12-18-22 PAW'S PRESS
Inspire ~ Believe ~ Achieve ~ LEAD
Dear Cherokee Families,
Thank you so much for your generosity over the last few weeks for our Giving Tree Fundraiser and for our family who lost their home in a fire. It just warms my heart to see the acts of kindness in this community.
We have a few fun events planned before we go on break! We hope you enjoy spending time with your families and relaxing! We will miss our students over the break! Happy holidays to you and your family!
Upcoming Important Events:
- JANUARY LUNCH MENU/ORDERING AVAILABLE - Please note that we have received new communication that it is ideal for families to order lunch by 9:30 AM the school day prior. For example, when ordering lunch for pizza on Monday, it is ideal to order by 9:30 AM on Friday. This helps with the accuracy of our lunch count. We of course always order extra but this helps with accuracy.
- Classroom Holiday Parties (December 20th) - Teachers will communicate party times, format and volunteer needs. Volunteers must come in through the main office/door #1. Please press the office buzzer and show your id. Thank you to our PTO for providing a snack for all students. Please remember that if your child is in a peanut/tree nut free classroom, all snacks brought for the holiday party must be peanut/tree nut free.
- OPTIONAL(December 20th) - Wear your holiday flair! Ugly/pretty sweaters, red/green or whatever brings you joy!
- Sing-a-long & PJ/Movie Day (December 21st) - We will create a video of the sing-a-long to be shared!
- Half Day (December 21st) - Dismissal Times:11: 18 AM SACC/Safety/Service Squad, 11:21 AM Walkers/Parent Pick Up, 11:25 AM Bussers
- Holiday Break - Begins at dismissal on Wednesday, December 21st - Monday, January 2nd
- Classes Resume (Tuesday, January 3rd)
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help make the school year a success for you and your child!
Sincerely,
Heather Batko
Cherokee Principal
Holiday reading fun!
HOLIDAY PARTY REMINDER- Student Peanut/Tree Nut Allergies (updated 12/15)
- We have asked that many classes avoid consuming peanut/tree nut products in the classroom. We still have to be mindful of this when distributing treats at the holiday parties next week.
- We have many students at Cherokee with severe peanut/tree nut allergies. Therefore peanuts/tree nuts products and products contaminated in a facility that processes peanuts/tree nuts will not be allowed for certain classes, common areas, etc.
- Due to the severity of some of our students with allergies it has been asked that some classes avoid bringing peanut/tree nut products for both lunch and snacks consumed in the classroom. Other classes have only been asked to avoid bringing peanut/tree nut products for snacks consumed in the classroom. Guidelines have been communicated to individual classrooms/grade levels. Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions about the guidelines for your child's classroom.
- The link for the Snack Safely Guide is below. This guide has many great many recommendations for foods do not have peanuts, tree nuts and are not processed in facility with these items. This guide updates regularly so it is best to check the link below rather than printing.
- Click here for the Snack Safely Guide.
IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT FEELING WELL
- If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home and call our attendance line.
- Attendance at school is of course very important. However, if a child is not feeling well they should stay home so they are able to rest and recover. This year it seems that it is taking children longer to recover from some of the viruses that are going around. We know this and totally understand.
- We a want to prevent the spread of illness as much as possible.
- Students should be fever free for at least 24 hours (without the assistance of fever reducing medication) before returning to school.
- Students should also wait at least 24 hour to return to school after vomiting.
- Students who are having difficulty breathing, severe cough, etc. are also strongly encouraged to stay home.
DECEMBER - ORDERING HOT LUNCH (added 11/20)
JANUARY - ORDERING HOT LUNCH (ADDED 12/15)
Dressing for Cold Weather (added 11/27)
Just a reminder, students continue to go outside for recess when it is 20 degrees or above (including if the wind chill factor 'feels like' below 20 ). Please make sure that your students come prepared with hats/gloves/snow pants/boots etc. Families may want to label these items with their child's name to make it easier for lost items to find their owner.
