Cheetah Chatter
César E. Chávez Elementary School
MAY 2021
1510 W. 14th Street, Eugene, Ore. 97402
School Office Hours 7:30 am-3:00 pm541-790-5300
A MESSAGE FROM MS. PEARSON
Dear Chávez Families,
Each May, we take time to show appreciation for our teachers and staff. This year, especially, has highlighted the deep caring and dedication of Chávez educators. If you are looking for a way to show appreciation without spending a lot of money, keep in mind that a few simple words make a big impact. Here are some ideas of how to thank the teachers in your life, courtesy of ramseysolutions.com.
1. Thank you. It’s a simple but meaningful phrase that people in this profession just don’t hear often enough.
2. We appreciate you. Teachers don’t just teach—they prepare us for the road ahead. Saying you appreciate that effort reminds teachers that their impact goes beyond the classroom.
3. Your sacrifices don’t go unnoticed. Teachers give up their personal and family time to grade papers, prepare lessons, and attend conferences. And many people don’t realize teachers buy some of their classroom supplies out of pocket. Tell them their extra work means a lot to you. The compliment will certainly mean a lot to them.
4. You made this easy to understand. A teacher’s main goal is to teach. If they simplified something that used to be difficult for your kid to understand, let them know they’re good at their job. Better yet, have your kid tell them directly! Hearing the newly discovered confidence in your child’s voice will make the teacher so proud.
5. My child wants to learn more about this. These words are music to a teacher’s ears! Teachers love to learn and get excited when students share that enthusiasm. This is another compliment that will probably mean even more if it comes straight from your kiddo.
6. You truly care about your students. Good teachers want to see their students succeed and are honored to be a mentor. Tell them you can feel their support and that it doesn’t go unappreciated.
7. You’re making a huge impact. Let your teacher know how much value they add to your family’s life. If it’s someone your child can’t stop talking about, tell them how much your child loves being in their class! Teachers spend so much time with their students, and many of them love to feel like they’re part of the family.
And thank you, too, parents and supportive adults! We appreciate your hard work partnership. I hope you have a magnificent May!
Sincerely,
Ms. Deirdre Pearson, Principal
HYBRID SCHEDULE REMINDERS:
- SCHOOL DOORS OPEN AT 7:40.
- BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED IN THE CLASSROOMS.
- STUDENTS ARRIVING AFTER 7:55 WILL ENTER IN FRONT OFFICE.
- DISMISSAL IS AT 12:55.
MAY/JUNE DATES TO KNOW:
May 3-7 Teacher Appreciation Week
May 10-14 5th Grade Outdoor School
May 24 Site Council Meeting
May 31 No School - Memorial Day Holiday
June 10 Family Zoom Dance Party
June 11 No School - In-Service Day
June 17 Last Day of School
FACE COVERING REMINDERS:
Students returning to in-person learning should understand and be ready to follow these simple rules for face coverings—right kind, right way, all the times.
- Face coverings must be worn at all times, indoors and outdoors, including while in class, during recess, and riding on a school bus.
- Face coverings should fit snugly and cover nose, mouth and chin at all times.
- Face coverings must be an effective design. No gaiters, bandanas, masks with valves, or face shields alone (face shields may be worn in addition to masks).
SPOTLIGHT ON: MS. MARIA
Introducing our new Bilingual Office Assistant, Ms. Maria!
FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER NEWSLETTER
A note from Ms. Angie:
As we talk about what our Family Resource Center can offer to families, I can't help but think of the many resources, classes, and just the "safe space" I wish I would've had as a kid in public education. And as a parent, I think of the resources I could've used when my own sons were in school.
One of the big ones that stands out is the importance for us as parents to be involved in our child's education. Parents make a huge difference in the educational success of their child. Sometimes we hear that a parent's school experience wasn't all that great, but trust me, times have changed. We are partners with you, we believe in the whole child, and we are here to help guide you. You are not alone!
We are making plans to offer more parent education and connection opportunities for the fall. If there is something that you would like to learn more about, please let me know. We want to make sure to offer classes that will be beneficial for families.
Please click here to read my updated monthly newsletter. Ms. Angie's Family Resource Newsletter
EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR TEACHERS AND YOUR SCHOOL
- AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support Chávez Elementary School every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/93-6000566
on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% to charitable organizations,
Chavez Elementary School being one of them. - Bottle Drop – We have blue bags at school with our account labels already on them. Pretty simple, once you fill bag with cans or bottles you can drop off at the
bottle drop location and we get the money for the bottle returns. - Office Depot – Do you or your business shop at office depot? They have a program where they give 5% back to schools. This helps us buy supplies for the school.
- Gift Cards – Gift cards are always a good way to support. We use them to help other families when they are in transition. There have been times when we use them for
groceries, gas, glasses for students, etc.
KINDERGARTEN & FIRST GRADE LEARN TO RIDE BIKES!
