Chichester Central School News
August 19, 2020
Message from Your Principal
All of us here at CCS are excited to kick off the 2020-2021 school year! Although there are many changes that will be in place due to COVID, we hope to be able to make CCS feel like the school that you've come to know as a home-away-from-home. Please be on the lookout for communication on Remote Learning (coming the end of this week), bus routes and protocols (beginning of next week), individual school tour appointments (information coming early next week), chromebook assignments (information coming by the end of this week), middle school soccer and cross-country (information coming by the end of this week) as well as continued updates to procedures.
SOCCER COACH NEEDED: we're looking for a dynamite soccer coach for the fall! Interested applicants should contact jrichardson@sau53.org or Stacy Boyden (CCS Athletic Director) sboyden@sau53.org.
Thank you to everyone that completed their assignment survey several weeks ago. If for some reason you were not able to complete this, please give our main office a call, and Mrs. Burke would be pleased to help you. By now, all enrolled students should have received their cohort assignment.
Plans for CCS remote learning options will be available by the end of this week. As a reminder, any child participating in a remote learning option, either through CCS or VLACS, or a homeschooling option, will not be provided instruction by their regularly assigned 20-21 teacher. Homeschool options will be family-directed, and remote options will be directed by remote-only CCS educators or through VLACS. If your child is enrolled in VLACS, they will connect myself and Mrs. Carrier to your student's account. This will allow us to provide a smooth transition back to CCS, at the time of your choosing.
As a reminder, even if you indicated that your child will be riding a bus this year, as always, you are still welcome to drop them off at school as a car rider. Please remember to continue sending notes into school with changes to drop off and pick up arrangements.
Thank you for the outpouring of positive support for our staff as we work through this unprecedented time. We love our community, and we can't wait to welcome our kids and families back through our doors!
With much gratitude,
Jess, Principal
Community and School Working Together
A special thanks to the reopening team
Christina Carrier, Cohort Assignment Subcommittee Co-Chair
Jessica Casey
Anne Lakeman
Amy Binder
Vicki Burke, Cohort Assignment Subcommittee Co-Chair
Corinne Rowe
Resa Audet
Sarah Downer
Jenn Miner
Ruth Bidwell
Cammy Guest
Ashley Paine
Kate Dockham, Scheduling Subcommittee Chair
Laurie Jaquith
Julie Strazzeri, Procedures/Protocols Subcommittee Chair
Lynne Marston
Anna Benevides
Jane Heeley, Related Services Subcommittee Chair
Alex Libby
Chris Gagnon
Chantal Duval
Jess Richardson, Principal
Curriculum News - Eureka Math
For parents and teachers alike, this approach looks and feels a lot different from the math we experienced as kids. That is why, along with brand new materials and manipulatives this year, our teachers will continue to collaborate with Karolyn Wurster, a mathematics education consultant, who will meet with them quarterly to help solidify and enhance the learning experience for all.
Please look forward to future updates and communications about Eureka Math. In the meantime, check out https://greatminds.org/math/parents to learn more about the curriculum, and how you can support your child(ren) with it at home. Additionally, an extensive collection of Eureka materials, including lesson plans and printables, can be found for all grade levels at https://embarc.online/.
Staff Spotlight: Unified Arts
Mrs. Benevides, Library Years at CCS: 3 Fun Facts: I studied art in college. My favorite subjects were photography, in the time where we used film and developed it in huge tanks of chemicals and printed them on special paper, and figure drawing/painting with very bright colors. Family: My husband Eric, daughter Zoey (13 yrs) and cat Eevee live in Gilford. My closest friend from college lives 10 minutes away and also has a young daughter, husband and cat (+a dog) and we call them "framily" which means friends who are like family! Hobbies: My favorite places to be is the ocean where I always end up collecting rocks to bring home for my garden, and a close second is reading in a hammock at the lake. I love taking pictures, especially of flowers and water, since my daughter is now a teenager and refuses to let me take her picture anymore! Favorite CCS Tradition: The Ladybug Book Award reading and voting! Other: I just got a new inflatable paddle board that I actually got up early to paddle through a wetland where I saw lots of birds and snapping turtles. | Mrs. Murphy, Art Years at CCS: 4 Fun Facts: I am allergic to mangos. My mother was my husband's middle school art teacher, and I didn't meet my husband until we were together in Art school getting our BFA degrees in Ceramics. Family: My husband Stephen and I have 2 kids, Liam who is 15 and Fern who is 9. Hobbies: I spend lots of time in the woods. Much of my artwork is inspired by nature so in my spare time, I study mushrooms and moths. I also study rocks, minerals, edible wild plants. Favorite CCS Tradition: I love the Music concerts! Other: I am grateful to be a part of the CCS community and to be able to make art with such amazing people! | Mrs. Paine, Art Years at CCS: 4 Fun Facts: I love to run, and I’ve completed a marathon and three fifty-mile relay races. I can play most instruments but my favorites are piano and guitar. I’ve always wanted to learn to REALLY play the harmonica. Family: I live with my husband Brian, our 2 year old daughter Lorelei, and two dogs, Ernie and Leah. I also have one sister. Hobbies: Music, running, hiking, reading, and cooking. Favorite CCS Tradition: Rams Run for Recess! I sure hope we get to bring it back this year! Other: I love making music with children, and I can’t wait to see all of your wonderful faces again very soon! My favorite part about my job is singing together and my heart will be so full when we can do that again. |
Mrs. Benevides, Library
Fun Facts: I studied art in college. My favorite subjects were photography, in the time where we used film and developed it in huge tanks of chemicals and printed them on special paper, and figure drawing/painting with very bright colors.
