News and Events
Incoming Kindergarten Survey
Click here to complete the Kindergarten Survey for 2012 incoming kindergarten students. Deadline is February 3, 2012. Your input is very valuable to us. Thank you
Sweetheart Swirl for Girls Ages 5 – 14
Girls and their favorite significant adult are invited to enjoy an elegant evening of dancing, refreshments, and special memories. Come and celebrate our eleventh annual event for girls from five to fourteen. New this year: a parade of pop music hits past and present featuring live music by the Tony Reynolds Trio! A light dinner buffet will be provided by D & W Fresh Market. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for photos by Terri Gillis Photography, which will be available for viewing the week following the dance.
Dancing begins at 6 p.m. Each “sweetheart” will receive a keepsake piece of jewelry (included in the price of ticket) as well as a rose at the end of the evening. Raffles will take place throughout the evening. This event is sponsored by Dr. Paul O’Grady Orthodontics and D & W Fresh Market.
Space is limited. Tickets for entrance to the dance are required and strictly enforced. Tickets and jewelry must be picked up from the Community and Aquatic Center, located at 660 Forest Hill Avenue, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on January 9, 10, 11, or 12. Registration deadline is January 6. No exceptions will be made and tickets will not be available at the door. Participants who register prior to December 22 will receive an “early bird” discount.
Saturday, January 14
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Forest Hills Central High School
New Gymnasium and Cafeteria
Fee: $49/$59
Sibling Fee: $19
Min. 200
Max. 1,000 Total
Hostesses:
Pagiel Reed
Beth Hartline
Laura DeHaan
Sandi Nicely
Beach Ball Bash for Boys Ages 5-15
The fifth annual Mother (significant adult) and Son party will feature an evening of beach-themed games and activities provided by Scott Ptak. A light dinnner buffet provided by D & W Fresh Market and an ice cream sundae bar will be available. In addition, a caricature artist will be available. Suggested attire is beach wear and/or comfortable clothing.
This event is sponsored by Dr. Paul O’Grady Orthodontics and D & W Fresh Market. Tickets purchased prior to January 6 will receive an “early bird” discount. Tickets may be picked up at the Community and Aquatic Center, located at 660 Forest Hill Avenue, prior to January 20. Tickets for entrance to the dance are required and strictly enforced.
Saturday, January 21
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Forest Hills Central Woodlands
Gymnasium and Cafeteria
Fee: $29/$39
Sibling Fee: $9
Min. 100
Max. 400 Total
Hostesses:
Pagiel Reed
Beth Hartline
Laura DeHaan
Sandi Nicely
It's a Reading Seussabration!
We have been having a lot of Seuss-themed fun for March is Reading Month! Students have been playing Seuss bingo, posing in the Seuss photo booth, creating Seussical artwork, and much more! The Seuss shelf in the library is completely empty, there is so much reading going on. (it is especially fun to see the kids sharing the books with their buddies)
Stay tuned for an end of the month celebration music video. Check with your child’s teacher for more information.
Knapp Forest Shares the Love!
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What an exciting finish we had to our Share the love, Share a book contest! In total we collected an amazing 3,962 books for Lincoln School and Baxter Community Center!!! That is a crazy amount of books! The two classes with the highest totals were Ms. Crampton with 421 books and Ms. Burns with 340 books. A big thank you to all that brought in books! Our book fair sales for the year have raised over $13, 000 for our media center. These funds have gone to a state of the art media center at our own school. In addition our kiddos get to see up close and personal “the joy of giving” expressed in book donations!! Love how we shared the love this Valentine’s Day!!!
Kindergarten Math Night
On Tuesday, November 27th, the kindergarten teachers held their first math night. Our goal was to share Our Everyday Math curriculum with parents, as well as demonstrate
many active learning centers that the children use. We had a great turn out of about 65 parents and kindergarteners. Everyone had fun exploring math concepts through snack, water play, board games, songs and using manipulatives. The parents received their child’s code and password so that they can access Everyday Math Games from home. According to parent evaluations (4.5 out of 5), the night was very well received. We plan to make this an annual event! Even better next year!
