The CPES BobChat
November 1, 2020
How Do We Get Ready for Returning to School Full-Time?
All kindergarten through second grade face to face students will return to school on Tuesday, November 10. (Monday, November 9 will be an e-learning day so teachers can effectively plan for the change in schedule.) Our third through fifth graders will return full time on Monday, November 30. Virtual students will continue to maintain their current schedule. We all want this change to be as positive as possible for our children. Here's what you can do to help support your child and our school. 1. Plan for new safety measures. New DHEC guidelines indicate that if students have appropriate plexiglass protection and wear masks and sit three feet or more apart, they will not be a contact if another student or staff member contracts COVID. As a result, students and staff will have much fewer mask breaks (while eating and during outside activities). We are working to have students be six feet apart when they eat lunch. Students will be sitting closer together and all students will have see-through plastic barriers. Our average class size will go from 12 students to 24. This will be a big change for our little ones (and for teachers, too.) 2. Plan for extended traffic times. Drop off and pickup will take a little longer. I would encourage everyone to start ten minutes earlier in the morning and plan for ten minutes later in the afternoon. These times will be less (especially for kindergarten and first grade) if children know how to quickly get out of and into their cars. Before leaving home in the mornings, I would encourage parents to have everything (bookbag, mask, lunch, jacket, etc.) ready for your child when he exits the car. Please practice this and plan ahead of time so that your family does not hold up the car line in the mornings. It is always best to give hugs and such when they get in the car at home rather than when they are getting out of the car. We will have six hundred children arriving at school and dismissing from school each day. 3. Plan for new routines and schedules at school and school. Things will be different once we double the numbers. It will take a little longer for anything and everything to happen. Our children will be a little surprised when they see that they have twelve more friends in their class. We won't have the "at home" day that allows us to catch up. There will be homework to do each afternoon and not just on the day children did not go to school. I would encourage all parents to determine what impact daily face to face instruction will have on schedules of extracurricular activities. Will some of those commitments be too much? Has there been a consistent bedtime? Is there a good routine for mornings that allows everyone to get where they need to go without stress and frustration? 4. Plan for the backup plan. "Prior planning prevents poor performance." On Thursday, March 12, 2020, we had no idea that day would be the last day we would see children last school year. While we are hoping for the best that we will return to school full-time, we know that a class or grade level or school can be closed due to COVID at a moment's notice. Our plan as a district is to limit that as much as possible but we must acknowledge that we never know what this pandemic will cause to happen. Know that we are working to prepare classrooms, adjust our procedures, and make needed changes so that this transition will be successful for your child. Know that we need your help in that process in the days ahead. Any change, even positive change, produces stress and anxiety. If we work as #One Team One Mission One Rock Hill, we can help our children be ready for the next step in their learning journey on the road to success.
Strength and Blessings to You
Mr. Maness, Principal
School News
Daylight Savings Time--Please be sure your clocks are turned back an hour so you can be on time for school.
Election Day--Will be this Tuesday. This is a school holiday for students and staff.
Mondays in November--Monday, November 2 is an A Day. Monday, November 9 is an E-Learning Day which gives teachers a chance to prepare for students returning to school five days a week. (K, 1st and 2nd return five days a week on Tuesday, November 10 and 3rd, 4th and 5th returns to school on Monday, November 30). For 3rd-5th, Monday, November 16 is an A Day and Monday, November 23 is a B Day. All virtual students will continue their schedule as normal.
Thanksgiving Holidays are November 25--27
Makeup Pictures--Our make up day for school pictures will be Thursday, November 12th (all K - 2 and 3-5 students A Day students) and Friday, November 13th ( 3-5 B Day students). Students who were absent will need their picture taken for the yearbook. Also, if parents wish to have a re-take of their student, they must bring their picture packet to the photographer on the day of make up pictures.
Want to Purchase a Yearbook?--Yearbooks from last year came in this week and were distributed to our students. We have a few left for purchase in the office on a first come, first serve basis. The yearbook was late due to the temporary closure of the manufacturing plant due to COVID.
Toys for Happiness – We are excited to work as a partner for the annual Toys for Happiness event, which has provided holiday assistance to York County families since 1986. Applications will be accepted from October 26 – November 16. The drive-thru distribution dates are scheduled for December 17 and 18/at the Flexible Learning Center. Click here to learn more about Toys for Happiness.
