9-10-23 PAW'S PRESS

Dear Cherokee Families,

We hope you had a wonderful first week back at school! We were so happy to see our students!

Important Updates:

• We will recognize Patriot's Day on Monday, September 11th. We will have a moment of silence at dismissal. Children are also welcome to wear red white and/or blue if they wish.
• This year we are piloting a leadership program called The Positivity Project. This is in place of Leader in Me. We will introduce students to The Positivity Project this week. Click here for more information.
• We will have our first fire drill this week (weather permitting). We do not announce specific dates/times for safety reasons.
• Our first PTO meeting will be September 19th at 6:15 PM in the Media Center. We hope to see you there!

As in the past, the Paw's Press newsletters will include key information and typically will be sent at the end of each week. 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

• We would love for our students to help design the 2023-2024 Cherokee class t-shirts.
• Hard copies of the submission forms for the t-shirt design contest will come home the first week of school and should be returned by 9/11/23. A PDF of the form is also below.
  
• Designs must be in black and white.
• Designs must incorporate a Cherokee and superhero theme.
• Top designs will be voted on by the student body.
• The winning design will be printed on all the class shirts for the 2023-2024 school year.
• The winner will receive free entry into all PTO sponsored events for the 2023-2024 school year.
• The t-shirts are purchased for all Cherokee students by our amazing PTO!

Each child will receive a FREE class shirt.

Please click here to order your child's shirt.

Please complete the link for each of your children at Cherokee.

Click here to order Cherokee socks! Thank you PTO for organizing!

BUS TAG WITH ROUTE NUMBER/SIGNS - Students in grades K-2 will be given a tag with their bus route number/color on it. Please leave this tag on your child's backpack until they are confident about their bus number. If the tag falls off before they are confident about their bus number, please write their number on their backpack or provide another tag. Adults will be guiding students to their busses and adults will be holding a signs to match the bus tag route number. A sample backpack with tag and corresponding bus sign are below.

LABELING ITEMS WITH STUDENT'S NAME - Many students have difficulty repeating their first and last name to unknown adults. It is often a good idea to write your child's name on their backpack so adults can get them to the appropriate class/bus if they can't repeat their first and last name. It is also a good idea to label other items so they don't get lost (jackets, lunchboxes,etc.).

IMPORTANT - FROM TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT:

Families are urged to check bus stop information prior to the start of school

Dear Chippewa Valley Families,

Make sure you check the Info Finder Bus Stop Information page before school starts to verify your child’s bus stop. Several routes have changed because of new student enrollments and driver changes.

https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/departments/transportation/

Have a great school year! Thank you.

• Even though lunch is free for all students, we still need parents to complete the digital online ordering form so that we have an accurate count and enough food for all students.
• Click here to order hot lunch.
• Ordering deadlines: Please note that we have received communication from food services that families need to order lunch by 9:30 AM the school day prior. For example, when ordering lunch for pizza on Monday, please order by 9:30 AM on Friday. This helps with the accuracy of our lunch count. We of course always order extra but this helps with accuracy.
  
• Click here for a printable lunch menu.
• There is a charge of $1.50 for ordering doubles.
• Click here for the Food Services website.

• Chippewa Valley is excited to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students starting this school year thanks to the Michigan Healthy School Meals Program!

• Students DO NOT need to arrive early for breakfast at the elementary level. Breakfast will be served after the first bell in classrooms once the school day has started.Breakfast is free for all students. Our goal is to improve student success by providing a nutritious meal at the start of the day.
  

• Even though meals will be provided for free, it is important for families to continue sharing household income information in order for our schools to receive full access to federal and state funding for educational programs that our students are entitled to. Click here for the School Meal Application Form or see the image below.

• Also, please view the document below for allergy information for parents and well as other important information from Food Services.
• Food Allergy Flyer
  

Originally the district had a daily calendar for breakfast items. However, there has been such a high demand that our suppliers are not able to consistently provide certain items on a specific day. Therefore, breakfast items may be an assortment of the items that were originally listed but not necessarily in a specific order. Items will rotate between Pop-Tarts, muffins, graham crackers, breakfast bars, donuts, banana bread and Benefit Bars. Fruit, juice and milk will also be offered.

• Class placements have been sent out.
• Click here for teacher welcome back letters. This link was also sent out with class placements.

Click here for the suggested supply lists for 2023-2024

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

• 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 in many classes, common areas, etc.
  
• Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3/4 Blend, 4th grade and 5th grade classrooms are peanut/tree nut alert zones. Foods/snacks that contain peanut/tree nuts should not be consumed in these classrooms.
  
• Pods for all grade levels are peanut/tree nut alert zones. Foods/snacks that contain peanut/tree nuts should not be consumed in pods.
• Due to the severity of some of our students with allergies it will be asked that some classes avoid bringing peanut/tree nut products for both lunch and snacks consumed in the classroom. The lunch period for 4th grade and the 3/4 blend is a peanut/tree nut alert zone. Peanut/tree nut products may not be consumed during lunch by students in these classes.
• Your child's teacher will review guidelines and answer any specific questions.
• The link for the Snack Safely Guide is below. This guide has many great many recommendations for foods that 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.

