February 14, 2021
Spring 2021 | Volume 2 Issue 27
This weekly newsletter is the place for Forest Hill Elementary Foxes to stay up-to-date on all the news and events happening at our wonderful school!
Forest Hill Happenings
Submit GMSD 5K and Color Run Logo Idea
Sun., Feb. 14

President's Day/District Learning Day - No School
Mon., Feb. 15

Track and Field Info Meeting
Mon., Feb. 15 at 6:30pm
Forest Hill Church of Christ at 3950 Forest Hill Irene Road

Kindness Week
Feb. 22 - 26

GMSD Parent Engagement Workshop: Plugged in Parenting
Tues., Feb. 23 at 6:00 pm
Events & Information
Kindness Week Postponed Until Next Week + Food Drive
In addition to participating in Kindness Week, we will also be hosting a food drive for the Mid-South Food Bank. There will be a box for donations by the office. Click here for the Most Needed Items from the Mid-South Food Bank.
2021-2022 PTO Board Nominations!
Are you interested in being a part of the FHES PTO Board? Serving on the board is a rewarding experience that will afford you an excellent opportunity to get involved at Forest Hill.

Please consider volunteering with the FHES PTO Board to use your skills and leadership to help make a difference in our Fox family. Some of our positions run all year long, and some are a shorter time commitment.


To express your interest, please complete this form and return it to your child’s teacher by Friday, 2/19. This is the same information that came home with your students this week.

If you would rather submit your response electronically, please visit: https://forms.gle/EzSgoiRpwzewNsSu8

If you have any questions, please contact the Nominating Committee Chair, Melissa Salazar at melissasalazar23@gmail.com.
Thanks SNOW Much to Our Teachers
Teacher treats sent a thank you to all staff last week with these snow friends!
Track and Field at FHES
Calling all Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders!
 
If you like to jump, run, play fun games, and hang out with your friends, this is the sport for you! This is your chance to be a part of the first ever Forest Hill Elementary Track and Field team.
 
WE WANT TO MEET YOU! Please join us!
  • Monday, February 15 at 6:30pm.
  • We will meet in the banquet hall of the Forest Hill Church of Christ at 3950 Forest Hill Irene Road. It’s a large building just south of the school where we have hosted running gatherings in the past.
  • This is a time to meet coaches and teammates as well as for us to meet you and your little athletes. The goal is to have specific details for you then. We are excited to have a small part in the first-ever track season for the Foxes!!!
5th Grade Yearbook Ads Due 3/1
Register for GMSD's Parent Engagement Workshop: Plugged in Parenting
What are Plugged in Parents?
Even the most in tune parents could use extra tips for keeping up with the fast changing media landscape. This comprehensive presentation addresses the biggest concerns parents of elementary and middle schoolers face: managing screen time, getting a cell phone, cyberbullying, social media, and more!

Date: Tuesday, February 23rd at 6:00 pm

Please pre-register for this virtual zoom led by Ashley Smith, GMSD SEL Teacher, no later than 2/22/21 by clicking here: Plugged In Parents Registration or by using the QR Code in the flyer below.

Please email Christy Law christy.law@gmsdk12.org with any questions, and we hope to see you on 2/23/21!

Upcoming Open PTO Board of Managers Meeting 2/16
Join us this Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 9:15am for the working meeting of the PTO board of managers. *** IF we don't have school on Tues., Feb. 16, the board meeting will be moved to the following Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 9:15am.

There are two ways to attend:
In-person, socially distanced at Harvest Church on Forest-Hill Irene Road (look for the FHES yard sign, and then head upstairs and wear your mask).

Or via Zoom at the link below:


Meeting ID: 968 812 1956
Passcode: 4RTmGB

Dial by your location
    +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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    +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
    +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

Meeting ID: 968 812 1956
Passcode: 439558
Thank You to our Fox Family and our Community Rewards Partners
GMSD News
IMPORTANT: Joint Statement by School Boards Regarding Recent Education Legislation
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Germantown Board of Education adopted this joint statement in response to the latest education legislation. Click here to watch the BOE Meeting. (Reports begin around 1:49:00 into the recording)
6th Annual GMSD 5K and Color Run Logo Contest ENDS TODAY
Got an idea for a fun logo? Share it with us! We're looking for a new logo for the 6th annual GMSD 5K and Color Run.

Students will not have to work on the logos in class. They can work on them at home! This year, the winning student and the teacher gets a $50 gift card!

Submit entries to Andrew.Martin@gmsdk12.org by Sun., Feb. 14 at 11:59 pm.  