Parent Help for SeeSaw (K-2nd) and Canvas (3rd-5th)--Our teachers are using these two learning management systems with students to help them access the curriculum both in face to face and virtual settings. Please click on the following link (or the button below) if you need help in assisting your child with these programs: https://sites.google.com/rhschools.org/rhsprofessionallearning/instructional-technology-support/learning-management-systems
Informing the School on Medical Issues--When your child has a medical issue, please be sure to include Nurse Love when you inform your child's teacher if your child will be out due to illness. She will be our lead person for helping with any illness for our school family. You can always reach her at jlove@rhmail.org. Thanks so much for your help with this.
District COVID-19 Dashboard--District, level and school data can be viewed at this link to see what case counts are for our schools: https://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/covid19 Please remember the following definitions as you review this information.
"Quarantine" includes individuals who might have been exposed to COVID-19 or who've recently had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
"Close Contact" includes individuals who were within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset.
"Isolation" includes individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 and individuals who are asymptomatic but have tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2.
"Positive" only includes individuals with a lab-confirmed positive test.
Individuals who were in proximity to a positive case are notified and will be monitored for symptoms for 14 days.
Sources: S.C. Department of Health & Control, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. School data includes cases known by school and district nursing staff.
November Teacher Appreciation
We LOVE our Cherry Park Teachers!
Food Drive--Let’s show our teachers how much we appreciate them! This year has brought many changes, and our teachers need to know more than ever that we are behind them! It is the month of giving thanks! This month we plan to do a food drive by sending nonperishable food items in with your student. Collection boxes will be on each hall and beside the Media Center. Please include your teachers name on donations of food items. The class with the most food donations will win their teacher a gift basket full of goodies! Food items will be donated to Pilgrims’ Inn!
Gift of Gratitude--We are asking that each child give a “Gift of Gratitude” to their teachers and support staff members. Please help your child send an email or do a short video or take a picture of a card with kind words of encouragement and thankfulness. You can send these to your child’s teacher or staff member by November 24 via email or See Saw or Canvas or Padlet (or other electronic means.) Staff emails can be found here: https://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/domain/2306
Gift Basket Items--Please see the sign up below to help purchase items for our winning teacher’s goody basket! This month will be sponsored by 2nd and 3rd grade parents, but if you would like to contribute please feel free! Don’t worry if you do not have a child in 2nd or 3rd Grade…there will be plenty of opportunities to help out with donations throughout the year! We ask that all donations for the gift basket be put in the largest black bin with the yellow top outside the front office by Friday, November 20th. See the tentative schedule below:
October: Kindergarten and 1st Grade Families
November: 2nd and 3rd Grade Families
December: 4th and 5th Grade Families
January: All Grade level Families
February: Kindergarten and 1st Grade Families
March: 2nd and 3rd Grade Families
April: 4th and 5th Grade Families
May: All Grade Level Families
June: All Grade Level Families
SIGN UP AT THE LINK BELOW:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49A4A923AAFBC70-cherry1
For questions or concerns reach out to:
Stephanie Greer 423-215-9155
Anitra Meeks 803-389-7202
Need Tech Support? Call 803-324-8324
PTO and SIC Information
Parent Teacher Organization and School Improvement Council Update
The PTO serves to raise funds, coordinate volunteers and encourage teachers through appreciation activities. Click on the PTO Newsletter button below if you wish to receive the PTO Newsletter: PTO and SIC are tentatively planning to meet on the second Monday of each month this year. School Improvement Council meets at 5:30 (in the Fish Bowl) and our Parent Teacher Organization meets at 6:30 (in the Media Center.) Elections were held in the spring for these organizations but all parents are welcome to attend to help provide input and volunteer.
School Calendar
November 1--Daylight Savings Time Ends (Turn clocks back an hour)
November 2--Is an A Day
November 3--Election Day (Student and Staff Holiday)
November 9--E Learning Day (Students will be sent assignments to work on at home while staff prepare for students to return full time.); 5:30 PTO Meeting via Zoom; 6:30 SIC Meeting via Zoom
November 10--All Kindergarten through Second Grade Face to Face Students Return
November 11--Veterans Day
November 12--Makeup Pictures for All Kindergarten through Second Grade and Grades 3-5 A Day Students and Virtual Students (8:00-10:00 AM)
November 13--Makeup Pictures for all Grades 3-5 B Day Students and Virtual Students (8:00-10:00 AM)
November 16--A Day for Grades 3-5
November 23--B Day for Grades 3-5
November 25-27--Thanksgiving Holidays
November 30--All Grades 3-5 Face to Face Students Return