Updated - Arrival Times:

• Students may enter the building at 8:50 AM.
• School begins at 8:55 AM.

Updated - Half Day Dismissal Times

At Cherokee we have a staggered dismissal for safety purposes.

11:40 AM - SACC, Service Squad and Safeties

11:44 AM - Walkers and Parent Pick Up

11:48 AM - Bussers

11:50 - School Fully Dismissed

Updated - Full Day Dismissal Times

At Cherokee we have a staggered dismissal for safety purposes.
3:29 PM - SACC, Service Squad and Safeties
3:33 PM - Walkers and Parent Pick Up
3:37 PM - Bussers
3:39 PM - School Fully Dismissed

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.
  
• More information from the transportation department will be coming soon.

Walkers/Riders:

• Walkers/Riders should line up and be dismissed from their grade level/ classroom entrance doors. Teachers will pick-up their students from their entrance at 8:50 AM when the morning music begins.
  
• An updated map of grade level/classroom entrances is below.
  

Parking Lot:

• Please review the parking lot procedures map below.
• Staff will be present in the parking lot, bus loop and building entrances to help ensure a safe and smooth arrival and dismissal process.
• 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 :)

Info sent out by district:

Chippewa Valley Schools will soon be conducting our fall benchmark assessments. Between September 11th and October 6th, students will take the FastBridge assessments in kindergarten through 5th grade in math and reading. These tests help teachers see where students are academically at a moment in time. The teachers look at the screening scores after the testing and compare their students’ scores with other information about school performance. Students with low scores across different tests receive additional support to help them meet their learning goals.

Elementary Students - FastBridge:

• K & 1 students will be assessed using the earlyReading assessment suite, allowing the teachers to screen and monitor student progress in developing reading skills. Teachers will work with students individually to complete their assessments. They will also take the aMath assessment, which screens for broad math abilities. Amath is a computer-adaptive test with questions aligning with the National Core State Standards.
• 2 – 5 students will be assessed using the FASTtrack assessment suite, which screens for broad and specific measures. The broad measures are those measures that determine how well the student integrates all the skills necessary to achieve proficiency. The specific measures indicate specific skill deficits and describe the problem in greater detail. CBMreading is a part of this assessment suite and is an effective way to screen and monitor student reading progress. There is a correlation between this measure and the proficiency level on the state exams such as M-STEP. Along with these reading assessments, they will also take the aMath assessment, which screens for broad math abilities. Amath is a computer-adaptive test where the questions align with the National Core State Standards.
• To watch a 2 ½ - minute video on the FastBridge assessment, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCbEThKdpQk&t=14s

Small revisions have been made due to the recent change in bell times.

Click here for the 2023-2024 Chippewa Valley Schools District Calendar for Parents.

• See below for a summary of some important dates.
• A PDF file is also available below.

Our District Medication Policy requires all prescription medications to have a Request for Administration of a Prescription Medication to student form filled out with a physician’s order with parent’s signature each school year. The medication must be in a new original container and/or prescription bottle with the child’s name on it. Over the counter medication will also need a Request for Administration of Non-Prescription Medication to student form filled out and signed by parent.

All medication administration forms can be found on the chippewavalleyschools.org web page (click here). Forms can also be picked up at the school in the main office.

Please bring in completed forms signed and dated by your health care provider with parent signature along with any required prescription medications.

Parents must hand deliver medications with completed forms to the Health Aide in the main office to be checked for full accuracy. No medications will be administered at school without accurately completed forms. Also please check the expiration date on medications as we cannot accept expired medications.

• If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home and call our attendance line.
• Our attendance line is 586-723-4899.
• Attendance at school is of course very important. However, if a child is not feeling well they should stay home so they are able to rest and recover.
• We a want to prevent the spread of illness as much as possible.
• Students should be fever free for at least 24 hours (without the assistance of fever reducing medication) before returning to school.
• Students should also wait at least 24 hour to return to school after vomiting.
• Students who are having difficulty breathing, severe cough, etc. are also strongly encouraged to stay home.

We are so lucky to have such a supportive PTO and school community at Cherokee. The Cherokee PTO board members are listed below. They have already been hard at work this summer brainstorming ways to make this an amazing school year! More details will be coming soon about special events and ways that families can connect with our PTO. Our PTO, families and other school community members make Cherokee a great place to be! We are so lucky!

Check out their Facebook page for regular updates!

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

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 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 3:15 so we can be sure to get the information to our staff.
• Families are asked to preorder lunch using the online ordering system. Links for the menu and online ordering will be in the Paw's Press Newsletter as soon as they are available.
• 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.

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

If your child is going to be absent, please call our attendance line at 586-723-4899.

https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeWildcats

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