CCS Newsletter
February 7, 2020
ADMINISTRATION UPDATE
Dear CCS Friends and Families,
Happy Snow Day! We hope everyone is staying safe and warm, as well as getting outside to play in the snow!
Getting an extended weekend feels like a very timely gift for all at CCS, as we’ve been battling a great deal of sickness and have seen high absenteeism this week. In light of that, we wish to pass along some important reminders and pieces of information:
- If your child has been formally diagnosed with the flu, please inform school nurse Lauren Calkins so that we may accurately monitor flu data.
- While we have had high rates of sickness and absences, the confirmed number of flu cases remains low. There are a few different viruses going around that include high fevers, head colds, and stomach bugs.
- There are firm guidelines regarding a student’s return to school after being sent home due to fevers or vomiting. We recognize that missing school and work can present challenges, we request that students do not return to school until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours (this means no fevers for 24 hours AFTER completing their last dose of fever-reducing medications and 24 hours FREE of vomiting and/or diarrhea. If your child returns within a 24 hour window of having been sent home from school, you will be called to pick your child up from school. Below is a helpful visual (borrowed from Akron Children’s Hospital) to explain parameters regarding a student’s return to school based on a variety of illnesses.
This month, we continue to highlight and boost our core tenets at CCS of Taking Care of Ourselves, Each Other and This Place. Mr. Smith passed along the following great examples from his classroom this week - fifth graders Lilia Bushy, Avery Siket and Chapin Grubbs volunteering their time to organize the band locker room (without being asked!) and eighth grader Natalie Scriver mentoring fifth grader Jonathan Kogut on his violin during lunch/recess.
Kind Regards,
Stephanie, Jen and Cassandra
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Tuesday, February 11th
Early Release, 1:55pm
Preliminary Spelling Bee (grade level), Rm 211, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Wednesday, February 12th
Field Trip - CY Mentoring Group to Spare Time, 3:30pm to 6:00pm
Thursday, February 13th
Field Trip - Kindergarten to Flynn Theater, 11:15am - 2:00pm
Tuesday, February 18th
Early Release, 1:55pm
Wednesday, February 19th
Field Trip - Youth Empowerment Conference (select students), 8:00am - 2:30pm
CCS Schoolwide Spelling Bee, MPR, 1:15pm - 2:45
Monday, February 24th through Friday, February 28th
NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
Tuesday, March 3rd
Town Voting & Town Meeting, MPR, 7:00am - 7:00pm
Early Release, 1:55pm
Friday, March 6th
Principal Q&A, 2:15 - 2:45
Tuesday, March 10th
Early Release, 1:55pm
Wednesday, March 11th
Field Trip - VAMLE Conference at Champlain College (select students), 8:15 - 2:30
Friday, March 13th
Trimester 2 Ends
Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, sponsored by 3rd & 4th grade families, Staff Rm, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Dance! Grades 6-8, MPR, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Tuesday, March 17th
Early Release, 1:55pm
Wednesday, March 18th
Field Trip - 5th Grade Chorus to Elley Long Music Center, 8:05am (no return to CCS)
Thursday, March 19th
Variety Show, sponsored by the PTO, MPR, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Friday, March 20th
NO SCHOOL - Parent Teacher Conferences
Monday, March 23rd
Field Trip - 1/2 Team to Flynn Theater, 8:45am - 11:30am
Tuesday, March 24th
Early Release, 1:55pm
Thursday, March 26th
Shrek the Musical! MPR, 7:00pm
Friday, March 27th
Shrek the Musical! MPR, 7:00pm
Saturday, March 28th
Shrek the Musical! MPR, 7:00pm
Tuesday, March 31st
Early Release, 1:55pm
WHEN SHOULD I KEEP MY CHILD HOME?
Parents/Guardians often ask us when they should keep their child home and when they should send their child to school. In general, we encourage parents to ask themselves, "Is my child ready to be a student today?" If their illness is preventing them for being a productive member of their class, then staying home is best. Also, please keep in mind that a sick child can spread illness to their classmates so staying home is also important for others' health as well.
• Fever (greater than 100°) You must keep your child home until your child’s temperature is back to normal (less than 99°) for at least 24 hours before returning to school without the use of fever-reducing medication (Tylenol or Ibuprofen)
• Coughing (excessive) Your child’s cough should be “dry” sounding and easily controlled by a drink of water or cough drop before returning to school.
• Vomiting or Diarrhea Your child should be able to eat food and drink liquids without vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
• Red or Draining Eyes Please keep your child at home and check with a physician to ensure your child does not have conjunctivitis.
• Excessive Nasal Drainage Please keep your child at home and check with a physician to ensure your child does not have an infection.
• Lice Please treat your child’s lice and nits with proper medication, and let the nurse know if your child has lice so proper precautions can be taken to reduce cases of head lice in the classrooms. Children may return to school following proper treatment.
• Unusual Rash Please keep your child at home and check with a physician to ensure that the rash is not contagious.
• Infection If your child has been tested or treated for any contagious infection, please ensure that he/she has been taking the prescribed medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
If you give your child medication such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen prior to them coming to school, please let the school know. This does not prevent illness from spreading if your child is sick, it will only mask the illness for a few short hours.
Keeping your students home when they are sick is vital in preventing the spread of illness and helps keep our students and staff healthy.
