Forest Park Flyer
Forest Park, a place to dream, believe and achieve!
April 2019
The character trait for the month of April is Honesty.
From the Principal...
During the month of March, a lot of exciting things happened here at Forest Park Elementary School. In addition to our work together as a school community to solve the mystery of the missing emerald, we also celebrated the accomplishments of our staff and our students.
This month, we received the exciting news that a member of our Forest Park team was selected as a Top Teacher by News Channel 13. Mrs. Karen Sitterly, a kindergarten teacher at Forest Park, was chosen from among several nominees as one of the Top Teachers in the Capital Region. Mrs. Sitterly has been a member of our team since entering the district in 1995. For the majority of her career, Mrs. Sitterly was a member of our 1st grade team, and in 2018, Mrs. Sitterly joined our kindergarten team where she works in support of the newest members of our school community to support them in their transition to school! As an educator, Mrs. Sitterly is among our very best! We are fortunate to have her as a member of our team here at Forest Park. Congratulations to Mrs. Sitterly on this well deserved recognition!! The segment will air this month. We will send the link out via SNN and post it on our website when it airs.
Coach Meacham and the participants in the Kids Heart Challenge (formally known as Jump Rope for Heart) had another amazing year with this program. On Friday, March 15th, Coach Meacham presented a check for $12,000 to the American Heart Association at our Morning Program Assembly. This is Coach Meacham's sixth year organizing the event and teaching our students about their heart health while helping others and raising money for the American Heart Association. In addition to teaching kids how to keep their hearts and bodies healthy by staying active, the program also educates students about how to eat healthy and choose water over sugary beverages. This year's heart hero is Channing, a 2nd grader in Mrs. Myers class. Channing raised $635! One of our kindergarten students, Addison F., raised $525! Riley, Hailey, Jameson and Anthony raised more than $300 each, and Addison B., Olivia, Scout, Nicole, Ava, Melody, Katie, Nino, Joseph, Caleb and Kiera all raised more than $200. In the past six years, our Forest Park community has raised a total of $57,140 for the American Heart Association. Thank you again to Coach Meacham for making the program possible and to all of the members of our Forest Park community who have helped us to give back to our community. Great job!!!
We are looking forward to an exciting spring here at the building and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Invention Convention Fair on April 12th and our annual Budget Vote on May 21st.
-Mrs. Penn
Grade Four to Middle School Events
Former Forest Park students currently in grade 5 will be visiting Forest Park on June 6th to present a 30-minute program to our grade 4 classes. Fourth grade students will be allowed to ask questions of the grade 5 students during this visit. If your fourth grader has any questions or concerns about moving up to the middle school, encourage your child to have their questions ready on the 6th. After the presentation, our fourth graders will be taking a bus to Sand Creek to participate in a brief tour and informational event at the middle school!
Grade 5 Locker Orientation
Grade 4 students and parents will have the opportunity to walk through the fifth grade wing and familiarize themselves with the school prior to the first day of classes on August 29th from 4:00-6:00pm. An opportunity to practice your locker combination practice and drop off your school supplies will also be available on that evening.
Library News from Mrs. Kuno
http://forestparklibrary.weebly.com/
Author Visit: Diane deGroat
Award winning author and illustrator, Diane deGroat, will be visiting Forest Park on April 17th. She will be meeting with students to talk about her books, what it is like to be an author and illustrator, and will answer students' questions. As part of her visit, Ms. deGroat will personalize and autograph her books. Families may purchase the books at a discount by completing the book order form below and returning it by April 10th with payment in cash or check made payable to South Colonie Schools.
To learn more about Ms. deGroat and her books, visit her website at http://www.dianedegroat.com.
Thank you!
We had so much fun reading the Mysterious Moonstone and solving the mystery of the missing Forest Park Emerald. Thank you to all our families who enjoyed reading along with us at home, answering the trivia questions, and listening to our Mystery Readers.
Congratulations to second grader Allyssa for her winning design in our "Books are the Key to Knowledge" contest. Thank you to our judges, Superintendent Buhner, Board of Education member, Ms. Rose Gigiello, and Mrs. Penn. Thank you also to all 78 of the students who submitted a design for the contest. Everyone did an amazing job!
