More guest readers on the FES campus today! Forest High School's color guard members dressed as Dr. Seuss characters and read to the first grade classes on the first day of Read Across America week!
In honor of Read Across America week, Chief Randy Jones and several of his firemen visited the Kindergarten classes this morning. The men read "Green Eggs and Ham" and "The Cat in the Hat" to the tiny Bearcats. Many thanks to the men of the City of Forest Fire Department!
"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." Dr. Seuss
It's here! It's the Read Across America celebration!
Guest Readers will be on campus throughout the week!
The theme for Read Across America is: Create and Celebrate a Nation of Diverse Readers!
Read Across America week is getting closer!
Guest Readers will be visiting the campus of FES all next week!
English language learner parents, please join us in the auditorium on Tuesday evening for resources to help students at home.
Please note that the Black History wax museum is scheduled for tomorrow evening. There is no cost for admission. Tours begin at 5:30 and will end at 7:00 P. M. The event has been moved from the auditorium to the cafeteria. Please come and bring your family and friends.
Forest Elementary School will participate in Read across America next week. The National Education Association (NEA) started the holiday to honor the late author Dr. Seuss on his birthday which is March 2nd. The goal of Read across America is get students excited about reading! There will be guest readers on campus during the week and a couple of dress-up days for students! Read, Bearcats!
Teachers are masters of innovation when it comes to using a variety of strategies to spark students’ interest in learning. It’s no wonder that Amy Plaisance, the 2024-2025 FES/FMSD Teacher of the Year, came up with the unique idea to have students use LED finger lights to practice their spelling words. After the lesson on “using supporting details from the text”, Plaisance darkened the room so she and her students could write their spelling words on the ceiling using the LED lights. Great job, Bearcats!
To kick off National Acts of Kindness week at Forest Elementary School, treat bags were delivered to the school bus drivers by assistants James Van Fleet, Zy'kerria Smith, Skye Nelson and 2nd-Grade lead teacher Jackie Patrick. Forest Municipal School District's bus drivers are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all the students they transport on a daily basis.
Fourth-Grade Bearcats who demonstrated growth on both the English language arts benchmark and the math benchmark test were treated to the "Dog Man" movie and popcorn on Friday. Congratulations! Keep growing, Bearcats!
A big shout-out goes to Forest Municipal School District Superintendent Dr. Melanie Nelson, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Marcus Holbert and the staff at the central office for investing in audio enhancement equipment for all of the teachers in the district. This purchase will have a positive impact on student learning and student achievement. Samantha Tadlock, chair of the 4th-Grade English language arts team at Forest Elementary School, attended a week-long training in Utah at the Audio Enhancement headquarters and returned fully prepared to implement the use of audio enhancement equipment in her classroom. An 18 year veteran educator and former FES/FMSD Teacher of the Year, Samantha Tadlock is not only effectively utilizing the audio equipment in her own room, but she is also providing coaching on the use of the equipment to other instructors in the district. Sonya Gates, a representative of Audio Enhancement, recently visited the district to assess the implementation process of the equipment. Gates was quite impressed with Tadlock’s presentation and with her knowledge of the equipment.
How did Audio Enhancement begin? The year was 1978, and Claudia Anderson had two hearing impaired sons who both struggled to perceive their teacher’s words. Fast Forward to 2025, Audio Enhancement continues to be owned by the Anderson family with the same goal from 1978: to maximize the learning opportunities for all students.
Published author and literacy advocate Marion Surles made her third annual visit to the FES campus with the goal of reading to tiny Bearcats in both English and Spanish. A resident of Texas, Surles organized a mission in Juarez, Mexico, over a decade ago, where she travels every other month to teach students to read and encourages them to stay in school. Another interesting fact about Surles is that she is a living kidney donor. It is always a pleasure to have Marion Surles visit the Bearcat campus
Forest Elementary School educator Melanie Key was recently awarded a plaque to honor her years of service to the Forest High School football team. If you have ever attended a game at L. O. Atkins’ Stadium, there’s a good chance that you have met Ms. Key as she is a familiar face at the ticket tables. Ms. Key enjoys working the gates during games because this experience allows her to greet fans from the opposing school, visit with current and former students and their families, and immerse herself in the Bearcat atmosphere. Congratulations to Ms. Melanie Key!
