Forest Glen Middle School in Coral Springs FL.
By Jennifer Sookhoo
Forest Glen Middle School has a unique opportunity to bring students back to district public schools, but only with your support.
Forest Glen students will lose the unique opportunities Forest Glen has created without District Funding. High-achieving 8th-grade students in the ASCEND program are currently taking an Honors TV Production class at Coral Springs High School as a zero period without District transportation (even though we pleaded for some support). Parents drop off their students at Coral Springs High, then return after class to transport their children to Forest Glen in time for the start of school. Logistically, this would not be possible at Coral Springs Middle School because of time constraints and proximity to the school. The plan is to expand this program to more students and offer more classes next year.
Eight Forest Glen students have been selected for the All-State Chorus for this year. In Dr. Zoeller’s 15 years at Forest Glen, that number has only been exceeded once. The strong chorus program, led by professional opera singer Dr. Zoeller, feeds directly into the successful Chorus and Drama programs at Coral Springs High School. These eight students, as well as one student named to the All-State Middle School Honor Band, will travel to Tampa in January to represent our school.
In addition, FGMS has qualified to receive the Enrollment Award from the Florida Music Education Association. This award goes to schools that meet an enrollment threshold (for middle schools, it’s 45% of the entire school population). No BCPS school has won this award since 2008.
Forest Glen has both a Gardening class and an after-school Gardening club that grows fruit and vegetables, some of which are used in the Culinary class. Forest Glen has added a Dance class to our already successful Cambridge PE program. After-school book club and Crochet club were both formed due to student interest. Art 3 also includes Ceramics for our students, which is not found in most middle school art programs.
There is a great opportunity to expand these programs and bring our students back from Charter and other BCPS public schools. As Mrs. Alhadeff proposed in the School Board Workshop, the CREATE program would not only bring students back to Forest Glen but has the opportunity to generate funds for the school through after-school and summer camps for the arts.
At last week’s school board workshop, there was confusion about the 1900 building. Everyone from both Secondary Learning and Elementary Learning have already moved into the building and are currently working there. While this might not change Forest Glen’s FISH number, it does change the capacity of Forest Glen. As per Dr. Wanza, occupation of the 1900 building changes our capacity by 475 seats. This puts our capacity utilization at 64.2%, not 45.1%. How many other middle schools in Broward County fall below 64.2% utilization, but are not being considered for closure?
Forest Glen is a neighborhood school. Two-thirds of our students walk, bike, or are transported by car to attend the school. What is the cost of bussing these 500 students to another middle school?
When Forest Glen families hear that Forest Glen is on a list to close, the perception is that closure is certain and imminent. Why would 204 students who live in Forest Glen’s boundary attend other BCPS schools? If these 204 students stayed at Forest Glen, would we still be on the list this year?
In the District’s Redefining Schools Fact Sheet, it lists our Innovative Program as the Quantum Leap Program. This program has not been present at Forest Glen for almost 10 years, and we have been a Cambridge School for 5 years and are in the process of becoming a Cambridge School of Distinction. On the fact sheet, our listed electives are Debate, Journalism, Spanish, AICE Global Perspectives, and Band. The fact sheet does not include Art 1, 2, and 3; Gardening; Dance; Cambridge PE; Digital Discoveries; Web Design; Advanced IT Honors; Chorus; or the Honors TV Production that select 8th graders are taking at Coral Springs High School.
Do not miss this opportunity to bring students back to Forest Glen Middle School. The school is the heart of the neighborhood, and we have the chance to expand the already amazing programs at the school. I would also suggest that the Board consider other ways to address the budget and declining enrollment in all public schools, including changing high school schedules and dropping the study hall period.
Please reconsider and understand the negative impact this would have on our community and children.
Jennifer Sookhoo has lived in Coral Springs for over 20 years. She is married and has two daughters: one in college and my youngest, who attends Forest Glen Middle School
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