Guidelines for contest:
  • Must include a horse somewhere in the design
  • Must include the following phrases:
  • GMSD 5K STAMPEDE
  • COLOR RUN
  • Must include the colors of ALL our schools:
  • Red
  • Yellow
  • Blue
  • Green
  • Orange
  • Must include the year 2021
  • Must be enclosed in a circular design or outline (see below examples)
Germantown Gets Cooking Challenge
Join us for our 4-week Germantown Gets Cooking Challenge that allows students and/or teachers to cook healthy meals based on the current week's theme. The themes are as follows:

  • Week 1: Get a great start with Breakfast
  • Week 2: Make Lunch fun and delicious
  • Week 3: Spectacular Snacks and Smoothies
  • Week 4: Finish it off with delicious Dinners

The student and teacher who wins this challenge (based on completing each week's challenge, the creativity of their submissions, and sharing their good work with us via pictures and videos) will receive a $100 gift card to a restaurant of their choice!! Submissions can be emailed each week to andrew.martin@gmsdk12.org.

Even though we've already started this challenge, any participant can go ahead and join and complete two weeks worth of challenges at once in order to catch up. Let's get cooking!
Help GMSD Recruit the Best New Teachers!
Our GMSD School Snapshots Recruiting Events are right around the corner! This year we are going VIRTUAL and would very much appreciate your help in us spreading the word about our recruitment event. Included below are the days and times of the Snapshots:

Events for the week of March 1-4:
  • Houston High School:      Monday, March 1st from 3:30pm-5:30pm
  • Dogwood Elementary:   Monday, March 1st from 4:30pm-6:30pm
  • Houston Middle School: Tuesday, March 2nd from 3:30pm-5:30pm
  • Farmington Elementary:  Tuesday, March 2nd from 4:30pm-6:30pm
  • Riverdale Elementary:     Wednesday, March 3rd from 4:30pm-6:30pm
  • Forest Hill Elementary:   Thursday, March 4th from 4:30pm-6:30pm

Click here to view the flyer to our Virtual School Snapshots Event. Please feel free to share this flyer on any of your social media sites as well as use it as a personal invitation for a potential certified staff member who you feel will bring value to GMSD. We really want to promote our Virtual School Snapshots Event, so feel free to share the flyer often. 

Here is a link to the Virtual School Snapshots landing page on the GMSD website: https://www.gmsdk12.org/Careers.aspx We will be continuously updating this site with helpful information for Snapshots attendees as the countdown continues to the main recruiting event in March.

The staff at our schools are coming up with some pretty creative ways to showcase their schools virtually this year, so we would really appreciate any help you can give with getting the word out.

Thank you for supporting GMSD Schools.
Call for Houston Middle School PTO Volunteers
Please join us on the HMS PTO Board for the 2021-2022 school year!

The PTO Board is a great way to get involved at HMS and to get to know parents, teachers, and administrators. If you are interested in serving on next year’s HMS PTO Board, or if you know someone who would be a great fit for a position on the board, we would love to hear from you!

Click here for the form to be filled out and returned to the front office at Houston Middle School or emailed to the 2021 Nominations Committee Chairperson, Alison Fondaw at aliejohns@yahoo.com by Feb. 19.

Spring Lacrosse Registration is Open for Boys and Girls 3rd-5th
Registration – www.houstonlax.net 
Who – Boys and Girls 3rd-5th Grade

Registration is open for Lacrosse! We look forward to a great spring season!

For additional information on the boys' youth lacrosse program please contact Wally Gardner at gardner.wally@gmail.com or 218-9479. For general club information you can visit the HLC website at www.houstonlax.net
Community News
Education Front-and-Center at the TN General Assembly - Do You Know Your Local Legislators?
The TN General Assembly convened recently for a special session focused on education. 

Legislation regarding learning loss, funding, accountability, literacy, and teacher pay are all being considered, and you can have an impact on the decisions being made! 

Germantown's local legislators include Senator Brian Kelsey (Chair of the Senate Education Committee) and Representative Mark White (Chair of the House Education Administration Committee), among others. 

Save the Date
Mark Your Calendars for Kindergarten Camp
Ways to Support
You Shop, We Cheer!
When you participate in the below -- either through shopping or scanning bar codes -- portions of your purchases go to benefit the FHES PTO!

Click the logo below to sign in and set up your account. On each platform, be sure to search for and choose "Forest Hill Elementary PTO" as your organization.
Note! You have to log in through Amazon Smile each time you shop.
Log in and go to My Account to set up your Community Rewards
For questions about participating in these programs, contact Jenny Davis.
Need More Information?