Colt Crusader
A newsletter for the families of CFES - Week of 4/27
Weekly Edition
2828 Pleasant Acres Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
757-648-2240
http://www.christopherfarmses.vbschools.com
Follow us on Twitter @cfescolts
Principal: Robyn Backer , @Robyn Backer
Asst. Principal: Patti Porter, @sunsetzzz15
Message From Ms. Backer, Our Principal
As a reminder, we will transition to ELP on April 27th. Our teachers will begin teaching new objectives and will transition to asynchronous learning. Asynchronous learning will include recorded lessons of your teacher, videos, links, etc. that will support new instruction.
Each week, teachers will be expected to provide online instruction and assign instructional activities that will be aligned to the online instruction provided. Teachers will also continue to be available via office hours to help students on Tuesdays through Fridays. Office hours will be adjusted to 30 minutes a day. In addition, all of our teachers will be available for live individual student conference to help with assignments one day a week. Please be on the look out for an email on Monday for a chart with this information.
Specialists (music, PE, dance, art, counselors) will provide optional instructional activities. These activities will continue to be provided weekly through the Colt Crusader. Remember, your students can engage in this activities at any time that works for you!
Each week, we will send out lessons and activities for your student to complete via Alert Now. This will give you a glance of the entire week’s lessons and activities as we know this helps some families. However, just as we have done in the past, we have broken it down into four days of work. Our teachers will be following this plan Tuesday - Friday and will be continuing to send a daily to do list that follows that schedule. However, we do understand that based on your family’s schedule, you might not be able to complete work each day. This is okay! You can choose to combine days, do it all in one day, or do work over the weekend.
For each subject there will be:
Lesson - This is a flipped lesson that your teacher has made and should be viewed for instruction. The lesson could include an independent activity to support the flipped lesson. Examples might be a response to the video or a sort based on what they should have learned from the lesson.
Follow up Activity to turn in - This is an aligned assignment that will allow the students to demonstrate their application of the week’s objective. This can be turned in anytime but should be turned in by Sunday at 5:00. This will allow time for teachers to give specific feedback on Monday.
MAY DO Activities - These are optional activities that your child can complete if he/she is looking for additional activities.
Please work at a pace that best suits your personal learning style. Your learning should be an engaging experience. Please do not work to the level of frustration. If that occurs, please contact your teacher so he/she can help and a conference can be set up. Remember that all of the work should not be done in one uninterrupted time period. Be sure to take regular breaks.
Grading in 4th quarter
During extended school closures, it would be difficult to validly report proficiency scores because elementary aged students would not always be able to independently complete work, as many need support from adults to engage in learning. In addition, some standards require certain classroom tools to measure proficiency. Therefore, elementary students will not be provided proficiency scores for the fourth marking period, nor will they be included on the elementary report card.
All elementary students will receive a report card for quarter 4 with all of the objectives grayed out. The date for the end of the quarter and for the distribution of quarter 4 report cards will be communicated at a later date.
Teachers will keep track and monitor which students regularly participate in instruction in Quarter 4. They will report to administration those students who do not participate.
We are committed to continuing to support all of our families during this transition to ensure that we can keep our students as engaged as possible. Don't ever hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or myself! Please stay safe and healthy!
-Ms. Backer
We had a BLAST celebrating Spirit Week!
3rd Grade - Rodriguez
Dad is US Navy, currently deployed.
3rd Grade and Kindergarten
Quarter 3 & Report Cards
Field Trip Refunds
For our 3rd and 4th grade families, you have the option of requesting a refund or transfer your child’s field trip money to their fourth/fifth grade teacher to be used towards a field trip during the 2020-2021 school year.
For our 5th grade families, you have the option of requesting a refund or donating the $6.00 to the fifth-grade classes at Christopher Farms Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year.
Please complete the form below by Friday, May 1. If you have any questions, please email to wende.phillips@vbschools.com
Wondering about Kindergarten Registration ?
The VBCPS kindergarten preregistration and orientation that was scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, will be held at a later date, but parents may begin the registration process online as of April 7. Right now, we won't be taking appointments to finish the in-person part of the registration process. Once our schools reopen, we will send out information regarding this topic. In addition, a summer kindergarten registration/orientation will be offered once it is safe to do so. Look for this date to be posted at vbschools.com.
Click here to visit the Online Registration website for details. Please be advised when accessing this link:
- If you currently have a ParentVue account, follow the prompts to submit a new student registration application.
- If you don’t remember your ParentVue password or username, click on “More Options” and then “Forgot Password” to enter your email address and further instructions will be sent to you.
- If you do not have a ParentVue Account, click on “More Options” and then “Create a New Account,” answer the questions, and a link will be sent to your email address which will allow you to complete the application.
Spanish Immersion Applications
All application must be returned by May 4, 2020.
MOVING BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR?
If your family is moving before the end of the year and has VBCPS materials (Chromebook, math workbook, or library books, etc.), please email Ms. Backer at Rsbacker@vbschools.com
to arrange for a time to drop off the materials at school.
Counselor Corner:
As we move into the final quarter of our school year and the new Emergency Learning Plan, please know that school counselors remain a resource and are just a phone call or email away. Though our physical locations may have changed, we are still available to support the growth, development and education of our students at CFES. Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Beda and/or Mrs. Yoshida with any questions or concerns you may have during this time.