The Kindergarten Teachers
Hawk Walk Highlights:
- We had over 77% participation in pledge donations this year by students
- 13 classrooms raised over $1000 each
- 7 grand prizes were awarded to the top collecting kids, and their pledge totals ranged in the $300-$800 area.
- Students in Mrs. Devries and Mrs. Crampton’s classes won class pizza parties for top collection and participation-congratulations!
- 6th grade students in Mrs. Douglas’ class won a party at Spoonlickers!
- About $8,000 in prizes and supplies were donated this year by families and area businesses….wow!
Noodle Night this Thursday at Noodles & Company!
Join us this Thursday night at Noodles and Company (E. Beltline) between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Twenty five percent of all proceeds will go to our PTO to help support educational programs here at Knapp Forest. So come on over and eat some delicious noodles (and salads, and sandwiches) while enjoying the company of your friends, families, and Knapp Forest staff!
3rd through 6th graders collect $750 for National Kidney Foundation
Congratulations to Knapp Forest 3rd through 6th graders for participating in the Cans for Kidneys drive and collecting $750.00 for the national Kidney Foundation of Michigan.
Money collected goes towards education for the prevention of kidney disease and the need for organ donation, and to supporting the patients and families that are suffering from kidney disease.
Way to make a difference Knapp Forest!
KF 6th Graders Connecting Locally and Helping Globally
The student focus on this project is “How to make the world a better place”. Comparisons and contrasts were made between the needs of our Grand Rapids community, and a community in Zambia, Africa.
Our students are taking action to be kind to others, while connecting to educational geography standards.
Personal items were collected to be shipped to Zambia, and sixth graders are running a ‘penny wars’ fundraiser to further support the African community.
Teacher & Student Quotes:
“Project Based Learning connects our students to meaningful problem solving opportunities. When kids relate to what they are learning, their motivation soars, and so does their ability to think.“ Mrs. Stewart
“There are greater things than money or gifts, one of which is friendship. Friendship has taught me to care more about others, especially if they are not in our community.” Evelyn
“From the experience with the Zambia service based learning I learned that when you help someone, it makes you feel better about yourself. It is good for you and for them.” Ainsley
“During this adventure, I have learned the true meaning of kindness and love. I have also seen the way kids in Zambia live, and the way they suffer through life. I am determined to help them, and to do whatever I can to give Zambians a better life.” Joshua
*for more information – ask a KF 6th grader!
PTO Noodles Night!
Mrs. Crampton's Class = Box Top Champions!
Congratulations to Mrs. Crampton’s second grade class for collecting more than 5800 boxtops for education! Way to go, and enjoy your classroom party as a reward from the KF PTO!
MARCH IS READING MONTH!
We are kicking off the month of March with the theme: Books Are Brainfood. Feed Your Mind.
Throughout the month of March we want to provide opportunities to learn and share our great reads.
Some Highlights:
- Students will have the opportunity to earn free whitecaps tickets by reading 15 minutes every day this month. Bookmarks for recording their reading minutes will be coming home soon.
- we will formally launch our Reading Treasures program to encourage reading across different genres.
- all school read-in to celebrate at the end of the month
- reading spirit days every Friday
- and much more! check out the reading calendar for details.
MARCH READING CALENDAR
Visit the Governor's Traveling Show Sponsored by Michigan Art Education Association
FHE Presents 'Annie' *featuring past and present Knapp Forest Students!!
| Forest Hills Eastern’s Annie FHE Theater Department Presents the Ever-Popular Broadway Musical Hit |
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Sister School Towel Drive
Knapp Forest is Partnering with King’s Table Ministries to provide bibs for our friends at Lincoln School. We will supply the towels, and Kin’s Table volunteers will do the sewing. Please consider helping out our sister school by making a donation.
When: February 6 – 17
Donation Items: New or gently used bath towels, beach towels, hand towels and wash cloths.
