Chinook Newsletter
December 2019
Chinook Elementary
Main Office: 360.313.1600
Attendance: 360.313.1402
Attendance Email: Chinook.Attendance@vansd.org
Office Hours: *Monday - Friday 8am – 4pm
*All Monday's are Early Release at 2:10 pm through May
Regular School Hours: 8:30 - 2:50 pm
Principal: Patrick Conners Patrick.Conners@vansd.org
Associate Principal: Donna Jeffries Donna.Jeffries@vansd.org
School Counselor: Brett Andre Brett.Andre@vansd.org
Secretary: Amy Surface Amy.Surface@vansd.org
Enrollment/Attendance: Mary Lies Mary.Lies@vansd.org
Calendar:
December:
2nd - Early Dismissal at 2:10 pm
6th - Shoemaker & the Elves Play 6:30 pm
6th - Report cards go home
9th - Early Dismissal at 2:10 pm
12th - PTSA Evening with Santa, 6 pm
12th - PTSA Book Fair 3-8 pm
13th - PTSA Giving Tree Donations Due
16th - Early Dismissal at 2:10 pm
17th - PTSA Meeting, 7 pm
23rd-Jan 3rd - Winter Break - No School
January:
6th - Early Dismissal at 2:10 pm
13th - Early Dismissal at 2:10 pm
16th - We Haz Jazz 4th Grade Program, 6 pm
20th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no school
Guitar Class:
Dec 6th, 13th
Choir:
Thursday's 2:50 - 3:45 pm
Vancouver Foundation Chest Drive a Success!
Your Chinook generosity was astounding! All of the money raised goes to help kids in Vancouver Public Schools. Your donations support:
* Food and housing assistance
* Clothing and Shoes
* Early learning
* Glasses, hearing aides
* Lunch Buddy program
* Enrichment grants
* School supplies
* After school activities
* Doctor/dentist support
* Sports and activity fees.
We were amazed by all the children who brought in change from home and extremely appreciative of grownups who sent in checks. No matter the amount that was donated, you made a difference in a child’s life. The Chinook Wolf Pups joined together and raised over $3,000!
Thank you to Mrs. Flores & the 5th Grade Class for all your hard work!
Weather-Related Closure Information
School closure and/or delay decisions are made as early in the morning as possible. A top priority in making the decision to close or delay schools is the safety of students and employees. If schools are closed or dismissed early, after-school and evening activities also will be canceled. Community use of schools will be canceled only if schools are closed.
If no information regarding school closures is reported, then schools are open and on regular schedules.
There are several ways to get school closure information:
• Go to the VPS homepage at www.vansd.org
• Go to FlashAlert at http://flashalert.net
• Subscribe to receive free email and text announcements about school closures: go to www.flashnews.net to sign up.
• Download the free Vancouver Public Schools mobile app to your smartphone or tab-let, http://www.vansd.org/mobileapp.
• Follow Vancouver Public Schools on Facebook and Twitter to see our school closure posts: www.facbook.com/VancouverPublicSchools.
• Call the District’s Snow/Closure Info line at 360-313-1401, General Information at 360-313-1000, or the automated information line at 360-313-1234.
• Check radio, television and newspaper websites.
• Only if schools are closed early during the school day, the district will send automated phone calls to families.
You can Update Student Information in Skyward - Yearbook, Emergency Contacts, and more!
- Sign into your Skyward account. If you cannot access your account, please call the office.
- We are asking all parents "Update Publication Rights" for Military, Higher Ed, Outside/News Media, Athletic, and Yearbook.
- Be sure to click YES for Yearbook! Chinook will have a school wide yearbook this year! To make sure your student picture is in the yearbook you must mark YES. If it is marked NO, they will not appear in the Yearbook. Information about ordering will be going home soon.
- Click the “Student info” tab (on a mobile device, click on the “+” to display menu). In the upper right corner, click “Request Changes for student".
- Parents can update Student Information, Family Address, Family Information, Emergency Contacts (and priority order) directly from Skyward.
Please check - COATS, HATS, GLOVES, LUNCH BOXES!
Unclaimed items will be donated to charity December 13th
Kindergarten Registration starts Early!
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION BEGINS JANUARY 13TH
To register for kindergarten, bring proof of residency, birth certificate, and records of immunization to your neighborhood school. We recommend parents register their children by May 1st to ensure that your child receive an invitation to attend Kindergarten Visitation in May.
Note: Any child who will be five (5) years old on or before August 31 is eligible to enter kindergarten in the fall.
FCRC
Greetings, Chinook families! My name is Brenda Starr and I am your Mobile Family Community Resource Coordinator (FCRC). Every Wednesday morning, I will be available to provide you with resources for housing, food, clothing, medical & dental info, utility assistance and much more. I look forward to getting to know you!
Please don’t ever hesitate to stop by or call me – I am here to support you and your family!
Brenda Starr – Mobile FCRC
(360) 721-8464
When to keep a child who is sick at home
One of the problems most often confronting parents of school-age children occurs when a child complains of not feeling well on a school day.
The following is not intended as medical advice, but is merely designed as a guideline to be followed until your health care provider can be contacted. Children should usually be kept at home if any of the following conditions are present (keep in mind the absence of fever does not always indicate the child is well enough to attend school):
- Fever over 100 degrees (without the use of fever-reducing medicine), vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours
- Undiagnosed skin rashes with fever
- Persistent sore throat with fever and difficulty swallowing or rash
- Severe headache, toothache, ear pain or abdominal pain and cramping
- Skin infections
- Eyes that are painful red, and matted with thick discharge
- Severe uncontrolled rapid coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing
Three Actions to Fight the Flu - Step #1
Getting a flu vaccine every year is the best way to protect yourself and your family from flu and its potentially serious complications.
Three Actions to Fight the Flu - Step #2
Take everyday actions to stop the spread of germs. Try to avoid close contact with sick people, and if you become sick, limit your contact with others. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
Three Actions to Fight the Flu - Step #3
Wash your hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing.
Nutrition Corner
Meal payments online Did you know? You can add breakfast or lunch money to your student’s food service account online using your Visa or MasterCard. Payments can be made anytime and anywhere with internet access. Payments will add funds to the student account and be available to use immediately.
Free & Reduced Application
Breakfast menu Click Here
Lunch menu Click Here
We are very thankful for our wonderful PTSA and many Volunteers!
We could not do it without you! Thank you for all of your countless hours spent helping our students, supporting staff, community partnership for resources, and planning awesome family engagement events!
We hope you enjoyed your well deserved Thanksgiving Break!
Chinook Sock Drive
We are collecting new, unwrapped socks to help the Vancouver School District Foundation meet a need for socks. Sock Donations can be turned in to your school teacher.
Our goal is 1,000 pairs of SOCKS!
Wolf Pups can do it!
Want a job that makes a positive impact on children? Join our team as a paraeducator!
Part-time
Flexible schedule
Summer off
Shifts vary from 4–6.5 hour per day
News
Bus routes
Calendar: events, activities and what’s for lunch
Skyward: grades, attendance, employee access
Directory of staff
Social media
And more!