11-13-22 PAW'S PRESS

Dear Cherokee Families,

We are so excited for our Beauty and the Beast field trip this Wednesday, November 16th. Students will need to bring a bag lunch on the day of the trip and wear their class shirts. If you have not returned the field trip permission slip please do so as soon as possible (due date is Friday, November 11th). If a family is financially unable to cover the cost of the trip, the school will cover it. We want all of our students to be able to attend the trip. See below for other important field trip details.

Upcoming Important Events:

• CVHS Musical Beauty and the Beast Whole School Field Trip (November 16th) - See below for details
  
• Pizza Party for Ms. Burko's Class for 2nd Place Walk-a-Thon Donations (November 18th)
• Leadership Celebration & PJ/Movie Day (November 18th)
• Thanksgiving Break (November 23rd - November 27th) NO SCHOOL
• PTO Santa's Workshop (November 28th - December 2nd) - More details coming soon
• Picture Re-take Day - December 2nd
  

As in the past, the Paw's Press newsletters will include key information and typically will be sent on Sundays. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help make the school year a success for you and your child!

Sincerely,

Heather Batko

Cherokee Principal

hbatko@cvs.k12.mi.us

All Cherokee Elementary students will have the opportunity to view a performance of the Beauty and the Beast Musical at Chippewa Valley High School on November 16, 2022. Please see below for information regarding the field trip.

Date of Trip: November 16, 2022

Time:

• The performance will be from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
• We will leave Cherokee at approximately 11:00 AM and return at approximately 2:00 PM.

Cost:

• $7.00 per student (due by 11/11/22)
• Please use PaySchools to pay for the trip. Link below is.
• https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/for-parents/payschools-central/

Permission Slip:

• Please complete and return the attached permission slip by FRIDAY 11/11/22.
• Hard copies of the permission slip were sent home earlier this week.
• Reach out to your child's teacher if you need an extra copy.
• A printable version is below as well.

Lunch:

• Please send a bag lunch with your child. We will eat lunch before we leave.

Snack:

• It is also very helpful to provide an afternoon snack for your child.

Class Shirts:

• Please have your child wear their class shirts on the day of the trip.

Chaperones: Staff will be chaperoning the field trip.

THANK YOU TO PTO FOR HELPING WITH THE COST OF OUR TRIP SO THAT OUR TICKETS ARE AT A REDUCED RATE!

Lunch must be ordered at least one school day in advance.

Click here for the link to order hot lunch for November.

Click here for the link to the printable November lunch menu.

• See below for note. Hard copies will come home within the next few days.

Cherokee Elementary School's fundraiser starts TUESDAY, November 1st.

The frozen cookies are easy to bake and have on hand for the holidays! Delivery is mid- December! Thank you for your help with this fundraiser!

Our goal is to raise funds for essential programs not currently funded through traditional means.

It's as simple as 1, 2, 3!

1. Register TONIGHT at www.ShopFund.com
2. Share custom support links with family & friends via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email, Text and more.
3. Student Goal: 5 Online Supporters.

REGISTER-SHARE-WIN: Sharing gets you tickets for chances to win over $100,000 in instant prizes.

Fundraiser Links:

• Why We Fundraise - (https://vimeo.com/showcase/8770815)
• How To Videos - (https://vimeo.com/showcase/8752340)
• Kick-Off Videos - (https://vimeo.com/showcase/9642654)
• Parent Letter - (https://bit.ly/3N9FCK8 )
• Prize Program - (https://bit.ly/3JlRAyo )

On behalf of the PTO and staff at Cherokee Elementary School, thank you for doing your part to make our fundraiser a success.

• Thank you to Russ Milne Ford for sponsoring our class t-shirts!
• Russ Milne Ford is located at the corner of M-59 and Gratiot (24777 Hall Road, Macomb 48042)
• Sales Department 586-842-0653
• Service Department 586-840-8285
• Click here for the Russ Milne Ford website.

At Cherokee we have systems in place to support the unique learning needs of all of our students. ALL students participate in Wildcat Workshop Monday-Thursday for about a half hour. During this time staff members (teachers, para professionals, etc.) work with students in small groups on specific literacy skills. Wildcat Workshop will be starting this month. More details coming soon.

Our lunch monitor position was re-posted. Click here to apply

If you would be willing to fill in as a substitute lunch monitor please complete the application at Edustaff.org.

Additionally, we are setting up a volunteer program called Paw's Pals for families to volunteer in the cafeteria. More information will be coming home soon.

• We are so excited to welcome volunteers back into our cafeteria once again! See the flyer below!
• Please understand that these volunteers are not in place of lunch monitors.
• Our lunch monitors will be responsible for supervising the students, cleaning, etc.
• Paw's Pals volunteers will have time to chat with students and build relationships during lunch. If recess is outdoors, they are also welcome to go outside and spend recess with students.
• This program is very similar to the Watch D.O.G.S program that was in place at Cherokee prior to the pandemic. It is not limited to male volunteers as the Watch D.O.G.S program was.
• Just like any other school volunteer, our Paw's Pals volunteers will respect the privacy of our students.
  
• In order to participate in the program there are 2 steps to complete.
• Step One: Click here to select a date. Keep in mind that if your 2022-2023 volunteer background check is not on file, it takes two weeks to process.
• Step Two: Click here to complete the Paw's Pals Application. The volunteer background check is a part of this application.
• Please give our main office a call at least 48 hours prior to your volunteer date if you are note sure if your background check has been approved. If you already know that you have a background check on file for this school year, you may come to the main office on the date you have selected.

• Throughout the school year we are required to complete 5 fire drills, 3 lockdown drills and 2 tornado drills.
• We have already completed our first three fire drills and two lockdown drills. The students did a great job!
• We do not tell families or students the exact dates/times of these drills for safety reasons.
  