All children go out for recess unless a doctor's note has been submitted/is on file in the main office indicating otherwise.
IMPORTANT - PARKING LOT AND BUILDING SAFETY (added 11/17)
- Please only enter the building through Door 1/main entrance. Students/staff may be let in through many doors in the building. However, adult family members/guests should only enter through Door 1/main entrance by buzzing the office.
- Please do not park on Rivergate near our bus loop and school parking lot. This is a safety issue for students and drivers trying to navigate the sidewalks and parking lot. This section of Rivergate should not be used as an alternate drive pick up/ drop off lane. This limits visibility for walkers, parent pick up students and drivers.
- Please utilize parking spots for vehicles. If parking spots are not utlized properly it causes visibility and safety issues. This is key to keeping our cross walk clear and allow visiblity for children crossing.
- Police have been visiting our school and will enforce these protocols so that everyone is safe.
If you are sending someone else to pick up your child, please make them aware of these safety protocols. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.
Thank you Russ Milne Ford!
- Thank you to Russ Milne Ford for sponsoring our class t-shirts!
- Russ Milne Ford is located at the corner of M-59 and Gratiot (24777 Hall Road, Macomb 48042)
- Sales Department 586-842-0653
- Service Department 586-840-8285
- Click here for the Russ Milne Ford website.
Paw's Pals Volunteers -January Sign Up (updated 12/15)
- We are so excited to welcome volunteers back into our cafeteria once again! See the flyer below!
- Please understand that these volunteers are not in place of lunch monitors.
- Our lunch monitors will be responsible for supervising the students, cleaning, etc.
- Paw's Pals volunteers will have time to chat with students and build relationships during lunch. If recess is outdoors, they are also welcome to go outside and spend recess with students.
- This program is very similar to the Watch D.O.G.S program that was in place at Cherokee prior to the pandemic. It is not limited to male volunteers as the Watch D.O.G.S program was.
- Just like any other school volunteer, our Paw's Pals volunteers will respect the privacy of our students.
- In order to participate in the program there are 2 steps to complete.
- Step One: click here to select a date in January. Keep in mind that if your 2022-2023 volunteer background check is not on file, it takes two weeks to process.
- Step Two: Click here to complete the Paw's Pals Application. The volunteer background check is a part of this application.
- Please give our main office a call at least 48 hours prior to your volunteer date if you are note sure if your background check has been approved. If you already know that you have a background check on file for this school year, you may come to the main office on the date you have selected.
More Paw's Pals Volunteers Pictures - Coming Soon!
Safety Drills (updated 11/17)
- Throughout the school year we are required to complete 5 fire drills, 3 lockdown drills and 2 tornado drills.
- We have already completed our first three fire drills and two lockdown drills. The students did a great job!
- We do not tell families or students the exact dates/times of these drills for safety reasons.
- The book, I'm Not Scared I'm Prepared, that is utilized for the lockdown drills is below in a PDF format in case you would like to review it with your family. This book is used at all elementary schools in the district.
- Our teachers do a great job of reviewing procedures in a way that makes students feel safe.
- We just had our first cardiac drill on 11/17. The cardiac drills are unannounced even to our staff. The purpose of the drills is for our staff to be able to respond quickly to a cardiac emergency. A notification will be sent home after each cardiac drill.
IMPORANT - CVS Important Transportation Resources (updated 9/24)
Click to visit: CVS Transportation Webpage
Click here or below to access step-by-step directions on locating your Bus Stop Information
Click here to log in to VersaTrans
In December, some CVS schools piloted a new bus tracking system. This system is now available to Cherokee Families as well! Click on the MyStop button below for more information.
From Transportation (on 9/11) - E-Link has resolved the issue with the server. All student passwords were reset to the 8-digit birthdate, and you will have to reset the password again, but this time you will not get the error. E-Link has since been reactivated and you are able to log in any time.