We've had a lot of excitement at Kindergarten and 1st grade recess since the start of hybrid in person learning! With the partnership of 4J Safe Routes to School, our Kindergartners and 1st graders have been learning to ride bikes and hone their skills during recess! Students have been learning on balance bikes (no pedals, no training wheels). Using a balance bike rather than training wheels teaches kids the trickier skill of balance first. Then we add pedals to the bikes and they take off! The program is moving to another school now, but for more information on how to teach kids to ride a bike, bike safety tips and more, visit the Safe Routes to School resource page, here:
Small Shifts, Big Impacts: Learn about waste prevention at home
The 4J/EWEB Education Partnership (4J/EEP), the City of Eugene and Lane County have come together to provide a home waste prevention education component for 4J elementary families. For the past several years, 4J has received a waste prevention education grant focused on food waste with the Love Food Not Waste Program. With more time at home, it is a good time to learn more about preventing waste at home, what can be recycled & where and more.
Look for a home waste prevention packet, coming home to each household this month! Materials include:
-reusable bulk/produce bags
-bilingual Curbside composting info
-bilingual Recycle Right info
-bilingual Produce Storage info
-Lane County Recycling Guide (Note:Spanish copies are from 2019-the new guide is out soon)
-An Apple isn't just an apple zine for kids (English and Spanish)
-EWEB grant-Water is Life stickers
Shifting to greener choices helps us help the planet! More info can be found on 4J/EWEB Education Partnership's No Time to Waste page.
Note: If there are items you don't need/want, share with a friend or return to the school and we can redistribute them.
WELLNESS & SELF-CARE
MS. SHANNON OUR SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER IS HERE FOR YOU:
The district will be hosting a couple free (virtual) QPR Trainings for parents/guardians and community members. QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention is an educational program designed to teach lay and professional "gatekeepers" the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond.
May 12, 6:00-7:30 (Spanish), and
May 18, 6:00-7:30 (English), co-facilitated by Ms. Shannon.
Please stay tuned for an invitation, or let Ms. Shannon know if you're interested.
SOME ATTENDANCE REMINDERS AND TIPS FOR THE HYBRID SCHEDULE
What counts for attendance in Hybrid/SSO learning?
We expect and encourage students to attend all live Zooms and complete all Seesaw activities. The required hours of school each day are dictated by the Department of Education. Teachers work hard to provide educational and engaging activities, and we know that a strong connection to the school community supports good mental health in these challenging times.
Of course, we also understand that not everyone can do it all. Sometimes the question comes up: "What exactly does my student have to do each day to avoid being marked absent?"
To be marked as "Present" each day you must:
- Attend school in the building (Hybrid) or live Zoom (SSO) if it is your cohort's day to be there (Cohort A - Mon/Tues and Cohort B - Th/Fri)
- On Wednesdays and your off-cohort days, you need to log into the class Zoom and/or complete a Seesaw assignment (Off days for Cohort A - Th/Fri and Cohort B - Mon/Tues)
Please let your student's teacher know if you have questions, or call the front office.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS FROM MS. BREEYA, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
AVID CORNER
We are working hard to make the most out of our remaining 8 weeks of school! A key AVID priority is to make sure students strengthen their writing skills in all academic subjects. We are teaching students the five steps of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. A great way to encourage or reinforce the first step (pre-writing) at home is outlined below:
Step 1: Ask everyone in the house to make a list of topics they are interested in learning more about. Some examples might include volcanoes, the solar system, wild animals, skateboarding, native Oregon plants, etc.
Step 2: Next, display the list somewhere it is easy to view (like the refrigerator).
Step 3: Pick one of the topics and discuss what you already know about it, and what you want to find out. That's it! And for a challenge. families can start to research the topic and add what they've learned to the list.
This kind of inquiry exercise helps students tap into their curiosity - a much needed skill when it comes time to write in the classroom!
SITE COUNCIL NEWS
TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR APRIL MEETING:
Certified Staff elections will be held this month. Classified will not have an election since it is now a 2-year term.
Parent elections will be held in the fall.
We are starting a yearlong Event Calendar, so we can plan ahead for family engagement and school wide events.
Next meeting is May 24. We will review our ESSA School Improvement Plan with our full ESSA team.
P.E. AND MUSIC SCHEDULE
**Students attend PE/Music on their “offsite days” (when they are at home). SSO teachers will let students know which days they go to PE/Music. The expectation is that students are attending their assigned live zoom PE/Music classes.
Kindergarten:
PE: 11:30-12:00
Music 12:05-12:35
Dance Party Wednesdays 9:20-9:50
1st Grade:
Music: 11:30-12:00
PE: 12:05-12:35
Dance Party Wednesdays 9:20-9:50
2nd Grade:
PE: 8:35-9:05
Music: 9:10-9:40
Dance Party Wednesdays 10:35-11:05
3rd Grade:
Music: 8:35-9:05
PE: 9:10-9:40
Dance Party Wednesdays 10:35-11:05
4th Grade:
PE: 9:50-10:20
Music: 10:25-10:55
Dance Party Wednesdays 12:00-12:30
5th Grade:
Music: 9:50-10:20
PE: 10:25-10:55
Dance Party Wednesdays 12:00-12:30
LIBRARY CHECKOUT
Library Checkout Continues Online
To check out a book, visit the 4J Virtual Library and click on Follett Destiny. Select "Chávez Elementary" and log in with the username and password on your Clever Badge. Click "HOLD" to check out a book. You can ask your teacher in you would like more information.