The CPES BobChat
January 29, 2023
New Traverse Wall in the PE Room
Can We Lose a Bad Health Habit?
All month, we've been examining bad habits to lose and good habits to gain. Improving our health can have a huge impact on our home and work lives. We want to model for our children how they can take care of their bodies so they can effectively learn at school. For most of us, our current health habits are ones we adopted from our parents as we were growing up. How do we "get fit?" 1. Know your why. Good habits about diet, exercise and sleep are hard to start. When you have a clear purpose for why you want to make a change, it helps sustain the effort you need to accomplish the goal. Do you want to be able to play with your kids as they get older? Do you want to live longer than your parents or grandparents? Do you want to reduce your stress so you have more energy to devote to your family? Reminding yourself of your "why" keeps you doing the "what." 2. Small steps are better than giant leaps. You know yourself so don't fool yourself. If you want to run a 5K race, do you start with walking an extra 10 minutes a day or are you ready to do intervals of walking two minutes and jogging one minute until you finish 3 miles? What is the next most doable step from where you are? If you want to eat healthier, is it more realistic to cut out all desserts or drink one less soft drink each day? If you succeed well in the first step then it will be easier to take the next step and the next step. Always keep your end goal in mind and be realistic about accomplishing the small parts that lead to it. 3. Think about the "springboards" for your success. I know if I pack my gym bag and put it by the door then there is a much greater chance I will go run the next day after work. I know if I buy healthy snacks at the store (instead of cookies), then that's what I will eat at home. What decisions can you make ahead of time that will increase your chances of changing a habit? What are your "triggers" of your success? If you aren't sure what they are, talk with others who have accomplished your goal and ask them how they did it. Most likely, you'll find one or two things that will enable you to consistently do what you need to do. 4. Don't go alone if you can. I know I've discussed this before but it is so true. Having someone to help keep you accountable makes a big difference. My wife is one of my biggest supporters for eating healthier. She models and encourages and that makes it easier for me to make better food choices. (I know what her raised eyebrow means when I reach for too many cookies.) I appreciate her and so many others in my life who help me stay healthy. Our physical bodies are just like any other thing we own. When maintained well, it functions optimally. We want to be there for our kids mentally, emotionally, and socially. When we have a body that works well, it gives us the energy to invest in them and care for them. It is so hard to engage with our children when we are always tired. Let's take care of ourselves so we can be there with them and for them.
Strength and Blessings to You,
Mr. Maness
Notes and Reminders
School of Choice Application Window (Updated Information)--Opens on January 5 and you can go to the following website to apply: https://rockhill-registration.hosted.src-solutions.com/login (This is the updated link where you will complete your New Student Registration and you School of Choice Application.) Remember that rising kindergarten students who currently have siblings in the program have first priority to secure a slot at Cherry Park but parents must complete the New Student Registration/Choice Application. We will also accept new students in first grade French. We have a few slots available in upper grades for students who apply and have appropriate language skills in French and Spanish. The application window closes on February 28. Please share this information with your friends and family. We want all families in Rock Hill to know about this opportunity for their children. We will have CPES Parent Information Meetings for Choice on the following days and times:
January 31 at 6:00 PM
February 8 at 12:00 PM
February 16 at 6:00 PM
Valentine's Day Parties--Valentine's Day is such a fun day for our kids. Please follow the lead of your child's teacher for how they will plan for that time and what they need. We plan to have pizza for lunch that day so there is no need for it to be brought in or sent in. We want to be mindful, as always, that items sent should have labels of ingredients in the event a student has a food reaction and we need to track down the allergen. We also want to avoid foods with nuts given that we have students in most every homeroom with nut allergies. Your child's teacher will be in touch to provide further information.
Bringing Lunch for Children--As we always have, we welcome parents and approved visitors to come and eat lunch with their child. We also understand that children forget their lunch and parents need to drop off their lunch box. When there is a need to bring a child a lunch, keep the following in mind:
1. Items Dropped Off--We have a process in place to take all items dropped off in the morning to classrooms by 9:30 AM. Parents needing to drop off something should do that before 9:30 AM.
2. Bringing Lunch--We do not have enough staff to take lunches or other items to classrooms throughout the rest of the day (unless there is a medical need.) Parents who bring a lunch will need to sign in and take the lunch to their child during their lunch time. Be sure to drop off your name tag when you leave. We will not call students to the office to get their lunch because we do not want to interrupt classroom instruction for our children.
3. Food Safety--Another reason we don't drop off lunches is due to food sitting on a counter and spoiling. Lunches dropped off before 9:30 AM should not need refrigeration or heating. They should be packed in a way to keep food cold or hot through lunch time.
4. If Your Child Forgets a Lunch--Know that we will always have your child eat in the cafeteria. Mrs. McCrorey, our cafeteria manager, will always make sure children eat. You can send lunch money the next day if needed.
5. The Why Behind the What--These policies are in place because we serve 783 students each day. We would love to have enough staff to take down a lunch for every parent who wanted it delivered. That simply is not reasonable nor possible. We want to maintain a focus on teaching and learning and safety. Thank you for your help with these policies we have in place.