Arrival/Dismissal Information (updated 9/11)
Full Day Dismissal Times:
3:05 SACC, Safety & Service Squad
3:08 Walkers & parent pick up
3:12 Bussers
Half Day Dismissal Times
11: 18 AM - SACC, Safety and Service Squad
11:21 AM - Walkers and Parent Pick Up
11:25 AM - Bussers
Bus Riders:
- Busses may run slightly late picking up students the first few days of school as our drivers and students learn their new routes. It is still recommended that students arrive at their bus stop 10 minutes prior to their scheduled time.
- Busses may run slightly late for drop off this week since students and drivers are learning their routes.
- Directions on accessing Transportation information can be found below.
Walkers/Riders:
- Walkers/Riders should line up and be dismissed from their classroom entrance doors. Teachers will pick-up their students from their entrance at 8:25 when the morning music begins.
- A map of grade level entrances can be found below.
Parking Lot:
- Please review the Parking Lot procedures below to know your student's entrance and exit.
- Staff will be present in the Parking Lot, Bus Loop and Building Entrances to help ensure a safe and smooth arrival and dismissal process at the start of next week.
- We ask for your patience and support as our new families learn the process and our returning families get back-in-the-swing-of-things :)
PTO EVENTS (added 9/11)
Birthday Treats (added 9/11)
If your child is placed in a peanut/tree nut free classroom, the treats should be peanut/tree nut free as well. We should avoid sending snacks that have been processed in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts. Thank you!
If you have any questions about birthday treats, please reach out to your child's teacher. Thank you!
District Calendar (added on 8/13)
Important Dates
INFORMATION FOR OUR CHEROKEE FAMILIES
Friendly Reminders to Our Families:
We appreciate your understanding and appreciate those families who continue to model kindess, patience, and respect. You make a difference & we are all doing the best that we can!
Please Remember:
- Adults are to remain outside of the building and must be "buzzed-in" by the front office.
- All adults must show their ID at the entrance if they need to drop something off or pick-up their child early.
- Contact information must be up-to-date in case we need to contact your family.
- We release children to only those people listed on your child's PowerSchool contact list.
- Changes in your child's dismissal process must be called in no later than 2:30 so we can be sure to get the information to our staff.
- Families are asked to preorder lunch using the online ordering system below.
- Refrain from parking on Rivergate near the school including the bus loop.
SACC - Cherokee Childcare
A NOTE FROM MRS. ASHLEY
For families looking to register for SACC
- SACC registration is first come first served.
- Due to limited staff and capacity limits some registrations may not be approved at this time until more staff are available.
- As staffing levels increase, so will our ability to enroll more students. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
- Once your registration application is submitted you must receive a registration approval email before your child can attend.
- Registrations will remain pending in the system and will be approved as openings become available.
For families currently enrolled in SACC
- Adding on additional days other than what was originally scheduled may be limited at this time due to student and staff ratios. You will be notified if your schedule change can be approved (some days may be available where others may not)
- If your child does not need to attend on a scheduled day please remove them from the schedule to open up a spot for someone else.
We appreciate your understanding at this time and anticipate more staff to be available soon. Until then we must adhere to the Licensing Rules for Child Care Centers and stay within the required student to staff ratios. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
NOTE: SACC will continue to remain peanut/tree nut fee.
Ashley Murphy
Cherokee SACC Director
(586) 723-4860
- CLICK HERE to access the CVS SACC informational page.
Other Resources
CVS Handbook/Code of Conduct
District COVID-19 Reporting Form
Families should utilize the COVID-19 reporting form for positive cases. Click on the link below for the reporting form and procedures.
Policies & Procedures
7 Habits Overview:
2022-2023 CHEROKEE ELEMENTARY SPONSORS
Cherokee Elementary School
We choose to Inspire, Believe, Achieve & LEAD!
Website: https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/schools/elementary-schools/cherokee/
Location: 42900 Rivergate Drive, Clinton Township, MI, USA
Phone: 586-723-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeWildcats