News from the Creek
Hippo Nation...Leave a Legacy! February 2022
CCES has campus goals focused on student success!
Using Data to Drive Instruction
Using Best-Instructional Practices to Impact Student Performance
Growing Leaders- Self, Staff, Students
A Note from your CCE Principal
Dear CCES Families--
What an honor it is to celebrate Black History Month at the Creek! CCES thrives on diversity and honoring all of the beautiful cultures and people that exist in our community! This month at CCES we will be busy decorating our doors and hallways to celebrate Black History Month and our students will participate in learning about a variety of Black people from our history to present times! We have many activities and a performance for families planned for this month! Check out details in this newsletter!
Diversity cuts across all facets of our lives and this month we honor and celebrate black history month at CCES. We welcome everyone to celebrate Black History Month with us!
CCES has the BEST Staff, Students, and Families! We truly are going to "Leave a Legacy"! Our students are "Legendary" at Cottonwood Creek Elementary!
Join me in "Leaving a Legacy",
Linda Pachicano
Principal, Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Celebrate with Us!
Counseling Corner with Mrs. Kozak!
In February, my guidance lesson will focus on:
personal safety and healthy relationships
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February HippoWay Character Education Trait:
- Fairness & Freedom from Prejudice - Thinking about others by sharing, caring, listening, and accepting.
- Social-Emotional Lesson Focus: Zones of Regulation
Our classroom teachers will be teaching our hippo way trait lesson of the month the 1st week, and our SEL lesson the third week of the month during classroom Community Circle.
If you have any questions regarding our character education program, SEL lessons, and school counselor guidance, please don't hesitate to contact me at valerie.kozak@huttoisd.net.
Volunteering at CCES?
1. Complete your covid screener
2. Check-in at the front office
3. Start off in the library to help with books
4. Stop at the volunteer station in teacher's lounge to help with a variety of tasks (making copies, cutting out laminated items, distributing mail, etc.) *Station will be ready in Mid-January
5. Support in classrooms, lunchroom, and/or office
Thank you for all you do! Want to sign-up to volunteer? Sign-up & Register here
Starting February 4th: Lunch Visitors are Welcomed at CCES!
"Play it Safe" Presentations/Hutto ISD
Friendly Reminder CCE Parents/Families,
Students will be participating in a body safety presentation on February 25th called "Play it Safe". by Williamson County Child Advocacy Center during their specials rotation.
Teaching about body safety and dating/relationship violence is both part of Texas Education Code (Chapter 37 Sec. 37.0831) and the Texas Model for School Counseling. HISD has partnered with the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center because they are the experts in this field -- by having the CAC provide the presentations we are ensuring that our students receive consistent and age-appropriate information. The CAC has conducted two-parent preview opportunities with one more additional opportunity on January 31, for the Play-It-Safe Elementary and Middle School Curriculum. This would be a great opportunity to preview the scripts, materials, videos, and answer questions before they are presented at CCE on February 25, 2022.
The next preview will be offered:
Date: January 31, 2022
Time: 8:30 - 11:30 am
Location: Nadine Johnson Elementary - Parent and Family Engagement Center
If you would like to opt your student out of this presentation or have any questions please contact your school counselor, Valerie Kozak, 737-327 5450, valerie.kozak@huttoisd.net
Valentine's Parties at CCES
Party Times~
Visitors are welcomed!
All parent visitors will need to check-in at the front office. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO HAVE YOUR ID. Please use your COVID Quick-Scan in this newsletter to expedite the process. Classes dismiss at 2:55 PM.
If you plan to check out your student PRIOR to 2:55 PM this is what you need to know:
Early Day Dismissal Procedures for Student Check-Out on February 14th
- Early check-out is considered a partial day absence in accordance with state attendance policy.
- Parents must notify the front office when they arrive that this is their intent. Then you must sign out the student in the front office. Our office staff will give you a yellow slip of paper saying they have signed them out for a partial day absence, and are cleared to take that student. You will show your yellow slip of paper to the teacher when you are ready to leave.
- Parents must exit through the front office area and turn in their yellow slip to our front office staff.
If you plan to stay and walk out with your child at the regular dismissal time of 2:55 PM this is what you need to know:
- Parents must bring their car tag(s) to walk out with their child(ren) this day. Our office will be asking parents if they have it when they sign in to make this process easier for teachers. You will show your teacher(s) your car tag in order to have them release the student to you.
- If you don't have your car tag with you, please plan to go to the office (without your child) and get a CAR TAG. We will verify your ID again and issue out a new car tag to show the teacher. This will notify them that you have shown your ID and have been cleared to take that student.