Family: My husband Eric, daughter Zoey (13 yrs) and cat Eevee live in Gilford. My closest friend from college lives 10 minutes away and also has a young daughter, husband and cat (+a dog) and we call them "framily" which means friends who are like family!
Hobbies: My favorite places to be is the ocean where I always end up collecting rocks to bring home for my garden, and a close second is reading in a hammock at the lake. I love taking pictures, especially of flowers and water, since my daughter is now a teenager and refuses to let me take her picture anymore!
Favorite CCS Tradition: The Ladybug Book Award reading and voting!
Other: I just got a new inflatable paddle board that I actually got up early to paddle through a wetland where I saw lots of birds and snapping turtles.
Mrs. Murphy, Art
Fun Facts: I am allergic to mangos. My mother was my husband's middle school art teacher, and I didn't meet my husband until we were together in Art school getting our BFA degrees in Ceramics.
Family: My husband Stephen and I have 2 kids, Liam who is 15 and Fern who is 9.
Hobbies: I spend lots of time in the woods. Much of my artwork is inspired by nature so in my spare time, I study mushrooms and moths. I also study rocks, minerals, edible wild plants.
Favorite CCS Tradition: I love the Music concerts!
Other: I am grateful to be a part of the CCS community and to be able to make art with such amazing people!
Mrs. Paine, Art
Fun Facts: I love to run, and I’ve completed a marathon and three fifty-mile relay races. I can play most instruments but my favorites are piano and guitar. I’ve always wanted to learn to REALLY play the harmonica.
Family: I live with my husband Brian, our 2 year old daughter Lorelei, and two dogs, Ernie and Leah. I also have one sister.
Hobbies: Music, running, hiking, reading, and cooking.
Favorite CCS Tradition: Rams Run for Recess! I sure hope we get to bring it back this year!
Other: I love making music with children, and I can’t wait to see all of your wonderful faces again very soon! My favorite part about my job is singing together and my heart will be so full when we can do that again.
A Few More Staff Shout-Outs!
As if they didn't have enough on their plates with the planning of a safe and successful reopening plan, many CCS teachers have also been participating in a variety of professional development activities. Their efforts this summer will ensure that along with being safe at school this year, CCS students will continue to be engaged in high quality learning experiences. The following are just a few examples of the topics our teachers dug into over the summer:
Project Based Learning Leadership Team Workshop
This workshop was a three day intensive dive into how we can support the conditions for Project Based Learning at CCS. Throughout the upcoming school year, this hardworking team of teachers will share their experience and help foster a project-based mindset for teaching and learning in our school. Thank you to Mrs. Lakeman, Mrs. Guest, Mrs. Binder, Mrs. Douglas and Mrs. Rowe for taking this on for our students and staff!
CCS Literacy Symposium
Another group of CCS educators spent two days engaging in professional dialogue around the following essential question: How do we best use our resources to evolve our literacy programs and data collection here at CCS? Together the group generated lists of ideas, resources, and collaborative systems to ensure that all CCS students continue to learn at high levels, whether they are with us in person or remotely. Thank you to Mrs. Audet, Mrs. Mara, Mrs. Jaquith, Mrs. Sanborn, Mrs. Green, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Rowe, Mrs. Kneeland, and Mrs. Dockam!
Eureka Math Training
Classroom teachers new to Eureka were invited to attend an intensive three day trainings with Karolyn Wurster as part of the beginning of our full-school Eureka implementation. All classroom teachers will also be working with Ms. Wurster throughout the 20-21 school year as part of local area cohorts.
Kindergarten/New Student Registration and Re-enrollment
If you have a child who is new to our school, you will need to set up a new account. If you have a student who is returning for another year, simply login to ALMA and update any contact information, medical information and permissions on file for the current school year.
We are so excited meet our new friends and welcome back our returning ones for the 2020-2021 school year at CCS!
This link will take you to more information about how create and/or update your ALMA account. KINDERGARTEN/NEW STUDENTS: BE SURE TO CALL THE MAIN OFFICE TO COMPLETE NECESSARY NOTARIZED PAPERWORK.

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