Donna Boersma - Teacher of the Year!
Click on this link to see the video shown at Donna’s surprise presentation:
Statistics Poster Competition for all students
Click this link for more information: 2012 Michigan Statistics Poster Competition5th Grade Art Show - December 7th
Come to the Community Room on December 7th between 5:30 and 7:00 pm to see some of the fabulous artwork by our 5th grade students.
Food Drive For Lincoln School Begins this Week
• Non-perishable food items for Thanksgiving baskets
• Wet wipes
• Laundry detergent
• Size 6 diapers
• Applesauce and pudding cups for medication dispensing
Questions? Contact Lara Kitts at lara.kitts@comcast.net or 682-1234
Thank You Room Parents!
Thank you to all the Room Parents for the fantastic Halloween parties! The students and teacher’s really had a great time! Many thanks also to D&W for generously pricing and delivering the delicious donuts, and to PTO for providing them! We are grateful to Chef Becky, who graciously allowed us to take over her kitchen for the morning to sort and deliver the donuts to the classrooms. A final thanks to Benita Marshall and Carol McNutte for helping me deliver all those donuts so quickly!
Rachel Miller
KF Room Parent Coordinator
Our Book Flix Subscription is active!
click this icon to access book flix from home!
Scholastic BookFlix is a new online literacy resource that pairs classic, fictional video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic.
Our Knapp Forest subscription is now active! Our students have access to this program both from school computers, and at home.
**When logging in from home, students will need our personal username and password. (contact your child’s teacher for this)
What is Book Flix?
- Engaging audiovisual content models reading and listening strategies, and provides pronunciation practice.
- Text supports introduce academic vocabulary and improve reading comprehension skills.
- Format fits independent reading, small-group instruction, or whole class instruction.
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Students can also access storybooks online at home for additional practice.
THANK YOU KNAPP FOREST PTO!
*our bookflix subscription was purchased using funds from last years PTO bookfairs.
Friendship Letter from Mrs. Terwilliger
Please return the Friendship Letter to Mrs. Terwilliger by 10/15/11 if you are interested in having your child attend this group. Friendship Letter 2011
A Message to Student at Knapp Forest from Mr. Haid
Click the image below to read a message from Mr. Haid.
Forest Hills enters ArtPrize
For the first time in ArtPrize history, an entire school district has come together to create an entry for the 2011 ArtPrize competition. The entry, titled “7000 Loves,” hopes to embody the great love that a community can have for its members. The entry has a website that describes the symbolism and spirit behind the creation.
Please visit the link below to see how many of our students, teachers, and community members contributed to the culminating art piece.
FHPS ArtPrize Entry: 7000 Loves
The piece may be viewed at First Park Congregational, United Church of Christ, 10 East Park Place, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
Church Hours:
Opening Day 6Pm -10PM
Monday -Thursday Noon-8PM
Saturday 12PM-10PM
Sunday 12PM-6PM
To vote for our FHPS ArtPrize entry, please go to the Art Prize website and give a “Thumbs Up” to entry 52111.
It's Time to Check in on Your Latest Check-Ups
Is Your Child Up-to-Date with Vaccinations?
Vaccines are not just for infants and kindergartners. Immunity provided by childhood vaccines can wear off. Please make sure your child is current with his/her vaccines by contacting your health care provider.
The following additional vaccines are required for all students prior to entering sixth grade this fall:
- Meningitis (MCV4)
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap booster)
- Varicella (chickenpox booster)
Superintendent's Welcome
Welcome to Forest Hills Public Schools, one of our nation’s great public school systems!
Our schools and our community are focused on a common aim of doing what is best for children. Throughout the history of our school district, our community and our staff have given their time, their talents, and their treasure to ensure that each child has what she or he needs to unlock their unique and limitless potential. These gifts manifest themselves in our smaller schools, our small teacher to child ratio, and our belief in keeping kids “younger longer” and not artificially accelerating the natural process of becoming an adult. We feel strongly that children need space and time to grow, nurtured by high expectations and loving support.
