Gator Bites
CGE Weekly Newsletter 2/15/2021
Welcome
Welcome to our weekly Gator Bites newsletter! Every Friday evening our team at CGE will send out any important updates for the following week. Our goal is to be prepared, transparent and informative! We appreciate your time and urge you to read through carefully each week- especially during these unconventional virtual learning weeks.
Stay safe, stay informed and stay Gator Strong! đ
From the Principal's Desk
Dr. Larry Savage, CGE Principal
Schedule Updates
Next Thursday and Friday
From the Library
Book Recommendations:
Please make recommendations for future book additions to the CGE Library using this form. The form will be accessible on an ongoing basis, but we have a current deadline of March 1 for an upcoming order. Iâm looking forward to seeing your recommendations!
Scholastic Book Fair is Coming!
Welcome to our first ever book fair at CGE! This online book fair will run from March 1 through March 14. Please support the CGE Library and help your child discover new books, favorite characters, complete series, and more!
There is a fun new option to shop for Book Fair exclusives directly from the interactive booklist and enjoy free shipping on book-only purchases over $25. What a great way to help instill a love of reading!
You can preview the fair at this link: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/chathamgroveelementryschool
From the Guidance Counselor
Parent Pro Tip:
Reading books to young children is a good way to start teaching children emotion words. Emotional literacy is the capacity to identify, understand, and express emotions in a healthy way. Emotional literacy also includes the capacity to recognize, label, and understand feelings in self and others. It is a prerequisite to the development of more advanced social skills and for the continued maturation of emotional self- regulation. (Tip from The Center of Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation)
STAR Updates
STAR Testing Parent Reports
STAR Parent Reports were shared last week. Reports for Group A and B students were sent home with your student. If your student is currently enrolled in the Virtual Academy, STAR Parent Reports were mailed to your address. There is no need to sign and return the report. Please reach out to your childâs teacher with any questions.
From the Arts Department
CCS Winter Arts Festival
Wanted! Ad Circulars, Magazines & Catalogs for Art Class. Please place items for donation in a plastic grocery bag & send to school with your student if you are attending in-person instruction. There will be a drop off box in the lobby area for them. This is an ongoing need throughout the 2020/21 school year. Thank you!
In addition, please take a look at the CCS Winter Arts Festival website to view a display of visual and performing arts from all of the Chatham County district schools, including our own Chatham Grove Elementary artists. This is in lieu of in-person winter exhibitions and performances.
North Carolina Symphonyâs Adopt-A-School Program
I am so excited to announce that Chatham Grove Elementary will be partnering with the North Carolina Symphony this semester to provide learning opportunities to our students! According to the North Carolina Symphony website, âThe NCS Adopt-A-School program will serve to foster the relationship between NCS musicians and K-12 students and teachers statewide.â Over the next couple of months, students will be interacting with Ms. Rebekah Dale, a horn player in the NC Symphony, to learn about the symphony, instrument families of the orchestra, the science of sound, and the life of a musician. She will also provide instrument demonstrations for our students. If you would like to learn more about Ms. Daley, please visit the following website: Rebekah Daley Biography.
Schedule
During the months of February and March, we will be scheduling visits for third-fifth grade students. She most recently joined fourth and fifth grade virtual academy students. On March 2nd, she will be meeting with our in-person 3-5 students on Zoom during specials. B-day students should plan to join the Zoom that day with their A-day peers. If fourth and fifth grade VA students missed her this week, they are more than welcome to join the in-person session on March 2nd. The link will be shared on the remote learning matrix. We will also begin scheduling K-2 visits in April. Third grade VA students will meet with Ms. Daley in April when we schedule a visit for second and third grade VA students.
We are so grateful for this unique opportunity, and having the chance to provide this experience to our elementary students! We know that this will be a meaningful and valuable experience for all. Please contact Mrs. Galloway with any questions about the North Carolina Symphonyâs Adopt-A-School program.
North Carolina Symphony - One State One Score Project
CGE Ongoing Information
School Nutrition Update: Curbside Meal Pickup
Curbside meal pick-up will take place at CGE each Wednesday from 10:30 to 1:00 starting on January 13th. Please reach out to our Cafeteria Manager, Ms. Jessica Frye, for questions. Her email address is: jfrye@chatham.k12.nc.us.
Materials Pick Up
Student materials will be available for pick up again starting on Monday February 15th at 9 a.m. Please contact your studentâs classroom teacher if you have a question about the materials/resources that need to be collected at our school.
Yearbook Picture Submissions
Specials Grading for VA Students
To create consistency in grading K-5 Art, Music and PE classes, all students for quarters 3 and 4 in grades 3-5 district-wide will receive the following feedback on report cards--Proficient, Developing, or No Evidence. For quarters 3 and 4, all students in grades K-2 will receive a 1, 2, 3, or 4 for specials.
Please know that in conversations and in our recent CGE Parent Survey, we heard feedback regarding assessing for Virtual Academy students in our specialsâ classes. Specifically, some of our VA parents are really struggling with balancing, home, work, and school demands. We understand. For K-2 students who are unable to consistently attend specials, they will not receive a grade and that section of the report card will be blank. For 3-5 students who are unable to consistently attend specials, they will not receive a grade and that section of the report card will say âNo Evidence.â
Car Line Reminders
For safety purposes, please
Pull up to where your childâs exit or entry door lines up with the cone. This allows eight students to enter or exit cars at a time without having to take any children off the sidewalk.
Pull up to the farthest available cone.
Allow space between the sidewalk and the curb
Have children on the sidewalk side of the car ready to exit
In the afternoon, one staff member covers two stations. Please be patient with them as they move from one car to the next.
Meet Our Staff
Emily Richardson, 4th Grade Teacher
About Ms. Richardson: Jasen and I got married on October 3! I am now Mrs. Richardson. We own an ice cream trailer and sell Maple View ice cream. We have a dog named Chance, 4 nephews and 1 niece.
A few of Ms. Richardsonâs favorite things: I enjoy working in our yard and going camping, hiking, reading, and watching tv.
Melissa Carpenter, 3rd Grade Teacher
About Ms. Carpenter: I have been married to my husband for 16 years. We have three boys ages 8, 11, and 14. We are new to North Carolina this year! What a year to move! We have two dogs and two bearded dragons.
A few of Ms. Carpenterâs favorite things: I enjoy hanging out with my family, hiking, bike riding, camping, and sitting around a fire.
Chatham Grove Elementary School
Email: lsavage@chatham.k12.nc.us
Website: https://www.chatham.k12.nc.us/Domain/2227
Location: 1301 Andrews Store Road, Pittsboro, NC, USA
Phone: 919-642-7069
Facebook: facebook.com/chathamgrovees