Cottonwood Creek Cougar Chronicle
March 30, 2020
A Message from your Principal, Mrs. Johnson
As we officially begin this remote learning experience, I ask for your patience, grace and support. We all will do our very best during this time as we navigate remote learning, working from home, and the expectations of daily life. By now, you should have received a message from your child's teacher outlining this week's Remote Learning; these messages will be sent on Monday's before 2:00 pm, and assignments are due by the following Monday at 1:00 pm. As we ask for patience, grace, and support during this time, we will provide you with the same. Please know all instruction will remain asynchronous during this time. This means it will take place without real time interaction. For example, students will have a week to complete 1-3 lessons, but within that week students are progressing at their own pace. This could include videos that teachers have created or links to lessons that students can watch and re-watch at any time as they progress through the learning. I hope this helps clarify the direction of our school and district during this time.
Cottonwood Creek Cougar Chronicle
As classroom teachers shared, I will increase our Cottonwood Creek Cougar Chronicle to once a week during this time of Remote Learning. You can expect to receive the CCCC each Monday by 2:00pm. You can also access the Cottonwood Creek Cougar Chronicles by visiting https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/domain/5073. The CCCC will include the following:
- Weekly messages to our students from both myself and Ms. Berner, our Assistant to the Principal
- A written message from Mrs. Johnson for our parents and guardians
- Art, STEM, Music, PE and Digital Media Remote Learning Opportunities: Remember your children to not attend all of these specials every day.
- A weekly message from our mental health team regarding Social Emotional Learning. This week our mental health team has shared information regarding online learning for Second Step, a program which has been used this year in your child's classroom. If you plan to use this at home, I encourage you to ask your teachers for additional guidance about how they have been using this program in their classrooms.
- Joke of the Week Submission for Students
CCSD Technology Survey
If you completed the technology survey from CCSD, you should have received an email on Friday informing you that you will receive an email on Monday (today) with specific information about where and when you can pick up your device. If you completed the survey and did not receive an email from CCSD, please email our Assistant to the Principal, Alison Berner at aberner@cherrycreekschools.org so we can forward your information on to the correct people.
Keeping in Touch
I would love to stay connected with your children during this time; students are welcome to send me an email, video, picture etc. and I will respond in a timely manner.
If you have any questions/concerns regarding your child's online learning experience, I encourage you to reach out directly to your child's teacher.
Together, we will get through this time. After all, we are the COUGARS!
Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.
Katie Johnson
Principal
FROM ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL, MS. BERNER
Ms. Berner’s Puzzle of the Week
To keep us all thinking outside of the box, I'll include a puzzle, brain teaser, or riddle here each week.
Let’s kick things off with a riddle:
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Think you know the answer? Submit your best guess here.
Feel free to reach out to Ms. Berner at aberner@cherrycreekschools.org
Specials update
Directions for accessing the Specials Google Classrooms by Grade Level
From our Art Teacher, Mrs. Thompson
From our STEM Teacher, Mr. Rogers
PE Post It
Hello Cottonwood Families,
I hope all is well with you and your family. I am happy to be able to send home weekly lessons for all the students at Cottonwood. The lessons will consist of a fitness warm up and exercises to be modified during the week and ideas of how everyone as a family can work out together.
For Week One, I will bring in a few past units we have enjoyed and some activities to complete online if you want. Most of the activities are going to be movement based and can be different as it relates the materials and/or equipment you have at home. Ex: balls, jump rope, and/or sports equipment. In Week Two, the daily fitness and nutrition log will be great way to keep track of all the activities your student(s) complete. Lastly, I will add an idea of a fun interactive cooking recipe for students to prepare each week.
For Grade Level Lessons and Question of the Week: please use the Specials Google Classroom. Look under the ‘Classwork’ tab for Assignment and ‘Stream’ tab for question.
Fun Cooking recipe: Ants on a Log
-Ingredients: 5 stalks celery, ½ cup peanut butter, ¼ cup raisins
-Cut the celery stalks in half. Spread with peanut butter. Sprinkle with raisins.
Thank you,
Ms. Jehn
From our Music Teacher, Mr. Pedregon
Hello Cottonwood Families,
In these uncertain times, it has been great getting back to teaching, even if from a distance. To make things easier for you, the specials team has decided to put all of our learning content in the same google classroom. Please keep in mind, each “classroom” is an entire grade level. When you log in, music assignments will appear under the “classwork” or “stream” tabs and will almost always contain a video of me taking students through some sort of activity. Most often students will be asked to perform a task of some sort and can either just perform the task on their own at home, or post a video or write a comment about what they did. This week I kept things super simple so we all can get used to navigating the platform and get a feel for what this will look like going forward. I very much appreciate your patience going into these new uncharted waters and am looking forward to see what your children come up with for this first assignment!
See you online!
-Matthew Pedregon
From our Digital Media Teacher, Ms. Hammershaimb
Week One
I have created a website for Digital Media, and the Cottonwood Community will be able to find weekly activities on it. You can find the website in your Specials Google Classroom, or here: https://tinyurl.com/upbeta7.
This week, students can work on the following activities:
- Reading - Watch the screencast video to remind or learn how to use Overdrive, and find something new to read!
- Making - Draw a picture, or use items around your house to design a scene from a book that you have been reading.
