The Chapman Chatter
CES Newsletter | Week of October 18, 2021
A Message from the Principal
How are we half way through the month of October?! As we look at the next two weeks of the month, there is a lot of fun happening here at CES and our community! Check out this week's newsletter for more information. Have a wonderful weekend!
Yours in partnership,
Mrs. Harrell, Principal
CES Night at the Football Game Rescheduled (10/15/21)
October 18th - Staff Professional Development Day / Student Asynchronous Day
Just a reminder that Monday, October 18th is an asynchronous day for students. Students will not attend school in person on this day. Teachers will post lessons / educational experiences planned for students via their Google Classroom or through paper assignments sent home. Please see communication from your child's teacher.
Bullying Prevention Spirit Week!
Tuesday, October 19th: Peace Out to being a Bully - wear tie die or peace sign clothes
Wednesday, October 20th: Unity Day - wear orange to show unity for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying
Thursday, October 21st: Be a Hero Not a Bully Day - wear your favorite superhero shirt
Friday, October 22nd: It’s Crazy to be a Bully - crazy socks, hair, and clothes (backwards, mismatch, etc.)
Artist of the Week - Mustafa (4K)
Welcome Mrs. Mesenger, new CES Secretary!
Here is a little bit about Mrs. Mesenger! She and her husband Matt have lived in Strongsville for 12 years and they have three children, Leo (10), Tessa (7), and Sadie (4). Mrs. Mesenger most recently worked as a Children’s Librarian with Cleveland Public Library, but also has a background in publishing. Her favorite thing about Chapman is how family-oriented it is! Mrs. Mesenger is so excited to be a part of the wonderful school where her children attend!
The CES family is so excited to welcome Mrs. Mesenger aboard! To our families, thank you for your patience and support this past month as we transitioned secretaries. A big shout out and thank you to Mrs. Young and Mrs. Hocevar, who helped cover our front office during this transitional time.
Candy Donations for Greet & Treat
Reading Improvement Monitoring Plans (RIMPS)
Halloween Costumes, Parade Classroom and Class Parties (10/29)
Our PTA sponsored Halloween Classroom parties will take place on Friday, October 29th from 2:15-3:00 p.m. in the classrooms.
Please remember that ONLY the 3 volunteers per class, that have signed up in advance, will be admitted (This is organized through our PTA and head room parents). All volunteers must sign in with the office, present a photo ID and receive a visitor's badge prior to entering classrooms.
Weather permitting, we will have a short parade through our bus loop 1:45-2:00 pm. If you are coming to view the parade. If it is raining or snowing, we will NOT have a parade. If the parade is cancelled due to weather, we will send out a "School Messenger" message by noon.
Students are encouraged to dress up on this day. A great idea for a costume is to dress up as character from a favorite book. Please remember that even costumes MUST adhere to our Dress Code (NO spaghetti straps, NO bare midriffs, NO inappropriate icons or graphics). Students should wear their costumes, non-violent and simple in nature, to school.
Look-a-like weapons (including, but not limited to, swords, guns, and knives) are NOT permitted. This should be a positive experience by encouraging fun and originality. Masks will not be permitted to be worn throughout the school day, but may be worn during the party.
SCS Upcoming Renewal Levy
Chapman Veterans Day Recognition
Is Your Student A Bus Rider? Mask Reminder!
All Treats/Birthday Treats MUST Meet our Approved Food Guidelines
All foods being brought in must adhere to the District's Shared Foods Policy and must be checked in the office before going to the classrooms. Please follow the guidelines. We have had to return candy/treats/snacks to many families because the items were made on a nut line and "may" contain nuts. Please read the labels carefully. The ingredients must be listed on the packaging for us to share in the classrooms. All food must be free from ALL NUTS and PEANUTS and state on the label that it is a nut free product.
This is a great list to save as these items are approved:
- Lays Potato Chips
- Pringles (original)
- Rold Gold Pretzels
- Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Pretzels
- Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Crackers
- Cheese Nips
- Nabisco Teddy Bear Grahams
- Oreos (original)
- Lofthouse Cookies (from Marc's)
- Charms Blow Pops
- Tootsie Pops
- Skittles
- Starburst
- Airhead Candy
- Pencils
- Stickers
For the safe snack guide: www.SnackSafely.com
Click on the Safe Snack Guide on the toolbar of the site. Then there is a red box that says "Click to download your copy". This site is updated regularly.
Please be sure to read the District Shared Food Guidelines. The District adheres to guidelines for shared food and snacks so that we can promote safety, consistency, and equal access for the growing number of children who have life-threatening food allergies.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Counselor's Corner with Mr. Biehl
It Pays to Recycle Program!
