On May 3rd, The Forum School participated in our 2nd Annual Walk-A-Thon along with the students from Waldwick High School. Thank you to all who donated to our school. We raised over $27,000 for the school.

Nine students participated in the “Doodle 4 Google” design contest called “My Best Day Ever…”. The contest is open to students across the nation. One winner will be announced in June and the winning design will be displayed on Google!

The departmental classes took a trip to Israel Bernbaum’s art exhibit at Montclair State University. This exhibit was filled with paintings depicting the Warsaw uprising during WWII. The students are currently studying the Holocaust and have read about Irena Sendler – a woman who rescued 2,500 children from the Warsaw ghetto. We learned a lot from this exhibit and would like to thank Ms. Caitlin Popp for speaking to us about the paintings.

Thanks to Target Field Trip Grant – the Departmental classes were able to go on a trip to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. The students had a blast!

Dear Forum Families,

I am sure that, like all of us at The Forum School, you are shocked and saddened by the tragic event that took place last Friday in Newtown, Connecticut.

As we all try to come to grips with this terrible news, I would like to offer some suggestions for addressing the issue with your children, Forum students and others alike.

• In speaking with your children, take your cue from each child. Obviously, some children are too young to understand, and the best approach for them is to shelter them from upsetting details. Other children, however, can understand what has happened and may raise questions that are difficult to answer. Try to answer their concerns as truthfully as you can. If you don’t know an answer, say so. If you feel teary and sad, as most of us do, let them see that, but in a controlled way. The underlying concern of most children is, “Will I be safe? How will this affect me?” You should provide reassurance that your child is protected at home and school, and that feelings of sadness and fear will subside. For older children, you may wish to point out that millions of children attend school each day without incident, and that what happened on Friday is a very, very rare occurrence. Some children may dwell on the concept of death; this is a difficult concern that each parent must address in keeping with his/her own perspective and religious beliefs.

• We urge you not to keep the TV tuned to news reports, because what you often see are the same tapes being re-run over and over again. This may give some children the sense that these events are recurring. As you may know, we believe that children of all ages should not be exposed to violent material in the media, although we recognize that it’s not always possible to screen out every objectionable scene.

• If it seems that your child is worried about going to school, or leaving home, you can reassure him/her that The Forum School is an extremely protected environment and that he/she will be safe in school. For your own peace of mind, I would like you to know that we hold regular “lock down” drills, along with fire drills, and have devoted a great deal of thought to the management of emergency situations. We continue to revisit the issue, and are considering additional safeguards.

Please don’t hesitate to call if you would like to discuss your child’s particular need, or if you have any other concerns or comments. I am available by phone or e-mail, as are our Principal, Brian Detlefsen, Social Worker Meryl Segal, Nurse Liz Golub, and Counselor JoAnn Telesh.

Let us hope that in our homes, schools, and businesses, as well as at the state and national levels there will be much serious consideration as to how to prevent any recurrence of this great tragedy.

Yours truly,
Alice Keener
Director

Alisha, Laura, Lenore, Connie and Ann took their classes to the HealthBarn USA program at Abma’s Farm. They learned about healthy eating habits and even worked in the garden! Everyone had a great time.

SUBJECT: SCHOOL CLOSINGS

It is always difficult to decide whether to close school for inclement weather. This decision is made even more problematic because our students come from a large number of communities with significantly different weather and road conditions.

We will make every effort to keep school open. At the same time you must use your best judgment as to whether to send your child to school on any given day based on local conditions.

We will only dismiss students early in inclement weather if each parent on the bus route has called the school office saying he/she gives his/her permission for the school to dismiss his/her child early

Your child’s teacher will notify you by telephone if
school is closed.

Closings will also be on our website at
www.theforumschool.com
under RECENT NEWS

COMING SOON… Life Skills Lab at the Parents’ Center.  Forum kids learning to cook and serve… make beds, do laundry and light cleaning…fold clothes…and many more every day self-care skills.

We are turning a part of the Parents’ Center into a learning lab and need your help to furnish it with kitchen, bath and bedroom items.  Our Wish List is at Target.com and we are now accepting donations.  You can send donations in with your child or order them on-line and have them shipped to The Forum School.

Cash donations are also welcome.  Thank you!!

http://www.target.com/ot/list/VG2mEHPNVDJOTbv3JWz7-w