CCS Newsletter
October 07, 2016
Kindergartners Nature Walk
Alpha 5 Field Trip to Petra Cliffs
First Graders in a Corn Maze
LET'S CELEBRATE
Kindergarten students celebrated the signs of fall on a nature walk.
First graders enjoyed a field trip to Whitcomb's Pumpkin Patch in Williston.
Alpha 5 enjoyed their field trip to Petra Cliffs.
Congratulations to both the 5/6 and 7/8 Spelling Bee teams. Both CCS teams placed 2nd in the 2016 District Spelling Bee on Wednesday, 10/5 at Williston Central School.
STUDENT ABSENT / TARDY LINE - 425-6688
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Tuesday, October 11
School Assembly, 8:15am
Early Release Day, 1:55pm
Wednesday, October 12
NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur
Tuesday, October 18
Early Release Day, 1:55pm
Wednesday, October 19
Field Trip - Alpha 5 & 6 to Flynn Theater, 8:30am
Field Trip - Navigators to Shelburne Museum, 8:45
Friday, October 21
NO SCHOOL - Parent Teacher Conferences
Tuesday, October 25
Early Release Day, 1:55pm
Wednesday, October 26
Volunteer Orientation Party, CSSU Offices Shelburne, 6:00pm and again at 7:00pm
Friday, October 28
Field Trip - Architects to Shelburne Farms, 9:00am
Tuesday, November 1
Early Release Day, 1:55pm
Wednesday, November 2
Four Winds Training, 8:15am, Cafeteria
Friday, November 4
School Dance, grades 6-8, MPR, 7:00pm
Tuesday, November 8
Early Release Day, 1:55pm
Tuesday, November 15
Early Release Day, 1:55pm
Monday, November 21 through Friday, November 25
NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, November 29
Field Trip - Navigators to Shelburne Farms, 8:45am
Early Release Day, 1:55pm
VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION PARTY! OCTOBER 26TH
The CCS Administataion in conjunction with the PTO would like to encourage all CCS parents and community members to get involved as volunteers/chaperones to assist our dedicated teachers in support of our students.
Click here to find out more about the Volunteer Orientation Party to make this vetting process easy.
DRAMA DIRECTOR HIRING COMMITTEE
We are hoping to convene a small hiring committee together within the next few weeks to interview candidates for our Drama Director position for the 2017 middle school spring musical. Please contact Cindy LaWare at claware@cssu.org if you are interested in volunteering for this committee. It is likely that interviews will be in the late afternoon (3:30 - 6:30 p.m.) on Wednesday October 19 and/or Wednesday October 26.
HEALTH EDUCATION / U SKILLS UPDATE
The students in grades 6-8 are working on building important skills for a lifetime of wellness, these include Self Esteem, Decision Making, Assertive Communication, Stress Management, & Goal Setting. The students are building these skills through discussions, case studies, situations & scenarios, worksheets, posters, short videos, music and skits. Below are the main topics for each skill.
Self Esteem
Focus on the positive
Figuring out self strengths
Do things you enjoy to make you feel good
Decision Making
Things/people that influence our decisions
Consequences of actions
Reflection for future decisions
Assertive & Effective Communication
Being clear with a respectful tone, volume, and appropriate body language
Actively listen by asking questions and giving feedback
Goal Setting
Short term vs. Long term goals
Working together toward a target
Stress Management
Signs of Stress
Positive ways to deal with stress
Who you can go to for help when stress gets overwhelming
Practiced Breathing techniques, Study break stretches & Yoga, Listening to Relaxing Music
If students are unable to attend a portion or all of class and need to make up work, you will find all assignments up to date on our school website under team Omega classes; health. http://www.ccsvt.org/Page/3558. Then click on health and it will bring you to my google site: https://sites.google.com/cssu.org/uskills . All work by grade will be available for students to preview and make up any lessons and assignments that were due.
In November we will be starting our new units of study. Students in grades 6 will be discussion germs and illness, prevention, risk factors, and media’s influence on illness. Grade 7 will be learning and reviewing healthy relationships and bullying. Students in Grade 8 will be discussing and reviewing learning about bullying, harassment, healthy relationships, and support services.
