Monday Memo
Week of February 24th-28th
Greetings, CCE!
You might have heard the classic Beatles Song "Here comes the Sun".
With the weather being so unpredictable recently, a healthy dose of sunshine was to call for in this week's memo background. Sunshine is symbolic of many different things ranging from associations to spirituality in religious beliefs to overall health and life. Indeed, the sunshine can trigger many health benefits both mentally and physically in living things. Here are some findings associated with sunshine.
1. Sunlight triggers the pineal gland in the brain which begins production of melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin is an antioxidant that helps sustain healthy sleep and wards off depression. Serotonin helps support a healthy and balanced mood.
2. Sunlight (UVB) triggers the production of Vitamin D in your body which helps keep your bones and teeth feeling strong and looking great!
3. Healthy dosages of sunlight help decrease the risk of certain cancers and helps boost the immune system.
4. Natural way to heal the skin of certain free radicals that can positively affect the tone of the skin.
5. You only need to "bathe" in the sun for about 15 minutes a day, best time of the day is before 9 AM or after 4 PM.
In trying to keep true to my year's resolution of "balance", remembering to enjoy the sunshine is my favorite way to bring balance to my life. Whether it is a quick walk, a hike, a bike ride, or playing a game of basketball with my sons, remembering to take the time to enjoy the sunshine is important for all of us. It is also important to remember to not be SO busy that you don't take time for yourself. Remember that even if you don't see the sunshine for days, the sunshine keeps shining even behind the cloud cover! It will eventually peek out from behind the sky's curtain and bring us joy!
So the next time that our wonderful Sun shines it's light upon us, remember to...
Take the time to enjoy the sunny day and it's benefits!
What's Happening at CCE...
Week of February 23rd- TELPAS Window Opens
2/24: PTA Lunchbox $ Due (Panera Order Forms in Boxes)
Day of Awesomeness Fundraiser Kick-Off at 2 PM in Cafeteria
Just in Time PD: Planbook at HES @ 3:30 PM
Click here to register for Monday, February 24 @ HES2/25: Model Classroom Day (K-2nd)~Gloria sent out schedule to teachers participating
Staff Meeting: Health & Wellness Sessions (All Staff), Thank you, Valerie & Coach Hull!
Happy Birthday Cupcakes in Teacher's Lounge during Lunches for all Staff (We will provide a healthy snack at the staff meeting as well and sing happy birthday to Jan/Feb Birthdays)
2/26: PLCs- GLL Lead
Champion General Dentistry Presentations (PK-1st Graders) during Specials/Classes Go to Gym
2/27: TELPAS Practice Day for Students (See Gloria's Schedule emailed to teachers affected)
Finance Meeting AM (Billie out)
PTA Lunchboxes Delivered, Thank you, PTA!
Just In Time Training: Planbook @NJES at 3:30 PM
Click here to register for Thursday, February 27 @ NJES
Snack & Learn: DL Oracy & Literacy @ KES
Register Here: Snack & Learn: DL @ KES
School Board Meeting 6 PM - 10 PM
2/28: TELPAS Practice Day for Students (See Gloria's Schedule emailed to teachers affected)
5th Grade Field Trip- Stunt Ranch
2/29: UIL Away Event @ KES (All Elementary Campuses), Thank you Mrs. Savoy! Thank you, Coaches!
Other News, Reminders & Need-to-Knows
Celebrating Good Things
Dr. Seuss Week is Coming!
Launching Us Off!
Helen Keller
"Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows."
Teachers' Corner
Submit a story, success, aha! moment, funny, photo, announcement, etc. that you would like our CCE family all to know about. Email it to me by Friday of each week and I will put it in the next Monday Memo.
Staff Development Day Kudos!
Thank you to our support staff for working on a variety of projects at the campus to keep our school looking in tip-top shape! You are amazing!
Check out staff pictures below!
Committee Notes
Here is a glimpse from Social Committee & Events Committee.
Committees have lots of things planned! We will be having VT committees on March 10th!
Week of Wow/Day of Awesomeness Fundraiser is Coming!
Teachers will receive a student packet to hand out after the assembly to each student. Teachers please turn in any donations to the front office as you receive them or at the end of the fundraising period of 10 days. Thank you!
Campus Visitor Update 19-20
With field trips coming up and the need to consistently improve campus security and safety, it is important to know that all parents must be certified at a certain level to work within certain capacities/functions: Here is the district link that has been updated for our volunteers. Information about volunteering.
