IT’S TIME FOR SOME APPRECIATION!
Dear Forest Knolls Community:
With this note, the PTA Staff Appreciation Committee (Astrid Ingenlath-Diaz, Chris Frank and Stefanie Levy) is thanking all Forest Knolls parents who contributed to making last school years Staff Appreciation efforts such a grand success!  We heard endless comments from staff members expressing how much they felt being appreciated and how they treasured their numerous treats throughout the school year!

We would also like to announce the first event in the new school year: a traditional “Back to School” breakfast for all Forest Knolls staff members, scheduled for Thursday, August, 26, from 8 – 9 am.
Please look out for future messages within the next couple of weeks, with detailed and specific meal items we ask for.  Past experiences tell us that there is a great demand for fresh fruit and main breakfast meals like egg/potato/meat casseroles and French Toast casseroles etc.

We look forward getting many volunteer chefs contributing to this annual event!

Astrid Ingenlath-Diaz
Chris Frank
Stefanie Levy

GETTING READY FOR A NEW YEAR!

If you are a “new” family to FKES… welcome!  There will be a summer packet coming to your home this summer with all things FKES… in the meantime, check out our PTA website for more information on how to become a member, which committee to join, our Direct Donation Campaign, and even future Kindergarten playdates over the summer!  You may also wish to join the FKES Listserv.  This Listserv is not moderated by the PTA, but is nevertheless, a good source of information and a place to send out your questions for answers.  Register by going to: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/fkes/

And again, welcome!  We can’t wait to have you join the FKES PTA!

The FKES Magnet Program is worth fighting for!  So you’ve sent in your letter and you’ve made your phone call… what to do next?  SIGN THE PETITION!  Next week the County Council will be hearing community testimony on the school budget.  Please contact them to let them know that MCPS’s budget cannot suffer further cuts!  In the meantime, print out a copy of the following petition and circulate, circulate, circulate!  How many signatures can you get to support our wonderful Magnet Program?  MAGNET PETITION April 2010-2

SILENT AUCTION SUCCESS!

FKES Community,

On behalf of the Silent Auction committee I am proud to announce that we made $10,350 at the auction on Saturday night. We had over 300 items for sale, most of which have been sold. Susan and I will be getting together after Spring Break to assess what has not been sold to see if we want to do another auction, or use eBay, etc.

If you were unable to attend the auction, you missed some wonderful music by the band Cellar Dwellers, comprised of FKES alumnae. You also missed some great food donated by Chef Theo’s in White Oak, several platters of Chick-fil-a and an assortment of hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

I want to thank all those parents and community members that donated their time, money and service to make this event so successful. In particular thanks go to Debbie & Chris Namovicz, Christine Macdonald, Valerie Merriweather, Sarah Manchester, Mary McCarthy, Karen Devitt, Gillian Hay-Chatterjee, Kirsten Murray, Roxanne & Aleks Beltran, Jen Byrne, Susan Osmun, Mala Dutta, Gretchen Vidergar, Kirsten Frank, Tim Harline, Maria Stumphauzer, Matt Newby and Steve Petersen. Lastly, please thank the spouses and children of the committee members as I know my family is VERY Happy that the Silent Auction is now over for 2010!

2010 Silent Auction Committee:
Alison Petersen & Susan Heney
Valri Acosta
Jillian Newby
Joni Jacobs
Jacquie Bokow
Rebecca Adams
Gigi Guerrero

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY THE FKES WAY!

Can you give an hour on Saturday, April 17, to help dig holes for our “Kids Reforesting Forest Knolls” project? We will be there from 9 am – Noon, preparing to plant 27trees and shrubs with two groups of Girl Scouts (Debbie Namovicz and Cecily Thorne’s troops) later on Saturday and into Sunday. If you can stop by on Saturday morning and dig just one hole, we would appreciate it!

This is a great Earth Day activity for families and a great cause. The 27 trees and shrubs we will install next month brings us to almost 50 new plantings at Forest Knolls in the past year, which are providing learning opportunities for our kids, beautifying our school and (of course) benefitting our planet.

FYI, costs for this entire project have been covered by grants and donations. Our latest donors include Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee, Maryland Department of Natural Resources/Tree-mendous MD, Stadler Nurseries, and Earth Sangha, a native plant nursery in northern Virginia. And, a prospective Eagle Scout will mobilize the community to install our nature trail later this spring.

We would love to have you and your family participate in our growing project! Please contact me if you are interested: Clare Nielsen (Neal), 401 Belton Road, Silver Spring, 301-754-6355 (home),301-704-0439 (cell).

MESSAGE FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The PTA Nominating Committee is currently in the process of identifying potential candidates for PTA Executive Board positions for next year.  The positions are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  The Nominating Committee is tasked in the bylaws with identifying the single best candidate for each position.  The Committee then presents this slate for consideration at the May PTA meeting. Nominations may also be heard from the floor during the May meeting. If you would like to be considered for any of the positions, and are a current PTA member in good standing, please e-mail or contact one of the committee members.  We are:

Daria Daniel, daria_daniel@yahoo.com

Renee Hutchins, rhutchins@law.umaryland.edu

Joe Yanovitch, joeyanovitch@aim.com

Remember, the mission of the PTA is to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.  If you are a member now, please consider assuming a leadership position in our highly involved, active and dedicated PTA.   If you are not a member currently, but would like to be considered for a leadership position for next year, it’s a simple and inexpensive process to become a PTA member in good standing.  Please contact us for details. And finally, if you are one of those non-members, please consider joining the PTA and become a more involved member of the FKES community.

The Nominating Committee

Direct Donation Information and Membership Form 2010

Send in your donation today!