Central Community Elementary

November 2021 Newsletter

Dear CCES Families!

We would like to wish you and your families a very happy fall season leading up to the holidays. Many of you will be busy and hopefully preparing for family and friends to visit once again. As this season progresses, it is important to keep in mind how the interruptions of holidays can impact our students. We would ask that you take an extra moment to help your child focus and stay on task with schoolwork while enjoying this time of year.

It doesn’t take scientific research to convince us that an attitude of gratitude is a powerful contributor to a happy life. Some believe that it may be the single most effective way to increase happiness in life. When we ask the question, what is gratitude? Gratitude is expressing thanks for anything we have received. The word gratitude comes from the Latin words: Gratia, meaning favor, charm, and thanks, and Gratus, meaning pleasing and grateful.

The Power of Gratitude is undeniable. People who take the time to notice and appreciate the good things that come their way through grace, or luck, or the goodness of others are happier and more peaceful. There is research consistent with the thought that people who demonstrate high levels of gratitude do better on cognitive tests and tests of problem solving skills. They practice healthier habits, have better relationships, are more optimistic and live longer. Gratitude is one powerful emotion. How do we cultivating gratitude in ourselves and our children? If you are worried that a substantial level of gratitude must come with a high price, fear not. Developing gratitude is surprisingly easy.

Here are 4 solid methods: 1. Keep a gratitude Journal. Every day or so, write about the good things that happened to you that day. Try writing in a journal daily for three weeks and see the results! 2. Write a letter of appreciation. Express your gratitude to people who have helped you, particularly those who have helped you without special reward. We are touched by others everyday. 3. Make a gratitude list. This can often be a quick pick-me-up. Set a goal of listing 100 things you have to be grateful for, and then keep adding to your list until you reach that number. Some days it is hard to get started, but persistence pays as the longer list pushes us to examine our blessings more deeply 4. Take a gratitude walk. This method works a little like the list in that you have a set time period of the walk to focus on deepening your gratitude. The movement of a walk can help the brain and heart to work better. Each day the transition from work & school to home can be a good transition time to, for example, take a deep breath, look up to the sky, and commit to thinking of something in your life deserving of gratitude.

Ask your children each day, as you are going through these transitions times, to also take a deep breath, look up to the beautiful sky, and state what in their day is deserving of gratitude. Whatever method you choose to incorporate into your child’s day, there are quick and easy ways to develop gratitude. How fortunate for us that this powerhouse of happiness and success is so easy to get. So take the time to help children develop an attitude of gratitude and we can all enjoy a happier life.

As always this November we are thankful and grateful here at CCES for our amazing students, talented staff, and supportive families. We hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving and, please remember we are here when you need us.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Carr and Ms. Wyman

School News

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Parent Teacher Conferences

We will be holding our parent teacher conferences on three evenings during November.

November 10th from 3:00pm-6:00pm - Whole School

November 15th from 3:00pm-6:00pm - Gr. 3-5

November 18th from 3:00pm-6:00pm - Gr. PK-2

Parent teacher conferences are a great time for you to connect with your child's teacher one on one, either in person with masks or via Zoom, if that works best for your family. We understand the busy schedule of today's families, as well as your need to stay informed about your child's progress.

We look forward to seeing families in our buildings again this year and if you haven't had a chance to meet our new principal Mrs. Carr, this could be a great time to stop in and say hello.

Finally, your child’s teacher will be reaching out regarding specific days and times they will be available to meet with you.Please be on the look out for this information.

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Unkind v. Bullying

“What is the difference?”

We often hear people; (big people and little people) use the term “bullying”, when they actually mean “unkind” behavior. Bullying is always considered unkind, but not all unkind behavior is “bullying”. Bullying is unkind behavior that targets another person based on some kind of characteristic (race, religion, body size, perceived abilities, etc.) and includes; threats against them, violence, or property damage to their things.

Here at CCES, it is our expectation that students are respectful and kind to one another. When students struggle with saying unkind or mean things; like name-calling or teasing, we work with them to understand the consequences of their unkind behavior and what following expectations should look like. If you have questions about what is or is not bullying, feel free to chat with your child’s teacher, school counselor, or building administrators.

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School Culture Survey.

We are excited to share with you that RSU 64 has joined with John Hopkins University to participate in a school culture survey. The school culture survey will allow parents, teachers, and administrators to examine and provide feedback on key aspects of school life.

The survey will be available until November 15th. Please be on the lookout for the survey, as your input is valuable to us.

https://jhuedu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bdUjSciuhb2bNzM?Source=CentralCommunityElementaryParents

More School News

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Quarantine School Work.

Please remember that if your child is quarantined for any reason, school work will be prepared for pickup the next school day for your student.

Teachers will pack remote backpacks with materials related to current curriculum and in addition they will often pack the student chromebook or tablet to help the student engage in remote learning platforms, such as Google Classroom or Seesaw.

Even though your child may not be able to attend school during quarantine, we hope they are able to continue their learning through the use of these materials.

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Pooled Testing.

Pooled testing is one of the best ways we can help to identify and keep Covid 19 out of our schools and to keep school open for in person instruction.

Pooled testing allows us to test a greater number of participants with just one test. Should the pool come back positive for Covid 19, each individual that is part of that pool is tested again to identify the positive case.

Students and staff that participate in pooled testing do not have to quarantine from school if they are identified as a close contact to a positive case here at school.

If you are interested in learning more about pooled testing or would like to sign your child up to participate in pooled testing, please contact the main office here at school.