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Campus Visitor Update As our campus reviews our check-in and visitor procedures, it is our desire to keep our parents informed of any updates. Remember that we have a variety of ways that you can receive your student at dismissal time. Students may ride the school bus home, parents may pick up their children in our car lanes, or come to the walk-up pick up area located next to the gym. Dismissal time is 3:00 PM at all elementary campuses. All areas require the parent to show their student pick-up signs. If there are changes to the way that you have designated pick-up for your student with your student’s teacher, please notify the front office so that arrangements can be made or changed for your student’s dismissal. If those areas are not options for you, and you have to come into the front office to check out your student at the end of the day, we are asking all parent visitors to wait in the office area during dismissal to receive their student. This will ensure that our campus has accurate information for all of our visitors when waiting for dismissal while helping maintain our campus safe and secure. This process will also ensure that students are being released to the correct parent and support our dismissal procedures. Also, please be reminded to have your driver’s license or passport when entering the building. Our front office staff will print out a badge for you during your visit which must be worn at all times while at the campus. It is our policy for all visitors to exit through the front office doors and to turn in your badge to our office staff when leaving. This ensures that we can appropriately check out our visitors in our security system, Raptor, and document that all visitors have left the building. We welcome all of our families and visitors~ thank you in advance for understanding the procedures at our campus. Here is a link to additional information about volunteering at our campus if you would like to know more about supporting your campus!
February 21, 2020
Thank you to our front office staff for your collaboration and insight on this!
Special Olympics a Success!
Sammy placed 1st! Please congratulate him when you see him!
Black History Presenters: Mrs. Kahura & Mrs. Pollini/Students AMAZING!
PK Parent Night a Success!
Suspect a Student of an Illness?
Helping "Kind Hearts" from KES at CCES!
Staff, a message from KES~
A group of KES 5th grade students wrote and received a grant titled "Kind Hearts." Their idea was to collect items to fill the containers to deliver to children in the oncology unit at Dell Children's. So many of the children receiving services there, are confined to their beds for days/weeks on end. The students would love to collect items such as books, playing cards, board games, coloring books, crayons, small toys, etc.
How can we help? Each campus is being asked to collect donations during the first two weeks of March. We will send home flyers and an announcement blurb provided by KES by Wednesday. A KES staff member will come by on Friday 3/13 to collect all items that were donated. After filling containers, KES students will then deliver them to Dell Children's the first week of April.
The containers/bins will most likely be located by Mrs. Kozak's office. Thank you!
A message from our District Librarian, Angela Hartman:
Hello,
March is almost here and time flies even more quickly after spring break! Please take a look at the end of year schedules for our libraries.
All books are due at FMS, HMS and HHS libraries - Friday, May 15th. That gives us 8 days to round up books, calculators, and textbooks, and to complete the end of year inventory.
All books at HNES and KES will also be due Friday, May 15th. That will be the last day classes will come to the library.
For campuses that will be remodeled summer 2020, HES, NJES, RES, CCES and VHES, the last day for the libraries to be open will be Friday, May 1st. All books will be due that day and classes will not come to the library after May 1st.
Librarians and paraprofessionals at these campuses will have to box every library book. This process is time-intensive because the books have to be packed in a certain order and boxes labeled correctly and in order. These books will go on new shelving after the summer remodels. Everything in the storage rooms will have to be packed/distributed as well. AND the regular end of year inventory must also be completed, which involves physically scanning each book and other items in the collection.
Thanks for your understanding. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
Angela Hartman
Solid Roots has a NEW Name!
Our BASE Team will continue providing the same amazing service for our students. The name change was needed to align more closely to our actual program since not all components of the Solid Roots program were applicable for district purposes.
Here is a link to learn more about the BASE program at our campus/district!
STEM NATION! STEM NATION! Hooray!
STEM Nation Elementary Launch Assembly
on March 9th from 8-9 AM in the CCE Gym!
This year's theme is Global Impact. The focus is on worldwide accessibility to basic resources. There will be prizes for the top projects. 20 Hutto ISD students will be awarded $100 and 2 teachers will be awarded $150 Amazon gift cards.
For those of you that are new to Hutto ISD, STEM Nation is a free event hosted by Hutto ISD each May where students of all ages showcase science fair projects and/or any other type of classroom project/product they're proud of. All projects/products are welcome. They do not have to be STEM or theme related. There are also hands-on activities (like a Makerspace) and demonstrations for students to experience, and the culinary arts students prepare delicious food that is free for all attendees to enjoy.
Here is the teacher info shared by our district!
EARLY VOTING IS HERE!!!
Take your picture and post it on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #HippoNationVotes. Regardless of where you live, let’s get out and show our community and state that Hippo Nation votes!
CCE will not hold any after school events on March 3rd, teachers please do not schedule any afterschool events or conferences that may prevent you from getting out to the polls and voting.
You are allowed to leave the campus as soon as you finish up with duty. We encourage everyone to vote and wear your “I Voted” stickers.
Staff/Teachers - Be very careful with anything that you post, civic duty, we can’t endorse any side or issue as staff members. You can promote voting, but we can’t wear anything about what we endorse. You are also encouraged to vote during the day during their conference periods, if that works best for you!
As an incentive for voting at CCE: Take a Selfie with your Voting Sticker and text that over to me for a Monthly Jean Pass! Let's see if we can get 100% of staff to vote!
Summer School Location has been determined!
Enrichment and After school programs will also be held at that campus, more information coming when finalized. Summer School Principal will be making hiring decisions once selected by the district.
If you are interested in applying as a summer school teacher, please check the website and look for emails as April approaches.
Thanks!