than ever, we need additional funds to provide an excellent educational experience for all of our students. We completely understand if your family is not in a position to financially support the school right now. You can still be involved by simply SHARING information about our fundraiser with friends and extended family online at www.mybooster.com. Sharing IS supporting! All students will participate in the Falcon Dance Fit Challenge regardless of financial participation. We will also be following our school safety guidelines to ensure a safe and fun experience for everyone.
We appreciate your support more than you know. More details to come as we get closer to kickoff!
Key dates to remember:
Donating Opens on mybooster.com - 9/27
Kickoff Day- 10/4
Event Day - 10/15
For other ways to support the PTA throughout the year, we participate in the following programs:
Box Tops for Education (www.boxtops4education.com): Download the app and scan your receipt! Any products that have BoxTops will be credited to the school- no more clipping and saving.
School Bucks (shopatcoloniecenter.com/school-bucks): Submit your receipt(s) and fill out the form at the Security desk (downstairs between Moe’s and Five Guys) for Forest Park. For every dollar spent, the school gets a point and the top ten schools get prizes at the end of the year!
CAPCOM School Banking (www.capcomfcu.org): School Banking has been put on hold until at least the winter recess, but you can still help the PTA out by enrolling your child in school banking if they’re not already participants. The PTA will receive $10 for each new enrollee from now until November 30.
And as a reminder, we are always looking for pictures for the yearbook so please feel free to share any pictures of the kids throughout the year with us at forestparkptacolonie@gmail.com.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 5th at 6:30pm. Meetings will be online and an agenda and link to join will be posted on our Facebook and sent out to all registered members from MemberHub.
Join the PTA...
PTA Meeting
Meeting Agenda
Welcome
Principal’s Report (Jill Penn)
Treasurer’s Report
Falcon Danceathon (Friday, October 15): Pledging is now open!
Approve minutes from September meeting
Tuesday, Oct 5, 2021, 06:30 PM
Virtually
About us...
Email: fpattendance@scolonie.org
Website: http://www.southcolonieschools.org/forest-park-elementary-school/
Location: 100 Forest Drive, Albany, NY, USA
Phone: (518) 869-3006
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForestParkElementarySchool