5-1-23 PAW'S PRESS

Dear Cherokee Families,

We have so much to celebrate at Cherokee! On Friday, we celebrated some amazing student leaders! See below for some pictures from our leadership assemblies. Students were also able to use their "Paws" leadership tickets at our ticket store on Friday. Students earn leadership tickets by following positive behavior expecatations and demonstrating leadership. Thank you to our ticket store parent volunteers who helped our students "shop" throughout the day.

We are also celebrating the academic gains our students have made so far this year. We are so proud of them! At Cherokee, we are committed to continuous improvement in all subject areas. Literacy continues to remain a priority in Chippewa Valley Schools as it impacts learning for all subjects. The district has consultants who work to support our amazing teachers and other instructional staff. This week your child may see consultants in classrooms observing teaching and learning. The consultants help us to determine the most effective ways to support staff and students. Our goal is for all students to reach their highest level of success!

During the week of May 8th-12th, we will celebrate Teacher Apprecation Week (these dates were updated). We are so grateful for our amazing Cherokee teachers! Thank you to PTO for all they do to recognize our teachers during this week.

Upcoming Important Events:

• Ordering Lunch - See below for the May menu and ordering link.
• Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8th - 12th) *DATES WERE CHANGED
  
• FastBridge Assessment Window for Grades K-3 (May)
• PTO Fundraiser Gym Jam (May 6th) - see below
• 5th Grade Middle School Field Trip/Visit (May 9th)
• Incoming 6th Grade Parent Orientation Iroquois/Seneca (May 9th at 6:30 PM)
• Incoming 6th Grade Parent Orientation Algonquin/Wyandot (May 11th at 6:30 PM)
• Science Olympiad County Competition (May 13th)
• Happy Mother's Day (May 14th)
• Last Week To Check out Books (May 15)
• NO SCHOOL (May 16th) - Teacher Professional Development Day
• PTO Spring Fling (May 19th)
• Last Week of Library- Return Books (May 22)
• Incoming Kindergarten Kick-Off (May 23rd at 6:00 PM) - See below for more info

• Field Day (May 25th) - Rain date is May 30th (more details from Mr. Walkenhorst coming soon)
  
• NO SCHOOL (May 26th and 29th) - Memorial Day

• PTO Meeting (May 30th) - Media Center 6:15 (elections will be held)
• 5th Grade Completion (June 12th at 6:00 PM)
• Kindergarten Celebration (June 13th at 9:00 AM)
• Last Day of School (June 14th) - Half Day dismissal at 11:21 AM

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

Click her to order hot lunch.

Click here for a printable version of the May hot lunch menu.

See below for some pictures from our assemblies, student leaders and ticket store. We had so much fun!

• See flyer below.
• Click here to register.

• Thank you to PTO for all that they do for our teachers during this week!

• The fire department tested our gate near the school on Friday. We also had another health emergency during which they had to use the gate. The gates is are working properly.
• We completed our 4th fire drill on Friday 4/21. We will do one more before the end of the year
• We will be having another drill using our "blue light" this year. The blue light is used to activate our lockdown procedures of "AVOID DENY DEFEND." There is more information about these procedures if you scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter. An email will be sent home immediately after the drill has been complete.

Message from Mrs. Badalamenti:

Baby Chicks are coming to Cherokee again!!

In STEM class, students just met our new baby chick eggs. They take 21 days to grow inside the egg in order to be ready for hatching. Students were able to take home a sliding countdown, or a calendar to track their growth. As we near their hatching (around May 8th), I will set up the camera again on the incubator so students can login (using their school login information) and watch them LIVE on Teams.

Here is the link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDQ4ZGFhM2MtZjkxOS00MWRhLWFiZTYtMDg3ODNjYzUyYTA5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229824ea09-1539-4200-ad9f-d8c34345d827%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22c99d8c81-7e00-4e64-88a6-e0f152beac44%22%7d

During April and May, students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will be taking the state-required M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) assessment, in the subject areas of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Below are the testing windows for each grade level. Testing will occur at different dates and times throughout the testing window. Your child’s teacher will inform you of the specific dates for your child’s class. It is helpful to refrain from scheduling doctor/dentist appointments or any other activities which would require your child to miss school during the testing window. Please see below for directions to access sample test items and video tutorials. Additionally, it is strongly encouraged for students to bring their own headphones for the ELA test.

Assessment Windows & Subjects Areas

5th Grade: April 10th – May 19th

· English Language Arts Computer Adaptive (approximately 120 minutes)

· Math Computer Adaptive (approximately 90 minutes)

· Science (approximately 90 minutes)

· Social Studies (approximately 60 minutes)

4th Grade: April 10th – May 19th

· English Language Arts Computer Adaptive (approximately 120 minutes)

· Math Computer Adaptive (approximately 90 minutes)

3rd Grade: April 10th – May 5th

· English Language Arts Computer Adaptive (approximately 120 minutes)

3rd Grade: April 10th – May 19th

· Math Computer Adaptive (approximately 90 minutes)

Helpful Reminders:

· Encourage your child to do their best!

· Make sure your child gets enough sleep. 😊

· Start their day with a healthy breakfast.

M-STEP PRACTICE: SAMPLE QUESTIONS & VIDEO TUTORIALS

All 3rd through 5th grade classes will be exposed to the testing format prior to the testing window. The directions below explain how you can access practice test items and view student-narrated video tutorials from home. You must use Google Chrome as your web browser when accessing the site.

LINK FOR M-STEP SAMPLE QUESTIONS

https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/

1. Open the link in Google Chrome

2. Click on M-STEP Online Tools Training

3. Click on sample items set

4. Click your grade

5. Choose ELA or Math

6. Type in username and password listed on the screen

LINK FOR M-STEP STUDENT-NARRATED VIDEO TUTORIALS

https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/

1. Open the link in Google Chrome

2. Click on the yellow text at the bottom of the page (DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments Tutorials)

3. Under the M-STEP icon click on student tutorials

4. Select various video tutorials to view.

• 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.

We will host a parent only informational night for families who have incoming kindergarten students for the 2023-2024 school year. It will be a PARENT ONLY INFORMATIONAL NIGHT on May 23rd at 6:00 PM.

Click here for registration information and more!

• If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home and call our attendance line.
• 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. This year it seems that it is taking children longer to recover from some of the viruses that are going around. We know this and totally understand.
• 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.

• 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.

• 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 her for May Sign Up Dates. OR Click here for June Sign Up Dates. 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 four fire drills, three lockdown drills and one severe weather drill. 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 just had our first cardiac drill on 11/17. 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.
  

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.

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

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 :)

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/