We will continue to add Social/Emotional resources to the ’Resources to help support students’ social emotional needs’ link in the weekly Colt Crusader. This week we’d like to highlight the Healthy Heroes Video which explains our current situation to students in an informative cartoon. Here is also a School Closure Wellness Challenge with some positive mindful and stress reducing activities for your families.
Graduate Profile and Colt traits will continue to be highlighted each month and we look forward to celebrating our Citizens of the Month on Colt TV. Keep your eyes out for some amazing students!
New Support for our Military Connected Families
Until our MFLC position is filled, we have an MFLC who will meet the needs of our military students and families. Her name is Natashia Cowan and she had been working fact-to-face at Luxford ES before the school closures. During the closure until the position is filled for Christopher Farms ES and Arrowhead ES, she will also support these two schools via the virtual support detailed below.
Due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, the MFLCs are able to temporarily provide telehealth services to our military community. These services include telephonic and video non-medical counseling. We are pleased to announce this temporary capability to provide continuity of care in your local community.
Support for Children and Youth:
• Individual video non-medical counseling sessions for minors age 13 to 17 (parent or guardian must be available at the start of each video session to give parental consent and provide line of sight requirements)
• Family video non-medical counseling for minors 6 to 12 years of age (parent or guardian must attend each session)
Our MFLC Natashia Cowan can be reached by:
Email: OceanaSchoolMFLC-32@SRIMFLCTeam.com
Phone: 571-407-0257
Please let Mrs. Yoshida or myself if you have any questions.
Bummed about Field Day? Here is a great alternative
We’re excited to announce that our school community will be participating in the
OPEN National Field Day event on Friday, May 8th!
- Field Day is an important tradition at our school. It is a significant day for our students and our staff, and we feel that in these incredibly challenging times this national event is a unique way that we can stay connected as a community and support one another in a fun and meaningful way.
- OPEN (Online Physical Education Network) is a national public service organization that provides curriculum and training support to more than 90,000 teachers in all 50 states. We will be using their resources and social media network to help us organize our school’s participation in #NationalFieldDay.
- All #NationalFieldDay events are designed to be done indoors or outdoors using common household items. You won’t be asked to purchase any specialized equipment or supplies.
Here’s how it will work:
- Our school is now registered as a participant in this event. Families can choose to register as well, but it’s not a requirement.
- The event website is www.openphysed.org/nationalfieldday.
- As a part of registration, we will receive Field Day Friday email updates each week with new resources that we will share with you.
- You can also find updates via social media using #NationalFieldDay.
- By April 17th your family will receive a set of event cards that you can use to begin practicing. You will also receive a participant practice sheet for tracking progress.
- Your family will be asked to choose a minimum of 4 events to complete on Field Day. However, you may complete as many events as you’d like to.
- From May 3 thru 7, we will follow #NationalFieldDay and watch the Field Day Torch travel across the country in preparation for the main event.
- On May 8, our entire school will participate in events, complete an official score cards share photos and videos via Twitter @cfescolts & @CFESPE1 using #NationalFieldDay.
- After the event, your student will submit their scorecard via Schoology to Mrs. Robertson.
- Every student that completes at least 4 events will receive an OPEN National Field Day certificate.
We will continue to send you weekly updates on this fun and festive event. We appreciate your cooperation and are hopeful that your entire family will use it as a fun and meaningful way to be physically active together and with our entire school community.
Music assignment for 4/27 - 5/1
Flipgrid.com Sign in with google account Code: playon Music Topic What instrument would you be?
Art Assignment from Ms. Jones
No art materials, not to worry! Ms. Jones has posted several art activities in her schoology course that require no art materials at all. Keep a look out each week for new art activities to work on. Have fun, and get creative!
This week's optional assignment: Pose Like a Work of art!
● Pick one or more of the works of art listed below.
● Find things around your house to help turn yourself into a recreation of one or more of the portraits/paintings.
○ You do not need to find things exactly like the picture. Just things to help you pose like the picture
● Take a picture of yourself, family members, and/or pets posed at the works of art you chose. ● Post the picture into the At Home Art album on schoology
● We can then post a reply to guess which painting you were trying to recreate.
Calling all talent, calling all talent! Virtual Talent Show for all CFES students!
Calling all talent, calling all talent! This is your child’s time to shine and showcase their talents. Whether it be singing, dancing, a gymnastics routine, a musical instrument, acting, standup comedy or anything else. All talents are welcome!!! Any student wanting to participate will have the opportunity.
A student may only perform in one act and each act must be no longer than 2 minutes. If you are performing in a group act, each student must fill out this form. We will combine them by the name of the act.
WAYS TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH CFES HAPPENINGS:
- Check our website weekly: https://christopherfarmses.vbschools.com
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfescolts
- Download the VBSCHOOLS app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
- Make sure the school has your updated phone number and email address in order to receive Alert Now communications
- Follow your child's progress on Parent Portal: https://www.vbschools.com/parents/parent_portal
Proud Principal
Email: robyn.backer@vbschools.com
Website: https://christopherfarmses.vbschools.com/
Location: Christopher Farms Elementary School 2828 Pleasant Acres Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia 234
Phone: (757) 648-2240
Twitter: @RobynBacker