The CPES BobChat
October 8, 2023
What's It Really Like at Cherry Park? by Jessica Little (Educator of the Day)
On October 4th, as a member of a community partner, Founders Federal Credit Union, I had the pleasure of being an ‘Educator for a Day’ at Cherry Park Elementary with Mr. Maness. The morning started early greeting bus riders and then serving as safety patrol for car riders. As a parent at the school, I knew they did this, but the involvement they have with the kids starting first thing in the morning really impressed me. It made me feel like safety is absolutely their number one priority. We then continued our day with a walk through the school. Along the way, I met so many teachers and other staff. I saw so many smiling faces from the happy kids in the classrooms and throughout the halls. Mr. Maness introduced me to many staff members and as we would walk away, he would tell me their ‘story’ or background. I was amazed at how much he knew about so many people. Every child we passed in the hallway, he knew their names and would speak to them in whichever language they were learning under at the moment. I joked that he was obviously famous in this school, because the kids lit up when he walked by and each wanted a chance to yell “Hey Mr. Maness!” As we walked through, the unexpected kept getting thrown our way and it was handled promptly and ‘as needed’ in the moment. We even had a surprise fire drill and before I could turn around, the building was very efficiently cleared and all students and staff exited to safety. Mr. Maness and his staff check every corner of the school immediately. (I'm glad I wore my tennis shoes.) I really had the best day and the four hours I was there truly felt like half of that because of how busy we were. Some major takeaways I have from my day are:
- My child is in a thriving learning environment but she is also deeply cared for during her day at school.
- Teachers deal with it ALL. Teaching is the part of their job they know they will do on a given day, but ALL the ‘other duties as assigned’ are a surprise each and every day. They LOVE these kids. Their jobs are hard. I admire every single one of them.
- The language immersion program is an absolute privilege. These classrooms are fascinating to watch. Your kids are learning SO MUCH and they learn eagerly.
- The amount of support staff in the building was unreal. I was so impressed with how many people outside of teachers are also there to help these children learn without struggling.
- Schools are actually very similar to your workplace or business. They have processes and procedures in place for EVERYTHING and for very good reasons. They may seem cumbersome, but these rules keep our kids and the staff safe.
- I could not get through any door without a badge. Not one.
- This school means EVERYTHING to Mr. Maness and his staff. They love these children deeply, and he loves his staff deeply. There is nothing he won’t do for them or his team. I am convinced we have the best!
- Cherry Park Elementary is a well-oiled machine, but they still have challenges every day and need all the support we can offer as a parent or community partner. I know they have the very best interest at heart for these kids.
Thank you to Mr. Maness and his staff for welcoming me and making me feel like the luckiest ‘Educator for a Day’. I hope others get this same opportunity to see it from another perspective and immerse yourself in the day to day life at Cherry Park!
A Proud Cherry Park Mom,
Jessica Little
Currently, we are having a problem with our communication program. Please be sure you send this newsletter to the other parent or guardian in your family.
City Hope Church Brings Gifts for Custodians' Day
Bobcat Dash Student Assembly
Spanish Storytelling in 4th Grade
Notes and Reminders
1. Bobcat Dash on October 27--The PTO is excited to host the 4th Annual Bobcat Dash Fun Run this October! This is our only school Fundraiser and we need everyone's help to make it successful. The Pledge Forms for students to collect donations will go home at the beginning of October. Our goal this year is to raise enough money to complete the turf installation on the playground. This will benefit every student in the school.
2. School Improvement Council Election Ballot--Please choose three of the five candidates to be elected for our School Improvement Council this year. The election will close at the end of the day on Thursday, October 12. Every Cherry Park family gets one vote. The three candidates with the highest amount of votes will be elected. Here is the link to vote: https://forms.gle/1UDN6q9abCAwGrw48
3. School Pictures on Friday, October 13--Attached is a digital flyer with information about pre-ordering pictures. Please note, the job key shown on the flyer will only be active through the end of your picture day. You can also click on the following link and use this job key (N9E5WMMZ): www.carolinaphoto.net
4. Next PTO Meeting--Will be Monday, October 9 at 6:30 PM. Attached below are the minutes from our September PTO Meeting.
5. Staff Appreciation--The Staff Appreciation event for October will take place on Tuesday, October 31st. We have planned a themed Halloween lunch of spooky spaghetti, garlic bread mummies and cauldron brownies. In addition to each monthly appreciation, there will be a drawing for one lucky teacher to win a themed gift basket. There are opportunities for parents to bring in food and drink items and also to volunteer setting up, replenishing food and cleaning up on October 31st.
Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. All donated food and drink items need to be delivered to the school no later than Friday, October 27th. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49A4A923AAFBC70-44994333-october?useFullSite=true#/
School Calendar
October 9--Teacher Professional Development Day (No Students); 6:30 PM Parent Teacher Organization Meetings
October 10-11--Second Grade Takes Iowa Achievement Tests
October 13--Picture Day
October 16-18--Second Grade Takes CogAT Tests
October 20--Half Day for Students (Students will be dismissed at 11:00)
October 27--Bobcat Dash
Parent Organizations
Parent Teacher Organization--This group has three main goals: Raising funds for the school, appreciating the staff and securing volunteers as needed. The Cherry Park PTO is a 501c3 tax deductible organization. Meetings are held at Cherry Park on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM (right after the SIC meetings.) All parents are invited to attend. All financial records are distributed and updated at each month's meeting. Officers this year are Amanda Winters (President), Emmanuel Daniel (Vice-President), Celia Kerr (Secretary) and Michelle Dawkins (Treasurer).
Previous Newsletters for 23-24 School Year
"How Do We Respond to Safety Situations? Part 2" October 1, 2023 https://www.smore.com/k9uet
"How Do We Respond to Safety Situations? Part 1" September 24, 2023 https://www.smore.com/n4c67
"How Can I Volunteer at CPES?" September 17, 2023 https://www.smore.com/7v8ky
"What CRAzy Model Do We Use for Math Instruction?" September 10, 2023 https://www.smore.com/kfbg7
"What Do We Need to Know about Arrival?" September 3, 2023 https://www.smore.com/fc0kd
"Did You Know that a Bobcat 'ROARS?"' August 27, 2023 https://www.smore.com/0g7qv
"What Do We Need to Remember as We Start Back" August 20, 2023 https://www.smore.com/yrt38
"Techno
logy Forms and Fees"--August 25, 2023 https://www.smore.com/72qcg
"How Can We Work Together to Keep Everyone Safe?" August 13, 2023 https://www.smore.com/6cbtm
"How Can Checklists Help You Start a New Year?" August 6, 2023 https://www.smore.com/0jyx61
"Who Are the Newest Hires and What Are the Latest Changes with Technology?" July 30, 2023 https://www.smore.com/z6qnp
"What's the Latest News at Cherry Park" July 16, 2023 https://www.smore.com/w9pth
"Challenger Be Great Academy Update" June 23, 2023 https://www.smore.com/8hqka
"What Staffing Changes Have Been Made at CPES?" June 18, 2023 https://www.smore.com/e0vr2