• The book, I'm Not Scared I'm Prepared, that is utilized for the lockdown drills is below in a PDF format in case you would like to review it with your family. This book is used at all elementary schools in the district.
• Our teachers do a great job of reviewing procedures in a way that makes students feel safe.
• We will also have several cardiac team drills. The cardiac drills are unannounced even to our staff. The purpose of the drills is for our staff to be able to respond quickly to a cardiac emergency. A notification will be sent home after each cardiac drill.
  

Click to visit: CVS Transportation Webpage

Click here or below to access step-by-step directions on locating your Bus Stop Information

Click here to log in to VersaTrans

In December, some CVS schools piloted a new bus tracking system. This system is now available to Cherokee Families as well! Click on the MyStop button below for more information.

From Transportation (on 9/11) - E-Link has resolved the issue with the server. All student passwords were reset to the 8-digit birthdate, and you will have to reset the password again, but this time you will not get the error. E-Link has since been reactivated and you are able to log in any time.

Full Day Dismissal Times:

3:05 SACC, Safety & Service Squad

3:08 Walkers & parent pick up

3:12 Bussers

Half Day Dismissal Times

11: 18 AM - SACC, Safety and Service Squad

11:21 AM - Walkers and Parent Pick Up

11:25 AM - Bussers

Bus Riders:

• Busses may run slightly late picking up students the first few days of school as our drivers and students learn their new routes. It is still recommended that students arrive at their bus stop 10 minutes prior to their scheduled time.
  
• Busses may run slightly late for drop off this week since students and drivers are learning their routes.
• Directions on accessing Transportation information can be found below.

Walkers/Riders:

• Walkers/Riders should line up and be dismissed from their classroom entrance doors. Teachers will pick-up their students from their entrance at 8:25 when the morning music begins.
  
• A map of grade level entrances can be found below.
  

Parking Lot:

• Please review the Parking Lot procedures below to know your student's entrance and exit.
• Staff will be present in the Parking Lot, Bus Loop and Building Entrances to help ensure a safe and smooth arrival and dismissal process at the start of next week.
• We ask for your patience and support as our new families learn the process and our returning families get back-in-the-swing-of-things :)

We love celebrating birthdays at school! Please send treats that are prepackaged, include ingredients, and are individually wrapped.

If your child is placed in a peanut/tree nut free classroom, the treats should be peanut/tree nut free as well. We should avoid sending snacks that have been processed in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts. Thank you!

If you have any questions about birthday treats, please reach out to your child's teacher. Thank you!

Click here for the link to the district calendar. Printable versions are available at this site as well.

• We have many students at Cherokee with severe peanut/tree nut allergies. Therefore peanuts/tree nuts products and products contaminated in a facility that processes peanuts/tree nuts will not be allowed for certain classes, common areas, etc.
• Due to the severity of some of our students with allergies it has been asked that some classes avoid bringing peanut/tree nut products for both lunch and snacks consumed in the classroom. Other classes have only been asked to avoid bringing peanut/tree nut products for snacks consumed in the classroom. Guidelines have been communicated to individual classrooms/grade levels. Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions about the guidelines for your child's classroom.
• The link for the Snack Safely Guide is below. This guide has many great many recommendations for foods do not have peanuts, tree nuts and are not processed in facility with these items. This guide updates regularly so it is best to check the link below rather than printing.
• Click here for the Snack Safely Guide.

Please remember, ALL of the policies and procedures put in place at Cherokee are intended to keep our children safe. Many of these policies are district-wide and can either be found in the CVS Return to School Guidelines, the CVS Student Code-of-Conduct, or Cherokee's Paws' Policies & Procedures. Links can be found below.

We appreciate your understanding and appreciate those families who continue to model kindess, patience, and respect. You make a difference & we are all doing the best that we can!

Please Remember:

• Adults are to remain outside of the building and must be "buzzed-in" by the front office.
• All adults must show their ID at the entrance if they need to drop something off or pick-up their child early.
• Contact information must be up-to-date in case we need to contact your family.
• We release children to only those people listed on your child's PowerSchool contact list.
• Changes in your child's dismissal process must be called in no later than 2:30 so we can be sure to get the information to our staff.
• Families are asked to preorder lunch using the online ordering system below.
• Refrain from parking on Rivergate near the school including the bus loop.

A NOTE FROM MRS. ASHLEY

For families looking to register for SACC

• SACC registration is first come first served.
• Due to limited staff and capacity limits some registrations may not be approved at this time until more staff are available.
• As staffing levels increase, so will our ability to enroll more students. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
  
• Once your registration application is submitted you must receive a registration approval email before your child can attend.
• Registrations will remain pending in the system and will be approved as openings become available.

For families currently enrolled in SACC

• Adding on additional days other than what was originally scheduled may be limited at this time due to student and staff ratios. You will be notified if your schedule change can be approved (some days may be available where others may not)
• If your child does not need to attend on a scheduled day please remove them from the schedule to open up a spot for someone else.

We appreciate your understanding at this time and anticipate more staff to be available soon. Until then we must adhere to the Licensing Rules for Child Care Centers and stay within the required student to staff ratios. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

NOTE: SACC will continue to remain peanut/tree nut fee.

Ashley Murphy

Cherokee SACC Director

(586) 723-4860

• CLICK HERE to access the CVS SACC informational page.

If you would like to be a Cherokee Elementary sponsor please contat our PTO at 35pto@cvs.k12.mi.us or call our main office.

We choose to Inspire, Believe, Achieve & LEAD!

Website: https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/schools/elementary-schools/cherokee/
Location: 42900 Rivergate Drive, Clinton Township, MI, USA
Phone: 586-723-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeWildcats

https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeWildcats

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CherokeePTO/