CCS staff understands this can be a hardship on families. Please plan ahead for an unexpected illness. Working out a “Plan B” can relieve the stress associated with an ill child. Most often, a child who comes to school not feeling well comes to the Health Office needing to go home. This can be stressful for a parent as well.
Thanks for your support in helping to prevent the spread of germs!
CCS LIBRARY NEWS
MUSIC NEWS
Congratulations to our District Music participants! They represented CCS last weekend at the District Band and Chorus Festival at CVU. We are proud of you!
Claire Sigmon, Tabitha Bastress, Kate Kogut, Hadley Auster, Hannah Stein and Kate Silverman.
General Music News:
It is time for our second annual celebration of Folk Dance February! Students in K-8 general music and chorus will spend the next several weeks avoiding cabin fever by learning New England folk dances as well as dances from other parts of the world.
As we are in the middle of flu and cold season, please consider donating hand wipes or hand sanitizer to the music classroom. As some of our dances include partner clapping and hand holding, we make every effort to minimize germ sharing by reviewing healthy hygiene and using sanitizer/wipes at the end of each class. Please help keep our musicians healthy by contributing to this cause!
ART ROOM NEWS
It has been a busy first half of the year in the CCS art room. I have truly enjoyed getting to know all of the student artists in our community. I continue to look forward to each day and all of the new inspirations that come out of the art that is created. I enjoy sharing the happenings in the CCS art room on my art instagram account. Join us @ msb_artroom_
Here is a picture from our 5/6 Art Club happening during lunches on Wednesday.
REMINDER FOR 8TH GRADERS!!!
please complete the Google form to register for your 9th grade math class and electives at CVU by FEBRUARY 19, 2020!!! Please use the link below:
Please see Betsy (School Counselor) if you have questions!
SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE
Our next academic co-curricular competition will be the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The dates for our CCS Spelling Bees are:
Tuesday, February 11, 2020 - 9:00 - 12:00 - Preliminary Grade Level Bees
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 1:15 - 2:45 - School Bee
We will announce practice sessions soon. For those wishing to get a head start, here are the (newly-formatted) study lists from Scripps:
School Spelling Bee List - Difficulty Level One
FAMILY DROPOFF AND PICK-UP SAFETY REMINDERS - IDLING CARS, TRAFFIC PATTERNS
Due to recent concerns, we kindly remind all families of the following expectations regarding vehicles on our campus:
- Please do not keep your engine idling when waiting for your student - this is for the health and safety of all students at staff at CCS.
- There is a specific traffic pattern at CCS - please obey all signs and expected traffic patterns. Recent concerns regarding traffic on our campus include:
- Cars are going the wrong way through the main entrance parking lot. The expected traffic pattern is for cars to enter closest to the library and to exit through the opposite driveway.
- Cars are going the wrong way into the parking lot near the gym entrance - the passageway between the main entrance and the parking lot closest to Philo Road is a one-way entrance! The only entrance to this parking lot is the ramp entrance closest to Philo Road.
- Cars are entering the main parking lot, often at a high rate of speed, from the West Lot (near the cafeteria and library). This is not an entrance to the front parking lot. We recently put up a temporary barrier, as cars have run over most of the orange cones that we have used. Please do not go around these cones and signs, for the safety of all. This area is a pick-up spot for students in the afternoon.
CVSD CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION BOND ON TOWN MEETING DAY BALLOT
On the ballot for Town Meeting Day, March 3, not only will there be articles about the school district’s proposed budget, fund balance, and school buses, but this year there will also be an article about the proposed Capital Construction Bond. Information about the other articles will be shared in upcoming posts, but we wanted to share details about the proposed bond with our communities as soon as possible. We hope this article answers some immediate questions. Please view the Budget page of the CVSD website for additional information about the proposed budget and bond. www.cvsdvt.org/budget.
CVSD BOND PROPOSAL INFORMATION
CVSD $6 Million Bond Proposal Information - District-Wide Facility Improvements and CCS Building Efficiency Improvements Project
As part of its ongoing facility stewardship, CVSD is planning the next steps in building renovations to CCS. The thermal performance of the building is severely compromised due to a degraded envelope, causing significant waste in the form of out-sized fuel oil heating bills. Due to water-damaged siding and inadequate building insulation, as well as poorly-controlled, outdated mechanical systems, the building experiences great temperature swings throughout the day. Spaces lack adequate mechanical ventilation, often resulting in stale, stuffy, hot classrooms. These conditions result in health impacts on students and staff in hot and cold weather, and significantly impact learning.
Please click here for in-depth information: CCS Phase 1 Handbill or visit the CVSD Capital Construction Website.
We will be hosting informational tours at CCS on the following dates:
Monday, February 17th - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 18th - 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
FREE FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM AT CVU
FlagFootball@CVU is a pick-up style football program for boys and girls in grades 2 through 7. Sessions will be held on Sundays in February (beginning 2/9) and March from 3:30pm to 5pm, in the CVU gym. Coached by Redhawks football players and supervised by CVU Football coaches, participants will play in a non-contact indoor football game comprised of four to seven players per side. The program is free and open to all interested youth regardless of town of residence or experience.
No pre-registration is required, just bring the waiver the first time you participate. Come to the sessions that fit your schedule – no commitment necessary.
More information and the required waiver are available at: https://tinyurl.com/u6ayqqb
Those interested are encouraged to visit the program’s Facebook page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/CVUFlagFootball/
FlagFootball@CVU is sponsored by CVU Redhawks Football and the Buccaneers Youth Football Program.