- Technology - Go through the Google Slideshow and play some games or work on activities to practice ROARing online.
You can read my introduction letter here: https://tinyurl.com/tckv68k
JOKE OF THE WEEK SUBMISSION
Do you have a great joke that you think other Cottonwood Creek Cougars would enjoy hearing? Follow this link to submit your entry for the Joke of the Week. One joke will be chosen, and will appear in next week’s CCCC. Choose carefully because you can only submit one joke each week. Bring on the laughs!
From our Mental Health Team
Hi Cottonwood Families,
First and foremost, we want you to know how much we miss you and your kids. Working with our families brings us so much joy. We hope things are going alright for you and the kids at home. We both have kids at home and know how difficult it can be to find balance (what is balance???), support our kids with engaging activities, support our kids emotionally during an unknown time, take care of our own emotional needs, and work. Please know that we both are available to talk if you are having concerns or needs. Our emails will be included at the end of this letter.
We wanted to share some online resources for you during this time. Please feel free to look through these and access them as they are useful for your family.
- The Imagine Neighborhood: This new podcast for families is designed to help children and grown-ups practice their social-emotional skills. Each episode tells a story that’s amazing, fantastical, and maybe a little bananas, while it tackles the big feelings that come with growing up.
- https://www.imagineneighborhood.org/
- https://www.imagineneighborhood.org/podcast-1/episode/5a8c51c9/talking-to-kids-about-corona-virus-fears (corona virus specific podcast)
- Mind Yeti®: Fifteen of our mindfulness program sessions are now available for anyone to use, no experience necessary! Designed for educators and families to do alongside children, or for older children to do on their own, Mind Yeti provides a great way for everyone to practice mindfulness during this difficult time.
- https://www.mindyeti.com/v2/s/pricing (or just search mind yeti on youtube)
- Through June 30, 2020, families can access K–5 lesson media from Second Step online. This is the curriculum the district has been using this year, so your child has been exposed to these lessons. The focus is on skills for learning, empathy, emotion management, and problem solving skills. The website includes songs and lessons you can share with your child: www.secondstep.org (use the appropriate access code)
SSPK FAMI LY70 (Kindergarten)
SSP1 FAMI LY71 (1st grade)
SSP2 FAMI LY72 (2nd grade)
SSP3 FAMI LY73 (3rd grade)
SSP4 FAMI LY74 (4th grade)
SSP5 FAMI LY75 (5th grade)
In addition, we know some families in our community or families you know well may be experiencing more difficulty and need for immediate support at this time. Here are a few community resources and referrals. Please use them and share them as needed.
- The school district will begin providing free grab-and-go bagged breakfast and lunch meals on March 20 at 11 sites across the district. More information can be found on our Breakfast, Lunch and a Book information page at www.cherrycreekschools.org/freemeals.
- Colorado Crisis Services: When you call Colorado Crisis Services, you will be connected to a trained crisis counselor. CALL 1-844-493-8255. Text: You'll immediately be put in contact with a trained counselor, ready to text with you about anything. Text "TALK" to 38255
- Aurora Mental Health: 303-617-2300 https://www.aumhc.org/
- Colorado Peak: PEAK is an online service for Coloradans to screen and apply for medical, food, cash, and early childhood assistance programs. https://coloradopeak.secure.force.com/
- Free Internet Services: Comcast launched two new features of the Internet Essentials program. First, low-income families living in a Comcast service area can sign up as new customers to receive 60 days of free Internet Essentials service (usually $9.95 a month). It is also increasing speeds for the service from 15/2 Mbps (downstream/upstream throughput) to 25/3 Mbps for all new and existing customers, which will become the standard speed of the service going forward. To qualify customers must be eligible for programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI. Applicants can visit internetessentials.com to enroll in the program; they may also call (855) 846-8376 for English or 855-765-6995 for Spanish.”
We look forward to when we get to see you all again, but until then we are available virtually. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones!
Respectfully,
Kori Shaiman, School Social Worker, kshaiman@cherrycreekschools.org
Lauren Alpert, School Psychologist, lalpert@cherrycreekschools.org
From our School Nurse
Cottonwood families,
I knew that this pandemic would be a challenging time to be a nurse. I didn’t realize my biggest challenge would be not seeing our students every day and how much I miss them! I remain available to you during this school closure and will reply to all emails or phone messages.
Other Resources
- Cherry Creek School District is continuing to provide grab-and-go breakfast and lunch for ANY student. For locations and times: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=12101
- For up-to-date information on COVID-19 including telehealth and nurse lines, testing and prevention information: https://covid19.colorado.gov/
- A parent resource for talking to children about COVID-19:https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASN/3870c72d-fff9-4ed7-833f-215de278d256/UploadedImages/PDFs/02292020_NASP_NASN_COVID-19_parent_handout.pdf
As some of you know, I also live in this neighborhood. It has been fantastic to see some students (from 6 feet away) out on bicycles or walking. I hope you are all doing well and finding ways to take care of your physical and mental health while we stay at home.
Patti Rojec, MSN RN NCSN
Cottonwood Creek Elementary School
Email: kjohnson177@cherrycreekschools.org
Website: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=31
Location: 11200 East Orchard Road, Englewood, CO, USA
Phone: 720-554-3200