🐾 COUGAR CUB ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE! 🐾
Forest Hills families, we have a challenge for you! 💚💙
Today, we had 470 students present, with an attendance rate of 93.81%. We also had 36 tardies.
🎯 OUR GOAL: BELOW 30 TARDIES BY FRIDAY!
Cougar Cub families, can we do it?! 🙌 Help us reach our goal by getting our students to school on time and ready to learn! Every minute of the school day matters, and starting the day on time helps our Cougar Cubs have a successful day. 📚✏️
Let’s work together this week and watch that tardy number DROP!
🐾 36 today… BELOW 30 by Friday! 🐾
💚 Every Day Counts. Every Minute Matters. Every Cougar Cub Matters! 💙
Families enjoyed painting, refreshments, and meaningful conversations about supporting their children and strengthening the connection between home and school.
A special thank you to Truist Bank and the South Carolina Office of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities for joining us and sharing valuable information and resources with our families. We truly appreciate your partnership!
Did you miss Color & Connect? Don’t worry! Join us on September 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM for Reading Together: Building Strong Readers at Home. We’ll share practical ways to support your child’s reading at home, and, of course, we’ll have a fun, hands-on family activity to go along with it! Be on the lookout for the flyer and registration, which are coming soon.
Thank you to everyone who helped make Color & Connect a success: our families, staff, volunteers, and all who contributed behind the scenes. We appreciate each of you!
It’s All About the Kids! The Time is Now! The Clear Choice!
If you purchased a shirt through the Forest Hills school store, shirts are in and will be coming home with students today! 🎉
Didn't get a chance to order one? No worries! Our school store will be re-opening soon. We will let you know when the store is open again so you have another opportunity to grab your Forest Hills gear! 💙🤍
Parents & families, here are some important dates to keep on your calendar as we head through Quarter 1!
Wednesday, September 2
📝 Interims Go Home
Monday, September 7
🚫 Labor Day — No School
Tuesday, October 6
🎉 Q1 PAWS Party
⏰ Half Day — 11:00 AM Dismissal
👩🏫 Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 7–9
🚫 Fall Break — No School
Monday, October 12
📷 Picture Day
📝 Report Cards Go Home
💙 Save these dates and help us keep our Cougar Cubs on track for a PAWSome Quarter 1! We appreciate your continued support and partnership as we learn, grow, and flourish together in the Forest! 🌳🐾
🐾✨ GOLDEN PAW RECOGNITIONS — AUGUST ✨🐾
We are so excited to celebrate our August Golden Paw Recognitions! Each month, we recognize a staff member and a teacher who have gone above and beyond for our Forest Family and continue to make Forest Hills a PAWSome place to learn and grow! 💙🤍
🏆 Golden Paw Staff Recognition: Jimmy Capers
Our Lead Custodian, Jimmy Capers, has gone above and beyond to make sure our Forest was ready to welcome our Cougar Cubs back for a brand-new school year! 🌲🐾
Mr. Capers has done a fantastic job leading our custodial team, putting in countless hours of hard work to make sure our school was clean, safe, and ready for students. And he hasn't stopped there! He has also jumped in to help at other locations as they prepared to welcome students back. His dedication, leadership, and willingness to help wherever he is needed truly embody what it means to be a part of the Forest Family! 💙
🏆 Golden Paw Teacher Recognition: Shanique Green
Our 3rd Grade Teacher, Shanique Green, has had an absolutely remarkable start to the school year! 📚🐾
After making a grade-level switch just before school began—from 1st grade to 3rd grade—Ms. Green jumped right in without hesitation. She has embraced the challenge, worked incredibly hard, and has already made such a positive impact on her Cougar Cubs. Her flexibility, dedication, and commitment to her students are truly PAWSome! 💙🤍
Please join us in giving a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Capers and Ms. Green ! 🎉🐾
Thank you both for the countless ways you show up for our school, our students, and our Forest Family. We are so lucky to have you!
🌲 Together We Grow. Together We Rise. 🌲
🐾 Congratulations, Golden Paw Recipients! 🐾
Next week, our students in 1st–6th grade will be putting their skills to the test with i-Ready! We want every Cougar Cub to walk into testing feeling confident, prepared, and ready to shine. 🌟
A few ways families can help:
✨ Make sure your child gets plenty of rest.
✨ Start the morning with a good breakfast.
✨ Have students at school by 7:30 AM so they are settled and ready.
✨ Encourage them to take their time, stay focused, and give their very best effort!
Testing begins promptly at 7:40 AM each testing day.
📚 Reading: Monday & Tuesday
➗ Math: Thursday & Friday
We know our Cougar Cubs are capable of AMAZING things! Encourage them to believe in themselves and remember: their effort matters! 💪🌟
Let’s have a great testing week, FHE! 🐾💙
https://acebphotography.pixieset.com/colletoncountyschooldistrictconvocation/
🚨 TODAY IS THE LAST DAY! 🚨
🐾 Want to show off your Forest Hills Cougar Cub pride? 💙🤍 Today is your FINAL CHANCE to order school shirts from our online store!
https://jussports.tuosystems.com/stores/fhe2627
⏰ Store closes tonight at 11:59 PM!
