Cub Connection

Hello CELC & MVLA Families,

We had a wonderful (and very hot) first full week of school. Thank you for your patience with our weird schedule. CELC is now on our "normal" schedule. TK is out everyday at 1:35 pm and K is out at 1:35 pm on Wednesdays. K release is 2:50 pm M/T/TH/F. We have had a few bumps along the way, but our staff and students have been flexible and resilient. The hot weather threw us a "curveball". In extreme afternoon heat, we usually do activities indoors. However, with the indoor mask mandate, we took our kids to the shaded tables in the lunch to color in order to get a mask break. Thank you to the staff that scrambled to organize this! Our goal is to continue to stay as safe and possible and remain open. Please make sure that you are dropping your student off in the morning and leaving right away. If your student picks up breakfast, they should take it to the class and eat at the table outside the classroom. The District continues to be guided by California Department of Public Health and our experiences from last year. Thank you for your support as we navigate the 2021-22 school year.

Important Updates and Information:

• It was awesome to welcome MVLA students on campus Wednesday! It will take some time to smooth out the parking lot and pick up. Thank you for your patience. We will open the rolling gate at 1:30 pm. If you need to pick your student up earlier, please buzz in at the main gate.
• Please take a couple of minutes to fill out a media release form. We would love to start posting pictures of what is happening in the classrooms. :) Click the link here: MVLA Release Form OR CELC Release Form.
• We are in need of donations of water bottles: 8oz or 16oz. If you are willing and able to help out, please drop the water off at the school office.
• Please send your student with a refillable water bottle daily. We have refilling stations on campus.
• AUSD's next Kindness Dress Up day is this Wednesday, September 1. "We are Wild About Kindness" and wear an animal print.
• CELC Back to School Night is this Tuesday, August 31st at 5:45 pm. Your child's teacher will be emailing you a Zoom link.
  
• The district continues to provide free breakfast and lunch. Your student may also bring their own lunch. A menu is available on our district website.
• The District is planning to welcome volunteers on campus and open up field trip opportunities on October 4, 2021. You may pick up a packet at the office so that we can get you cleared and ready to start ASAP. You will need a current TB test.
  
• The teachers provide a time for a healthy snack. Please send a healthy snack with your student daily.

• Don’t forget that TK has an early release (1:35 pm) M-F until we return from winter break.

• Busing is available, however, your child must be registered and fees paid before they can ride. For more information click here.

• Families will be welcomed on campus to drop off and pick up their students at the classroom door and then leave immediately after.Thank you for your support with this procedure. We understand it is difficult some days but please follow our protocols so that we can continue to allow parents on campus.

• Chromebook distribution for incoming Cubs or students that are new to our district occurs daily in the school office. The best time to come is after 9:05 am or 15-20 minutes before pick up. Our office staff is usually assisting with drop off and pick up. The forms will be available in the office. You can also print them ahead and fill them out. See attachments below.

• Chromebook Insurance can be purchased for $25. If your student is returning, we encourage you to renew your insurance for the 2021-22 school year. The deadline to purchase insurance is September 4th. We accept checks and Venmo. If you use Venmo, please make sure you put your child's name, their school site, and grade level in the Venmo notes.

• HELPFUL HINTS for a successful school year: please send your kindergarteners with clothes/shoes that they can snap, zip, and tie independently. Also, make sure they can open any snack/lunch containers. It is a good idea to have them practice before they come to school. Staff will be there to assist, but it is super helpful when many of them are independent. Can you imagine trying to help all them with containers and packages at one time? :) We will deploy as many adult hands at lunch as possible the first couple of weeks.

• School supply request- we will begin using the chromebooks and computer lab regularly starting September 7th. We have headphones available; however, if are able to send headphones or earbuds to school for your student to keep in their desk, we would greatly appreciate it. Please put it in a baggie with their name on it. We are currently taking an inventory of what we have to see how many more we need to buy.
• CELC is looking for parents interested is being on the PTA Board and members of the School Site Council (SSC). Please call the office to speak to Stephanie Green if you are interested. Thank you for those who have already expressed interest. We will be holding a PTA association meeting in the next couple of weeks via Zoom. All parents are invited to attend. More information coming soon.