Finally, thank you to the Forest Park PTA for making this program possible. The PTA provided the funds for the books and for the author to visit our school for a school wide assembly.
School Banking
Diane deGroat Author Visit
Spring Pictures
Multicultural Festival
If you have any questions about the event, please contact April Mlambi at mlambia@scolonie.org. We hope to see you there!!
Kids' Corner - Special Education Classes
It’s been a busy and exciting year as a special education team! We have had the privilege of going on a variety of field trips to help support our life skills curriculum. So far Miss Brannigan’s, Mrs. Tierney’s, Mrs. Carpenter’s and Mrs. Winters’ classes have gone to Colonie Center to visit with Santa Claus and eat in the food court, visit the Pine Bush Preserve to learn about owls, and order food at McDonald's for lunch.
Our students are learning a variety of skills to promote independence. Some of the activities we have been exposing our students to include: reading a menu, ordering their own food, money ($) skills, appropriate manners for riding a school bus, and socializing in the community. We look forward to our next trip to VIA Aquarium in April! We would like to thank our PTA for helping us fund this field trip! Our students are growing with every new adventure.
Nutrition Education
- Prepare nutritious foods on a tight schedule and tight budget
- Find time in the daily routine for physical activity
- Help their children choose healthy snacks
- Make exercise fun
- Make nutritious foods attractive to children
If you have any questions about your child’s school breakfast, lunch or snack options or your child’s dietary restrictions please contact the Food Service Department at (518) 869-3576.
Use the three links below to:
- view this month's Nutrition Nuggets
- view this month's school lunch menu
- sign up for My School Bucks
Fairy Tale Ball
Save the date for the 8th Annual Fairy Tale Ball featuring your favorite princesses and super heroes.
Friday, June 7th
Colonie Central High School MUG
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
This year’s guest of honor is 5 year old Charlie Fernandez. Charlie is a student at Veeder Elementary School who was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Please come to show your support for Charlie and her entire family. It will be a BLAST! We hope to see you there. Questions should be directed to Sarah Norton at nortons@scolonie.org
A Look Ahead
April
2nd - PTA Meeting, 6:30 (Library)
3rd - ELA State Test (3rd-4th Graders)
4th - ELA State Test (3rd-4th Graders)
10th- Spring Pictures
12th- Science Invention Convention, 6:30pm
17th - Diane deGroat Author Visit
19th -Spring Break Begins - No School
May
7th - PTA Meeting, 6:30 (Library)
21st- Budget Vote Day & Bake Sale
June
2nd - PTA Pancake Breakfast at the Village Family Rec Center
4th - PTA Meeting, 6:30 (Library)
11th - 4th grade Friendship Day Breakfast
PTA News and Notes
Spring is here, and with the start of a new season your PTA has some exciting news! Forest Park will be holding its FIRST PANCAKE BREAKFAST on Sunday, June 2nd! The Forest Park staff, parents, and students will all be working hard together to make this breakfast a success! We are excited to gather as a community and raise money for our school! Please tell your family and friends about this upcoming event and plan on joining us 6/2 at the Village Family Rec Center! More information about the pancake breakfast will be coming home soon.
We know it is hard to participate in every fundraiser, and since the start of this school year, the PTA has been working hard to schedule fundraisers that enable our school to have funding for assemblies without overwhelming our families. For next year, our plan is to have one fall fundraiser and the spring Pancake Breakfast as our spring fundraiser. Our Dine Out nights will be scheduled, but please know there is no obligation or pressure to purchase. We have been making about $130 with each Dine Out night and every little bit counts and we appreciate your support of Forest Park!
Our April PTA meeting will be held on April 2nd in the school library at 6:30 and childcare is provided. At that meeting, we will be discussing upcoming events, plans for next year, and will officially announce the slate of officers for next year. If you have any ideas for future fund raiser, would like to become a board member, or wish to volunteer for any of our upcoming events, please join us that evening!
Finally, we are looking for volunteers to help with our 4th Grade Friendship Day Breakfast on June 11th. We will need donations for the breakfast as well as volunteers to help cook and set up on the actual date. If you are NOT a 4th grade parent, and can volunteer on this date please contact, Carolyn Parisi at cparisi226@gmail.com, or Kristina Lampariello at serendipitousbyk@yahoo.com.