Dance to Evolve Fall Hip-Hop Classes
SCS Greet & Treat
Opportunities for Students through the Strongsville Rec Center!
DARE Calendar of Events
Attention 5th Grade Families! Fifth Grade Recognition Meeting 10/17 @ 7pm
We have very exciting news! It's time to start planning for all of the special things that happen during your child's last year at Chapman Elementary!
There will be a meeting in the Chapman gym on Tuesday, October 19 at 7pm. You'll have the opportunity to hear the plans for the year and learn how you can be a part of the fun. Don't worry, commitment time is low for most jobs and tasks can be done independently. Perfect for our working parents!
If you can't attend the meeting, no worries. Contact one of us and we'll be happy to help you find a way to contribute that is a good match for your skill set. We are particularly in need of a parent with graphic design skills!
To ALL families, we ask that you complete this form. It'll help us communicate with you directly, and it'll also give us permission to deliver your yard sign this spring!!
If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Walkiewicz (stephwalkiewicz@gmail.com/440.503.8747 or Melissa Crandall (mcrandall12@gmail.com/440.539.8348), who serve as the PTA co-chairs for 5th grade recognition. We're excited to get started!
Join the Chapman PTA Today!
If you would like to join/rejoin the Chapman PTA for the 2021-2022 school year, please follow the link below to sign up and purchase. Prices are $5 for single membership/staff and $10 for family memberships. PTA has a fun year planned for students, families, and staff!
Join Chapman PTA HERE!
PTA Facebook Page
Meeting Dates
- November 11th @ 7:00
- December TBD
- January 13th @ 7:00
- February 10th @ 7:00
- March 10th @ 7:00
- April 14th @ 7:00
Important Dates for Your Calendars!
- 10/15 - Rescheduled CES Night at SHS Football Game
- 10/18 - Asynchronous (Remote Learning) Day for Students
- 10/18-22 - Bullying Prevention Spirit Week
- 10/25 - Picture Retake Day & Candid Picture Day
- 10/26 & 28 - 3rd Grade Ohio State Test
- 10/29 - Fall parade & classroom parties
- 11/2 - No School for Students
- 11/5 - Veterans Day submissions due
Reporting Student Absences (Repeat Item)
Parent Notification of Gifted Identification Screening Grades 2 & 4 (Repeat Item)
The Third Grade Reading Guarantee (Repeat Item)
Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee is a program to identify students behind in reading from kindergarten through third grade, as well as to provide help and support to make sure students are on track for reading success by the end of third grade.
Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, third grade students may be retained if they are not reading on grade-level by the end of their third grade year. While there are many parts to the law, it is our hope that the links on the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website and FAQ-style communication provided below will be a user-friendly reference for our K-3 parents/guardians in Strongsville. If you have any questions after reading the FAQ’s or researching the links on the Ohio Department of Education website, please feel free to contact the SCS Curriculum Department or building principal.
For more information regarding The Third Grade Reading Guarantee, visit our District Website HERE.
Nancy Lowrie & Associates LLC, Counseling Program Information (Repeat Item)
Dear Parents/Guardians of Strongsville City School Students:
We are writing to tell you about an exciting opportunity for you and your child. Strongsville City Schools have a well -established partnership with a Behavioral Health Private Practice, Nancy Lowrie & Associates, LLC, (NLA), that specializes in child therapy, adolescent therapy, and family counseling. All NLA therapists are Masters-level and licensed by the State of Ohio. They are able to diagnose and treat all emotional and behavioral health concerns. We are pleased to be able to offer you the chance to work with an Ohio Licensed Clinical Therapist in an effort to improve your child’s well being. The following are just some examples of the topics we address in individual, group, or family sessions:
• Strategies for managing relationships with peers, parents and teachers
• Development of social skills and communication
• Ability to deal with teasing and bullying
• Understanding and treating addictions
• Coping skills for anger management, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and mood disorders
• Fostering good choices by decreasing impulsivity and distractibility
• Managing family problems
• Gender Identity Concerns
• Controlling Eating Disorders and Self-harm
Best of all, NLA is able to offer you this service at your school. NLA will send our trained therapists to your school to meet with your child individually during the school day or via teletherapy. Also, to make this easier for you, NLA counseling services are covered under most health insurance plans, including State Medicaid, Medicaid HMO’s (CareSource, Paramount, and Buckeye) and most private health insurance plans (Medical Mutual, Anthem, Aetna, Cleveland Clinic, etc). NLA does all the clinical work plus does the actual insurance billing for you. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to receive confidential sessions with a caring clinician. If you are interested in participating in this program, please return the bottom of this letter to your child’s school counselor. An NLA therapist will call to schedule an initial meeting with you to get your child started in the program and verify your insurance information.