Forest Elementary School students in the car drop-off line on Monday morning began their day with greetings from Forest High School baseball players Reagan Tadlock, Hayden Quigley, Pablo Morales, Anias Patterson, Ty Chambers, Joseph Greenhouse, Chandler Perkins, and Jarvis Gore. This simple act of service by the athletes, clad in their baseball jerseys, helped students begin their Monday on a positive note. Opening car doors and welcoming FES students is a favorite annual tradition of the FHS baseball team which signals it is the first day of Baseball season! Go, Bearcats! Servant leadership isn’t about trophies, scholarships, or recognition; it’s about making a positive difference in the lives of others and for a small child looking up at a high school athlete, that difference can last a lifetime. Servant leadership creates a positive ripple effect in a community; one small act of kindness begets another act of kindness. Wishing the best of luck to the FHS baseball players, Head Coach Easton Boles and the assistant coaches. “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson
The great orator Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the author and poet, Maya Angelou, baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and many others will be represented by the 2nd-Grade Bearcats in the wax museum. The community is welcome to tour the display in the auditorium on the evening of February 27th from 5:30-7 PM.
Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for motivating students to achieve their absolute best, and pizza is such a yummy positive reinforcement! Students in Chasity Gray's and Skye Nelson's homeroom were rewarded with a pizza party for demonstrating the most growth in Iready reading for last semester. Shonda Ross' homeroom students showed the most growth in Iready math over the last semester so they enjoyed a pizza party as well.
Events such as these are not just about providing a tasty reward; they foster a culture of student achievement and motivation. Keep shining, Bearcats!
Theatre Works USA recently brought STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) to life on the stage at Forest Elementary School. On Friday, February 7, 2025, students were mesmerized by the colorful props, the captivating story, and the upbeat songs featured in the production of “Ada Twist, Scientist and Friends”. A non-profit theatre industry, Theatre Works USA’s mission is “to create exceptional, transformative theatrical experiences that are accessible to young and family audiences in diverse communities throughout New York City and North America”. The performance by the cast of characters blended the arts with STEM to engage and entertain the students with the concepts of flight, problem-solving, and construction. Forest Elementary Bearcats left the play inspired to explore the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics! Another highlight of the day was an appearance from Forest High School’s Coaches Easton Boles and Brent Foreman along with senior baseball players Aiden Guy, Anias Patterson, Reagan Tadlock, Carlos Garcia, and Ty Chambers. The Bearcat athletes informed students of the opportunity to play baseball and softball this spring with the Forest Youth Sports Association. Much to the delight of the students and teachers, the players tossed FHS baseball hats into the audience! What a memorable day to be a Bearcat!
Forest Elementary School was well represented in the East Central Talented and Gifted Scrabble tournament yesterday held at the Clarke Venable Church in Decatur, Mississippi. Byron Leak, Jaxon Smith, Maria Gomez Perez and Jennifer Mejia DeLeon received 2nd place in the 3rd/4th Grade division, and second-graders Jamarion Smith, Karson Jones, Angel Pablo Escobar, and Julian Torres placed 3rd in their division. They were accompanied by FES Wings instructor Ms. Katherine Windham. Special thanks to Mike Holifield for transporting these Bearcats safely to and from their destination! Great job, Bearcats!
Joni Tillman's Bearcat Buddy, Sandra Jones, visited the campus today to read to the Kindergarten class. Sandra Jones is a retired teacher from Forest Elementary School. She taught first grade for many years, and she taught Mrs. Joni Tillman!
Way to go, tiny Bearcats! Cedric Walker, Jr achieved the highest score in reading on his IStation Kindergarten assessment, and Paulina Vallejo-Lopez made the highest score in math!