I enjoy working with your students and value their input. I am consistently working to make the lessons interactive for all students by give them tools for a lifetime of healthy living. Thank you for your continued support.
Yours In Wellness,
Louise DeGuise
CCS Health EducatorEXPRESSIVE ARTS PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
MUSIC NEWS
Chorus Announcements:
More than 120 students in grades 5-8 have joined chorus this fall! We are already hard at work learning music in two, three, and four parts and have begun singing our concert music.
Concert choir has begun rehearsal, and our schedule is as follows: Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:30-8:05 and will take place in Mrs. Littlefield’s music room. The full schedule can be found on the CCS music webpage.
All groups will participate in the winter concerts on December 15th (grades 7/8 and concert choir) or January 25th (grades 5/6).
Due to the high number of involved students in chorus, Mrs. Littlefield will be using the Remind app to communicate with students and families about upcoming events and reminders. The Remind app can be used on a phone, tablet, or computer. No phone numbers or personal information can be shared through this app. It can be downloaded at www.remind.com or at the app store for free.
Each chorus member will need a code to join their group to receive updates. The codes will be shared in person during rehearsal and can also be found on Mrs. Littlefield’s music page here: http://www.ccsvt.org/Page/2755. Communication will be mostly between teacher and students, but parents can also request to join their child’s class to receive updates about rehearsals and concerts. Questions about the Remind app or how to use it? Contact Mrs. Littlefield at mlittlefield@cssu.org or at 425-2771 ext. 129.
Band Announcements:
The beginning band is off to a fabulous start with 100% participation! We have learned to assemble our instruments, produce some wonderful tones and begin to read the first five notes of the concert Bb scale. The enthusiasm is tremendous and the band room is bursting with determined beginning instrumentalists!
5-6 Jazz Band will meet Thursday mornings from 7:30 - 8:05 AM in the band room. All students in grades 5 and 6 are welcome to join the group where we will explore the elements of jazz such as improvisation, articulation, syncopated rhythmic reading and more.
The 7-8 Stage Band is well underway and making impressive progress. I am excited to imagine all that we will accomplish this year! Please stay tuned to the Newsletter and the music web-page for all upcoming performances!
The 7-8 students in band are preparing materials for the District III Audition. They will use this material for the Fall playing assessment. Students are encouraged to participate in the Festival held on January 26 and 27. The auditions will take place at the ADL school in Essex Jct. on Saturday November 5 from 9 AM until noon. For more details regarding this super opportunity, please visit http://vtdistrict3music.org/.
Please feel free to contact Andy Smith with any questions at asmith@cssu.org or 425-6653.
Thank you for your continued support!
WANTED - GIRLS WHO CODE
Want to learn to build an app, design a video game, and change the world through code? Join a free Girls Who Code club. Open to girls in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Find out more here.
LAUNCH IT! AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT SPONSORED BY IMAGINE!
Catapults, Frisbees, Paper Rockets and Planes. Using only simple materials like rubber bands, paper, and straws, create all kinds of things that take to the air. Test-flying is the best part! Open to all CCS students in 2nd - 5th grades.
Day: Tuesdays
Date: Oct. 11-Nov. 15
Cost: $70
Grade: 2nd-5th
To sign up, visit: www.ImagineAfterschool.com and fill out an Enrichment Registration Form and return it to Lorien Leyden at lleyden@cssu.org. There is limited space in this class so please check with Lorien before signing up.
ODYSSEY OF THE MIND INFORMATION
Odyssey of the Mind is a fun, creative, kid-driven problem solving adventure, and it's getting to be about that time of year again. Students work--on their own, with no parental assistance--to solve a long-term, creative problem, starting in November and working until the state finals in March.
Typically, students and parents create their own teams (made up of 5 to 7 students) within the same grade. If you have a partial team or a single student who needs pairing, please submit a parent's name, the student's name and grade, and contact information to cheaevans@gmail.com and I can help match up teams.
There are training meetings for coaches on Saturday, October 8 from 9:00am until noon at Mater Christi School in Burlington and on November 5th in Clarendon, VT. To register for a training or to find out more information about Odyssey of the Mind, visit http://vt.odysseyofthemind.org.