Sincerely, Nancy Lowrie & Associates, LLC
Family Letter can be found HERE
Stay Safe, Speak Up! (Repeat Item)
A Note About Grades for Music, Art and PE (Repeat Item)
When looking at grades for these courses, please know that they are standards based and NOT traditional percentages/letter grades like you may be used to in the past few years.
M= Standard Met
P= Progressing to Standard
N= Standard Not Yet Met
In order for our system to turn the student’s performance into standards- based grading, we have to put it in as a percentage. Each grade level and department has standards that students are working toward and this is what is being evaluated.
Although you may see a percentage, please ignore the percentage and look at the progression toward the STANDARD (M, N, P). Grades are not utilized in the sense that a traditional grading system uses them. You will see somewhere between a 50% and a 100%, but again, focus on the M, N, or P, as that is the official mark; the percentage is just a placeholder.
Encore Red, White, Blue Calendar (Repeat Item)
Students attend Encore Classes (Art, Music, PE) during a specific "color" week. Your child's teacher will share their specific class Encore Schedule with you. (Example: If I have PE on red weeks, I would want to dress appropriately (wear tennis shoes) on the days that are shaded red on the calendar).
Visit our website to view the Encore Class Calendar.
Shared Food Guidelines Reminder (Repeat Item)
Please be sure to read the District Shared Food Guidelines. The District adheres to guidelines for shared food and snacks so that we can promote safety, consistency, and equal access for the growing number of children who have life-threatening food allergies.
Health and Safety Information (Repeat Item)
COVID-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people, including students, teachers, and staff that may not be vaccinated. As we want to provide a safe and supportive environment for everyone, we will continue to implement the following preventive measures for the 2021-22 school year in consideration of the recommendations provided by the Ohio Department of Health.
Vaccination. We will continue to share vaccination opportunities/locations for eligible students and staff.
Wearing Masks. Per the CDC, masks must be worn by all students and staff when riding on the school bus. When at school and indoors, masks are optional for students and staff, yet strongly recommended for those who are unvaccinated. When outdoors, masks are not necessary, but still are optional based on individual/family preference.
Ventilation. We will continue to implement our ventilation protocols to bring in as much outside air as possible and provide air filtration at the highest level possible for our existing HVAC units.
Social Distancing. We will strive to maintain 3 feet social distancing within classrooms, cafeterias, and learning spaces. Cooperative grouping opportunities for students may be phased throughout the fall based on COVID trends in the school district.
Additional Mitigation Strategies. We will continue to provide opportunities for regular hand washing / hand sanitizer use and educate students on proper respiratory etiquette (i.e., covering coughs and sneezes.)
Cleaning / Disinfection. We will continue to implement the same cleaning / disinfection procedures as were implemented last school year.
Health Screenings. Families/Staff continue to be required to perform daily health screenings and must stay at home when feeling ill and/or exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms (CLICK HERE).
Contact Tracing, Isolations, and Quarantines. We will continue to perform regular contract tracing in combination with isolation or quarantine mandates as set by the Ohio Department of Health or other state/local mandates.
Specific Information pertaining to District/Elementary School Buildings
- Visitors are allowed as long as they have a designated purpose/appointment.
- Visitors are not permitted during lunch/recess.
- Class parties will have a limit of 3 volunteers inclusive of the room parent and no additional children may attend.
- For classroom assistance, only one volunteer will be permitted at a time. Volunteers working with students/in classrooms must be vaccinated and a Board approved volunteer.
- Students will have assigned seats during lunch.
- Students will stay on the right side of the hallway when walking to/from locations.
- Book circulation will be done at pre-determined scheduled times by classroom.
- Limited use of shared materials when possible.
Note. The Superintendent may enact further restrictions, such as mandatory masking and increased social distancing by classroom, grade-level, or building based on COVID-related data and trends.
For additional information on the prevention strategies listed above and COVID-related restrictions in our buildings for the 2021-22 school year, click on the link below.
Health & Safety Update (Repeat Item)
We continue to work extremely hard to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. Procedures and adjustments to our classrooms will take place as we get more information and guidance from the district as a whole.
This week, the following adjustments have been made:
Increased Distancing for Students at Lunch (Effective 8/30/21)
Beginning Monday, August 30, students will begin following an updated plan for lunch. This change in procedure will allow students to be seated 5-6 feet apart (previously 3 feet apart). Our kindergarten students will be eating in their classrooms, Grades 2 and 4 in the Media Center and Art Room and Grades 1, 3 and 5 in the cafeteria (Due to number of students per class and per grade). This maximizes space, while allowing our master schedule (including recess times) to remain the same. As we implement this new protocol, I will continue to communicate if any further changes are made. The goal of increasing distancing during lunch is to decrease the number of student quarantines should there be a positive case.