Lost and Found--Our Lost and Found items (see picture below) not claimed will be bagged up at the end of the day on Tuesday and will be donated. It has been laid out for students to claim all this past week. If you need to check it for something your child has lost, you can come to the office and sign in to step down.
Battle of the Books Update from Dr. Austin
We are excited to announce the 2022-2023 Battle of the Books Team that will be representing Cherry Park at the Battle of the Books District Competition in March. These were the top scorers on the try out quiz. The next step will be to prepare for the district competition by continuing to read and study the texts in order bring home the trophy for Cherry Park.
Carolina Soto Nieves from Mrs. Preston’s Class
Hannah Wyns from Madame Roehl’s Fifth Class
Elliott Graham from Mrs. Riley’s Class
John Parker Cason from Senora Leon’s Class
Marshal Kagey from Mrs. Riley’s Class
Dallin Lewis from Senor Urresta’s Class
Also recognized are:
Gibson Daigle from Mrs. Riley’s Class and
Keragan Thomas from Mrs. Preston’s Class
who will serve as Alternates in Case One of other team members is unable to participate.
Congratulations to all these great readers!
Yearbooks--Yearbooks are now on sale. All sales are online only and this year there will not be an additional order after April 7, 2023. You will need to use the Order Number 24915. Click here to order a yearbook: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/?event=general.displayLanding&jobnumber=24915
Need Tech Support? Call 803-324-TECH
School Calendar
January 31--6:00 PM CPES Parent Information Meeting for Choice
February 8--12:00 PM CPES Parent Information Meeting for Choice
February 13--5:30 School Improvement Council; 6:30 Parent Teacher Organization
February 14--Valentine's Day
February 16--6:00 PM CPES Parent Information Meeting for Choice
February 17--Early Release Day for Staff Development (Dismissal is at 11:00)
February 20--Presidents' Day Holiday
February 28--School of Choice Application Window Closes
Parent Organizations
Parent Teacher Organization--This group has three main goals: Raising funds for the school, appreciating the staff and securing volunteers as needed. The Cherry Park PTO is a 501c3 tax deductible organization. Officers for 22-23 are Stephanie Greer (President), Amanda Winters (Vice-President), Liz Lowery (Secretary), and Erica Smith (Treasurer). Meetings are held at Cherry Park on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM (right after the SIC meetings.) All parents are invited to attend. All financial records are distributed and updated at each month's meeting.
Previous Newsletters for 22-23 School Year
"Can We Lose Some of Our Stuff?" January 22, 2023 https://www.smore.com/vqz19
"Can We Lose a Little of Ourselves?" January 15, 2023 https://www.smore.com/kydtr
"What Can We Lose?" January 8, 2023 https://www.smore.com/j3spt
"What's Happening in the New Year?" January 1, 2023 https://www.smore.com/zcthu
"What 'R' You Going to Do during the Holidays?" December 18, 2022 https://www.smore.com/8c6u49
"How Can We Reduce Holiday Stress?" December 11, 2022 https://www.smore.com/vmx8s
"Why Do We Clap and Cheer for Our Children?" December 4, 2022 https://www.smore.com/jegnm
"When Is the Best Time to Express Gratitude?" November 20, 2022 https://www.smore.com/b2xmt
"What Do You Need to Know about the World Cup 2022?) November 13, 2022 https://www.smore.com/d8c4x
"What's Happening in November at CPES?" November 6, 2022 https://www.smore.com/zyuje
"Who Showed Up for the Bobcat Dash?" October 30, 2022 https://www.smore.com/gjsm8
"How Do We Make Time Slow Down?" October 23, 2022 https://www.smore.com/c19u8
"Could PLCs Work for All of Us?" October 16, 2022 https://www.smore.com/6edtw
"What Is the Latest on the Bobcat"w Dash and Does It Make a Difference?" October 9, 2022 https://www.smore.com/2bf4k
"What is 'Nattering' and Is It Effective?" October 2, 2022 https://www.smore.com/gmrac
"What Do Parents Need to Know about Student Attendance?" September 25, 2022 https://www.smore.com/7rnbq
"What Do We Control?" September 18, 2022 https://www.smore.com/qv3hb
"What's the Goal for Our Children?" September 11, 2022 https://www.smore.com/q8k0b
"What Do You Do If You Want to Visit for Lunch?" September 4, 2022 https://www.smore.com/2ha8b
"How Was the First Week?" August 21, 2022 https://www.smore.com/t65yv
"What Do We Need to Remember as We Start Back?" August 14, 2022 https://www.smore.com/qjucf
"Open House Reminders" August 11, 2022 https://www.smore.com/35c6a
"Remind Me, Who's New at Cherry Park?" August 7, 2022 https://www.smore.com/b71ef
"Where Are the Pinch Points?" July 31, 2022 https://www.smore.com/csh32
"How Can You Help Us Keep Our Children Safe and Secure?" July 24, 2022 https://www.smore.com/6bweq
"How Can We Get Ready for the Fall?" July 17, 2022 https://www.smore.com/hcp2q"What Do We Need to Know" July 10, 2022 https://www.smore.com/y35p6