2018-2019 PTA Board
President: Chelsea Lattanzio- chealsealattanzio1130@gmail.com
Vice President: Kristina Lampariello- serendipitousbyk@yahoo.com
Vice President: Angela Futia- angelinaz1104@aol.com
Vice President: Teresa Pizzigati- clilly720@yahoo.com
Treasurer: Kristen Donnellan- kristenfall02@yahoo.com
Secretary: Carolyn Parisi- cparisi226@gmail.comPTA Board Nominations 2019-2020
Nominations are now being accepted for individuals who are interested in serving on the Forest Park PTA Board. Service for these positions will begin on July 1, 2019 and run through June 30, 2020. Nominees must be active members of the Forest Park PTA. All positions are one-year terms and may be served by the same person for a maximum of two consecutive years.
The following Forest Park PTA Board positions are available for the 2019 – 2020 school year:
President: Direct the affairs of the unit in cooperation with the other members of the PTA Board. Serve as a liaison between the unit and the school administration and staff. Direct responsibility for programs and/or events as laid out in the Policy and Procedures. Serve on the PTA Council; attend PTA training and workshops.
Treasurer: Serve as a member of the PTA Board; authorized financial custodian of the unit. Receive and disburse all money as prescribed by the Bylaws. Provide monthly and annual reports of the unit’s financial status and organize annual audit of accounts. Attend monthly PTA Board and general membership meetings; serve as the Reporting Office for various events; attend PTA training and workshops.
Secretary: Serve as a member of the PTA Board; take meeting minutes during PTA Board and general membership meetings; prepare and distribute minutes to members. The secretary will serve as the editor of the monthly newsletter. Distribute information to entire membership through a variety of means including, but not limited to, e-blasts, and Facebook. Attend monthly PTA Board and general membership meetings; serve as the Reporting Office for various events; attend PTA training and workshops.
Current PTA Board members can seek nominations for positions other than the position for which they currently serve. If you or someone you know is willing to serve as an officer on the PTA Board, please fill out the nomination form on the back of this letter. All forms must be returned by no later than Friday May 3, 2019, Attn: PTA Nominating Committee. Forms can also be emailed to: Angelinaz1104@aol.com.
All nominees will be contacted to accept or decline their nomination(s). Everyone can be assured that the Nominating Committee will keep all nominations and discussions confidential. The Nominating Committee will consider all nominations and present the slate of officers at the April general membership meeting for vote.
We thank you in advance for your continued support and participation in this process.
SEPTA
The Special Eduaction PTA is offering a workshop called Self Determination: Helping Youth with Disabilities Find a Voice and Take Charge of Their Lives on April 4th from 6-8 pm at the Sand Creek Middle School Library.
Do you know a graduating senior who received special education services through an IEP or a 504 plan during any year of their K-12 school years at a South Colonie? If so, please let them know they can apply for the SEPTA Senior Award. A graduating senior can receive a $250 Scholarship from SEPTA. Please contact the guidance office at the high school for an application.
SEPTA is looking for board members and officers for the 2019-2020 school year. Please contact an officer if interested.
Officers:
President Agnes Skiff: scseptapres@gmail.com
Acting Vice President 1 Jessica Calarco: scseptavp1@gmail.com
Secretary Heather Linacre: scseptasecty@gmail.com
Treasurer Lauren Moore: scseptatreas@gmail.com
Science Invention Convention
Friday, April 12, 2019
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Forest Park Cafeteria
We are excited to once again host the science invention convention. Come and and see some of the creations our young inventors have created:
+a scientific experiment demonstration
+a model of an important scientific discovery
+an amazing, original experiment/invention
PTA Meeting
• Meet and Greet
• Principal Report (Jill Penn)
• Pancake Breakfast- updates
-grade level contributions
-list of donations
-what is needed
• Nominations for PTA board (open positions available)
• Review and Approve February & March meeting Minutes
• Science Invention Convention
• 4th grade Friendship Day and K Family Celebration
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019, 06:30 PM
100 Forest Drive, Albany, NY, USA
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