Please see below for reminders from Dr. Ryba regarding protocols (Repeat Item):
Wearing Masks on the Bus
Per the CDC, all students and staff must wear a mask on a school bus, whether coming to/from school or for an athletic/music trip. CLICK HERE for the mask exemption form, if needed. A new form will need to be completed along with medical or religious documentation if a student is requesting an exemption for the 2021-2022 school year.
Wearing Masks in School
It is recommended that all staff and students wear masks in school, especially those that are unvaccinated, yet it is not required. Please read below and become familiar with the quarantine protocols. The best way to significantly reduce the risk of being quarantined and to stay in school is to wear a mask.
Student Isolation Protocols
If your child tests positive for COVID, s/he is required to isolate at home for then (10) days from the date of the positive test or the onset of symptoms.
Student Quarantine Protocols for Unvaccinated Students Wearing a Mask
If your child is unvaccinated, wearing a mask and identified as a direct contact to someone at school that is COVID positive, s/he will not have to quarantine as long as your child has no symptoms and was at least 3 feet apart. If your child was less than 3 feet, s/he will have to quarantine. You can CLICK HERE for a flow chart detailing the quarantine procedures we will follow.
Student Quarantine Protocols for Unvaccinated Students NOT Wearing a Mask
If your child is unvaccinated, not wearing a mask and identified as a direct contact to someone at school that is COVID positive, s/he will have to quarantine. You can CLICK HERE for a flow chart detailing the quarantine procedures we will follow.
Supporting Students in Isolation/Quarantine
When a student is in isolation/quarantine, teachers will provide the student with their assignments and support through Google Classroom. Additionally, teachers will live stream classroom instruction and/or provide instructional videos. Teachers are only required to live stream instruction for students in isolation/quarantine.
Parent Requests/Masking
If parents at the elementary level request teacher support/feedback in terms of having their child wear a mask at school, we will do the best we can to help out. This means that we will remind the child and share feedback to the parent on how they are doing during the initial weeks of the school year, if requested.
Student Insensitivity/Bullying for Masking
If we have students acting inappropriately towards someone that is wearing a mask or not wearing a mask, we will address it in accordance with our code of conduct in the same manner we handle any other situation of inappropriate behavior for name calling, bullying, etc.
Thank you for your support as we work to keep a safe learning environment for all. This will remain a repeat item in our newsletter for reference.
Positive COVID-19 Case Notification (Repeat Item)
If we receive a POSITIVE COVID-19 Case within the school, the following steps are taken:
- Contact tracing is completed, identifying areas including the bus, classroom, cafeteria, playground, and hallways where direct contact (as identified by district communication) could have occurred.
- If your child is identified as a direct contact, you will receive a phone call from our office to notify you of when this occurred and asked to pick your student up from school (Should this happen during school hours). If this occurs after the school day, an email notification will be sent to ensure timely notification to families.
- A letter via email will be sent to ALL families, informing them that there was a positive case in the school. Again, if your child is a direct contact, you will be directly contacted and informed.
- If the positive case is a student within your child's classroom, ALL families who in that specific class will receive a letter via email informing them that there was a positive case in their child's classroom. Again, if your child is a direct contact based on contact tracing in the classroom, you will receive a phone call/email notification.
- If the positive case is a student who rides a bus, ALL families who ride that specific bus will receive a letter informing them that there was a positive case on their bus. Again, if your child is a direct contact based on contact tracing on the bus, you will receive a phone call/email notification.
When Should You Keep Your Child Home?
PLEASE DO YOUR PART. IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT FEELING WELL, KEEP THEM HOME and CONTACT THE SCHOOL.
In order to do your part in preventing the spread of germs, it is imperative that we are frequently doing symptom checks of our children at home. If your child is displaying any of the following symptoms, please keep them home and inform our front office. We will work to ensure that your child stays up to date with assignments and the teaching taking place in the classroom:
- A fever of 100.4 degrees or higher. This is one of the strongest Covid Symptoms
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Persistent cough or runny nose
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
We need you to assist in helping us, by monitoring for these symptoms on a daily basis, and keeping your child home if they aren't feeling well.
Howard Chapman Elementary School
Email: kharrell@scsmustangs.org
Website: https://chapman.strongnet.org/
Location: Howard Chapman Elementary School, Drake Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: (440) 572-7140