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We will keep you updated as things change or additional information comes up. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Green at sgreen@alpineschools.net or 619-659-8250.

Please stay updated and informed on what is going on by checking our district and site web pages, reading the electronic weekly newsletter, checking your email, and scanning our social media pages. Our staff is also here to help if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Tamara RIpke

CELC and MVLA Principal

tripke@alpineschools.net

Below are the forms needed to pick up your student's Chromebook and/or renew your insurance from last year. Copies will also be available in the school office. All CELC TK and K students need a device to use daily in the classroom. Insurance needs to be purchased by September 4th.

EVERY WEDNESDAY ALL CELC KINDERGARTENERS (K) ARE RELEASED AT 1:35 PM.

ALL K STUDENTS ARE DISMISSED AT 2:50 PM ON M/T/TH/F.

ALL TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN (TK) STUDENTS ARE DISMISSED AT 1:35 PM M-F.

MVLA STUDENTS MAY ATTEND T/W/TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:30 PM.

For the safety of our Cubs and families, please use the assigned gate and leave immediately after dropping off and picking up. Gates will be locked around 9:15 am. Students arriving after 9:15 am must buzz in at the front gate.

Mrs. Ripke will continue the Cubs in the Community tradition. Her goal is to connect with 100 Cubs (Future, Former, or Current) by the 100th day of school. Building relationships with our students is important to us! If you see Mrs. Ripke out in the community, encourage your student to say hi. Not only does it create an opportunity to connect, it also supports students' language and communication skills. Follow the sightings on our FB page. Feel free to share our postings to spread the word. Mrs. Ripke looks out for future, current, and former Cubs! She is ready to meet the 2021-22 challenge. She had many summer sightings, however, last weekend marked her first sighing of the school year.

https://www.facebook.com/Creekside-Early-Learning-Center-414783265277455/

Click here to check out our Cub sightings!

Please view the attachment for important information about the school year! Please also feel free to share this information with families interested in our unique program.

Are you interested in being a part of PTA, School Site Council, or volunteering in the classroom? Please contact Stephanie Green in the office if you have any questions. AUSD's goal is to begin allowing volunteers on campus beginning October 4th. We are so excited to start utilizing parents, guardians, and family members to support our teachers and students. We have missed our volunteers SO MUCH!

8/31 Virtual Back to School Night (CELC)

9/1 "Wild About Kindness Day"- Wear animal print

9/6 Labor Day- No School

9/9 Patriot Day Tribute 9:15 am

9/13 CELC Picture Day

9/14 MVLA Picture Day

Mondays College Spirit Day: wear your favorite college shirt

Wednesdays Mid-Week Mindfulness: wear a shirt with a positive message

Fridays School Spirit Day: wear your school shirt or school colors

Join our AUSD family in utilizing resources at www.actionforhappiness.org. They have monthly themes and ideas to help keep us Happier-Kinder-Together!

Self-care isn't selfish, it's essential. No-one's perfect. But so often we compare our insides to other people's outsides. This month is Action for Happiness is encouraging everyone to be kinder to themselves (as well as others), especially when things go wrong. Self-care increases our resilience and helps us get more out of life. It also helps us accept others as they are too.

If you, or any of your friends/family, love kids and are looking for part time work, please share our postings. We have a couple of positions on our site as well as on other campuses. Please visit https://www.edjoin.org/alpineschools. Please send friendly, qualified candidates our way!

The district would like to increase the number of substitute teachers in our pool. The pay has increased to $200 dollars a day. Please help spread the word. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Mrs. Ripke.

Office Hours

M-F 8:00 am to 3:30 pm

Email: sgreen@alpineschools.net
Website: https://www.alpineschools.net
Location: 8818 Harbison Canyon Road
Phone: (619) 659-8250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Creekside-Early-Learning-Center-414783265277455/