Don’t miss out—get your Cougar Cub shirt while you can! 🐾🌲
There's still time to grab your Forest Hills school shirts! The online school store will remain open through August 9.
Whether it's for school spirit days, field trips, or showing off your Forest pride, don't wait—place your order before the store closes! 💙🤍🐾
https://jussports.tuosystems.com/stores/fhe2627
FHE Families,
Welcome to another exciting school year at Forest Hills Elementary! I am honored to welcome both our returning Cougar Cub families and those joining us for the very first time.
Last year, we focused on Growing Together in The Forest. This year, we are ready to take the next step as we Flourish in The Forest! Every new school year brings fresh opportunities to learn, build friendships, discover new talents, and achieve great things. At FHE, we believe that when schools and families work together, our children thrive. We are committed to providing every student with a safe, caring, and engaging environment where they can grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our teachers and support staff have spent countless hours preparing for an incredible school year, and we are excited to welcome our Cougar Cubs back for a successful first day of school!
Morning Arrival
Car riders will enter from the car rider side of the building. There are two lanes entering campus that will merge into one lane, as indicated by the newly painted lines on our car loop. Once merged, vehicles should pull alongside the sidewalk so students can safely exit on the right (sidewalk) side of the vehicle.
Please be patient during the first few days of school as many new families are learning our arrival procedures. Your kindness and cooperation help ensure a safe and smooth start for everyone.
School Safety
The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. Upon entering the building, all students will walk through a metal detector supervised by teachers and administrators. This additional safety measure helps ensure that prohibited items do not enter our school and allows us to maintain a secure learning environment for every child.
Visitor Procedures
To help us safely welcome more than 500 Cougar Cubs on the first day, families will not be permitted to walk students to their classrooms. Parents and guardians are welcome to walk their child to the main lobby, but only students and staff will be allowed beyond that point during morning arrival.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we maintain a safe and orderly start to the school day.
Stay Connected
Thank you to everyone who has joined our ClassDojo! This will be one of our primary communication tools throughout the school year, so please be sure to check it regularly for important announcements, reminders, and celebrations.
You can also find school information, calendars, and updates by visiting our website:
https://fhe.colleton.k12.sc.us/o/fhes
First Day Dismissal
Please remember that this Monday and Tuesday, dismissal will begin 15 minutes earlier than our regular schedule. Students will dismiss at 2:00 PM instead of 2:15 PM to help ensure a smooth and efficient dismissal process.
Thank you for partnering with us as we begin another wonderful year at Forest Hills Elementary. We cannot wait to welcome our Cougar Cubs back to The Forest! Together, we will learn, grow, and Flourish in The Forest.
Here's to a PAWSOME 2026–2027 school year! 🐾
Joe Guarino
Principal
Forest Hills Elementary School
The final day of new employee induction began with the Superintendent Breakfast. New employees heard remarks from several speakers, including Colleton County School District Board of Trustees Chairperson Glenn Nixon, Walterboro Mayor James Broderick, Walterboro County Council Chairman Scott Biering, and Superintendent Tripp Aldredge. The Forest Hills Elementary Honors Choir, led by Miss Taylor Fussell, performed several musical selections before breakfast, which was prepared by the Colleton County School District Office of Student Nutrition. After breakfast, new employees visited their home schools with their principals for classroom tours.
The Office of Curriculum and Instruction continued New Staff Induction with a day focused on preparing teachers for a successful school year. Sessions emphasized effective classroom management, establishing classroom routines and procedures, building positive relationships with students, and creating engaging learning environments. The Office of Exceptional Learning provided a brief overview of its programs, services, and support available to teachers and schools. New educators left with practical strategies and resources to help them begin the school year with confidence.
The Office of Teaching and Learning welcomed our newest educators with a day focused on building a strong instructional foundation for the school year. Teachers explored effective teaching and learning practices, classroom management strategies, engaging instructional activities, and beginning-of-the-year procedures designed to create positive learning environments from day one. The Office of Student Support Services also provided an overview of its roles, responsibilities, and the comprehensive support available to schools, students, and families. Throughout the day, participants collaborated with district staff and colleagues while gaining practical tools and resources to support student success.
District staff welcomed new employees for the 2026–2027 school year with a celebratory welcome tunnel. The Band of Blue drumline and staff cheers created a memorable display of district pride. Superintendent Aldredge shared a welcome message and the district’s vision. Throughout the day, new employees rotated through sessions on district culture and success, benefits, and payroll.
Hello Cougar Cub families!
For those interested in ordering school shirts this year, please use the link below. 🐾
https://jussports.tuosystems.com/stores/fhe2627
When placing your order, you won't know your child's teacher yet—and that's perfectly okay! Just be sure to include your child's name on the order form so we can match the order correctly.
Thank you, and have a wonderful weekend! 😃
