The CPES BobChat
October 11, 2020
What Do Teachers Do on Work Days?
In a word, they work. We know that Teacher Workdays/Staff Development Days/Professional Development Days/Early Release Days can be an interruption for student learning and an inconvenience. But, they make such a difference in the lives of our students. Why are they so important during the school year? 1. They give time for teachers to learn. We want our doctors to stay up to date on new procedures and medicines to help save lives. We want our safety personnel learning best practices in fighting fires and fighting crime. Educators are always searching for the best way to meet student needs. Those practices may come from our district coaches or they may come from the teacher next door. Given the pace and busyness of school life where there are so many demands, a work day allows teachers to find the best solutions for complex learning problems of our children. 2. They give time to plan ahead. "Prior planning prevents poor performance." I believe that is true for our teachers' performance and our students' performance. How can students know where to go in their learning if their teacher does not have a meaningful plan? Teachers are planning for large group instruction, small group instruction, individual instruction. They are planning for learning "at home" and "at school." This year, twelve teachers are planning daily for two grade levels. Thirteen of them are planning virtual instruction. Six of them are planning for both virtual and face to face instruction. (20 of our 35 teachers are teaching in a completely different way than what they did last year.) They desperately need time to plan well. 3. They give time to think, communicate, and secure resources. You would think that we all see each other regularly but our teachers have their heads down and are focused daily on their students and their classes. Work days allow teachers to collaborate with the special education teacher or the speech teacher or the gifted and talented teacher or the English as a second language teacher. It allows time to find the science kit or the math manipulatives or the guided reading books or the file/link/email that is a deal breaker. Work days allow a little space to tie down those loose ends that become frayed otherwise. The end goal of staff development days is for our teachers to become better teachers so our children become better learners. Our kids benefit the most from these days. Life is about perspective sometimes. For the contracted work day, teachers have about forty minutes during the day for "planning" (a.k.a bathroom break, email checking time, phone call chance, parent conference) and about 45 minutes after school for planning. (Most of teachers come way before 7:30 and leave well after 3:30 and most still work at home in the evenings and weekends.) In China, teachers have two to three 45 minute classes per day and have the rest of their workday for lesson preparation and grading assessments. Thank you for your support of these days and know that they are much needed for our teachers' and students' growth. It takes all of us as #One Team One Mission One Rock Hill for that to happen.
Strength and Blessings to You
Mr. Maness, Principal
P.S. Thank you, District Administration and School Board, for our Early Release Days this year for staff development and planning.
Maureen from Lidl Donates Apples
Allison and Melissa from Grifols Donate Supplies
Lidl and Office Staff on World Teacher Day
School News
Scholastic Book Fair Will be Online October 12-25--Yes, we will have a Book Fair this fall and yes, it will all be online. Over 6,000 items available and all purchases will be mailed to your home. Please click on the following link for more information: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/cherryparkelementary1
First PTO Meeting of the Year--Will be tomorrow at 6:30 PM. We will discuss our areas of focus and plan out the budget. All parents are invited to attend. Here is the Zoom link for the online meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86549361386?pwd=SWtKc0I0aG9DWFZhMWIySzFVNmlGZz09
Want to Purchase a Yearbook?--Yearbooks from last year came in this week and were distributed to our students. We have a few left for purchase in the office on a first come, first serve basis. The yearbook was late due to the temporary closure of the manufacturing plant due to COVID.
Second Graders and CogAT and Iowa Testing--Second graders will be taking these two tests over the next two weeks. These are aptitude tests that are used as a part of our gifted and talented identification program. All second graders in the district will be tested. It will take two weeks to take the test because there are five parts and children will take one part each day for the next two weeks. Virtual students in second grade will also be tested and parents will be sent additional information for dates and times to come to CPES for your children to take those tests.
Car Line Reminders at Pickup--Please remember that if you do not have your car tag, you will need to park and secure one in the office to pick up your child. Also, please come a little earlier than normal because are car lines are running well and we are finishing up most days by 2:35.
Picture Days--Fall Pictures are Tuesday, October 13th for A Day Students and Wednesday, October 14th for B Day students. ALL students (and staff) will be photographed for the yearbook . Order forms have been sent home in your box and a collection envelope. Virtual students will have their pictures made on the same days from 12:00-2:00. Pictures can be ordered online: http://mylifetouch.com. Please use our school code: EVTMBXB3P (Virtual Families, please note change in dates from what was emailed to you. October 13 and 14 are correct dates.)
America Recycles Day Art Contest--Please click on the two buttons below for information about the American Recycles Day Art Contest. Submissions are due November 1. This a great opportunity for our students and we definitely believe one of our students could win.
Monday Is an A Day--Monday is our next C Day and it is an A Day.
Monday, October 12 and Monday, October 19--October 12 will be an Early Dismissal Day. Students will be dismissed at 11:00 for Staff Development for teachers. On October 12, no students will attend and this is an assigned Professional Development day as well.
Parent Help for SeeSaw (K-2nd) and Canvas (3rd-5th)--Our teachers are using these two learning management systems with students to help them access the curriculum both in face to face and virtual settings. Please click on the following link (or the button below) if you need help in assisting your child with these programs: https://sites.google.com/rhschools.org/rhsprofessionallearning/instructional-technology-support/learning-management-systems
Informing the School on Medical Issues--When your child has a medical issue, please be sure to include Nurse Love when you inform your child's teacher if your child will be out due to illness. She will be our lead person for helping with any illness for our school family. You can always reach her at jlove@rhmail.org. Thanks so much for your help with this.
District COVID-19 Dashboard--District, level and school data can be viewed at this link to see what case counts are for our schools: https://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/covid19 Please remember the following definitions as you review this information.
"Quarantine" includes individuals who might have been exposed to COVID-19 or who've recently had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
"Close Contact" includes individuals who were within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset.
"Isolation" includes individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 and individuals who are asymptomatic but have tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2.
"Positive" only includes individuals with a lab-confirmed positive test.
Individuals who were in proximity to a positive case are notified and will be monitored for symptoms for 14 days.
Sources: S.C. Department of Health & Control, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. School data includes cases known by school and district nursing staff.
EVTMBXB3P
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PTO and SIC Information
Parent Teacher Organization and School Improvement Council Update
The PTO serves to raise funds, coordinate volunteers and encourage teachers through appreciation activities. Click on the PTO Newsletter button below if you wish to receive the PTO Newsletter: PTO and SIC will meet on the second Monday of each month this year. School Improvement Council meets at 5:30 and our Parent Teacher Organization meets at 6:30. Elections were held in the spring for PTO. All parents are welcome to attend both organizations' meetings to help provide input and volunteer. Here is the Zoom link for the PTO Meeting on Monday, October 12 at 6:30 PM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86549361386?pwd=SWtKc0I0aG9DWFZhMWIySzFVNmlGZz09
School Calendar
October 12-23--Second Graders Take CogAT and Iowa Test
October 12--A Day Students Come and Early Release Staff Development Day (Students will be released at 11:00); 6:30 PTO Meeting via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86549361386?pwd=SWtKc0I0aG9DWFZhMWIySzFVNmlGZz09
October 12-25--Scholastic Book Fair (Online--See button above for more info.)
October 13--Pictures for A Day Students; 12:00-2:00 Pictures for Virtual Students
October 14--Pictures for B Day Students; 12:00-2:00 Pictures for Virtual Students
October 19--Teacher Professional Development Day
October 22-30--Red Ribbon Week