All parents should plan to exit through the front doors, where our campus staff will collect your yellow slips of paper and/or view your CAR TAGS. Staff will be available throughout the school should you have any questions or need directions within our building. Mr. Althoff and Ms. Pachicano will greet and say goodbye to all our visitors exiting out of the building.
CCES January Student, Staff, and Teacher Hippos of the Month
Congratulations to our wonderful January Hippos of the Month!!!! Thank you for all you do and being such a light to all around you!
Student Hippo of the Month- Adeline
Pictured here with Ms. Pachicano
Support Staff Hippo of the Month-Mrs.Nicole Baker
Pictured here with Ms. Pachicano
Teacher Hippo of the Month- Mrs. Lucy Dugan
Pictured here with Ms. Pachicano
EXP Realty also provided donuts for our staff recently, thank you!
CCES Choir Club Shines!!
Mrs. Kimberly Pollini, CCES Music Teacher, led our CCES choir club in a beautiful performance at a recent HHS Women's BB Game! The club sang the National Anthem did a fabulous job! Beautiful performance, Choir Club!
Missing a water bottle or a clothing item?
Please send your students with a refillable water bottle
Middle of the Year (MOY) Student Writing Samples Collection K-5th Window Continues
RSK (PreK Data Screener) - Week 27 Benchmark Window Opens
2/3- 100th Day of School!! Update: We will celebrate on the next school day after any of the days pass for school closure. (See flyer in this newsletter)
2/10- CCES "SLAM" Night & Science Fair Presentations (5:30-7:00 PM) All are welcome!
2/11- UPDATE: Due to Closure on 2/3- National Wear Red Day/Hutto ISD "Go RED" Day! (See information below) & Kids Heart Challenge KICK-OFF with Coach Hull
2/14- Valentine's Day Parties at CCES (See information below for grade level times)
2/18- Black History Month Performance (See flyer in this newsletter)
2/19- Honor Choir Performance at HHS Performing Arts Center; CCES Performance -3:00 PM
2/21- No School for Students (Bad Weather Day)/Inservice Day for Teachers
2/22- "It's Twosday"- Campuses celebrate 2.2.22 :)
& Digital Learning Day at CCES (More information to come from our Tech Apps Teachers)
2/24- HISD School Board Meeting @ 7:00 PM, 200 College Street/Hutto, Tx
2/25- "Play it Safe" Presentation for Students at CCES (see info in this newsletter)
Week of February 7th-11th: National Counselor's Week
Thank you, Mrs. Valerie Kozak!
Please help us inundate Mrs. Kozak's email with a thank you message for all she does to support students at our campus! email her at valerie.kozak@huttoisd.net to say "Thank You!"
What is Hutto "Go Red" Day?
We want to inspire staff and families to know their numbers, be active and learn how to keep their hearts healthy. By partnering with the American Heart Association, we will raise awareness and help fight heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 killer and No. 5 killer of Americans. Visit the American Heart Association website to learn the simple ways you can make big changes with your health.
Mark your calendars! On Friday, February 4th, our district will join hundreds of other districts to GO RED on National Wear Red Day to support the mission of the American Heart Association: to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.
What is happening on 2.22.22?
Welcome a new family member to CCES!
Ready to Join our PTA?
Join the PTA Facebook page!
Interested in specific ways to support? Reach out to any of the members for more information!
School Starts at 7:30. It's Important to be here on time to get the day started on the right foot!
Reminders from our front office:
*If you have a doctor's appointment and need to pick up your child, call the school office to notify them that you will be visiting, drive through the front loop of the school and park in the front parking lot, walk up to the front entrance and ring the doorbell to the right on the wall, have your identification ready to show and we will call for your student and escort them to you outside. The office staff will sign them out and then back in when they return.
* Please check your skyward family access to ensure that you have updated your email address. This will ensure that you are receiving important notifications from our campus. Thank you!
* Make sure students arrive on time each day, school begins at 7:30. Each day that a student is tardy equals cumulative learning experiences that are missed in the classroom. Students often feel stressed when they don't know what they have missed when they are late, let's help them be successful by getting them to school on time.
Did you know ...
- that your child's attendance is affected each time they are checked out early, even if it's only a few minutes before the dismissal bell?
- schools and districts have a legal obligation to report truancy concerns?
- unexcused and excused absences of 18 or more absences put your child at risk of retention in the current school year?
*Help us avoid these outcomes, keep your students in school for each minute of the instructional day. Thank you!
CCE believes in our students and their potential!
At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” —Denzel Washington
Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Website: https://www.hipponation.org/domain/3051
Location: 3160 Limmer Loop, Hutto, TX 78634, USA
Phone: 512-759-5430
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CottonwoodCreekElementary/